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| 88921227 | Monsoon | Seasonal winds in the Indian Ocean caused by the differences in temperature between the rapidly heating and cooling land masses of Africa and Asia and the slowly-changing ocean waters. These strong and predictable winds have long been ridden across the open sea by sailors, and the large amounts of rainfall that they deposit on parts of India, Southeast Asia, and China allow for the cultivation of several crops a year. | 0 | |
| 88921228 | Vedas | Early Indian sacred "knowledge"- the literal meaning of the term- long preserved and communicated orally by Brahmin priests and eventually written down. These religious texts, including the thousand poetic hymns to various deities contained in the Rig Veda, are our main source of info about the Vedic period. | 1 | |
| 88921229 | Atman | In Hindu belief, a person's essential self. | 2 | |
| 88921230 | Nirvana | In Buddhism, the release from pain and suffering achieved after enlightenment | 3 | |
| 88921231 | Karma | In Indian tradition, the residue of deeds performed in past and present lives that adheres to a "spirit" and determines what form it will assume in its next life cycle. The doctrines of karma and reincarnation were used by the elite in ancient India to encourage people to accept their social position and do their duty. | 4 | |
| 88921232 | Jati | Within the system of Varna are many jati, regional groups of people who have a common occupational sphere, and who marry, eat, and generally interact with other members of their group. | 5 | |
| 88921233 | Moksha | The Hindu concept of the spirit's "liberation" from the endless cycle of rebirths. There are various avenues- such as physical discipline, meditation, and acts of devotion to the gods- by which the spirit can distance itself from desire for the things of this world and be merged with the divine force that animates the universe. | 6 | |
| 88921234 | Stupa | Buddhist shrine that is shaped like a dome or mound. | 7 | |
| 88921235 | Bodhisattvas | Future Buddhas. As the ideal types for Mahayana Buddhism, beings who have experienced enlightenment but, motivated by compassion, stop short of entering nirvana so as to help others achieve it. | 8 | |
| 88921236 | Hinduism | A general term for a wide variety of beliefs and ritual practices that have developed in the Indian subcontinent since antiquity. Hinduism has roots in ancient Vedic, Buddhist, and south Indian religious concepts and practices. It spread along the trade routes to Southeast Asia. | 9 | |
| 88921237 | Mahayana | One of two great schools of Buddhist doctrine emphasizing a common search for universal salvation especially through faith alone. | 10 | |
| 88921238 | Thereveda | "Way of the Elders" branch of Buddhism followed in Sri Lanka and much of Southeast Asia. Thereveda remains close to the original principles set forth by the Buddha; it downplays the importance of gods and emphasizes austerity and the individual's search for enlightenment. | 11 | |
| 88921239 | Ashoka | Third ruler of the Mauryan Empire in India. He converted to Buddhism and broadcast his precepts on inscribed stones and pillars, the earliest surviving Indian writing. | 12 |
