SOR 1 Definitions

Transcendence

Ultimate reality that exists beyond our world and our experience. And transcendent dimension, a worldview that recognises this.

Imminence

An indwelling, constant reality of a divine being or spiritual forces as an intrinsic part of the world. And immanent dimension, a worldview that recognises this. The opposite of transcendent.

Aboriginal

From the Latin ab origine, meaning ‘from the beginning’. It is always capitalised when used in reference to Australian Aboriginal peoples.

Agnosticism

The belief that the existence or non-existence of God cannot be proved; or the belief that human knowledge is limited to experience.

Ancestral Beings

(Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples) Those spirits who moved about forming the landscape and creating the plants, animals and peoples of the known world. They also founded the ceremonies, marriage laws and other laws of human society. They continue to inhere (to exist permanently and inseparably) in the living generations.

Anthropomorphic

Expressed in terms of human thought, action and being.

Arahant

A monk who seeks to attain enlightenment only for himself.

Atheism

The acceptance that there is no credible scientific or factually reliable evidence for the existence of a god, gods or the supernatural.

Baptism

A religious act of purification by water, from the Greek word baptizo, ‘immerse’. For Christians, it marks their reception into the Christian community.

Bodhi

Enlightening knowledge attained when a person achieves buddhahood.

Bodhisattva

A being who is motivated by compassion and seeks enlightenment not only for themselves but for everyone.

Buddha

A formal title that literally means ‘awakened’. The Buddha’s family name was Siddhartha Gautama.

Country

Term used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to refer to the land to which they belong and their place of Dreaming. Aboriginal English usage of the word is much broader than standard English.

Deist

One who believes in the existence of a god on the evidence of reason and nature only, with rejection of supernatural revelation (distinguished from theist).

Deuterocanonical

From the Greek word meaning ‘belonging to the second canon’. The term has been used since the sixteenth century in the Catholic Churches and Eastern Christianity to describe certain books and passages of the Christian Old Testament that are not part of the Hebrew Bible.

Dhamma

The complete body of the teachings of the Buddha or any other teacher.

Karma

Refers to the moral laws of **cause and effect**. The concept of every mortal is bound by their actions and the consequences for their actions, whether they are good or bad.

Samsara

It refers to the plane of human existence in which we all exist, It is the wheel of life and death and sensory pain and suffering. seen as bondage to a set of ongoing rebirths caused by karmic action. In Buddhism, it is the opposite of nirvana.

Nirvana

The state of no suffering, desire or sense of self that results from enlightenment; the extinction of desire.

Compassion

Forgiveness

The Buhdda

Person

The Darhma

Teaching

The Sangha

Community Name for the assembly of monks and nuns.

The 4 Noble Truths

1. All is suffering
2. The cause of suffering is the desire
3. There is a way out of suffering
4. The way out is the noble eightfold path.

Dukkha

suffering, loss, unsatisfactory

Anicca

Impermanence

Annata

Absence of the individual self

Mahayana Variant

The main focus is on helping others reach enlightenment

Theravada Variant

Orthodox Buddhist, Main focus on themselves reaching enlightenment

Vajrayana

More mystically inclined Mahayana

Dreaming

(Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples) A complex concept of fundamental importance that embraces the long-ago creative era of the Ancestral Beings as well as the present and the future.

Elders

Key persons and keepers of various knowledge within Aboriginal communities. They are chosen and accepted by their own communities as Elders.

Emptiness

The view that everything is interdependent and is caused by something outside of itself, and so has no intrinsic reality of its own.

Episcopalism

Having church authority vested in the company of bishops as a whole rather than with any individual.

Eucharist

The sacred meal of bread and wine commonly celebrated in some form by Christians as their central act of worship. It commemorates the last meal of Jesus with his disciples prior to his death.

Evangelise

Literally means to ‘teach the gospel’. Bringing people to Christianity. The terms ‘missionary activity’ or ‘missionary work’ are often used as synonyms.

Incorporeal

Without bodily or material form.

Land Rights

Claims by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to repossession and compensation for use of their lands and sacred sites.

Monastic

Describing an institutionalised form of religious life, either alone or in a community.

Monotheistic

Characterised by the belief that there is only one God.

Pali

The language of Theravada Buddhist texts.

Pali texts

The earliest known Buddhist texts. The Pali language is closely related to Sanskrit and many words are similar in the two languages.

Polytheism

The belief in many gods or more than one god.

Pope

The Bishop of Rome, considered to be the successor of the apostle Peter – the head of the Catholic Church.

Protestantism

Key beliefs include Sola Scriptura:The belief that the Bible is the ultimate authority in matters of faith and practice, are justified and saved by faith in Jesus Christ alone, all believers have direct access to God and can approach Him without the need for intermediaries such as priests.

Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone), Sola Fide (faith alone), Sola Gratia (grace alone), Solus Christus (Christ alone), and Soli Deo Gloria (glory to God alone).

Puja

Worship; the ritual that honours a god or goddess as a divine guest, usually in a temple, but it can also be a domestic ritual.

Refuge

The taking of refuge in the Three Jewels of the Buddha, the dhamma and the sangha is a brief ritual that can be performed in private or in public by the laity and is extremely popular because of its simplicity.

The 3 Jewels

The three jewels in Buddhism are the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. The Buddha refers to the enlightened teacher, Siddhartha Gautama. The Dharma represents the teachings and principles of Buddhism. The Sangha refers to the community of Buddhist practitioners.

Sacraments

Sacred or holy actions that can bring about changes; a visible sign of an invisible action of God.

Schismatic

A word describing the process where a group that has come together on the basis of common belief begins to split into different groups.

Shramanas

Wandering holy men searching for enlightenment and performing austerities such as fasting.

Sutra

A Buddhist scripture, said to be the Buddha’s words.

Theist

One who believes in the existence of a god or gods without the rejection of revelation.

Transubstantiation

The Catholic teaching that the elements of the Eucharist, bread and wine, truly become the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ even though they retain the appearance of bread and wine.

Vesak

The annual ritual celebrating the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death.

Vinaya

The name given to the collections of books detailing the conduct of monks, and a word denoting correct conduct – the monastic code.

The 8-fold path

\

1. Right understanding (*Samma ditthi)*
2. Right thought (*Samma sankappa*)
3. Right speech (*Samma vaca*)
4. Right action (*Samma kammanta*)
5. Right livelihood (*Samma ajiva*)
6. Right effort (*Samma vayama*)
7. Right mindfulness (*Samma sati*)
8. Right concentration (*Samma samadhi*)

Anglicanism

\

The key beliefs include the belief in the Holy Trinity (One God in three persons), the divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ, the authority of the Bible, the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion, and the importance of tradition and reason in interpreting faith.

Catholic

The key beliefs include the belief in the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), the divinity of Jesus Christ, the authority of the Pope as the successor of Saint Peter, the sacraments, the belief in the resurrection of the dead, and the importance of prayer and worship.

Pentecostalism

The key beliefs include the belief in the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), the authority of the Bible, salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, baptism in the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues as evidence of the Holy Spirit's presence, divine healing, and the imminent return of Jesus Christ.

Orthodox Christian

The key beliefs include The Holy Trinity: Belief in one God who exists in three persons, Belief in Jesus as the Son of God, fully divine and fully human, the need for salvation, the importance of sacraments, such as baptism and the Eucharist, as means of receiving God's grace.

Beatitudes

what are the beatitudes

The Beatitudes are a set of blessings taught by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew. They outline the qualities and attitudes that are considered blessed or favored by God. The Beatitudes include statements such as "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" and "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." They serve as a guide for living a righteous and blessed life according to Christian teachings.

Matthew 5:3–12

* Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
* Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
* Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
* Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
* ***Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.***
* Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
* Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God
* Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
* Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.