| A | B |
|---|
| Ahimsa | Sanskrit: "nonviolence, not desiring to harm." Both the avoidance of violence toward other life forms and an active sense of compassion toward them; a basic principle of Jainism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. |
| Ajiva | The non-living elements of the Jain universe: space, time, notion, rest, and all other forms of matter. |
| Asceticism | The renunciation of physical pleasure and worldly attachments for the sake of spiritual advancement; common in many religious traditions. |
| Digambaras | Sanskrit: "those whose garment is the sky." The second largest Jain sect, whose monks go about naked so as to help abolish any ties to society; generally more conservative than the Shvetambaras. |
| Five Great Vows | The vows that are binding for Jain ascetics: do not injure other life-forms; avoid lying; do not take what has not been given; renounce sexual activity; and renounce possession. |
| Jina | Sanskrit: "conqueror." The one who has "conquered" samsara; synonymous with tirthankara. |
| Jivas | Sanskrit: "souls." The finite and eternal units of Life, or souls. |
| Karma | Sanskrit: "action." The moral law of cause and effect of actions; determines the nature of one's reincarnation; for Jainism, purely materialistic, such that all actions involve various forms of matter. |
| Kevala | The perfect and complete knowledge that is Jain enlightenment; marks the point at which one is free from the damaging effects of karma and is liberated from samsara. |
| Loka | The Jain universe, often depicted as having the shape of a giant man. |
| Shvetambaras | Sanskrit: "those whose garment is white." The largest Jain sect, whose monks and nuns wear white robes; generally more liberal than the Digambaras. |
| Tirthankaras | Sanskrit: "makers of the river crossing." The Jain spiritual heroes, such as Parshva and Mahavira, who have shown the way to salvation; synonymous with jivas. |
| Adi Granth | Punjabi: "first book." Sikhism's most important sacred text and, since it was installed as Guru in 1708, Sikhism's earthly authority; also called the Guru Granth Sahib. |
| Gurdwara | Punjabi: "doorway of the Guru." A special building that is reserved for Sikh worship and houses a copy of the Adi Granth; the central structure of any Sikh community. |
| Guru | A spiritual teacher and revealer of truth, common to Hinduism, Sikhism, and some forms of Buddhism. When the word is capitalized, it refers to the ten historical leaders of Sikhism, to the sacred text, and to God. |
| Haumai | Punjabi: "self-reliance, pride, egoism." The human inclination toward being self-centered rather than God-centered, an inclination that increases the distance between the individual and God. |
| Hukam | The divine order of the universe. |
| Immanent | Indwelling; Sikh theology maintains that God dwells within nature and within human beings in such a way that God is personal and can be approached through worship. |
| Khalsa | Punjabi: "pure ones." An order within Sikhism to which most Sikhs belong, founded by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699. |
| Panth | The Sikh community. |
