Vedanta (end of the Vedas) – one of the six classical systems of Hindu philosophy.

Vipassana Meditation – a form of insight meditation in Buddhism, referring to the ability and practice of seeing things as they really are ­– as impermanent and constantly changing.

Visionary – in spiritual traditions it can refer to someone who has prophetic gifts or teaches profound wisdom about the future.

Visualisation – a form of mediation or prayer that uses mental imagery.

Wholism/Holism – including and working on the spiritual whole of our existence; from the body, mind and emotions, and individual, social and global spirituality, to Cosmological spirituality.

Will/Volition – conscious actions.

Wisdom – teachings and insights that see into the Truth of life’s existence and the Ultimate Reality of all things.

Witness Consciousness – can have wide connotations in yogic literature. From one perspective it links with the practice of mindfulness, a state of pure presence or bare awareness. Here it can be seen as a non-attached impersonal observer consciousness that is separate from the thinking mind. From its highest viewpoint, it can refer to an essence of our Divine Nature, which transcends seer and seen reality (witnesser and witnessed). The two perspectives are generally not seen as separate from one another, but as One Reality functioning in different ways.

World-centric – concerned with global issues, as opposed to self-centeredness or ethno-centricness.

Xenophobia – a fear or dislike of people from other cultures and countries. The opposite of an acceptance of difference and learning from other people’s cultures, beliefs and wisdom traditions.

Yahweh – Hebrew word for God.

Yantra (devise) – a geometric design that represent one’s individual self and a particular deity. Used for meditation purposes and realising one’s Ultimate Nature.

Yoga (union/to yoke or to bind) – the unitive discipline of spiritual awakening, of which the most popular forms are bhakti, karma and jnana in the Hindu tradition. Yoga is also practiced in Buddhism (particularly Tantra yoga in the Tibetan tradition) and in the Jain religious tradition.

Zen – A form of Japanese Buddhism that originally came from China (known as Chan in China, Son in Korea and Thien in Vietnam).

© 2007 Santoshan (Stephen Wollaston)