havana: (Sanskrit) "Fire pit for sacred offering; making oblations through fire.

havana: (Sanskrit) "Fire pit for sacred offering; making oblations through fire." Same as homa. Havis and havya name the offerings. See: Agni, homa, yajna. heart chakra: Anahata chakra. Center of direct cognition. See: chakra. heaven: The celestial spheres, including the causal plane and the higher realms of the subtle plane, where souls rest and learn between births, and mature souls continue to evolve after moksha. Heaven is often used by translators as an equivalent to the Sanskrit Svarga.

See: loka**.** hell: Naraka. An unhappy, mentally and emotionally congested, distressful area of consciousness. Hell is a state of mind that can be experienced on the physical plane or in the sub-astral plane (Naraka) after death of the physical body. It is accompanied by the tormented emotions of hatred, remorse, resentment, fear, jealousy and self-condemnation. However, in the Hindu view, the hellish experience is not permanent, but a temporary condition of one's own making.

See: asura, loka, Naraka, purgatory, Satan. heterodox: "Different opinion." Opposed to or departing from established doctrines or beliefs. Opposite of orthodox, "straight opinion." See: nastika. heterosexual: Of or characterized by sexual attraction for only members of the opposite sex. See: bisexual, homosexual, sexuality. hierarchy: A group of beings arranged in order of rank or class; as a hierarchy of God, Gods and devas.

higher-nature, lower nature: Expressions indicating man's refined, soulful qualities on the one hand, and his base, instinctive qualities on the other. See: kosha, mind (five states), soul. Himalayan Academy: An educational and publishing institution of Saiva Siddhanta Church founded by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami in 1957.

The Academy's objective is to share the teachings of Sanatana Dharma through travel-study programs, The Master Course, books and other publications--particularly the monthly newspaper Hinduism Today and Dancing with Siva, Hinduism's Contemporary Catechism--as a public service to Hindus worldwide. See: Hinduism Today, Subramuniyaswami. Himalayas: (Sanskrit) "Abode of snow." The mountain system extending along the India-Tibet border and through Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan.

himsa: (Sanskrit) "Injury; harm; hurt." Injuriousness, hostility--mental, verbal or physical. See: ahimsa. Hindu: (Sanskrit) A follower of, or relating to, Hinduism.