Glossary

Guṇa, depending on the context means 'string, thread or strand', or 'virtue, merit, excellence', or 'quality, peculiarity, attribute, property'. There are three guṇas. They are called: sattva (goodness, constructive, harmonious), rajas (passion, active, confused), and tamas (darkness, destructive, chaotic). All of these three gunas are present in everyone and everything, it is the proportion that is different. The interplay of these gunas defines the character of someone or something, of nature and determines the progress of life. In some contexts, it may mean 'a subdivision, species, kind, quality', or an operational principle or tendency of something or someone. In human behavior, Guna means personality, innate nature and psychological attributes of an individual.

Guru: a Teacher, Master, an Enlightened Being particularly in Indian religions. The Hindu guru-sishya (teacher-student) tradition is the oral tradition or religious doctrine or experiential wisdom transmitted from teacher to student. In the present times, Guru could mean anywhere from an expert in a certain field to a Spiritual Master.

Sri Ramana Maharshi               [comment]Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi[/comment]