Religion Vocab

Mindfulness

The practice of being fully aware and present in the current moment without judgment.

Near Death Expierences

Are intense personal experiences reported by people who come close to death, often involving feelings of peace, light, or leaving the body.

Polytheism

Polytheism is the belief in or worship of multiple gods or deities.

Monotheism

The belief in one all-powerful God.

Monism

The belief that all reality is ultimately one unified substance or principle.

Reciprocity

The practice of mutual exchange and responding to others’ actions with similar actions or obligations.

Yin Yang

Complementary opposite forces in Chinese thought that create balance and harmony in the universe.

I-Ching

An ancient Chinese text used for wisdom, divination, and understanding patterns of change.

Tao

The ultimate natural way or force that flows through and guides all existence. “The Way”

Tao Te Ching

Is the foundational Taoist text traditionally associated with Laozi that teaches harmony with the Tao.

Chi (qi)

Vital life energy or force believed to flow through all living things.

Wu Wei

The Taoist principle of effortless action or acting in harmony with the natural flow of life.

The Vedas

Oldest sacred texts of Hinduism containing hymns, rituals, and spiritual teachings.

The Upanishads

Hindu philosophical texts that explore ideas about the self, ultimate reality, and spiritual liberation.

The Bhagavad Gita

Hindu scripture in which Krishna teaches spiritual wisdom and duty to the warrior Arjuna.

Reincarnation

Belief that the soul is reborn into new lives after death.

Karma

Belief that a person’s actions create consequences that affect their present and future lives.

Samsara

Continuous cycle of birth, death, and rebirth in Hinduism and Buddhism.

Dharma

A person’s moral duty and righteous way of living according to cosmic and social order.

Moksha

Liberation from the cycle of samsara and union with ultimate reality in Hinduism.

Brahman

Ultimate spiritual reality or universal soul in Hindu philosophy.

Atman

Eternal inner self or soul in Hinduism.

Tat Tvam Asi

Hindu phrase meaning “Thou art that,” expressing the unity between Atman and Brahman.

Animism

Belief that spirits or spiritual forces exist in animals, plants, objects, and nature.

Theravada

A branch of Buddhism that emphasizes individual enlightenment through the original teachings of the Gautama Buddha.

Mahayana

Branch of Buddhism that emphasizes compassion and helping all beings achieve enlightenment.

Vajrayana

Form of Buddhism, especially associated with Tibet, that uses rituals, meditation, and symbolic practices to reach enlightenment.

The Bardo

 In Tibetan Buddhism, the intermediate state between death and rebirth.

Annica

Buddhist teaching that all things are impermanent and constantly changing.

Anatta

Buddhist belief that there is no permanent, unchanging self.

Dukkha

 Buddhist concept of suffering, dissatisfaction, or the unsatisfactory nature of life.

Mantra

Sacred word, sound, or phrase repeated during meditation or prayer.

Mudra

A symbolic hand gesture used in Hindu and Buddhist spiritual practices.

Mandala

A symbolic geometric design used in meditation and spiritual rituals.

Yoga

A spiritual and physical discipline that seeks harmony between the body, mind, and spirit.

Lama

A spiritual teacher or monk in Tibetan Buddhism.

 Mahākāśyapa

Early disciple of the Gautama Buddha associated with preserving Buddhist teachings and Zen tradition

Zazen

Zen Buddhist practice of seated meditation.

Koan

A paradoxical question or statement used in Zen Buddhism to break ordinary patterns of thinking.

Satori

A sudden moment of enlightenment or awakening in Zen Buddhism.

Interbeing

The idea, emphasized by Thích Nhất Hạnh, that all things are deeply interconnected and dependent on one another.

Dependent Origination

Buddhist teaching that all things arise because of causes and conditions.

Emptiness (Sunyata)

Buddhist concept that nothing possesses an independent or permanent essence. 

Religion

Religion is a shared centered belief system that involves rituals and teachings.

Religion comes from life itself, a psychological need, a response to death and dreams, seeking reality, and tapping into our underlying consciousness.

Religion connects people to the past, connects them to others, connects them to some source, connects some to the truth, connects them to themselves or a larger self, connects them to the sacred.

One studies religion by looking for these aspects of places, people, objects, word, actions, and beings and how they are set apart from the ordinary. Look for these aspects of how people set apart some aspects and see them as sacred. Another way to study it is to look at all the parts or dimensions which seem to make up most religions  such as ritual, mythical, doctrinal, ethical, social, and experiment.

Indigenous Religions

Indigenous religions are spiritual traditions developed by native or original peoples of a particular region. These religions are deeply connected to land, ancestors, community traditions, and the natural world.

Relational Worldview

A relational worldview is the idea that everything in existence is connected and exists in relationship with everything else. This includes humans, animals, plants, landforms, water, ancestors, and spiritual forces.

Creation Stories

Serve as spiritual, cultural, and practical functions. Living frameworks that shape beliefs, ethics, and identities. Creation stories provide explanations for the origins of the universe and human existence. Creation stories reveal who or what the divine is and how it interacts with the world. 

Genesis 1

Creation happens in six ordered days, followed by a day of rest.  The focus is on cosmic order and structure. Humans are created last, as the culmination of creation. God is majestic, powerful, and transcendent, orderly, and structured. Humans are created “in the image of God.” They are given dominion over the earth, meaning responsibility.

Genesis 2

 Man is created first, then plants, animals, and women. God forms humans from the dust of the earth and breathes life into them. God is personal, hands-on, and relational. Humans are relational beings meant to live in harmony with God and nature.