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Rabbis     Jewish priests.

Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)     Rabindranath Tagore was one of the greatest writers in modern Indian literature. He was a poet, novelist, educator, painter, a musician, composer and won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. In 1901 Tagore founded a school outside Calcutta, India, called Visva-Bharati, which was dedicated to merging Western and Indian philosophy, and education. It became a university in 1921. Tagore's reputation as a writer was established in the United States and in England after the publication of 'Gitanjali: Song Offerings', in which Tagore tried to find inner calm, and explored the themes of divine and human love. Much of Tagore's ideology came from the teachings of the Upanishads and from his own beliefs that God can be found through personal purity and service to others.     Tagore's short stories especially influenced Indian Literature, and he was the first Indian to bring an element of psychological realism to his novels. Tagore wrote his most important works in Bengali, but he translated his poems into English, forming new collections. Many of his poems are actually songs, and inseparable from their music. His written production, still not completely collected, fills 26 substantial volumes. Tagore's song 'Our Golden Bengal' became the national anthem of East Bengal (now Bangladesh).

H. H. Raghuvir Maharaj     A Saint and devotee of Lord Hanuman, from Banda, Panval (Sindhudurg), India. He has made a resolve (sankalpa) to complete 55 Hanuman Kavach Yadnya to overcome distressing energy obstruction in the Sanatan's mission to establish Righteousness (Dharma).

Raja     Activity, passion. One of the trigunas (three components).

Raja Yoga     The path of achieving God-realization by following eight steps of spiritual practice (described by Sage Patanjali): 1. Yama Abstinence from vices 2. Niyama Observance of purity, contentment and penance 3. Asana Posture suitable for meditation 4. Pranayam Regulation of breath and control of the body's vital energies 5. Pratyahar Withdrawal of the sense organs from the sense objects 6. Dharna Fixing the mind on any object 7. Dhyan Meditation 8. Samadhi The super-conscious state – the ultimate state of meditation

Rajasik     Pertaining to or consisting of raja.

Rak’at     rak’a - a series of movements, Quranic recitations and other divine glorification performed in a prescribed manner

Sri Ram Rushi (Sage Rama)     Mr. Ram Honap, once a seeker of the Sanatan. He first made contact with Sri Durgadevi in the language of Light – Prakash bhasha – in February, 2003. Ever since, Sri Durgadevi, Who is spearheading the current subtle battle against distressing energies, has been guiding and protecting the seekers of the Sanatan in the mission of destruction of evil and establishment of Righteousness (Dharma). She has been guiding the Sanatan’s seekers through communication in the language of Light with Mr. Ram Honap. Over the months, under Sri Durgadevi’s guidance, Mr. Ram Honap has reverted to his original identity of ages, as a Sage from Lord Rama’s lineage. Hence, to accord due respect, He is addressed as Sage Ram Rushi, instead of as Mr. Ram Honap. Durgadevi will be increasingly manifest in Ram Rushi until the subtle battle against distressing energies is over in the year 2005. Hence, seekers of the Sanatan speak or refer to Ram Rushi with the reverence due to Sri Durgadevi.

Lord Rama     Incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Shri Ramakrushna Paramahansa     Sri Ramakrushna (Ramakrishna) was born on February 18, 1836 in Kamarpukur, Bengal, India. Since His childhood days, he showed great devotion and often went into samadhi states. He was an ardent devotee of Goddess Kalimata. In 1855, he was offered the job as the priest of the Goddess Kali at Dakshineshwar Temple in Bengal, India. Visitors to the temple would crowd to see Ramkrushna perform ritualistic worship, as they wanted to see the love and devotion with which it was performed. At the age of 23, in May 1859, he married Saradamoni, who served him devotedly as the ideal life companion. Soon after, the urge to find out the truth about life brought Ramakrushna to spiritual instruction under the sage Totapuri, who gave him the sobriquet, Paramhansa. His quest for truth continued with Bhairavi Ma and sages in other religion. Ramakrishna faithfully practiced the spiritual disciplines of different religions and came to the realization that all of them lead to the same goal. Thus he declared, "As many faiths, so many paths." Drawn by the magnetism of Shri Ramakrushna's divine personality, people flocked to him from far and near - men and women, young and old, philosophers and theologians, philanthropists and humanists, atheists and agnostics, Hindus and Brahmins, Christians and Muslims, seekers of the truth from all races, creeds and castes. Shri Ramakrushna's Paramhansa had several disciples, including Swami Vivekananda. Ramakrushna Paramhansa renounced His body in 1886.

Shri Ramana Maharshi     (1879-1950) A great saint Who lived on the holy hill of Arunachala, India. He expounded the spiritual practice of Self-Enquiry on the path of Knowledge (Dnyanyoga). He taught that the path to Self-Realization was to either ask oneself, “Who am I?” or submit to the Guru.

H. H. Ramanand Maharaj     Sadguru H. H. Ramanand Maharaj is a disciple of H. H. Bhaktaraj Maharaj. Devotees fondly call Ramanand Maharaj as Ramji Dada. He looks after H. H. Bhaktaraj Maharaj's ashram in Indore, India

Ramayan (Ramayana)     A Hindu holy epic that depicts the history and life of Lord Rama.

Ramdas Swami     A Guru from central India in the 15th century.

Ramnavmi     Birthday of Lord Rama.

Ramraksha stotra     Spiritual verse in Sanskrut praising Lord Rama, recital with devotion of which results in being graced with His protection.

Rangoli     A special powder of soft white stone. Also refers to the often intricate designs made with this powder.

Ravana     The principle villain in the Hindu epic Ramayana, Ravana is the ten-headed, twenty-armed king of the island of Sri Lanka. Ravana gained immortality and invulnerability against Gods and demons by praying to Lord Shiva for ten thousand years. In his arrogance, Ravana did not ask immunity against men and earthly beast, fearing no harm from these creatures. Once granted his boon, Ravana proceeded to trouble the Gods and earth to his mighty will, even turning the Gods into servants and slaves. His passion for beauty lead to trouble for Ravana when he kidnapped Goddess Sita, the wife of Lord Rama (Who is Lord Vishnu’s incarnation), to be his own. This act lead to his eventual destruction at the hands of Lord Rama.

H. H. Shri Shri Ravi Shankar     H. H. Shri Shri Ravi Shankar is a master of the Vedas and Sudarshan Kriya Yoga. He is also a Nobel peace prize nominee and founder of the 'Art of Living Association', based out of India.

Response substitution technique     A technique wherein a wrong reaction is substituted with a right one. For example, if worrisome thoughts keep occurring while one is chanting, one should immediately stop the thought in mid sentence and say, "I will not think about (whatever specific thought is recurring); I will continue chanting." When this is done consistently over a period of several months, the undesirable quality is replaced by the desirable quality.

Righteous     That by virtue of which one is uplifted both in the worldly and spiritual aspect of life by means of which man acquires the ultimate spiritual evolution, that is the Final liberation.

Rushi     Rushi (also: “Rishi”): (possibly from driseh = to see; Rish, Arch or rich = to praise). A singer of sacred hymns also an inspired poet or sage; the seven ancient sages born of Brahma's mind, to whom the Vedic hymns are attributed. In the Shatapatha-Brahmana, Their names are given as:     [Gotama, Go = cow, speech, earth],     [Bharadvaja, bringing or bearing food],     [Vishvamitra, Jamadagni, blazing fire],     [Vasistha, Kashyapa, and Atri].     In the Mahabharata: Marichi, Atri, An = giras [to mark, to go around], Pulaha, Kratu [plan, determination]. In Manu they are called Prajapatis, and are reckoned as ten, the additional three being Prachetas or Daksha, Bhrigu, and Narada. They represent the Constellation of the Great Bear to which it is said they were translated.     See also Muni.

Rudras     The eleven children of Lord Shiva, Who is also called Lord Rudra