Hinduism

Hindus

or Hindi; people who follow Hinduism

guru

Hindu teacher or religious leader

Temple

place of worship in Hinduism

Sanskrit

sacred language of Hinduism

Om

symbol; first word, meaning creation or divine oneness, brahman in sound form

Ashram

spiritual community or retreat center

Swami

respectful address for a guru or other ascetic

Vedas

knowledge or sacred lore; ancient scriptures written in Sanskrit, written down ~1500 BC, but believed to be older. consists of Rig, Yahir, Sama, and Atharva

Upanishads

sitting near; Teachings about the spiritual reality that underlies all seemingly separate realities. Theological/philosophical texts ~800 BC.

Bhagavad Gita

Divine Song, Epic Poem. Spiritual classic showing the balance between mysticism and practical living. Most popular of Hindu scriptures. ~200 BC

Brahman

“world soul”; ultimate goal to reach this and reconnect. Everything is one, everything is connected. It exists inside each of us, but we lose touch with this. Do this by fulfilling our dharma, to be liberated and reach moksha

Dharma

determined by age, each persons unique duty/responsibility in the world

Yoga

union; ways to connect with ultimate reality; six of them, recognizing different people have different abilities, personalities and preferences. ancient practice that yokes the body and mind for religious deliverance

Jnana Yoga

Knowledge; studying scriptures, learning from gurus

Karma Yoga

action; social justice, charity work

Bhakti Yoga

devotion; special connection/love of a god or saint

Raja Yoga

royal. meditation/prayer

Hatha Yoga

force, breathing, stretching, balancing the body. Exercising

Kundalini Yoga

Spiritual Energy through chakras

Chakras

energy centers. Crown, third eye, throat, heart, solar plexus, sakral, root

Hinduism

Worlds oldest religion, began in the Indus River Valley ~2000 BC (in modern day Pakistan)

Reincarnation

by doing our dharma we earn good karma that helps uncover that divine spark. once fully reconnected we’ve reached moksha

Big Three

many gods of Hinduism. Brahma - Creator; Vishnu - Preserver; Shiva - Destroyer

Diwali

festival of lights, victory of light over darkness. lotus flower, lights, fireworks. jasmine garland, fine and colorful dressing

Indus Valley Civilization

culture of northwest India/Pakistan before the coming of the Aryans

Dravidians

dark-skinned peoples who now live mostly in south India, perhaps descended from the Indus Valley Civilization

Aryans

noble ones; Indo-European peoples who migrated into India

Swastika

Indian symbol of good luck

Agnihotra

ancient Hindu prayer of the sun

Rishi

“seer” of the divine and writer of the Vedas

Atman

persons innermost self or soul

Sadhus

renunciants, also known as holy men

Laws of Manu

Main Hindi law code

Bhakti

devotion, particularly in a devotional movement or group

Tantras

writings in the Tantric movement of Hinduism

Mantra

short sacred formula used in prayer or meditation

Hindutva

“Hindu-ness” of India as promoted by the BJP

Lingman

symbol in Shiva’s shrines probably of erect phallus

Shiva

god who meditates in his home in the Himalayas

Vishnu

cosmic king who supervises universal order and prosperity, protecting and preserving the world

Yoni

symbol probably of the human female genitalia representing the feminine power of the cosmos

Samsara

cycle of reincarnation

Jiva

individual personal soul that collects Karma and is subject to reincarnation

Karma

deeds or acts that influence reincarnation

Moksha

liberation from rebirth and samsara. goal of Brahman

Caste

system of social organization

Varna

“color” a system of classification of people into four main classes: Brahmin, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras

Brahmin

top priestly class in the varna system

Kshatriyas

warrior and princely varna class

Vaishyas

common people. the third varna class

Shudras

servants. fourth varna class

Dalits

oppressed ones; the outcasts below the four Hindu castes

Jati

caste into which one is born

Student stage

first period of life in which a Hindu male gains knowledge for caste duties

Householder stage

second period of life in which a Hindu male marries and raises a family

Forest-dweller stage

third period of life in which a Hindu man retires

Sannyasun stage

fourth period of life in which a Hindu man becomes a renunciant

Artha

material prosperity, second goal of life in Hinduism

Kama

spiritual, mental, and physical pleasure. the third goal of Hindu life

Bindi

forehead mark of a married Hindu woman

Suttee

burning of a widow on the funeral pyre of her husband

Puja

devotional actions of worshipping a god or venerating a human

Murti

image of a deity

Kumbh Mela

festival held every twelve years in Allahabad, India

Transcendental Meditation

meditation system, popularized by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, emphasizing knowing ones divine identity

Diaspora

“spreading” in this case of Hinduism outside India