What is a sankalpa?
A saṅkalpa is often defined as simply “a desire.” In Yoga circles it takes on a more affirmative meaning as “intention” or “resolution.”...
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Traditional Vedanta in a Non-Traditional Format
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What are the Vedantic 'prakriyas' (methodologies)?
Vedanta uses several prakriyās or methods to teach Self-knowledge and help the seeker discriminate (viveka) between the Self and...
What is om?
Om, like many Sanskrit words, has been made confusing by the sheer number of interpretations. It has been described as the primeval...
What is bhakti yoga?
In Vedanta, bhakti yoga is defined as a means of devotion leading to union with God. Traditional Vedanta, generally, recommends three...
What is jnana yoga?
Jnana yoga is the last phase of the process toward Self-realization, and the only one to focus on Vedanta (“the knowledge that ends the...
What is upasana yoga?
Upasana yoga is the second phase in the process toward Self-inquiry. Similar to karma yoga, it is considered a preparation for...
What is karma yoga?
Karma yoga is the first yoga or spiritual practice in the process of Self-inquiry.
What is ananda?
Because it can be interpreted in two ways, the term ananda (ānanda) can be confusing. Ananda is most commonly translated as “bliss,”...
What is moksha?
Moksha (mokṣa) equates to freedom, but freedom from what, exactly? In mythology and popular culture, moksha is synonymous with...
What is maya?
Maya is one of the more confusing Sanskrit terms due to its diverse array of meanings and how its definition can change depending on the...
What is Ishvara?
Brahman and Ishvara are sometimes referred to as "God 1 and "God 2" or nirguna Brahman (God without attributes) and saguna Brahman (God...
What is jiva?
Two birds, bound together in a close friendship, perch on the same tree. One of them eats the sweet fruit with great pleasure, while the...
What is atma?
The word "atma" means the same as Brahman but is used in a different context. If atma is the space in a pot, then Brahman is the space...
What is Brahman?
Not to be confused with Brahma, the Hindu god of creation/manifestation, Brahman literally means "great" or "the Big." The implication is...
What is avidya?
The 8th century teacher of Advaita Vedanta, Shankaracharya, noted at the beginning of his commentary on the Brahma Sutras that avidya is...
What is karma?
Many people know 'karma' to be short-hand for "cause and effect", "the accumulation of past actions" or its biblical equivalence,...
What is sadhana?
In general, a sadhana can be any spiritual practice that helps one arrive at a goal. A sadhana can be a yoga, like raja yoga or karma...
What is samsara?
The word samsara comes from Sanskrit, meaning to “flow together” which alludes to the flux and flow of the universe and in general,...
What is dharma?
In Vedic culture, the word dharma carries many meanings. At the subjective level, it is mostly about how one conducts oneself. For the...
What is yoga?
In the West, yoga is typically associated with hatha yoga which is practiced in studios and gyms around the world using a technique that...
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