Hinduism

Student

study of the Vedas and other sacred literature

Householder

pursuing a career and raising a family

Forest Dweller

retreat from worldly bonds to engage fully in the spiritual quest

Wandering Ascetic

returning to society but remaining detached from social life

Brahmin

priests and teachers

Kshatriya

warriors and administrators

Vaishya

producers such as farmers, merchants, & artisans

Shudra

servants and laborers

Life Goal- Karma

pleasure is sought, but within the limits of dharma

Artha

Material success is sought, along with social power and perstige

Dharma

living in harmony with dharma is the primary concern

Moksha

achieve the infinite being, awareness, and bliss of Moksha

Karma Marga

the path of works- for those who prefer an active life

Jnana Marga

the path of knowledge- for those who enjoy philosophy, learning, and meditation

Bhakti Marga

the path of devotion- for those to whom emotional attachment comes naturally

Brahman

the ground of existence and the source of the universe

Vishnu

preserver and protector of the universe

Shiva

the destroyer

Ganesha

elephant-headed. god of beginnings, wisdom, and the remover of obstacles

Krishna

Supreme God of compassion, love, and protection

Kali

goddess of time, change, creation, and destruction

Upanishads

sacred treatises

Rig Veda

oldest and most important of the four sacred Hindu Vedas

Bhagavad-Gita

“divine song” - dialogue between Lord Krishna and warrior Arjuna

Atman

the eternal self

Yoga

designed to unite the Atman with the Brahman

Karma- Principle

the moral law of cause and effect, says that every action produces a justified effect

Samsara

the endless cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth that the Atman experiences, driven by karma

Samadhi

the highest state of meditative absorption. where the self merges with the divine, leading to Moksha

Maya

the cosmic force of illusion or divine magic that makes the phenomenal world appear real, while concealing the true, unitary Self

Sati

the burning of a widow

Monism

the doctrine that says all reality is ultimately one

reincarnation

the belief that the Atman goes through numerous lifetimes in different bodies, human, animal, or divine. Shaped by karma