Agni

Being the biological fire that governs metabolism, agni encompasses all the changes in the body and mind from the dense to the more subtle. Such changes include the digestion and absorption of food, cellular transformations, assimilation of sensory perceptions and mental and emotional experiences. Agni therefore covers whole sequences of chemical interactions and changes in the body and mind. Digestive abilities being related to the strength of agni.

Agni and pitta are closely connected. While both are hot and light, agni is subtle and dry. The heat energy to help digestion contained by pitta is agni. Pitta is therefore the container and agni the content. Agni is acidic in nature and stimulates digestion. It is subtly related to the movement of vata. In every tissue and cell agni is present and is necessary for maintaining the nutrition and auto-immune mechanism. By destroying micro-organisms, foreign bacteria and toxins in the stomach and the intestines.

A balanced agni therefore is vital for health. The strength of the body to resist disease and also its physical strength are directly related to its heat energy determining the metabolic processes of the body. Disturbances to Agni are usually the chief causes of disease.

As per Ayurveda there are thirteen types of Agni in the body and mind according to the conversion and the transformation made. The most important of them is the Jatharagni, the gastric fire, responsible for digesting food eaten by correlating hydrochloric acid in the stomach and the digestive enzymes and juices secreted into the stomach, duodenum and the small intestines. If digestive agni is low and the capacity is impaired, one may experience pain, discomfort, feeling of heaviness or gases gurgling, constipation or loose stools.

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

Definition and meaning of gastric mill:

gastric mill - the grinding apparatus in the cardiac stomach of crustaceans. It is formed by three chitinous teeth that project into the stomach; the thick-walled muscular pouch below the crop in many birds and reptiles, used for grinding food

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Definition and meaning of perradial canal:

perradial canal - one of four branched ciliated canals that originates directly from the stomach of scyphozoan medusae and moves partially digested food materials from the ring canal to the stomach

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cuy ritual (passing the cuy): Ancient Andean variation of transference treatment. It involves prayer, rubbing a cuy (Andean guinea pig) over the patient, killing the animal with a ritual knife, and purporting to read its entrails. For example, if the subject has a gastric tumor, a tumor or lump will appear in the cuy's stomach. According to cuy ritual theory, damage and fright are the basic causes of disease, and the cuy can absorb the negative energy they generate.

(See also: Cuy ritual, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

Bal-ilu (Chaldean) An ancient name for the sun, allegorically the largest of eight houses, built by the Mother for her eight divine sons, representing the sun and the seven planets. "Bal-ilu (Marrtanda) was not satisfied, though his house was the largest. He began (to work) as the huge elephants do. He breathed (drew in) into his stomach the vital airs of his brothers. He sought to devour them. . . . (Mother)

exiled Bal-ilu to the centre of her kingdom, from whence he could not move. (Since then) he (only) watches and threatens" (SD 1:100).

(See also: Bal-ilu, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Pythia or Pythoness (Greek) Pytho was an older name for Delphi, and from it was formed the adjective Pythius, in the feminine Pythia. This was applied to the priestess or seeress who gave the oracles of Apollo at Delphi. "On the authority of Iamblichus, Plutarch and others, a Pythia was a priestess chosen among the sensitive of the poorer classes, and placed in a temple where oracular powers were exercised.

There she had a room secluded from all but the chief Hierophant and Seer, and once admitted, was, like a nun, lost to the world. Sitting on a tripod of brass placed over a fissure in the ground, through which arose intoxicating vapours, these subterranean exhalations, penetrating her whole system, produced the prophetic mania, in which abnormal state she delivered oracles. Aristophanes in 'Vaestas' [Vespae]

I., reg. 28, calls the Pythia ventriloqua vates or the 'ventriloquial prophetess,' on account of her stomach-voice. The ancients placed the soul of man (the lower Manas) or his personal self-consciousness, in the pit of his stomach. . . . The navel was regarded in antiquity as 'the circle of the sun,' the seat of divine internal light. Therefore was the oracle of Apollo at Delphi, the city of Delphus, the womb or abdomen -- while the seat of the temple was called the omphalos, navel" (TG 266-7).

Pythia also refers to the Pythian Games, celebrated every four years at Pytho (Delphi) in honor of the Pythian Apollo.

(See also: Pythia, Pythoness, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Definition and meaning of alimentary canal:

alimentary canal - the canal, including the stomach and intestines, leading from the mouth to the anus

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Definition and meaning of gastric:

gastric - pertaining to the stomach

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Cancer The Crab. Fourth zodiacal sign, being watery, cardinal, feminine, and the only house of the moon; in astrology it corresponds to the stomach and breast. Its symbol is a crab; in Sanskrit it is called Karkataka, and is dedicated to Surya, the god of the sun.

In the Hebrew allocation of the signs to the 12 sons of Jacob, it is give to Benjamin, who is said to ravin as a wolf. This sign is that of the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere and is associated with heat, but in the southern hemisphere it is at the winter solstice, and we are told of times when the earth's poles were inverted so that the south pole was in Cancer.

According to Subba Row (Theos 3:42), Cancer represents the sacred Tetragram; the Parabrahmatharaca; the Pranava resolved into four separate entities corresponding to its four matras; the four avastas or four states of consciousness; the four states of Brahman, etc.

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

Panchakarma: Emesis Therapy

This is really effective for nasal disorders, tuberculosis, bronchitis, asthma, diabetes, poor digestion, anorexia, dyspepsia, inflammation of lymph glands, epilepsy, insanity, edema, obesity, heart diseases and pangeutis.

Since kapha resides in the upper part of the body, its elimination by the nearest route is an acceptable and desirable, given that if any dosha is eliminated from its chief site the chances of recurrence are very low. Honey and rock salt are the common vehicles to administer the puking.

Proper therapy brings about a feeling of cleanliness of the chest and stomach, lightness of the body and ensures timely passing of urine and stool. But care must be taken to avoid over-administration as it could result in unconsciousness, blood vomiting, sudden drop of blood pressure and chest pain. While any under-administration would result in not achieving the desired effect.

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

Panchkarma: Emesis Therapy

This is really effective for nasal disorders, tuberculosis, bronchitis, asthma, diabetes, poor digestion, anorexia, dyspepsia, inflammation of lymph glands, epilepsy, insanity, edema, obesity, heart diseases and pangeutis.

Since kapha resides in the upper part of the body, its elimination by the nearest route is an acceptable and desirable, given that if any dosha is eliminated from its chief site the chances of recurrence are very low. Honey and rock salt are the common vehicles to administer the puking.

Proper therapy brings about a feeling of cleanliness of the chest and stomach, lightness of the body and ensures timely passing of urine and stool. But care must be taken to avoid over-administration as it could result in unconsciousness, blood vomiting, sudden drop of blood pressure and chest pain. While any under-administration would result in not achieving the desired effect.

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

Sleep

A state of physical inertia with mental relaxation, sleep promotes proper growth of the self. Night is the natural time to sleep and mid-day catnaps should not be more than 15 minutes long except for the very young, very old, very weak and those intoxicated, diseased, exhausted or traumatised. Avoid having a full meal just before retiring to bed. Sleeping on the right side is the most relaxing and good for yoga. On the left, it is most digestive and increases interest in food, sleep and sex. Sleeping on the back indirectly and on the stomach directly encourages disease. Sleeping with crown of the head facing east and feet into the west promotes the best meditative sleep. Washing the hands, feet & face just before improves sleep. Never sleep in the kitchen and go to bed only to sleep. 6 to 8 hours of daily sleep is essential. The ideal form of sleep is yoga – a state of complete physical inertness with retention of mental alertness & awareness.

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

Definition and meaning of brachiolaria larvae:

brachiolaria larvae - a starfish larval stage following the bipinnaria stage. It has projecting arms and a developed stomach

(Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) )

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Definition and meaning of gastrolith:

gastrolith - A deposit of calcium salts made in the stomach of many crustaceans during the period between molts. It may be used to store calcium needed in the new exoskeleton

(Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) )

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Definition and meaning of gut:

gut - the digestive tube formed between the mouth and anus in which food is digested and nutrients absorbed; it consists of the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, intestine, and anus, though some animals do not have all these regions

(Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) )

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Definition and meaning of interradial canal:

interradial canal - one of four branched ciliated canals in scyphozoan medusae that originates from the gastric pouches and move materials from the ring canal back toward the stomach and gastric pouches

(Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) )

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Definition and meaning of pyloric caecum:

pyloric caecum - in fishes, a finger-like pouch connected with the pyloric stomach of the digestive canal. Pyloric caecae may have a digestive and/or absorptive function. They range in number from two or three in some species to thousands in others

(Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) )

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Definition and meaning of zygocardiac ossicles:

zygocardiac ossicles - triangular plates, usually bearing denticles, which project into the cavity of the cardiac stomach in decapod crustaceans, such as shrimps,crabs and lobsters; part of the gastric mill

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Pythia or Pythoness (Ancient Greek). Modern dictionaries inform us that the term means one who delivered the oracles at the temple of Delphi, and "any female supposed to have the spirit of divination in her - a witch" (Webster).

This is neither true, just nor correct. On the authority of Iamblichus, Plutarch and others, a Pythia was a priestess chosen among the sensitives of the poorer classes, and placed in a temple where oracular powers were exercised. There she had a room secluded from all but the chief Hierophant and Seer, and once admitted, was, like a nun, lost to the world. Sitting on a tripod of brass placed over a fissure in the ground, through which arose intoxicating vapours, these subterranean exhalations, penetrating her whole system, produced the prophetic mania, in which abnormal state she delivered oracles. Aristophanes in Vestas " I., reg. 28, calls the Pythia ventriloqua vates or the "ventriloquial prophetess", on account of her stomach-voice.

The ancients placed the soul of man (the lower Manas) or his personal self-consciousness, in the pit of his stomach. We find in the fourth verse of the second Nabhanedishta hymn of the Brahmans: "Hear, 0 sons of the gods, one who speaks through his name (nabha), for he hails you in your dwellings!" This is a modern somnambulic phenomenon.

The navel was regarded in antiquity as "the circle of the sun", the seat of divine internal light. Therefore was the oracle of Apollo at Delphi, the city of Delphus, the womb or abdomen - while the seat of the temple was called the omphalos, navel. As well-known, a number of mesmerized subjects can read letters, hear, smell and see through that part of their body. In India there exists to this day a belief (also among the Parsis) that adepts have flames in their navels, which enlighten for them all darkness and unveil the spiritual world. It is called with the Zoroastrians the lamp of Deshtur or the "High Priest"; and the light or radiance of the Dikshita (the initiate) with the Hindus.

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

Brain-mind Used by theosophists for the astral mind of the personal ego, the pale and too often distorted reflection of the intellection of the reincarnating ego. It is, in fact, the representative in the physical world of kama-manas, mind conditioned by materiality.

The lower mind or psycho-nervous effluvia of the brain acts through the nervous ganglia in the kamic centers, such as the liver, stomach, and spleen, though the central ganglia of this nervous system are situated in the base of the skull. The brain, and with it the heart, however, are likewise the organs of spiritual and intellectual powers far higher than those represented by the merely human personality working through the brain-mind; hence the higher forms of thought, supersensuous, superconscious, correlate with the cerebral and cardiac centers.

The body in general and the brain in particular are compact of finer and grosser elements, the former responsive only to the breath of divine wisdom, out of reach of the winds from the passion-laden lower mind, whose function is to act on and arouse the grosser elements of the nervous system.

The brain, therefore, is a kind of reflector of thought-currents and emotional tides which arise in the kamic centers of the inner self, and are distributed through the nervous ganglia in the skull to the physical kamic reflection centers in the trunk. Thus we scarcely use at all the brain itself in the true sense, or at any rate only in its lowest aspects or functions; and it is only in rare moments that the brain tissues are suffused with the glory emanating directly from the higher nature and working through the pineal and pituitary glands in the skull and through the secret center in the heart.

(See also: Brain-mind, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Chakra cakra (Sanskrit) Wheel; cycle; the horizon, as being circular or of a wheel-form; likewise certain pranic centers of the body.

"These physiological chakras, which are actually connected with the pranic circulations and ganglia of the Auric Egg, and therefore function in the physical body through the intermediary of the linga-sarira, or astral model-body, are located in different parts of the physical frame, reaching from the parts about the top of the skull to the parts about the pubis. . . . were this mystical knowledge broadcast, it would be sadly misused, leading not only in many cases to death or insanity, but to the violation of every moral instinct. Alone the high initiates, who as a matter of act have risen above the need of employing physiological chakras, can use them at will, and for holy purposes -- which in fact is something that they rarely, if indeed they ever do" (OG 26-7).

In exoteric works six chakras are named. De Purucker lists seven:

1)    muladhara, the parts about the pubis, ruled by Saturn;

2)    svadhisthana, the umbilical region, ruled by Mars;

3)    manipura, the pit of the stomach or epigastrium, ruled by Jupiter;

4)    anahata, the root of the nose, ruled by Venus;

5)    visuddha, the hollow between the frontal sinuses, ruled by Mercury;

6)    ajnakhya, the fontenelle or union of the coronal and sagittal sutures, ruled by the Moon; and

7)    sahasrara, the pineal gland in the skull, ruled by the Sun.

"The human body as a microcosm may be looked upon as containing every power or attribute or energy in the solar system. . . . all the seven (or twelve) logoic forces that originally emanate from the sun, and pass in and through the various sacred planets, are transmitted to us as human beings and directly to the physical body. Thus each one of these solar logoic forces has its corresponding focus or organ in the human body, and these are the chakras" (FSO 459).

(See also: Chakra, cakra, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)