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Glossary of Eastern Terms and Names Cited<br />

adharma The absense or antitheses of dharma (1), adharma represents the chaos which<br />

would overthrow the righteous or<strong>der</strong> of the universe, and yet is itself an essential part of<br />

that cosmic or<strong>der</strong>.<br />

akasa ‘The Void’. A dualistic concept in Sanskrit. It is ‘an all-comprehending<br />

container, enclosing not only the universe (loka), but also the non-universe (aloka)’<br />

(Zimmer, 1969, 270). It is also the ‘brilliant spiritual space’ which ‘abides within’ the<br />

individual self, and contributes to the shared identity between the individual and the<br />

‘pure Self’ (Zimmer, 1969, 430).<br />

alus In the complex continuum of personality types of the shadow puppets of the<br />

Javanese Wayang Kulit, the positive characteristic of being ‘refined’. See kasar.<br />

angka The form of adharma imposed by the Khmer Rouge, who strove to eliminate<br />

all manifestations of dharma in Cambodia.<br />

bhakti A sort of ‘personal saviour’ in the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, who,<br />

augmented by prayer-wheels, incense, gongs, rosaries, mantras, and a whole pantheon of<br />

Buddhas, helps believers gain the ‘release’ of nirvana.<br />

Bodhisattva ‘The One Striving for Englightenment’. Originally referring to Gautama<br />

Siddhartha before he attained Enlightenment, this term was extended un<strong>der</strong> the<br />

Mahayana tradition to anyone striving for buddhahood and also to those who, through<br />

s<strong>ub</strong>lime indifference and compassion, choose to help others reach nirvana. See:<br />

Tirthankaras.<br />

Brahman The changeless divine being of the Vedas, who evolved the perishable universe<br />

and its creatures out of his own boundless transcendent essence.<br />

dalang The ‘puppet master’ of the wayang kulit shadow theatre.<br />

dharma (1) The righteous or<strong>der</strong> of the universe, which must be supported by all created<br />

beings—gods, men, demons, animals, plants, and minerals—, who perform the duties<br />

and obligations required of them. Zaehner cites two aspects: ‘the sanatana dharma or<br />

absolute moral or<strong>der</strong> which can never be precisely defined yet is felt to have absolute<br />

validity, and the dharma of caste and canon law as laid down in the various law-books’<br />

(Zaehner, 8).<br />

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