The Shaktis of the Nakshatras

Each Nakshatra has its particular power or Shakti. These are also the powers of the Devatas or the deities ruling the Nakshatras. Each of these Shaktis has its effect above and its effect below, and the final result of these three factors. The imagery is of common factors of plants, healing, worship, marriage and death.

Includes: Ashwini, Bharani, Krittika, Rohini, Mrigashirsha, Ardra, Punarvasu, Pushya, Aslesha, Magha, Purva Phalguni, Uttara Phalguni, Hasta, Chitra, Swati, Vishakha, Anuradha, Jyeshta, Mula, Purvashadha, Uttarashadha, Shravana, Dhanishta, Shatabhishak, Purva Bhadra, Uttara Bhadra and Revati.

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Erotic fiction is the name given to fiction that deals with sex or sexual themes, generally in a more literary or serious way than the fiction seen in pornographic magazines and sometimes including elements of satire or social criticism. While there are substantial quantities of written pornographic works, very few of these come near the standards of the best of mainstream literature. Works of significant literary merit that can be classed as erotic literature include: Verbal Penetration by Jessica Ho ...

See also:

Erotic literature, Erotic literature - Sex manuals, Erotic literature - Erotic fiction, Erotic literature - Legal status, Erotic literature - Internet fiction, Erotic literature - Reference

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As the head of state, the Sovereign remains the "fount of honour", but the system for identifying and recognising candidates to honour has changed considerably over time. Various orders of knighthood have been created (see below) as well as awards for military service, bravery, merit and achievement which take the form of decorations or medals. The means of selection depends upon the type of award being made. Most medals are not graded. Each one recognises specific service and as such there are normally set criteria which must be met. ...

See also:

British honours system, British honours system - Brief history, British honours system - Modern honours, British honours system - Refusal or forfeiture, British honours system - Current orders of chivalry, British honours system - Old orders of chivalry, British honours system - The Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick, British honours system - The Royal Guelphic Order, British honours system - Indian Orders, British honours system - Other honours and appointments, British honours system - Hereditary peerage, British honours system - Life peerage, British honours system - Baronetcy, British honours system - Knighthood, British honours system - Other orders, British honours system - Order of St John, British honours system - Honorary awards, British honours system - Precedence, British honours system - Style, British honours system - Reform

Read more here: » British honours system: Encyclopedia II - British honours system - Modern honours

Swords are critical in most feudal societies, and Japan was no exception. In the 6th century BCE the legendary Emperor Jimmu conquered much of Japan. At the same time, the Japanese took inspiration for swords from the Chinese. Early swords were merely duplicates of Chinese swords, straight and double-edged, but the warring stability of the Asuka period promoted the advancement of weaponry. One of the oldest known forms of kenjutsu dates the Kofun era (3rd and 4th centuries). The style, called Kashima no Tachi (鹿島の太刀), ...

See also:

Katana, Katana - The sword in Japanese society, Katana - History of the Japanese sword, Katana - Classification of Japanese swords, Katana - Classification by length, Katana - Classification by schools and provinces, Katana - Classification by date of manufacture, Katana - Classification by mode of wear, Katana - Notes, Katana - Manufacturing, Katana - Composition, Katana - Construction, Katana - Anatomy of the katana, Katana - Decoration, Katana - Polishing, Katana - Furnishings, Katana - Technique, Katana - In popular culture, Katana - Myths, Katana - In fiction, Katana - Comparisons with European swords, Katana - Some famous katana smiths, Katana - Famous historic katana users, Katana - Other reading

Read more here: » Katana: Encyclopedia II - Katana - History of the Japanese sword

Jaina Kalpasutra - A Visual Treat

The Kalpasutra is held in great honour especially by the Svetambara sect of Jainism. A work in Prakrit, its composition is originally attributed to the celebrated author Bhadrabahu (BC 433 to 357).

The Kalpasutra shows the early stage of the development of Jainism, the succession of pontiffs and the rules for Jaina monks during the four months of monsoon or chaturmasa when the monks are not on the move. The text records the five auspicious events - the descent from heaven, birth, initiation, obtaining of omniscience, and death - and many legends of the last three Pathfinders or Tirthankaras: Aristanemi, Parsvanatha, and Mahavira, and those of Rishabhanatha, the first of the 24 Tirthankaras. The arrangement of Bhadrabahu's book moves back in time.

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Both Christianity and Judaism believe in some form of judgement. The Christian view is very well defined - every human is a sinner, and nothing but being saved by God's grace (and not through any merit of ones own actions) can change the damnatory sentence to salvation. There is a judgement after death, and Christ will return to judge the living and dead. Those positively judged will be saved and live in God's presence in heaven, those who are negatively judged will be ca ...

See also:

Judaism and Christianity, Judaism and Christianity - Neither religion is monolithic, Judaism and Christianity - Raison d'être of the religion, Judaism and Christianity - The nature of religion: national versus universal, Judaism and Christianity - Concepts of God, Judaism and Christianity - Understanding of the Bible, Judaism and Christianity - Sin and Original Sin, Judaism and Christianity - Faith versus good deeds, Judaism and Christianity - Love, Judaism and Christianity - Abortion, Judaism and Christianity - War violence and pacifism, Judaism and Christianity - Judgement, Judaism and Christianity - Capital punishment, Judaism and Christianity - Heaven and Hell, Judaism and Christianity - The Messiah, Judaism and Christianity - Catholic views, Judaism and Christianity - Eastern Orthodox views, Judaism and Christianity - Jewish views, Judaism and Christianity - Evangelism, Judaism and Christianity - Miscellaneous, Judaism and Christianity - Mutual views, Judaism and Christianity - Common Jewish views of Christianity, Judaism and Christianity - Common Christian views of Judaism

Read more here: » Judaism and Christianity: Encyclopedia II - Judaism and Christianity - Judgement

At Newcastle, Shearer continued to score regularly, but the club have not won a trophy during his time at the club. He was appointed an OBE for services to Association Football in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in June 2001, an honour to go with the Freedom of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne that was bestowed upon him in March. He was also awarded the Barclaycard Merit Award on in 2002 for reaching the landmark of scoring 200 Premiership goals. Shearer had hit his 200th Pre ...

See also:

Alan Shearer, Alan Shearer - Early career and England debut 1986-1992, Alan Shearer - Blackburn and England 1992-1996, Alan Shearer - Newcastle and England 1996-2000, Alan Shearer - Later years at Newcastle 2000-2006, Alan Shearer - Clubs

Read more here: » Alan Shearer: Encyclopedia II - Alan Shearer - Later years at Newcastle 2000-2006

These early poems were to some extent a threat to the newly emerging faith of Islam and if not actually suppressed, fell into disuse for some years. The division of society into tribes and the internecine warfare carried out through verse served to separate Arabs at a time when religion was trying to pull them together. The sha'ir and their pronouncements were too closely associated with the religion practiced before Islam and the role of the poet was singled out for criticism in the Qur'an. They also praised subjects of dubious merit ...

See also:

Arabic poetry, Arabic poetry - Pre-Islamic poetry, Arabic poetry - Poetry under Islam, Arabic poetry - Court poets, Arabic poetry - Modern poetry, Arabic poetry - Poetic forms, Arabic poetry - Mu'rabbah: literary Arabic, Arabic poetry - Malhunah: informal poetry, Arabic poetry - Poetic themes, Arabic poetry - Selected poets & anthologists

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The International Skating Union - ISU is the governing body for international competitions. The ISU oversees the World Championships and the figure skating events at the Winter Olympic Games. In singles and pairs figure skating competition, competitors must perform two routines, the "short program", in which the skater must complete a list of required elements consisting of jumps, spins and steps; and the "free skating", in which the skaters have slightly more choice of elements. Ice dancing competitions usually consist of three phase ...

See also:

Figure skating, Figure skating - Equipment, Figure skating - Disciplines, Figure skating - Jumps, Figure skating - Spins, Figure skating - Steps and turns, Figure skating - Competition format and scoring, Figure skating - History, Figure skating - Notable figure skaters, Figure skating - Navigation, Figure skating - Men, Figure skating - Ladies, Figure skating - Pairs, Figure skating - Ice Dance

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Most Abrahamic religions agree that a human being comprises the body, which dies, and the soul, which need not do so. The soul, capable of remaining alive beyond human death, carries the essence of that person with it, and God will judge that persons life accordingly after they die. The importance of this, the focus on it, and the precise criteria and end result differs between religions. Reincarnation and transmigration tend not to feature proeminently in Abrahamic religions. Although as a rule they all look to some form of afterlife ...

See also:

Abrahamic religion, Abrahamic religion - Overview, Abrahamic religion - Origins, Abrahamic religion - Patriarchs, Abrahamic religion - The Supreme Deity, Abrahamic religion - Judaism, Abrahamic religion - Christianity, Abrahamic religion - Islam, Abrahamic religion - Inclusivity, Abrahamic religion - Religious scriptures, Abrahamic religion - Judaism, Abrahamic religion - Christianity, Abrahamic religion - Islam, Abrahamic religion - Rastafari movement, Abrahamic religion - The coming, Abrahamic religion - Afterlife, Abrahamic religion - Judaism, Abrahamic religion - Christianity, Abrahamic religion - Islam, Abrahamic religion - Worship, Abrahamic religion - Circumcision, Abrahamic religion - Food restrictions, Abrahamic religion - Evangelism

Read more here: » Abrahamic religion: Encyclopedia II - Abrahamic religion - Afterlife

College Board - SAT. The SAT, which is no longer an acronym, is the most widely known of the College Board's examinations. Over 3 million students, both in the United States and elsewhere, take the test each year. The SAT has undergone many changes in its history; most recently it was changed to include a Writing section. In addition to the SAT, the College Board offers the PSAT, a nearly identical test which functions as a practice SAT and a selection tool for ...

See also:

College Board, College Board - Tests, College Board - SAT, College Board - Advanced Placement AP

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To discriminate is to make a distinction. There are several meanings of the word, including statistical discrimination, or the actions of a circuit called a `discriminator`. This article addresses the most common colloquial sense of the word, invidious discrimination. That is, to make a distinction between people on the basis of class or category without regard to individual merit. Examples include social, racial, religious, sexual, disability, ethnic and age-related discrimination. Discrimination - Government san ...

Including:

• Discrimination - Government sanctioned discrimination
• Discrimination - Ageism
• Discrimination - The paradox of discrimination
• Discrimination - Gender Discrimination

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Divine grace - Orthodox. Kallistos Ware, The Inner Kingdom: The Collected Works (St. Vladimir's Seminary, 2000) ISBN 0881412090 The Way of a Pilgrim and A Pilgrim Continues on His Way, Olga Savin, trans. ISBN 1570628076 Divine grace - Roman Catholic. Catholic Teaching on Sin & Grace (Center for Learning, 1997) ISBN 1560775211 Stephen J. Duffy, The Graced Horizon: Nature and Grace in Modern Catholic Thought< ...

See also:

Divine grace, Divine grace - Shared concepts of grace, Divine grace - Biblical concepts of grace, Divine grace - Ideas of grace in the Hebrew Bible, Divine grace - New Testament ideas of grace, Divine grace - Tension between grace and works in the New Testament, Divine grace - Efforts to resolve the tension, Divine grace - Concepts of grace in the history of Christianity, Divine grace - Grace in Western Christianity, Divine grace - Pelagius vs. St Augustine, Divine grace - Grace and merit, Divine grace - Grace in Eastern Christianity, Divine grace - Grace in the Protestant Reformation:, Divine grace - Calvinism and Arminianism, Divine grace - Jansenism versus the Jesuits, Divine grace - The Protestant Reformation and ecclesiology, Divine grace - Latter-day Saint Perspective, Divine grace - For further reading, Divine grace - Orthodox, Divine grace - Roman Catholic, Divine grace - Protestant

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Limits to Growth attracted controversy as soon as it was published. Yale economist Henry C. Wallich labeled the book "a piece of irresponsible nonsense" in his March 13, 1972 Newsweek editorial. Wallich's main complaints are that the book was published as a publicity stunt with great fanfare at the Smithsonian in Washington, and that there was insufficient evidence for many of the variables used in the model. According to Wallich, "the quantitative content of the model comes for the authors' imagination, although they never reveal the equati ...

See also:

Limits to Growth, Limits to Growth - Exponential reserve index, Limits to Growth - Criticism, Limits to Growth - Notes, Limits to Growth - ISBNs

Read more here: » Limits to Growth: Encyclopedia II - Limits to Growth - Criticism

Absolute (from Latin ab away + solvere to loosen, dissolve)

Freed, released, absolved; parallel to the Sanskrit moksha, mukti (set free, released), also to the Buddhist nirvana (blown out), all three terms signifying one who has obtained freedom from the cycle of material existence.

Absolute, in European philosophy, is used somewhat loosely for the unconditional or boundless infinitude. On the other hand, Sir W. Hamilton (Disc 13n) considers the Absolute as "diametrically opposed to, . . . contradictory of, the Infinite," which is correct from the standpoint of both etymology and abstract philosophy. Blavatsky uses the term both ways: sometimes equating it with infinity, at other times with the first cause or one divine substance-principle.

Strictly speaking, absolute is a relative term. It is the philosophic One or cosmic originant, but not the mystic zero or infinitude. An absolute or a cosmic freed one is not That (infinity), for infinity has no attributes: it is neither absolute nor nonabsolute, conscious nor unconscious, because all attributes and qualities belong to manifested and therefore noninfinite beings and things (cf FSO 89-90). The boundless or infinite, in which exist innumerable absolutes, includes the cognizer, the cognized, and the cognition, and is both matter and spirit, subject and object; all egos and non-egos are included within it.

From the zero emanate an infinite number of cosmic Ones or monads. Every absolute is not only the hierarch of its own hierarchy, the One from which all subsequent differentiations emanate, but is also a cosmic jivanmukta, a released monad freed from the pull of the lower planes. Every monad at the threshold of paranirvana reassumes its primeval essence and becomes at one with the absolute of its own hierarchy once more. The absolute is thus the goal of evolution as well as the source, the highest divinity or Silent Watcher of the hierarchy of compassion, which forms the light side of a universe or cosmic hierarchy.

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

For more dictionary entries, see » Merit Dictionary

The list is divided in parts to make it easier to overview Shia view of the Sahaba - part 1. Zayd ibn Harithah Uthman ibn Maz'un Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr Ja'far ibn Abi Talib Ruqayya bint muhammad Umm Kulthum bint muhammad Fatima bint al-Khattab Sumayya bint Khubbat Asma bint 'Umays Umm Ayman Bashir ibn Sa'd Abu'n-Nu'man ibn Tha'labah al-Ansari al-Khazraji an-Nu'man ibn Bashir Bilal ibn al-Harith ibn ...

See also:

Shia view of the Sahaba, Shia view of the Sahaba - Introduction, Shia view of the Sahaba - Ahl al-Bayt, Shia view of the Sahaba - Sahaba, Shia view of the Sahaba - Merit for seeing Muhammad, Shia view of the Sahaba - Detailed list, Shia view of the Sahaba - This list, Shia view of the Sahaba - The list of the Shi'a view of the Sahaba, Shia view of the Sahaba - strongly positive view, Shia view of the Sahaba - positive view, Shia view of the Sahaba - neutral view, Shia view of the Sahaba - negative view, Shia view of the Sahaba - strongly negative view, Shia view of the Sahaba - uncategorised, Shia view of the Sahaba - part 1, Shia view of the Sahaba - part 2, Shia view of the Sahaba - Part 3, Shia view of the Sahaba - part 4

Read more here: » Shia view of the Sahaba: Encyclopedia II - Shia view of the Sahaba - uncategorised

Definition and meaning of Insurance :

A contract whereby an insurer promises to pay the insured a sum of money or some other benefit upon the happening of one or more uncertain events in exchange for the payment of a premium. There must be uncertainty as to whether the relevant event(s) may happen at all or, if they will occur (e.g. death) as to their timing.

(Source Lloyd's )

Also see these pages: Insurance , Insurance, Insurance Sitemap, Insurance Dictionary - I

For more dictionary entries, see » Merit Dictionary

Trade unions are often accused of benefiting the insider workers, those having a secure job and high productivity, at the cost of the outsider workers, consumers of the goods or services produced, and the shareholders of the unionised business. The ones that are likely to lose the most from a trade union are those who are unemployed or at the risk of unemployment or who are not able to get the job that they want in a particular field. The so-called insider-outsider theory analyses this pro ...

See also:

Trade union, Trade union - History, Trade union - Early history, Trade union - Origin of unions, Trade union - Shop types, Trade union - Benefits extend beyond membership, Trade union - The problem of international comparison, Trade union - Trade unions by country, Trade union - Trade unions in the United Kingdom, Trade union - Labor unions in the United States, Trade union - Unions in other countries, Trade union - International cooperation, Trade union - News, Trade union - Criticism

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Meritocracy - Confucius. "In teaching there should be no distinction of classes." - Analects XV. 39. tr. Legge Many western admirers of Confucius, like Voltaire or H. G. Creel, have pointed out an innovative and revolutionary idea of Confucius': he replaced the nobility of blood with one of virtue. Jūnzǐ (君子), which had meant "noble man," slowly took on a new meaning in his sayings — something like the English "gentleman." A virtuous plebeian who cultivates his qualities could be a "g ...

See also:

Meritocracy, Meritocracy - Origin of term, Meritocracy - Social Darwinism, Meritocracy - Individual proponents, Meritocracy - Confucius, Meritocracy - Han Feizi, Meritocracy - Genghis Khan, Meritocracy - Napoleon, Meritocracy - Meritocratic states, Meritocracy - Singapore, Meritocracy - Grand Duchy of Finland, Meritocracy - Meritocratic civilization, Meritocracy - Western civilization: The Anglosphere and Western Europe

Read more here: » Meritocracy: Encyclopedia II - Meritocracy - Individual proponents

The following summarizes the beliefs of some modern numerologists. The association of various meanings to specific numbers in the time of the European Renaissance, when numbers were worked into the detailed fabric of musical, poetic, & architectural artifice, was both far richer and far more precise than the modern summaries offered here. Numbers 0 to 10 are used in present-day numerology to determine character analysis and predict upcoming trends. Other numbers are thought to carry vibrational influences which must also be taken into consideration, as must also the connection of astrol ...

See also:

Numerology, Numerology - Esoteric significance of numbers, Numerology - One, Numerology - Two, Numerology - Three, Numerology - Four, Numerology - Five, Numerology - Six, Numerology - Seven, Numerology - Eight, Numerology - Nine, Numerology - Ten, Numerology - Eleven, Numerology - Twelve, Numerology - Thirteen, Numerology - Twenty-two, Numerology - Zero, Numerology - Alphabetic harmonics, Numerology - Numerological divination, Numerology - Numerology in science, Numerology - Postmodern critique, Numerology - Numerology and astrology, Numerology - In popular culture, Numerology - Days of Birth reveal your character, Numerology - Sunday born, Numerology - Monday born, Numerology - Tuesday born, Numerology - Wednesday born, Numerology - Thursday born, Numerology - Friday born, Numerology - Saturday born

Read more here: » Numerology: Encyclopedia II - Numerology - Esoteric significance of numbers

In 1855, Wallace published a paper, "On the Law Which has Regulated the Introduction of Species" (1855), in which he gathers and enumerates general observations regarding the geographic and geologic distribution of species (biogeography), and concludes that "Every species has come into existence coincident both in space and time with a closely allied species." The paper was a foreshadowing of the momentous paper he would write three years hence. Wallace had once briefly met Darwin, and was one of Darwin's numerous correspondents from ...

See also:

Alfred Russel Wallace, Alfred Russel Wallace - Early life, Alfred Russel Wallace - Exploration and study of the natural world, Alfred Russel Wallace - Theory of evolution, Alfred Russel Wallace - Religious views and application of the theory to mankind, Alfred Russel Wallace - Precursor of ecology and awards, Alfred Russel Wallace - Awards, Alfred Russel Wallace - Publications, Alfred Russel Wallace - Books about Wallace

Read more here: » Alfred Russel Wallace: Encyclopedia II - Alfred Russel Wallace - Theory of evolution

Sola scriptura (Latin By Scripture alone) is one of five important slogans of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. It meant that Scripture is the only infallible rule for deciding issues of faith and practices that involve doctrines. The intention of the Reformation was to "correct" the Catholic Church by appeal to the uniqueness of the Bible's authority, and to reject Christian tradition as a source of original authority alongside the Bible or in addition to the Bible. This is in contrast to Prima scriptura, ...

Including:

• Sola scriptura - The singular authority of Scripture
• Sola scriptura - Scripture and Tradition
• Sola scriptura - Tradition vs. Scripture
• Sola scriptura - Legacy
• Sola scriptura - Biblical references

Read more here: » Sola scriptura: Encyclopedia - Sola scriptura