Religion Terms Test

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Kaaba

Back 1

Cube shaped structure that held 360 deities, traditionally the house of Allah and the centre of the earth, where creation began, directly below God's throne in heaven

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Mecca

Back 2

Birthplace of Muhammad

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Bedouin

Back 3

A nomadic or wandering tribesperson of the Arabian, Syrian, or north African deserts

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Mount Hira

Back 4

Site of Muhammad's first revelation

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Qur'an

Back 5

Collection of Muhammad's sayings

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Hijra

Back 6

Arabic word meaning "migration"

Migration of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina, because it was not safe in Mecca

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Hajj

Back 7

Arabic word meaning "pilgrimage"; the pilgrimage to Mecca that muslims are asked to make at least once in their lifetime, if they are healthy and can afford it.

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Eid al-Fitr

Back 8

A celebration that takes place at the end of Ramadan, which is a period of fasting and reflection; the festival is often referred to as the Eid

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Halal

Back 9

Permissible; usually refers to foods that are allowed

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Hijab

Back 10

Arabic word for "cover"; a scarf that covers most or all of a woman's hair

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Imam

Back 11

A Muslim leader of prayer and giver of sermons in the mosque

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Khalifa

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The Muslim duty of stewardship that lies at the heart of Muslim Ecological ethics; it is used to make the point that certain destructive environmental actions, such as polluting water and wantonly killing animals, are forbidden

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Mosque

Back 13

A place where Muslims gather for large group worship

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Muslim

Back 14

A believer in Islam

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Allah

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Arabic word for God; Muslims worship the same God as Christians and Jews, but some of the revelations are interpreted differently. The word "Allah" is a unique word because it is genderless

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Nasheeds

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Music that is traditionally sung a cappella, accompanied only by the beat of a large drum; often consisting of religious stories and recitations of the Qur'an in Arabic

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Patriarchal society

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Society in which women are defined by their relationships to men

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Polytheist

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A believer in more than one god

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Shi'ite

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Muslims who believe that leadership of the Muslim community should be passed down through the direct descendants of the Prophets; Shi'ites form the majority of the population in Iraq and Iran

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Sufi

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A Muslim who uses mysticism to gain a special understanding of Allah that goes beyond rational thought; Sufis can be Sunni or Shi'ite

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Sunni

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Muslims who believe that community leaders do not have to be descended from the Prophet. The name Sunni comes from Sunna, which is a collection of words, actions, and practices of Muhammad, as taken down and transmitted by his inner circle of family and friends. Sunnis make up the majority of the world's Muslim population

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Umma

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The Muslim community

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Zakat

Back 23

The Muslim obligation to pay 2.5 percent of one's wealth to the needy

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The Five Pillars of Islam

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The ritual acts by which Muslims express their faith and identify themselves as Muslim; Includes Shahadah, Salat, Zakat, Sawm, and Hajj

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Shahadah

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The Muslim profession of faith: "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah"

A person only has to say it aloud in front of two witnesses to be legally considered a Muslim

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Salat

Back 26

The ritual prayer of praise to God that Muslims say five times a day, involving quiet verbal prayer and gestures

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Du'a

Back 27

Private Muslim prayers throughout the day

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Sawm

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Fasting from dawn to dusk during Ramadan

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Nikah

Back 29

Muslim wedding ceremony

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Hafiz

Back 30

The title given to one who memorizes the whole Qur'an

"Memorizer"

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Sura

Back 31

Sections of the Qur'an

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Sunna

Back 32

"beaten path"

A collection of Muhammad's own words and actions, as memorized and recorded by his inner circle of family and friends

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Hadith

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A record of Muhammad's words, actions, and statements about current religious practices by others, and whether he approved of those practices, as well as stories about what Muhammad was like in person

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Shariah

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The law for Muslims, formed by the Qur'an, the Sunna, and Hadith

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Tawhid

Back 35

The Islamic term that describes the unity of God

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Fiqh

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Interpretations of the shariah for situations not covered in the Qur'an, Sunna, or Hadith, provided by Muslim legal experts

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Fatwa

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A religious opinion on Islamic law delivered by a scholar; can be issued on any matter

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Madrasas

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Muslim schools

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Haram

Back 39

Forbidden; usually refers to foods

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Ahimsa

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The principle of non-violence; Hinduism, Buddhism

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Ascetic

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Someone who practices severe self-discipline or abstains from physical pleasures for religious purposes

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Atman

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The true self

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Avatar

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A deity who has descended into the world in earthly form; Hinduism

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Bhagavad Gita

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A sacred Hindu story about Prince Arjuna and Krishna

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Brahman

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The supreme cosmic force

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Caste

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A traditional Hindu social level or class

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Deities

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Images of the God in many forms; Hinduism

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Dharma

Back 48

One's personal code of conduct relating to family and society; one's duty

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Guru

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Wise teacher

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Karma

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The law of cause and effect, of one's actions having an impact on one's future life

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Mandir

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A Hindu temple

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Mantra

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Sacred sounds, words, or phrases, repeated in ritual; Hinduism

A word or phrase that is chanted as an aid to meditation; Buddhism

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Maya

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Illusion of separate things instead of the divine oneness; Hinduism

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Moksha

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Freedom or liberation from samsara, or the cycle of rebirth

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Murti

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An image of a Hindu deity

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Puja

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Hindu or Buddhist worship ceremony

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Ramayana

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A Hindu epic about Prince Rama and Sita

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Samsara

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The law of birth, death, and rebirth, or the process of reincarnation

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Sanskrit

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The language of ancient India

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Untouchables

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In the traditional Hindu social levels, the lowest outsider class

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Upanishads

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Literally "sit down near"; sacred scriptures; interpretations of the Vedas; the final dialogues ending the Vedas

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Vedas

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Early sacred scriptures of Hinduism

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Yoga

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Hindu path (or discipline) to liberation

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Havan

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A fire offering

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Mandala

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A visual object, usually in the form of a circle, that can be used as an aid for focusing in meditation

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Mahatma

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"great soul"

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The Buddha

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The founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama; teachers who fully understand the nature of mind and reality are also called Buddhas; the "Enlightened One"

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Enlightenment

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A state of perfect happiness and understanding; unconditional compassion for all beings

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Merit

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The idea in Buddhism that a person can be reborn in a form closer to enlightenment if he or she accumulates merit; wholesome deeds and intentions can add to a person's merit

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Nirvana

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The end of personal suffering and the experience of unchanging peace

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Dharmachakra

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Wheel of Dharma; the Buddha's first sermon

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Sangha

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Buddhist community

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Amrit

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Ceremonial water used in Sikh rituals

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Gurdwara

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Sikh place of worship

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Kirpman

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Small sword or dagger

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Turban

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Head covering worn by male Sikhs

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Guru Granth Sahib

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The principal sacred scripture of Sikhism

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Ardas

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Sikh prayers

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Granthi

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The person who performs the daily prayer service

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Ragis

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Professional Sikh hymn singers

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Kesh

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Uncut hair and beard

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Kangha

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Wooden comb

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Kachha

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Short pants worn by the soldiers of the time

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Kara

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Steel bracelet on the right wrist

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Khalsa

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Sikh warriors; initiated and baptized Sikhs

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Anand Karaj

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Sikh marriage ceremony; "Blissful union"

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Keshdhari

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Sikhs who keep their hair uncut and wear a turban, but have not been baptized

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Sahajdhari

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Sikhs who accept the beliefs and philosophies of Sikhism, but do not take the baptismal vows; they cut their hair and do not wear a turban

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Gurmukh

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God-man; highest achievement in Sikhism; someone who is selfless and completely in touch with the will of God

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Nam

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Presence of God in each human heart

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Rahit Maryada

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The Sikh code of moral conduct

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Caliph

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Leader of the Muslim community

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Ihram

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Special clothing worn by Muslims during their hajj

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Aqiqa

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Muslim naming ceremony for adults who convert to Islam

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Jumu'ah

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Friday prayer for Muslims

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Juhad

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The Muslim struggle to submit to Allah's will

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Namaste

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"I bow respectfully to you", Hinduism

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Waheguru

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"God the wondrous teacher"; Sikh mantra

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Langar

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Shared meal after Sikh worship

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Bodhisattvas

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People who have achieved enlightenment but have chosen to stay on the human plenty of suffering and teach others; Buddhism

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Anicca

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Impertinence; Buddhism

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Dukkha

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Suffering; Buddhism

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Anatta

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Not self; Buddhism

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Vesak

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Celebration of the birth of the Buddha

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Asalha Puja

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Marks the beginning of the Buddha's teachings

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Shakti

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Cosmic feminine energy; Hinduism