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Key Terms
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Atman  the Hindu name for the Self; the personal part of Brahman
Brahman  the Hindu name for the Absolute Spirit; an impersonal World Soul that pervades all things
caste system  a rigid social stratification in India based on differences in wealth, rank, or occupation
karma (Sanskrit, "deed")  the law that holds that one's deeds determine one's future life in the Wheel of Rebirth
nirvana (Sanskrit, "liberation" or "extinction")  the blissful reabsorption of the Self into the Absolute Spirit (Brahman): release from the endless cycle of rebirth (see also Buddhism, chapters 8, 9)
pantheism  the belief that a divine spirit pervades all things in the universe
qi (Chinese, "substance" or "breath")  the material substance or vital force of the universe
yoga (Sanskrit, "to yoke or join")  a system of spiritual exercises aimed at joining the Self and the One through control of mind and body





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