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…
Achourya (अचौर्य) or Asteya (अस्तेय) is the Sanskrit term for “non-stealing”. It is a virtue in Jainism. The practice of asteya demands that one must not steal, nor have…
Satya (सत्य) is a Sanskrit word loosely translated as truth or essence. It also refers to a virtue in Indian religions, referring to being…
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,…
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…
Prayaschitta (प्रायश्चित्त) is the Sanskrit word that means “atonement, penance, expiation”. In Hinduism, it is a dharma-related term. It refers to voluntarily accepting…
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,…
Dharma (धर्म) is a key concept with multiple meanings in the Indian religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, among others. Although no single-word translation exists for dharma in English (or…
Vairagya (वैराग्य) is a Sanskrit term used in Hinduism as well as Eastern philosophy that roughly translates as dispassion, detachment, or renunciation.…