WHO WROTE THE FIRST ENCYCLOPEDIA?

You go to an encyclopedia to get information. That means you expect it to contain the facts on all important subjects. The word “encyclopedia” began as a Greek word and means “instruction in the whole circle.” It was first used in English by Sir Thomas Elyot in 1538 who said it was “the ernynge whiche comprehendth all lyberall science and studies.”
Today, encyclopedias are generally arranged alphabetically, so that it’s easy to look something up. But in early times they were arranged in any way the author liked. For example, one author of an encyclopedia in the Middle Ages began with a discussion of God and angels, and ended with descriptions of scents, colors and a list of 36 kinds of eggs!
The oldest encyclopedia in existence that covers many subjects was written by a Roman called Pliny. It was called Natural History and it was written in the 1st century A.D. It had 37 volumes and contained more than 20,000 items. Pliny quoted from more than 450 authors. This book was considered so valuable that there were 43 editions of it up to 1536!
The largest encyclopedia ever written was the third Chinese encyclopedia, which was ordered put together by a Chinese emperor who died in 1721. The set contained 5,020 volumes! The first encyclopedia which had the subjects arranged in alphabetical order was written by an English Clergyman, John Harris, and was published in 1704. It was called Universal English Dictionary of Arts and Sciences.
One of the greatest efforts to put together an encyclopedia was made by the French in the 18th century. It was called the Encyclopedie and was begun in 1743. What made it unusual was that many of the most famous Frenchmen of the time wrote articles for it, including Voltaire, Rousseau and Diderot.
The Encyclopedia Britannica or Dictionary of Arts and Sciences was started in Scotland in 1768. It has been published in the United States since 1911.

YOU STILL HAVE HOPE

If you can look at the sunset and smile,
then you still have hope.

If you can find beauty in the colors of a small flower,
then you still have hope.

If you can find pleasure in the movement of a butterfly,
then you still have hope.

If the smile of a child can still warm your heart,
then you still have hope.

If you can see the good in other people,
then you still have hope.

If the rain breaking on a roof top can still lull you to sleep,
then you still have hope.

If the sight of a rainbow still makes you stop and stare in wonder,
then you still have hope.

If the soft fur of a favored pet still feels pleasant under your fingertips,
then you still have hope.

If you meet new people with a trace of excitement and optimism,
then you still have hope.

If you give people the benefit of a doubt,
then you still have hope.

If you still offer your hand in friendship to others that have touched your life,
then you still have hope.

If receiving an unexpected card or letter still brings a pleasant surprise,
then you still have hope.

If the suffering of others still fills your with pain and frustration,
then you still have hope.

If you refuse to let a friendship die,
or accept that it must end,
then you still have hope.

If you look forward to a time or place of quiet and reflection,
then you still have hope.

If you still buy the ornaments,
put up the Christmas tree or cook the supper,
then you still have hope.

If you can look to the past and smile,
then you still have hope.

If, when faced with the bad,
when told everything is futile,
you can still look up and end the conversation with the phrase..."yeah...BUT.,"
then you still have hope.

Hope is such a marvelous thing.
It bends, it twists, it sometimes hides,
but rarely does it break.

It sustains us when nothing else can.
It gives us reason to continue and courage to move ahead,
when we tell ourselves we'd rather give in.

Hope puts a smile on our face
when the heart cannot manage.

Hope puts our feet on the path
when our eyes cannot see it.

Hope moves us to act
when our souls are confused of the direction.

Hope is a wonderful thing,
something to be cherished and nurtured,
and something that will refresh us in return.

And it can be found in each of us,
and it can bring light into the darkest of places.
NEVER LOSE HOPE!

DO THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD STILL EXIST?

It was probably hard for the people of ancient times to imagine that the great monuments which they called “the Seven Wonders of the World” would ever vanish. But except for one, they have all disappeared!

They single remaining one is the pyramid of Cheops at Gizeh, Egypt. It was built about 5,000 years ago to serve as a tomb for a pharaoh and his queen.

The second wonder was the great Walls of Babylon, in what is now Iraq. They were built about 600 B.C. by the famous King Nebuchadnezzar.

The third wonder of the world was the statue of the God Zeus, at Olympia, Greece, fashioned by the Greek sculptor Phidias. The figure was about 40 feet high, with robes of gold, flesh and ivory, and eyes of precious gems. No trace of it exists.

The fourth wonder was the Temple of the goddess Diana at Ephesus, in what is now Turkey. The roof was supported by great stone columns 60 feet high, and the temple contained some of the finest works of Grecian art. It was burned by the invading Goths in A.D. 262.

The fifth wonder was the tomb in the city of Halicarnassus in what is now Turkey. It was built for King Mausolus, who died in 353 B.C. This was such a splendid structure and cost so much money, that we now call any elaborately decorated tomb “a mausoleum.”

The sixth wonder was the Colossus of Rhodes, a bronze statue of Helios, the sun god. It was about 105 feet high, and stood on the island of Rhodes. It was destroyed in an earthquake in 224 B.C.

The seventh and the last wonder was the lighthouse of Pharos, begun about 283 B.C. on the island of Pharos off the coast of Egypt. It is believed it was almost 600 feet high above its base, with a light burning at the top which guided ships to port. The beacon served for more than 1,500 years before it was finally destroyed by an earthquake.

NUMEROLOGY

The ancient and popular divinatory art of numerology can now help you shape your own destiny, by understanding the numerical significance of your name and birth date. An age-old system in which letters of the alphabet are given numerical values from 1 to 9, and your birth date is compounded into a life-path number, numerology can reveal your true personality and help u gain deeper understanding of the patterns of life.

Numerology does not predict the future; rather it is a simple system which offers guidance in all areas of your life, including health, love, luck and career.

In this way numerology will help you to discover the power of numbers and show you how to use numbers to enhance your life.

SEVEN CHARACTERISTICS OF HOPE

1. Hope "lights a candle" instead of "cursing the darkness."
2. Hope opens doors where despair closes them.
3. Hope looks for the good in people instead of harping on the worst in them.
4. Hope discovers what can be done instead of grumbling about what cannot be done.
5. Hope draws its power from a deep trust in Allah and the basic goodness of mankind.
6. Hope regards problems, small or large, as opportunities.
7. Hope cherishes no illusions, nor does it yield to cynicism.

Look to this day!

For it is life, the very life of life.

In its brief course

Lie all the verities and realities

of your existence.

The bliss of growth

The glory of action

The splendour of beauty,

For yesterday is but a dream

And tomorrow is only a vision,

But today well-lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness

And every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Look well, therefore, to this day!

Such is the salutation to the dawn.

Kalidasa.

YOGA AND HEALTH

“Yoga is the most practical and curative medicine to control the ailments of modern life. The practice of Yoga prevents the sorrows which are yet to come.”

Originally emerging some 4,000 years ago in the Indian subcontinent, yoga began as a philosophy. The word yoga means “oneness” in Sanskrit (to develop deeper mediation.)
While mediation is still an important element of the practice today, the role of asanas and poses, has increased over time to enable the unification of body and mind through a combination of breathing, stretching and mental focus.

The practices of asanas and pranyamas are very helpful to preserve the health and connectivity of our body. Yoga is unique in that it recuperates the system. The practice of asana and pranayama, helps clean and massages the internal organ and also in the efficient removal of toxins from the body.

When practitioners perform yogangas (postures) like Asana, Pranayama, Bandha, Mudra, blood circulation improves to optimum level. It also improves the lung capacity and helps to eradicates all the diseases.

For the cells to grow and survive stretching is important. When the cells are stretched they are able to grow better, adapt and survive. Yogis are said to have had long lives. This was because of the kind of exercise they did on a long term basis. Yogic practices improve the optimum growth of cells. The technique of stretching and contracting in yoga help in the precise positioning of the muscles. Hence the muscles do not get exhausted and are thus trained to remain healthy throughout the life.

“The person who has practiced in yoga should not bother about disease, old age or death, he will be able to overcome.”

Best Time for Yoga

The best time for yoga practice is either in the early morning or late in the evening.

A well ventilated and clean room should be selected for the practice of yoga.

Using a mat or a thick blanket is a must.

Open places like garden, ground etc should not selected for the practice of yoga.

Asanas should be done on empty stomach. Allowing at least 3 hours after a meal, 1 hour after refreshment and 1/2 hour after light drink such as milk is essential.

Wear loose and comfortable cloths, which felicitate free movement of limbs.

It is better to take bath before practicing yoga. One should not take bath immediately after the practices. After 1/2 an hour one can take bath.

Before starting practice of yoga, the bladder should be emptied, bowels evacuated and mouth should be cleaned.

After completing practice of asanas and pranayama always lie down in shavasana for at least 10 minutes.

There should not be any type of forceful bending and other movements. One can try only to the extent, he can perform.

One should sit facing east or west or north and not to south.

Women should not practice asanas during menstrual period. One should stop practicing asanas after the fifth month of pregnancy up to three or four months after the confinement except under expert guidance.

After the yoga practice, one should feel fresh and relaxed, never tired, exhausted or sweating.

Asanas and physical exercises should not be combined.

One should practice with full concentration and awareness. There should be co-herence of the body and mind

The qualities demanded from a aspirant are discipline, faith, tenacity and perseverance to practice regularly without interruption.

Yoga practices Should Do under the Guidance of a Learned Teacher or guru, and no one should not practice Yoga by seeing book, TV, etc.

“Balance under both external environmental variations such as cold or heat and internal environmental variations joy or distress is yoga says Bhagavadgita.”