Samsara (संसार) is a Pali and Sanskrit word that means “wandering” as well as “world,” wherein the term connotes “cyclic change” or, less formally, “running around…
Honesty (ईमानदारी) or truthfulness is a facet of moral character that connotes positive and virtuous attributes such as integrity, truthfulness, straightforwardness (including straightforwardness of conduct: earnestness), and the…
Ahimsa (अहिंसा) is the ancient Indian principle of nonviolence which applies to actions towards all living beings. It is a key virtue in Indian religions like Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism,…
Samskara or Sanskaras (संस्कार) in Indian philosophy and some Indian religions are mental impressions, recollections, or psychological imprints. In Hindu philosophies, Samskaras are a basis for…
Brahmacharya (ब्रह्मचर्य) is a concept within Indian religions that means “conduct consistent with Brahma” or “on the path of Brahma”. In Yoga, Hinduism generally refers to…
Kaivalya (कैवल्य) is the ultimate goal of Aṣṭanga yoga and means “solitude”, “detachment” or “isolation”, a vrddhi-derivation from kevala “alone, isolated”. It…
Non-possession (अपरिग्रह) is a religious tenet followed in Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain traditions in South Asia. In Jainism, aparigraha is the virtue of non-possessiveness,…
The Agni Purana, (अग्नि पुराण) is one of the eighteen major Puranas of Hinduism. The text is variously classified as a Purana…
Sannyasa (संन्यास), sometimes spelled Sanyasa or Sanyasi (for the person), is the life of renunciation and the fourth stage within the Hindu system of four…
Vairagya (वैराग्य) is a Sanskrit term used in Hinduism as well as Eastern philosophy that roughly translates as dispassion, detachment, or renunciation.…