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    Yet the Gita also creates a hierarchy: First come study, understanding, and meditation (dhyana-yoga). These lead to deep contempla-tion of philosophy and eventually wisdom that culminates in renunciation (sannyasa-yoga). Renunciation leads to the proper use of intelligence (buddhi-yoga), then karma-yoga, and finally bhakti-yoga.

     

    Mind in its fourfold nature: chitta, consciousness; manas, instinctive mind; buddhi, intellectual mind; and ahamkara, ego or I-maker. 

     

     

    The gita deals with three main areas of theology—sambanda, abhideya, and priyojana— or knowledge, application, and the goal. 

     

    Ananta is a Sanskrit term which means 'endless' or 'limitless', also means 'eternal' or 'infinite',[1] in other words, it also means infinitude or an unending expansion or without limit. It is one of the many names of Lord Vishnu.[2] Ananta is the Shesha-naga, the celestial snake, on which Lord Vishnu reclines.[3]Ananta is that which is without destruction because it is not subject to the six modifications such as birth, growth, death etc

     

    Anava 

    "Fragment; atom; minuteness, individuality."  The veiling power that provides individuality, or individual ego, to each soul, making the soul seem separate and distinct from God and the universe. The ego, sense of "I" and "mine," ignorance; separation from God. Denotes a sense of finitude and individuality. Derived from the word "anu" meaning an atom or something exceedingly small. One of the three malas or bondages: anava, karma and maya. Anava is the cause of the soul's mistaken sense of separation from God Siva, and the last bond broken at union or Self-Realization

     

    acharya (IAST: ācārya) is a preceptor or instructor in religious matters; founder, or leader of a sect; or a highly learned man or a title affixed to the names of learned men

     

    asanas: postures used to stimulate flow of life-force through the body and to aid meditation.

     

    atman: The human soul or spirit -- the essence of the inner being.

     

    ahimsa: The doctrine of non-violence toward sentient beings.

     

    akasha: The ether; primordial substance that pervades the entire universe; the substratum of both mind and matter. All thoughts, feelings, or actions are recorded within it.

     

     bhakti:  comes from a Sanskrit root which means “to love, to be devoted, to share.” 

     

    BRAHMACHARYA is the blending of two words — Brahma (God, creation) + Charya (to follow). While common translations include celibacy and restraint in many forms, there’s an elevated meaning that perfectly encapsulates the guidance we seek. Brahmacharya = utilizing our vital energy/chi/life force, for our HIGHEST purposes.

     

    Brahman: Hindu god who represents the highest principle in the universe; the essence that permeates all existence. Brahman is the same as atman in the philosophy of the Upanishads.

     

    Charya, literally "conduct," is the first stage of religiousness and the foundation for the next three stages. It is also called the dasa marga, meaning "path of servitude," for here the soul relates to God as servant to master. The disciplines of charya include humble service, attending the temple, performing one's duty to community and family, honoring holy men, respecting elders, atoning for misdeeds and fulfilling the ten classical restraints called yamas

     

    Darshan, ( Sanskrit: “viewing&rdquoalso spelled darshana, in Indian philosophy and religion, particularly in Hinduism, the beholding of a deity (especially in image form), revered person, or sacred object. The experience is considered to be reciprocal and results in the human viewer’s receiving a blessing. 

     

    dharma: One's personal path in life, the fulfillment of which leads to a higher state of consciousness.

     

    dhyana: The focusing of attention on a particular spiritual idea in continuous meditation.

     

    guna: A cosmic force or quality. Hindu cosmology maintains that the universe is composed of three such qualities: satvic, meaning pure or truthful; rajasic, meaning rich or royal; and tomasic meaning rancid or decaying.

     

    Ishwara: Personal manifestation of the supreme; the cosmic self; cosmic consciousness.

     

     jiva-atma - the individual soul, known as the living entity

     

    karma: The principle by which all of our actions will effect our future circumstances, either in the present or in future lifetimes. The several kinds of karma are: personal, family, community, national, global and universal. Ancient rishis perceived personal karma's three-fold edict. The first is sanchita, the sum total of past karmas yet to be resolved. The second is prarabdha, that portion of sanchita to be experienced in this life. Kriyamana, the third type, is karma we are currently creating. The Vedas propound, "Here they say that a person consists of desires. And as is his desire, so is his will. As is his will, so is his deed. Whatever deed he does, that he will reap." 

     

     kriya is a series of postures, breath, and sound that work toward a specific outcome. Practicing a kriya initiates a sequence of physical and mental changes that affect the body, mind, and spirit simultaneously.    In Kundalini Yoga

     

    Lila (Sanskrit: लीला, IAST līlā) or Leela, like many Sanskrit words, cannot be precisely translated into English, but can be loosely translated as the noun "play". The concept of Lila is common to both non-dualist and dualist philosophical schools, but has a markedly different significance in each. Within non-dualism, Lila is a way of describing all reality, including the cosmos, as the outcome of creative play by the divine absolute (Brahman). In the dualistic schools of Vaishnavism, Lila refers to the activities of God and his devotee, as well as the macrocosmic actions of the manifest universe

     

    mantras: Syllables, inaudible or vocalized, that are repeated during meditation.

     

     

     margas, (4)  or "stages" of the soul's evolution on the path to

    enlightenment, which also are called padas, are:

    charya pada:  virtuous living, unselfish service.  includes

    karma yoga, or action without thought of reward.  also called dasa marga.

    kriya pada: worshipful sadhanas and joy of communion with

    God.  includes bhakti yoga, or devotional yoga.  also called satputra marga.

    yoga pada:  meditation (under the guidance of a guru), 

    includes raja yoga and kundalini yoga practices.  known  also as the sakha marga.

    jnana pada: the state of the realized soul, the path of

    wisdom.

     

    maya: The illusions the physical world generates to ensnare our consciousness.

    Maya has two functions:

    1. Covering our intelligence: (Avaranatmika)
    2. Pulling us down:  (Praksepatmika)

     

    moksha: The attainment of liberation from the worldly life.

     

    mandala: Images used to meditate upon.

     

    nirvana: The transcendental state that is beyond the possibility of full comprehension or expression by the ordinary being enmeshed in the concept of selfhood.

     

    Nirvikalpa samādhi, on the other hand, absorption without self-consciousness, is a mergence of the mental activity (cittavṛtti) in the Self, to such a degree, or in such a way, that the distinction (vikalpa) of knower, act of knowing, and object known becomes dissolved — as waves vanish in water, and as foam vanishes into the sea

     

    nivrtti,  negation

     

     

    ojas: Energy developed by certain yogic practices that stimulates endocrine activity within the body.

     

    Parama is largely used in the Indian language and it is derived from Sanskrit origins. The name's meaning is supreme.

     

    Paramatman or Paramātmā is the Absolute Atman or Supreme Soul or Spirit (also known as Supersoul or Oversoul) in the Vedanta and Yoga philosophies of India. Paramatman is the “Primordial Self” or the “Self Beyond” who is spiritually practically identical with the Absolute, identical with Brahman. Selflessness is the attribute of Paramatman, where all personality/individuality vanishes

     

    Parashiva is the aspect of Shiva, the Absolute which is beyond human comprehension and is beyond all attributes.  n Shaivite theology, the term is similar to Nirguna Brahman

     

     

    prana: Life energy that permeates the atmosphere, enters the human being through the breath, and can be directed by thought.

     

    pranayama: Yogic exercises for the regulation of the breath flow.

     

    Pratyahara” means literally “control of ahara,” or “gaining mastery over external influences.” It has been compared to a turtle withdrawing into its shell—the turtle's shell is the mind and the turtle's limbs are the senses.

     

    samadhi: State of enlightenment of superconsciousness. The union of the individual consciousness with cosmic consciousness.

     

    Sadhaka: is a Sanskrit term which describes someone who follows a certain sadhana, a spiritual practice or way of life, with the aim of achieving a certain goal. The term can be translated as meaning"spiritually adept."

     

    sadhanas: Spiritual disciplines. Practical means for the attainment of a spiritual goal.

     

    samsara: The phenomena of the senses. Attachment to samsara leads to further rebirth.

     

    TRUTHFULNESS....SATYA

    *The second yama(law of abstention) is truthfulness(satya). It has two levels:

     

    1.  Truthfulness means conducting of our mind, speech and actions according to truth.

    2.  Truthfulness is the result of our mind, speech, and actions being unified and harmonious.  In short, we are truthful to ourselves when the three common vehicles..mind, speech, and body..are harmonious , one with the other.

     

     savikalpa samadhi (Sanskrit: सविकल्पसमाधि), also called Samprajnata Samadhi and Sabija Samadhi,[web 1][note 1] is meditation with support of an object.

     

    siddhis: Powers of the soul and spirit that are the fruits of yogic disciplines.

     

    soma: A plant, probably with psychedelic properties, that was prepared and used in ritual fashion to enable men to communicate with the gods.

     

    SRI IS BASICALLY A NOUN & IS ALSO USED AS AN ADJECTIVE.

    According to Sanskrit Dictionary, "Sri" as a noun, means Srimati Radharani,

    Laxmidevi, wealth, opulence, beauty, fame, knowledge, strength, any virtue

    or excellence etc. etc.

    Also "Sri" as an adjective means splendid, radiant, adorning (decorated)

    So when "Sri" is used for Visnu Tattva, it can be taken both as a noun and

    an adjective.

    But whenever it is used for the jiva tattva, it is used as an adjective.

    "SRILA" IS AN ADJECTIVE OF THE NOUN "SRI"

    "Sri-la" means one who possesses wealth (i.e rich), opulence, beauty

    "Sri" also means the three Vedas.

    So "Srila" means learned personality who knows the three Vedas.

    "Sri" means Srimati Radharani.

    "Srila" means one who possesses the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani is his

    heart.

    "Sri" is the name of one of the six ragas or musical modes.(masculine)

    "Srila" means expertise in music, especially in the "Sri" raga.

     

     

    tantras: Books dealing with the worship of the female deities and specifying certain practices to attain liberation through sensuality, particularly through the heightened union of male and female energies.

     

    Tapas (tapas, Sanskrit: तपस्) means deep meditation,[2] effort to achieve self-realization, sometimes involving solitude, hermitism or asceticism;[3][4] it is derived from the word root tap (Sanskrit: तप् or ताप) which depending on context means "heat" from fire or weather, or blaze, burn, shine, penance, pain, ...

     

     yamas and niyamas, or restraints and observances - ancient scriptural injunctions for all aspects of human thought, attitude and behavior. These "do's" and "don'ts" are a common-sense code of conduct recorded in the Upanishads, the final section of the 6,000 to 8,000-year-old Vedas.

     

    yoga: This is the Sanskrit word meaning union and refers to various practices designed to attain a state of perfect union between the self and the infinite. 

     

    Vedas: are regarded as divine in origin. They are referred to as apaurusheya. They are not produced by a couple of individuals. They are not composed by some poets or authors. The Vedas constitute the sublime knowledge revealed to our great ancestors while they were doing their penance.

    Vedas are the compilation of the mantras or the hymns. The word ‘mantra’ originates from the Sanskrit word ‘manan’ which suggests ‘thinking’, ‘pondering’ or ‘contemplating’. Most of the mantras are in the form of the metered verse.

    The Samhitas are named after the Vedas they belong to. For example, the Samhita of the Rig Veda is called the Rig-Veda-Samhita or the Rig-Samhita.

    The Rig-Samhita contains the mantras or the hymns known as ‘richas’. These hymns are metered verses. The Sam-Samhita contains mantras in the form of songs meant for liturgy or public worship. The Yajur-Samhita  contains verities of mantras composed in the poetical and the prose forms. The Atharva-Samhita contains mantras meant for routine rites and rituals.

     

    Patanjali’s Eightfold Path of Yoga:

    1. Yama (moral conduct): noninjury to others, truthfulness, nonstealing, continence, and noncovetousness
    2. Niyama (religious observances): purity of body and mind, contentment in all circumstances, self-discipline, self-study (contemplation), and devotion to God and guru
    3. Asana: right posture
    4. Pranayama: control of prana, the subtle life currents in the body
    5. Pratyahara: interiorization through withdrawal of the senses from external objects
    6. Dharana: focused concentration; holding the mind to one thought or object
    7. Dhyana: meditation, absorption in the vast perception of God in one of His infinite aspects — Bliss, Peace, Cosmic Light, Cosmic Sound, Love, Wisdom, etc. — all-pervading throughout the whole universe
    8. Samadhi: superconscious experience of the oneness of the individualized soul with Cosmic Space

     

     

    THE 10 YAMAS - RESTRAINTS OR PROPER CONDUCT

    1. Ahimsa or Non-injury
    2. Satya or Truthfulness
    3. Asteya or Nonstealing
    4. Brahmacharya or Sexual Purity
    5. Kshama or Patience
    6. Dhriti or Steadfastness
    7. Daya or Compassion
    8. Arjava or Honesty
    9. Mitahara or Moderate Diet
    10. Saucha or Purity

    THE 10 NIYAMAS - OBSERVANCES OR PRACTICES

    1. Hri or Modesty
    2. Santosha or Contentment
    3. Dana or Charity
    4. Astikya or Faith
    5. Ishvarapujana or Worship of the Lord
    6. Siddhanta Sravana or Scriptural Listening
    7. Mati or Cognition
    8. Vrata or Sacred Vows
    9. Japa or Incantation
    10. Tapas or Austerity

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