Yoga Philosophy Dictionary

Suffering (dukkha): First noble truth of Buddhism which designates a state of anguish that results from clinging or grasping (tanha, trishna). Suffering is one of the Three Marks of Existence (ti-lakkhana) in Buddhism.

 (See also: Suffering , Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

Karma Yoga: Sub-school of Hindu Yoga which advocates becoming indifferent to the consequences of one's actions, thereby disassociating oneself from one's ordinary consciousness

 (See also: Karma Yoga , Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

Sanskrit dictionary. From Advaita to Yoga.

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.

Humanity (jen): Central Confucian concept advocating benevolent action towards people.

 (See also: Humanity , Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

Desire (tanha, trishna): Second noble truth of Buddhism which designates that suffering results from craving sensory and mental objects.

 (See also: Desire , Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

Celestial Bodhisattva (mahasattvas): In Mahayana Buddhism, a heavenly or god-like Bodhisattva, similar to (and perhaps one step under) the Celestial Buddhas, the most famous of which is Avalokitesvara; showing devotion to Celestial Bodhisattvas results in them assisting us in our quest for enlightenment.

 (See also: Celestial Bodhisattva , Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

Perfection of Wisdom (prajnaparamita): In Mahayana Buddhism, an early collection of writings beginning about 100 BCE which focuses on the importance of wisdom among the ten ideal perfections (paramitas); emphasizing the notion of emptiness (sunyata), the most famous of these works are the Diamond Cutter Sutra (vajracchedika-prajnaparaita) and the Heart Sutra (prajnaparamita-hydaya).

 (See also: Perfection of Wisdom , Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

Amida: The most famous of the Celestial Buddhas in Mahayana Buddhism, who instituted a heavenly Buddha-Land called the Pure Land.

 (See also: Amida , Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

A Yoga Dictionary from Asanas to Zerosis

Note that all words in grey (like the following examples; Yoga, Kundalini, Enlightenment) in the dictionary are links to archives with articles related to that word or expression.

From "Easy Steps to Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Brahma: Creator God of the Trimurti in Bhakti Hinduism.

 (See also: Brahma , Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

Asoka: 3rd century king of India's Mauryan Dynasty who converted to Buddhism and helped its advance.

 (See also: Asoka , Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

Aryan: Light skinned migrating people, perhaps from Europe, who settled in India around 1500 BCE and instituted Vedic Hinduism.

 (See also: Aryan , Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

Atman-Brhaman: The notion of the Self-God in Brahmanic and Vedanta Hinduism which maintains that our true inner self is identical to the all pervasive God.

 (See also: Atman-Brhaman , Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

Brahmanism: Reform movement within Hinduism from 1000 BCE to 300 CE which de-emphasizes priestly sacrificial rites and emphasizes the notion of the Atman-Brahman (Self-God).

 (See also: Brahmanism , Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

Eightfold Path: Fourth noble truth of Buddhism, also called the "middle path," which includes proper cultivation of the following: views, aims, speech, conduct, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and contemplation.

 (See also: Eightfold Path , Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

Sangha: General term referring to religious communities in India; in Buddhism the Sangha refers either more narrowly to the monastic communites, or more broadly to the Buddhist community consisting of the both lay and monastic practitioners.

 (See also: Sangha , Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

Identity of Opposites: Taoist notion of the Chuang-Tzu that opposing descriptions of things are relative and in fact point to a single underlying reality.

 (See also: Identity of Opposites , Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

Taoism: Chinese movement originating in the warring states period which advocates following the Tao and living in harmony with nature; "Philosophical Taoism" and "Religious Taoism" are its two principal approaches.

 (See also: Taoism , Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

Bhagavata Purana: Most famous of the 18 major Puranas of Bhakti Hinduism; focusing on Krishna/Vishnu, the work synthesizes various Hindu traditions and presents a theistic version of monistic Vedanta.

 (See also: Bhagavata Purana , Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

brahman: The notion of sacrificial power in Vedic Hinduism which was controlled by priests.

 (See also: brahman , Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)