Final Study Guide Introduction to World Religions Terms Ideas Festivals and Groups Sects Mandala is a spiritual and ritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism representing the Universe Vedanta a Hindu philosophy based on the doctrine of the Upanishads esp in its monistic form Atman Anatman Atman in hinduism refers to the innerself In Budhism anatman refers to the lack thereof of inan individual Universal conection Brahman and brahma a member of the highest Hindu caste that of the priesthood Karma the sum of a person s actions in this and previous states of existence viewed as deciding their fate in future existences Samsara the cycle of death and rebirth to which life in the material world is bound Brahmin Teachers artist priests and technitians Dharma the principle of cosmic order Caste System the caste system is a system of social stratification Yoga a Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline a part of which including breath control simple meditation and the adoption of specific bodily postures Tantrism Hindu a movement within Hinduism combining magical and mystical elements and with sacred writings of its own Bhakti devotional worship directed to one supreme deity usually Vishnu Practiced by most Hindus today practice or intnesne love for God Syllable Om a mystic syllable considered the most sacred mantra It appears at the beginning and end of most Sanskrit recitations prayers and texts Naga a member of a semidivine race part human and part cobra in form associated with water and sometimes with mystical initiation Linga a symbol of divine generative energy esp a phallus or phallic object worshiped as a symbol of Shiva Bindi Mark on the forehead of Hindu women From the paste create through Puja Navarati festival dedicated to the worship of the Hindu deity Durga Nine days long 1 Deepvali India s most important holiday The festival gets its name from the row of clay lamps that Indians light outside their homes to symbolize the inner light that protects us from spiritual darkness Moksha release from the cycle of rebirth impelled by the law of karma Puja Hindu act of worship Tilaka and bindi Mark worn on the forehead of Hindus Vaisya Merchants and farmers North Indian Bhakti promoted the belief that salvation was attainable by everyone Tantra tantrism style of meditation and ritual which arose in India Ayurvedic Medicine system of traditional medicine vedic system native to the Indian subcontinent and a form ofalternative medicine Holi a Hindu spring festival celebrated in February or March in honor of Krishna Gurus spiritual teacher esp one who imparts initiation Triple Gem of Buddhism the Buddha Dharma and the Sangha Wheel of Dharma Oldest Buddhist symbol It symbolizes basic Buddhist concepts such as the Noble Eightfold Path and the Four Noble Truths The Four Sights Buddhism four sights an old man a sick man a corpse and an ascetic Koan paradoxical anecdote or riddle used in Zen Buddhism to demonstrate the inadequacy of logical reasoning and to provoke enlightenment Ashramas p 280 any of the four spiritual abodes or stages of life through which the twice born Hindu ideally will pass Three Ways to Liberation Moksha it connotes freedom from sa s ra the cycle of death and rebirth Theravada A conservative branch of Buddhism that adheres to Pali scriptures and the nontheistic ideal of self purification to nirvana Mahayana Liberal Buddhist school whose adherents aim to disseminate Buddhist doctrines seeking enlightenment not for themselves alone but for all sentient beings Vajrayana tradition is believed to have stemmed from the third turning of the wheel of dharma a series of Buddhist teachings and oral traditions generally known as sutras Dana Ritual generosity or giving a form of alms In Hinduism and Buddhism it is the practice of cultivating generosity Sati former Hindu practice of a widow throwing herself onto her husband s funeral pyre Shudra a member of the worker caste lowest of the four Hindu castes Parinirvana is the final nirvana which occurs upon the death of the body of someone who has attained complete awakening Nirvana transcendent state in which there is neither suffering desire nor sense of self and the subject is released from the effects of karma and the cycle of death and rebirth Four Noble Truths 1 existence is suffering 2 desire or thirst is its cause 3 the cessation of suffering is possible and 4 the way to accomplish this is to follow the Eightfold Path Stupas Pagodas tomb like structure where sacred relics could be kept safe and venerated 1 Eightfold Path the path to nirvana comprising eight aspects in which an aspirant must become practiced right views intention speech action livelihood effort mindfulness and concentration Buddha Day Festival Buddhas birthday The event is celebrated by gentle and serene fervour keeping in mind the very nature of Buddhism People especially women go to common Viharas to observe a rather longer than usual full length Buddhist sutra as something like a service The Tantrism Buddhist one of the later Hindu or Buddhist scriptures dealing especially with techniques and rituals including meditative and sexual practices Murti a means of communication with the god or Brahman in Hinduism 1 Mudras a symbolic hand gesture used in Hindu and Buddhist ceremonies and statuary and in Indian dance People and Gods Rama represents an ideal man as conceived by the Hindu mind In the story of Ramayana Rama s personality depicts him as the perfect son devoted brother true husband trusted friend ideal king and a noble adversary In images and pictures Rama is shown carrying a bow and arrow The bow and arrow convey that Rama is always ready to destroy evil and protect righteousness He is himself an embodiment of dharma Mantra a word or sound repeated to aid concentration in meditation usual dress is pure white Pure Land Buddhism a paradise believed by the followers of a Mahayana sect to be ruled over by a Buddha whose hope it is to bring all beings into it Sangha the monastic community of ordained Buddhist monks or nuns Pure Land place where sentient beings that have the similar deeds come to learn and cultivate their minds to become the future Buddha and are being supported by the Buddha s vows and great compassion Sutra collection of aphorisms in the form of a manual or more broadly a text in Hinduism or Buddhism Zen Chan Buddhism Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism emphasizing the value of meditation and intuition 1 Zazen Zen meditation usually performed
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