CAI Glossary of Terms

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Darshan
From the Sanskrit meaning "sight" and most commonly used for "visions of the divine" as in a god, a very holy person or an artifact. Most often, the term refers to a heightened consciousness or spiritual interaction between a devotee and a saintly person such as a guru.
Death
As far as humans are concerned, it is the time when a person's physical body ceases to function. The sand in the pineal gland stops vibrating, the silver cord detaches from the coccyx and the Spirit moves on to exist in other planes / dimensions / worlds.
Delta State
This is the state of brain activity characterized by waves ranging from zero to 4 cycles per second. In this state, one is in a light trance, light meditation, daydreaming, just prior to sleeping or just waking from sleep.
Dhyana
True meditation where one's consciousness realizes the Divine through intuitive perception.
Disciple
A spiritual aspirant who comes to a guru seeking introduction to higher levels of awareness and consciousness. Mutual acceptance of each other ends up constituting a guru-disciple relationship.