Key terms & definitions

Continuous improvement through small, ongoing changes to working practices, often involving employees’ suggestions.

A Japanese approach meaning ‘change for the better’, in which the whole workforce contributes to ongoing small improvements.

Islamic theology that uses reason and argument to explain and defend religious beliefs.

The age of spiritual and moral decline in the Hindu cycle of ages, which some Hindus use to explain the prevalence of conflict.

A day of Brahmā, lasting one thousand complete cycles of the four yugas.

Lust: uncontrolled sexual desire that can lead to selfishness and wrongdoing.

Love, desire and the enjoyment of legitimate pleasures.

A Japanese pilot assigned to crash an aircraft into an enemy target in a suicide attack during the Second World War.

Intentional action, which has consequences for the person acting; also called karma.

Intentional action, whose motives and consequences shape a person's habits and experiences, including future rebirths in traditional Buddhist belief. Kamma is Pali; karma is Sanskrit.

A wooden comb kept in the hair, representing cleanliness and order; also spelt kanga.

A steel or iron bracelet whose circular shape represents God's eternity and which reminds the wearer to act morally.

A sweet food prepared and shared with the congregation during Sikh worship and ceremonies.

A sweet food offered and distributed at Sikh worship, including at the completion of an akhand path.

The fourth stage of Sikh spiritual development: grace, in which God's blessing brings spiritual strength and steadfast devotion.

A Buddhist discourse teaching boundless loving-kindness towards all living beings.

A farmer belonging to the free population in Viking society.

Actions and their consequences, which shape the soul’s experiences and future rebirths.

A spiritual path of selfless action, carried out without attachment to personal rewards.

A broad, dry region of southern Africa.

‘Creator Being’: a description of God as the active Creator of the universe and all life.

Compassion: concern for suffering and the wish to relieve it.

The Jewish dietary laws governing which foods may be eaten and how food is prepared and consumed.

The Jewish dietary laws that determine whether food is kosher.

A list of the hoplites called up for an expedition, posted publicly in the agora (plural katalogoi).

A robe-cloth offering ceremony held during the month following the rains retreat, especially in Theravada communities.

A name commonly translated as ‘princess’, used by many Sikh women to express dignity and shared Sikh identity.

Respect for human dignity, including concern for people’s basic needs.

The sincere intention and inner commitment with which a person prays, rather than merely saying the words.

Strength Through Joy, a Nazi programme within the Labour Front that offered leisure activities and holidays to encourage workers’ loyalty.