Guru Bhakti Dictionary

Guru Bhakti Dictionary: Hindu - Hinduism Dictionary on Satguru

satguru (sadguru): (Sanskrit) "True weighty one."

A spiritual preceptor of the highest attainment - one who has realized the ultimate Truth, Parasiva, through nirvikalpa samadhi - a jivanmukta able to lead others securely along the spiritual path. He is always a sannyasin, an unmarried renunciate.

All Hindu denominations teach that the grace and guidance of a living satguru is a necessity for Self Realization. He is recognized and revered as the embodiment of God, Sadasiva, the source of grace and of liberation.

See: guru bhakti, guru, guru-shishya relationship, padapuja.

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

Guru Bhakti Dictionary: Hindu - Hinduism Dictionary on Tapas

tapas: (Sanskrit) "Warmth, heat," hence psychic energy, spiritual fervor or ardor.

1) Purificatory spiritual disciplines, severe austerity, penance and sacrifice. The endurance of pain, suffering, through the performance of extreme penance, religious austerity and mortification. By comparison, sadhana is austerity of a simple, sustained kind, while tapas is austerity of a severe, psychetransforming nature. Tapas is extreme bodily mortification, long term sadhanas, such as meditating under a tree in one place for 12 years, taking a lifetime vow of silence and never speaking or writing, or standing on one leg for a prescribed number of years. Scriptures warn against extreme asceticism that harm the body.

2) On a deeper level, tapas is the intense inner state of kundalini "fire" which stimulates mental anguish and separates the individual from society. Life does not go on as usual when this condition occurs. The association with a satguru, Sadasiva, brings the devotee into tapas; and it brings him out of it. The fire of tapas burns on the dross of sanchita karmas. This is the source of heat, dismay, depression and striving until final and total surrender, prapatti. The individual can mollify this heated condition by continuing his regular sadhana as outlined by the guru. The fires of self-transformation may be stimulated by the practice of tapas, or come unbidden. One can "do" tapas, but the true tapas is a condition of being and consciousness which is a state of grace, bringing positive change, transformation and purification of one's nature. Guru bhakti is the only force that can cool the fires of tapas.

See: kundalini, penance, sadhana.

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

Guru Bhakti Dictionary: Dictionary Of Siddha Yoga Terminology

A dictionary Of Siddha Yoga Terminology. From Abhanga to Yogini.

Please note that all words in grey, like "enlightenment" or "kundalini" are hyperlinked to archives further explaining the term. At the corresponding archive you will also find articles related to the term.

Guru Bhakti Dictionary: Hindu - Hinduism Dictionary on Vira Saivism

Vira Saivism (Saiva): (Sanskrit) "Heroic Saivism." Made

prominent by Basavanna in the 12th century. Also called

Lingayat Saivism. Followers, called Lingayats,

Lingavantas or Sivasharanas, always wear a Sivalinga on

their person. Vira Saivites are proudly egalitarian and

emphasize the personal relationship with Siva, rather than

temple worship. Vira Saiva priests, jangamas, conduct

marriages and other domestic rites and also act as gurus or

teachers. Among the most central texts are Basavanna's

Vachanas, Allama Prabhu's Mantragopya,

Chennabasavanna's Karana Hasuge, and the collected

work called Shunya Sampadane. The monistic-theistic

doctrine of Vira Saivism is called Shakti Vishishtadvaita -

a version of qualified nondualism which accepts both difference and nondifference between soul and God, like

rays are to the sun. In brief, Siva and the cosmic force or

existence are one ("Siva are you; you shall return to

Siva."). Yet, Siva is beyond His creation, which is real,

not illusory. God is both efficient and material cause. In

Vira Saivism, Siva divides from His Absolute state into

Linga (Supreme Lord) and anga, individual soul, the two

eventually reuniting in undifferentiated oneness. There are

three aspects of Sivalinga. 1) Ishtalinga, personal form of

Siva, in which He fulfills desires and removes afflictions -

God as bliss or joy; 2) Bhavalinga, Siva beyond space and

time, the highest divine principle, knowable through

intuition; 3) Pranalinga, the reality of God which can be

apprehended by the mind. The soul merges with Siva by a

progressive, six-stage path called shatsthala, consisting of

bhakti (devotion), mahesha (charity and selfless service),

prasada (seeking Siva's grace), Pranalinga (experience of

all as Siva), sharana (egoless refuge in Siva) and aikya

(oneness with Siva). Today Vira Saivism is a vibrant faith,

particularly strong in its religious homeland of Karnataka,

South Central India. Roughly 40 million people live here,

of which perhaps 25% are members of the Vira Saiva

religion. Early on, they rejected brahminical authority, and

along with it the entire caste system and the Vedas. By

rejecting the Vedas, they continue to stand outside

mainstream Hinduism, but in their profound love of Siva

and acceptance of certain Saiva Agamas, as well as the

main truths of the Vedic wisdom, they have identified

themselves as a unique Saiva sect. Though they have

established their faith as a distinct and independent

religion in Indian courts of law, they are still widely

embraced as devout brothers and sisters of the Hindu

dharma.

See: Lingavanta, Saivism.

(See also: Vira Saivism, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Guru Bhakti Dictionary: Yoga Dictionary

A Yoga Dictionary from Abhyasa to Yukti.

From "Kundalini Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda

Guru Bhakti Dictionary: Kundalini Dictionary

Kundalini Dictionary

Dictionary over terms related to kundalini and kundalini awakening. Please note that words in grey like " Kundalini " are links to archives with related articles.

Guru Bhakti Dictionary: Hinduism Lexicon on A

Hinduism Lexicon on A

From aadheenam to axis.

Read more here: » Hinduism: Hinduism Lexicon on A

Guru Bhakti Dictionary: Dictionary of Spiritual Terms

A Dictionary of Spiritual Terms. From Acupuncture to Zoroaster.

Please note that all words in grey, like "yoga", "enlightenment" or "kundalini" are hyperlinked to archives further explaining the term. At the corresponding archive you will also find articles related to the term.

Guru Bhakti Dictionary: : Buddhism

Buddhism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, who lived in what is now Northern India and Nepal between 566 and 483 BCE. Buddhism spread throughout the ancient Indian sub-continent in the five centuries following his death. It continued to spread into Central, Southeast, and East Asia over the next two millennia. With approximately 708 million followers, Buddhism is a major world religion whose adherents are called Buddhists. Buddhist denominations are historically categ ...

Including:

Buddhism - What is a Buddha?
Buddhism - Origins
Buddhism - Principles of Buddhism

Buddhism - The Four Noble Truths
Buddhism - The Noble Eightfold Path

Buddhism - Practices of Buddhism

Buddhism - Refuge in The Three Jewels
Buddhism - The Five Precepts
Buddhism - Meditation
Buddhism - Buddha-dhatu Buddha-Principle, Buddha-nature
Buddhism - Other principles and practices
Buddhism - Vegetarianism

Buddhism - Buddhist religious philosophy and branches
Buddhism - Buddhism after the Buddha

Buddhism - Principal schools of Buddhist philosophy

Buddhism - Scriptures
Buddhism - Relations with other Eastern faiths
Buddhism - Buddhism in the modern world
Buddhism - Buddhism and the West

Buddhism - Buddhism
Buddhism - Related systems and religions

Buddhism - References and Links

Buddhism - References
Buddhism - Footnotes
Buddhism - External links

Including:

Guru - Bibliography

Read more here: » Guru: Encyclopedia - Guru

Guru Bhakti Dictionary: Encyclopedia - Gopuram

Gopuram or gopura, a prominent feature of the Hindu temple architecture of South India, is the rising tower at the entrance of a temple. Gopuram is equisitely decorated with sculpture and carvings and painted with a variety of themes derived from the Hindu mythology, particularly those associated with the presiding deity of the temple to which a particular gopuram may form part of. Gopuram of Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam, Tamilnadu state is one of tallest Gopuram of South India. This Gopuram known as the Ra ...

Including:

Read more here: » Gopuram: Encyclopedia - Gopuram

Guru Bhakti Dictionary: Encyclopedia - Rishi

In Hinduism, a Rishi (ṛṣi) is a sage and/or seer who "heard" (cf. shruti) the hymns of the Vedas from the Supreme Being Brahman while he was in deep meditation. A rishi can be regarded as a combination of a patriarch, a priest, a preceptor, an author of Vedic hymns, a sage, a saint, an ascetic, ...

Read more here: » Rishi: Encyclopedia - Rishi

Guru Bhakti Dictionary: Encyclopedia - Eastern philosophy

The usefulness of dividing philosophy into Western philosophy and other philosophies is open to challenge, not the least for speaking down to those other philosophies. To say this is not to deny that there are important traditions in philosophy that are intimately bound up with historical and geographical circumstances. The term Eastern philosophy refers very broadly to the various philosophies of Iran, India, China, and Japan. When one uses the term "philosophy" in an academic context, it typically refers to the philoso ...

Including:

Eastern philosophy - Philosophical and religious traditions

Eastern philosophy - Syntheses of Eastern and Western philosophy

Guru Bhakti Dictionary: Encyclopedia - Vishnu

Vishnu (IAST viṣṇu, Devanagari विष्णु, with honorific Shri Vishnu; śrī viṣṇu, श्रीविष्णु ), is a form of God, to whom many Hindus pray. For Vaishn ...

Including:

Read more here: » Vishnu: Encyclopedia - Vishnu

Guru Bhakti Dictionary: Encyclopedia - Brahman

Brahman (ब्रह्मन् in devanagari script) in the Vedantic (and subsequently Yogic) schools of Hinduism, is the signifying name given to the concept of the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality that is the Divine Ground of all being in this universe. This Supreme Cosmic Spirit is regarded to be eternal, genderless, omnipotent, omniscient and yet indescribable. It can be at best described as infinite Truth, infinite Consciousness and infinite Bliss. It is regarded as the source and sum of the cosmo ...

Including:

Read more here: » Brahman: Encyclopedia - Brahman

Guru Bhakti Dictionary: Encyclopedia - Sri Aurobindo

Sri Aurobindo (Bangla: শ্রী অরবিন্দ) (August 15, 1872–December 5, 1950) was an Indian nationalist, scholar, poet, Hindu mystic, evolutionary philosopher, yogi and guru. His followers further believe that he was an avatar, an incarnation of the supreme being. Sri Aurobindo spent his life—through his vast writings and through his own development—working for the freedom of India, the path to the further evolution of life on earth, and to bring down what he called the Supramental Truth Consciousness Forc ...

Including:

Guru Bhakti Dictionary: Encyclopedia - Buddhism

Buddhism, a religion and philosophy from ancient India, is based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, of the Shakyas. His lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 483 BCE; it spread throughout the Indian subcontinent in the five centuries following his death. Missionaries would carry Buddhism throughout Central Asia, Sri Lanka, Tibet, as well as East Asian countries such as China, Korea, and Japan in the following two millenia. Buddhism is classified as an Ārya dharma ("Noble religion") and is one ...

Including:

Buddhism - Practices of Buddhism

Buddhism - Principal schools of Buddhist philosophy

Buddhism - References and Links

Read more here: » Buddhism: Encyclopedia - Buddhism

Guru Bhakti Dictionary: Encyclopedia II - Guru - Guru in Hinduism

The importance of finding a guru who can impart transcendental knowledge (vidya) is one of the tenets of Hinduism. One of the main Hindu texts, the Bhagavad Gita, is a dialogue between God in the form of Krishna and Arjuna a nobleman. Not only does their dialogue outlines many of the ideals of Hinduism, but the discussion and relationship between the two considered to be an expression of the ideal Guru/disciple relationship. In the Gita itself, Krishna speaks of the importance of finding a guru to Arjuna: Acquire the t ...

Dream Sharing Forum

Guru Bhakti Dictionary

A Wisdom Archive on Guru Bhakti Dictionary

ARTICLES RELATED TO Guru Bhakti Dictionary

Including:

Including:

Including:

Including:

Including:

Including:

Including:

Including:

See also:

See also:

See also:

Rate this archive!