A Theosophical definition of Avichi :

Avichi

(Sanskrit) A word, the general meaning of which is "waveless," having no waves or movement, suggesting the stagnation of life and being in immobility; it also means "without happiness" or "without repose."

A generalized term for places of evil realizations, but not of punishment in the Christian sense; where the will for evil, and the unsatisfied evil longings for pure selfishness, find their chance for expansion  - and final extinction of the entity itself. Avichi has many degrees or grades. Nature has all things in her; if she has heavens where good and true men find rest and peace and bliss, so has she other spheres and states where gravitate those who must find an outlet for the evil passions burning within. They, at the end of their avichi, go to pieces and are ground over and over, and vanish away finally like a shadow before the sunlight in the air  - ground over in nature's laboratory. (See also Eighth Sphere)

See also: Avichi , Mysticism, Body Mind and Soul

For more dictionary entries, see » Punishment Dictionary

Philip José Farmer in his Riverworld series (1971) created perhaps the best science fiction depiction of a "man" made hell created with advanced technology that ensures immortality and sustenance but allows suffering. While it is never meant to be hell it quickly becomes hellish because the good and evil are both repeatedly resurrected. Immortal and immoral Dictators end up running many areas. It may be called a humanist model of hell. Yet the author car ...

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Hell, Hell - Origins, Hell - Religious accounts, Hell - Rabbinic Judaism, Hell - Ancient Greek religion, Hell - Christianity, Hell - Islam, Hell - Chinese and Japanese religions, Hell - Hinduism, Hell - Buddhism, Hell - Bahá'í Faith, Hell - Taoism, Hell - Hell in Literature, Hell - Hell in entertainment and other popular culture, Hell - Non-religious context, Hell - Euphemistic ways of saying hell, Hell - Language edits, Hell - Places named Hell

Read more here: » Hell: Encyclopedia II - Hell - Hell in entertainment and other popular culture

In origin the word is simply an alternative form of strap, but it is now mainly used in the sense of a flexible strip of leather or canvas used for sharpening a razor, also known as a razor strop. It may be in the form of a hanging belt or a hand-held paddle. In both cases, as the names suggest, it makes a dreaded pervertible for punitive use (e.g. spanking), especially if made of have leather, like a strap or a tawse; antique razor strops are generally heavier. Use of a special paste or dressing is r ...

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Strap, Strap - Binding straps, Strap - Disciplinary strapping, Strap - Razor strop, Strap - Other uses, Strap - Verbs

Read more here: » Strap: Encyclopedia II - Strap - Razor strop

Treehouse of Horror V - The Shinning. In a spoof of The Shining, the Simpsons drive to Mr. Burns's mansion in the mountains as winter caretakers. Groundskeeper Willie discovers Bart has a mysterious power known as..."the Shinning", allowing him to read minds. He warns Bart that Homer may go insane and try to kill the whole family. And, indeed, as Burns leaves, he denies Homer access to two of his favorite things—beer and television. Homer is further goaded by the ghost of Moe, who offers to give him beer ...

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Treehouse of Horror V, Treehouse of Horror V - Episode details, Treehouse of Horror V - Opening Sequence, Treehouse of Horror V - Synopsis, Treehouse of Horror V - The Shinning, Treehouse of Horror V - Time and Punishment, Treehouse of Horror V - Nightmare Cafeteria, Treehouse of Horror V - Inspirations, Treehouse of Horror V - Quotes

Read more here: » Treehouse of Horror V: Encyclopedia II - Treehouse of Horror V - Synopsis

Parenting is the process of raising a child from birth until they reach adulthood. This task is usually done by the biological parents, but if the parents are unable or unwilling to provide care, the task is usually deferred to adoptive parents, foster parents, close relatives (including older siblings), godparents, or institutions (such as group homes or orphanages). An integral part of parenting is education of the child. (For further details on the education of children, see Education) Parenting - Aspects of pa ...

Including:

• Parenting - Aspects of parenting
• Parenting - Parenting Methods and Practices
• Parenting - Pregnancy and the early years
• Parenting - During infancy
• Parenting - Common areas many parents look to address during infancy
• Parenting - School years
• Parenting - Assistance
• Parenting - Observers
• Parenting - Parenting assessment

Read more here: » Parenting: Encyclopedia - Parenting

Set in the near future, the book centres around the life of the fifteen year old protagonist Alex. Alex and his gang roam the streets at night, committing crimes purely for enjoyment. The crimes described in the book increase in severity, from assault, to robbery, to a fight with rival gang, culminating when the gang breaks into the house of F.D. Alexander and rapes his wife. The gang returns to a bar where Alex hits one of his gang members, Dim, as punishment for Dim's rude behaviour towards a woman who was singing the chorus of Ode to Joy, classical music being Alex's other passion, apart from violence. This sparks o ...

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A Clockwork Orange, A Clockwork Orange - Synopsis, A Clockwork Orange - Analysis, A Clockwork Orange - Influence, A Clockwork Orange - Trivia, A Clockwork Orange - Alternate usages

Read more here: » A Clockwork Orange: Encyclopedia II - A Clockwork Orange - Synopsis

Until the age of fourteen, the education of children was in the hands of their parents, but supervised by the authorities of their calpulli. Periodically they attended their local temples, to test their progress. Part of their education was a collection of sayings, called huehuetlatolli ("The sayings of the old"), that represented the Aztecs' ideals. It included speeches and sayings for every occasion, the words to salute the birth of children, and to say farewell at death. Fathers admonished their daughters to be very c ...

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Aztec, Aztec - Terminology, Aztec - Legends and traditions, Aztec - Rise of the Aztecs, Aztec - The Empire, Aztec - Aztec society, Aztec - Class structure, Aztec - Slavery, Aztec - Recreation, Aztec - Tenochtitlan, Aztec - Education, Aztec - Diet, Aztec - Human sacrifice, Aztec - Poetry, Aztec - Downfall, Aztec - Sources

Read more here: » Aztec: Encyclopedia II - Aztec - Education

Early warning signs regarding the attacks first surfaced in 1996, when Eric Harris created a private website on America Online. The original site was set up to host Doom levels that he and Klebold had created, mainly for friends. Throughout the year, Harris began a primitive blog on the site, which included jokes and small journal entries concerning his thoughts on parents, school, and friends. By the end of the year, the site contained instructions on how to cause mischief, as well as instructions on how to make explosives, and logs of the ...

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Columbine High School massacre, Columbine High School massacre - Warning signs, Columbine High School massacre - Crime punishment and retaliation, Columbine High School massacre - Journals and videos, Columbine High School massacre - Firearms, Columbine High School massacre - April 20 1999: shooting at Columbine High, Columbine High School massacre - The shooting begins, Columbine High School massacre - The library massacre, Columbine High School massacre - Suicide of the shooters, Columbine High School massacre - The shooting ends, Columbine High School massacre - Aftermath, Columbine High School massacre - Third shooter theory, Columbine High School massacre - Aftershock and the search for reasons, Columbine High School massacre - Long-term impact, Columbine High School massacre - Cultural impact, Columbine High School massacre - Notes

Read more here: » Columbine High School massacre: Encyclopedia II - Columbine High School massacre - Warning signs

Atwood's tale presents a number of social critiques. It presents a dystopic vision of American society in the period 1970–1985, particularly in the period of backlash against feminism. This critique is most clearly seen in both Offred's remembrance of the slow social transformation towards theocratic fascism, and in the ideology of the Aunts. Atwood also presents a critique of modern fundamentalist religious movements, including American fundamentalist Baptist Christianity, and Iranian fundamentalist Islam. In the American ca ...

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The Handmaid's Tale, The Handmaid's Tale - Themes, The Handmaid's Tale - Dystopia, The Handmaid's Tale - Subjugation of women, The Handmaid's Tale - Subjugation of women in pre-Gileadian society, The Handmaid's Tale - Social regulation of human sexuality, The Handmaid's Tale - Sumptuary laws, The Handmaid's Tale - Plot, The Handmaid's Tale - Social critique, The Handmaid's Tale - Film stage and musical adaptation, The Handmaid's Tale - Biblical references, The Handmaid's Tale - References in social science

Read more here: » The Handmaid's Tale: Encyclopedia II - The Handmaid's Tale - Social critique

Before their lives began, Romulus and Remus’s grandfather Numitor and his brother Amulius received the throne of Alba Longa upon their father’s death. Numitor received the sovereign powers as his birth right while Amulius received the royal treasury, including the gold Aeneas brought with him from Troy. But because Amulius held the treasury, thus having more power than his brother, he dethroned Numitor as the rightful king. Out of fear that Numitor’s daughter, Rhea Silvia, would produce children that would one day overthrow him as king, he forced Rhea to ...

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Romulus and Remus, Romulus and Remus - Life Before Rome, Romulus and Remus - The Founding of Rome, Romulus and Remus - War with the Sabines, Romulus and Remus - Life After the Founding of Rome, Romulus and Remus - Death Resurrection and Ascension, Romulus and Remus - Sources, Romulus and Remus - Main Sources, Romulus and Remus - Secondary Sources, Romulus and Remus - Notes

Read more here: » Romulus and Remus: Encyclopedia II - Romulus and Remus - Life Before Rome

No religion in this world preaches violence; yet down the ages horrible killings have taken place in the name of religion. Why? There is no simple answer to this question. Perception definitely has a role in this.

The fault somehow always seems to lie with the other religion. Could it be that we perceive other ideologies with bias or ignorance? Perhaps this explanation would have made sense in the dark ages when distance made communication very difficult. Today, it's different - there is free flow of information. There is a great deal of intermingling and intercourse between individuals and communities across the world. Outwardly there appears to be no reason for any acrimony to exist on the basis of one's faith, yet not only does irascibility exist, it is getting to be more pronounced.

(See also: Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Love and Happiness: To Love, Get Down To The Basics

 To me design, beauty and art can be defined thus: The truly beautiful design or art form is that which is capable of emptying itself of past meanings and memories again and again and live on through changing contexts adapting itself to new interpretations. This emptiness and this adaptability, I call design.

Read more here: » Vaastu Shastra: SPONTANEOUS ART IN ITS MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS

Sociobiologists believe that animal or human behaviour cannot be satisfactorily explained entirely by "cultural" or "environmental" factors alone. They contend that in order to fully understand behaviour, it must be analyzed with some focus on its evolutionary origins. If Darwin's theory of natural selection is accepted, then inherited behavioural mechanisms that allowed an organism a greater chance of surviving and/or reproducing would be more likely to survive in present organisms. Many biologists accept that these sorts of behaviours are present in animal species. However, there is a great deal of controversy over ...

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Sociobiology, Sociobiology - Sociobiological theory, Sociobiology - Controversy, Sociobiology - Implications of sociobiology

Read more here: » Sociobiology: Encyclopedia II - Sociobiology - Sociobiological theory

Stroud was born in Seattle, Washington, on January 28, 1890, to Elizabeth and Ben Stroud. He was the couple's first child, although Elizabeth had two daughters from a previous marriage. Stroud left home at a young age, and by 1908 was in Cordova, Alaska, where he met and began a relationship with 36-year old Kitty O'Brien, a dance-hall entertainer and prostitute. In November 1908 they moved to Juneau, Alaska. On January 18, 1909, while Robert was away at work, an acquaintance of theirs, F. K. "Charlie" Von Dahmer, raped and viciously ...

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Birdman of Alcatraz, Birdman of Alcatraz - His Life, Birdman of Alcatraz - The Book and Film, Birdman of Alcatraz - Truth versus Fiction

Read more here: » Birdman of Alcatraz: Encyclopedia II - Birdman of Alcatraz - His Life

Conscription - Conscription and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Many arguments opposed to conscription, or opposed to gender-discriminated conscription, arise from its violation of the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations. In particular: Art.1: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. (...) Art.2: Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any ki ...

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Conscription, Conscription - History, Conscription - The Gender-issue, Conscription - Conscientious objection, Conscription - Draft evaders, Conscription - Draft resisters, Conscription - Countries with mandatory military service partial list, Conscription - Austria, Conscription - Belarus, Conscription - Bermuda, Conscription - Brazil, Conscription - Bulgaria, Conscription - Chile, Conscription - China PRC, Conscription - Croatia, Conscription - Cyprus, Conscription - Denmark, Conscription - Egypt, Conscription - Eritrea, Conscription - Finland, Conscription - Germany, Conscription - Greece, Conscription - Israel, Conscription - Korea South, Conscription - Lebanon, Conscription - Malaysia, Conscription - Mexico, Conscription - Norway, Conscription - Poland, Conscription - Romania, Conscription - Russia, Conscription - Singapore, Conscription - Sweden, Conscription - Switzerland, Conscription - Taiwan ROC, Conscription - Turkey, Conscription - Ukraine, Conscription - Venezuela, Conscription - Countries that do not currently have mandatory military service partial list, Conscription - Argentina, Conscription - Australia, Conscription - Belgium, Conscription - Canada, Conscription - Czech Republic, Conscription - France, Conscription - Hungary, Conscription - India, Conscription - Iraq, Conscription - Ireland, Conscription - Italy, Conscription - Japan, Conscription - Luxembourg, Conscription - Netherlands, Conscription - New Zealand, Conscription - Portugal, Conscription - Slovakia, Conscription - Slovenia, Conscription - Spain, Conscription - United Kingdom, Conscription - United States, Conscription - Arguments for conscription, Conscription - Valuable training, Conscription - The draft as protection against democracy-destroying military coups, Conscription - Manpower, Conscription - Personnel diversity, Conscription - Conscript quality, Conscription - Political and moral motives, Conscription - Arguments against conscription, Conscription - Conscription and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Conscription - The draft as slavery, Conscription - Discipline problems, Conscription - The draft as nationalism, Conscription - The draft as justification for attacks on civilians, Conscription - Questions of conscript quality, Conscription - Economics

Read more here: » Conscription: Encyclopedia II - Conscription - Arguments against conscription

The concept of self-sacrifice and martyrs are central to Christianity. In Christian teaching, God became incarnate in Jesus Christ to accomplish the reconciliation of God and humanity, which had separated itself from God through sin (see the concept of original sin). God's perfect justice required atonement for sin from humanity if human beings were to be saved from damnation, but God knew limited human beings could not make sufficient atonement, for humanity's offence to God was infinite. So God, in his perfect mercy, himself became a man s ...

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Sacrifice, Sacrifice - Theologies of sacrifice, Sacrifice - Sacrifice in Judaism, Sacrifice - Sacrifice in Islam, Sacrifice - Sacrifice in Hinduism, Sacrifice - Animal sacrifice, Sacrifice - Human sacrifice, Sacrifice - Sacrifice in Christianity, Sacrifice - Sacrifice in games

Read more here: » Sacrifice: Encyclopedia II - Sacrifice - Sacrifice in Christianity

Venus is a planet rich in mythology from many different traditions; it is not without reason that the forthcoming Venus Transit as attracted so much attention. The author, Maya White has been a student and teacher of the metaphysical world for over 25 years and her focus as an astrologer include Theosophy, mysticism, spiritual healing and natal & astrology charts.

Read more here: » Venus Transit: Venus - Goddess of the Morning Star

There have been various movements in art, such as surrealism and cubism, which have been criticized for touching on nihilism, and others like Dada which have embraced it openly. More generally, modern art has been criticised as nihilistic due to its often non-representative nature, as happened with the Nazi party's Degenerate art exhibit. Nihilistic themes can be found in literature and music as well. This is especially true of contemporary music and literature, where the uncertainty following what some perceive as the demise of modernism is explored in detail. ...

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Nihilism, Nihilism - Etymological Origins, Nihilism - Nihilism in Philosophy, Nihilism - Nihilism in Ethics and Morality, Nihilism - Postmodernism and the Breakdown of Knowledge, Nihilism - Nihilism and Nietzsche, Nihilism - Nihilism Self-consistency and Paradox, Nihilism - Nihilism in Art, Nihilism - Dadaism, Nihilism - Nihilism in Literature, Nihilism - Nihilism in Music, Nihilism - Books on Nihilism

Read more here: » Nihilism: Encyclopedia II - Nihilism - Nihilism in Art

A cemetery is a place (usually an enclosed area of land) in which dead bodies are buried. The term cemetery implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are the place where the final ceremonies of death are observed. These ceremonies or rites differ according to cultural practice and religious belief. Cemeteries are distinguished from other burial grounds by their location; they are usually not adjoined to a church. A graveyard, on the other hand, is located in a churc ...

Including:

• Cemetery - General
• Cemetery - Ancient cemeteries
• Cemetery - Cemeteries for pets
• Cemetery - Cemeteries and superstition
• Cemetery - United States

Read more here: » Cemetery: Encyclopedia - Cemetery

Many species; see text and classification Birch is the name of any tree of the genus Betula, in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. These are generally small to medium-size trees or shrubs, mostly of northern temperate climates. The simple leaves may be toothed or lobed. The fruit is a small samara, although the wings may be obscure in some species. They differ from the alders (Alnus, the other genus in the family) in that the female catkins are not woody and disintegrate at maturity, falling apart to release the seeds, unli ...

Including:

• Birch - Species
• Birch - Uses

Read more here: » Birch: Encyclopedia - Birch

Hindu view on Science, Knowledge and Education

Hindu scriptures recognize two types of knowledge: the lower knowledge and the higher knowledge. Knowledge of the rites and rituals and scholarly study of scriptures is considered to be lower knowledge, while higher knowledge is the knowledge of Atman and Brahman gained through personal experience or self realization. Of the two, the Higher Knowledge alone is true, because it liberates the individuals from the cycle of births and deaths.

Read more here: » Hinduism and Science:Hindu view on Science, Knowledge and Education

Every year, I eagerly await the month of Ramzan. Fasting and praying during the month prepares me to move closer to God. Fasting is not restricted to food and drink; it includes distancing oneself from negative attributes like hypocrisy, covetousness, falsity, backbiting and envy, among others.

Surprisingly and fortunately, the after-effects of this regulated and sanitised lifestyle adopted during Ramzan lingers for several months afterward, enabling one to work towards greater control over one's actions.

(See also: Ramzan , 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: » Ramzan: Why I Love to Fast During Ramzan