An open library in progress. Explanations are editorial drafts, with sources for further study. Translations await specialist review. How to read our labels.
Classical Yoga
Abhyāsa
Sustained practice.
Reading source & context ↗Vedānta
Advaita
Nonduality; a particular school of Vedānta.
Reading source & context ↗Classical Yoga
Ahiṃsā
Non-harming; an ethical restraint.
Reading source & context ↗Indian traditions
Ānanda
Bliss; its philosophical significance depends on context.
Reading source & context ↗Vallalar
Arutperum Jyothi
The great light of grace in Vallalar’s vocabulary.
Reading source & context ↗Classical Yoga
Āsana
Posture; one of the eight limbs in Classical Yoga.
Reading source & context ↗Classical Yoga
Asmitā
I-am-ness; a term in the account of affliction.
Reading source & context ↗Vedānta
Ātman
Self; interpreted differently among philosophical schools.
Reading source & context ↗Classical Yoga
Avidyā
Ignorance or misapprehension, with school-specific meanings.
Reading source & context ↗Tantric yoga
Bandha
A binding or lock; technical bodily practices need a qualified teacher.
Reading source & context ↗Indian traditions
Bhakti
Devotion; its object and role depend on the tradition.
Reading source & context ↗Tantric yoga
Bindu
Point or drop; a symbol with several tantric meanings.
Reading source & context ↗Ananda Marga
Brahmacakra
The cosmic cycle in Ananda Marga philosophy.
Reading source & context ↗Vedānta
Brahman
Ultimate reality in Vedānta; schools differ in their accounts.
Reading source & context ↗Tantric yoga
Cakra
Wheel or centre in specific subtle-body maps.
Reading source & context ↗Classical Yoga
Citta
The mental field or mind in Classical Yoga.
Reading source & context ↗Daoist traditions
Dantian
Cinnabar field; a term in Daoist cultivation.
Reading source & context ↗Daoist traditions
Dao
Way; a central term whose meaning depends on the text.
Reading source & context ↗Classical Yoga
Dhāraṇā
The binding of attention to a place or object.
Reading source & context ↗Classical Yoga
Dhyāna
Meditative continuity in Classical Yoga’s account.
Reading source & context ↗Tantric traditions
Dīkṣā
Initiation within a particular lineage.
Reading source & context ↗Daoist traditions
Du mai
Governing vessel in Chinese bodily maps.
Reading source & context ↗Vedānta
Dvaita
A dualist Vedānta school; not a synonym for all Vedānta.
Reading source & context ↗Classical Yoga
Guṇa
A constituent quality of prakṛti in Sāṃkhya–Yoga.
Reading source & context ↗Indian traditions
Guru
Teacher; authority and responsibilities vary by lineage.
Reading source & context ↗Classical Yoga
Īśvara
Lord; a special puruṣa in Classical Yoga.
Reading source & context ↗Classical Yoga
Īśvara praṇidhāna
Devotion or dedication to Īśvara.
Reading source & context ↗Daoist traditions
Jing
Essence; not interchangeable with qi or shén.
Reading source & context ↗Indian traditions
Jīva
Living or individual being; meanings vary considerably.
Reading source & context ↗Vallalar
Jīva kāruṇya
Compassion toward living beings.
Reading source & context ↗Indian traditions
Jñāna
Knowledge; its liberating role is school-specific.
Reading source & context ↗Classical Yoga
Kaivalya
Independence or aloneness of the seer in Classical Yoga.
Reading source & context ↗Indian traditions
Karma
Action and its consequences in a tradition’s own account.
Reading source & context ↗Classical Yoga
Kleśa
An affliction described in the Yoga Sūtras.
Reading source & context ↗Indian traditions
Kośa
Sheath or layer; models differ across traditions.
Reading source & context ↗Tantric yoga
Kuṇḍalinī
A form of Śakti described in particular tantric systems.
Reading source & context ↗Indian traditions
Manas
Mind as a faculty; not always equivalent to citta.
Reading source & context ↗Tantric traditions
Mantra
A sacred utterance used within a tradition.
Reading source & context ↗Vedānta
Māyā
A term for appearance or creative power, interpreted by school.
Reading source & context ↗Indian traditions
Mokṣa
Liberation; traditions disagree about what freedom entails.
Reading source & context ↗Tantric yoga
Nāḍi
Channel in a traditional subtle-body account.
Reading source & context ↗Daoist traditions
Neidan
Internal alchemy; a family of Daoist teachings.
Reading source & context ↗Classical Yoga
Nirodha
Cessation, restraint or stilling; translation needs context.
Reading source & context ↗Classical Yoga
Niyama
Observance; the second limb of Classical Yoga.
Reading source & context ↗Classical Yoga
Prakṛti
Nature in Sāṃkhya–Yoga; distinct from puruṣa.
Reading source & context ↗Indian traditions
Prāṇa
Breath or vital principle, depending on textual context.
Reading source & context ↗Classical Yoga
Prāṇāyāma
Breath-related discipline; forms and aims vary.
Reading source & context ↗Classical Yoga
Pratyāhāra
Withdrawal of the senses in the eight-limb account.
Reading source & context ↗Classical Yoga
Puruṣa
The seer in Classical Yoga, distinct from prakṛti.
Reading source & context ↗Daoist traditions
Qi
Breath or vital configuration; a Chinese term with broad meanings.
Reading source & context ↗Chinese traditions
Qigong
A broad category of cultivation practices, distinct from Neidan.
Reading source & context ↗Daoist traditions
Ren mai
Conception vessel in Chinese bodily maps.
Reading source & context ↗Tantric traditions
Śakti
Power; the divine feminine in particular tantric accounts.
Reading source & context ↗Classical Yoga
Samādhi
Absorption; its meaning and forms depend on the school.
Reading source & context ↗Classical Yoga
Saṃskāra
A latent impression or disposition.
Reading source & context ↗Vallalar
Sanmarga
The path articulated in Vallalar’s teaching.
Reading source & context ↗Indian traditions
Śarīra
Body; qualified differently in different models.
Reading source & context ↗Daoist traditions
Shén
Spirit; a distinct term in Daoist cultivation.
Reading source & context ↗Tamil Siddha
Siddha
An accomplished one; also a name associated with Tamil traditions.
Reading source & context ↗Śaiva traditions
Śiva
A divine name, with different theological interpretations.
Reading source & context ↗Tantric yoga
Suṣumṇā
A central channel in particular yogic maps.
Reading source & context ↗Tamil Siddha
Suzhi munai
A central-channel term in Tamil yogic vocabulary.
Reading source & context ↗Classical Yoga
Svādhyāya
Study or recitation; an observance in Classical Yoga.
Reading source & context ↗Classical Yoga
Tapas
Discipline or austerity; not a universal prescribed technique.
Reading source & context ↗Classical Yoga
Vairāgya
Dispassion, paired with practice in the Yoga Sūtras.
Reading source & context ↗Tamil Siddha
Vāsi
A Tamil yogic term associated with breath; text-specific interpretation is essential.
Reading source & context ↗Vedānta
Viśiṣṭādvaita
A distinct Vedānta school often called qualified nonduality.
Reading source & context ↗Classical Yoga
Vṛtti
An activity or modification of citta.
Reading source & context ↗Classical Yoga
Yama
Ethical restraint; the first limb of Classical Yoga.
Reading source & context ↗Indian traditions
Yoga
A word with many historical meanings; read within a specific source.
Reading source & context ↗No matches found.
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