Abhidhamma (Pali): “getting the way to Dharma”, spiritual initiation.
Ácarya: “one who teaches others by one’s example”; teacher of Ananda Marga meditation
Ádhama: lowermost
Ágama: the replies of Shiva to the questions of Pávartii in Tantra scriptures.
Amávasyá: new moon
Ananda Marga: “The Path of Bliss”, the cult of spiritual practices as taught by Baba
Artha: psychic desire
Asat: untruth, opposite of Sat
Átman the soul, Supreme Consciousness in the individual. Also known as Jiivátman
Aum: the Cosmic Sound of creation
Aum Manipadme Hum, a common mantra of Maháyána Buddhism

Bábá: “Supreme Father”, the affectionate name given to Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrtijii by his disciples
Bauddhika Amitavayáya: “intellectual extravaganza”, intellectual pursuits without spiritual purpose
Bhágavata Dharma: “divine Dharma” The spiritual Code of human beings
Bhikśu: wandering monk or Sanyásiin; a spiritual aspirant
Brahma: The Infinite Consciousness; the Supreme Entity
Brahmaranchra: The Sahasrára Cakra. The crown of the head, the point where Parama Puruśa touches the human body
Buddha: Shakyamuni, the name of the great Indian guru who founded
Buddhism 2500 years ago

C’han (Chinese): The practice of meditation. From the Sanskrit word Dhyána
Chinácára: “The Chinese path”; the ancient Chinese way of meditation

Darshana: “to see”, audience of the Guru; guiding philosophy
Deva: “God”, divine
Dharma: innate characteristic, nature of a thing. The Dharma of fire is to burn, the spiritual Dharma of human beings is to realize the Supreme Consciousness
Dharmakśetra: “field of spiritual pursuits”, the human body is called Dharmakśetra because it is with the help of our body that we are able to perform spiritual practices, also Dharmakśetra is the name of the battlefield where the great Mahábhárata war took place in ancient India
Dharmapada: collection of the philosophical works of Lord Buddha
Dhin, Dhe, Ta: names of different Indian dance gestures or postures
Dhyána: advanced practice of meditation, contemplation, taught as the 6th lesson of Ananda Marga meditation
Diipanii: “torch”, guiding power in the meditation
Divyácára. “Divine Way”, an advanced form of spiritual practice
DMC: Dharma Maha Cakra. The special discourse and blessing of
Baba. The DMC discourse in this book is “Man and his Ideological Desideratum”

Grhii: householder; family person
Guru: “dispeller of darkness”, spiritual master

Iishvara: “Controller of the Universe”, God
Iishvara Prańidhána: meditation. 1st lesson of Ananda Marga system
Iśt́a: the goal, one’s chosen Ideal
Iśt́a Mantra: One’s chosen Ideal as embodied in the spiritual incantation. The mantra of the 1st lesson of Ananda Márga is
Iśt́a Mantra.

Jaeva Dharma: “Dharma of living things”, the course of animal life
Jagat: Universe; from the root word “Gam” which means “moving”
Japa: Mantra repetition
Jiivátman: individual soul

Kama: passion, physical desire
Kárya-Kárańa Tattva: Cause and Effect Theory
Kiirtan – chanting the name of the Lord, a practice very good for controlling the mind and preparing for meditation
Kula: base
Kuńd́alinii: “coiled serpentine”, the dormant spiritual energy at the base of the spine

Lalita Mármika: dance performed while singing kiirtan

Madhyamá: middle, ordinary
Mahádeva: “Great God”, an appellation of Lord Shiva
Mahámuni: “Great Sage”, an appellation of Lord Buddha
Mahámanipadma: The seat of kuńd́alinii at the base of the spine. Also called Mahámunipadmá, Munipadaḿ, and Manipadmá
Maháyána: One of the two major schools of Buddhism; Northern School as opposed to Southern School or Hinayana Buddhism
Mantra: “that which liberates the mind” incantation taught by the spiritual preceptor used during meditation
Máyá: expression of the Cosmic Operative Principle
Mokśa: Salvation, spiritual liberation of a permanent nature

Nigama: In Tantric scripture, the questions posed by Parvati to Lord Shiva

PC: Personal Contact, Personal meeting between Guru and disciple
Pápa: vice, sin, not to do the dos of life, those actions which lead to degradation
Paraḿátman: “Universal Soul”, the collectivity of individual souls (Jiivátman)
Parama Puruśa: Supreme Consciousness
Parinirvána: Salvation, same as Mokśa
Párvatii: the name of the wife of Lord Shiva, questioner of Shiva
Pashvácára: “Animal Way”, the first level of Tantra practice in which the aspirant struggles against animal instincts
Pátáka: combination of Pápa and Pratyaváya
Pátakii: sinner, one who commits Pátaka
Patanjali: author of the Yoga Sútra, proponent of Rája Yoga
Pratiśt́ha: success in the physical sphere
Pratyaváya: sin of ommission, not doing the dos of life
Pújá: spiritual practices
Púnya: virtue, those actions which lead one towards the Cosmic Goal
Púrńimá: full moon
Puruśottama: Supreme Consciousness. Parama Puruśa as the nucleus of the Universe

Rasa: flow

Sádhaná spiritual endeavour, spiritual practices, meditation. From the root word “Sadh” which means “to try”. A Sádhaka is one engaged in Sádhaná
Sádhu: “good man”, a Sadhaka, a man engaged in Sádhaná
Sahasrára: the 7th, highest Cakra (psychic centre) of the body, located at the crown of the head (The other six are located at the base of the spine, at the root of the genital organ, navel point, solar plexus, throat, and the point between the eyebrows).
Saḿgha: community, brotherhood
Sanátana Dharma: “Eternal Dharma”. See Bhágavata Dharma
Sarvajiṋatá: success in the psychic sphere
Sat: absolute reality, truth, Good
Satsauṋga: keeping the association of spiritual aspirants
Sevá: Service
Shiva: Name of the great Guru of Tantra who lived in India 7000 years ago
Shraddhá: Faith in the spiritual Ideology
Siddhi: Success in the spiritual sphere
Sútram: “thread” aphorisms embodying a particular theory or philosophy

Tantra: “that which liberates from crudity”, “that which liberates through expansion”, the cult of spirituality common to every path of spiritual practice
Tadsthiti: “ensconcing oneself in the Supreme Stance”, one of the four limbs of Bhágavata Dharma
Tárá: Old Chinese name of Párvatii
Táttvika: “theoretician”, One who knows the philosophy
Tiirtha: place of pilgrimage
Tridand́a: “three pillars” the three fundamental relative factors (time, space, and person)

Upáḿshu: repetition of mantra in a whisper
Uttama: best, uppermost

Viiracára: “Noble Way” an advanced form of Tantra meditation
Vistára: “Expansion” one of the four limbs of Bhágavata Dharma
Viveka: spiritual discrimination, understanding what is real and what is unreal

Yoga: union of individual consciousness with Cosmic Consciousness

Zen (Japanese): meditation (from the Sanskrit dhyána)