bodhisattva:
	1) A being committed to the path of awakening
	2) A Buddha-to-be
	3) an enlightened Buddha-figure who serves all beings.

Buddha nature:
	The luminous pure buddha-like quality inherent in all beings;
	 our true nature.

chakras:
	The psycho-spiritual energy centers found in the human body.

deva:
	An angel or heavenly being.

dharma:
	1) Ultimate truth, reality, and universal law
	2) Buddha's teachings revealing these truths
	3) all physical and mental elements
	4) our destiny or spiritual path.

jhana:
	States of meditative absorbtion;  refined states of consciousness
	 produced by meditative concentration.

karma:
	The universal law of cause and effect;  the volition behind each
	 action, which produced favorable or unfavorable effects in the
	 future.

kensho:
	Satori.  A powerful moment of awakening or enlightenment.

koan:
	In Zen, a contemplative question or puzzle that cannot be solved
	 with the rational mind.

kriyas:
	Spontaneous movements and sounds that can arise when meditative
	 energy is released in the body.

lama:
	A Tibetan spiritual teacher, master, or sage.

maha mudra:
	1) Universal awakened consciousness
	2) practices that lead to awakening in this universal
	    consciousness.

makyo:
	Illusion, the unreal visions and images that arise during
	 meditation.

nirvana:
	The cessation of suffering, the highest peace, the unconditioned.

nondual:
	The teaching and perception of the fundamental unity or oneness of
	 all things.

pseudo-nirvana:
	An initial rapturous stage of meditation that can be mistaken for
	 nirvana.

Rinzai school:
	A school of Zen, founded by Lin Chi, which uses koans and strong
	 determination to attain deep realization of enlightenment.

samadhi:
	1) Concentration
	2) states of high concentration
	3) (Hindu) enlightenment

samsara:  
	The beginningless cycles of birth and death;  the cycling of all 
	 things in the universe.

sangha:
	1) Spiritual community
	2) the ordained community of monks and nuns
	3) a community of all those who have attained some degree of
	    awakening.

sankaras:
	1) Conditioned tendencies of mind and body
	2) all created phenomena.

satori:
	Kensho, a powerful moment of awakening or enlightenment.

satsang:
	Spiritual community.

shikan-taza:
	The Zen practice of "just sitting," a meditative presence without
	 any goal.

Soto school:
	Japanese Zen school that emphasizes "just sitting," no goal;
	 awakening to our true nature just now.

Sufi:  
	The Islamic mystical tradition.

tantra:
	Buddhist and Hindu tradition of practice that directly transforms
	 the energy of passion and aggression into spiritual awakening.

Tao:
	The universal law, the force of all life, the way of nature.

Theraveda Buddhism:
	The Buddhist tradition of the "Elders"; the school of Buddhism
	 still practiced in India and Southeast Asia today.

transpersonal:
	The spiritual dimensions of human experience;  beyond the
	 personal.

vipassana:
	The meditative practice of mindful attention.

yoga:
	Hindu system of meditation;  a spiritual practice that can take
	 many forms such as hatha yoga (yoga of the body), raja yoga (yoga
	 of the mind), karma yoga (the yoga of selfless service), etc.

yogi:
	One who undertakes a spiritual discipline or practice.