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GLOSSARY ādhāra (Adhar): Vessel, receptacle - the system of mind, life and body considered as a receptacle of the spiritual consciousness and force. advaita (Adwaita): Monism, monistic. advaita vedānta (Adwaita Vedanta): The monistic school of Vedanta. ājnā cakra: Will centre - see cakra. anāhata: See cakra. ānanda (Ananda): Bliss, delight - the divine or spiritual bliss. antarātman (Antaratman): Inner self, soul. aparā prakrti (Apara Prakriti): The inferior nature, Nature in the lower manifestation of the Ignorance. atman (Atman): Self. ātmarati: The peace and joy inherent in the self. avatāra (Avatar): The descent of the Divine in a human form. avidyā (Avidya): The cosmic principle of Ignorance. bhakta: Devotee. bhakti: Devotion. brahman: The spiritual Reality, universal and śupreme. brahmānda (Brahmanda): Cosmos, universe. caitya purusa (Chaitya Purusha): Psychic being. cakra (Chakra): Centre, nodus, plexus; the seven psychological centres in the subtle body. cakra ājnā: Centre between the eye-brows. —anāhata: Centre in the heart. —hrdpadma: Heart-lotus; same as anāhata. Page-58 —manipura: Centre at the navel. —mūlādhāra: Centre at the bottom end of the spine. —nābhipadma: Same as manipura. —sahasradala: See sahasradala. —svādhisthāna: Centre abdominal. —viśuddha: Centre in the throat. dvaita (Dwaita): Dualism, dualistic. dvaitādvaita (Dwaitadwaita): Dualistic monism. guna (Guna): Quality, mode of Nature. guru: Spiritual Master. hrdpadma: See cakra. japa: Repetition of set sounds or words or a name as prayeror invocation. jīva (Jiva): The Jivatman; the living being. jiva (Krishna's) (Jiva, Krishna's): A creature of Krishna, i.e.,God's creature. jīvtāman (Jivatman): The individual self. jyoti: Light; the principle of spiritual light in the higher ordivine Nature. karma: Action, work: the resultant force of action done inthe past, especially in past lives. karma Yoga: The system of spiritual discipline which takeswork (dedicated to the Divine) as its basis. kevala: Absolute, sheer. krsna's jīva (Krishna's Jiva): See jiva (Krsna's). kundalini śakti (Kundalini Shakti): The power that liescoiled or involved in the lowest centre at the bottom ofthe spine; it is awakened by Yoga and rises to join the Page-59 Divine Power or Presence in the 'sahasradala' (seventh centre). laya: Dissolution of the individual being, merging in theone Self-Existence. līlā (Lila): Play (of the Divine). manipura: See cakra. mantra: Set words or sounds having a spiritual significance and power. moksa (Moksha): Spiritual liberation from the sense ofpersonal being; release from cosmic existence. mūlādhāra: See cakra. nābhipadma: See cakra. nirvana (Nirvana): Spiritual extinction of the separate individual self. om: The primal sound representing the supreme spiritual reality. Parameśvara (Parameshwara): The Supreme as Lord and Master of the universe. parā prakrti: The higher or divine Nature. parā prakrtir jivabhūtā: The higher Nature that has becomethe individual selves. prakrti (Prakriti): Nature, the active and executive Energy, as distinguished from the witnessing and sustaining soul or conscious being. pralaya: The dissolution of the cosmos; any dissolution of the created things. purusa (Purusha): The soul or conscious being supporting the action of Nature. Page-60 rajas: One of the three gunas, fundamental qualities or modes of Nature; the kinetic principle in Nature characterised by desire, action and passions. rājasika (Rajasic): Full of the quality of rajas, the kinetic principle. rāksī māyā (Rakshasi Maya): Illusions created by the Powers of Darkness. śakti (Shakti): The Divine Power, the Conscious Force of the Divine. śama (Shama): Quiet, rest - the principle of calm and peace in the higher or divine Nature. śrāddha (Shraddha):The ceremony of offering oblation tothe dead. saccidānanda (Sachchidananda): The Supreme Reality as self-existent Being, Consciousness and Bliss. sahasradala: The thousand-petalled lotus, seventh centre at the crown of the head. samarpana (Samarpana): Entire self-giving, surrender, dedication. samskāras (Sanskaras): Fixed mental formations; impressions of past habits, experiences stored up in the subconscious parts. sattva (Sattwa): One of the three gunas, fundamental qualities or modes of Nature; the principle of light and harmony in Nature. sādhaka (Sadhak): One who practises the discipline of Yoga. sādhanā (Sadhana): The discipline of Yoga as a means ofrealisation; practice of the Yoga. sāmkhya (Sankhya): A system of philosophy and spiritual practice based upon a detailed analysis of nature and consciousness, Prakriti and Purusha. Page-61 Sāttvika (Sattwic): Full of the quality of sattva, the principleof light and harmony. siddhi: Realisation, fulfilment; also, an occult powergained by Yoga. sūksma śarīra (Sukshma Sharira): The subtle body. svādhisthāna: See cakra. tamos: One of the three gunas, fundamental qualities or modes of Nature; the principle of obscurity and inertia in Nature. tantra: A path of spiritual discipline based upon the principle of Consciousness-Power (conceived as the Mother) as the supreme Reality. tap as: Energy of Consciousness - the principle of spiritual power and force in the higher or divine Nature. tapasyā (Tapasya): Spiritual effort by concentration of the energies in a spiritual discipline or process. tāmasika (Tamasic): Full of the quality of tamas, the principle of obscurity and inertia in Nature. trātaka (Tratak): Focussing the eyes upon a single point to make the consciousness one-pointed. udāsina (Udasina): Seated above, detached. vedānta (Vedanta): The system of philosophy and spiritual discipline in accordance with the "Book of Knowledge" that forms the latter portion of the Vedas (the Vedas are the ancient Indian Scriptures) - the earlier portion being known as the "Book of Works". viśuddha: Literally, pure, see cakra viśtādvaita (Vishishtadwaita): "Qualified monism." vrndāvana (Vrindavan): The holy place where Krishna as the Divine Lover plays with his beloved ones. Page-62 yoga: Union with the Divine; the discipline by which one enters through an awakening into an inner and higherconsciousness. yoga-śakti (Yoga-Shakti): The power that comes with the awakening of the inner and higher consciousness, yoga siddhi: Fulfilment or realisation of the aims of theYoga. Page-63 |