unitarian Church the church noted for its philosophy that all faiths lead to the same truth and for its readings from the sacred texts of various religions, including Christianity, at services.
vatican the palace home of the pope in Vatican City.
vestments ecclesiastical garments.
vicar in England, a priest who oversees a parish.
vicar of Christ the pope, as representative of Christ on earth.
Hinduism
Agni the god of fire.
ahimsa the doctrine of nonviolence held by many Hindu sects, epitomized by the Hindu leader Mahatma Gandhi.
arti the sacred flame, offered in a lamp to the gods during services.
ashram a communal house where followers or students of a guru live.
avatar the incarnation of a god. Nine avatars are believed to have descended from heaven, including Rama and Krishna, to reestablish law and worship. One remains to come (Kalki), who will destroy the world.
avidya spiritual ignorance, a cause of much suffering.
Bhagavad Gita "the Song of the Lord," a highly influential book of 700 verses featuring the spiritual guidance given Prince Arjuna by his charioteer, Krishna (an incarnation of God), on the battlefield.
Bhagavan "Blessed One" or "Lord," referring to holy men or the god Vishnu.
bhakti knowing God through love and devotion.
Brahma the god of creation and the source of wisdom. Brahma is usually portrayed as having four heads and often seated on a lotus or flying on a swan. He is not widely worshipped by Hindus.
Brahman the Universal Spirit in everyone and everything.
Brahmin the highly revered priestly caste of Hinduism. Brahmins carry out sacrifices and other ceremonies.
chakras places in the body other than the brain where consciousness resides, according to Hindu yoga; the genitals, the navel, behind the lower breastbone, the throat, and between the eyebrows.
chela the student of a guru.
chit Hindu word for consciousness.
Deva "shining being," a god.
dharma caste duties and obligations.
Durga the greatly venerated wife of the god Shiva.
Durga Puja a main festival honoring the goddess Durga.
Ganesha the four-armed, elephant-headed god and son of Shiva, widely worshiped as a "remover of obstacles"; a symbol of luck and prosperity, especially in western India.
guru a spiritual teacher.
Hanuman the Hindu monkey god.
Indra god of rain, thunder, and war.
Janmashtami a festival celebrating the birth of Krishna.
Kalki the last avatar or incarnation of Vishnu; he is due to come in the future and destroy the world to make way for the creation of a new world.
Kamadeva god of love and desire.
karma the central Hindu belief that what goes around comes around; that is, one's fate in life is determined largely by one's behavior earlier in life or in a previous life and that bad karma can be reduced or eliminated by performing good works and living a moral life.
Krishna the widely popular black god and avatar of Vishnu. Many Hindus use Krishna as the name of God.
Kshatriya the warrior caste; the caste second only to the Brahmins.
lingam an erect phallus, the symbol of the god Shiva.
lotus position the yoga position in which the legs are folded tightly together, used in meditation.
mantra a word or phrase repeated continuously in meditation to clear the mind of all intrusive thoughts.
moksha "liberation"; the release from the bondage of endless reincarnation and karma, the highest goal of Hindus; it is achieved by living a good life and creating good karma.
naman three vertical lines worn on the forehead of Vaishnavia, in Vaishnavism.
niyama purifying oneself through discipline, according to Hindu yoga.
om Sanskrit for "yes" or "so be it," a sacred word uttered before prayers.
puja worship; it is performed three times per day by Orthodox Hindus.
Rama the seventh avatar; an incarnation of Vishnu.
Sacred Thread Ceremony Hindu boy's initiation rite of second birth and passage to maturity.
sadhu an ascetic holy man.
sannyasin one who abandons all material things except for a pot, a loincloth (dhoti), and alms in an attempt, along with meditation, to achieve moksha; an ascetic.
Shaivism worship of the God Shiva.
Shiva the god of life, death, and rebirth, symbolized by an erect phallus.
Sudra the lowest caste of the Hindu caste system, specifically servants and peasants.
Sikhism largely Indian religion, originally guided by gurus, but now authorized by the Sikh scriptures known as the Adi Granth. Sikhs believe in a formless God who is beyond human comprehension. Karma and reincarnation are accepted beliefs.
Trimurti the three forces of God; Brahma, the creative force; Vishnu, the preserving force; and Shiva, the destructive force.
untouchables formerly, those peasants outside the caste system; physical contact with them would "pollute" a caste member and so they were avoided. Such discrimination still exists in rural areas. Also known as the Scheduled Caste or panchamas.
Vaishnavism worship of the god Vishnu, thought by some to be the Supreme Being.
Vaisya the third Hindu caste, ranking below Brahmins and Kshatriyas. Specifically, merchants and businessmen.
vedas Hindu scriptures.
Vishnu the god who preserves life, thought to be the Supreme Being by some followers.
Yama god of the underworld.
yoga a school of Hindu philosophy that combines mental and physical disciplines, noted for its meditation and system of exercises used to achieve spiritual well-being.
yogi one who practices yoga. ISLAM
adhan the call to prayers at dawn, midday, midaft- ernoon, sunset, and after dark.
Allah Supreme God; the same God as that pronounced by Moses and Jesus.
al-Rahim one of Islam's 99 Beautiful Names of God, meaning "the compassionate."
al-Rahman one of Islam's 99 Beautiful Names of God, meaning "the merciful."
ayatollah an authority and interpreter of Muslim law.
azan the call to prayer from the minaret of a mosque.
Bismalah a call for Allah's blessing.
Black Stone in the courtyard of the great mosque at Mecca, a sacred stone kissed and touched by pilgrims.
Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, a domed shrine over the rock from which Muhammad is said to have ascended to heaven.
Fatiha the first chapter of the Koran, used as a prayer on many occasions.
five pillars of Islam the five requirements of the Islamic religion: repeating the creed, praying five times per day, giving alms, fasting, and making at least one pilgrimage to Mecca in one's lifetime.
hajj the pilgrimage to Mecca to visit several sacred sites, including the Black Stone.