Meditation Dictionary - Meditation Terms and Definitions

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	ACTIVE MEDITATION (submitted by: mec-mec) Also called Dynamic Meditation, this begins with a stage of activity sometimes intense and physical then followed by a period of silence. It involves conscious catharsis where one can express the inexpressible and then easily go into silence.
	ANTARATMA (submitted by: joyasto) The inner self, residing in the heart.
	AURA An energy field which surrounds living beings. An aura is most often visible only to those born with the skill to see it, or those who developed this ability. A visible aura contains various colors and tells about the spiritual and emotional persona of the plant, human, or creature surrounded by it. However, an aura can also be felt, heard, or sensed through other means.
	AVATAR An avatar is a person who is fully god realized at birth and therefore needs no spiritual training. In Hinduism it is the manifestation of a deity in human or animal form.
	BANDHAN Bandhan is a technique performed at the beginning and end of each meditation session after raising Kundalini.
	BODHISATTVA This is a buddhist term. A bodhisattva is an enlightened being who having no further need to be reincarnated into the physical, decides to do so to help other acheive enlightenment.
	BUDDHISM religion & philosophy founded in India in the 6th cent. B.C. by Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha). Teaches practice of meditation, observance of moral precepts. Defines reality in terms of cause-and-effect, accepting the doctrine common to Indian religions of samsara, or bondage to the repeating cycle of births and deaths according to ones physical and mental actions.
	CATCHES (submitted by: mec-mec) A catch occurs when the efficient functioning of the chakra is impaired. This blocks the passage of the Kundalini energy through that chakra to a higher level.
	CHAKRAS the seven vital energy centers of the body. The chakras extend from the base of spine to the crown of head. Located in the rectal area, near the genitals, behind the navel, at the heart, at the neck, between the eyebrows, and on the crown of the head. Each chakra corresponds to certain colors, emotions, organs, nerve networks, and energies.
	CONFUCIANISM (551-479 BC). for more than 2,000 years the Chinese people have been guided by the ideals of Confucianism. Its founder was Confucius who tried to bring people to a virtuous way of life and a respect for the teachings of the wise men of older generations. Though Confucianism is called a religion, it is a system of moral conduct. Confucius did not talk of God but of goodness. He was centered on making people better in their lifetime, and his Analects are wise sayings similar to the Bibles’ Proverbs.
	DHYANA (submitted by: marlonborreo) Sanskrit for meditation. Equivalent terms are jhāna in Pāli, chán in Chinese, and zen in Japanese.
	DUALISM in philosophy and theology, system that explains all phenomena in terms of two distinct and irreducible principles, e.g., ideas and matter (as in Plato, Aristotle, and modern metaphysics) or mind and matter (as in psychology). In theology the term refers to a concept of opposing principles, e.g., good and evil.
	EGO (submitted by: marlonborreo) the limited sense of "I" that is identified with the body, mind, and senses; sometimes described as "the veil of suffering."
	ENLIGHTENMENT In Buddhism it is the awakening to the ultimate truth. In Hinduism it is a state of divine experience which is represented by Vishnu. regarded as the goal of all religion. In modern spirituality is represented as the end of suffering as one lives in this state fully in the present moment and any feeling of seperation has dissappeard.
	FENG SHUI an ancient Chinese practice of configuring home or work environments to promote health, happiness, prosperity. Feng shui consultants may advise clients to make adjustments in their surroundings, from color selection to furniture placement, to promote a healthy flow of chi, or vital energy.
	GURU (submitted by: marlonborreo) A spiritual master who has attained oneness with God and who is able both to initiate seekers and to guide them on the spiritual path to liberation. A true Guru is required to be learned in the scriptures and must belong to a lineage of masters.
	HOLISTIC Sometimes spelt wholistic. It means targeted to the whole person - mind, body, and spirit. Holistic medicine considers not only physical health but also the emotional, spiritual, social, and mental well-being of the person.
	JAPA (submitted by: marlonborreo) The process in which a devotee repeats the name of the God. The repetition can be aloud or just the movement of lips or in mind. This spiritual practice is present in the major religions of world. This is considered as one of the most effective spiritual practice.
	KARMA Basic concept common to Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. The doctrine holds that one’s state in this life is the result of physical and mental actions in past incarnations and that present action can determine one’s destiny in future incarnations. Karma is a natural, impersonal law of moral cause and effect.
	KI Japanese word for the universal life force, synonymous with the Chinese term, Chi.
	KINEMANTRA MEDITATION (submitted by: mec-mec) KM is a meditation technique that combines meditation with the Psycho-Kinesiology. It is a still mental repetition of the personal mantra (vocal sound) that should help to relax and should be easier to learn than other mediation techniques.
	KUNDALINI ENERGY (submitted by: mec-mec) The mothering subtle energy that is stored at the base of the spine in the "sacrum" bone. This energy can be awakened within us through the experience of Self-Realization.
	LOTUS POSITION (submitted by: mec-mec) It is a cross-legged sitting posture which originated in representations and meditative practices of Hinduism.
	MANDALA (submitted by: marlonborreo) Sacred diagram used as an object of meditation, particularly in esoteric and Tibetan Buddhism.
	MANTRA in Hinduism and Buddhism, mystic word used in ritual and meditation. It is believed to have power to bring into being the reality it represents. Use of such mantras usually requires initiation by a guru, or spiritual teacher.
	MEDITATION Meditation is any technique which enables us to relax our body and our mind and, besides, to free our mind of unnecessary thoughts and brainactivity
	MEDITATIVE STATE (submitted by: mediguru) Meditation is the journey towards Meditative State. Meditative State is the State one reaches in Meditation. Here he will be in No Thought and No Mind State. It is also called Nirmala Sthithi. From here one’s real Inner Journey starts. His Bramha Randra opens. He will receive abundant Cosmic Energy. With this, his Energy Body gets cleansed. Consequently he will obtain perfect Health. Further Third Eye gets activated, and ‘see’ various colors rotating around. After being in this State, Third Eye gets perfected. We ‘see’ crystal clear visions of this plane and other planes. We experience Astral Travel. We get Understanding about our self. We understand we are not just body and mind, but we are Consciousness staying in body and mind. We ‘see’ past lives. We understand the cycle of birth, life, death and beyond. With these, Our perception changes. We will be healthy, happy and blissful at all times and situations. To attain this, please do Meditation.
	METTABHAVANA (submitted by: joyasto) A meditation practice that develops loving kindness toward all sentient beings.
	NETI-NETI (submitted by: marlonborreo) a chant or mantra, meaning "not this, not this". The purpose of the exercise is to negate conscious rationalisations, and other distractions from the purpose of a meditation.
	NIRVANA in Buddhism, Jainism, and Hinduism, a state of supreme bliss; liberation from suffering and from samsara, one’s bondage to the repeating cycle of death and rebirth, which is brought about by desire. Nirvana is attainable in life through moral discipline and the practice of yoga, leading to the extinction of all attachment and ignorance.
	OM (submitted by: joyasto) OM is the orginal mantra, the root of all sounds and letters, and thus of language and thought. The "O" is generated deep within the body, and slowly brought upward joining with the "M" which then resonates through the entire head.
	PASSAGE MEDITATION (submitted by: mec-mec) Silent repetition in the mind of memorized inspirational passages from the world’s great religions.
	PRANA the yogic concept of a cosmic energy or life force, similar to the Chinese idea of chi, that enters the body with the breath. Prana is thought to flow through the body, bringing health and vitality. It is considered the vital link between the spiritual self and the material self.
	PRANA Prana is the internal force within God by which he creates.
	PRANAYAMA (submitted by: shesha) Breathing techniques
	PUJA A Puja is a collection of prayers to Hindu dieties
	SAMADHI (submitted by: marlonborreo) A state in which the aspirant is one with the object of his meditation, the Supreme Spirit pervading the universe, where there is a feeling of unutterable joy and peace.
	SPIRIT Spirit or the Pure Self is a reflection of the Divine which is present within us. Our Heart Chakra is the seat of the Spirit.
	SUBTLE BODY (submitted by: marlonborreo) The second of four bodies within a human being (the physical, subtle, causal, and supracausal bodies), which is experienced in the dream state.
	TANDRA (submitted by: joyasto) The state of higher consciousness between sleeping and waking that is experienced in meditation.
	TAOISM philosophy and religion of China. Derived chiefly from the Tao-te-ching, a book ascribed to Lao-tze but probably written in the mid-3rd cent. B.C. Describes an ideal human condition of freedom from desire and of effortless simplicity, achieved by following the Tao [path], the spontaneous, creative, effortless path taken by natural events in the universe.
	THIRD EYE (submitted by: mediguru) Third Eye is a powerful too of the Self to 'see', 'hear' and to 'feel' other frequency realities. Third Eye is activated during Meditation and further perfected. Through Third Eye one can 'see' cristal clear visions of this frequency and other frequency
	TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION Transcendental meditation is a relaxation technique derived from ancient Vedic tradition.
	TRATAKA (submitted by: mayumi) This refers to steady gazing. It is the process of looking at a particular object or gazing at a certain point without winking.
	VEDA Vedas is a collection of Hindu sacred scriptures.
	VIBRATIONS (submitted by: mec-mec) Once the Kundalini energy is awakened, vibrations can be felt on the palms of the hand, in the body and on top of the head.
	VRITTI (submitted by: joyasto) Fluctuation or movement of the mind; thought.
	YANTRA (submitted by: marlonborreo) a yantra is a visual symbol used to "hold or restrain" the mind from wandering during meditation.
	ZAZEN (submitted by: mec-mec) In Zen Buddhism, (in Japanese it literally means "seated meditation") it is a meditative discipline practitioners perform to calm the body and the mind and experience insight into the nature of existence.
	ZEN (submitted by: ) A school of Mahayana Buddhism that asserts that enlightenment can be attained through meditation, self-contemplation, and intuition rather than through faith and devotion and that is practiced mainly in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Also called Zen Buddhism.