Ashram:
a Hindu monastery.
Ayurvedic
medicine: The ancient holistic
Indian system of medicine and health.
Brahmin:
The priestly caste in Indian society.
Darshan:
Direct visual contact with the Deity (usually through a murthi),
which brings blessings to the devotee.
Ganges:
India's most sacred river, running from the Himalayas to the Bay
of Bengal, often thought of as a Goddess in Her own right, Ganga.
Ghat: An
entrance into the water for pilgrims who wish to take a sanctifying
dip.
Krishna
and Radha: Krishna is an incarnation
of the God Vishnu, the Preserver. He and His Consort, Radha, symbolize
the perfect union of humanity with the Divine.
Murthi: An image or icon of a Deity
used during worship. Hindus do not worship the image itself but
use it as a means of focusing the mind and heart on God. Adya
Ma said, "I shall reveal myself in any image you may invoke me
in with devotion."
Moksha:
Release from the suffering of the material world.
Om: the
most powerful syllable in Sanskrit; the most sacred mantra in
Hinduism. Also spelled Aum.
Prasad or
prasadam:
food that has been blessed by having been offered to God.
Puja: A ritual or ceremony honoring
the Divine through reciting sacred chants and offering food, flowers,
incense, etc.
Sadhu: a wandering holy man such as
are still common in India today.
Sangha: "Organization" or "Association."
Sannyasin: a religious renunciate
or monk.
Tantra: An ancient system of religious
philosophy that seeks union with the Divine Mother through specific
rites and practices.
Thakur: A Bengali title of respect
for any Brahmin, but especially for someone of high spiritual
esteem.
Vedanta: A system of Hindu philosophy
that views God as pure "isness"--Absolute Existence, Absolute
Knowledge, and Absolute Bliss, without any form or attributes.
