Gomukhasana:

cow's face' posture

(See also: Gomukhasana ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

gomukha:

gomukha - musical instrument resembling a cow's face

(See also: gomukha , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Vasishtha Vasistha (Sanskrit) The most wealthy; a celebrated Vedic rishi, representing the typical Brahmin sage. Many legends have clustered about him, especially in regard to his conflict with the sage Visvamitra -- the king who raised himself from the Kshatriya to the Brahmanical class.

Many hymns of the Rig-Veda are attributed to these two sages: one hymn represents Vasishtha as the family priest of King Sudas, and in the Rig-Veda (7:33:11) he is called the son of the apsaras Urvasi by Mitra and Varuna, hence his name Maitravaruni. He is also supposed to have owned Nandini, the cow of plenty (offspring of Surabhi). As this cow was able to grant the sage all his wishes, he became the master of every vasu (desirable object).

In Manu (1:35) Vasishtha is enumerated as one of the ten prajapatis, the patriarchs produced by Manu-Svayambhuva for the peopling of the earth. In the Mahabharata he is regarded as the family priest of the Suryavansa (solar race), and also as one of the seven great rishis associated with the seven stars of the Great Bear. In the Puranas, Vasishtha is represented as one of the arrangers of the Vedas in a dvapara yuga of a certain chatur yuga, and as the father of seven celebrated sons.

(See also: Vasishtha Vasistha , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

In today's world information about food can be very confusing. Millions of dollars are spent by food companies on advertising designed to persuade people, especially children, into wanting cheaply made foods that may taste good, but are not healthy for their bodies. More then ever before children suffer from being overweight and from having allergies, asthma, ear infections, diabetes, ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and sadly, from cancer.

(See also: Indigo Children, What is Indigo Children, Parenting Indigo Children, Adult Indigo, Indigo Children Channeling)

Read more here: » Indigo Children: Nutrition and the Indigo Child

Ganga (Sanskrit) The Ganges, the principal sacred river in India. There are two versions of its myth: one relates that Ganga (the goddess) having transformed herself into a river, flows from the big toe of Vishnu; the other, that the Ganga drop from the ear of Siva into the Anavatapta lake, thence passes out, through the mouth of the silver cow (gomukhi), crosses all Eastern India and falls into the Southern Ocean. "An ‘heretical superstition ", remarks Mr. Eitel in his Sanskrit, Chinese Dictionary "ascribes to the waters of the Ganges sin-cleansing power" No more a "superstition" one would say, than the belief that the waters of Baptism and the Jordan have "sin-cleansing power".

(See also: Ganga , Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary,)

GLANDULARS: freeze-dried animal glands, processed into pill form and taken to provide the body an extra dose of a hormone. Typically made from cow, sheep, or pig glands, glandulars on the market include adrenal, testicular, ovary, pancreas, pituitary, prostate, and thymus products.

Critics point out that these supplements are unlikely to boost gland function because digestion breaks down and inactivates the DNA in a glandular. In addition, using glandulars may encourage your own glands to reduce hormone production. Other risks include bacterial contamination of the product, and the antibiotics and pesticides present in the glands of the livestock they are taken from.

(See also: Glandulars , Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

HOB: imp or minor Nature Spirit. Love water wells, keeping the water purified. Love cream (fat that came to the top of cow's milk). Hate cats because cats would steal their creamed milk.

(See also: HOB , Witchcraft, Wicca, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

Crescent (from Latin crescere to increase)

The moon in its first quarter, or the figure of a circular arc or lune; a symbol of the moon, which in its highest signification is the Queen of Heaven, Diana, the great mother of the earth, as the sun is the great father of all. It is associated in Egypt with Isis, in Greece and Rome with Aphrodite and Venus, in Asia Minor with Astarte or Astaroth and many other lunar goddesses, who are often represented with cow's horns.

The Roman Catholic Mary is sometimes represented as standing on the crescent moon, and when Venus-Lucifer became transformed into Satan, its crescent became the devil's horns. The symbol also parallels that of the ark or argha and appears in the Egyptian symbol of the solar boat, where it indicates that the moon is the sun's vehicle.

But the moon is a triple symbol, and may stand for the lower astral light, the linga-sarira, and the female generative function. In the symbol of Mercury, which represents the human being, we have the crescent representing the lower mind or soul; the circle, heart or spirit; and the cross, functions or body. This symbolism appears in other planetary symbols: in Saturn, for instance, the cross is over the crescent, while in Jupiter the crescent is over the cross. Also, the crescent and star (or sun) is the emblem of the Moslem faith.

(See also: Crescent , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Nriga

A son of Vaivasvata Manu who mistakenly gave the same cow in charity to two different brahmanas. Cursed by the brahmanas, who refused to accept any other cow in exchange, he was obliged to become a lizard at the bottom of a well. Years later, Krishna lifted him from the well and restored his heavenly body.

(See also: Nriga , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

DRAGON (lung, Chinese, rong, Vietnamese, ryu, Japanese, naga, Sanskrit) -

1. great beneficent being in Far East mythology which guards hidden treasures and heavenly mansions, presides over the weather and bestows rewards on deserving persons; traditionally represented with the horns of a deer, the head of a camel or horse, the eyes of a prawn or devil, the neck of a snake, the belly of a giant clam, the scales of a fish, the claws of an eagle, the feet of a tiger and the ears of a cow; symbol of Heaven, yang, energy, fortune, the Tao, virtue.

2. symbol of the defender of the Dharma in Buddhism.

3. one of an superhuman race of serpents in Hinduism.

4. dreadful beastie in Western mythology, which is forever carrying off maidens or laying waste the countryside, as in the tales of St. George, Perseus, Jason, Siegfried.

5. symbol of wisdom in the hermetic tradition and alchemy.

6. symbol of that which encloses and turns the psyche in on itself. (Joseph Campbell) (NAD)

(See also: DRAGON , Wiccan Pagan, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

The 'soul' metaphysics in Jainism has a very interesting colour-coded concept called the Lesya . According to Jainism, Lesya is determined by the adherence of karmic matter to the jiva or soul, resulting from both good and bad actions. This adherence is compared to the way in which particles of dust adhere to a body smeared with oil.

Read more here: » Jainism: Lesya - Jaina Theory Of Coloured Destiny

Diet Planning

Since diet, along with daily habits, is crucial to the health of an individual, it must be made clear at the outset that there is no standard ideal diet for all people in general. The various factors that need to be kept in mind while working out the ideal diet for each person, which will be distinctly different based on the person’s specific constitutional characteristics, are as listed below:

·      The natural qualities of each food.

·      How those natural qualities can get altered.

·      The effects of combining foods – proper and unacceptable combinations.

·      The quantity of food intake.

·      Individual differences in food intake.

·      The places & climate where the food is grown, prepared and consumed.

·      The effects of the seasons and time of day.

·      Avoidance of artificial flavors, chemicals, preservatives and colours.

Diet Composition

One other factor that has remained a matter of great debate worldwide over the ages has been the vegetarianism vs. non-vegetarianism controversy. Initially it was common belief that non-vegetarian diet is superior in that it is full of energetic ingredients and thus provides more strength and stamina. But now it has been scientifically established that vegetarian diet is more natural and useful to human nature.

Non-vegetarian diet contains cholesterol saturated fatty acids that are the root cause of diseases as coronary heart problems, cerebro-vascular accidents (strokes), eye disorders & high blood pressure. With only about 60% of its contents useful for human body, the rest 40% contains harmful toxins. In addition, such diet is usually heavy for the stomach and produces acidity, which in turn can cause problems in the gastrointestinal system.

Another significantly important difference between the two is that fruits & vegetables (cereals & grains, legumes, seedy fruits, citrus fruits, carrot, cabbage, celery, green leafy vegetables, apples, melons, peaches, pears etc.) are rich in dietary fibers that reduces incidence of coronary heart diseases, cancer of intestinal tract, piles, obesity, diabetes, constipation, hiatus hernia, diverticulitis, irritable bowel syndrome, dental caries and gallstones.

Also many disease causing organisms are transmitted through and thrive in animal protein – serious ailments as Encephalopathy and Mad Cow diseases are caused by Bovine Spongi. Similarly the Salmonella Typhimurium bacteria can be passed on through consumed eggs, causing diseases like pneumonia, bronchitis and typhoid.

Given that the body of non-vegetarian animals contains 10 times more amount of hydrochloric acid than that of vegetarian ones, and that the human body should not be having such a high concentration of hydrochloric acid, it is reasonable to assume that the fact human body is basically meant for a vegetarian diet.

(See also: Diet Planning , Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Dictionary, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Bee(Bees) Greek and Roman writers, having in mind the terminology of the Mysteries, used the term bees (melissai) to denote both priestesses and women disciples. Thus it was used for the priestesses of Delphi and other Mysteries, and by the Neoplatonists for pure and chaste persons. Honey and nectar are symbols of wisdom.

Vergil says that bees have a portion of the divine mind, from which aethereal particles stream, and that divinity permeates the whole earth so that all beings draw from it the streams of life (Georgics 4, 320). The spiritual or monadic consciousness (the nous) manifests itself in innumerable ways, and this same consciousness is in man. A little later Vergil says that bees are born from the carcass of a slain bullock or bull.

The bull or cow is a symbol of the moon, and the moon has always stood as a symbol of the psychic intelligence or lower human mind; thus the meaning is that out of his perfectly subordinated ("slain") bull -- the lunar body or psychic nature -- is born the "bee" of the disciple, the will and the urge to enter into the solar life or the spirit. In the Finnish mythology of the Kalevala, a bee is the messenger between this world and higher realms. In Scandinavian mythology bees again play an important part with the world tree (Yggdrasil).

(See also: Bee , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Outward symbols are necessary and beneficial. When viewed from the right angle of vision, you will find that they play a very important part in your material as well as spiritual life. Though they may look very simple and unimportant, they are very scientific and effective.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Hindu Symbols: Symbols in Hinduism

Ritucharya

Given that the term prakriti denotes both body constitution and nature, it is only expected that with the changing seasons of nature there will be corresponding effects on the bhutas and thereby the doshas of the constitution. Cold, dry weather for instance enhances vata, hot humid climate increases pitta, while cold, wet weather aggravates kapha.

To avoid such continued aggravation leading to imbalance of the doshas, Ayurveda prescribes a seasonal routine to preserve the doshic balance as the seasons change. For each season therefore, there is a unique diet (ahar), a distinct mode of living (vihara) and routine living (karya). These keep your doshas in a state of equilibrium and help you cope with the stresses and strains of changing seasons.

In Ayurvedic literature the year is divided into six ritus (seasons) – varsha (monsoon), sharada (autumn), hemanta (winter), shishira (late winter), girshma (summer) and vasanta (spring). The effects of these ritus on the three doshas and the suggested lifestyle for each is as indicated below:

Monsoon:

Diet

·  Digestive power weakens and bodily vata is aggravated.

·  It is advisable therefore to be moderate in your diet.

·  Come rains, tuck into astringent, bitter and pungent food along with wheat & rice.

·  Never forget to boil & cool your water. And if possible, add a little honey.

Conduct

·  Go for oil massages and regular baths.

·  Do not indulge in daytime sleeping.

·  Avoid moving in the sun, and excessive physical exercise

·  Do not indulgence in excessive sex.

Autumn:

Diet

Yummy dishes with astringent, bitter or sweet tastes are for you to enjoy.

Have lots of rice, barley, wheat, along with curd, cabbage, cheese, milk.

Avoid meat, yoghurt.

Conduct

·  This is the right time to go through purgation & blood letting treatment. (for detail see Panchkarma)

·  Avoid excessive sunbathing

·  Do not expose yourself to easterly winds.

Winter:

Diet

·  Dig into piping hot, oily, sour & salty food along with rice. Also plenty of cow’s milk & cane juice.

·  Drink warm water and it will improve your life span.

·  Avoid light food to pacify vata.

Conduct

·  Don’t expose yourself to cold.

·  Go for an invigorating oil massage followed by tepid water bath.

·  Cover your body with sufficient warm wraps

·  Indulge in intense sexual pleasure.

Spring:

Diet

·  Kapha that has already accumulated is liquidified by the heat and disturbs your digestive system.

·  Avoid heavy, oily, sour & sweet food & drinks that may aggravate kapha.

·  Take in barley, wheat, rice, scrup, & bitter vegetables.

·  Go for vigorous exercises, and oil massages.

·  Cut down your smoking habit.

• Avoid day-time naps.

Summer:

Diet

·  Take in plenty of fluids. Avoid dehydration.

·  Avoid food with pungent, acid & salt tastes.

·  Tuck into sweet, cold & oily foods. Meat of birds & animals are good for you.

·  Avoid excessive physical exercises & excessive sex.

·  Avoid sunlight and harmful UV rays.

·  Enjoy the cool breeze of your garden & fragrance of flowers.

• Try to take a short nap.

(See also: Ritucharya , Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Dictionary, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

 Kama-dhenu:

the heavenly cow

(See also:  Kama-dhenu , Body Mind and Soul)

vibhuti: (Sanskrit) "Resplendent, powerful."

Holy ash, prepared by burning cow dung along with other precious substances, milk, ghee, honey, etc. It symbolizes purity and is one of the main sacraments given at puja in all Saivite temples and shrines. Saivites wear three stripes on the brow as a distinct sectarian mark, as do many Smartas. Vibhuti is also a synonym for siddhi, supernormal powers developed through yoga practice. It is the title of the third chapter of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, which discusses siddhis.

See: tilaka. tripundra.

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

Recently a discussion based on the Mayan calendar regarding an upcoming economic crisis in the United States has emerged. As I have shown in my forthcoming book: The Mayan Calendar and the Transformation of Consciousness the Mayan calendar does indeed with great exactness describe the ups and downs of the current economic system and this by itself is an important piece of news. Considering that we are getting deeper into a new Underworld, a new stage in the evolution of consciousness, such a discussion is indeed very much needed.

Read more here: » Mayan Calendar and the Coming Economic Crisis in the West

Ginnungagap (Icelandic) (from ginn vast, wide + unga bring to birth, hatch (as an egg) + gap chasm, maw)

The gaping void of Norse mythology; space as an unimaginable abstraction, without form and void. The formless void that preceded creation, and the abode of the gods during the long night of nonbeing. The prefix "ginn" is found only in conjunction with such words a ginnheilog (the supreme divine essence), ginnregin (the highest gods, superior to the aesir and even the vanir). Ginnungave represents the "most holy sanctuaries" -- the universe. Odin in his loftiest aspect is referred to as ginnarr, connoting the aether or Sanskrit akasa. The verb ginna also means to delude or play a trick on.

According to the Edda's poetic description, before the existence of worlds, there was naught but Ginnungagap. All matter was frozen in a state of nonbeing, for in the absence of the energizing impulsion (the gods) nothing moved, no atoms existed, hence no matter. This state of non-existence was portrayed as the frost giant Ymir, which resulted when heat from the fiery world, Muspellsheim (home of flame), met the vapors from the world of mists, Niflheim (home of nebulae), creating fertile vapor in the void.

The cow Audhumla licked salt from the blocks of ice and uncovered the head of Buri (King Bore of Swedish tradition), personification of frozen, unmoving nonbeing. From Buri emanated Bur and from this second stage (or second divine Logos) descended the creative trinity of gods: Odin, Vile, and Vi, which powers together "slew" Ymir and with his body (matter) formed the worlds.

(See also: Ginnungagap , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Holi is an abundant celebration of joy, goodness and the season of spring. The day of Holi on Phalgun Purnima (full moon day) is observed as the birthday of Manu, the start of Sambat (first day in the Hindu calendar). Spiritually, it signifies light prevailing over darkness, fear and ignorance.

Holi is associated with mal utsav (smearing of colours) and the Holika bonfire in which dry sticks and cow dung are put to fire and corn seeds burnt to the point of losing their power to germinate. The fire represents the burning away of what is old and worn out. The festivities of Holi have a central message - let bygones be bygones, bury old hatchets and start anew in the spirit of spring.

(See also: Holi , 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: » Holi: Colourful Triumph of Good over Evil - about Holi  

Raganuga-sadhana - Sri Rupa Gosvami’s conclusions regarding the method for performing raganuga-bhajana are stated in Bhaktirasamrta-sindhu (1.2.294-296) as follows: "One should constantly remember one’s dearest nava-kisora Sri Nanda-nandana and the beloved associates of Krsna who are possessed of sajatiya-bhava or the identical mood for which one aspires. One should always reside in Sri Vraja-dhama with great attachment for hearing topics regarding Krsna and His devotees.

If one is physically unable to live in Vraja, one should do so mentally. This is the method of raganuga-bhakti-sadhana.” Sri Rupa Gosvami continues: "A sadhaka who has lobha for raganuga-bhakti should serve Sri Krsna both in the sadhaka-rupa and the siddha-rupa in accordance with the bhava of the Vrajaparikaras who possess the same mood for which he aspires. The angas of bhakti such as sravana, kirtana, sri guru-padasraya, and others in regard to vaidhi-bhakti, are also useful and necessary in raganuga-bhakti. But judicious sadhakas will adopt only those angas which nourish their specific bhava, avoiding those which hamper it.”

Examples of the angas of bhakti in regard to raganuga-sadhana are as follows: sravanam in madhura-rasa means that one will hear how a maidservant serves Lalita, Visakha, Radha and Krsna. Kirtana means that one will learn how to do pati-vancanam, that is speaking sweet words to the husband in order to cheat him and go to participate in the lila of Radha and Krsna. Smaranam means to remember how Lalita and Visakha are rendering service to Srimati Radharani. Pada-sevanam means to take Srimati Radharani to meet with Krsna at night. Arcanam is done with the corner of the eyes. When Krsna is returning from the cow-pastures with the cowherd boys and the cows, all the gopis are standing at their doorsteps doing arcana with the corner of their eyes. Everything is there; the flame is there, water is there, sneha, mana, pranaya and everything else is there. Krsna also accepts their worship with the corner of His eyes. This is called arcana. Atma-nivedanam means gopijana-vallabhaya svaha: "I am the maidservant of Radha and Krsna, and I am offering my entire being to Them.”

(See also: Raganuga-sadhana , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Surabhi (Sanskrit). The "cow of plenty "; a fabulous creation, one of the fourteen precious things yielded by the ocean of milk when churned by the gods. A "cow" which yields every desire to its possessor.

(See also: Surabhi , Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary,)