Terms of Hindu origin
Ahimsa
In the ACAV books: a law that "describes respect for all that lives" and whose logic requires vegetarianism — a very ancient law formulated for the well-being of the soul and the presence of the Absolute within us.
In the Hindu tradition: a Sanskrit word (अहिंसा) meaning "non-violence" — a central ethical principle of Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism, grounded in respect for every form of life.
Karma and Dharma
In the ACAV books: karma "results from or runs alongside our thoughts" — human beings must work through it for their personal and social evolution. Bound by time, it accumulates and pairs with dharma, "the response to the accumulation of action."
In the Hindu tradition: karma (कर्म, "action") denotes the law of cause and effect governing rebirths; dharma (धर्म) the cosmic order and moral duty proper to each being — two foundational notions of classical Indian thought.
Mada (divine bliss)
In the ACAV books: "divine intoxication," reached through Shabda and Téjas contemplation — can also be understood as beatitude or ecstasy.
In the Hindu tradition: a Sanskrit word (मद) meaning intoxication, pride, or exaltation. Counted among the six inner enemies (Shad Ripu) when it denotes pride, it is also associated with devotional ecstasy in the bhakti movements.
Samsara
In the ACAV books: "this cycle of rebirth and death" in which human beings must make a choice; the immortality of the soul allows one to escape it.
In the Hindu tradition: a Sanskrit word (संसार) denoting the cycle of death and rebirth, the engine of the doctrine of karma. Freeing oneself from it (moksha) is the ultimate goal of several Hindu schools.
Maya
In the ACAV books: "the universal belt in the form of thought that surrounds the earth," which leads humanity through periods of construction or destruction.
In the Hindu tradition: a Sanskrit word (माया) denoting the cosmic illusion that veils ultimate reality (Brahman) — a central concept of Vedanta, notably in Adi Shankara.
Svastika / Sauvastika
In the ACAV books: "indicates salvation at its base" and divides into four branches (three for the Trinity, one for the sons of Shiva). Its reversed version, "Sauvastika," used by the Third Reich (1931–1945), constitutes its ill omen. See the Svastika page.
In the Hindu tradition: a Sanskrit symbol (स्वस्तिक, from svasti, "good fortune") used since antiquity in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism as a sign of prosperity, long before its appropriation by Nazism in the 20th century.
Kalpa
In the ACAV books: a kalpa equals fourteen lifetimes of Brahma; kalpa theory divides cosmic time into four repeating ages (Yugas), measuring the universe in the millions of years.
In the Hindu tradition: a Sanskrit word (कल्प) denoting a cosmic cycle of creation, traditionally 4.32 billion years (a "day of Brahma"), subdivided into fourteen Manvantaras and four Yugas (Krita/Satya, Treta, Dvapara, Kali).
Ganesha
In the ACAV books: called "the chief of the troops" at the origin of the foundations of the svastika.
In the Hindu tradition: an elephant-headed deity (गणेश), son of Shiva and Parvati, invoked first in rituals as the remover of obstacles (Vighnaharta), patron of the arts and sciences.
Lilas (Lila)
In the ACAV books: the title given to the section of the book "The Laws," evoking "a context of freedom and objectivity" despite the text's apparent rigidity.
In the Hindu tradition: a Sanskrit word (लीला) meaning "play" or "divine play" — creation and divine activity as spontaneous play rather than necessity, a central concept of Vaishnavism and Shaivism.