Glossary of Siddha Yoga Terminology

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ABHANGA:
A devotional song composed in the Marathi language expressing the longing and love of a devotee for God.

ABHISHEK:
A ritual bathing offered as worship (puja) to a statue or other representation of a deity.

ABSOLUTE:
The highest Reality; supreme Consciousness; the pure, untainted, changeless Truth.

AMRIT:
1) The nectar of immortality; the divine nectar that flows down from the sahasrara when the Kundalini is awakened. 2) An area in Siddha Yoga meditation ashrams and centers where refreshments can be purchased.

ANNAPURNA:
(lit., filled with nourishment) 1) The great Shakti depicted as the goddess of nourishment and abundance. 2) The dining halls in both the Shree Muktananda Ashram in South Fallsburg, New York, and Gurudev Siddha Peeth in Ganeshpuri, India.

ANUGRAHA:
1) Grace; one of the five functions of the Lord that ultimately culminates in liberation. 2) The original building of Shree Muktananda Ashram in South Fallsburg.

ARATI:
1) A ritual act of worship during which a flame, symbolic of the individual soul, is waved before the form of a deity, sacred being, or image that embodies the light of Consciousness. 2) The name of the morning and evening prayer that is sung with the waving of lights, in honor of Bhagavan Nityananda, twice each day in Siddha Yoga ashrams.

ARJUNA:
One of the heroes of the Indian epic Mahabharata, considered to be the greatest warrior of all. He was the friend and devotee of Lord Krishna, who revealed the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita to him on the battlefield.

ASANA:
1) A hatha yoga posture practiced to strengthen and purify the body and develop one-pointedness of mind. 2) A seat or mat on which one sits for meditation.

ASHRAM:
The dwelling place of a Guru or saint; a monastic retreat site where seekers engage in spiritual practices and study the sacred teachings of yoga.

ASHRAM DHARMA:
Right action in relation to ashram life; the inner posture and outer behavior that allow a person to devote himself or herself to the high attitude and disciplines of ashram life. There is also a book on this topic by Swami Muktananda. See also DHARMA and GURUKULA.

ATMAN:
Divine Consciousness residing in the individual; the supreme Self; the soul.

AUSTERITIES:
1) Rigorous spiritual practices. 2) Abandonment of the pursuit of worldly pleasure for the purpose of spiritual attainment.

AVADHUTA:
An enlightened being who lives in a state beyond body-consciousness and whose behavior is not bound by ordinary social conventions.

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BABA:
A term of affection and respect for a saint or holy man.

BADE BABA:
(lit., elder father) An affectionate name for Bhagavan Nityananda, Swami Muktananda's Guru.

BHAGAVAD GITA:
Lit., "song of the Lord." One of the world's treasures of spiritual wisdom, the centerpiece of the Indian epic Mahabharata. In its eighteen chapters, Lord Krishna instructs his disciple Arjuna about steady wisdom, meditation, the nature of God, the supreme Self, and spiritual knowledge and practice. See also KRISHNA; MAHABHARATA; SELF.

BHAGAVAN:
(lit., the Lord) One endowed with the six attributes or powers of infinity:
spiritual power, righteousness, glory, splendor, knowledge, and renunciation. A term of great honor. Swami Muktananda's Guru is known as Bhagavan Nityananda.

BHAJAN:
A Hindi devotional song in praise of God.

BHAKTA:
A devotee, a lover of God; a follower of bhakti yoga, the path of love and devotion.

BHAKTI:
The path of devotion; a path to union with the Divine based on the continual offering of love and the constant remembrance of the Lord.

BHASMA:
Ash from a sacred fire ritual (yajna), charged with the power of mantra. Bhasma is used to draw three horizontal stripes on the forehead and other parts of the body, representing the three qualities of nature reduced to ash by spiritual practices and the power of grace.

BINDI:
A red dot worn between the eyebrows marking the location of the third eye, the eye of inner vision or spiritual wisdom.

BLUE PEARL:
A brilliant blue light, the size of a tiny seed, that appears in meditation; it is the subtle abode of the inner Self.

BRAHMA:
In Indian cosmology and mythology, the creator of the universe and grandfather of the gods. In Shaivism, it is understood that Brahma is empowered to create by the will of the supreme Deity, Shiva. See also SHAIVISM; SHIVA.

BRAHMIN:
A member of a hereditary social class of India, from which Hindu priests and scholars have traditionally been drawn.

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CHAITANYA:
1) The fundamental, all-pervasive, divine Consciousness. 2) When used in reference to a mantra, chaitanya means that the mantra is enlivened with grace and thus has the capacity to draw one's mind spontaneously into meditative stillness.

CHAKRA:
A center of energy located in the subtle body where the subtle nerve channels converge like the spokes of a wheel. Six major chakras lie within the central channel. When awakened, kundalini shakti flows upward from the base of the spine through these six centers to the seventh chakra, the sahasrara, at the crown of the head.

CHIDVILASANANDA:
Swami Chidvilasananda, the current Siddha Guru and head of the Siddha lineage. Her name literally means the bliss of the play of Consciousness and was given to her by Swami Muktananda when she took the vows of monkhood in 1982.

CHITI:
The power of universal Consciousness; the creative aspect of God.

CONSCIOUSNESS:
The luminous, self-aware, and creative Reality that is the essential Self of all that exists; a name for God, the Absolute, the supreme Truth. See also SELF.

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DAKSHIN KASHI:
(lit., south field) A beautiful, twenty-five-acre field in Gurudev Siddha Peeth, the Siddha Yoga ashram near Ganeshpuri, India. The field is ringed by a tree-lined path, which is used for walking contemplation.

DAKSHINA:
An offering of money or financial resources made to the Guru without expectation of personal gain or stipulation for its use, and given in order to sustain the Guru's work; one of the core Siddha Yoga practices.

DARSHAN:
Seeing or being in the presence of a saint, a deity, or a sacred place.

DEVA:
A deity or god.

DEVI:
The great mother Goddess; the beloved of Shiva who represents Shakti, or cosmic energy.

DHARANA:
A centering technique; a spiritual exercise that leads one to the experience of God within.

DHARMA:
Essential duty; the law of righteousness; living in accordance with the divine will. The highest dharma is to recognize the Truth in one's own heart.

DIKSHA:
Yogic initiation; spiritual awakening of a disciple by the grace of the Master.

DISCIPLE:
One who has received initiation from a spiritual master and then follows the path shown by the master.

DIVYA DIKSHA:
The bestowal of divine initiation, shaktipat.

DIWALI:
A four-day festival, falling in October-November, celebrated by displaying lights and worshiping Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity.

DRISHTI:
Vision, usually in the context of seeing with the outlook of God.

DURGA:
The fierce aspect of the universal Shakti or divine Mother, who destroys limitations and evil tendencies. She is often depicted as the eight-armed warrior goddess who rides a tiger and carries weapons.

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EGO:
A faculty of the mind (antah-karana) which, in Indian philosophy, constructs one's sense of limited identity, creates the illusion of a separate self with a specific personality and qualities, and appropriates specific objects and experiences to itself. The limitations of the ego can be transcended by engaging in the spiritual practices of sadhana. See also SADHANA.

ENLIGHTENMENT:
The final attainment on the spiritual path, when the limited sense of "I" merges into supreme Consciousness.

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GANESH:
The elephant-headed god, also known as Ganapati. Son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, he is worshiped at the beginning of any undertaking and in many festivals as the god of wisdom, the destroyer of sorrows, and the remover of obstacles.

GRACE:
The infinite power of divine love that creates, maintains, and pervades the universe. When awakened within a seeker by a Siddha Guru, this power leads the seeker to Self-realization.

GUNAS:
The three basic qualities of nature that determine the inherent characteristics of all created things. They are sattva (purity, light, harmony, intelligence); rajas (activity, passion); and tamas (dullness, inertia, ignorance).

GURU:
Lit., "a venerable person, a spiritual preceptor, a teacher." A teacher (in any field); also, a spiritual master. See also SIDDHA GURU.

GURU CHOWK:
The open-air meditation hall adjoining the courtyard in Shree Gurudev Siddha Peeth, the Siddha Yoga ashram in Ganeshpuri, India.

GURU GITA:
(lit., song of the Guru) A sacred text consisting of mantras that describe the nature of the Guru, the Guru-disciple relationship, and techniques of meditation on the Guru. In Siddha Yoga ashrams, the Guru Gita is chanted every morning.

GURU PRINCIPLE:
The universal power of grace present as the inner Self of all beings.

GURUPURNIMA:
In India, the full moon of the month of Ashada (July-August) is honored as the most auspicious and important of the entire year. This moon's luminous brilliance and perfect form are seen as expressions of the Guru's gift of grace and the attainment of Self-realization. Siddha Yogis focus on the practice of dakshina during this holiday. See also DAKSHINA, Gurupurnima.

GURU'S FEET:
The Indian scriptures revere the Guru's feet, which are said to embody Shiva and Shakti, knowledge and action, the emission and reabsorption of creation. Powerful vibrations of shakti flow from the Guru's feet. They are a mystical source of grace and illumination, and a figurative term for the Guru's teachings.

GURU'S SANDALS:
The Indian scriptures revere the Guru's feet, which are said to embody Shiva and Shakti, knowledge and action, the emission and reabsorption of creation. Powerful vibrations of shakti flow from the Guru's feet. They are a mystical source of grace and illumination, and a figurative term for the Guru's teachings.

GURUKULA:
In Vedic times, spiritual aspirants would serve the Guru at his house or ashram for a period of time, studying the scriptures, and practicing self-inquiry and other spiritual disciplines under the guidance of the Master. Siddha Yoga ashrams are modeled on these Gurukulas of old.

GURUMAYI:
The affectionate name for Swami Chidvilasananda by which she is most often called. She received the power and authority of the Siddha Yoga lineage from Swami Muktananda before he passed away in 1982 and is the current Siddha Guru and head of the Siddha lineage.

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HANUMAN:
One of the heroes of the Indian epic, the Ramayana, Hanuman is a warrior and chieftain of a semidivine mythological race of monkeys devoted to God in the form of Rama. Son of the Wind, he performs many acts of courage and daring in defense of his Master, Lord Rama. He is a symbol of perfect devotion, surrender and courage.

HATHA YOGA:
Yogic practices, both physical and mental, performed for the purpose of purifying and strengthening the physical and subtle bodies.

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INNER ENEMIES:
The inner enemies spoken about in Vedanta:
desire, anger, delusion, pride, greed, and envy.

INTENSIVE:
The primary Siddha Yoga meditation program, which was designed by Swami Muktananda to give spiritual initiation by awakening the kundalini energy.

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JAGADGURU:
A world teacher; a great Guru.

JAPA:
Repetition of a mantra, either silently or aloud.

JNANA:
True knowledge.

JNANESHWAR MAHARAJ:
(1275-1296) Foremost among the saints of Maharashtra and a child yogi of extraordinary powers. His verse commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, the Jnaneshvari, written in the Marathi language, is acknowledged as one of the world's most important spiritual works. He also composed a short work, the Amritanubhava, and over one hundred abhangas, or devotional songs in Marathi, in which he describes various spiritual experiences following the awakening of kundalini.

JYOTA SE JYOTA:
A chant; an invocation to the Guru asking for the flame of divine love in the disciple's heart to be kindled with the Guru's own heart flame.

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KARMA:
(lit., action) 1) Any action--physical, verbal, or mental. 2) Destiny, which is caused by past actions, mainly those of previous lives.

KASHMIR SHAIVISM:
A branch of the Shaivite philosophical tradition, propounded by Kashmiri sages, that explains how the formless supreme Principle, known as Shiva, manifests as the universe. Together with Vedanta, Kashmir Shaivism provides the basic scriptural context for Siddha Yoga meditation.

KRISHNA:
Lit., "dark one." The eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, called Krishna because of the blue-black color of his skin. See also BHAGAVAD-GITA; VISHNU.

KRIYA:
A physical, mental, or emotional movement initiated by the awakened kundalini. Kriyas purify the body and nervous system, thus allowing a seeker to experience higher states of consciousness.

KUNDALINI:
Lit., "coiled one"; The Goddess Kundalini; also, the power of spiritual evolution in a human being. The dormant form of this spiritual energy is represented as lying coiled at the base of the spine; when awakened and guided by a Siddha Guru and nourished by the seeker's disciplined effort, this energy brings about purification of the seeker's being at all levels, and leads to the permanent experience of one's divine nature. See also SHAKTIPAT; SIDDHA GURU.

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LIBERATION:
Freedom from the cycle of birth and death; the realization of one's own divine Self. See also SELF.

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MAHABHARATA:
An epic poem in Sanskrit, attributed to the sage Vyasa, which recounts the struggle between the Pandava and Kaurava princes over a disputed kingdom. A vast narrative encompassing a wealth of Indian secular and religious lore, it also contains the spiritual treasure of the Bhagavad-gita. See also BHAGAVAD-GITA.

MAHARASHTRA:
A state on the west coast of central India, where Gurudev Siddha Peeth, the mother ashram of Siddha Yoga meditation, is located. Many of the great poet-saints lived in Maharashtra and the Samadhi Shrines of Bhagavan Nityananda and Swami Muktananda are there.

MAHASAMADHI:
1) A realized yogi's conscious departure from the physical body at death. 2) A celebration on the anniversary of a great being's departure from the physical body. 3) A shrine erected at the place where a yogi has taken mahasamadhi.

MAHSHIVARATRI:
(lit., night of Shiva) The night of the new moon in late February that is especially sacred to Lord Shiva. Devotees repeat the mantra Om Namah Shivaya throughout the night; on this night each repetition is said to equal the merit of a thousand repetitions.

MALA:
A string of beads used to facilitate a state of concentration while repeating a mantra.

MANTRA:
A sacred invocation. Sacred words or divine sounds invested with the power to protect, purify, and transform the awareness of the individual who repeats them. A mantra received from an enlightened Master is enlivened by the power of the Master's attainment. See also OM NAMAH SHIVAYA.

MAYA:
The power that veils and obscures the true nature of the Self and creates a sense of differentiation. It makes the universal Consciousness, which is One, appear as duality and multiplicity.

MUKTANANDA:
Swami Muktananda (1908 - 1982) who brought the Siddha Yoga teachings and practices to the west in the 1970s on his Guru's behalf. He is Gurumayi Chidvilasananda's Guru and often referred to as Baba. He brought the venerable tradition of his master's lineage to the West, giving the previously little-known shaktipat initiation to untold thousands of spiritual seekers. His name literally means the bliss of liberation.

MUKTI:
Liberation from the cycle of birth and death; freedom from the sense of duality and limitation.

MURTI:
(lit., embodiment; figure; image) A representation of God or of a chosen deity that has been sanctified and enlivened by worship. A murti can be a symbolic embodiment of the presence of God or a recognizable human figure, as in the image of a saint.

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NADA:
Spontaneous inner sounds that may be heard during advanced stages of meditation; nada may take the form of sounds such as bells, the blowing of a conch, and thunder.

NADI:
A channel in the subtle body through which the vital force flows.

NAMA SANKIRTANA:
Group chanting of the name of the Lord.

NATARAJ:
(lit., king of the dance) A name of Shiva, referring to the dancing Shiva. The object of his dance is to free all souls from the fetters of illusion.

NAVARATRI:
(lit., nine nights) A festival celebrating the worship of the divine Mother, Shakti, in the three forms of Durga/Kali, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. It begins with the new moon of September-October and continues for nine nights.

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OM:
The primal sound from which the universe emanates; the inner essence of all mantras. Also written aum.

OM NAMAH SHIVAYA:
The initiation mantra of the Siddha Yoga lineage, known as the great redeeming mantra for its power to grant both worldly fulfillment and spiritual realization. OM is the primordial sound; namah is an expression of reverence or honor; shivaya denotes "to Shiva" or "to divine Consciousness" (the Lord who dwells within you as you). See also CONSCIOUSNESS; MANTRA; SIDDHA YOGA; SHIVA.

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PADUKAS:
The Guru's sandals, objects of the highest veneration. Vibrations of the inner shakti flow out from the Guru's feet, which are a mystical source of grace and illumination and a figurative term for the Guru's teachings. The Guru's sandals are also said to hold this divine energy of enlightenment.

PRADAKSHINA:
The act of worshipful circumambulation (walking clockwise around a holy temple, shrine, or place).

PRANA:
The vital life-sustaining force of both the body and the universe.

PRANAM:
To bow; to greet with respect.

PRASAD:
A blessed or divine gift from God or the Guru.

PUJA:
Worship; actions performed in worship; also, an altar with images of the Guru or deity and objects used in worship.

PUNYATITHI:
The anniversary of a great being's death.

PURANA(S)
Lit., "ancient." Sacred books of India, containing accounts, stories, legends, and hymns about the creation of the universe, the incarnations of God, the teachings of various deities, and the spiritual legacies of ancient sages and kings.

PURNAHUTI:
(lit., full or complete offering) The culmination of any celebration, especially a saptah or a yajna. The final chant of a purnahuti is an arati, an invocation to the Guru entreating him to kindle the flame of divine love in the disciple's heart. Tradition states that to attend a purnahuti is to gain the merit of the entire celebration.

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RAGA:
In Indian music, a series of five or more notes upon which a melody is based; a particular melody. Ragas evoke particular moods in the listener and are often performed to resonate with a season or time of day.

RAKHI DAY:
This festival has its origins in an ancient folk custom:
sisters affectionately tie a rakhi, or bracelet, on the wrists of their brothers who, in turn, promise always to protect them. To celebrate this day, many Siddha Yoga meditation students offer each other rakhis, representing a bond of love and protection.

RAM:
(lit., one who is pleasing, delightful) The seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Rama is seen as the embodiment of dharma and is the object of great devotion. He is the central character in the Indian epic Ramayana.

RAMA:
(lit., one who is pleasing, delightful) The seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Rama is seen as the embodiment of dharma and is the object of great devotion. He is the central character in the Indian epic Ramayana.

RAMAYANA:
One of the great epic poems of India; attributed to the sage Valmiki, the Ramayana recounts the life and exploits of Lord Rama. This story, so rich with spiritual meaning, has been told and retold down through the ages by saints, poets, scholars, and common folk.

RANGOLI:
A design, usually geometric, drawn on the ground in front of a house or other dwelling in the colors of the morning sun, to represent inner awakening.

RASA:
1) Flavor, taste. 2) A subtle energy of richness, sweetness, and delight.

RIG VEDA:
The oldest of the four Vedas; it is composed of more than one thousand hymns, including those that invoke the gods of the fire ritual. See also VEDAS.

RUDRA:
The Lord as destroyer, a form of Lord Shiva. As the fierce aspect of God, Rudra inspires both great love and great fear among his worshipers.

RUDRAKSHA:
Seeds from a tree sacred to Shiva, often strung as beads for malas. Legend has it that the rudraksha seed was created from the tears of Lord Rudra, thus endowing it with great spiritual power.

RUDRAM:
A text chant from the Krishna Yajur Veda in which Lord Shiva is offered repeated salutations in his many manifestations; the first of these to be honored is Rudra.

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SADGURU:
A true Guru; divine Master.

SADGURUNATH MAHARAJ KI JAY:
A Hindi phrase that means "I hail the Master who has revealed the Truth to me!" An exalted, joyful expression of gratitude to the Guru for all that has been received, often repeated at the beginning or end of an action.

SADHAKA:
A seeker on the spiritual path.

SADHANA:
Leading straight to a goal; a means of accomplishing (something); spiritual practice; worship. The sadhana of Siddha Yoga students, which begins with shaktipat initiation, includes active, disciplined engagement with the essential Siddha Yoga practices of meditation, chanting, seva, and dakshina, along with focused study and contemplation of the Siddha Yoga teachings. The goal of Siddha Yoga sadhana is the spiritual transformation that leads to liberation. See also DAKSHINA; LIBERATION; SHAKTIPAT; SEVA; SIDDHA YOGA.

SAHASRARA:
The thousand-petaled spiritual energy center at the crown of the head, where one experiences the highest states of consciousness.

SAMADHI:
The practice of absorption in the object of meditation. Also, the final stage of that practice, in which the meditator is absorbed in the Self. See also SELF.

SAMADHI SHRINE:
The final resting place of a great yogi's body. Such shrines are places of worship:
permeated with the saint's spiritual power, and alive with blessings.

SANKALPA:
In the Siddha Yoga tradition, sankalpa means intention in the sense of a prayer or resolution formed for the attainment of a spiritual purpose that is for the benefit of all.

SANNYASA:
1) Monkhood. 2) The ceremony and vows of monkhood.

SAPTAH:
(lit., seven) A term introduced by Swami Muktananda to refer to the continuous chanting of the name of God, which also may be accompanied by dancing in a circle in a series of measured steps as an act of devotion and a joyful experience of meditation in motion. Saptahs were often held in the ashram for seven days at a time.

SATSANG:
(lit., the company of the Truth) The company of saints and devotees; a gathering of seekers for the purpose of chanting, meditation, and listening to scriptural teachings or readings.

SELF:
The pure Consciousness that is both the divine core of a human being and the essential nature of all things. See also CONSCIOUSNESS.

SELF-REALIZATION:
The state of enlightenment in which the individual merges with pure Consciousness.

SEVA:
Lit., "service, honoring, worship." In Siddha Yoga contexts, selfless service: work offered to God and the Guru, performed as a pure offering, without attachment to the results of one's actions and without desire for personal gain.

SEVITE:
One who performs seva.

SHAIVISM
The Indian religious and philosophical traditions that use the name Shiva to denote the ultimate Reality. In Siddha Yoga, the term Shaivism is generally used to refer to the nondual Shaivism of Kashmir. The English word Shaivite refers to one who practices Shaivism. See also KASHMIR SHAIVISM; SHIVA.

SHAKTI:
Spiritual power; the divine cosmic power that creates and maintains the universe; may be defined as the goddess Shakti.

SHAKTIPAT:
Lit., "descent of power, descent of grace." In Siddha Yoga, the initiation (diksha) by which a Siddha Guru transmits the divine grace that awakens Kundalini Shakti, the inner spiritual energy in an aspirant; shaktipat diksha signals the beginning of Siddha Yoga sadhana, which culminates in spiritual liberation. See also KUNDALINI; LIBERATION; SADHANA; SIDDHA GURU.

SHAMBHAVI MUDRA:
(lit., state of supreme Shiva) A state of spontaneous or effortless meditation, in which the eyes become focused within and the mind delights in the inner Self without any attempt at concentration.

SHIVA:
Lit., "auspicious." In nondual Shaivism, the transcendent, immanent, and all-pervasive Reality, the one source of all existence. Also, absolute Reality personified as the supreme Deity, Lord Shiva. See also SHAIVISM

SHIVARATRI:
(lit., night of Shiva) The night of the new moon in late February that is especially sacred to Lord Shiva. Devotees repeat the mantra Om Namah Shivaya throughout the night; on this night each repetition is said to equal the merit of a thousand repetitions.

SHRI:
1) A term or respect that means sacredness, abundance, beauty, grace, and auspiciousness, and signifies mastery of all these. 2) Lakshmi, the goddess of beauty and prosperity.

SIDDHA:
A perfected, fully accomplished, Self-realized yogi; an enlightened yogi who lives in the state of unity consciousness; one whose experience of the Self is uninterrupted and whose identification with the ego has been dissolved. See also EGO; SELF.

SIDDHA GURU:
A perfected spiritual Master who has realized his or her oneness with God, and who is able both to bestow shaktipat initiation and to guide seekers to spiritual liberation. Such a Guru is also required to be learned in the scriptures and to belong to a lineage of Masters. See also LIBERATION; SHAKTIPAT; SIDDHA.

SIDDHA YOGA:

The spiritual path taught by Gurumayi Chidvilasananda and her Guru, Swami Muktananda. The journey of the Siddha Yoga path begins with shaktipat diksha (spiritual initiation). Through the grace of the Siddha Yoga Master and the student's own steady disciplined effort, the journey culminates in the constant recognition of divinity within oneself and within the world. See also SADHANA; SHAKTIPAT.

SPIRITUAL PRACTICES:

Activities that purify and strengthen the mind and body for the spiritual path. Siddha Yoga practices include chanting, meditation, mantra repetition, hatha yoga, seva (selfless service), and contemplation.

SUBTLE BODY:
The second of four bodies within a human being (the physical, subtle, causal, and supracausal bodies), which is experienced in the dream state.

SUSHUMNA:
The most important of all the nadis; the central channel, which extends from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. It is the pathway of the awakened kundalini.

SUTRA:
Aphorism; a condensed and cryptic statement that usually can be understood only through commentary. In India, the major points of an entire philosophical system may be expressed in a series of sutras.

SWADHYAYA:
The study of the Self; the regular disciplined practice of chanting and reciting spiritual texts such as the Guru Gita.

SWAMI:
A term of respectful address for a sannyasi, or monk.

SWAMIJI:
A term of respectful address for a sannyasi, or monk.

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TANDRA:
The state of higher consciousness between sleeping and waking that is experienced in meditation.

TAPASYA:
1) Austerities. 2) The experience of heat that occurs during the process of practicing yoga. The heat is generated by friction between the senses and renunciation. It is said that this heat, called "the fire of yoga," burns up all the impurities that lie between the seeker and the experience of the Truth.

TATTVAS:
In Kashmir Shaivism, the basic categories or principles of the process of universal manifestation from pure Consciousness to matter; that which is the essence of each stage of manifestation.

TEMPLE:
Swami Muktananda has dedicated a temple of meditation to his Guru, Bhagavan Nityananda Temple in both Shree Muktananda Ashram and Gurudev Siddha Peeth.

THE NAME:
A name of God. Silent repetition or audible chanting of the divine Name is considered to be the most effective means of redemption in Kali Yuga, the present age. Chanting and japa open the heart to the love and joy contained within it.

TURIYA:
The fourth, or transcendental state, beyond the waking, dream, and deep-sleep states, in which the true nature of reality is directly perceived; the state of samadhi, or deep meditation.

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UPANISHADS:
The inspired teachings, visions, and mystical experiences of the ancient sages of India; the concluding portion of the Vedas and the basis for Vedantic philosophy. With immense variety of form and style, all of these scriptures (exceeding one hundred texts) give the same essential teaching:
that the individual soul and God are one.

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VAIRAGYA:
Dispassion; the power of renunciation by which a yogi is able to pursue the true rather than the false, the eternal rather than the ephemeral.

VARNAMAYI:
One of the four main categories of the manifestation of awakened Kundalini. It may include the awakening of previously dormant vocal powers in the seeker, the spontaneous uttering of mantras, creative literary inspiration and intuitive wisdom.

VEDA(S):
Lit., "knowledge." The earliest scriptural compositions of ancient India, regarded as divinely revealed, eternal wisdom. The four Vedas are, in order of antiquity, the Rg-veda ("Knowledge of the Hymns"), the Yajur-veda ("Knowledge of the Sacrificial Formulas"), the Sama-veda ("Knowledge of the Songs of Praise"), and the Atharva-veda ("The Knowledge of [Sage] Atharvan").

VISHNU:
In the Puranas, the deity in charge of maintaining and preserving creation. In some religious traditions of India, Vishnu is the name for the supreme Deity. See also PURANA(S).

VIVEKA:
(lit., discrimination; distinction) The faculty of discretion that enables a human being to distinguish between true and false, reality and illusion.

VRITTI:
Fluctuation or movement of the mind; thought.

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WITNESS:
The transcendental Consciousness that lies at the root of the mind and from which the mind can be observed.

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YAJNA:
1) A sacrificial fire ritual in which Vedic mantras are recited while wood, fruit, grain, oil, yogurt, and ghee are poured into the fire as an offering to the Lord. 2) Any work or spiritual practice that is offered as worship to God.

YOGA:
(lit., union) The spiritual practices and disciplines that lead a seeker to evenness of mind, to the severing of the union with pain, and through detachment, to skill in action. Ultimately, the path of yoga leads to the constant experience of the Self.

YOGI:
1) One who practices yoga. 2) One who has attained perfection through yogic practices.

YOGINI:
1) One who practices yoga. 2) One who has attained perfection through yogic practices.