Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Religious Studies > Key terms > Flashcards

Key terms Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
GCSE Religious Studies - Edexcel Route B flashcards GCSE Religious Studies - Eduqas Route A flashcards GCSE Religious Studies - Edexcel Route A flashcards GCSE Religious Studies - Eduqas Route B flashcards
1
Q

acharya

A

teaching monk, honorific title

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

adhyasa

A

superimposition-the false identification of that which is with that which is not

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Advaita Vedanta

A

non-dual Vedenta, which teaches that atman and brahman are identical

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Agni

A

sacrificial fire, deified as the god of fire in later Vedic religion

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

ahimsa

A

non-violence to any living thing-a key part of Gandhi’s thought, originating in Jainism

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Aksharbrahma

A

abode of God in Swaminarayan theology, either personal as the prime devotee or impersonal as a heavenly abode

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

amrit

A

divine nectar, source of immortality

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

anirvacaniya

A

Advaitin term to describe the nature of avidya:’incomprehensible’

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

apophatic

A

Western philosophical term meaning to describe through negatives-usually applied to God. The idea is that any positive terms applied will, by the transcendent nature of God, be inherently wrong, thus God can only be described in negatives.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

apotropaic

A

Western term meaning ‘averting evil’. An apotropaic action is one undertaken to ward off evil influences.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

arta

A

first aim in life: the acquisition of wealth

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Aryans

A

invaders or migrants who entered northern India in about 1500BC, establishing or developing Vedic religious ideas

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

ashram

A

religious community

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

ashramas

A

stages in life

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

asteya

A

not stealing

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

atman

A

individual, microcosmic spirit within every living being

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

avatar

A

‘descent’-the belief that individual gods may come down to Earth for the benefit of mankind

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

avidya

A

ignorance

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Bhagvad Gita

A

‘the song of the blessed Lord’-part of the key texts for Vaishnavites, and the most popular scripture of Hinduism

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

bhakti magra

A

way of loving devotion, lifestyle of those who dedicate themselves to knowing the divine through one particular god

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Bharat Ma

A

‘Mother India’-the deified nation of India, worshipped as a goddess

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Braham

A

creator God

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

brahmacharya

A

the student ashrama-marked by devotion to one’s guru and celibacy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

brahman

A

universal,macrocosmic, impersonal spirit

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

brahmana

A

priest, the topmost varna

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Buddha

A

ninth avatar of vishnu

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Dalits

A

the oppressed, those outside the varna system

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

darshan

A

to look into the eyes of a murti and make contact with the divine

29
Q

devas

A

the gods

30
Q

dev rin

A

one of the three obligations of the brahmacharya stage-to look after one’s society

31
Q

dharma

A

understood as either cosmic-‘the way things should be’, or personal-an individual’s duty. Also, the third of the three aims of life

32
Q

Divali

A

festival of light, celebrating new year and the return of Rama to Ayodhya

33
Q

Dvaita Vedenta

A

dual Vedanta, which teaches that atman and brahman, while of the same nature, are distinct and seperate

34
Q

enstasy

A

the loss of conscious awareness of the self, caused by going within rather than by external, divine influence

35
Q

gopis

A

milkmaids who play/dance with krishna

36
Q

guru

A

literally ‘teacher’-one who teaches religious knowledge, but also used to denote a person recognised as having attained great spirituality

37
Q

ishvara

A

personal god/supreme soul, is synonymous with Shiva in Shaivism ect

38
Q

janeu

A

sacred thread ceremony-initiation into the brahmacharya stage

39
Q

jatakarma

A

samskara celebrating birth

40
Q

jati

A

social hierarchy based upon am

41
Q

jiva

A

individual personal spirit

42
Q

jhana

A

experiential knowledge of brahman

43
Q

jnana magra

A

way of knowledge, the lifestyle of renouncers who live outside society and seek jhana

44
Q

kama

A

second aim in life, the enjoyment of sensual pleasures

45
Q

karma

A

‘action and the fruits of action’; the idea that every action is repaid by the universe

46
Q

karma marga

A

way of action; lifestyle of those who live within society and obey the rules

47
Q

Kirtana

A

congregational singing of mantra

48
Q

kshatriya

A

warrior/ruler varna

49
Q

lingam

A

Shiva’s most common, aniconic, representation the phallic symbol

50
Q

mansa puja

A

mental puja; visualisation of worship in the devotee’s mind

51
Q

mantra

A

‘powerful utterance’; a short phrase, usually in Sanskrit, which the worshipper can chant in order to attain spiritual benefit

52
Q

maya

A

illusion; the physical world and anything that makes you think you are not

53
Q

medha

A

‘sacrificial substance’; the spiritual component which offered in a yajna

54
Q

moksha

A

liberation from the cycle of samsara: fourth aim in life

55
Q

munis

A

naked, matted-haired ascetics mentioned in the Vedas

56
Q

murti

A

image (of a divine being) used for worship

57
Q

nirguna

A

without qualities

58
Q

Om

A

primary divine syllable; literally god as a sound

59
Q

panchayatana-puja

A

worship of five deities

60
Q

pandit

A

temple preist

61
Q

pitri rin

A

one of the three obligations of the brahmacharya: to look after one’s parents and ancestors

62
Q

prana

A

breath or spiritual energy

63
Q

prana pratishta

A

ceremony to infuse the breath of the divine into the murti

64
Q

prashad

A

consuming food offered to God, as a means of receiving blessing

65
Q

puja

A

act of worship

66
Q

purushamedha

A

human sacrifice

67
Q

rajas

A

passion

68
Q

reality, mundane/empirical

A

reality that can be appreciated through the senses, that is subject to measurement, and is described by science

Religious Studies (9 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions