Sutton Sutras Flashcards
(104 cards)
Abhyāsa
Regulated practice of a particular discipline.
Adhyatma
In relation to the self; a form of knowledge that reveals the true nature of the self.
Advaita
Non-dualism; an expression of Vedanta philosophy that teaches absolute unity of ātman and Brahman, the individual self and the absolute reality.
Agama
A scripture or teaching that has been handed down; one of the three means of knowing accepted by Patañjali.
Ahaṁkāra
That part of our psychological makeup that gives us a sense of selfhood. Can also mean ‘pride’ and ‘arrogance’.
Ahimsā
Non harming or non-violence.
Ajivikas
Ancient sect that rejected the authority of the Vedas and taught a doctrine based on absolute determinism.
Ānanda
Bliss, joy; often referred to as the experience of spiritual awakening.
Animā
The supernatural power that gives one the ability to make oneself minutely small.
Anjali
Prayer.
Anumāna
Inference; one of the three means of knowing accepted by Patañjali.
Āsana
A sitting posture; especially as an element of Yoga practice.
Ashtanga
Eight-limbed; a name for the Yoga practice taught by Patañjali.
Asmitā
A sense of personal identity that tends towards individualism.
Āstika
Orthodox in the sense of accepting the authority and validity of the Vedic revelation.
Ātman
The self or soul.
Avatāra
A descent of the Supreme Deity to earth, as, for example, Krishna or Rāma.
Avidyā
Ignorance, the absence of true knowledge.
Bhagavad-gītā
A passage from the Mahabharata which contains a range of religious teachings, including those on the practice of meditational Yoga.
Bījā
A seed, or the source of an object.
Brahmacharya
Celibacy, sexual restraint.
Buddhi
The intellect; that part of a person’s psychological makeup that analyzes information and makes decisions based on that information.
Cārvākas
An ancient sect of skeptics who taught that knowledge came only from perception and denied the authority of the Veda.
Citta
The mind or thought processes; perhaps the combination of buddhi, manas, and ahaṁkāra.