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Note: This glossary contains only uncommon words and names which
are not obvious in the context in which they first appear
acharya
spiritual guide or teacher, title affixed to learned men like
Doctor, Ph.D.
Adler, Alfred
(1870-1937) Austrian psychiatrist; pupil of Freud
aes dhammo sanantano
Pali: 'this is the eternal law', often spoken by Gautama the Buddha
Aga Khan, the
(b.1936) head of the Ismaili sect of Mohammedans
Ajanta
Buddhist caves, tourist attraction in Maharashtra
Ambedkar, Dr. Babasaheb
(1893-1956) untouchable (sudra) educated in England, became a
lawyer, wrote Indian Constitution
Amritsar
city in Punjab, site of the Golden Temple, holy place of the Sikhs
asana
yoga posture
Assagioli
Italian psychologist
ayurveda
Indian science of medicine; adj. ayurvedic
Bahauddin
Sufi mystic, a.k.a. Bahauddin Shah, Bahauddin Naqshband
Basho
(1644-1694) Matsuo Basho, pseudonym of Zen master and famed haiku
poet, originally called Matsuo Munefusa
Baul
independent ecstatic religion, generally known as wandering minstrels
Beelzebub
devil, of the Christian religion
Benares
see Varanasi
Berkeley, George
(1689-1753) idealist philosopher, Bishop of Cloyne
Bertrand Russell
(1872-1970) English mathematician and philosopher, author of Principia
Mathematica
Bhagavadgita, Shrimad
Hindu scripture, lit. 'the divine song'
Bhagwan
'blessed one'; Osho was known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh between
1970 and 1988, when he changed his name
bhajan
devotional song
bhikkhu
Pali word for beggar, monk, one who has renounced; common word
for a Buddhist monk
Bodhgaya
place in Bihar where Buddha became enlightened
Bodhidharma
(d.532) Indian master who went to China and became the first patriarch
of Zen
Bodhisattva
enlightened being who helps others towards enlightenment
Boehme, Jakob
1575-1624 German mystic
Bradley F.H.
(1846-1924) English philosopher
brahmin
Hindu priest, member of the highest Hindu caste
buddha
enlightened person
Buddha
founder of Buddhist religion, a.k.a. Gautama the Buddha
Buddha Hall
name given to main meditation hall in Osho's commune
Castaneda, Carlos
anthropologist who wrote about his apprenticeship to a Mexican
sorceror
chakra
energy center in the human body
chapatti
small, flat, unleavened bread, staple of North Indian diet
charansparsh
traditional Hindu practice of bowing and touching the feet of
the master
Charvaka
atheistic sect, before Gautama the Buddha, founded by Brihaspati
Chinmaya, Swami Yoga
Osho's disciple, and former secretary
Chuang Tzu
Taoist master
Confucius
(c. 551-479 BC) Chinese philosopher
crore
Indian term for 10 million
Dadaji
Osho's father, aka Swami Devateerth Bharti
Dadu
Indian enlightened master
darshan
literally 'to see', refers to sitting with a holy person
Desai, Morarji
prime minister of India, 1977-79
dhal
spicy lentil or bean dish, part of staple Indian diet
dhamma
Pali word for Buddha's teaching, translated as 'law, religion';
Sanskrit version is dharma
Dhammapada
a Buddhist scripture
dharma
see dhamma
Diogenes
(412-322 BC) Greek mystic
Dokuon
Zen master
Dwarka
town in Gujarat
Einstein, Albert
(1879-1955) German-Swiss author of The Theory of Relativity
Ellora
Buddhist caves, tourist attraction in Maharashtra
Emerson, Ralph Waldo
American writer
Epicurus
(342-270 BC) Greek mystic
Esalen
pioneer psychotherapy center in California
Farid
enlightened contemporary of Kabir, wrote love songs of the divine
in Punjabi
Francis of Assisi
(1181-1226) founder of Franciscan order of monks, canonized in
1228
Freud, Sigmund
(1856-1939) Austrian neurologist, founder of psychoanalysis
Ganges
the Ganges river, also Mother Ganges, Ganga, thought to be holy
and worshipped by Hindus
Gautama Siddhartha
(c. 563-483 BC) original name of the Buddha, a.k.a. Sakyamuni,
Sakya, Tathagata etc.
Gautama the Buddha
(c. 563-483 BC) name of the Buddha, a.k.a. Sakyamuni, Sakya, Tathagata
etc.
gayatri mantra
famous Hindu mantra addressed to the sun
Gita
'song'; common abbreviation for Shrimad Bhagavadgita
Godot
Waiting for Godot, play by Samuel Beckett
Gurdjieff
enlightened mystic of 20th century
gurudwara
Sikh temple
haiku
small poem in Japanese tradition
hara
lit. abdoment, Osho uses this word for the energy center below
the navel
Harrappur
ancient city in Pakistan
Hassid
member of sect founded in Poland, 1750's, in opposition to rationalism
and ritual laxity
Hillary, Edmund
mountaineer who climbed Everest
Hippocrates
one of the founders of Western medicine
homeopathy
system of medicine, estb. by Hahnneman, C19th
I-Ching
Chinese book of divination
Ikkyu
(1394-1481) Ikkyu Sojun, Japanese Zen master, disciple of Kaso
Sodon
Indira Gandhi
Prime Minister of India, and daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, first
Prime Minister of India
Jabalpur
city in Madhya Pradesh, where Osho lived from 1957 to 1970
Jaina
member of religion founded by Mahavira
Jalaluddin Rumi
great Sufi master
Jamnagar
town in Gujarat
Janov, Arthur
psychotherapist and founder of primal therapy
japa
prayer, mantra, telling of beads
Jawaharlal Nehru
first Prime Minister of India after Independence in 1947
Jayantibhai
Osho's main host in Gujarat, sponsor to all Osho's Mt. Abu Camps
Juhu
suburb and beach in Bombay
Jung, Carl Gustav
(1875-l961) Swiss psychologist, pupil of Freud
Kaaba, the
building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, which houses the sacred stone,
of extraterrestrial origin, towards which Mohammedans turn in
prayer
Kabir
Indian mystic from Kashi (Varanasi), his poems and songs are well-loved
Kashi
sacred city where Kabir lived; now Varanasi
Kazantzakis, Nikos
(1885-1955) author of Zorba the Greek
Khajuraho
place with tantric temple carvings in Madhya Pradesh
khanjhari
tambourine type drum
Kierkegaard, Soren
(1813-1855) Danish philosopher and theologian
kirtan
devotional music, singing, and dance, in the Hindu tradition
kohinoor
famous diamond, now in British crown jewels
Konark
city in Orissa with temples, famous for their erotic carvings
Koregaon Park
exclusive residential suburb of Poona, where Osho lives from 1974-1981,
and 1987-1990
Krishnamurti, Jiddu
(1895-1986) Indian enlightened master
kshatriya
member of the warrior caste, the 2nd highest in the Hindu caste
system
Kulu Manali
town in India, in foothills of Himalayas
kundalini
untranslatable word used in the Yogic tradition, approximately:
the 'vital life force'
Kutch
an area in the extreme West of Gujarat and India
lakh
Indian term for 100,000;100 lakhs are equal to one crore
Lao Tzu
enlightened master of China; Taoist
Laxmi, Ma Yoga
Osho's disciple, and former secretary
Lohia, Ram Manohar, Dr.
Indian politician and journalist
mahaparanirvana
death of an enlightened person
Maharashtra
state in which Poona situated, and of which Bombay is the capital
Maharishi, Shree Ramana
enlightened man, lived in the hills of Arunachal, in S. India;
taught the meditation technique 'Who am I?'
Mahavira
enlightened master of Jainas, last tirthankara
Mahayana
lit. great vessel; a sect of Buddhism, main religion of Tibet
Maidan
public open area in city, used for meetings, parades, recreation,
etc.
mala
rosary, usually with 108 beads
mandir
Hindu temple
Manjushree
enlightened disciple of Buddha
Mataji
Osho's mother
Matheran
hill resort in Maharashtra
matric
Abbr. for matriculation
Maulvi
teacher, Mohammedan priest
Mehta, Ashok
Indian socialist leader
Mevlana
title of love and respect
Mohammed Ali
world-champion boxer
Mohenjo Daro
ancient city in Pakistan, also known as Mohenjo-Daro, Mohenjodro,
Mohenjodaro or Mohanjodaro
moksha
Indian word for the ultimate, 'absolute freedom'
mudra
gesture
muni
final stage of Jaina monkhood
namaste
traditional Hindu greeting with palms together
Nanak
Indian enlightened master, a.k.a. Guru Nanak; his followers are
called Sikhs
Narayan, Jayaprakash
late Indian socialist leader (a.k.a. J.P.)
Narendra
childhood friend, and later disciple of Osho
Nargol
place where Osho held meditation camp, in the state of Gujarat
Nathuram Godse
Mahatma Gandhi's assassin
neem
tree with bitter medicinal leaves, margosa tree
Nerudas, Pablo
Chilean poet C20th
Nestorians
small sect of Christians in Central Asia
Nietzsche, Friedrich
(1844-1900) German philosopher, author of Thus spake Zarathustra
Nijinsky, Vaslav F.
(1890-1950) Russian dancer
Nizam
ruler, e.g. the Nizam of Hyderabad
omkar
divine sound mantra
Ouspensky, P.D.
Russian mathematician, disciple of Gurdjieff
pai, paise
money: 100 paise to one Rupee
pan
mild stimulant, usually containing betel nut, common throughout
India
panwallah
person who prepares and sells pan
Parsi
one of a small community of Persian origin, prominent in Bombay
and Gujarat, adherents of Zoroastrianism, the religion of Zarathustra
Patanjali
creator of the science of Yoga (namely 'Yoga Sutra')
Poona
town in Maharashtra, where Osho's ashram is situated in Koregaon
Park
Prakrit
vernacular language spoken by Mahavira
prasad
blessed food, also a common first name
Puri
city in Orissa, home of the Jagannath temple, seat of the Shankaracharya
of Puri
Raidas
a mystic, a shoemaker, fellow disciple of Kabir, master of Meera
Rajasthan
state in West India
Rajiv Gandhi
Prime Minister of India, and son of Indira Gandhi
Rajkot
town in Gujarat
Rajneesh
name Osho was known by, until he changed it in 1988; first as
Acharya Rajneesh until 1970; then as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh
Rajneeshpuram
city developed in Rancho Rajneesh
Ramakrishna
enlightened mystic of Bengal
Rancho Rajneesh
ranch where a commune was established by Osho's disciples 1981-1985
Rasputin, Grigori Y.
(1871-1916) Russian peasant who was powerful in the court of Tsar
Nicholas II
Reich, Wilhelm
psychotherapist and inventor, founder of 'bio-energetics'
Rishikesh
holy city in Uttar Pradesh, North India
Rolf, Ida
psychotherapist and founder of deep-tissue manipulation technique,
Rolfing
Rotarian
member of Rotary Club, originally a group of businessmen dedicated
to helping their community
rup, rupa
form
sadhana
spiritual discipline, spiritual endeavor, spiritual practices
Sai Baba
term of respect for a holy man, eg. Sai Baba of Bangalore famous
for his 'miracles', manifesting holy ash, Swiss watches, etc
samadhi
lit. 'going beyond all sickness'; Patanjali's word for enlightenment
sammasati
'right remembrance'; Buddha's word for witnessing
samsara
see sansara
Sanatan dharma
'eternal religion', another name for Hinduism
sannyasin
renunciant, ascetic of the Hindu religion; in 1970 Osho created
his own neo-sannyasin movement which combines celebration with
meditation, not renunciation
sansara
Hindi for 'the world', also samsara
Sanskrit
ancient language of India, ancestor of European languages
satori
glimpse of enlightenment
satsang
sitting in the presence of an enlightened person
Satyuga
age of truth, first of the four aeons, the 'four-legged' age
shakti
energy
Shankaracharya
(b. 788) brahmin philosopher, mystic, Hindu reformer, a.k.a. Shankara,
Adi Shankara; also title for leader in Hindu religion
Shiva
a God in the Hindu religion
shivalinga
representation of the phallus of Lord Shiva
Shivir
Meditation Camp
Sikh
member of Sikh religion, mainly found in the Punjab
sirod
Indian musical stringed instrument
sitar
Indian musical stringed instrument (also: bina)
Socrates
(470-399) Greek philosopher
sudra
untouchable; means 'impure by birth';
Sufi
member of esoteric sect of Mohammedanism, many of whom use music,
dance, and poetry as a way to commune with God
Surat
city in Gujarat
sutra
religious scripture, originally transmitted orally
Sw Krishna Mohammed
Osho's disciple
Swedenborg, Emanuel
Swedish visionary, 19th Century
T'ai Chi
system of exercises, once connected with martial arts in China;
now used for health
tabla
pair of small drums used in North Indian classical music
Tagore, Rabindranath
(1861-1941) Bengali poet, novelist, dramatist, composer, painter,
winner of 1913 Nobel prize for literature on his book of poems
Gitanjali
tambura
Indian musical stringed instrument
tantra
non-duality; no division between material and spiritual
tantrika
adherent of tantric way
Tao Te Ching
small book attributed to Lao Tzu, containing the essence of Taoism
Tao, Taoism
religion, originally in China; 'Tao' can also refer to the state
of enlightenment
Tathagata
another name of Buddha
The Dalles
main town of Wasco County
Tirthankara
one of the 24 enlightened masters of the Jainas, (not 'teerthankara')
Vaishya
businessman caste (third in Hindu caste system)
Varanasi
city in Uttar Pradesh on the Ganges; ancient Hindu holy place.
Formerly spelt Benares by the British, now sometimes called Banaras
veena
Indian musical stringed instrument (also: bina)
Vimalkirti
enlightened disciple of Gautama the Buddha; also disciple of Osho
who became enlightened at the time of his death, formerly Prince
Welf of Hanover
Vipassana
Buddha's meditation of insight, and watching the breath
Vivekananda
Ramakrishna's chief disciple
Yehudi Menuhin
violinist in the Western classical tradition
Zarathustra
founder of the Zoroastrian religion, known as Parsi religion in
India
zazen
Zen/TR>
Surat
city in Gujarat
sutra
religious scripture, originally transmitted orally
Sw Krishna Mohammed
Osho's disciple
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