World Religions Midterm Review

Insider term that many Hindus use to refer to their religion, also refers to beyond time, order, righteousness

Sole spiritual reality, the monistic essence of the universe

Discussed more in the text book than in the class, refers to the self or the soul, most important is its identity with or equivalence with Brahman, the distinction is we are atman on earth and the Brahman transcends self on earth.

Discussed on page 60 in the text book, refers to one of the three most salient characteristics of Brahman, refers to the act of being

Refers to consciousness or awareness, discussed on page 60 in the text book, one of the three most salient characteristics of Brahman, another way Brahman is experienced

Bliss, the joy that characterizes Brahman, discussed on page 60 in the text book, one of the three most salient characteristics of Brahman, another way Brahman is experienced

One of the two prongs of the Brahman, the word literally means without quality, a conceptualization of god or divinity beyond characterization, without attributes, the non-sculptured side of Mount Rushmore

The ultimate reality with attributes, personalized, the sculptured side of Mount Rushmore

One of the two a prongs coming from saguna, the personalized male divinity, the word basically means lord

One of the three personalized male divinities, the creator

One of the three personalized male divinities, the preserver. Vishnu also reincarnates into the human world via avatar- this term is discussed more in the book than in class but basically means to reincarnate into the human world

One of the two most famous incarnations of Vishnu

One of the two most famous incarnations of Vishnu

One of the three personalized male divinities, the destroyer

One of the two prongs coming from saguna, the personalized female divinity, the goddess, the literal meaning is “the shining one”