heaven: The celestial spheres, including the causal plane and the higher realms of the subtle plane, where souls rest and learn between births, and mature souls continue to evolve after moksha.

Heaven is often used by translators as an equivalent to the Sanskrit Svarga.

See: loka, Svarga.

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

This is a sitemap for topic pages related to Hinduism. Click on a link and you will find multiple articles related to the topic:

Hinduism Dictionary - H

Hamsa, handas Vedanga, handogya Upanishad, Harihara, Hatha yoga, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Havana, Heart chakra, Heaven, Hell, Heterodox, Heterosexual, Hierarchy, Higher-nature, Himalayas, Himsa, Hindu, Hindu cosmology, Hindu solidarity, Hinduism, Hiuen Tsang, Holy feet, Holy orders, Homa, Homosexual, Hri, Hued, Human dharma, Humors,

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Hatha Yoga Pradipika: (Sanskrit) "Light on hatha yoga."

A 14th-century text of 389 verses by Svatmarama Yogin which describes the philosophy and practices of hatha yoga. It is widely used in yoga schools today.

(See also: Hatha Yoga Pradipika , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Hinduism (Hindu Dharma): (Sanskrit) India's indigenous religious and cultural system, followed today by nearly one billion adherents, mostly in India, but with large populations in many other countries. Also called Sanatana Dharma, "eternal religion" and Vaidika Dharma, "religion of the Vedas."

Hinduism is the world's most ancient religion and encompasses a broad spectrum of philosophies ranging from pluralistic theism to absolute monism.

It is a family of myriad faiths with four primary denominations:

• Saivism,
• Vaishnavism,
• Shaktism and
• Smartism.

These four hold such divergent beliefs that each is a complete and independent religion. Yet, they share a vast heritage of culture and belief:

• karma,
• dharma,
• reincarnation,
• all-pervasive Divinity,
• temple worship,
• sacraments,
• manifold Deities,
• the guru-shishya tradition and
• a reliance on the Vedas as scriptural authority.

From the rich soil of Hinduism long ago sprang various other traditions. Among these were Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism, which rejected the Vedas and thus emerged as completely distinct religions, disassociated from Hinduism, while still sharing many philosophical insights and cultural values with their parent faith.

Though the genesis of the term is controversial, the consensus is that the term Hindu or Indu was used by the Persians to refer to the Indian peoples of the Indus Valley as early as 500 bce. Additionally, Indian scholars point to the appearance of the related term Sindhu in the ancient Rig Veda Samhita. Janaki Abhisheki writes (Religion as Knowledge: The Hindu Concept, p. 1): "Whereas today the word

Hindu connotes a particular faith and culture, in ancient times it was used to describe those belonging to a particular region. About 500 bce we find the Persians referring to 'Hapta Hindu.' This referred to the region of Northwest India and the Punjab (before partition).

The Rig Veda (the most ancient literature of the Hindus) uses the word Sapta Sindhu singly or in plural at least 200 times. Sindhu is the River Indus. Panini, the great Sanskrit grammarian, also uses the word Sindhu to denote the country or region.

While the Persians substituted h for s, the Greeks removed the h also and pronounced the word as 'Indoi.' Indian is derived from the Greek Indoi."

Dr. S. Radhakrishnan similarly observed,

"The Hindu civilization is so called since its original founders or earliest followers occupied the territory drained by the Sindhu (the Indus) River system corresponding to the Northwest Frontier Province and the Punjab. This is recorded in the Rig Veda, the oldest of the Vedas, the Hindu scriptures, which give their name to this period of Indian history. The people on the Indian side of the Sindhu were called Hindus by the Persians and the later Western invaders. That is the genesis of the word Hindu" (The Hindu View of Life, p. 12).

See: Hindu.

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

Hindu: (Sanskrit) A follower of, or relating to, Hinduism.

Generally, one is understood to be a Hindu by being born into a Hindu family and practicing the faith, or by declaring oneself a Hindu. Acceptance into the fold is recognized through the name-giving sacrament, a temple ceremony called namakarana samskara, given to born Hindus shortly after birth, and to self-declared Hindus who have proven their sincerity and been accepted by a Hindu community. Full conversion is completed through disavowal of previous religious affiliations and legal change of name.

While traditions vary greatly, all Hindus rely on the Vedas as scriptural authority and generally attest to the following nine principles:

1)    There exists a one, all-pervasive Supreme Being who is both immanent and transcendent, both creator and unmanifest Reality.

2)    The universe undergoes endless cycles of creation, preservation and dissolution.

3)    All souls are evolving toward God and will ultimately find moksha: spiritual knowledge and liberation from the cycle of rebirth. Not a single soul will be eternally deprived of this destiny.

4)    Karma is the law of cause and effect by which each individual creates his own destiny by his thoughts, words and deeds.

5)    The soul reincarnates, evolving through many births until all karmas have been resolved.

6)    Divine beings exist in unseen worlds, and temple worship, rituals, sacraments, as well as personal devotionals, create a communion with these devas and Gods.

7)    A spiritually awakened master or satguru is essential to know the transcendent Absolute, as are personal discipline, good conduct, purification, self-inquiry and meditation.

8)    All life is sacred, to be loved and revered, and therefore one should practice ahimsa, nonviolence.

9)    No particular religion teaches the only way to salvation above all others. Rather, all genuine religious paths are facets of God's pure love and light, deserving tolerance and understanding.

See: Hinduism.

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

homosexual: Of or characterized by sexual attraction for members of one's own gender. A modern synonym is gay, especially for males, while female homosexuals are termed lesbian.

See: Hinduism and Homosexuality, bisexual, gay, heterosexual, sexuality.

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

hatha yoga: (Sanskrit) "Forceful yoga."

Hatha yoga is a system of physical and mental exercise developed in ancient times as a means of rejuvenation by rishis and tapasvins who meditated for long hours, and used today in preparing the body and mind for meditation.

Its elements are

1)    postures (asana),

2)    cleansing practices (dhauti or shodhana),

3)    breath control (pranayama),

4)    locks (bandha, which temporarily restrict local flows of prana) and

5)    hand gestures (mudra), all of which regulate the flow of prana and purify the inner and outer bodies.

Hatha yoga is broadly practiced in many traditions. It is the third limb (anga) of Patanjali's raja yoga. It is integral to the Saiva and Shakta tantra traditions, and part of modern ayurveda treatment. In the West, hatha yoga has been superficially adopted as a health-promoting, limbering, stress-reducing form of exercise, often included in aerobic routines.

Esoterically, ha and tha, respectively, indicate the microcosmic sun (ha) and moon (tha), which symbolize the masculine current, pingala nadi, and feminine current, ida nadi, in the human body. The most popular hatha yoga manuals are Hatha Yoga Pradipika and the Gheranda Samhita.

See: hatha yoga, asana, kundalini, nadi, yoga, raja yoga.

(See also: Hatha yoga , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

homa: (Sanskrit) "Fire-offering."

A sacred ceremony in which the Gods are offered oblations through the medium of fire in a sanctified fire pit, homakunda, usually made of earthen bricks.

Homa rites are enjoined in the Vedas, Agamas and Dharma and Grihya Shastras. Many domestic rites are occasions for homa, including upanayana and vivaha. Major pujas in temples are often preceded by a homa.

See: agni, havana, yajna, homa.

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

humors (or bodily humors):

See: ayurveda, bodily humor, dosha.

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

holy orders: A divine ordination or covenant, giving religious authority. Vows that members of a religious body make, especially a monastic body or order, such as the vows (holy orders of renunciation) given a sannyasin at the time of his initiation (sannyasa diksha), which establish a covenant with the ancient holy order of sannyasa. Sannyasins, the wearers of the ocher robe, are the ordained religious leaders of Hinduism.

See: sannyasa diksha.

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

Hindu cosmology:

See: loka, three worlds.

(See also: Hindu cosmology , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

hued: Having specific color.

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

hamsa: (Sanskrit) "Swan;" more accurately, the highflying wild goose Anser indicus.

The vahana, vehicle, of the God Brahma. It has various meanings, including Supreme Soul and individual soul. It is a noble symbol for an adept class of renunciates (paramahamsa) - winging high above the mundane, driving straight toward the goal, or of the discriminating yogi who - like the graceful swan said to be able to extract milk from water - can see the Divine and leave the rest.

The hamsa mantra indicates the sound made by the exhalation (ha) and inhalation (sa) of the breath.

See: paramahamsa.

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

Harihara: (Sanskrit) "Vishnu-Siva."

Also known as Shankaranarayana, an icon of the Supreme One, in which the right half is Siva and left half is Vishnu. It symbolizes the principle that Siva and Vishnu are not two separate Deities.

See: Brahma, murti, Parameshvara, Vishnu.

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

Himalayas: (Sanskrit) "Abode of snow." The mountain system extending along the India-Tibet border and through Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan.

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

hri: (Sanskrit) "Remorse; modesty."

See: yama-niyama.

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

heart chakra: Anahata chakra. Center of direct cognition.

See: chakra.

(See also: Heart chakra , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

heterosexual: Of or characterized by sexual attraction for only members of the opposite sex.

See: bisexual, homosexual, sexuality.

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

Hiuen Tsang: Chinese pilgrim who toured India about 630. His travel diary is a rare and colorful source of information about the India of his day.

(See also: Hiuen Tsang , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)