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)

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)

heart chakra: Anahata chakra. Center of direct cognition.

See: chakra.

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

higher-nature, lower nature: Expressions indicating man's refined, soulful qualities on the one hand, and his base, instinctive qualities on the other.

See: kosha, mind (five states of mind), soul.

(See also: Higher-nature, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

human dharma: The natural growth and expression through four stages of life. Known as ashrama dharma.

See: ashrama dharma, dharma.

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

Hindu cosmology:

See: loka, three worlds.

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

Hindu solidarity: Hindu unity in diversity.

A major contemporary theme according to which Hindu denominations are mutually supportive and work together in harmony, while taking care not to obscure or lessen their distinctions or unique virtues.

The underlying belief is that Hinduism will be strong if each of its sects, and lineages is vibrant.

See: Hinduism.

(See also: Hindu solidarity, 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)

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)

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)

Darsan:

Dars(h)an: Seeing and experiencing a saint, blessing (RRV-7b).

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

Spars:

Spars(h)an: Touching of a saint (RRV-7b), (RRV2-1)

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

Sakthi:

S(h)akthi: Power (BV-39). Female consort of Shiva. Vital core (RRV2-10)

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

Shravana:

S(h)ravana: The son of blind parents, who was killed by accident by Dasharatha, father of Rama (RRV-16)

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

Sati:

Sat(h)i: Voluntary self-burning of women after the death of their husband. Traditional compulsiveness which has fallen into disuse.

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

Arat:

Arat(h)i: A ceremony for greeting the Lord with chanting and offerings of food, lamps, fans, flowers and incense.

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

Pat:

Pat(h)ala: One of the 7 regions under the earth; the abode of Naga's or serpents and demons. [sometimes used as a general name for the lower regions or hells] (See also SB, Canto 5: Chapter 24) (RRV2-9)

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

Akas:

Akas(h)a: Ether, space, one of the five elements of nature. (BV-33). The sky or Akasa is the fifth elemental force, characterized by Sound; sound is the symbol for Brahmam, known as Sabda Brahmam (RRV2-2)

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

THEOSOPHY

Society founded in 1875 by H.P. Blavatsky and Col. H.S. Olcott. Immediate divine illumination. Spiritual insight is superior to empirical knowledge. Specifically, Theosophy is the revelation of HPB that incorporates Gnosticism, Zoroastrianism, Platonism, Hinduism and Buddhism. Theosophy proposes "four bodies": the physical, the astral, the esthetic and the Self.

(See also: THEOSOPHY, Magick, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul, )

H - Letter H , - The eighth letter and aspirate of the English alphabet, and also the eighth in the Hebrew. As a Latin numeral it signifies 200, and with the addition of a dash 200,000; in the Hebrew alphabet Chath is equivalent to h, corresponds to eight, and is symbolised by a Fence and Venus according to Seyffarth, being in affinity and connected with He, and therefore with the opening or womb. It is pre-eminently a Yonic letter.

(See also: H - Letter H, Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary, )

Vibhut:

Vibhut(h)i (Udi): Baba has often spoken of the significance of this Vibhuti. Since it is materialized out of nothing and since the Ash is specifically associated with Siva, it is reverentially known by devotees as Kailasa Vibuthi the sacred Ash of Siva who resides on Mount Kailasa. It is named Vibhuti since it endows one with prosperity; Bhasma - "ashes" because it burns away all sins; Bhasitam - "brightened" because it increases one's spiritual splendor; Ksharam - "destruction" since it removes danger; and Raksha - "protector" for it is an armor against the machinations of evil spirits (SSS). Shirdi Sai Baba gave this ash and Sathya Sai Baba materializes the ash out of His hand to His devotees as a token of blessing or for other purposes. (SSS-II)

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