Āchārya Vinobā Bhāvź - a Saint from Maharashtra,
India in the 20th century.
Ādī - Ādī literally means one with a beginning
Âkâsh - Absolute ether.
The most subtle of the five cosmic elements (Panchmahâbhûtâs)
Akkalkot Swâmi Mahârâj
- A great Saint from Akkalkot, district Solapur, Maharashtra, India.
Anādī - Anādī literally means one without
a beginning
Ânand - Bliss
Antahkaran - implies 4 different parts, namely,
mind, subconscious mind, intellect and ego
Anúbhûti - A spiritual experience.
It is a result of spiritual practice. A spiritual experience of an inferior
nature is an experience related to the five senses, mind and intellect, e.g.,
experiencing a fragrance in the absence of a perfume, receiving an answer to
some question without any effort, etc. A superior spiritual experience is related
to attainment of higher siddhîs (Supernatural
powers), ânand (bliss) or shânti
(serenity).
Anugraha - Initiation into spiritual practice
Âpa - Absolute water. One of the five cosmic
elements (Panchmahâbhûtâs)
Apān - one of the five vital
energies.
Aranyakās - Those who developed a dislike for
and lost faith in the rituals performed according to the Vedās.
The names of Janak and Yādnyavalkya figure prominently among these
Gurus
Arka - Arka is one of the names of the deity
of the sun, which is associated with the fire principle and the sense of sight
(vision)
Āsan - Posture suitable for meditation
Āshram - An Institution where Spiritual discipline
is practiced. Also refers to abode of a Saint or a Holy man
Avidyā - Nescience (the layer of ignorance around
the soul)
Āyurveda - One of the four Upavedās of
Artharaveda. The ancient Indian science of health, which is based on
the vedika scriptures. It is a systematic study of
the human mind, body and soul, which relies mainly on clinical observation.
It teaches that good health depends on the balance of three constituents of
the body – vāta (wind), pitta (bile) and kapha (phlegm).
Vāta controls muscle tone and the nervous system; pitta controls
heat and metabolism; and kapha controls structure and stability.
Bālsatsang - Satsang
for Children
Basic Principles of Spirituality - There are six
basic principles of Spirituality:
| 1. | From many to one - for example, from the many words in a prayer, one should strive to progress to one word, The Lord's Name. |
| 2. | Gross to subtle - for example, instead of being physically present at worship with the mind elsewhere, it is better to do mental worship by repeating (chanting) the Lord's Name wherever one is. |
| 3. | According to spiritual level - for example, at a spiritual level of 40%, the appropriate spiritual practice is repeating the Lord's Name. |
| 4. | According to âshram - Spiritual practice should correspond to the stage of life. |
| 5. | According to varna (class) - One should serve God by offering one's body, wealth earned by righteous means, by studying the principles of Spirituality in order to teach others, and be willing to offer even one's life for God. |
| 6. | According to kâl (time). The most appropriate spiritual practice varies according to the era (yuga). In the current era, the kaliyuga, the most appropriate spiritual practice is repeating the Lord's Name. |
Bhagavadgīta - Same as Gīta
Bhaktiyoga - Bhakti means devotion and
yoga mean pathway leading to the union with God. Hence, path of devotion.
Bhāvana - Psychological emotion
Bhramārandra - Cavity in the Sahasrar
Chakra
Bliss - Supreme happiness of the highest quality,
an experience of the soul beyond the comprehension of the mind and intellect.
Brāhmamahūrat - The auspicious time at dawn
Brahmā - Principle of creation of the universe
Brahmin - Brāhman. Please note that Brāhman
is different from Brahman. Brāhman is a
priest from the Hindu religion ie a seeker who serves God by offering his mind
and intellect to study Spirituality and impart spiritual knowledge
Buddha - (560 - 480 BC) Born in northern India,
Siddharta Gautama renounced his kingdom to seek enlightenment. When sitting
under a bodhi tree in Gaya (a place in India), he attained enlightenment.
Founder of Buddhism.
Chakra - According to the path of Kundalinî Yoga, the spiritual energy lying dormant within us gets activated as we do spiritual practice and this proceeds upward from the base of the spine to the top of the head through the sushumna nādi (central channel). In the sushumnâ nâdî it passes through seven main chakras (or centers):
Chaitanya - Divine consciousness
Chanting - the spiritual practice of repeating the Name of the Lord from one's religion of birth. See Gurukrupāyoga for more information on spiritual practice according to the Path of Guru's Grace. The following quote gives the importance of chanting:
|
There are millions of impressions in the subconscious
mind and to erase even a single one takes a long time. Hence, by following
observances and regulations (Yama-Niyama), a considerable period
of time would elapse in overcoming the tendencies of the subconscious
mind. It is more important to make efforts continuously to become one
with God (Purusha), instead of trying to erase these impressions,
which arise from Prakruti. This is precisely what can be achieved
by chanting. The mind, intellect, subconscious mind, etc., are all constituents
of Prakruti and these function according to their own characteristics.
Instead of wasting the spiritual practice (sādhanā) in opposing
them, one would reach the goal faster if the Spiritual practice is utilised
to progress towards the God-principle (Purusha-tattva), i.e., to
become one with the ‘Name’ (of God) that one chants.
|
|
| - H.H. Bhaktarâj Mahârâj |
Chit - Absolute Consciousness or Knowledge
Dāsamārśti - Form of Mārśti
as a servitor.
Lord Datta - an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
Datta Jayanti - the day of the year when
the Datta Principle is most active
H. H. Bejon Desai - a great Saint from Nasik,
India.
Destiny - see Prârabdha
Dhārnā - Fixing the mind on any object
Dhi and Kha frequencies - Associated with the
Kundalini Yoga. [More information given in the
book Path of Kundalini Yoga - Vol. 18]
Dhyānyoga - Dhyān means meditation and
yoga mean pathway leading to the union with God. Hence, path of meditation
Dnyānottar Kārya - Mission after attaining
Self-realisation
Dnyānyoga - Dnyān means knowledge and
yoga mean pathway leading to the union with God. Hence, path of knowledge
Shri Dnyaneshvari - a great spiritual text
written by Saint Dnyaneshwar.
Doership - Feeling that I am the one doing
the task and not that God is getting it done through me
Dvāpāryuga - yuga means Era. According
to Eastern philosophy time since Creation can divided into 4 major Eras. First
being Satyayuga, followed by Tretāyuga,
followed by Dvāpāryuga, and lastly the current era that we live in, i.e.
the Kaliyuga
Family Deity - Kuldevtā
Final Liberation - Moksha
Shrī Gagangirī Mahārāj - A Parātpar
Guru from Gaganbavda, India, who is spreading knowledge of the Sanâtan
Sanskruti since last century.
Gāyatri mantra - A mantra (chant) of the
sun deity, hence related to the Tej Principle
Gītā - It is one of the world's greatest works of
spiritual literature, a part of the epic Mahābhārata. In the Gītā,
Lord Krushna (the complete incarnation of Lord Vishnu, i.e., the
sustenance principle) explains the paths to Final Liberation to Arjun
(Disciple of Lord Krushna) on the battlefield.
Give-and-Take Account Center - center in the
subconscious mind where the accumulated account (sanchit)
of our actions are stored..
Gross - that which is within the comprehension of
the five senses, mind and intellect.
Guru - the manifest form of the teaching principle
of God.
Gu refers to darkness assuming the form of ignorance. Ru refers to radiance
in the form of spiritual knowledge. This radiance dispels the darkness of ignorance.
Thus, the Guru is One Who, with His radiance, dispels the darkness of
ignorance in His disciple. A Guru is of at least a 70 % spiritual level
Gurukrupāyoga - Guru means a Spiritual
master, krupā means grace and yoga mean pathway leading to the
union with God. Hence, the Path of Guru's Grace. No matter which path one follows,
the path of Action, Knowledge, Meditation, Yoga or Devotion, ultimately
all preach the same thing, that salvation is attainable only with the grace
of a Guru. Spiritual practice according to the Path
of Gurus grace incorporates:
 |
Repetition of The Lords Name (Based on one's religion of birth, i.e., Christian - Hail Jesus or Hail Mary (Catholic); Islam - Allâh ho Akbar; Hindu - Family Deity; Jews - Jehovah or Adonai; Buddhist - Namo Buddhâya, etc.) |
|
Spiritual meetings (Satsangs) |
|
Service in the cause of the Absolute Truth (Satsevā) |
|
Sacrifice unto the Absolute Truth (Tyāg) |
|
Unconditional Spiritual love. (Prīti) |
Guru Mantra - Upon being accepted by a Guru,
a disciple receives a Guru Mantra. Though the word Guru Mantra
includes the word mantra in it, it mostly implies to which Name of the
Lord a disciple should chant. The Guru Mantra does not contain mere letters
but has spiritual knowledge, divine consciousness and the Guru's blessings.
Due to these the spiritual progress of the disciple is rapid.
Guru Principle (Gurutattva) - unmanifest form
of the Guru (God) Who guides seekers.
Gurupaurnimā - It is the pure full moon day
of the Hindu calendar month of Ashadh. This day/festival is celebrated every
year to express gratitude unto the Guru (Principle). The ArchGuru, Shri (or:
Sage) Vyas (founder of Guru lineage) is worshipped on this day. This festival
is a greatest festival in the life of a seeker. Of course, even this celebration
in gratitude to the Guru is done for the seeker's spiritual progress, since
the Guru is a manifest form of the Lord Himself. The Guru Principle is a thousand
times more active on this day than any other through out the year. Under the
pretext of this celebration, the festival provides an unmatchable opportunity
to progress spiritually through service and sacrifice unto the Truth. That is
why, seekers and disciples participate in this mission for the Truth with all
their body, wealth, and mind. Many of you have already had many spiritual experiences
proving the truth behind this.
Guruprāpti - Blessed by Guru. Gurukrupāyoga
H.H. Dr. Jayant Bālājī Āthavale - Founder of the
Sanâtan Society for Scientific Spirituality.
Harī Om Tatsat - Hari means manifest form
of God; Om means unmanifest form of the God; Tatsat means that is that. In other
words it means that the manifest and unmanifest form of the Lord are the same.
Hathayogā - Hath means Deliberate Rigor
and yoga mean pathway leading to the union with God. Hence, path of Deliberate
Rigor
Hindu - 'Hin' means to remove and 'du'
means darkness. In other words, any one who takes efforts to remove the darkness
of spiritual ignorance, is a 'hindu'.
Idā - or the Chandra (moon) nādī, i.e.
the channel that runs to the left of the Sushumna nādī
of the spiritual energy flow system (Kundalinī).
The energy that flows through this channel is soothing Spiritual energy, i.e.
predominantly sāttvik (purity)
Ishwarechā - Ishwar means God, echā
means wish, - Doing as per Gods wish
Japā - Nāmsankîrtanyoga
Jīvātmā - An embodied soul doing spiritual practice
Kaliyuga - Era of strife; yuga means era.
According to Eastern philosophy, time since Creation can divided into four major
eras. The first is Satyayuga, followed by Tretāyuga,
followed by Dvāpāryuga, and lastly the current
era that we live in, i.e., the Kaliyuga
Kāmdhenu - A wish-fulfilling cow
Karma - literally, action. Karma is derived
from the Sanskrut word Kri, meaning to do. It has two meanings:
1. Any action — physical, verbal or mental.
2. Destiny, caused by past actions, mainly those of previous lives.
Karmayoga - Karma means action and yoga
mean pathway leading to the union with God. Hence, path of action
Kīrtans - Spiritual discourses in poetic form
Kriyamân Karma - Willful actions i.e. according
to one's own free will. Every action in a man's life can be either a willful
action or a destined action. 35% of man's total actions are willful and 65%
of them are destined.
Krupā - Krupā means compassion
Lord Krúshna - Incarnation of the Lord
Vishnu (The principle of sustenance)
Kshatriya - A seeker who serves God by offering
his life
Kuldevtā - Kul - Family, devtā
- Deity, In Hinduism, every family has a particular deity whose worship brings
about worldly and spiritual progress
Kundalinī - (lit. coiled one). Just as we have
nervous system or digestive system, every being has a spiritual energy flow
system called the Kundalinī system, which consist of 72000 subtle channels
(nādī). Of these channels, the three main channels are, Sushumna
nādī i.e., the central channel that extends from base of spine to the
top of the head, Pinglā or the sūrya (sun)
nādī, i.e., the channel that runs to the right of the Sushumna
nādī, and the Idā or the chandra (moon)
nādī, i.e., the channel that runs to the left of the Sushumna
nādī
Kundalinī is the spiritual energy which lies dormant,
coiled at the base of the Sushumna nādī. It is
awakened through initiation and begins to purify the whole spiritual energy
flow system, by rising from the base of the spine and travelling up the Sushumna
nādī to the top of the head
Lakshyānsha - The ultimate target
Lord Patanjali - A fourth century sage
and author of the Yoga Sutrās. It is the basic scripture for the path
of Rājyoga, which explains different methods for attainment of Samādhi.
Of the 195 verses, only 7 are about God; in the remaining 188 verses, there
is no mention of god at all. Following the disciplines explained in these sutrās
will definitely result in spiritual progress of the seeker.
Lord Brahma - One of the main five principles of
God
Lord Datta - Shrī Gurudev
Datta
Lord Ganapati - Principle of Absolute Knowledge.
Lord Ganapati is the vanquisher of obstacles and is the One Who converts the
language of light into the language of sound. Also known as Lord Ganesha.
Lord Ganesha - Shrī Ganeshāya
Namahā
Lord Pāndśranga - another Name for Lord
Vitthal, a form of Lord Vishnś, Who symbolizes
the Principle of Sustenance.
Lord Rāma - Incarnation of the Lord
Vishnu (The principle of sustenance)
Lord Shivâ - The Principle of Dissolution.
One of the main five principles of God (more reference given in book Science
of Spirituality Vol. 9A - Shiva)
Lord Vishnu - The sustenance principle. One of
the main five principles of God (more reference given in book Science of Spirituality
Vol. 8 - Vishnu and His Forms)
Madhyamā - repeating (chanting) the Name of
the Lord which occurs automatically. It is so named as it is the intermediate
stage between Vaikhari and Pashyanti
modes of chanting.
Mahābhārata - A Hindu scripture written by
Sage Vyas.
Mahârâj - A respectful way of addressing
religious scholars, Saints, kings, etc. in India.
Māruti - Deity in the Hindu religion, whose worship
results in removal of negative energies.
Moksha - Final Liberation. Being perpetually in
the state of Bliss, which is defined as the most superlative happiness.
Mount Kailâs - Heavenly abode of Lord Shiva.
Mumukshutva - Intense motivation for Liberation.
Name - The Name of The Lord
Nāmachintāmani - an ancient spiritual text
Nâmasmaran - a synonym for Nāmasankîrtanyoga.
Nāmasankîrtanyoga - Nām
means Name and sankirtan means remembering, i.e.,
chanting or repeating, and yoga mean pathway leading to the union with
God. Hence, path of chanting
Nārāyan - Another name for Lord Vishnu i.e., the
principle of sustenance of the universe.
Nāth sect - a sect in the Hindu Religion. The Guru
is accorded a higher status than The Lord Himself. The yogīs
of this sect consider Lord Shiva as the foremost
Guru and Matsyendra, a form of Lord Vishnu,
as His first disciple. In this sect, there is a custom of describing the Guru
lineage instead of the paternal lineage. Saint
Dnyāneshvar is from this sect
Nescience - literally, the absence of knowledge.
Refers to the covering around the soul consisting of nineteen components: the
five subtle sense organs, the five subtle motor organs, the five vital
energies, the conscious mind, the subconscious mind, intellect and ego.
Together the soul and the nescience constitute the embodied soul (jīva).
Nirbīj - The highest superconscious state
Nishkām Sādhanā - Spiritual
practice done without expectations of worldly gains
Om - Omkar. Bīja mantra,
i.e., the Origin of the Guru principle
Panchmahâbhûtâs - The five
Cosmic Elements.
All objects in the universe can be recognized by five basic characteristics:
smell, taste, form, touch and sound. These correspond to the five basic principle
elements that constitute every object in the universe, namely, the absolute
earth element (pruthvî), the absolute water
element (âpa), the absolute fire element (tej),
the absolute air element (vâyu) and the absolute
ether element (âkâsh). Ether is the
subtlest of them all and the earth element is the most gross.
Pāndurang - A form of Lord
Vishnu (The principle of sustenance)
Parā - In the Parā mode of speech, chanting
as non-duality (advait) is achieved with chanting.
Parātpar Guru - Guru
at the highest (90% to 100%) spiritual level
Parechchā - Par means others, echchā
means wish. Doing as per others wish
Pashyantī - is derived from the Sanskrit word
‘pashya’ which means ‘to see’. Repeating (chanting)
the Name of the Lord in pashyantī mode is akin to that of seers who have
knowledge of the past, present and future. This mode of chanting occurs at a
spiritual level of 70%.
Pinglā - or the Sūrya (sun) nādī,
i.e. the channel that runs to the right of the Sushumna
nādī of the Spiritual energy flow system (Kundalinī),.
The energy that flows through this channel is action promoting Spiritual energy,
i.e. predominantly rājasik (activity) and tāmasik
(inertia)
Prakruti - The primeval Nature created by Supreme
Brahman, comprising of the three basic components,
i.e., Trigunas.
Prān - one of the five vital
energies.
Prānāyām - Regulation of breath and control of
the body's vital energies
Prānshakti - The vital life sustaining energy
of both the individual body and the Universe. There are five types:
| 1. Prān | : | Energy for the activity of inhalation |
| 2. Udān | : | Energy for the activity of exhalation and speech. |
| 3. Samān | : | Energy for the activity of the stomach and intestines. |
| 4. Vyān | : | Energy for the voluntary and involuntary movements of the body. |
| 5. Apān | : | Energy for urination, excretion, ejaculation, childbirth, etc. |
Prârabdha - Destiny.
Every action, creates a reaction. So whenever one does a good deed or a bad
deed an account is created which has to be settled. This accumulated give and
take account is called Sanchit. Approximately
6 units out of this account are undergone in each birth. This is what is called
Prârabhda (destiny). This contributes to 65% of our lives .We have
no control over changing or escaping these accounts. Whenever we have no control
over a certain event in our lives then it is termed as destiny. Since each one's
actions are different, the destiny that each one has to undergo is also different
from others.
We do have control over some portion (i.e. 35%) of our lives by way of willful
action (Kriyamân).
Prasād - Offering of food made to God or consecrated
food or left-overs of the meals of the spiritually evolved (Saints).
Blessings in the form of any material thing or a divine gift by Saints
Pratyāhār - Withdrawal of the sense organs from
the sense objects
Prescription chants - Seekers are advised
to chants the Names Shri Ganeshaya Namaha and Shri Gurudev Datta for
three mālās each day, in addition to chanting the Name according to their
religion. Shri Ganeshaya Namaha provides vital energy (prân
shakti), and Shri Gurudev Datta protects a seeker from negative energy.
Additional amounts of each Name are recommended for seekers active in satsevâ
or as advised by a spiritually evolved person.
Prīti - Unconditional Spiritual love
Pruthvî - Absolute earth. One of the five
cosmic elements (Panchmahâbhûtas).
Pūjā - Performing ritualistic worship
Pūrnatva - Awareness of Absoluteness
Purush - The Supreme Brahman
(God principle), Spirit or Soul; the primeval Nature
Raja - Activity, passion. One of the trigunas
(three components)
Rāja Yoga - The path of achieving God-realization
by following eight steps of spiritual practice (described by Sage Patanjali):
1. Yama - Abstinence from vices.
2. Niyama- Observance of purity, contentment and penance.
3. Āsana - Posture suitable for meditation.
4. Prānāyām - Regulation of breath and control of the bodys vital energies.
5. Pratyāhār - Withdrawal of the sense organs from the sense objects.
6. Dhārnā - Fixing the mind on any object.
7. Dhyān - Meditation.
8. Samādhī - The super-conscious state – the ultimate state of meditation
Rāmnavmi - Birthday of Lord
Rāma Who was an Incarnation of Lord Vishnu
Sadeha Mukti - deha means body; Sadeha
means with body and Mukti means liberation. Hence, it means to be liberated
while embodied.
Sadguru - Guru at 85%
spiritual level
Sadguru Sai Baba - A Sadguru
from Shirdī, India Who blessed people of all religions
Sādhanā - Spiritual practice.
Spirituality is a science of experience, and not of theoretical knowledge. One
gets spiritual experiences only as a result of spiritual practice. What exactly
is spiritual practice ? The science of Spirituality has two aspects:
|
The theoretical aspect which consist of the study of spiritual texts |
|
The practical aspect, which includes actions performed by the body, mind and intellect is referred to as spiritual practice. |
Sage Kapil - A saint who given the Sānkhya
philosophy
Sage Manu - A great sage of the Hindu philosophy
Sage Nārad - The disciple of Lord
Vishnu. (More reference given in book Science of Spirituality Vol. 8
- Vishnu and His form)
Sage Vasishtha - A very famous sage who practice
path of devotion.
Sage Vishvāmitra - A very famous sage who
practiced path of penance.
Sahajavasthā - Natural state of communion
with God
Saint Belsare - H. H. Belsare, a twentieth century
Saint from Maharasthra, India. He was a disciple of H.H. Gondavalekar Mahārāj
and was an author of many spiritual texts.
Saint Bhaktarāj - A great Saint from Indore,
India. Fondly addressed as Bābā. Bābā neither spoke about of ritualistic
worship nor did He confuse the listener with discourses on the Path of Knowledge.
The essence of His teachings was Experience Bliss through the Spiritual practice
of Chanting The Name of God, Service, Sacrifice and Love for others, and He
made His disciples do accordingly.
Saint Dnyāneshvar - (1275 - 1297) Foremost
amongst poet Saints of Maharashtra (a state in India). His verse commentary
on the Bhagwadgīta is acknowledged as one
of the world's greatest spiritual works known as Dnyāneshvarī
Saint Eknāth - a saint from Paithan, Maharashtra,
India Who lived in the period between 1533 to 1599).
Saint Godbole Mahārāj - A Saint from
Madhya Pradesh, India
Saint Gondavalekar - A Saint who advocated
the path of chanting and was a devotee of Lord Rāma.
Saint Kabir - (1440 - 1518) A great poet saint
born of Muslim parents, who worked as a weaver and became a disciple of Ramananda.
His followers include both Hindus and Muslims.
Saint Kane Mahārāj - A Saint from Nārāyangāon,
India
Saint Moulī Bābā - A Saint from Nānded,
India
Saint Tukārām - (1608 - 1650) Saint Tukārām
was a poet Saint of Māhārāshtra. He received his initiation in a dream
from His Guru, Babaji Chaitanya. He wrote thousands of devotional
songs describing His spiritual experiences and glory of the Divine Name.
Sakām Sādhanā - Spiritual practice
done with expectations of worldly gains.
Sākshibhāv - Stance of a spectator
Samādhi - State of meditative union with the Absolute
(God principle) i.e., The ultimate state of meditation
Samān - one of the five vital
energies.
Samashtī sādhanā - Collective Spiritual
Practice
Samhitās - The Holy texts or verses systematically
arranged in the form of poetic verses
Samarth Rāmdās Swāmī - Founded the Samarth
sect in the sixteenth century stating that spiritual practice is more important
than politics. He guided Shivaji Mahārāj in the
latters mission of reinstatment of Righteousness both through spiritual and
worldly guidance. He was a devotee of Lord Rāma and
Māruti.
Sanâtan - That which is always new, full
of divine consciousness (Chaitanya), which never
ages.
Sanātan Online Seekers Study Group - Sanātan's
online group that helps the participating seekers to monitor their spiritual
practice by sending daily emails about the same.
Sanātan Prabhat - A daily newspaper published
in Marathi, an Indian Language, by Sanatān Society
of Scientific Spirituality, which features importance of righteousness
Sanâtan Society for Scientific Spirituality
(Sanâtan Sansthâ) - H. H. Dr. Jayant Bâlâjî
Âthavale under the Guidance and Blessings of His Sadguru Saint Bhaktarâj
Maharâj established the Sanâtan Bhâratîya Sanskriti
Sansthâ in 1990. For the smooth running of the organization after
its tremendous growth, it was renamed as Sanâtan Sansthâ
by Dr. Âthavale on 24th March 1999. The main aim of the organization is
to present Spirituality in a scientific language for the curious (jidnyâsu)
and to guide seekers. For easy understanding of the western audience, the organization
is referred to as Sanatân Society for Scientific Spirituality instead
of Sanâtan Sansthâ.
Sanchit - The accumulated give and take account,
which is created as a result of our actions (refer to Prârabdha
- Destiny).
Sānkhya Philosophy - (Science of Numerology)
Satsang - lit. meaning Sat means truth. Sang means
company. Satsangs are spiritual meetings held weekly by Sanâtan
Sansthâ in different parts of the world. These meetings are free of charge.
They are held with the motive of not only providing theoretical knowledge on
the science of spirituality, but inspiring and guiding seekers.
Satsevā - Service to the Absolute Truth
Sattva - Divinity, knowledge. One of the trigunas
(three components)
Satyayuga - yuga means Era. According
to Eastern philosophy time since Creation can divided into 4 major Eras. First
being Satyayuga, followed by Tretāyuga,
followed by Dvāpāryuga, and lastly the current
era that we live in, i.e. the Kaliyuga.
Self-Realization - the spiritual experience
that the soul (ātmā) within one is God (Brahman).
Shadripu - six foes of the soul: attachment,
pride, anger, envy, passion and greed.
Shakti - divine energy.
Shankaracharya - (788 - 820 A.D.) A saint
who propounded the theory of Non-duality.
Shesha - The divine serpent form of Lord Vishnu,
i.e. the principle of sustenance of the universe.
Shirdī - A Holy place in India with the blessings
of Sadguru Sai Baba
Shivāji Mahārāj - King that ruled in India who
was also a disciple of Samarth Rāmdās Swāmī.
Shivâtmâ - The God realized soul
Shrī Dāsbodh - a great spiritual text compiled
by Samarth Rāmdās Swāmī
Shrī Eknāthī Bhāgavat - Bhagwadgīta
by Shrī Eknāth - Saint from Maharastra, India after Saint
Dnyāneshvar
Shrī Ganeshāya Namahā - The Principle of Absolute
Knowledge (more reference given in book Science of Spirituality Vol. 9 - Shiva,
Shakti and Ganapati). This Name is chanted for vital energy (prân shakti).
Shrī Gurudev Datta - The Guru principle
which includes all the five principles of God (more reference given in book
Science of Spirituality Vol. 8 - Vishnu and His Forms). This Name is chanted
as protection from negative energies.
Shrî Ramakrúshna Paramahansa -
a great 19th century Guru from West Bengal, India.
Shrī Satya Saībābā - A Saint from India
Shrī - Shakti (Energy), beauty, virtues etc.
Respectful way of addressing the deity
Shri Yantrā - A type of yantra,
i.e., a figure consisting of triangles within triangles, which has the ability
to generate a lot of energy
Shūdra - A seeker who serves God by offering his
body
Siddhîs - Supernatural powers, which one
acquires as a result of spiritual practice.
Siddhīvināyak Temple - Temple of Lord
Ganesh in Bombay
Spiritual experience - an experience beyond the
five senses, mind and intellect. See anubhûti.
Spiritual level - On a scale of spiritual levels
from 1% to 100%, a 20% spiritual level depicts that of an average individual
while a 100% spiritual level depicts that of One Who has merged with the God
Principle or attained the Final Liberation (Moksha).
Spiritual practice (sādhanā) - efforts made
with the body, mind and intellect every day to realize God. See Gurukrupāyoga
for a description of spiritual practice according to the Path of Guru's
Grace.
Subtle - that which is beyond the comprehension
of the five senses, mind and intellect.
Sushumna nādī - i.e. the central channel of the
spiritual energy flow system, that extends from base of spine to the top of
the head. Kundalinī (the spiritual energy) lies
dormant, coiled at the base of the Sushumna nādī. It is awakened through
initiation and begins to purify the whole spiritual energy flow system, by rising
from the base of the spine and travelling up the Sushumna nādī to the
top of the head
Svarga - Heaven. The third region (lok) where
one experiences only happiness.
Swami Vivekananda - (1863-1902) Disciple
of Ramkrishna Paramhansa (another great Saint of India). He introduced
the teachings of Vedānta (Upanishadās)
to the West.
Swechchā - sw means I or Mine, and echchā
means wish. - Doing as per my wish
Tama - Inertia, ignorance. One of the trigunas
(three components)
Tej - Absolute fire element. One of the five cosmic
elements (Panchmahâbhûtas)
Trātak - Spiritual practice of achieving a thoughtless
state of mind by concentrating on an object
Tretāyuga - yuga means Era. According
to Eastern philosophy time since Creation can divided into 4 major Eras. First
being Satyayuga, followed by Tretāyuga,
followed by Dvāpāryuga, and lastly the current
era that we live in, i.e. the Kaliyuga
Trigunas - The Three Components
The entire universe is made up of three components -- sattva,
raja and tama -- denoting
divinity, activity and inertia respectively. They are the finest and most subtle
particles - much more subtle than even electrons in an atom. The sattva
component is the one that one should try to acquire maximally.
Trigunātīt - the state beyond the three components
(trigunas)
Trilokās - The three regions that is the earth
(bhū), nether region (bhuva),
and heaven (svarga)
Tyāg - Sacrifice of wealth, body, mind, intellect
and ego
Udān - one of the five vital
energies.
Upanishadās - These are the teachings of the
ancient sages of India. These scripture constitute the end or final understanding
of the Vedās, hence they are also called Vedānta.
The central teaching of the Upanishadās is that Self is the same as Brahman
(God principle), the Absolute, and the goal of life is realization of oneness
with Brahman (God principle)
Upānshś - repeating (chanting) the Name with slight
movement of the tongue and lips so one can hear the Name oneself.
Vaikhari - repeating (chanting) the Name aloud,
with effort.
Vaishya - A seeker who serves God by offering
wealth earned through righteous means
Vānaprasthāshrama - Retired householder
Vārkarī sect - a sect in the Hindu Religion. The
presiding deity of this sect founded by Saint
Dnyāneshvar seven hundred years ago, is Viththal - form of Lord
Vishnu ( Principle of Sustainance)
Vāstśshānti - ritualistic worship of a premise
performed to appease the deity of the place (Vāstśpurush) and to make
the constructed home propitious to the owner with respect to longevity, health,
overcoming obstacles, wealth, etc.
Vâyu - Absolute air. One of the five cosmic
elements (Panchmahâbhûtas)
Vedās - The most sacred Hindu scriptures, regarded
as revealed by God. They contain hymns in praise of God, sacrificial prayer
and sacrificial ceremonies and the mystic teachings of the ancient sages.
The four Vedās are - Rigveda, Yajurveda, Sāmveda
and Atharvaveda.
Vīramārśti - Form of Mārśti
as a Warrior.
Vishnś - See Lord Vishnś
Vital Energy - see prân
shakti.
Vyān - one of the five vital
energies.
Vyashtī sādhanā - Individual Spiritual
Practice
Yadnyakarma - The rituals of sacrificial fires.
Angiras, Garga, Atri, Bruhaspati, and Vasishtha
were the main spiritual teachers of those times.
Yam - Niyam
Yama - The practice of the five moral virtues i.e., Non-violence, truthfulness,
celibacy, non-stealing and non-desirous ie Abstinence from vices
Niyam - Daily observances which are recommended for the practice of Yoga,
such as purity of mind, contentment, penance, the study of scriptures, austerity,
meditation on God and surrender ie Observance of purity, contentment and penance.
Yantrās - Refers to any (mystical) word, letter,
diagram, figure or picture, which is worshipped for worldly or spirituals progress.
Yoga - (literally, union) The state of oneness with
the self, with God: the practice leading to that state.
Yogīs - Those who follows Yoga