Yoga Midterm

Yoga

A spiritual and physical practice originating in ancient India, aimed at uniting the mind, body, and spirit. Key forms include asana (postures), pranayama (breath control), and meditation

Samsara

The cycle of birth, death, and rebirth in Hindu and Buddhist traditions, driven by karma. Liberation (moksha/nirvana) is the escape from this cycle.

Thich Nhat Hanh

A Vietnamese Zen master and peace activist who popularized mindfulness in the West.

Moksha

A state of liberation from the cycle of samsara. Ultimate spiritual freedom analogous to nirvana in Buddhism

Atman

The individual soul or self in Hinduism, which is ultimately one with Brahman (universal consciousness).

Brahman

the ultimate reality, the supreme, universal spirit, and the source of all existence

Om

A sacred sound and spiritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism, representing the universe’s essence.

Maya

Illusion or the deceptive appearance of the material world, obscuring true reality (Brahman).

Mara

A demonic figure in Buddhism representing temptation, distraction, and death—obstacles to enlightenment. Tries to distract Buddha from reaching enlightenment

Three Poisons

• Greed (rooster)

• Hatred (snake)

• Ignorance (pig)

• These are the root causes of suffering (dukkha) in Buddhism.

Axial Age

A period (800–200 BCE) of profound spiritual and philosophical development across cultures (e.g., Buddha, Confucius, Socrates).

Senses

In Buddhism, refers to the faculties through which individuals perceive the world, often leading to attachment and suffering. They include sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and thought, which can distract from the path to enlightenment.

Buddhism and Magic

Founded on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, it emphasizes the path to enlightenment through practices such as meditation, ethical conduct, and the development of wisdom. magic often refers to the use of rituals, symbols, and meditative practices believed to bring about spiritual transformation or aid in the practitioner's quest for enlightenment.

Yogi

Practitioner of yoga; in Buddhism, one who seeks enlightenment through asceticism.

Yogachara

Influential school of Mahayana Buddhism that emphasizes the role of consciousness in shaping our experience of reality, suggesting that our perceptions are constructed by mind rather than existing independently. 

Warriors

Possibly bodhisattvas (enlightenment warriors) or Hindu kshatriya (warrior caste).

Eyes of the Yogi

Symbolic or literal perception of deeper reality through practice. "Spiritual eye" or "third eye," a point between the eyebrows that symbolizes higher consciousness and the ability to perceive beyond the material world.

Altered State of Consciousness

Any condition that is significantly different from a normal waking state in terms of awareness, perception, thoughts, or emotions. 

Shamans

Specialist that can enter altered states of consciousness and do magical acts

Kisa Gotami

Buddhist figure whose parable (mustard seed) teaches impermanence. She learns about the inevitability of death through her grief. Goes around looking for a mustard seed from a household that has not experienced death.

Six Realms

The six states of existence in Buddhist cosmology representing different forms of life and experiences, including gods, demi-gods, humans, animals, hungry ghosts, and hell beings.

Koan

Zen riddles (e.g., "What is your original face?") to provoke insight.

Zen

a Japanese sect of Mahayana Buddhism that aims at enlightenment through direct intuition and meditation, emphasizing a state of calm attentiveness and intuitive action rather than conscious effort. 

Yoga Sutra

Patañjali’s text on ashtanga yoga (eight limbs).

Patanjali

Sage who compiled the Yoga Sutras.

Upanishads

Hindu scriptures exploring Brahman-Atman unity.

Vipassana

Insight meditation (Buddhism)

Samatha

Calm-abiding meditation

Pranayama

Breath control in yoga

Asana

Physical postures in yoga

Frazier and Laws of Magic

the Law of Sympathy (like produces like/ things act on one another at a distance because of being linked together by invisibke bonds) and the Law of Contiguity (things that were once connected remain linked, even after separation).