AcharyaChanakya/simple-wikipedia huggingface dataset:
The Kojiki is written in Chinese, but the way the Japanese wrote it is by using the pronunciation of the Chinese characters and not the meanings of them. In other words, a person who can read Chinese will not be able to read the Kojiki unless they also know how to speak Japanese. It includes many Japanese names and some phrases.
The Kojiki is divided into three parts: the , the and the .
Hindu philosophy
There are mainly six branches of Hindu Philosophy. These six schools of philosophy have been the result of ancient Indian thought and usually termed as "Sad Darsana". These are:
Among the above six schools of Hindu Philosophy, Vedanta is by far very popular. The Vedanta accepts the authority of the knowledge portions of the Vedas, called Upanishads.
In the Sanskrit language, guru means teacher. Eastern religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and newer movements such as Transcendental Meditation use "guru" as a title. They give it to a teacher (or guide) of religious matters.
In Western usage, any person who has followers may be called a guru, even if he is followed for things other than religion or philosophy. A person with knowledge or expertise may be called a guru if he influences by personal teaching. Modern terms which have a rather similar meaning are mentor and tutor.
Many Hindus have a satguru as well.The word "guru" means the one who removes the darkness from our heart. Satguru means true guru or true teacher. The title means that his students know that the guru can be trusted and will lead them to enlightenment. A satguru is a great soul who has realized God and is able to lead others along the path. God shines out from the satguru more brightly than from other people because he is very pure and enlightened. The satguru is devoted full time to religious life, is unmarried and has given up all possessions, personal life, family and friends. He has received an initiation from his satguru that gives him great spiritual power and authority. He can teach parents how to raise children, adults how to avoid problems and overcome any challenge in life, and in general he can make people feel close to God.
Moksha is the ultimate goal of personal spiritual development for some schools of Hinduism. It is the equivalent of Nirvana in Buddhism. In the Sanskrit language, "moksha" means freedom. It is as a state of eternal bliss and emptiness. According to Vedanta life is an endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth into a physical universe. Hindu scriptures describe Moksha as the spiritual liberation from this cycle and the achievement of an eternal and blissful emptiness that transcends all of the joys, pain, and sorrow of the physical body or corporeal life. It is the goal of Hindu practitioners to achieve Moksha (freedom/liberation from the material world) through the practice of Yoga viz Jnana Yoga(knowledge), Karma Yoga(work), and Bhakti Yoga (through reciting prayers and worshipping God).
Moksha is a Vedic term. Scholars disagree about the precise relationship between the Moksha of Vedanta Hinduism and the Nirvana of Buddhism, but there is agreement that they are closely related historically and philosophically. Similarities can be found between Moksha and some concepts found in the Upanishads. Hindu texts explain the Moksha as Sat-Chit-Anand [True blissness of soul by separating the soul from the physical body by practising Dhyan and Yoga ]. Moksha originates from the Sanskrit word, moksa.
In short, moksha symbolizes something which is beyond comprehension; too great and too wondrous to be truly understood, it can only be felt when one attains it. The world is truly a beautiful place, but the greatness that lies within is even more so, since the power of the greatness is completely unknown.
After all, isn't that what beauty is; appreciation of the unknown!
For a more comprehensive explanation of this topic read the books:
Moksha is the ultimate goal of a person to get liberated from the cycle of birth and death
The caste system is a system in India that was once mainly used by Hindus. This system has been generally accepted for about 3000 years. There are four castes in this system, and one outcaste group regarded as "untouchables". There are also castes in countries other than India as the system spread to South Asia about 2000 years ago. For centuries, this system has dictated one's marriages, geographical location, and occupation. The Indian government today works to decrease this discrimination with the quotas set in government jobs in 1950.
Brahmin
Brahmin is a part of the caste system in Hinduism. Brahmins are the highest and most respected caste of people. In ancient India people who read the complete Upanishad Brahmanak were called Brahmins. They were teachers, warriors, doctors, scholars, or religious people in the past. They are called "Dwij" because they guided others toward enlightenment.
The caste system classified people by jobs. The people in this caste were mostly priests and dramatists in the Aryan society. The Brahmins arranged prayers and rituals. Parashurama was one of the well known Brahmin by birth, but throughout his life, he was a warrior whose job was to protect Dharma. Parshurama is also Creator Father of Bhumihar Brahman and Bhumihar Thakur, Bhumihar's are also known as Parashurama Brahman & Bramhkshatriya. Most Brahmins practice vegetarianism.
There are many subgroups in Brahmins based on demography. Rishiswar, Sanadhya, Kanyakubj, Telang, Saryupareen, Bhumihar, Goswami, Tyagi, and Saraswati are the main streams of Brahmin. Across the subcontinent, other Brahmins are also believed to have switched from the traditional duties of Brahmins in favor of military and administrative ones. In other parts of the subcontinent, outside of Punjab and the Gandhara region, they have been known as the Tyagi Brahman and "brahma-kshatriya" groups. These groups also claim to have descended from the Parshuram Tyagi Brahmans of Haryana and West Uttar Pradesh; traditionally, they have a close relationship and brotherhood with Mohyals.
Some Mohyal Brahmins migrated eastward and became as some sub-divisions of Bhumihar Brahmins, some of whom are also descendants of Hussaini Brahmins and mourn the death of Imam Hussain.[7] Bhumihar Brahmins and Tyagi/ Mohyal Brahmins have an affinity and brotherhood for each other. The  Bhumihar Brahmins, of whom many, though not all, belong to the Saryupareen Brahmin division of Kanyakubja Brahmins.In Kerala Ezhavathy is also a Mohyal community.[8]
The Brahmanas of the Vedic period were regarded as the most knowledgeable people and the best of best in all arts. Therefore, not all Hindus worship other Gods.
In Tamil Nadu, The Iyers and Iyengars are well known Brahmin communities. Iyers are mostly worshippers of Shiva and the Iyengars are Vaishnavites.
Kshatriya is a division of the caste system in Hinduism. A "kshatriya" is a warrior, ruler, politician, or administrative worker.
There are 3 lineages of Kshatriyas:-
However, there is one more lineage (not mentioned in any Puranas) - Nagavanshi (snake-born), who claims descent from the Nagas.
Vaishya
Vaishya is a division of the caste system. A vaishya is a trader, merchant or artisan.
Shudra
Shudra is a division of the caste system. A shudra is considered a servant or peasant. Shudra and Ati-shudra indicates the bottom most ranks in the Indian caste system.
Mahatma Jyotirao Phule set out the history of shudra-ati-shudra communities in his book "Gulamgiri." He drew the attention to the exploitation of Shudras, Ati-shudras, and women etc. At this time, most prefer not even to touch such castes.
In Hinduism, Jnana Yoga is the yoga or practice of knowledge. Jyâna in Sanskrit means "knowledge".
In the Bhagavad Gita Krishna says that jyâna consists of properly understanding "kshetra" (the field of activity—that is, the body) and "kshetra-jna" (the knower of the body—that is, the soul). Krishna emphasizes one must understand the difference between these two. "Those who see with eyes of knowledge the difference between the body and the knower of the body, and can also understand the process of liberation from bondage in material nature, attain to the supreme goal."
Atharva Veda
The Atharva Veda is the fourth Veda, one of the Hindu scriptures. There are a number of upanishads in this veda. Ganapathy, Narayana, Devi, Atharva Siropanishaths are part of atharv veda. Bhavanopanisath is also in atharva veda. Sankaracharya established joshimath in kedarnath one of the four popal centres of Hinduism to flourish atharva veda.
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London Borough a bit east of the City of London and north of the River Thames.
Victoria Park is one of the most important parks. It has a canal running through it and lots people like to walk their dogs.
An electronic book (also called an e-book, ebook or digital book) is a book in digital form. E-books can be read on computers or other electronic devices such as e-book readers. E-book readers, such as the Amazon Kindle, the Kobo eReader and the are devices which are dedicated to showing e-books.
The first e-book might have been the Index Thonisticus, prepared by Roberto Busa in the late 1940s. However, this is sometimes not called an ebook because the digital text was (at least at first) meant to develop an index and concordance, rather than as a published edition in its own rights.
Despite the extensive earlier history, it is commonly reported that the inventor of the e-book is Michael S. Hart. In 1971, Hart was given extensive computer time by the operators of the Xerox Sigma V mainframe at the University of Illinois. Seeking a worthy use of this resource, he created his first electronic document by typing the United States Declaration of Independence into a computer.
One early e-book was the desktop prototype for a proposed notebook computer, the Dynabook, in the 1970s at PARC: a general-purpose portable personal computer capable of displaying books for reading.
In 1992, Sony launched the Data Discman, an electronic book reader that could read e-books that were stored on CDs. One of the electronic publications that could be played on the Data Discman was called The Library of the Future.
Early e-books were generally written for specialty areas and a limited audience, meant to be read only by small and devoted interest groups. The scope of the subject matter of these e-books included technical manuals for hardware, manufacturing techniques and other subjects. In the 1990s, the general availability of the Internet made transferring electronic files much easier, including e-books.
The current eBook standard is the file. There are other proprietary formats like .MOBI, AZW, IBA and PDF.
Church–Turing thesis
The Church-Turing thesis (also known as Church's thesis, Church's conjecture and Turing's thesis) is a statement about computers. It says that a very simple kind of computer now named a “Turing machine” is able to compute all computable functions. The Church-Turing thesis is linked to Gödel's incompleteness theorems.
When a programming language is able to do what a Turing machine can do, that language is called Turing complete. If a problem is solvable in one such language, then it is solvable in all of those.
London Borough of Brent
The London Borough of Brent is a London borough in north west London and is part of Greater London.
London Borough of Ealing
Tamamo-no-Mae
Tamamo-no-Mae (玉藻前) is a legendary figure in Japanese mythology and folklore. In the Otogizoshi, a collection of Japanese prose written in the Muromachi period, Tamamo-no-Mae was a courtesan under the Japanese Emperor Konoe. She was said to be the most beautiful and intelligent woman in Japan. Tamamo-no-Mae's body mysteriously always smelled wonderful, and her clothes never became dirty. Tamamo-no-Mae was not only beautiful, but she was very wise in all subjects. Although she appeared to be only twenty years old, there was no question that she could not answer. She answered every question posed to her, whether about music, religion, or astronomy. Because of her beauty and intelligence, everyone in the Imperial Court adored her, and Emperor Konoe fell deeply in love with her.
After some time had passed, the Emperor suddenly and mysteriously fell ill. He went to many priests and fortune-tellers for answers, but they had none to offer. Finally, an astrologer told the Emperor that Tamamo-no-Mae was the cause of his illness. The astrologer explained that the beautiful young woman was in fact an evil fox with nine tails (kitsune), who was making the Emperor ill in a evil plan to take the throne. Following this, Tamamo-no-Mae disappeared from the court.
The Emperor ordered Kazusa-no-suke and Miura-no-suke, the most powerful warriors of the day, to hunt and kill the fox. After escaping from the hunters for some time, the fox appeared to Miura-no-suke in a dream. Once again in the form of the beautiful Tamamo-no-Mae, the fox told Miura-nosuke would kill it the next day, and begged for its life. Miura-no-suke refused.
Early the next day, the hunters found the fox on the Plain of Nasu, and Miura-no-suke shot and killed the magical creature with an arrow. The body of the fox became the Sessho-seki, or Killing Stone, which kills anyone that comes in contact with it. Tamamo-no-Mae's spirit became Hoji and haunted the stone.
Hoji is said to have haunted this stone in the Japanese prefecture of Nasu until a Buddhist priest called Genno stopped for a rest near the stone and was threatened by Hoji. Genno did a certain spiritual ritual, and begged the spirit to consider her spiritual salvation, until finally Hoji surrendered and swore to never haunt the stone again.
In Matsuo Bashō's famous book, "The Narrow Road to the Deep North" (Oku no Hosomichi), Bashō tells of visiting the stone in the Japanese prefecture of Nasu.
Tamamo-no-Mae's legend served as base for the noh drama "Sesshoseki" (""The Killing Stone"") and the kabuki play "Tamamonomae" (or "The Beautiful Fox Witch").
London Borough of Hounslow
The London Borough of Hounslow is a London borough in West London. The western District line and Piccadilly line pass through the Borough. The area was part of Middlesex, and is near to London Heathrow Airport. Through Houslow runs the A4 Great West Road.
The heart of Hounslow is the Treaty Centre, a two-floor shopping paradise with over 10 shops including a Debenhams. There is also a library. The musician M.I.A is from here, and the movie "Bend it like Beckham" is set in this part of London.
London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames is a London borough in south west London.
Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
London Borough of Sutton
The London Borough of Sutton is a London borough in south west London.
London Borough of Bromley
The London Borough of Bromley is a London Borough of south east London.
London Borough of Lewisham
The London Borough of Lewisham is a London borough in south east London.
London Borough of Bexley
The London Borough of Bexley () is a London Borough in south east London.
London Borough of Havering
The London Borough of Havering is a east London borough. Romford is the major centre. Havering is connected to central London by the District Line, which terminates at Upminster.
London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham is a London borough in East London.
London Borough of Redbridge
The London Borough of Redbridge is a London borough in north east London.
London Borough of Newham
The London Borough of Newham is a London borough in east London.
London Borough of Waltham Forest
The London Borough of Waltham Forest is a London borough in east London.
Waltham Forest has urban districts in the south with inner-city characteristics, and richer housing development in the north. The north has reservoirs, open spaces, small sections of Epping Forest, parks, and playing fields, which together cover a fifth (20%) of the borough.
London Borough of Haringey
London Borough of Barnet
The London Borough of Barnet is a London borough in north London.
London Borough of Harrow
The London Borough of Harrow is a London borough in north west London.
London Borough of Hillingdon
John Shakespeare
Sir John Shakespeare II (c. 1530-September 1601) was an English nobleman, politician, and knight. He was Sir William Shakespeare's father and husband of Mary Arden.
Sir John Shakespeare II was the son of English nobleman Sir Richard Shakespeare I (1490-1561) and Abigail Webb (1493-1565), John II was named after his paternal grandfather the English politician Sir John Shakespeare I (1460-1521), John II great-grandfather was the English politician Sir Thomas Shakespeare (1430-1511).
Norwegian Elkhound
The Norwegian Elkhound is a type of dog that was bred in Norway, where most of them are found. They are fluffy and are working dogs.
They have been living and working with humans since the stone age and served as a hunter, herder, guard and companion.
A spitz, type with curled tale and pricked ears, the are friendly,playful and also great with kids.They are a great family dog, but needs a large garden and daily walks. They enjoy an active family that will play with them but are more than happy to live a less strenuous life but,they must not be allowed to get lazy because as with all hounds, will put on weight in excess.
Kim Dae-jung
Kim Dae-jung (January 6, 1925-August 18, 2009) was a South Korean president. In 2000, he got the Nobel Peace Prize. He is the first person from Korea to get a Nobel prize. A Roman Catholic since 1957, he has been called the "Nelson Mandela" of Asia Kim Dae Jung was the President (succeeding Kim Young-sam) from 1998 to 2003. He was born in Haui-do, South Jeolla Province, an island off the South Korean Coast.
The Game of Life is an imaginary robot game (cellular automaton) made by the British mathematician John Horton Conway in 1970.
The reason it is called a game is because people who play the game can set it up in different ways to make it do different things. Sometimes people play the game by changing the way the imaginary robot is set up at the start to watch what happens. The Game of Life is a zero-player game because it changes without anybody playing (after the starting position is chosen). A different type of game lets two players set up imaginary robots to see which one is better.
The game is played on a grid of squares called "cells", each cell is black (alive) or white (dead). When people are playing the game, they start by making some dead cells alive. Then the alive cells can make other cells alive or dead because of the rules of the game. The rules are:
The way a player sets up the first alive cells starts the game. The first level (generation) is made by using the 4 rules. After the player is done changing the cells, they do the same thing all over again to make the next level. The game is over when all the cells are dead or all the cells are alive or the game is doing the same thing over and over. The Game of Life is Turing-complete.
John Horton Conway made the Game of Life because he wanted to know if he could make an imaginary robot out of cells that would be able to get bigger. He combined lots of ideas in math to make the rules for the game. It is one of the first ever 'simulation games' that represent things that happen in real life. It is important because when used in complicated math, it can look at many things like physics, biology, economics, and philosophy.
Patterns are special things that happen in the game. Many different types of patterns happen, including static patterns where nothing changes between levels, repeating patterns where the cells that are alive and dead repeat, and patterns that move themselves across the board ("spaceships"). Common examples of these three classes are shown below, with live cells shown in black, and dead cells shown in white.
The "block" and "boat" do not change, the "blinker" and "toad" have 2 looks that repeat, and the "glider" and "lightweight spaceship" ("LWSS") are spaceships which keep moving across the cells in each level. The "pulsar" is the most common repeat that has 3 parts. Most of the repeating patterns have 2 parts, like the blinker and toad. .
Since the Game of Life was made, some people play with new rules. These rules are usually more ways to make cells alive or dead, or they are more rules to make it harder for cells to switch.
Some variations change the way the cells look or where they are put.
When two people play the Game of Life, the alive cells have two colors and a player wins when their colors take up all of the cells. When a dead cell becomes alive, its color is the same as the alive cells that touch it. If both colors are touching the new alive cell, then the color that touches it more wins.
Many other websites concerning the Game of Life can be found on . In addition, Game of Life News is a blog reporting on recent developments in the Game of Life by many individuals.
Some additional links:
Bio Booster Armor Guyver
Bio-Booster Armor Guyver (Viz Media) or Guyver (Chuang Yi Publishing) (強殖装甲ガイバー, Kyōshoku Sōkō Gaibā?) is a long-running manga series written by Yoshiki Takaya
Repulse Bay
Repulse Bay (, literally "Shallow Water Bay") is a famous beach in Hong Kong. It is in the southern part of Hong Kong Island. There are many stories explaining how the bay got its name: in 1841, pirates took Repulse Bay and lived there. They frequently took things from ships. In order to protect the ships, the British Fleet repulsed (attacked) the pirates and their base. Due to this event, it was named Repulse Bay. During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, the name of Repulse Bay was changed to ).
float Taiwan is also added to swallow water bay
Saint John
Saint John or St. John could mean:
Pelagianism
Pelagianism is a theory named after Pelagius. It is the belief that people are not born with original sin and that mortal will is still capable of choosing good or evil without Divine aid. For this reason, Adam's sin was there to set a bad example for those that came after him; other than that it had no consequences. Jesus was there to set a good example (much like Adam's bad example) but also to pay the price for our sins. Pelagius believed that because people "choose" to sin, they are like criminals who need to be pardoned, "not" victims of an inherited sinful nature.
Pelagianism was condemned as heresy at the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD. However, some people believe that Pelagius was simply misunderstood. Today there are no known Pelagians, but there are people who follow Celtic Christianity tradition, which respects Pelagius as a good example of Celtic Christian.
Goggles and safety glasses are thick, plastic glasses worn over the eyes to keep objects out of them. Goggles are used to keep water out of the eyes when swimming. They are also used for safety reasons when working with instruments that can be dangerous, like chemical or when things might fly into the eyes. Special goggles are used for kinds of welding to protect the eyes from bright light.
One day, a fisherman named Urashima Taro was fishing when he noticed a turtle, which appeared to be in trouble. Taro saved the turtle and in return the turtle magically gave Taro gills and brought Taro to the Dragon Palace (Ryūgū-jō), deep underwater. The turtle turned out to be the daughter of Ryūgū-jō, a lovely princess. He stayed there with her for a few days, and received a mysterious box from her when he was leaving, which she told him never to open. What he did not realize that time in the Dragon Palace moves an awful lot slower than on land and when he returned 700 years had passed. When he got home he found that all of his family had died long ago. In grief, he opened the box. It revealed itself in a cloud of white smoke, it was his true age, and Urashima Taro aged and died.
Electrical generator
A generator usually means a machine that makes electrical energy. It has a generator head with wires, spinning inside a magnetic field. The resulting electromagnetic induction makes electricity flow through the wires. Hybrid electric vehicles carry a generator powerful enough to make them go. The biggest generators don't go anywhere; they stay in power stations.
Different things can be used to make the generator head spin. Some small ones are cranked by someone's arms or legs. Bigger ones are connected to an engine. The biggest ones use a steam turbine or hydroelectric water power. Some use wind power. Whatever makes it turn, the generator converts this energy into electrical energy.
Some portable generators have an internal combustion engine. They are harmful when used indoors because they make carbon monoxide.
Simple generators have:
Some kinds have:
Paste could mean:
Inert gas
An inert gas is a gas that does not usually react chemically with other things. Examples of inert gases are argon and helium.
Inert gases are made up of only one element is called a noble gas. Inert gases can also be made of more than one element. They can be gases of molecules or mixtures of gases of elements.
Inert gases are used in several ways. A gas made from nitrogen is used to keep vegetables from spoiling when they are transported. Other inert gases are used in welding. They are put into gasoline tanks to help prevent explosions. The inert gases are as follows:
Emperor Gaozu of Han
Emperor Gaozu of Han (, 256 BC or 247 BC – 195 BC) was the founder of Han Dynasty. He ruled China from 202 BC until 195 BC. His name was Liu Bang and Ji was his courtesy name. He was born in Yang Li City. After defeating the great King, Xiang Yu, Emperor Gaozu of Han unified China and became the first emperor of Han Dynasty. Emperor Weidi of Han, Gaozu's son, was the 2nd emperor of Han Dynasty.
Birth:
One day, Liu Bang's mother slept near the river bank. Suddenly, thick clouds darkened the sky and it thundered. Liu Bang's father, Liu Tai Gong, felt it strange and he worried over his wife's safety. He went to find his wife immediately. When Liu Tai Gong arrived, he saw a dragon sleeping on her body. After this incident, Liu Tai Gong's wife had a baby and Liu Bang was born soon!
Appearance and Personality:
According to the Records of the Grand Historian, Liu Bang looked like the dragon. Also, there were 72 moles on his left leg. People saw a dragon following Liu Bang all the time. For the personality, Liu Bang was kind and he loved helping poor people. He liked drinking wines with his friends as well.
The Unification Church is a religious movement started by Sun Myung Moon in Korea in the 1940s. It officially began as a church in 1954 in Seoul, South Korea. On October 12, 2009, it was announced that Sun Myung Moon was given the church to his sons, Moon Hyung-jin, Moon Kook-jin, and Moon Hyun-jin.
The Unification Church is a controversial organisation. Some people say it is a cult. For example, Sun Myung Moon's says he is the "Savior, Messiah, Returning Lord" and using a Senate office building for a coronation ceremony. He also said that his teachings have helped Hitler and Stalin be "reborn as new persons". Many countries have recognized the organisation as a religion for legal purposes. This means the Unification Church has to pay less taxes, or no taxes at all.
Some doubt the organization's religious origins. Frederick Sontag, a professor of philosophy whose view of the church is no longer favorable studied the Unification Church for 11 months. He concluded that "one thing is sure: the church has a genuine spiritual basis." A German court made a similar finding.
Some detractors have said that the church's main purpose is to advance Moon's political aspirations, such as the formation of a one world government.
Critics say the church misused money. They say the church made Moon rich. The Moon family situation is described as one of "luxury and privilege" and as "lavish".
Nansook Hong lived with the Moon family for 14 years. She describes the Unification Church as "a cash operation". She also pointed out there have been questionable movements of money, for example: "The Japanese had no trouble bringing the cash into the United States; they would tell customs agents that they were in America to gamble at Atlantic City. In addition, many businesses run by the church were cash operations, including several Japanese restaurants in New York City. I saw deliveries of cash from church headquarters that went directly into the wall safe in Mrs. Moon's closet."
In the 1990s, thousands of Japanese elderly people claimed to have been defrauded of their life savings by Moon followers' spiritual sales . Moon's church was the subject of the largest consumer fraud investigation in Japan's history in 1997 and number of subsequent court decisions awarded hundreds of millions of yen in judgments, including 37.6 million yen ($300,000) to pay two women coerced into donating their assets to the Unification Church.
In the United States in the 1970s, the media reported on the high-pressure recruitment methods of Unificationists and said that the church separated vulnerable college students from their families through the use of brainwashing or mind control.
Moon dismissed these criticisms, stating in 1976 that he had received many thank-you letters from parents whose children became closer to them after joining the movement. (In 1977, Moon had a notice posted in all Unification Churches in America, mandating that all members write to their families no less than once every 10 days.)
Moon and his wife were banned from entry into Germany and the other 14 Schengen treaty countries, on the grounds that they are leaders of a sect that endangered the personal and social development of young people. The Netherlands and a few other Schengen states let Moon and his wife enter their countries in 2005. In 2006 the German Supreme Court overturned the ban.
Critics of the Unification Church have accused the organization of being closely involved with covert CIA-authored operations against communism in Korea during the 1960s. The Church is known to have been involved with weapon and munitions manufacturing in Korea since the 1960s, as documented in a 1978 United States Congressional Report on the Unification Church. The explanation given by Korean Unification Church members is that all manufacturers seeking to do business in South Korea were required to supply the military.
Sun Myung Moon's controversial religious and political Unification Movement, which includes not only the Unification Church but an enormous constellation of civic organizations, including the Washington Times Foundation, is allied politically with evangelical Christians such as Jerry Falwell and Tim LaHaye. Advocates adhering to this point of view have challenged the church's tax-exempt status in the US, arguing that the political activities of church-related groups comprise an impermissible intrusion of the church into political areas.
In her 1998 book "In the Shadow of the Moons: My Life in the Reverend Sun Myung Moon's Family", Nansook Hong, ex-wife of Sun Myung Moon and Hak Ja Han's eldest son Hyo Jin Moon said that both Sun Myung Moon and Hak Ja Han told her about Sun Myung Moon's extramarital affairs (which she said he called "providential affairs"), including one which resulted in the birth of a boy raised by a church leader, named by Sun Myung Moon's daughter Un Jin Moon on the news show "60 Minutes".
In 1993, Chung Hwa Pak released the book "Roku Maria no Higeki" ("Tragedy of the Six Marys") through the Koyu Publishing Co. of Japan. The book contained allegations that Moon conducted sex rituals amongst six married female disciples ("The Six Marys") who were to have prepared the way for the virgin who would marry Moon and become the True Mother. Chung Hwa Pak had left the movement when the book was published and later withdrew the book from print when he rejoined the Unification Church. Before his death Chung Hwa Pak published a second book, "The Apostate", and recanted all allegations made in "Roku Maria no Higeki".
Authorities in Brazil and Paraguay have expressed concerns over the Church's purchases in recent years of large tracts of land in South America, ranging in the hundreds of thousands of acres.
In May 2002, federal police in Brazil conducted a number of raids on organizations linked to Sun Myung Moon. In a statement, the police stated that the raids were part of a broad investigation into allegations of tax evasion and immigration violations by Moon's organization. The Association of Families for Unification and World Peace was the target of the raids, which took place in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and the personal residence of Moon's primary representative in Brazil, Reverend Kim Yoon-sang. As of 2008 no legal action has been taken by the Brazilian government resulting from their investigations.
Moon has spoken vehemently against homosexual activity. In talks to church members he compared homosexuals to "dirty dung-eating dogs" and prophesied that "gays will be eliminated" in a "purge on God's orders". These statements were criticized by gay rights groups.
B. A. Robinson of the Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance wrote:
Philip Pullman
Sir Philip Pullman (born Norwich, England, 19 October 1946) is an English writer. He is the best-selling author of "His Dark Materials", a trilogy of fantasy novels, and a number of other books. In 2008, "The Times" named Pullman in its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945".One of the greatest books to come around in the 20th century
Pullman is a supporter of the British Humanist Association and an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society. "New Yorker" journalist Laura Miller has described Pullman as one of England's most outspoken atheists, although Pullman describes himself as an agnostic.
On 15 September 2010, Pullman along with 54 other public figures signed an open letter, published in "The Guardian" newspaper, stating their opposition to Pope Benedict XVI being given "the honour of a state visit" to the UK, arguing that he has led and condoned global abuses of human rights. The letter says "The state of which the pope is head has also resisted signing many major human rights treaties and has formed its own treaties ("concordats") with many states which negatively affect the human rights of citizens of those states". Other signers included Stephen Fry, Professor Richard Dawkins, Terry Pratchett, Jonathan Miller and Ken Follet.
Yomi
Yomi (黄泉), the Japanese word for the underworld in which horrible creatures guard the exits. According to Shinto mythology as related in Kojiki, this is where the dead go to exist and rot forever. When one eats at the hearth of Yomi it is impossible to return to the land of the living.
Yomi is similar to Hades or Hell. In the Shintoist tradition, Yomi is known because Izanami retreated to that place after her death. Izanagi followed her there and when he returned, he washed himself, creating Amaterasu, Susanoo, and Tsukuyomi. (See Japanese mythology.)
Yomi is different from Christian Hell in that all souls go there, no matter their actions in life; and one does not receive punishment for evils made when alive. It is a dirty and polluted place. In Japanese tradition, pollution is usually associated to evil. By the tradition of Kojiki, Yomi is usually believed to be underground, and its entrance to be located in Izumo province.
Yomi is ruled over by Izanami no Mikoto, the Grand Deity of Yomi ("Yomotsu-Ōkami" 黄泉大神). According to Kojiki. The entrance to Yomi was blocked by Izanagi when he returned to Earth, using a great boulder ("Chibiki-no-Iwa" 千引の岩) at the base of the slope that leads to Yomi ("Yomotsu Hirasaka" 黄泉平坂).
Eve could mean:
The day before, or the evening before, a holiday, such as:
Ryūgū-jō
In Japanese mythology, Ryūgū-jō (竜宮城) is the palace of Ryūjin, the dragon god of the sea. It is located under the sea. Depending on the version of the legend, it is built from red and white coral, or from solid crystal. Those that live in the palace were Ryūjin's servants, which were various creatures of the sea. On each of the four sides of the palace is a different season, and one day at the palace is like 100 years on earth. In legend, Urashima Tarō visits Ryūgū-jō.
An imp is a mythological creature similar to a fairy or demon, usually described in folklore and superstition.
Imps are usually described as mischievous more than a serious threat, and as lesser creatures, not important supernatural beings. The small helpers who attend the devil are sometimes described as imps. They are usually described as small and very active.
Imps were the common name given to familiar spirits that served witches in the Middle Ages. Imps were usually kept inside artifacts such as gemstone pieces or vials and summoned for service with magic.
British Asian
British Asians are ethnic groups which include people who have British nationality but are originally from South Asia. This includes the countries Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Maldives.
The 2001 UK Census says there are 2.33 million British Asians. They make up 4% of the population of the United Kingdom.
British Asian does not include people from eastern Asia. People from eastern Asia are called by their own ethnic origins. An example is British Chinese.
Black British
Black British are people who have British nationality but are originally from Africa.
The 2001 UK census says there are 1.2 million Black British people. They are 2.33% of the population of the United Kingdom.
In the past, Black British used to mean any immigrant who was not English, like British Asians, but people say that it was because of racism in England at that time.
Ryūjin
Ryūjin (Japanese 龍神 "dragon god", also called Rinjin and Owatatsumi) was the god of the sea in Japanese mythology. He was a dragon, a symbol of the power of the ocean, had a very big mouth, and could transform into human shape. Ryūjin lived in Ryūgū-jō, his palace under the sea built out of red and white coral, from where he was believed to control the tides with magical "tide jewels". Sea turtles, fish and jellyfish were Ryūjin's servants.
Ryūjin was the father of the beautiful goddess Otohime who married the hunter prince Hoori. The first Emperor of Japan, Emperor Jimmu, is said to have been a grandson of Otohime and Hoori's. This means, Ryūjin is believed to be one of the ancestors of the Japanese imperial dynasty.
A legend about Ryūjin is the story about how the jellyfish lost its bones. This story tells that once, Ryūjin wanted to eat monkey's heart, and sent the jellyfish to get him a monkey. The monkey managed to escape from the jellyfish by telling him that he had put his heart in a jar in the forest, and offered to go and get it. When the jellyfish came back and told Ryūjin what had happened, Ryūjin became so angry that he beat the jellyfish until its bones were all broken.
Takamagahara
Takama-ga-hara (Japanese: 高天原), literally "High Heaven's Plain" but usually translated as the "High Plain of Heaven," is a place in Japanese mythology. In Shinto, Takama-ga-hara is the place where the Kami live. The legends say it's connected to the Earth by the bridge "Ama-no uki-hashi" (the "Floating Bridge of Heaven"). In Shinto, when a kami is worshipped, it is to leave Takama-ga-hara and enter a shrine.
Gospel music
Gospel music is a style of music. It is often written to express personal or group belief, regarding Christianity. This music is used to praise, worship and thank God, Christ or the Holy Spirit. Perhaps the most famous gospel song is Amazing Grace.
Salsa is a type of music and dance of hispanic origin. Salsa music is based on Cuban music. This is a "fusion" of musical ideas which originally came from Africa and Spain.
During 1965-1975 in New York, musicians of Cuban and Puerto Rican origin combined to produce this Cuban-style music. The music got the label of 'salsa'. No-one really knows how this happened, but everyone recognised how good it was to have a label for it. Over time, salsa bands worked in other influences. For example, in the late 60s Willie Colon developed numbers that made use of Brazilian rhythms. N.Y. radio programmes offered 'salsarengue' as a further combination.
The question of whether or not salsa is anything more than Cuban music has been argued over for more than thirty years. Initially, not much difference could be heard. Later it became clear that salsa in New York was a bit different from popular music in Cuba. Also, Miami, Venezuela, Colombia and other places all had their own ideas. It now seems clear that salsa has receded from the great position it achieved in the late 1970s, at any rate in New York. The reasons for this are also much disputed. It is difficult for any music which uses a foreign language to succeed in the biggest English-speaking market-place.
Salsa as a dance can be seen in all the places mentioned. Unlike standard ballroom dancing, there is no clear agreement on how it should be danced, and the methods differ widely in detail. The teaching of salsa is also rather undeveloped. But, as a general guide, salsa dancing is rather like other dances from Cuba, such as the cha-cha-cha.
Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer, songwriter, fashion designer, actress and television presenter. She was born on October 3, 1969 in Fullerton, California. She was raised in Anaheim, California. She has millions of fans around the world. She is a member of the band No Doubt, and has also released two solo albums. One of her biggest hits is "Hollaback Girl".
On September 14, 2002 Gwen married Gavin Rossdale, the singer of Bush. They have two sons, Kingston James McGregor Rossdale (born on May 26, 2006) and Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale (born on August 21, 2008). On September 4, 2013 it was reported that Stefani was pregnant with her third child.
Stefani says as a child she was diagnosed with dyslexia and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. On October 20, 2014, Stefani released the first single from her third album, "Baby Don't Lie".
As of 2017, Sefani is said to be dating her "The Voice" co-star Blake Shelton.
Izumo Province
The province had borders with Iwami, Bingo and Hōki provinces.
In the 8th century, Matsue became the provincial capital city.
In the Meiji period, the provinces of Japan were converted into prefectures. The maps of Japan and Izumo Province were reformed in the 1870s.
"Izumo taisha" was the chief Shinto shrine ("ichinomiya") of Izumo.
Mount Hiei
Mount Hiei appeared in many folk tales in different centuries. Traditionally, people believed it to be the home of gods and demons of Shinto.
Momotarō
The most common version of this tale (from the Edo Period), tells Momotarō came to earth inside a giant peach. The peach was found floating down a river by an old woman without children who was washing clothes there. The woman and her husband found the child when they tried to open the peach to eat it. The child explained that he had been sent by Heaven to be their son. The couple called him Momotarō, from "momo" (peach) and "tarō" (oldest son in the family).
An older version of the story tells the old woman discover the giant, floating peach and take it home with her, as she finds it to be of good color and looking tasty. After eating a piece of the peach, the old woman is and becomes young and beautiful again. When her old husband comes home from the hills, he is surprised to find a lovely young lady in his house. At first he does not even recognize his own wife in her new form, but she explains what happened to him. She then gives her husband a piece of the peach to eat, and he also becomes young again. That night, the couple makes love, and the woman becomes pregnant as a result. She later gives birth to their first child, a son, whom they name "Tarō", as that is a common Japanese name for a first son. This version of the story is the oldest one that is written in old texts, but it appears to have been changed with the version without sex in school textbooks of the Meiji period. The peach is often seen as a symbol of sex or in Japan, because its fruit is believed to be similar to a woman's buttocks.
Years later, Momotarō left his parents for an island called Onigashima to destroy the evil oni (demons or ogres) that lived there. On his way, Momotarō met and became friends with a talking dog, monkey, and pheasant, who agreed to help him in his mission. At the island, Momotarō and his animal friends entered the demons' fort and beat the demons' leader, Ura, and his army. Momotarō returned home with his new friends, and his family lived happily from then on.
Ama-no-Uzume
Ame-no-Uzume-no-mikoto (天宇受売命) is the Kami of dawn, happiness and joy in the Shinto religion of Japan. She is famous for her role in the tale of the sun goddess, Amaterasu.
Amaterasu's brother, the storm god Susano'o (須佐之男命), had vandalised her sacred buildings and killed her maidens because she refused to trust him. Amaterasu became so scared of his wrath that she went to hide into a cave, Ame-no-Iwato (天の岩戸). The world, without the light of the sun, became dark. The Oni (devils of Japanese mythology) came out to the dark world, and the gods could not make Amaterasu come out of the cave.
The intelligent Uzume took a small boat, turned it upside down near the cave entrance, and began a dance on it, tearing off her clothing in front of the other Kami. They thought this was so funny that they laughed happily.
At that moment, the god Ameno-Tajikarawo (天手力男命) closed the cave behind her, so she could not go back in. Another god tied a magic rope across the entrance. The sun goddess was then asked by the Kami Ame-no-Koyane (天児屋根命) to go back with the gods. She agreed, and light came back to the earth.
Uzume is still worshipped today as a Shinto kami. She is also known as Ame-no-Uzume, "The Great Persuader", and "The Heavenly Alarming Female".
Susanoo
Susanoo (Japanese: 須佐之男命, "Susanoo-no-Mikoto"; also romanized as "Susano'o", "Susa-no-O", and "Susanowo") is the kami of the sea and storms in Shinto.
Susano'o is the brother of Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun, and of Tsukuyomi, the god of the moon. All three were created from Izanagi, when he washed his face to clean the dirtiness of Yomi, the underworld. Amaterasu was born when Izanagi washed out his left eye, Tsukuyomi was born from the washing of the right eye, and Susano'o from the washing of the nose.
The tales tell of great between Susano'o and his sister. When he was to leave Heaven forever because Izanagi ordered him to, he went to say goodbye to his sister. Amaterasu, suspicious, proposed him a challenge: each of them was to turn an object of the other's into people. Amaterasu created three women from Susano'o's sword while he created five men from her necklace. Amaterasu said the men were hers because they were born of her necklace. Susano'o destroyed her rice fields, threw a dead pony into her loom, and killed one of her assistants in anger. For this, Amaterasu, sad, angry and scared, went to hide inside Ama-no-Iwato, the ""heavenly rock cave"", so the Sun was hidden and the world became dark for a long time.
Amaterasu later was made to come out of the cave, but Susano'o was punished by being banished from Heaven. He came down to the province of Izumo, where he met an old couple. Seven of their eight daughters had been eaten by the eight-headed serpent Yamata-no-Orochi and it was about to come for the eighth, Kushi-inada-hime. After the couple promised their daughter's hand in marriage to Susano'o, he agreed to kill Orochi. With the help of eight bowls of "sake" (one for each head), Susano'o cut the head off the monster when it was sleeping.
From one of Orochi's tails, Susano'o took out a sword, which he called "Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi" ("Heaven's Cloud-Gathering Sword"), later known as the "Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi". The sword was given to Amaterasu as a gift and was later given to her descendant Ninigi (the great-grandfather of Emperor Jimmu), with the "Yata-no-Kagami" (a mirror) and "magatama" (sacred jewels) as proof of his divine right to rule on Earth (the three Imperial Regalia of Japan).
Amaterasu's shrine is at Ise Shrine, and Susano'o's is in Izumo, where he came down to Earth when banished from heaven. Izumo is home to the oldest shrines in Japan.
Ninigi-no-Mikoto
Ninigi no Mikoto (瓊瓊杵尊) is in Japanese mythology the son of Ame no Oshihomimi no Mikoto, and grandson of Amaterasu, who sent him down to earth to plant rice there. He was the great-grandfather of Emperor Jimmu.
Amaterasu sent him to bring peace to Japan by bringing the three gifts from Heaven used by the emperor. The sword, Kusanagi, the mirror, Yata no kagami, and the jewel, Yasakani no magatama. These three gifts mean to the world that the emperor is the descendant of Amaterasu herself.