Religion 1000

Syncretism

merging of elements from different cultures

Advaita

says that the deepest understanding of Vedic truth is a non-dual relationship between individual self and Braham

Shankara

a brahmin from South India and an important founding figure of Advaita

Yoga Sutras

defined as the restraint of mind

Tantra

adaptations of Vedic truths appropriate for and effective in present age

Mantra

formulas that are understood to embody the divine being in the form of sound

Yantra

visual representation of a specific divine being

Mandala

place/home/heaven of divine being

Buddha

the enlightened one

Shakyamuni

sage of the Shakya clan

Samsara

the liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth

Duhkha

suffering

Nirvana

extinction of unrealistic desires, hatred and greed

Bodhisattva

an enlightened beings

Dharma

truth/teachings

Sangha

community of ordained monks, lay men and women, nuns

Theravada

oldest existing school

Mahayana

different universe each with its own Buddha at any given time and we should all aspire to Buddhahood

Vajrayana

ritualized meditations center on one of any number of Buddhas or high Bodhisattvas and in the course of the ritual/mediation, the meditator meditates on the identity of themselves and the buddha/bodhisattva that is their focus, becoming that Buddha or bodhisattva and/or instilling their perfect wisdom, compassion, or other quality in oneself

Pure Land

branch of buddhism that focuses on rebirth through in a celestial

Amida

figure in Pure Land buddhism representing infinite light and compasion

Nembutsu

honour to Amida Buddha

Chan

meditation buddhism

Tanakh

the Jewish Bible

Torah

first five books of the Hebrew bible

Nevi’im

number of books in the Hebrew Bible/number of Prophets

Ketuvim

writings. Refers to books like Psalms, Proverbs, Jobs

Mishnah

the written text from about 220 CE by Judah the Prince

Talmud

commentaries plus the Mishnah written down

Halakhah

legal material of Gemarah

Aggadah

narrative material of Gemarah

Messiah

Greek for Christ. Gods anointed one

Logos

greek word for word

Trinity

describes three persons in one god

Eucharist

commemorates Jesus’s last supper

Agape

selfless love

Apostles

a divinely appointed ambassador commissioned to spread teachings of Jesus

Beatitudes

series of sayings from the Sermon on the Mount

Qur’an

religious text of Islam

Ramadan

ninth and holiest month of Islamic calendar

Sawm

fasting in Ramadan from dawn to dusk observed every day in the month of Ramadan

Zakat

2.5% tax on wealth that adults must contribute to a centralized fund for the community

Hajj

pilgrimage

Night of Power

night near the end of Ramadan when Muhammad first saw angel Gabriel