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 ...

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Guru, Guru - Etymology, Guru - Guru in Hinduism, Guru - Guru in Buddhism, Guru - Guru in Sikhism, Guru - Types of gurus, Guru - Succession and lineage parampara, Guru - Guru in a Western culture context, Guru - Gurus in the West, Guru - Assessment and criticism, Guru - Notable scandals and controversies, Guru - Bibliography

Read more here: » Guru: Encyclopedia II - Guru - Guru in Hinduism

Born Lawrence Miles in London, England on April 29, 1911, his interests in the area of spiritual investigation and the Pagan way of life began at an unusually early age. During his childhood, he had a number of unique experiences which began the course of his inner development and later led to his spiritual attainment and recognition by a vast public. As a young man, Shri Mahendranath met and exchanged ideas with the advanced thinker and mystic, Aleister Crowley. Personal experiences and the advice of Mr. Crowley suggested that he might gain valuable insight by the deeper study of meditation and ...

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Shri Gurudev Mahendranath, Shri Gurudev Mahendranath - Biography, Shri Gurudev Mahendranath - Writings

Read more here: » Shri Gurudev Mahendranath: Encyclopedia II - Shri Gurudev Mahendranath - Biography

holy feet: The feet of God, a God, satguru or any holy person, often represented by sacred sandals, called sri paduka in Sanskrit and tiruvadi in Tamil.

The feet of a divine one are considered especially precious as they represent the point of contact of the Divine and the physical, and are thus revered as the source of grace. The sandals or feet of the guru are the object of worship on his jayanti (birthday), on Guru Purnima and other special occasions.

See: padapuja, paduka, satguru.

(See also: Holy feet, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

The guru's blessing is the last of the four foundations in Vajrayana Buddhism. In this foundation, the disciple can continue in their experiential path on the way to the true nature of reality. The disciple regards the guru as the embodiment of Buddha, or a Bodhisattva, and he or she shows devotion and great appreciation toward the guru as such. In the Theravada Buddhist tradition, the teacher is a valued and honoured mentor worthy of great respect and is a source of inspiration on the path to Enlightenment. In the Tibetan tradition, ...

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Guru, Guru - Etymology, Guru - Guru in Hinduism, Guru - Guru in Buddhism, Guru - Guru in Sikhism, Guru - Types of gurus, Guru - Succession and lineage parampara, Guru - Guru in a Western culture context, Guru - Gurus in the West, Guru - Assessment and criticism, Guru - Notable scandals and controversies, Guru - Bibliography

Read more here: » Guru: Encyclopedia II - Guru - Guru in Buddhism

The title Guru is extremely fundamental to the religion of the Sikhs. Indeed, the Sikhs have carried the meaning of the word to an even greater level of abstraction, while retaining the original usage, and apply it to an understanding of imparted knowledge through any medium. Sikhism comes from the word Sikh, which means a strong and able Guru disciple. The core beliefs of Sikhism are of belief in one God and in the teachings of the Ten Gurus, enshrined i ...

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Guru, Guru - Etymology, Guru - Guru in Hinduism, Guru - Guru in Buddhism, Guru - Guru in Sikhism, Guru - Types of gurus, Guru - Succession and lineage parampara, Guru - Guru in a Western culture context, Guru - Gurus in the West, Guru - Assessment and criticism, Guru - Notable scandals and controversies, Guru - Bibliography

Read more here: » Guru: Encyclopedia II - Guru - Guru in Sikhism

According to the Deval Smriti there can be eleven kinds of gurus and according to Nama Chintamani there are ten types. According to his function gurus are categorized as rishi acharyam upadhya kulapati mantravetta Vaishnava traditions usually categorize gurus as: vartma-pradarshaka guru (any person who first shows one the path) shiksha guru diksha guru sannyasa guru (who initiates one into sannyasa order) caittya guru ...

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Guru, Guru - Etymology, Guru - Guru in Hinduism, Guru - Guru in Buddhism, Guru - Guru in Sikhism, Guru - Types of gurus, Guru - Succession and lineage parampara, Guru - Guru in a Western culture context, Guru - Gurus in the West, Guru - Assessment and criticism, Guru - Notable scandals and controversies, Guru - Bibliography

Read more here: » Guru: Encyclopedia II - Guru - Types of gurus

The word guru means teacher in Sanskrit, as well as in other languages derived from Sanskrit, such as Hindi, Bengali and Gujarati. The word originated in a Hindu context and holds a special place in Hinduism, signifying both the sacred place of knowledge (jnana) and the imparter of knowledge. The word comes from the Sanskrit root "gru", an adjective literally meaning "heavy, weighty" as in "heavy with knowledge" [1], "heavy with ...

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Guru, Guru - Etymology, Guru - Guru in Hinduism, Guru - Guru in Buddhism, Guru - Guru in Sikhism, Guru - Types of gurus, Guru - Succession and lineage parampara, Guru - Guru in a Western culture context, Guru - Gurus in the West, Guru - Assessment and criticism, Guru - Notable scandals and controversies, Guru - Bibliography

Read more here: » Guru: Encyclopedia II - Guru - Etymology

The word parampara (Sanskrit परमपरा) denotes a long succession of teachers and disciples in traditional Indian culture. The Hinduism dictionary defines parampara is "the line of spiritual gurus in authentic succession of initiation; the chain of mystical power and authorized continuity, passed from guru to guru." In Sanskrit, the word literally means: Uninterrupted series of succession. Parampara is also known as Guru (teacher) Shishya (disciple) parampara or guru parampara, where the knowledge ...

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Guru, Guru - Etymology, Guru - Guru in Hinduism, Guru - Guru in Buddhism, Guru - Guru in Sikhism, Guru - Types of gurus, Guru - Succession and lineage parampara, Guru - Guru in a Western culture context, Guru - Gurus in the West, Guru - Assessment and criticism, Guru - Notable scandals and controversies, Guru - Bibliography

Read more here: » Guru: Encyclopedia II - Guru - Succession and lineage parampara

As an alternative to established religions, some people in Europe and the USA who were not of East Indian extraction have looked up to spiritual guides and gurus from India, seeking them to provide them answers to the meaning of life, and to achieve a more direct experience free from intellectualism and philosophy. Gurus from many denominations traveled to Western Europe and the USA and established followings. One of the first to do so was Swami Vivekananda who addressed the World Parli ...

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Guru, Guru - Etymology, Guru - Guru in Hinduism, Guru - Guru in Buddhism, Guru - Guru in Sikhism, Guru - Types of gurus, Guru - Succession and lineage parampara, Guru - Guru in a Western culture context, Guru - Gurus in the West, Guru - Assessment and criticism, Guru - Notable scandals and controversies, Guru - Bibliography

Read more here: » Guru: Encyclopedia II - Guru - Guru in a Western culture context

Across the globe local Sathya Sai Baba groups assemble to sing bhajans (devotional songs). Baba says that concentration on the name of God with the help of bhajans will easily lead to concentration on God and to bigger devotion. Bhajans are sung on nearly every meeting. In those bhajans the name of traditional Hindu deities have occasionally been replaced by the names of Sathya Sai Baba. In addition they study Sathya Sai Baba's teachings and the holy books of the various world religions. More obvious to outsiders however is the fact t ...

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Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation, Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Important teachings, Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Ashrams in India and the person of Sathya Sai Baba, Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Youth stories, Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Practices in the ashrams and the person of Sathya Sai Baba, Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Activities in local Sathya Sai Baba groups, Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Celebrations and commemorations, Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Bibliography

Read more here: » Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation: Encyclopedia II - Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Activities in local Sathya Sai Baba groups

Sathya Sai Baba (SSB) preaches love and the unity of all religions. He says that all religions lead to God and that followers should continue to follow their original religions. He says that those who follow his teachings will find themselves exampling their own original faith more fully, i.e. that will make Christians become better Christians and Hindus better Hindus, et cetera. He preaches a foundation of five basic human values: Truth (Sathya), Right Conduct ...

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Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation, Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Important teachings, Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Ashrams in India and the person of Sathya Sai Baba, Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Youth stories, Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Practices in the ashrams and the person of Sathya Sai Baba, Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Activities in local Sathya Sai Baba groups, Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Celebrations and commemorations, Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Bibliography

Read more here: » Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation: Encyclopedia II - Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Important teachings

Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Youth stories. Followers believe that SSB was born on 23 November 1926, as described in the authorized biography by Narayana Kasturi. They believe that the Indian guru Aurobindo was referring to him when he said that the divine had descended on earth on 24 November 1926. [1] Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Practices in the ashrams and the person of Sathya Sai Baba. The popularity and the donations by ...

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Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation, Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Important teachings, Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Ashrams in India and the person of Sathya Sai Baba, Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Youth stories, Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Practices in the ashrams and the person of Sathya Sai Baba, Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Activities in local Sathya Sai Baba groups, Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Celebrations and commemorations, Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Bibliography

Read more here: » Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation: Encyclopedia II - Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Ashrams in India and the person of Sathya Sai Baba

Nominally Bihar is headed by a Governor, who is appointed by the President of India. The real executive power rests with the Chief Minister and the cabinet. The political party or the coalition of political parties having a majority in the Legislative Assembly forms the Government. The head of the bureaucracy of the State is called the Chief Secretary. Under him is a hierarchy of officials drawn from the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, and different wings of the State Civil Services. The judiciary is headed by the Chief Justice. Bihar has ...

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Bihar, Bihar - History, Bihar - Ancient, Bihar - Medieval, Bihar - Modern, Bihar - Timelines, Bihar - Geography & climate, Bihar - Economy, Bihar - Government & politics, Bihar - Administrative, Bihar - Transport & travel, Bihar - Places to See, Bihar - Culture, Bihar - Festivals, Bihar - Folksongs & music, Bihar - Dances of Bihar, Bihar - Language & Literature, Bihar - Folk Theatre, Bihar - Cinema, Bihar - Cuisine, Bihar - Art, Bihar - Education, Bihar - Schools, Bihar - Universities & colleges

Read more here: » Bihar: Encyclopedia II - Bihar - Government & politics

The Parsis account for less than 0.007% of the Indian population, but as Mahatma Gandhi said, they are "in number beneath contempt, but in contribution, beyond compare." The same could be said of their festivals. Unfortunately, like the Parsis themselves, these are private and celebrated primarily within the community. The Parsis use the Shahenshahi ("Imperial") version of the Zoroastrian calendar, which differs significantly from the Qadimi ("Ancient") version that their Iranian co-religionists use. For example, New Year is ce ...

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Indian festivals, Indian festivals - Hindu, Indian festivals - Islamic, Indian festivals - Sikhism, Indian festivals - Zoroastrian, Indian festivals - Christian, Indian festivals - Others, Indian festivals - Unofficial

Read more here: » Indian festivals: Encyclopedia II - Indian festivals - Zoroastrian

The Parsis account for less than 0.007% of the Indian population, but as Mahatma Gandhi said, they are "in number beneath contempt, but in contribution, beyond compare." The same could be said of their festivals. Unfortunately, like the Parsis themselves, these are private and celebrated primarily within the community. The Parsis use the Shahenshahi ("Imperial") version of the Zoroastrian calendar, which differs significantly from the Qadimi ("Ancient") version that their Iranian co-religionists use. For example, New Year is ce ...

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List of Festivals in India, List of Festivals in India - Hindu, List of Festivals in India - Islamic, List of Festivals in India - Sikhism, List of Festivals in India - Zoroastrian, List of Festivals in India - Christian, List of Festivals in India - Others, List of Festivals in India - Unofficial

Read more here: » List of Festivals in India: Encyclopedia II - List of Festivals in India - Zoroastrian

Bihar has three airports - Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Airport, Patna, Bhagalpur Airport and Gaya. Patna airport is connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow, and Ranchi. It is categorised as a a restricted international airport, with customs facilities to receive international chartered flights. Gaya airport is a small international airport connected to Colombo and Bangkok. Bihar is well-connected by railway lines to the rest of India. Most of the towns are interconnected among themselves, and they also are directly connected to Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai. Patna, Bhagalpur a ...

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Bihar, Bihar - History, Bihar - Ancient, Bihar - Medieval, Bihar - Modern, Bihar - Timelines, Bihar - Geography & climate, Bihar - Economy, Bihar - Government & politics, Bihar - Administrative, Bihar - Transport & travel, Bihar - Places to See, Bihar - Culture, Bihar - Festivals, Bihar - Folksongs & music, Bihar - Dances of Bihar, Bihar - Language & Literature, Bihar - Folk Theatre, Bihar - Cinema, Bihar - Cuisine, Bihar - Art, Bihar - Education, Bihar - Schools, Bihar - Universities & colleges

Read more here: » Bihar: Encyclopedia II - Bihar - Transport & travel

Bihar has three airports - Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Airport, Patna, Bhagalpur Airport and Gaya. Patna airport is connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow, and Ranchi. It is categorised as a restricted international airport, with customs facilities to receive international chartered flights. Gaya airport is a small international airport connected to Colombo and Bangkok. Bihar is well-connected by railway lines to the rest of India. Most of the towns are interconnected among themselves, and they also are directly connected to Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai. Patna, Bhagalpur a ...

See also:

Bihar, Bihar - History, Bihar - Ancient, Bihar - Medieval, Bihar - Modern, Bihar - Timelines, Bihar - Geography & climate, Bihar - Economy, Bihar - Government & politics, Bihar - Administrative, Bihar - Transport & travel, Bihar - Places to See, Bihar - Culture, Bihar - Festivals, Bihar - Folksongs & music, Bihar - Dances of Bihar, Bihar - Language & Literature, Bihar - Folk Theatre, Bihar - Cinema, Bihar - Cuisine, Bihar - Art, Bihar - Education, Bihar - Schools, Bihar - Universities & colleges

Read more here: » Bihar: Encyclopedia II - Bihar - Transport & travel

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.

For more dictionary entries, see » Guru Purnima Dictionary

Geography Bihar is mainly a vast stretch of very fertile flat land. It has several rivers: Ganga, Son, Bagmati, Kosi, Budhi Gandak, and Falgu to name a few. Central parts of Bihar have some small hills, for example the Rajgir hills. The Himalayan mountains are to the north, in Nepal. To the south is the Chota Nagpur plateau, which was part of Bihar until 2000 but now is part of a separate state called Jharkhand. Climate Bihar is mildly cold in the winter (the lowest temperatures being around 5 to 10 degrees Celsius). Win ...

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Bihar, Bihar - History, Bihar - Ancient, Bihar - Medieval, Bihar - Modern, Bihar - Timelines, Bihar - Geography & climate, Bihar - Economy, Bihar - Government & politics, Bihar - Administrative, Bihar - Transport & travel, Bihar - Places to See, Bihar - Culture, Bihar - Festivals, Bihar - Folksongs & music, Bihar - Dances of Bihar, Bihar - Language & Literature, Bihar - Folk Theatre, Bihar - Cinema, Bihar - Cuisine, Bihar - Art, Bihar - Education, Bihar - Schools, Bihar - Universities & colleges

Read more here: » Bihar: Encyclopedia II - Bihar - Geography & climate

There was a division of Bihar in 2000, when the industrially advanced and mineral-rich part of the state was carved out as the separate state of Jharkhand. Since then, the main economic activity of Bihar has been agriculture. Bihar is among the less developed states of India and has a low per capita income. The blame for this stems from many factors: a historical neglect from the center of Indian power (be it Calcutta during the British Empire or Delhi in the independent India), lack of vision of the political classes, absence of a su ...

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Bihar, Bihar - History, Bihar - Ancient, Bihar - Medieval, Bihar - Modern, Bihar - Timelines, Bihar - Geography & climate, Bihar - Economy, Bihar - Government & politics, Bihar - Administrative, Bihar - Transport & travel, Bihar - Places to See, Bihar - Culture, Bihar - Festivals, Bihar - Folksongs & music, Bihar - Dances of Bihar, Bihar - Language & Literature, Bihar - Folk Theatre, Bihar - Cinema, Bihar - Cuisine, Bihar - Art, Bihar - Education, Bihar - Schools, Bihar - Universities & colleges

Read more here: » Bihar: Encyclopedia II - Bihar - Economy

Bihar - Festivals. Chhath, also called Dala Chhath - is a major festival in Bihar, and is celebrated a week after Deepawali. Chhath is the worship of the Sun God. Wherever people from Bihar have migrated, they have taken with them the tradition of Chhath, and now this festival is known even in a metropolis like Calcutta, or New Delhi or Mumbai. Teej and Chitragupta Puja are other local festivals celebrated with fervour in Bihar. Among other festivals the Shravani Mela of Sultanganj is of ...

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Bihar, Bihar - History, Bihar - Ancient, Bihar - Medieval, Bihar - Modern, Bihar - Timelines, Bihar - Geography & climate, Bihar - Economy, Bihar - Government & politics, Bihar - Administrative, Bihar - Transport & travel, Bihar - Places to See, Bihar - Culture, Bihar - Festivals, Bihar - Folksongs & music, Bihar - Dances of Bihar, Bihar - Language & Literature, Bihar - Folk Theatre, Bihar - Cinema, Bihar - Cuisine, Bihar - Art, Bihar - Education, Bihar - Schools, Bihar - Universities & colleges

Read more here: » Bihar: Encyclopedia II - Bihar - Culture