Merit and Virtue

These two terms are sometimes used interchangeably. However, there is a crucial difference:

• merits are the blessings (wealth, intelligence, etc.) of the human and celestial realms; therefore, they are temporary and subject to Birth and Death.
• Virtues, on the other hand, transcend Birth and Death and lead to Buddhahood.

Four virtues are mentioned in Pure Land Buddhism: eternity; happiness; True Self; purity.

An identical action (e.g., charity) can lead either to merit or virtue, depending on the mind of the practitioner, that is, on whether he is seeking mundane rewards (merit) or transcendence (virtue).

Thus, the Pure Land cultivator should not seek merits for by doing so, he would, in effect, be choosing to remain within samsara. This would be counter to his very wish to escape Birth and Death.

 (See also: Merit and Virtue , Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)

For more dictionary entries, see » Birth Dictionary

The amounts of pain experienced by women during childbirth vary. For some women, the perceived pain is intense and agonizing; for other women there is little to no perceived pain. Many factors affect pain perception, including cultural ideas of childbirth, fear, number of previous births, fetal presentation, birthing position, and a woman's natural pain threshold. Uterine contractions are always intense during childbirth, but a woman may or may not experience them as pain. Some women sleep through much of the labor. Rarely, mothers experience very pleasurable sensations and muscular contraction ...

See also:

Childbirth, Childbirth - The normal birth, Childbirth - First stage: contractions, Childbirth - Second stage, Childbirth - Third stage: placenta, Childbirth - After the birth, Childbirth - Variations, Childbirth - Pain, Childbirth - Non-medical pain control, Childbirth - Medical pain control, Childbirth - Complications and Risks of Birth, Childbirth - Professions associated with childbirth, Childbirth - Social aspects, Childbirth - Legal aspects, Childbirth - Psychological aspects

Read more here: » Childbirth: Encyclopedia II - Childbirth - Pain

The most detailed collections of personal reports in favor of reincarnation have been published by Dr. Ian Stevenson in works such as Reincarnation and Biology: A Contribution to the Etiology of Birthmarks and Birth Defects, which documents thousands of detailed cases where claims of injuries received in past lives sometimes correlate with atyptical physical birthmarks or birth defects. Perhaps the most significant anecdotal evidence in this regard is the phenomenon of young children spontaneously sharing what appear to be memo ...

See also:

Reincarnation, Reincarnation - Overview, Reincarnation - Reincarnation in various religions traditions and philosophies, Reincarnation - Eastern religions and traditions, Reincarnation - Western religions and traditions, Reincarnation - Contemporary movements and thinkers, Reincarnation - Common variations in the belief, Reincarnation - Reincarnation Research, Reincarnation - Objections to reincarnation, Reincarnation - Theories put forward to explain the phenomenon, Reincarnation - A theory of reincarnation

Read more here: » Reincarnation: Encyclopedia II - Reincarnation - Reincarnation Research

Today, the general availability of birth control methods has made inbreeding a largely separate issue from incest. Opponents of incest argue, however, that incest should still be restricted since birth control is not always 100% effective. Some have suggested that the incest taboo is a social mechanism to reduce the chances of congenital birth-defects that can result from inbreeding. Scientists have generally rejected this as an explanation for the incest taboo for two reasons. First, in many societies partners with whom marriage is f ...

See also:

Incest, Incest - Incest and inbreeding, Incest - Incest versus exogamy, Incest - Industrial societies, Incest - Consensual adult incest, Incest - History, Incest - Ancient Egypt, Incest - Royal dynasties, Incest - In religious traditions, Incest - In mythology, Incest - In religion, Incest - Fiction, Incest - Genetics

Read more here: » Incest: Encyclopedia II - Incest - Genetics

samskara: (Sanskrit) "Impression, activator; sanctification, preparation."

1)    The imprints left on the subconscious mind by experience (from this or previous lives), which then color all of life, one's nature, responses, states of mind, etc.

2)    A sacrament or rite done to mark a significant transition of life.

These make deep and positive impressions on the mind of the recipient, inform the family and community of changes in the lives of its members and secure inner-world blessings. The numerous samskaras are outlined in the Grihya Shastras. Most are accompanied by specific mantras from the Vedas.

-       samskaras of birth

-       samskaras of childhood

-       samskaras of adulthood

-       samskaras of later life

See: mind (five states of mind), sacrament, samskaras.

(See also: Samskara , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

For more dictionary entries, see » Birth Dictionary

The ability to communicate with those who have passed into the nonphysical or "died" gives a person a unique perspective on life and death. Working as a medium has blessed me with the opportunity to communicate with many in the spirit world. Often through the years, as clients have thanked me heartily for bringing through a loved one, I have found myself sincerely returning their gratitude for the opportunity to "meet" the spirits who came through for them. I have learned a great deal from these communications about the nature of life and "death."

Read more here: » AfterLife: Death is a Dream - What the Dead have taught me about the Afterlife

Holy of Holies Equivalent to the Latin Sanctum sanctorum, referring to the sacred place in temples or churches from which all but the chief priest or hierophant were excluded. In pre-Christian times the ancient temples each had its especial sanctuary, in which was placed an altar or receptacle of some kind, be it ark, box, or some similar thing, perhaps even a sarcophagus.

The Holy of Holies in theory was the seat, residence, or sanctuary of the god or goddess to whom the temple had been consecrated; and piety always considered that the divine power was present there. A similar series of ideas clothes the chancel and its contained altar in Christian Churches even today.

The Holy of Holies, however, must not be confused with initiation chambers also contained in many temples and caves of antiquity, in which during the rites of initiation the neophyte entered, was initiated, and thereafter left the sacred precincts as reborn. In ancient Egypt the holy of holies par excellence of this latter type was the King's Chamber in the Great Pyramid; and the coffer there was the sarcophagus used for initiation purposes. The sarcophagus was symbolic of the female principle, as from the feminine principle of nature, as a mother, was born the new "child" or disciple, now become a twice-born. The idea of the twice-born was that the physical birth came from the human mother, while the mystic birth took place from the womb of nature, of which the initiation chamber was the emblem. Hence at a much later date arose the phallic idea of the Jews that the human female womb was the maqom (the place).

Although part of the Hindu ceremonies necessitated a passing through the golden cow, as an emblem of Mother Nature, the neophyte did this in the same stooping position that was done in passing through the gallery in the ancient pyramids of Egypt.

"The ceremony of passing through the Holy of Holies (now symbolized by the cow), in the beginning through the temple Hiranya gharba (the radiant Egg) -- in itself a symbol of Universal, abstract nature -- meant spiritual conception and birth, or rather the re-birth of the individual and his regeneration: the stooping man at the entrance of the Sanctum Sanctorum, ready to pass through the matrix of mother nature, or the physical creature ready to re-become the original spiritual Being, pre-natal Man" (SD 2:469-70).

Holy of Holies has a specific meaning in connection with the Jewish tabernacle, as explained in Exodus, referring to the inner part, the western division of the tabernacle. Three of the sides of the holy place were the walls of the tabernacle itself, while the fourth or eastern end of the sanctum was closed by a curtain or veil -- upon which were the figures of the cherubim -- suspended from four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold. The intention was to have this Holy of Holies in the shape of a perfect cube, the length, breath, and height being each ten cubits. In this sanctuary was placed the Ark of the Covenant or Testament, made of shittim wood overlaid with gold.

Upon the Ark was the golden mercy-seat (the kapporeth), also two golden cherubim facing towards the center. Instead of being a "sarcophagus (the symbol of the matrix of Nature and resurrection) as in the Sanctum sanctorum of the pagans, they had the ark made still more realistic in its construction by the two cherubs set up on the coffer or ark of the covenant, facing each other, with their wings spread in such a manner as to form a perfect yoni (as now seen in India). Besides which, this generative symbol had its significance enforced by the four mystic letters of Jehovah's name, namely ; or  meaning Jod (membrum Virile, see Kabala);  (He, the womb);  (Vau, a crook or a hook, a nail), and  again, meaning also 'an opening'; the whole forming the perfect bisexual emblem or symbol or Y(e)H(o)V(a)H, the male and female symbol" (SD 2:460). However, "the worship of the 'god in the ark' dates only from David; and for a thousand years Israel knew of no phallic Jehovah" (SD 2:469).

See also ARK

(See also: Holy Ghost , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

For more dictionary entries, see » Birth Dictionary

evolution of the soul: Adhyatma prasara.

In Saiva Siddhanta, the soul's evolution is a progressive unfoldment, growth and maturing toward its inherent, divine destiny, which is complete merger with Siva. In its essence, each soul is ever perfect. But as an individual soul body emanated by God Siva, it is like a small seed yet to develop. As an acorn needs to be planted in the dark underground to grow into a mighty oak tree, so must the soul unfold out of the darkness of the malas to full maturity and realization of its innate oneness with God.

The soul is not created at the moment of conception of a physical body. Rather, it is created in the Sivaloka. It evolves by taking on denser and denser sheaths-cognitive, instinctive-intellectual and pranic-until finally it takes birth in physical form in the Bhuloka. Then it experiences many lives, maturing through the reincarnation process. Thus, from birth to birth, souls learn and mature. Evolution is the result of experience and the lessons derived from it. There are young souls just beginning to evolve, and old souls nearing the end of their earthly sojourn. In Saiva Siddhanta, evolution is understood as the removal of fetters which comes as a natural unfoldment, realization and expression of one's true, self-effulgent nature. This ripening or dropping away of the soul's bonds (mala) is called malaparipaka.

The realization of the soul nature is termed svanubhuti (experience of the Self). Self Realization leads to moksha, liberation from the three malas and the reincarnation cycles. Then evolution continues in the celestial worlds until the soul finally merges fully and indistinguishably into Supreme God Siva, the Primal Soul, Parameshvara. In his Tirumantiram, Rishi Tirumular calls this merger vishvagrasa, "total absorption. The evolution of the soul is not a linear progression, but an intricate, circular, many-faceted mystery. Nor is it at all encompassed in the Darwinian theory of evolution, which explains the origins of the human form as descended from earlier primates.

See: Darwin's theory, mala, moksha, reincarnation, samsara, vishvagrasa.

(See also: Evolution of the soul , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

For more dictionary entries, see » Birth Dictionary

Since Jews were excluded outsiders throughout Europe, they were mostly shut out of politics or any sort of participation in the wider political and social sphere of the nations in which they were involved until the Enlightenment, and its Jewish counterpart, Haskalah, made popular movements possible. As long as the Jews lived in segregated communities, and as long as all avenues of social intercourse with their gentile neighbors were closed to them, the rabbi was the most influential member of the Jewish community. In addition to being a reli ...

See also:

Jewish political movements, Jewish political movements - The Birth of Jewish political movements, Jewish political movements - Emancipation movements, Jewish political movements - Socialist and Labor movements, Jewish political movements - Zionist movements, Jewish political movements - The Folkists, Jewish political movements - Modern Jewish political movements, Jewish political movements - In Israel, Jewish political movements - Outside of Israel

Read more here: » Jewish political movements: Encyclopedia II - Jewish political movements - The Birth of Jewish political movements

Fecal incontinence can have several causes: diarrhea pelvic floor dysfunction an extended period without defecation severe muscular strain in the abdominal area, particularly when giving birth damage to the anal sphincter muscles damage to the nerves of the anal sphincter muscles or the rectum loss of storage capacity in the rectum, e.g. due to surgery or a combination thereof. < ...

See also:

Fecal incontinence, Fecal incontinence - Prevalence, Fecal incontinence - Causes, Fecal incontinence - Muscle damage, Fecal incontinence - Nerve damage, Fecal incontinence - Loss of storage capacity, Fecal incontinence - Diarrhea, Fecal incontinence - Pelvic floor dysfunction, Fecal incontinence - Diagnosis, Fecal incontinence - Treatment, Fecal incontinence - Dietary changes, Fecal incontinence - Medication, Fecal incontinence - Bowel training, Fecal incontinence - Surgery, Fecal incontinence - What to do about anal discomfort, Fecal incontinence - Emotional considerations, Fecal incontinence - Everyday practical tips, Fecal incontinence - Fecal incontinence in children, Fecal incontinence - Why children get constipated, Fecal incontinence - Reference

Read more here: » Fecal incontinence: Encyclopedia II - Fecal incontinence - Causes

Reborn : Dream Interpretation Dictionary - Dream: I am healed, born or reborn

Dream: I am healed, born or reborn

Description: You or another person is healed, gives birth or is reborn.

Frequency: Relatively rare, it may accompany a new start in your waking life or recovery from an illness.

Usual meanings: You are feeling hopeful, renewed or better, or that something is stirring to life within you. When you or another person is giving birth, it often means that you feel as though you are improving or that something new has been born in you. A common dream during pregnancy, it represents your hopes for your new baby. If you are grieving, the birth imagery may express your hope for a new life for your loved one.

Questions to ask yourself:

• What has been restored or what is new in your life?
• Who or what has come into or is coming into your waking life?
• How can you nourish this new part of yourself?

Source: http://health.discovery.com

(See also: Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation Reborn , Dream Dictionary Reborn )

For more dictionary entries, see » Birth Dictionary

In Greek mythology, Heracles, or Heraklês ("glory of Hera", Ηρακλης) was a divine hero, the demigod son of Zeus and Alcmene, and stepson of Alcmene's rightful husband and great-grandson of Perseus. In Roman mythology he was called Hercules. He was, arguably, the greatest of the mythical Greek heroes, best known for his superhuman strength. Many stories are told of his life, the most famous being The Twelve Labours of Herakles. His Etruscan equivalent was Hercle, a son of Tinia and Uni. He was also ...

Including:

• Heracles - Birth and childhood
• Heracles - Adulthood
• Heracles - The Twelve Labours
• Heracles - Omphale
• Heracles - Hylas
• Heracles - Iole
• Heracles - Killing various giants
• Heracles - Laomedon/Tros
• Heracles - Other adventures
• Heracles - Marriage affairs and death
• Heracles - Acca Larentia
• Heracles - Heracles' male lovers
• Heracles - Modern and ancient interpretations
• Heracles - Spoken-word myths – audio files

Read more here: » Heracles: Encyclopedia - Heracles

Today, as the vernal equinox bathes the universe in a golden glow and Spring dances in seen and unseen splendour, it is amply clear that once you are with God, everything's possible.

Today is Jamshedji Navroze , the original new year. It is celebrated by Parsees today - as it was by the people of ancient Iran - with good reason. The day marks the birth of Creation and therefore, your birth and mine too. It also celebrates Prophet Zarathushtra's profound pronouncements, the beauty and truth of which I've gleaned with my own limited vision from the scriptures.

(See also: Jamshedji Navroze , Indian Festivals, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Jamshedji Navroze: Nothing's Impossible When God is Present - about Jamshedji Navroze  

In astrology, a horoscope is a chart or diagram representing the positions of the planets, other celestial bodies, and sensitive angles at the time of any event, such as a person's birth. The term horoscope is derived from Greek words meaning, "a look at the hours" [horoskopos, pl. horoskopoi,or "marker(s) of the hour."] Other commonly used names for the horoscope in English include natal chart, natus, birth chart, astrological chart, astro-chart, celestial map, sky-map, nativity, star-chart, cosmogram, Vitasphere, soulprint, radical cha ...

Including:

• Horoscope - Introduction
• Horoscope - How to cast a horoscope

Read more here: » Horoscope: Encyclopedia - Horoscope

Midwifery is a term used to describe several types of health care practitioners, other than physicians, who provide prenatal care to expecting mothers, attend the birth of the infant and provide postpartum care to the mother and infant. Nurse-midwives in the United States may also provide gynecological care. Practitioners of midwifery are known as midwives, a term used in reference to both ...

Including:

• Midwifery - Historical perspective
• Midwifery - Midwifery in the United States
• Midwifery - Nurse Midwives
• Midwifery - Direct Entry Midwives
• Midwifery - Practice in the United States
• Midwifery - Midwifery in the United Kingdom
• Midwifery - Community midwives
• Midwifery - Midwifery in Canada

Read more here: » Midwifery: Encyclopedia - Midwifery

Reincarnation, as a doctrine or mystical belief, holds the notion that one's 'Spirit' ('Soul' depending on interpretation), 'Higher or True Self', 'Divine Spark', 'I' or 'Ego' (not to be confused with the ego as defined by psychology) or critical parts of these returns to the material world after physical death to be reborn in a new body. The natural process is considered integrative of all experiences from each lifetime. A new personality feature, with the associated character, is developed during each life in the physical world, bas ...

Including:

• Reincarnation - Overview
• Reincarnation - Reincarnation in various religions traditions and philosophies
• Reincarnation - Eastern religions and traditions
• Reincarnation - Western religions and traditions
• Reincarnation - Contemporary movements and thinkers
• Reincarnation - Common variations in the belief
• Reincarnation - Reincarnation Research
• Reincarnation - Objections to reincarnation
• Reincarnation - Theories put forward to explain the phenomenon
• Reincarnation - A theory of reincarnation

Read more here: » Reincarnation: Encyclopedia - Reincarnation

Belief in reincarnation is held by many Hindus, Buddhists, and Taoists but such beliefs are held by relatively few Christians, Jews, and Muslims. No mainstream Christian denomination includes reincarnation among their doctrines. The Christian creeds and confession have consistently proclaimed a belief in a single judgement of humanity and in the eschatological hope of the resurrection of the dead. Some small sects, such as the Liberal Cat ...

Including:

• Bible and reincarnation - Differences between conservative and liberal Christian views
• Bible and reincarnation - Judaism
• Bible and reincarnation - Supporting passages from a Christian point of view
• Bible and reincarnation - Elijah became John the Baptist
• Bible and reincarnation - John 9:1-3
• Bible and reincarnation - Galatians 6:7
• Bible and reincarnation - New Testament passages seen to be in opposition
• Bible and reincarnation - Hebrews 9:27
• Bible and reincarnation - Luke 13
• Bible and reincarnation - The thief on the cross
• Bible and reincarnation - Paul's teaching
• Bible and reincarnation - Apologetics
• Bible and reincarnation - Origen
• Bible and reincarnation - History of Canonical and extra-biblical writings
• Bible and reincarnation - New Age views
• Bible and reincarnation - Reference literature
• Bible and reincarnation - Positive
• Bible and reincarnation - Critical
• Bible and reincarnation - Footnotes:

Read more here: » Bible and reincarnation: Encyclopedia - Bible and reincarnation

Guru Gobind Singh was no ordinary mortal. The signs were there right from his birth. In 1666, on the Guru's birth, a pious Muslim fakir, Sayyad Bhikhan Shah, declared: "God has sent a new light on this earth".

He then decided to test the newborn 'prince'. Producing two jars of sweets obtained from a Hindu and a Muslim vendor, Bhikhan Shah tried to learn the child's preference from the jar he touched. The baby, however, clutched both jars and smiled, whereupon the fakir acknowledged him to be a master of both communities.

(See also: Gobind Singh , Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Gobind Singh: Guru Gobind Singh's Service to Humanity  

Seurat attended the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in 1878 and 1879. After a year of military service at Brest military academy, he returned to Paris in 1880. He started off sharing a small studio on the Left Bank with two student friends before moving to a studio of his own. For the next two years, he devoted himself to mastering the art of black and white drawing. He spent 1883 on a huge canvas, Bath ...

See also:

Georges-Pierre Seurat, Georges-Pierre Seurat - Life, Georges-Pierre Seurat - Seurat's Scientific Background and Influences, Georges-Pierre Seurat - Seurat Challenging of the Impressionists, Georges-Pierre Seurat - Seurat's Melding of Science and Emotion, Georges-Pierre Seurat - The Crowning Achievement, Georges-Pierre Seurat - Endnotes

Read more here: » Georges-Pierre Seurat: Encyclopedia II - Georges-Pierre Seurat - Life

Several Buddhist terms and concepts lack direct translations into English that cover the breadth of the original term. Below are given a number of important Buddhist terms, short definitions, and the languages in which they appear. In this list, an attempt has been made to organize terms by their original form and give translations and synonyms in other languages below the definition. Languages and traditions dealt with here: English (Eng.) Pāli: Theravāda Buddhism Sanskrit (or Buddhist Hybrid S ...

Including:

• Buddhist terms and concepts - A
• Buddhist terms and concepts - B
• Buddhist terms and concepts - D
• Buddhist terms and concepts - F
• Buddhist terms and concepts - G
• Buddhist terms and concepts - H
• Buddhist terms and concepts - I
• Buddhist terms and concepts - J
• Buddhist terms and concepts - K
• Buddhist terms and concepts - L
• Buddhist terms and concepts - M
• Buddhist terms and concepts - N
• Buddhist terms and concepts - O
• Buddhist terms and concepts - P
• Buddhist terms and concepts - R
• Buddhist terms and concepts - S
• Buddhist terms and concepts - T
• Buddhist terms and concepts - U
• Buddhist terms and concepts - V
• Buddhist terms and concepts - Z

Read more here: » Buddhist terms and concepts

Population: 69,660,559 (July 2005 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 26% (male 9,232,439; female 8,897,135) 15-64 years: 67.3% (male 23,806,367; female 23,053,536) 65 years and over: 6.7% (male 2,140,242; female 2,530,840) (2005 est.) Population growth rate: 1.09% (2005 est.) Birth rate: 16.83 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) Death rate: 5.96 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) Net migratio ...

See also:

Demographics of Turkey, Demographics of Turkey - Some facts, Demographics of Turkey - 1965 linguistic census, Demographics of Turkey - Ethnicity in Turkey, Demographics of Turkey - Current trends in situation of minorities

Read more here: » Demographics of Turkey: Encyclopedia II - Demographics of Turkey - Some facts

The psychology and philosophy of yoga can assist the mother to understand the experiences she is going through and to live them more fully. The development of awareness and of being a witness to all experiences in life is a central teaching of yoga. The ability to stand aside and witness what one is passing through removes a lot of fear and anxiety. Awareness builds one's inner resources of self- esteem and confidence and also enables the birth to be more consciously experienced. Yogic psychology also helps us understand the causes and effects of our circumstances in life and this deepens our insight and wisdom.

Read more here: » Yoga: Yoga And Motherhood