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| Artha is a Sanskrit term that includes wealth, power and anything one must do to find meaning or a purpose within their life. Artha is significant as it can be found written in the Laws of Manu, under the section devoted to the four goals of life known as the Purusharthas. The other 3 are dharma, kama and moksha. |
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| Avatara is a Sanskrit theological term meaning the “coming down” of a god to earth. The avatar is a god in a human form and are in every way human as they breathe, feel hunger, thirst and die. The avatara is significant as devotion and faith in the avatar saves one from hell and ensures them a place in heaven. |
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| - Loving devotion to a deity seen as a gracious being who enters the world for the benefit of humans. Such as when Shiva came down in human form to help Arjuna in his battle. When Krishna reveals himself in cosmic form, Arjuna is filled by love and awe at what he witnesses. |
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| A member of the priestly class. They are the highest class of the hindu society (brahmins, kshatriyas, vaishyas and shudras) and reserve the authority to teach the Vedas to themselves. |
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| coming close to religion via acts of righteousness, justice, faith, duty and religious & social Obligations that are to be fulfilled. does not cover all what is sacred for hindus. Can also be means of gaining jnana (higher knowledge) in order to achieve moksha (escape from the cycle of death/rebirth). (Sattar) |
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| holy teacher who teach Vedas (which only Brahmins are allowed to teach) and other scripts. |
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| Sensual (not merely sexual) pleasure; one of the three classical aims of life. The aims are dharma, the discharging on one's duties; artha, wealth and power in all forms; kama, sensual pleasure of many types, including sexual and appreciation of beauty; and moksha, or liberation from the life-death cycle.Sensual (not merely sexual) pleasure; one of three classical aims of life. |
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| rulers/warriors. Permitted to study but not to teach the Vedas. Their duty or dharma was to protect the people and the country. Lines of descent important, believed to have divine connections from the sun or the moon. Laws of Manu describe specifically the duties of a king: He must strive to conquer his senses, on those who have done so can lead others, he must shun the vices of pleasure – hunting, gambling, drinking, women- but also the vices that arise from wrath, such as violence, envy and slander. |
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| achieving liberation from the cycle of reincarnation. According to the Upanishads, this requires a transforming experiential wisdom. Those who attain that wisdom become immortal. Quest for unifying truth, this 'higher' knowledge is clearly distinguished from the 'lower' knowledge that can be conceptualized and expressed in words. Its nature cannot be explained or taught, it can only be evoked. 'Higher Wisdom' not connected to any Vedic or book, it is only through the experience of enlightenment that one is freed from the birth-and-death cycle. |
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| a gift from the deity usually as an edible food. it is offered first to the deity from the follower, then the deity gives it back therefore making it "touched" and sacred. It is the giving and receiving between a human devotee and a god |
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| is a religious ritual performed by Hindus as an offering to various deities, distinguished persons, or special guests. In Hinduism, it is done on a variety of occasions and settings, from daily puja done in the home, to temple ceremonies and large festivals, or to begin a new venture. The two main areas where puja is performed are in the home and at public temples. There are many variations in scale, offering, and ceremony. Puja is also performed on special occasions such as Durga Puja and Lakshmi Puja. The puja is performed by Hindus worldwide. Various puja’s are performed at various times of the day and at various times.Puja is modelled on the idea of making an offering or gift to a deity or important person and receiving their blessing in return. |
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| ancient Hindu texts eulogizing various deities, primarily the divine Trimurti God in Hinduism through divine stories. They give prominence to a particular deity and in the form or stories given from one person to another. |
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| A seer; a sage of insight. They are important as they are the composers of the ancient Vedic hymns (such as the Vedas). |
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| A holy man. These men are said to have commanded anything from obedience to veneration. Sadhu’s are important because many Hindu people believe that their primary religious experience is mediated through somebody (like a sadhu). They believe these men are divine. A sadhu devotes their life to finding liberation (the fourth and final stage of life) through meditation. Sadhus devote their lives to praying, meditating and chanting to either Shiva or Vishnu. |
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| life stage of the renouncer. Considered the highest and final stage of the ashram systems. Typically taken by men or women older than 50 or young Brahmacharis who want to renounce all their worldly and materialistic positions in exchange for a spiritual life. They focus only on self and spirituality and usually abandon fire. It is significant because it is a life that is lived without any materialistic possessions, and instead focuses on the self. |
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“What is heard”, the sacred literature of the Vedic and Upanishadic periods, recited orally by the Brahmin priests for many centuries before being written. The earliest compositions are said to have been revealed to rishis (visionaries or seers). It is the most revered body of sacred literature, considered to be the product of divine revelation.
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| “What is remembered”, a body of ancient Hindu literature (the Epics → Ramayana & Mahabarta, Puranas and Laws of Manu) formed after the shruti and passed down in written tradition. Smriti literature elaborates, interprets, and codifies Vedic thought but, being derivative, is considered less authoritative than the Vedic Shruti. Most modern Hindus, however, have a greater familiarity with Smriti scriptures. In time the term Smriti came to refer particularly to the texts relating to law and social conduct, such as the celebrated Laws of Manu. |
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Also known as “the thread ceremony”, is the initiation of a young Brahmin boy into ritual responsibility in which he is given a cord to wear over his left shoulder and a mantra to recite and is sent to beg for food for the day. Only occurs for the twice born castes (Brahmin, Kshatriya and Vaishya) and signifies the beginning of studenthood (the 1st stage of life). During the ceremony, a sacred thread is tied.
The thread is made up of three separate threads, each with a symbolic meaning: one meaning to worship God, one meaning to show love and respect to parents, and one meaning to learn from the religious teacher. Mantras from the Hindu scripture the Rig Veda are used during the ceremony. The importance of the Upanayana ceremony is that it makes a person fit to receive instruction in the Vedas and spread their divine power throughout the world.
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| Four collections of hymns and ritual texts that constitute the oldest and most highly respected Hindu sacred literature. Vedas comes from the Sanskrit word for knowledge. Each Veda has its own Upanishad, or philosophical works. The whole corpus of hymns, ritual treaties, and philosophical works are called the Vedas. |
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| Sanskrit term meaning “without atman” or “no soul”. There is no permanent soul in humans but actually a compounded five factors that are constantly changing. The first is “form” which consists of the body and it’s organs, the second is the “sensation” – the act of feeling something hot or cold. The third is “perception” which is knowing reality, no self, suffering. The fourth is “mental formations” which are thoughts and habits. The last is “consciousness” which is supposed to be the foundation of human experience. |
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| A Buddha who has acheived nirvana through strict discipline and ascetisim. |
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| Sanskrit word meaning ‘closer to religion’. In Buddhism Dharma generally means teachings concerning the ultimate nature of things. Dharma is a part of the three jewels of the Buddhism. The other two are the Buddha and Sangha (congregation) . The three jewels are what Buddhists rely on for happiness. Dharma is a set of doctrinal teachings or eternal truths. These truths include the laws of nature, the reality of spiritual forces such as karma, and the rules of moral conduct/duty. |
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| the suffering, both physical and psychological, that characterizes human life. the first noble truth. |
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| ‘Lesser vehicle’; the pejorative name given by the Mahayana school to earlier Indian Buddhist sects, of which Theravada became the most important. |
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| The energy of the individual’s past thoughts and actions, good or bad, it determines rebirth within the wheel of samsara or cycle of rebirth that ends only when parinirvana is achieved. Good karma is also called merit. |
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Paranirvana is the final end of the cycle of rebirth, the total cessation of suffering, and the perfection of happiness. Parnirvana can only be reached once one ceases to be living. The Buddha reached this level of nirvana on his deathbed, after meditating up through the eight yoga stages, down through them, and finally back up through the first four, before finally being released from the cycle of rebirth. Paranirvana is “nirvana without remainder” and is beyond human understanding; what is important, however, is the reality of that state and the potential of all living beings to attain it.
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| The sangha is the third part of the Triple Gem, the community, and has two components: the monastic community of ordained men (bhikshus) and women (bhikshunis), and the broader community, the universal sangha of all people who follow the Buddha’s path. |
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| Shakyamuni is the “Sage of the Shakya clan”, a title used to refer to the historical figure of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha. Shakyamuni achieves enlightenment through his own reflective and meditative efforts and has nearly perfected his “mind of enlightenment” through hundreds of previous lives. Shakyamuni is not a god on earth but simply a human being who has perfected the spiritual potential of all living creatures. |
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- In Theravada, a being who is on the way to enlightenment or Buddhahood but has not yet achieved it
- in Mahayana, a celestial being who forgoes nirvana in order to save others. Those who have dedicated themselves to achieving Buddhahood. Bodhi in first part means enlightenment, sattva in second part means being as in the phrase human being.
- They remain in Samsara to help free others from it
- They act as saints.
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| A paradoxical thought exercise used in Chan-Zen tradition to provoke a breakthrough in understanding by forcing students past the limitations of verbal formulations and logic |
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| The comfortable realm in the western region of the heavens reserved for those who trust in the merit and grace of its lord, the celestial Buddha Amitabha (Amida) |
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| a respectful title for Tibetan teachers/monks.Significance: Guru Rinpoche (meaning ‘precious teacher’) established Vajrayana in Tibet. He combined instruction of dharma with spirits |
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| a discourse attributed to the Buddha or an important disciple.Significance: marks the moment when the wheel of dharma is set in motion (also known as the ‘Wheel Turning’ sermon) |
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| the discipline that is taught in Buddhism. There are a variety of texts used; Theravada Vinaya, Mahasamghika Vinaya, Mahisasaka Vinaya, Dharmaguptaka Vinaya, Sarvastivada Vinaya and the Mulasarvastivada Vinaya. It was orally passed down from the Buddha to his disciples and would eventually be divided depending on the geographic area or culture. It is essential to the monastic life, and is significant to Buddhism since it is the disciplinary code for self-training. |
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In Buddhism, Zazen is a meditation practice to help calm the mind and body enough to gain enlightenment. It is considered the heart of Zen Buddhist practice. By sitting and detaching yourself from everything and let your thoughts pass you without getting involved in them. It is significant to Buddhism because it is the basis of Buddhist thought - be absorbed in achieving enlightenment and eternal calmness within the body and soul.
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means gentleman which implies the virtues of the upper class (a superior person, or one of virtue and exceptional behaviour). A person of exemplary behaviour, especially in Confucianism; The full realization of ren is achieved by junzi, the Confucian ideal of the perfect gentleman. The concept of junzi is of one who has become a superior person through education, self-cultivation, right-thinking, and right-acting. The basic concept of junzi is justice.
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| the founder of Daoist philosophy. He was a court archivist who one day abruptly quit his position and left the country. Before departing, one of his students and him fulfilled a promise of writing down his teachings called Daodejing. Daodejing is about living a life in touch with the inner dao and its energy. |
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means ritual. It embodies the entire interaction between humans, nature and material objects. The norms of proper social behaviour which is taught by fathers, village elders and gov’t officials. Taught the importance on ideals such as brotherhood, piety, righteousness, good faith and loyalty.
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| Qigong is a way of enhancing health and spiritual well-being through breathing and physical exercises in Taoism. It is also the material energy or force that animates everything in the universe. Some have also described it as a way of achieving wuwei, in one of its definitions, as effortless action. |
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| Ren is the central Confucian virtue. Because Confucianism is far less concerned with devotion and worship and more concerned with encouraging its devotees to be generally good people, it would follow that ren be its central virtue. Ren loosely translated means humaneness, benevolence, or compassion. |
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| ‘Not doing’ as a way of being in the world: a state not of ‘doing nothing’ but of acting without intention or self-interest; an ideal for both daoists and confucians, though most prominently associated with the former. Ghulam |
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| the single English transliteration used for two different Chinese characters. The first, translated throughout this chapter as ‘heart-mind’, is associated with both the thinking and feeling capacities; the second means trustworthiness, a quality valued by Confucians and Daosists alike. restores natural unity, emptiness and tranquility. It is in the recovery that the self is transformed and brought into harmony with Heaven and Earth. Cosmis harmony for all: humans, ghosts, and spirits, deities, Heaven and Earth alike. |
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| the second foundational text for the Daoist philosophical and religious texts, also the name of the author of the text. Has a bunch of literary insights into human nature and the cosmos. |
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| Amaterasu is the Shinto Sun Goddess, a kami, born out of the left eye of the Father and Creator of the Universe, Izanagi. She is the grandmother of Ninigi, who she sent down to earth, along with five deities to accompany him, to plant rice and who was the first being on the planet. Ninigi is the great-grandfather of Jimmu, the first emperor of Japan. The Japanese people are descended from the five deities who accompanied him down to earth. Amaterasu serves, then, as the basis for the Shinto notion that the Japanese emperor along with his subjects are all the children of gods. |
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| Kami are the Shinto spirits that are worshipped. They can be anything in nature from animals to spirits of the dead. Many Kami’s are ancient ancestors of clans who became Kami’s upon their death and absorbed the values and Virtues of Kami’s in life. They are not seperate from nature, but exist within nature both in negative and positive aspects. Kami’s are significant because they are the example that every human being should follow or strive to be. |
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| It is the first scripture for Shintoism in early 700 CE; a collection of regional stories for the purpose of legitimating imperial dominance of the Yamato clan, by associating it with divine origins (myths) of Japan. For example, Japan’s first creation myth of Izanagi and Izanami. The important significance of the kojiki is that it forms the literary basis of Japanese mythology and Shinto. In addition, the kojiki is the most accepted by the Japanese since it was the first scripture. |
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| approx 720CE. More detailed than the Kojiki before it, the Nihongi (or Nihon Shoki) details Japanese Creation Myth and the rise of the Yamato clan. It is the second-oldest book of its type. Significance: Expands the literary basis of Shinto and Japanese Mythology, and provides insight into the Yamato clan not seen in Kojiki. |
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