puja: (Sanskrit) "Worship, adoration."

An Agamic rite of worship performed in the home, temple or shrine, to the murti, sri paduka, or other consecrated object, or to a person, such as the satguru. Its inner purpose is to purify the atmosphere around the object worshiped, establish a connection with the inner worlds and invoke the presence of God, Gods or one's guru.

During puja, the officiant (pujari) recites various chants praising the Divine and beseeching divine blessings, while making offerings in accordance with established traditions. Puja, the worship of a murti through water, lights and flowers in temples and shrines, is the Agamic counterpart of the Vedic yajna rite, in which offerings are conveyed through the sacred homa fire. These are the two great streams of adoration and communion in Hinduism.

Central steps of puja include:

1)    achamana, water sipping for purification;

2)    Ganapati prarthana, prayers to Ganesha;

3)    sankalpa, declaration of intent;

4)    ghanta, ringing bell, inviting devas and dismissing asuras;

5)    avahana, inviting the Deity ;

6)    mantras and dhyana, meditating on the Deity;

7)    svagata, welcoming;

8)    namaskara, obeisance;

9)    arghyam, water offerings;

10) pradakshina, circumambulation;

11) abhisheka, bathing the murti;

12) dhupa, incense-offering;

13) dipa, offering lights;

14) 1naivedya, offering food;

15) archana, chanting holy names;

16) arati, final offering of lights;

17) prarthana, personal requests;

18) visarjana, dismissal-farewell.

Also central are pranayama (breath control), guru vandana (adoration of the preceptor), nyasa (empowerment through touching) and mudra (mystic gestures). Puja offerings also include pushpa (flowers), arghya (water), tambula (betel leaf) and chandana (sandalpaste).

-       atmartha puja: Karana Agama, v. 2, states: Atmartha cha parartha cha puja dvividhamuchyate, "Worship is two-fold: for the benefit of oneself and for the benefit of others." Atmartha puja is done for oneself and immediate family, usually at home in a private shrine.

-       parartha puja: "Puja for others." Parartha puja is public puja, performed by authorized or ordained priests in a public shrine or temple.

See: pujari, puja, yajna.

(See also: Puja , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Astanga yoga:

 Astanga yoga: Eight aspects of yoga described by Patanjali as follows: yama (restraints on behavior), niyama (spiritual observances), asana (seat, posture, practice of postures), pranayama (expansion of vital energy through control of breath), pratyahara ( withdrawal of the senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), samadhi (complete absorption)

(See also: Astanga yoga , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Cin-mudra:

Cin-mudra ("consciousness seal"): a common hand gesture (mudra) in meditation (dhyana), which is formed by bringing the tips of the index finger and the thumb together, while the remaining fingers are kept straight

(See also: Cin-mudra ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

mudra: (Sanskrit) "Seal."

Esoteric hand gestures which express specific energies or powers. Usually accompanied by precise visualizations, mudras are a vital element of ritual worship (puja), dance and yoga.

Among the bestknown mudras are:

1)    abhaya mudra (gesture of fearlessness), in which the fingers are extended, palm facing forward;

2)    anjali mudra (gesture of reverence);

3)    jnana mudra (also known as chin mudra and yoga mudra), in which the thumb and index finger touch, forming a circle, with the other fingers extended;

4)    dhyana mudra (seal of meditation), in which the two hands are open and relaxed with the palms up, resting on the folded legs, the right hand atop the left with the tips of the thumbs gently touching.

See: abhaya mudra, anjali mudra, hatha yoga, namaskara.

(See also: Mudra , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

jyotir dhyana:

jyotir dhyana - luminous contemplation

(See also: jyotir dhyana , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

samadhi: (Sanskrit) "Enstasy," which means "standing within one's Self." "Sameness; contemplation; union, wholeness; completion, accomplishment."

Samadhi is the state of true yoga, in which the meditator and the object of meditation are one. Samadhi is of two levels. The first is savikalpa samadhi ("enstasy with form or seed"), identification or oneness with the essence of an object.

Its highest form is the realization of the primal substratum or pure consciousness, Satchidananda. The second is nirvikalpa samadhi ("enstasy without form or seed"), identification with the Self, in which all modes of consciousness are transcended and Absolute Reality, Parasiva, beyond time, form and space, is experienced. This brings in its aftermath a complete transformation of consciousness. In Classical Yoga, nirvikalpa samadhi is known as asamprajnata samadhi, "supraconscious enstasy" - samadhi, or beingness, without thought or cognition, prajna. Savikalpa samadhi is also called samprajnata samadhi, "conscious enstasy."

(Note that samadhi differs from samyama - the continuous meditation on a single subject or mystic key [such as a chakra] to gain revelation on a particular subject or area of consciousness. As explained by Patanjali, samyama consists of dharana, dhyana and samadhi.)

See: enstasy, kundalini, Parasiva, raja yoga, samarasa, Satchidananda, Self Realization, trance, enlightenment.

(See also: Samadhi , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Ashta-anga-yoga, ashtanga-yoga:

Ashta-anga-yoga, ashtanga-yoga ("eight-limbed union"): the eightfold yoga of Patanjali, consisting of moral discipline (yama), self-restraint (niyama), posture (asana), breath control (pranayama), sensory inhibition (pratyahara), concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana), and ecstasy (samadhi), leading to liberation (kaivalya)

(See also: Ashta-anga-yoga, ashtanga-yoga ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

DHYANA: meditation

(See also: DHYANA , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Dhyana:

Dhyana: meditation; contemplation.

(See also: Dhyana , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Kalavingka (Sanskrit), also Kuravikaya and Karanda, etc. "The sweet- voiced bird of immortality ". Eitel identifies it with cuculus melanoleicus, though the bird itself is allegorical and non-existent. Its voice is heard at a certain stage of Dhyana in Yoga practice. It is said to have awakened King Bimbisara and thus saved him from the sting of a cobra. In its esoteric meaning this sweet-voiced bird is our Higher Ego.

(See also: Kalavingka , Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary,)

Kalavinka (Sanskrit) An allegorical, sweet-voice bird of immortality, representing one of the noblest elements in the human constitution, the higher ego. Its voice is heard at a certain stage of dhyana in genuine yoga practice which is entirely spiritual-intellectual combined with rigid psychic control, and has naught to do with hatha yoga.

Kalavinka is said to have awakened King Bimbasara and thus saved him from the bite of a cobra -- a legend signifying a sage saving himself from the assault of the lower serpent.

(See also: Kalavinka , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Dhyana: meditation

(See also: Dhyana , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Astanga-yoga - the yoga system consisting of eight parts: yama (control of the senses) , niyama (control of the mind) , asana (bodily postures) , pranayama (breath control) , pratyahara (withdrawal of the mind from sensory perception) , dharana (steadying the mind) , dhyana (meditation) , and samadhi (deep and unbroken absorption on the Lord in the heart).

(See also: Astanga-yoga , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

dhyana:

dhyana (dhyaana). Meditation.

(See also: dhyana , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

dhyana-marga:

dhyana-marga (dhyaana-maarga). Path of meditation.

(See also: dhyana-marga , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

In Kundalini Yoga the creating and sustaining Sakti of the whole body is actually and truly united with Lord Siva. The Yogi goads Her to introduce him to Her Lord. The rousing of Kundalini Sakti and Her Union with Lord Siva effects the state of Samadhi (Ecstatic union) and spiritual Anubhava (experience). It is She who gives Knowledge or Jnana, for She is Herself That. Kundalini Herself, when awakened by the Yogins, achieves for them the Jnana (illumination).

Read more here: » Kundalini Yoga: The Importance Of Kundalini Yoga

Concentration With meditation, an equivalent for certain parts of yoga, as found in samadhi, dharana; the removal or surmounting of distractions originating in the mind and centering the latter on the spiritual and intellectual objective to be attained, which in the best sense is union with the inner god, the divine monad -- a conscious identification of oneself with the universal through the individual's innate divinity.

The method of meditative concentration prescribed in the Bhagavad-Gita is to perform all the duties of life without either attachment or avoidance. The hindrances to concentration which are to be removed are those arising from anger, lust, vanity, fear, sloth, etc. Such obstacles are removed by lifting the mind above them or by deliberately ignoring them, since directly fighting with them serves to concentrate the mind on them, thus defeating the object aimed at; and by cultivating the spirit of impersonal love and the light of wisdom which it evokes. Thus the blending of the personal self with the impersonal self is achieved by an orderly process of self-directed evolution, first by unselfish work in the cause of humanity, continued in the various degrees of chelaship, culminating in initiation.

Concentration has often been perverted to mean a kind of personal self-culture, having for its aim the attainment of personal power or self-satisfaction. If unsuccessful, the attempt upsets the balance of the constitution, and if successful, it sows a bitter harvest of aroused personality for future reaping; for when yearning for sympathetic fellowship with our fellowmen we shall find our faculties counterworking us. True meditative concentration actually applies more to the heart than to the mind, and is not a forcible mental practice but a general although very positive and impersonal attitude towards life. It means the centering of our wishes, thoughts, and acts on the ideal of self-identification with the spiritual and universal.

See also DHYANA.

(See also: Concentration , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Yoga (Sanskrit) Union; one of the six Darsanas or schools of philosophy of India, founded by Patanjali, but said to have existed as a distinct teaching and system of life before that sage. Yajnavalkya, a famous and very ancient sage of pre-Mahabharatan times, to whom the White Yajur-Veda, the Satapatha-Brahmana, and the Brihadaranyaka are attributed, is credited with inculcating the positive duty of religious meditation and retirement into the forests, and therefore is believed to have originated the yoga doctrine. Patanjali's yoga, however, is more definite and precise as a philosophy, and imbodies more of the occult sciences than any of the extant works attributed to Yajnavalkya.

The objective of the Yoga school is attaining union or at-one-ness with the divine-spiritual essence within which is virtually identical with the spiritual essence or Logos of the universe. True yoga is genuine psychology based on a complete philosophical understanding of the entire inner human constitution.

There are several states leading to spiritual powers and perception. The eight stages of yoga usually enumerated are:

1)    yama (restraint, forbearance);

2)    niyama, religious observances such as fastings, prayer, penances;

3)    asana, postures of various kinds;

4)    pranayama, methods of regulating the breath;

5)    pratyahara (withdrawal), withdrawal of the consciousness from external objects;

6)    dharana (firmness, steadiness, resolution) mental concentration, holding the mind on an object of thought;

7)    dhyana, abstract contemplation or meditation freed from exterior distractions; and

8)    samadhi, complete collection of the consciousness and its faculties into union with the monadic essence.

There are several types of yoga such as karma yoga, hatha yoga, bhakti yoga, raja yoga, and jnana yoga. "Similar religious aspirations or practices likewise exist in Occidental countries, as, for instance, what is called 'Salvation by Works,' somewhat equivalent to the Hindu Karma-Yoga, or, again, 'Salvation by Faith -- or Love,' somewhat similar to the Hindu Bhakti-Yoga; while both Orient and Occident have, each one, its various forms of ascetic practices which may be grouped under the term Hatha-Yoga.

"No system of Yoga should ever be practiced unless under the direct teaching of one who knows the dangers of meddling with the psycho-mental apparatus of the human constitution, for dangers lurk at every step, and the meddler in these things is likely to bring disaster upon himself, both in matters of health and as regards sane mental equilibrium. The higher branches of Yoga, however, such as the Raja-Yoga and Jnana-Yoga, implying strict spiritual and intellectual discipline combined with a fervid love for all beings, are perfectly safe. It is, however, the ascetic practices, etc., and the teachings that go with them, wherein lies the danger to the unwary, and they should be carefully avoided" (OG 183).

The various forms of yoga from the standpoint of theosophy when properly understood are not distinct, separable means of attaining union with the god within; and it is a divergence of the attention into one or several of these forms to the exclusion of others that has brought about so much mental confusion and lack of success even in those who are more or less skilled. Every one of these forms of yoga, with the probable exception of the lower forms of hatha yoga, should be practiced concurrently by the one who has set his heart and mind upon spiritual success.

Thus one should carefully watch and control his acts, acting and working unselfishly; he should live so that his daily customs distract attention as little as possible away from the spiritual purpose; his heart coincidentally should be filled with devotion and love for all things; and he should cultivate, all at the same time, his will, his capacity for self-sacrifice and self-devotion to a noble cause, and his ability to stand firm and undaunted in the face of difficulties whatever they may be; and, finally, in addition and perhaps most importantly, he should do everything in his power to cultivate his intuition and intellectual faculties, exercising not merely his ratiocinative mind, but the higher intuitive and nobly intellectual parts.

Combining all these he is following the chela path and is using all the forms of yoga in the proper way. Yet the chela will never obtain his objective if his practice of yoga is followed for his own individual advancement. He will never reach higher than the superior planes of the astral world even in consciousness; but when his whole being follows this yoga as thus outlined with a desire to lay his life and all he is on the altar of service to the world, he is then indeed on the path.

(See also: Yoga , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

dhyana-rupa:

dhyana-rupa (dhyaana-ruupa). Form of meditation.

(See also: dhyana-rupa , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

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