Hinduism Final

Theistic Vedanta

-Theistic Vedanta believes there is no higher reality beyond the personal God (saguna Brahman). There is no nirvana Brahman. -believe the world is a manifestation of God and is entirely real -believe multiple deities are supreme and dont accept one chosen deity, but one particular deity IS the supreme being and the rest of the deitys are subordinate -believe there are many atmans , one for each person, and are created by the saguna Brahman -believes the soul goes to paradise w/diety but doesn't become one with brahman

Maya

-can be translated to mean "illusion" -In Vedanta, māyā is to be seen through in order to achieve moksha. Ego-consciousness and karma are seen as part of the binding forces of māyā. Māyā may be understood as phenomenal Universe of perceived duality, a lesser reality superimposed on Brahman. Created by the divine by the application of the Lilā -In Advaita Vedanta philosophy, māyā is the limited, purely physical and mental reality in which our everyday consciousness has become entangled. Māyā is held to be an illusion, a veiling of the true, unitary Self—the Cosmic Spirit also known as Brahman. Māyā is a fact in that it is the appearance of phenomena. Since Brahman is the only truth, māyā is true but not the truth, the difference being that the truth is the truth forever while what is true is only true for now. Since māyā causes the material world to be seen, it is true in itself but is "untrue" in comparison to the Brahman. On the other hand, māyā is not false. It is true in itself but untrue in comparison with the absolute truth. In this sense, reality includes māyā and the Brahman -In Hinduism, māyā is also seen as a form of Laksmi. -Māyā, in Her form as Durga, was called upon when the gods/goddesses were helpless against attacks of Mahisasura. Combined material energy of all the gods, including Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, created Her. She is said to possess combined power of all the gods and goddesses. Gods gave her ornaments, weapons, and the lion. She fought a battle against Mahisasura and his army. She defeated the demon's army, killed the demon, and restored peace/order to the world. She is, even now, the protector of the Universe, which is lying in her lap.

Nondualistc Vedanta

-the true self (atman) in all beings is one which is identical with the nirvana Brahman -world is a product of maya, less than real; nothing truly exists but Brahman -the nirvana brahman is the ultimate reality -moksha means merging with brahman and lost of individuality

Bhagavad Gita 200 B.C.E

700-verse scripture that is part of the Mahabharata. It is a sacred text of the Hindus. Is set in a narrative framework of a dialogue between Pandava Prince Arjuna and his guide Lord Krishna. Facing the duty to kill his relatives, Arjuna is "exhorted by his charioteer, Kṛiṣhṇa, among others, to stop hesitating and fulfill his Kṣatriya (warrior) duty as a warrior and kill. Presents a synthesis of the concept of Dharma, theistic bhakti, the yogic ideals of liberation through jnana, and Samkhya. The Gita's call for selfless action inspired many leaders of the Indian independence movement, including Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who referred to the Gita as his "spiritual dictionary".

Dowry

A dowry is the transfer of parental property to a daughter as her inheritance at her marriage. A dowry establishes a type of conjugal fund, the nature of which may vary widely. This fund provides an element of financial security in widowhood or against a negligent husband, and may eventually go to provide for her sons and daughters. Dowries may also go toward establishing a marital household, and therefore might consist of furnishings such as linens and furniture.

Radha

Almost always depicted alongside Krishna and features prominently within the theology of today's Vallabha and Gaudiya Vaishnava sects, which regards Radha as the original Goddess or Shakti.

Arjuna

Arjuna plays a key role in the Bhagavad Gita, which is perhaps the best known sacred Hindu text in the World. Arjuna was considered as a great archer. He was the only Atimaharathi warrior in Pandava army. According to Lord Krishna no warrior in the three worlds can defeat Arjuna in battle. He played a key role in ensuring the defeat of the Kauravas in the Kurukshetra War.

Swami Dayananda

Dayanand's mission was not to start or set up any new religion but to ask humankind for Universal Brotherhood through nobility as in the Vedas. He founded Arya Samaj enunciating the Ten Universal Principles as a code for Universalism Krinvanto Vishwaryam meaning the whole world be an abode for Nobles (Aryas). His next step was to take up the difficult task of reforming Hinduism w/ dedication despite multiple repeated attempts on his personal life. He traveled the country challenging religious scholars & priests to discussions & won repeatedly on strength of his arguments based on knowledge of Sanskrit and Vedas. He believed Hinduism had been corrupted by divergence from founding principles of the Vedas and Hindus had been misled by the priesthood for the priests' self-aggrandizement. Hindu priests discouraged reading Vedic scripture & encouraged rituals, such as bathing in the Ganges River and feeding of priests on anniversaries, which Dayananda pronounced as superstitions or self-serving practices. By exhorting the nation to reject such superstitious notions, his aim was to educate the nation to Go back to the Vedas. He wanted people who followed Hinduism to go back to its roots and follow the Vedic life. He exhorted Hindu nation to accept social reforms, including importance of Cows for national prosperity as well as adoption of Hindi as the national language for national integration. Through his daily life & practice of yoga and asanas, teachings, preaching, sermons and writings, he inspired the Hindu nation to aspire to Swarajya (self governance), nationalism, and spiritualism. He advocated equal rights and respects to women & advocated the education of a girls like males. Swami Dayanand did logical, scientific and critical analyses of faiths like Christianity & Islam & of other Indian faiths like Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism. In addition to discouraging idolatry in Hinduism, he was against the corruption of the true and pure faith in his own country. Unlike other reform movements of his times within Hinduism, the Arya Samaj's appeal was addressed not only to the educated few in India, but to the world as a whole as evidenced in the sixth principle of the Arya Samaj. In fact his teachings professed universalism for the all living beings and not for any particular sect, faith, community or nation. Arya Samaj allows and encourages converts to Hinduism. Dayananda's Vedic message was to emphasize respect/reverence for other human beings, supported by Vedic notion of divine nature of individual-divine b/c body was the temple where human essence (soul or "atma") had the possibility to interface w/ the creator ("Paramatma"). In the 10 principles of Arya Samaj, he enshrined the idea that "All actions should be performed with the prime objective of benefiting mankind", as opposed to following dogmatic rituals or revering idols and symbols. The first five principles speak of Truth and the other five of a society with nobility, civics, co-living and disciplined life. In his own life, he interpreted moksha to be a lower calling (due to its benefit to one individual) than the calling to emancipate others.

Durga

Durga, meaning "the inaccessible" or "the invincible"; the most popular incarnation of Devi and one of the main forms of the Goddess Shakti. She is considered the supreme Goddess and primary deity in Shaktism, occupying a place similar to Lord Krishna in Vaishnavism. Goddess Parvati accounted the name 'Durga' after she killed the demon Durgamaasura. Goddess Parvati is considered to be the complete incarnation of Goddess Durga, with all other Goddesses being her incarnations or manifestations. Whatever deity one is worshiping, ultimately, they are worshiping her. The Supreme power, is called Durga Shakti as per Devi-Mahatmya.

Gopi

Gopi is a word meaning 'cow-herd girl'. In Hinduism specifically the name Gobi is used more commonly to refer to the group of cow herding girls famous within Vaishnava Theology for their unconditional devotion (Bhakti) to Krishna. Of this group, one gopi known as Radha holds a place of particularly high reverence and importance in a number of religious traditions.

Guru

Guru is a Sanskrit term for "teacher" or "master". The Hindu guru-shishya tradition is the oral tradition or religious doctrine or experiential wisdom transmitted from teacher to student. In the United States, the word guru is a newer term, most often used to describe a teacher from the Hindu tradition.

Chakra

In Hindu and tantric/yogic traditions and other belief systems chakras are energy points or knots in the subtle body. They are located at the physical counterparts of the major plexuses of arteries, veins and nerves. Chakras are part of the subtle body, not the physical body, and as such are the meeting points of the subtle (non-physical) energy channels, called nadiis. Nadiis are channels in the subtle body through which the life force (prana), or vital energy moves. Various scriptural texts and teachings present a different number of chakras. There are many chakras in the subtle human body according to the tantric texts, but there are 7 chakras that are considered to be the most important ones. Their name derives from the Sanskrit word for "wheel" or "turning", but in the yogic context a better translation of the word is 'vortex or whirlpool'.

Bhakti

It refers to religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine. Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God

Brahmo Samaj

It was one of the most influential religious reformist movements responsible for the making of modern India It was started at Calcutta on 20 August 1828 by Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Debendranath Tagore as reformation of the prevailing Brahmanism of the time and began the Bengal Renaissance of the 19th century pioneering all religious, social and educational advance of the Hindu community in the 19th century. Its Trust Deed was made in 1830 formalising its inception and it was duly and publicly inaugurated in January 1830 by the consecration of the first house of prayer, now known as the Adi Brahmo Samaj. From the Brahmo Samaj springs Brahmoism, one of the recent sects or faiths of Hinduism. It is not recognised in India as a separate religion distinct from Hinduism. The Brahmo Samaj literally denotes community of men who worship Brahma the Creator. In reality Brahmo Samaj does not discriminate between caste, creed or religion and is an assembly of all sorts and descriptions of people without distinction, meeting publicly for the sober, orderly, religious and devout adoration of "the (nameless) unsearchable Eternal, Immutable Being who is the Author and Preserver of the Universe."

Krishna

Krishna is often described and portrayed as an infant or young boy playing a flute as in the Bhagavata Purana, or as a youthful prince giving direction and guidance as in the Bhagavad Gita. The stories of Krishna appear across a broad spectrum of Hindu philosophical and theological traditions. They portray him in various perspectives: a God-child, a prankster, a model lover, a divine hero ,and the supreme being.

Kundalini

Kundalini stems from yogic philosophy as a form of feminine shakti or "corporeal energy". The Yoga Upanishads describe Kundalini as lying "coiled" at the base of the spine, represented as either a goddess or sleeping serpent waiting to be awakened. In modern commentaries, Kundalini has been called an unconscious, instinctive or libidinal force. -It is reported that Kundalini awakening results in deep meditation, enlightenment and bliss. This awakening involves the Kundalini physically moving up the central channel to reside within the Sahasrara Chakra above the head. This movement of Kundalini is felt by the presence of a cool or, in the case of imbalance, a warm breeze across the palms of the hands or the soles of the feet. Many systems of yoga focus on the awakening of Kundalini through meditation, pranayama breathing, the practice of asana and chanting of mantras. In physical terms, one commonly reported Kundalini experience is a feeling like electric current running along the spine.

Kali

Kālī is the Hindu goddess associated with empowerment, shakti. She is the fierce aspect of the goddess Durga (Parvati). The name Kali comes from kāla, which means black, time, death, lord of death: Shiva. Since Shiva is called Kāla— the eternal time — the name of Kālī, his consort, also means "Time" or "Death". Hence, Kāli is the Goddess of Time and Change. Although sometimes presented as dark and violent, her earliest incarnation as a figure of annihilation of evil forces still has some influence. Various Shakta Hindu cosmologies, as well as Shākta Tantric beliefs, worship her as the ultimate reality or Brahman. Comparatively recent devotional movements largely conceive Kāli as a benevolent mother goddess. Kālī is represented as the consort of Lord Shiva, on whose body she is often seen standing. Shiva lies in the path of Kali, whose foot on Shiva subdues her anger.

Lakshmi

Lakshmi is the Hindu Goddess of wealth, prosperity (both material and spiritual), fortune, and the embodiment of beauty. She is the wife of Vishnu, said to bring good luck and believed to protect her devotees from all kinds of misery and money-related sorrows. -She is endowed with six auspicious and divine qualities, or Gunas, and also the source of strength to Vishnu. When Vishnu incarnated on the Earth as the avatars Rama and Krishna, Lakshmi took incarnation as his consort. Sita (Rama's wife), Radha (Krishna's lover)

Goddesses

Lakshmi, Santoshi Ma, Durga, Kali

Lila

Lila or Leela; loosely translated as "play" (noun). -Common non-dualistic and dualistic philosophy, but has different significance in each. -non-dualism: Lila is a way of describing all reality, including the cosmos, as the outcome of creative play by the divine absolute (Brahman). -dualistic schools of Vaishnavism: Lila refers to the activities of God and his devotee, as well as the macrocosmic actions of the manifest universe

Mandala

Mandala is a spiritual and ritual symbol representing the Universe. The basic form of most mandalas is a square with four gates containing a circle with a center point. Each gate is in the general shape of a T. Mandalas often exhibit radial balance. -The term is of Hindu origin. It appears in the Rig Veda as the name of the sections of the work. -mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of aspirants & adepts, as a spiritual teaching tool, for establishing a sacred space, and as an aid to meditation and trance induction. -In common use, mandala has become a generic term for any plan, chart or geometric pattern that represents the cosmos metaphysically or symbolically; a microcosm of the universe.

Tantra

Means "loom" or "organized grid". Tantras are texts that attempt to weave a large array of seemingly disparate beliefs and practices into a meaningful scheme. Complex assortment of ritual procedures oriented towards manipulating cosmic powers. Mostly belonged to the non-Vedic religious traditions. Things such as overnight meditations in cremations ground, sexual interxours, yantras/mandalas are part of tantric body-mind practices/puja.

Darshan

Means "sight" (in the sense of a vision, apparition, or glimpse of the divine); of a deity or a very holy person or artifact. One could also "receive" darshana or a glimpse of the deity in the temple, or from a great saintly person, such as a great guru.

Neo-Vedanta

Neo-Vedanta, also called Hindu modernism, neo-Hinduism, Global Hinduism and Hindu Universalism, are terms that have been used by modern scholars, primarily western, to characterize interpretations of Hinduism that developed in the 19th century in response to western colonialism and orientalism. These modern interpretations of Hinduism contributed to the Indian freedom struggle and India's identity as a modern, tolerant and independent nation. These modern interpretations emphasize ideas, such as Advaita Vedanta, that are asserted as central or fundamental to Hindu culture. From their origin and through much of their history, and continuing in the present, many of these terms have also been used polemically by both westerners and Indians. When used polemically, the prefix "Neo" is sometimes intended to imply that these modern interpretations of Hinduism are "inauthetic" or in other ways problematic.

Ramakrishna

Ramakrishna Parmahamsa is perhaps the best known saint of nineteenth century India. He was born in a poor Brahmin family in 1836, in a small town near Calcutta, West Bengal. As a young man, he was artistic and a popular storyteller and actor. His parents were religious, and prone to visions and spiritual dreams. Ramakrishna's father had a vision of the god Gadadhara (Vishnu) while on a religious pilgrimage. In the vision, the god told him that he would be born into the family as a son. Young Ramakrishna was prone to experiences of spiritual reverie and temporary loss of consciousness. His early spiritual experiences included going into a state of rapture while watching the flight of a cranes, and loosing consciousness of the outer world while playing the role of the god Shiva in a school play. Ramakrishna had little interest in school or practical things of the world. In 1866, he became a priest at a recently dedicated temple to the Goddess Kali located near Calcutta on the Ganges River. It was built by a pious widow, Rani Rasmani. Ramakrishna became a full-time devotee to the goddess spending increasing amounts of time giving offerings and meditating on her. He meditated in a sacred grove of five trees on the edge of the temple grounds seeking a vision of the goddess Kali. At one point he became frustrated, feeling he could not live any longer without seeing Kali. He demanded that the goddess appear to him. He threatened to take his own life with a ritual dagger (normally held in the hand of the Kali statue). At this point, he explained how the goddess appeared to him as an ocean of light: When I jumped up like a madman and seized [a sword], suddenly the blessed Mother revealed herself. The buildings with their different parts, the temple, and everything vanished from my sight, leaving no trace whatsoever, and in their stead I saw a limitless, infinite, effulgent Ocean of Consciousness. As far as the eye could see, the shining billows were madly rushing at me from all sides with a terrific noise, to swallow me up. I was caught in the rush and collapsed, unconscious ... within me there was a steady flow of undiluted bliss, altogether new, and I felt the presence of the Divine Mother. Mahendranath Gupta, Ramakrsna Kathamrta translated by Swami Nikhilananda as The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna (Mylapore: Sri Ramakrsna Math, 1952), Book 1, p. 15 Ramakrishna's behavior became more erratic as time passed and began to worry his family and employer. He would take on ritual and mythical roles identifying with figures from the Puranas (medieval Indian holy books describing the adventures of gods). His parents found him a wife hoping his mental instability was a result of his celibacy. About this time, an elderly holy woman named Bhairavi Brahmani appeared and determined that Ramakrishna's madness was "spiritual madness" rather than ordinary madness. He was literally mad for the vision of God. She convened a group of respected religious leaders who examined Ramakrishna's symptoms. They concluded that this was a case of divine madness similar in nature to that of other famous saints such as Caitanya (a fifteenth century Bengali saint). From this point on, people began to treat Ramakrishna with more respect though his unusual behavior in worship and meditation continued. The holy women stayed with Ramakrishna for some time teaching him yogic and tantric meditation techniques. A yogin named Totapuri then became Ramakrishna's mentor. Ramakrishna adopted the role of renunciant and learned a nondualist form of Vedanta philosophy from him. In this system, God is understood to be the formless unmanifest energy that supports the cosmos. Ramakrishna experienced a deep form of trance (nirvilkalpa samadhi) under the guidance of this teacher. This state can be described as complete absorption of the soul into the divine ocean of consciousness. Disciples began to appear at this point in Ramakrishna's life. He embarked on a long period of teaching where he gathered a group of disciples around him. This period of his life is well documented by two sets of books written by his disciples. These references are listed below. Ramakrishna explained on different occasions that god is both formed and formless and can appear to the devotee either way. He often asked visitors whether they conceived of god as having qualities or as being beyond qualities. He then proceeded to teach the devotee according to the way he or she viewed the divine. His acceptance of different approaches to the worship of God and the validity of different religious paths, such as Christianity and Islam, is in the best tradition of the universalist approach to religion common throughout India today. One extraordinary quality of Ramakrishna's message was its universal appeal to a broad cross section of Indian society. In the West, religions like Christianity and Judaism tend to be exclusive, and find the contradictions that arise from a religion that is too broad to be objectionable. If one religious approach is right, the others must be wrong. However, the Indian mind tends to more readily accept someone like Ramakrishna who preaches universality of religion and accepts and even promotes individuality in the seeker's approach to God. This is illustrated by Ramakrishna describing God as a mother who cooks fish differently for her children according to their tastes, temperaments, and their ability to digest different types of foods. For Ramakrishna, God is both the mother of the universe and of individual souls who are her children. In India, a mother is often idealized as one who sacrifices herself for her children and goes to great lengths to satisfy them, and bring them happiness. God, as a Mother, therefore makes different religions and belief systems according to each person's needs and tastes. Of course like other theistic religions that focus on benevolent deities, there is the often the mystery of explaining the origin of suffering and evil in the lives of devotees who are devoted to the Mother and under her protection. The famous Shakta poets like Ramprasad Sen and Kasi Nazrul Islam often questioned how a loving mother could allow her children to suffer in myriad ways in their poetic works. In spite of the complaints and protestations directed at the goddess, these poets generally conclude that the Mother always knows what is best for her children, and will eventually do what is right for them in spite of any appearances to the contrary. In terms of mass appeal to different classes of society, Ramakrishna's message appealed to the upper classes who are likely to follow a Vedantist or philosophical approach to religion by sometimes describing God as a non-dual formless essence. His description of Kali as an ocean of light had much in common with the ocean of Brahman that the Brahmins (the traditional priest caste) seek to encounter when they are initiated into the Gayatri mantra, or the mantra of the sun. One divine ocean of consciousness may be difficult to distinguish from another. Ramakrishna also appealed to those with an interest in yoga and esoteric practices by practicing a non-dual form of meditation prescribed by Totapuri which seeks samadhi. The most popular religious practice by far in India is bhakti, or devotion to a deity. Ramakrishna's message was welcomed by both the rural and urban religious people who did puja to different deities. As an example, Ramakrishna worshiped the divine mother Kali as a protective and benevolent deity (Kali also has a fierce and destructive side which she generally does not show to those who worship her). These devotees saw him as a great teacher and bhakta who sang the names of God and talked incessantly about God. They too did puja and sang the names of their chosen deities in hopes of having healthy children, getting good jobs or marriages, producing a plentiful harvest, or entering into the deity's paradise after death. Ramakrishna believed the sincere devotee could even hope for a vision or dream of the divine mother or other deity. Though Ramakrishna was devoted to Kali, he showed respect and gave guidance to many visitors who worshiped other gods and spoke highly of the past Indian saints who were devoted to other deities. Those who followed the Vedic prescription of religious universalism summed up in the phrase "There is but one Truth, but sages call it by different names" noted that Ramakrishna practiced the rituals of many religions, and found that they all brought him to the same divine reality in the end. For those who worshiped many different saints and deities throughout India, this universal approach echoed their own multi-faceted religious practices. Finally, for those with a strong sense of Hindu nationalism, Ramakrishna's chief disciple, Swami Vivekananda, entered onto the world stage by doing a keynote address at the World Parliament of Religions meeting in Chicago in 1893, and he electrified his audience. Hindus for generations could point to their indigenous traditions with pride after his exemplary speech. Vivekananda also promoted a more activist form of Hinduism, which focused on education, feeding the poor, and developing libraries and other institutions. His works were a way of showing Hindus that it was not only the Christian missionaries that could benefit society, but that Hindu religion was also valuable with respect to improving society and combating social ills. Ramakrishna died of cancer of the throat in 1886, leaving his wife Sarada Devi who was considered a saint in her own right to take charge of his disciples and carry on his message

Right-Handed

Right-handed tantra is the technology, the engineering, that employs the principles of Veda in a manner that is in harmony with nature which means to be evolutionary, to support life, to feed and nourish, to create ever-increasing levels of coherence, integration, and health, not only of the individual, but also of society, humanity, and all of existence. Proper meditation is a right-handed tantric technique. Right-handed tantric techniques can be referred to as "natural."

Santoshi Ma

Santoshi Maa is a relatively new goddess in the Hindu pantheon. She is "the Mother of Satisfaction". A vrata (ritual fast) called the Santoshi Maa vrata performed by women on 16 consecutive Fridays is believed to win the goddess' favour. Santoshi Mata emerged as the goddess in the early 1960s. Her cult initially spread through word of mouth, vrata-pamphlet literature, and poster art. Her vrata was gaining popularity with North Indian women. However, it was the 1975 Bollywood film Jai Santoshi Maa ("Hail to Santoshi Maa")—narrating the story of the goddess and her ardent devotee Satyavati—which propelled this then little-known "new" goddess to the heights of devotional fervour. With the rising popularity of the film, Santoshi Mata entered the pan-Indian Hindu pantheon and her images and shrines were incorporated in Hindu temples. The film portrayed the goddess to be the daughter of the popular Hindu god Ganesha and related her to the Raksha Bandhan festival, however, it had no basis in Hindu scriptures.

Santoshi Ma & Jai Santonshi Maa (films)

Santoshi Mata emerged as the goddess in the early 1960s. Her cult initially spread through word of mouth, vrata-pamphlet literature, and poster art. Her vrata was gaining popularity with North Indian women. However, it was the 1975 Bollywood film Jai Santoshi Maa ("Hail to Santoshi Maa")—narrating the story of the goddess and her ardent devotee Satyavati—which propelled this then little-known "new" goddess to the heights of devotional fervour. With the rising popularity of the film, Santoshi Mata entered the pan-Indian Hindu pantheon and her images and shrines were incorporated in Hindu temples. The film portrayed the goddess to be the daughter of the popular Hindu god Ganesha and related her to the Raksha Bandhan festival, however, it had no basis in Hindu scriptures.

Swami Radhakrishnan

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was an Indian philosopher and statesman who was the first Vice President of India (1952-1962) and the second President of India from 1962 to 1967. One of India's best and most influential twentieth-century scholars of comparative religion and philosophy, his academic appointments included the King George V Chair of Mental and Moral Science at the University of Calcutta (1921-1932) and Spalding Professor of Eastern Religion and Ethics at University of Oxford (1936-1952). His philosophy was grounded in Advaita Vedanta, reinterpreting this tradition for a contemporary understanding. He defended Hinduism against "uninformed Western criticism", contributing to the formation of contemporary Hindu identity. He has been influential in shaping the West's understanding of Hinduism, India, and the East,and earned a reputation as a bridge-builder between India and the West. Radhakrishnan was awarded the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India, in 1954. Among the other important honours he received were the British Knight Bachelor in 1931, although he ceased to use the title "Sir" after India attained independence, member of the German "Order pour le Merite for Arts and Science" in 1954, and honorary membership of the British Royal Order of Merit in 1963. He was also awarded the Templeton Prize in 1975 for advocating non-aggression and conveying "love and wisdom for all people." Radhakrishnan believed that "teachers should be the best minds in the country". Since 1962, his birthday is celebrated in India as Teachers' Day on 5 September.

Sati/Sutee

Sati refers to a funeral practice in which a recently widowed woman immolates herself, typically on her husband's funeral pyre. -The term is derived from the name of the goddess Sati, also known as Dakshayani, who self-immolated because she was unable to bear her father Daksha's humiliation of her husband Shiva. -The term sati was originally interpreted as "chaste woman". Sati appears in both Hindi and Sanskrit texts, where it is synonymous with "good wife". Two other terms closely connected to sati are sativrata and satimata. Sativrata denotes the woman who, after her husband's death, has made the formal vow, vrat, to burn herself on his pyre. After her death on the pyre, she achieves the venerated status as a satimata.

Shaiva

Shaivism or Saivism is one of four widely followed sects of Hinduism; reveres Shiva as the Supreme Being. Followers of Shaivam, called "Shaivas," and also "Saivas" or "Shaivites," believe Shiva is All and in all, the creator, preserver, destroyer, revealer and concealer of all that is. Saivists are more attracted to asceticism than adherents of other Hindu sects, and may be found wandering India with ashen faces performing self-purification rituals. They worship in the temple and practice yoga, striving to be one with Siva within.

Shakti vs Maya

Shakti: Power, Energy Mythologically: The Goddess Devi Theologically: Divine Creative Energy Functionally: Maya in Advaita Vedanta "Without Shakti, Shiva is merely a corpse" "Without knowledge of Shakti, moksha cannot be attained"

Shakta/Shakti

Shaktism is a denomination of Hinduism that focuses worship upon Shakti or Devi - the Hindu Divine Mother - as the absolute, ultimate Godhead. It is, along with Shaivism, Vaishnavism, and Smartism one of the primary schools of devotional Hinduism. Shaktism resembles Shaivism. However, Shaktas focus most or all worship on Shakti, as the dynamic feminine aspect of the Supreme Divine. Shiva, the masculine aspect of divinity, is considered solely transcendent, and his worship is usually relegated to an auxiliary role. Shakti is an energy or power (spouse of Shiva)

Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda was an Indian Hindu monk and chief disciple of the 19th-century saint Ramakrishna. He was a key figure in the introduction of the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world and is credited with raising interfaith awareness, bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion during the late 19th century. He was a major force in the revival of Hinduism in India, and contributed to the concept of nationalism in colonial India. Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission. He is perhaps best known for his inspiring speech which began, "Sisters and brothers of America ...," in which he introduced Hinduism at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago in 1893. Born into an aristocratic Bengali family of Calcutta, Vivekananda was inclined towards spirituality. He was influenced by his guru, Ramakrishna, from whom he learnt that all living beings were an embodiment of the divine self; therefore, service to God could be rendered by service to mankind. After Ramakrishna's death, Vivekananda toured the Indian subcontinent extensively and acquired first-hand knowledge of the conditions prevailing in British India. He later travelled to the United States, representing India at the 1893 Parliament of the World Religions. Vivekananda conducted hundreds of public and private lectures and classes, disseminating tenets of Hindu philosophy in the United States, England and Europe. In India, Vivekananda is regarded as a patriotic saint and his birthday is celebrated as National Youth Day in India.

Bhagavata Purana

The Bhagavata Purana is considered to be the purest and greatest of all the puranas since it invokes devotion towards Lord Vishnu and his various incarnations, primarily focusing on Krishna since he was the complete incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The Bhagavata Purana truly reveals the means for becoming free from all material work, together with the processes of pure transcendental knowledge, renunciation and devotion to Lord Vishnu and anyone who seriously tries to understand, hears and chants the verses of the Bhagavata Purana with devotion to Lord Vishnu, becomes completely liberated from material bondage and attains moksha or liberation from the cycle of births and deaths in the material world.

Bhakti Yoga

The Yoga of loving Devotion -the most universally practiced form of yoga in which one seeks to draw near to God through intense love of the deity, to whom one surrenders one's life in total trust. (ishta deva, saguna brahman) -visit holy places, temples and bring tokens (fruit, flowers, incense) or shrines, pray & meditate -scripture is Gita

Significance of Flute

The flute is Krishna calling all to him. No one can resist his call. It is an extension of his beauty . It cares nothing for the world and its social an moral laws and cannot be denied. Even the gods can't ignore the sound of his flute. His flute incites the world to dang and lose itself in its rhythms; lila/playfullness

Left-Handed

The left-hand path is controversial, those not familiar with the scriptures and the oral tradition believe it advocates drunkenness and orgies. This is a distortion. There are stricter prerequisites to the left-hand path vs right-hand path; following it requires more discipline, because the aspirant must maintain intense concentration on the practice in midst of strongest sensual stimulants. To make sure that students walking this razor's edge keep their balance throughout, the practice is always done under supervision of at least one or more adepts, who monitors every step. To stay tuned to the guru shakti (the shakti of the master) you replace your consciousness with his consciousness by means of intense contemplation, and throughout the chakra puja he is sitting in front of you. He watches how you perform rituals, hold your gestures, do your pranayama, or recite mantras, he also observes breathing patterns, which carry the signals of your subtle thoughts and feelings. Throughout practice you maintain a meditative state in which you're aware of presence of your master at the crown chakra and of the ishta deva (the personified form of the mantra) at the heart center. The moment your mind wavers, your master intercedes & brings it back to the ishta deva. Because you are so accompanied you're able to experience the oneness of mantra, deity, guru, and yantra in your own body.

Ram Mohan Roy

The religious reforms of Roy contained beliefs of the Brahmo Samaj; Brahmos believe in the existence of One Supreme God, and worship him alone. Brahmos believe that worship of Him needs no fixed place or time. -Social Reform ~Roy demanded property inheritance rights for women and, in 1828, set up the Brahmo Sabha, which was a movement of reformist Bengali's formed to fight against social evils. ~Roy's political background influenced his social & religious approach to reforms of Hinduism. He wrote: "The present system of Hindus is not well calculated to promote their political interests.... It is necessary that some change should take place in their religion, at least for the sake of their political advantage and social comfort." Rammohan Roy's experience working with the British govt taught him that Hindu traditions were often not respected or considered to be credible by Western standards; this affected his religious reforms. He wanted to legitimize Hindu traditions to his European acquaintances by proving that the "superstitious practices which deform the Hindu religion have nothing to do with the pure spirit of its dictates! The "superstitious practices" to which Rammohan Roy objected included sati, caste rigidity, polygamy and child marriages. These practices were often the reasons British officials claimed moral superiority over the Indian nation. Ram Mohan Roy's ideas of religion sought to create a fair and just society by implementing humanitarian practices similar to Christian ideals and thus legitimize Hinduism in the modern world. Ram Mohan is remembered bringing about women reform laws, especially law banning Sati practice. He was stirred by loss of his sister-in-law, who became Sati. When in 1818, some Hindus objected to guideline restricting Sati, Ram Mohan Roy, produced a counter-petition requesting Govt to pass law banning sati practice. He was at loggerhead w/ Raja Radha Kanta Deb, who was against govt interference in religious practice. Roy risked his personal life & started a campaign against Sati practice, in which he was later supported by Debendra Nath Tagore. He appealed to William Bentick to pass a law banning Sati practice in British India & his persuation bore fruit and practice was banned by a law passed in 1829 in Bengal Presidency, which was later extended in 1830 to Madras and Bombay Presidency. -Educationist ~ Roy believed education to be means of creating social reform and was advocate of introduction of English schools in India. In 1817, in collaboration with David Hare, he set up the Hindu College at Calcutta. In 1822, Roy founded the Anglo-Hindu school, followed four years later by the Vedanta College, where he insisted that his teachings of monotheistic doctrines be incorporated with "modern, western curriculum"; Vedanta College offered courses as a synthesis of Western and Indian learning. In 1830, he helped Alexander Duff in establishing the General Assembly's Institution, by providing him the venue vacated by Brahma Sabha and getting the first batch of students. Roy supported the incorporation of western learning into Indian education. He advocated the study of English, science, western medicine and technology. He spent his money on a college to promote these studies. -Journalist ~Roy was an ardent supported of freedom and speech and press. Roy published magazines in English, Hindi, Persian, and Bengali to spread modern knowledge and politically educate the readers. He published the Brahmonical Magazine in English in 1821. Another notable magazine of his was the Sambad Kaumudi, also published in 1821. In 1822, Ram Mohan published Mirat-ul-Akbar in the Persian language.

The Avatara Doctrine

Theism has got a unique place in Indian Philosophy. Its uniqueness lies in giving support to mythology. In Indian mythology gods are taken as saviours of the suffering human-kind, and all living beings. The theism in Indian Philosophy is also unique, because human beings are considered as the children of the God. Though there is difference of opinion about accepting the existence of God, majority of Indian Philosophical systems supported the existence of God and His strong desire to come-down from their heavenly abodes to the earth, to save their children. It is in this direction, the concept of Avatara has attained significance and meaning.

Reform Hinduism

This took Hindus to constitute a unified community and Hinduism to consist of a homogenous system of religious beliefs and practices. Second, it worked on presumption that impulse and direction for reform would originate in the upper castes and filter down to the lower. Third, modern Hindus tried to foist the concept of reform upon new theories of social and historical change emanating in the West. Arguably, this indicates the very different order of moral and intellectual challenge confronting the modern Hindu. While revealing a general willingness to change, Reform Hinduism actually represents a very specific and selective reading of change. Thus, not all matters that called for change entered reformist agendas, and arbitrary choices were often made between issues that were otherwise closely related. Reform work was also characterized by deep-seated differences over methods and strategies, making reform a sharply contested paradigm. On the whole though, reformers believed that contemporary Hinduism was a visibly corrupted form of an idyllic Hinduism of the past and that the latter had to be brought back, however selectively. They also emphasized human mediation as a potent instrument of change, taking such mediation to be morally binding upon man. The two issues most widely and fiercely agitated within Reform Hinduism were the status of women and caste. These are important themes by themselves and deserve detailed treatment elsewhere.

Vaishnava

Vaishnavism is one of the major branches of Hinduism. Focused on Vishnu. Vaishnavites lead a way of life promoting differentiated monotheism (henotheism), which gives importance to Vishnu and his ten incarnations, including Ram and Krishna. The adherents of this sect are generally non-ascetic, monastic and devoted to meditative practice and ecstatic chanting. Vaishnavites are mainly dualistic. They are deeply devotional. Their religion is rich in saints, temples and scriptures. Its beliefs and practices, especially the concepts of Bhakti and Bhakti Yoga, are based largely on the Upanishads, and associated with the Vedas and Puranic texts such as the Bhagavad Gita, and the Padma Purana, Vishnu Purana and Bhagavata Purana.

Vrat

Vrats fasting rites which are practiced throughout India. The observance of Vrats spans religious boundaries, social classes and even caste and sectarian affiliations. There is a great variety in the kinds of vrats performed and numerous variations in the actual practice of any particular vrat. The word fasting means to move near( to the Supreme) and by implication to overcome helplessness. A calamity has always been an occasion for prayer, we normally pray for a positive reason like asking for a boon, other reasons include appeasement of an anger deity. It is believed that no prayer can be complete unless it is accompanied by an offering.

Vrindavana

Vrindavan is a town in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is the site of an ancient forest where according to the Mahabharata, the deity Krishna spent his childhood days. The town is about 10 km away from Mathura, the city of Lord Krishna's birthplace, near the Agra-Delhi highway. The town hosts hundreds of temples dedicated to the worship of Radha and Krishna and is considered sacred.

Yantra

Yantra is the Sanskrit word for "instrument" or "machine". Much like the word "instrument" itself, it can stand for symbols, processes, automata, machinery or anything that has structure and organization, depending on context. -Traditionally such symbols are used in Eastern mysticism to balance the mind or focus it on spiritual concepts. The act of wearing, depicting, enacting and/or concentrating on a yantra is held to have spiritual or astrological or magical benefits in the Tantric traditions of the Indian religions.

Karma Yoga

Yoga of Action -typically a householder, active int he world, doesn't require a teacher. Appeals to extroverted, active people who are energized by the idea of serving God by helping the world. -taking a detached 3rd person attitude to everyone one does w/ idea that one's true spiritual Self is unaffected by activity. One should do one's dharma for the benefit of others & well being of the world and as worship to God. One should focus on doing well to the fullest ability without desire and without attachment to the results. One should do one's work in life simply because it is ones sacred duty to do so. Detached attitude of "not working for the fruits of one's actions' serves to anchor consciousness in the present moment and purify the mind of selfishness and ego centeredness. Leads to realization that the atman is the eternal witness of all one's activity which results in moksha. -Scripture is the Gita

Avatar/Avatara

a Hindu god can become incarnate in many places at the same time through "partial" avatars (amshas), while the main form from which the avatars emanate remains entirely "full" and can converse with the "partial" forms. Second, the avatars do not fully participate in human suffering or lose the knowledge and power of their divine nature.

Dharma

dharma signifies behaviors that are considered to be in accord with order that makes life and universe possible,and includes duties, rights, laws, conduct, virtues and "right way of living" and "cosmic law and order"

Vision of the Cosmic Form

the Eleventh Chapter. In this Chapter the Lord has showered His highest grace on Arjuna by showing him His divine cosmic form. Arjuna had expressed a desire to see the Lord in His fullness, in the form in which all His splendour and glory are fully manifest. What Arjuna sought was to behold the cosmic form of the Lord.