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The term Homophobia is less than one hundred years old.[1] Before that, distaste for homosexual behavior was cloaked within the vernacular of Early Modern England, especially 17th century London, by terms such as “buggery” and “sodomy.”  By the early 18th century, men who exclusively had sex with men were deemed “he-whores.”[2] Francis Bacon, the father of the scientific method and very much a man ahead of his time in many ways, nevertheless shows that he believed “masculine love” to be an “unlawful threat” in The New Atlantis (written in 1610-14 and published in 1623). In other words, this inspiring hero of the Royal Society would keep anything feminine, or effeminate, at arm’s length.

His written protestations against homosexuality were not evident in his real life, however.  Despite the fact that his public career ended in disgrace in 1621,[3] Bacon’s writings went on to influence the Royal Society and their expansion of the scientific method into an experimental philosophy that is still practiced today in modern medicine around the world.  In 1667, forty-one years after Bacon, the founder of the scientific method and the English essay, was eulogized by one of his apprentices who claimed that his “bounty transcends a father’s natural love”[4], Thomas Sprat, a historian of the Royal Society, would credit Bacon and his “noble labours in that philosophy by a vast treasure of admirable imaginations” as someone of “new philosophy” greater than that of the Greeks.[5]

Within four decades, Bacon went from victim of his own “masculine love” to grand lord of a society that shifted philosophy’s methodology both physically and temporally.  The Royal Society all but eradicated the Socratic method by not only deeming it “the wit of the fables and religions of the ancient world”[5] that only serves poets and imperfection, but the physical place philosophy would be that of an “English tongue, that as it contains a greater stock of natural and mechanical discoveries.”[5] This transformation from relying on antiquated fables to things more grounded in nature and tangibles, such as Sprat’s “mechanical,” was the dawn of homophobia.  Well before  “homosexual” would be used in everyday language as it pertains to rights and equality for a minority of individuals whom love members of their own sex, European leaders were criminalizing homosexual relationships.

In a statement that would solidify sodomy’s legal destiny, William Blackstone, chief magistrate to England from 1765 to 1769 and, arguably, the most influencial writer of laws for England and America, wrote in Commentaries on the Laws of England, “[sodomy is] so dark a nature that the accusation if false deserves a punishment inferior only to the crime itself … I will not act so disagreeable a part, to my readers as well as myself, as to dwell any longer on the subject, the very mention of which is a disgrace to human nature.”[6]

If, in this case, nature is a product of God as described above, then man, being of nature, is of God. Added Balckstone, “This [offense is] the voice of nature and of reason and the express law of God, determine to be capital. Of which we have a signal instance, long before the Jewish dispensation [that is, Leviticus] by the destruction of two cities by fire from heaven, so that this is an universal, no merely a provincial, precept.”13 His use of “capital” elevates the offense of sodomy to the highest order and the “human nature” links back to the story of Sodom and Gomorrah.   Sodom and Gomorrah’s peril is identified by fire, a natural element, but the fire is sent by heaven.  The line between fable—a story passed down over presumably thousands of years and not an eyewitness to be found—and a naturally occurring event is blurred.

In his introduction of natural laws, Blackstonewrites in Commentaries, “Our laws, faith [be to] lord Bacon, are mixed as our language: and as our language is so much the richer, the laws are the more complete.”

However, before Blackstone, there was Thomas Hobbes, whom was reportedly a good friend of Bacon’s.[7] However, it would not be until after the publication of The New Atlantis that Hobbes created Leviathan [8], which establishes the foundation for most of Western political philosophy and explains that natural law was divine because God created nature [9].  Laws that were natural and unnatural would be the mortar of Bacon’s utopian college as described in The New Atlantis:

We call Solomon’s House, the noblest foundation, as we think, that ever was upon the earth, and the lantern of this kingdom. It is dedicated to the study of the works and creatures of God … for we have some parts of his works which with you are lost; namely, that natural history which he wrote of all plants, from the cedar of Libanus to the moss that groweth out of the wall; and of all things that have life and motion … whereby God might have the more glory in the workmanship of them, and men the more fruit in their use of them, did give it also that second name.[10]

The institution of Solomon’s House is one where God’s workmanship is in the natural and man’s categorization of that nature is a dedication to that workmanship.  The scientific component is a complement to God in that Bacon is using generalizations like “cedar” and “moss,” but the purpose of the “lantern” of Solomon’s House in that man studies the common and finds “more glory” within.  The Latin terminology for plants, such as cedrus atlantica, cedrus brevifolia, cedrus deodara, in a botanist’s lab today is equivalent to man’s “second name.”

The implicit symbolism of Sodom and Gomorrah exists later in Atlantis:

We took ourselves now for freemen, seeing there was no danger of our utter perdition, and lived most joyfully, going abroad and seeing what was to be seen in the city and places adjacent, within our tedder; and obtaining acquaintance with many of the city, not of the meanest quality, at whose hands we found such humanity, and such a freedom and desire to take strangers, as it were, into their bosom, as was enough to make us forget all that was dear to us in our own countries, and continually we met with many things, right worthy of observation and relation.[11]

The expansion of discovery is in being free and not being in “danger” along man’s “perdition.”  Whether he abide in cities nearby or afar, Bacon’s utopian male must see those places where strangers take him “into their bosom” and “make [man] forget” his homeland because he is so welcomed there. In Bacon’s Atlantis, Sodom and Gomorrah are set up as the antithesis as such a place. In Ezekiel, the writer recounts the tale of two angelic strangers being raped by the entire village[7]. There is also a metaphor in one being a disciple in traveling to outside cities. Arguably, the avoidance of hostility or places “of the meanest” quality is an incantation of Sodom and Gomorrah:

There, if any be subject to vice, or take ill-courses, they are reproved and censured. … The governor sitteth to the end, to put in execution, by his public authority, the decrees and orders of the Tirsan, if they should be disobeyed, though that seldom needeth; such reverence and obedience they give to the order of nature […] And because propagation of families proceedeth from the nuptial copulation.[12]

The case against sodomy within The New Atlantis begins here before his explicit mention of “masculine love” later in the text. To be obedient in the Baconian sense is to propagate families through “nuptial copulation” and the avoidance of “vice” will protect man from execution in Bacon’s utopia.

Since same-sex behavior cannot biologically produce children, nor could it promote families in the traditional sense, this lack of obedience would be of “distress” to families and punishable by death, which ultimately would become the prevailing sentiment by the time of Magistrate Blackstone.

Bacon bonds the two concepts of “human nature” and “marriage” to each other because he desired to distance his scientific method from the notorious pederasty of the Greeks. While this distancing is implicit in the passages preceding the term “masculine love,” the role of sodomy is a chief concern to Bacon, a man who had no children of his own and a brother who also was charged with the same sodomy crimes of which he was found guilty.[10] As for the explicit indictment against pederasty, Bacon is clear:

As for masculine love, they have no touch of it; and yet there are not so faithful and inviolate friendships in the world again as are there; and to speak generally, (as I said before,) I have not read of any such chastity, in any people as theirs. And their usual saying is, That whosoever is unchaste cannot reverence himself; and they say, That the reverence of a man’s self, is, next to religion, the chiefest bridle of all vices.[7]

While scholars of the 1990s such as Joseph Cady, Charles Forker, and Jonathan Goldberg have identified Bacon’s use of “masculine love” as a way to decry the ills of same-sex behavior and a veiled insult hurled at Europe’s “foulness,”[12] the case against sodomy was well-established prior to the wide use of the term.  Bacon connects “copulation” by women in order to proliferate knowledge already before using “masculine love” as something to describe sodomy.  In the seven occasions that Bacon uses the phrase “love” within Atlantis, none of them are in sexual context.  The term reveals itself when speaking to of God’s love or man’s love for God.  The “masculine love” represents man’s penis and chastity with the self in a way that no good seed goes without a womb. Love’s construct is not mentioned with any of women throughout The New Atlantis. If Bacon had wanted to call it “sodomy,” he would have had enough natural precedent within this text to do so by the reasons already mentioned.  Sodomy, by its definition, is an act not founded on love, because it refers to an act of rape.  If “masculine love” were to have meaning in a man loving another man (rather than a teenaged boy), then it would have to be deemed a natural phenomenon for a man to want to have sex with another man based on human nature.

The self-sodomizing act of masturbation and the mutual-sodomy act between men are acts that waste seeds in either case of  “masculine love.”  The use of “friendship” is in relation to “there”, meaning Bensalem.  These friendships are “inviolate”, meaning that they cannot be broken.  Cady argues that “masculine love” is connected to “friendship” since the two words are within a two-part sentence structure and as a caveat to “masculine love” since this would imply that even though the men do not love each other, they have a “faithful friendship”.[12]

To that which is unnatural, Bacon advises “to avoid greater evils … deflowering of virgins, unnatural lust, and the like.”[7] Buggery, rape, and bestiality are English society’s de facto attributes to “unnatural lust.”[13] To identify sodomy through “masculine love” is redundant to what Bacon has already stated, whether indirectly or not.  To “touch it” means that “it” is of tangible quality, and a man loving another grown man is not a concept that existed in the 17th century.  The homosexual practice of the Greeks was pederasty, where Greeks men (and Roman men) engaged in sex with young men apprentices or students[14].

Randolph Trumbach writes that in the 1600s “to be masculine was to experience the sexual desire only for women.”[2] Young men would mature with the help of their mentors and marry, something that Bacon himself had done with his apprentices.  Trumbach explains:

[In] all human societies other than those under the influence of Christian religion, it has been legitimate for two males to have sexual relations with each other.  There have been only two restrictions: that the adult men who had sexual relations with males also marry women and produce families; that the adult male in the sexual act always take the active or penetrator’s role … [Christian Europe] had since the twelfth century made illicit all sexual relations between two persons of the same gender.[2]

The fornication of same-sex partners would not be a consideration of love, nor would be deemed masculine for both parties, since the conventional wisdom was that the active male would maintain his masculinity over the passive male whom would be perceived as less manly.  This perception so dominated English society that it drove homosexual young men to prostitution, transvestitism, or at the least, to take on effeminate mannerisms[15].

Masturbation, in contrast, is of little consequence to the ancient Greeks and the Romans[16]. Given that the term “masculine love” is used by character in Atlantis, Joabin, who is a Jew and a merchant, says, “there is not under the heavens so chaste a nation as this of Bensalem”[7]; this is a forewarning from the book of Genesis.  According to Jewish law, wasted semen was against the Torah and punishable by death from God:

And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and her, raise up seed to thy brother. And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also[17].

The wasted seed, a product of masturbation considered by many religions still today, and was quite widely discouraged at the time of the publication of Atlantis[18]. God enforces the obedience of men to the laws of nature.  God’s execution of Onan illustrates the subjugation of a man who wastes his seed, whether in an act of sodomy or masturbation (both of which are condemned by Paul in 1 Corinthians)[18]. Joabin makes “chastity” synonymous with Bensalem before he warns of “masculine love.”  The chaste man is “more fair and admirable,” according to Joabin (and Bacon).  It is in this that Bacon reveals his disdain for the cultures of Europe. In comparison to Bensalem, Europe is analogous with “pollution and foulness” and “where sin is turned into art.”  Bacon saw the foulness with his own eyes, having served as English ambassador to the French crown of Henri III from 1576 to 1579.  In this passage, Bacon alludes to Paris, a city infamously congested with sewage, people, and “courtesans” by the 17th century[19]. The art of the Renaissance and artists such as Michelangelo is Bacon’s jab at the Italians[20]. Words like sodomy, chastity, and nuptial relations result in offspring already presented to the reader before Joabin’s reference to “masculine love”; therefore, the only explicit nature of term is within the following text, which is a “reverences of one’s self…that is a bridle (offense) to vices, second to that of religion.”[7] In other words, the retention of man’s own seed and his chaste mind is free from vice and remains of natural ordinance. There is no “art of sinful perversion” to distract him, no whores to encourage his lust, and no young men to threaten his masculinity.

From Sodom and Gomorrah to Onan’s fate, Joabin’s allusions are all references to stories within the book of Genesis, further illustrating Bacon’s attempt to create his own Genesis.  For with every man empowered by the King’s Solomon House, his mission will be to “only to give us knowledge.”[7] Bacon’s mission is to align Christian ideals with science; he faced a problem because English society, as a whole, was very wary of the early implications of science, fearing that scientists were trying to uncover and dissect God’s wonders[21]. Bacon’s vision was to create a rebirth of mankind and his creation by making men only second to God; “The restitution and reinvesting of man to the sovereignty and power … which he had in his first state of creation,” writes J.M. Robertson, as editor of The Philosophical Works of Francis Bacon.[22]

In this last day of journey within Bensalem, the king reveals the true inventions of Solomon’s House, “For I will impart unto thee, for the love of God and men, a relation of the true state of Solomon’s House … God bless thee, my son; and God bless this relation, which I have made. I give thee leave to publish it for the good of other nations; for we here are in God’s bosom, a land unknown.”[7]

Bacon’s manufactured genesis begins with a redefined love that is of one gender: men.  “God’s bosom” is for the man, or “son.”  Whereas God had lost Adam after he had eaten the forbidden fruit of knowledge (taking the fruit from Eve) in Genesis, The New Atlantis paved the way for knowledge to be a kinship that would be closer to God than any man before him.  However, it would be up to Bacon’s disciples of the scientific method to ensure that they were man enough to keep each other at the bosom of God, or they, too, would be considered against “human nature” by Early Modern society.

Historian Joan Scott writes, “The principle of masculinity rests on the necessary repression of feminine aspects…Repressed desires are present in the unconscious and are constantly a threat to the stability of gender identification”[23]. Masculinity is a theme within the early modern works of the Royal Society, second only to science itself.  While Bacon defined that man should be one that is chaste, devoid of “foulness”, and able to have several descendants from his seed, the Royal Society would extend that definition into the thread of what the scientific method stood for in presenting itself to the public.

Scott’s principle is applicable to even the earliest writings by the Royal Society.  The “repression of feminine aspects” do not only work to keep women out of the society for over two hundred years, but it is all things “feminine” that is sought to be ignored completely[24].  This included sodomites, but to be thought of a sodomite would more about being the passive or receptive partner in male-to-male sexual intercourse.   The “repressed desires” that are presented in the Royal Society “unconscious” writings codes a homoerotic undertone that exposes the same threat that Bacon felt when he sought to distance himself from communities of pederasty such as the Greeks and Romans.  The additional dilemma, after Bacon’s death and posthumous adulation as the father of the scientific method, was that their exalted lord had been a known pederast.

However, since the Royal Society had successfully polished Bacon’s historical record through Thomas Sprat’s Histories by 1667, the trial of Captain Rigby in 1698 is cited by historian Randolph Trumbach as something that impacted England’s social perception of connecting sodomy to effeminate behavior:

Rigby was a beau who attempted to seduce a boy he had met in the park. One of his critics blamed his actions on his “effeminate madness” as a fop, though the critic presumed that as a fop he was still interested in women as well, since he “manages his whore.” This is one of the very earliest attempts to tie effeminacy to sodomy, and it was clearly inspired by the elaborate way Rigby dressed.[2]

Sodomy and the effeminate male, thought of as either young men who used their feminine features or mannerisms to attract adult males or an adult male who were obsessed with the behavior of women, was considered mutually exclusive prior to Rigby’s trial[2]. Rigby’s active role is insinuated by managing “his whore” and, thusly, Rigby was not exclusive to men.  It was the “effeminate madness” as an explanation for his same-sex desires.   Though Rigby would cite the pox plague, a venereal disease raging rampant during the time, as his motive, “When the boy had complained that ‘a woman only was fit’ to raise a man’s lust to the highest degree (as Rigby said the boy had done for him), Rigby replied that the women were all diseased: ‘D_mn ‘em[sic], they are all pox’d, I’ll have nothing to do with them.’”

Kevin Siena writes that, by 1590, people thought sexual intercourse with women, especially prostitutes, who would be the cause of the pox plague (debated now as syphilis)[25].  By that time, however, a man claiming same-sex fornication within his sexual history would be suicidal to his reputation, and, consequently, the dangers in male-to-male sexual intercourse went unspoken.

In 1710, as Traumbach points out, sex with men, as an active partner, was the only way an early modern john could have any sexual relation at all, “…according to John Dunton in 1710, followed a similar course: Prostitutes had ‘burnt so many beaus [johns], that now he-whores are coming in use.’ These men were to him, however, ‘a new society . . .call’d S_d ites[sic]; men worse than goats, who dressed themselves in petticoats.’”

Within the window of time that the venereal plague dominated England, Bacon had written two works that are often cited by contemporary scholars, including as Jan Golinski and Evelyn Fox Keller, as chauvinistic in their nature—The Masculine Birth of Time (1603) and The New Atlantis.

In The Masculine Birth of Time, Bacon’s fears of women were of their impact on the posterity of men:

All concur that truth is the daughter of Time. How pusillanimous then, to grovel before authors but to allow to Time, the author of authors and of all authority, less than his due! Nor were his hopes drawn only from the universal character of Time, but from the special prerogative of our own age … so as if a man should begin the labour of a new search he were but like to light upon somewhat formerly rejected, and by rejection brought into oblivion.[26]

Bacon speaks of authors being under the authority of Time, who in this case is “the author of authors” and a he (“his due”) implying that Time is synonymous with God.  The “hopes” of an author is drawn by Time’s “universal character,” meaning the forward motion of time passing, and man, as an author in Bacon’s view, has a “prerogative” to write truths before time ends, as suggested in “of our own age.”  Biblical creation resulted in Adam’s alienation from God and in Bacon’s own “Genesis” would not isolate the men of natural philosophy because now they were simply “daughters”, or women, and are subjugated to a third position—God, author, truth; or rather, Time, man, women.   Keller writes, to paraphrase, that Bacon was asking men to submit to God in a way as to not be distracted by impurities and a “hermaphroditic” mind[27].  She also states that Bacon and other scientists knew of the “bisexual implications.”[27] However, the concept of bisexuality was not in any vernacular of early modern Europe[28].  Back then, if one was considered a hermaphrodite medical professionals would decide the baby’s sex, after which the baby would be christened a boy or a girl, and be expected to only fornicate with the opposite sex.[29]

Alternatively, Bacon’s fear of femininity is rooted in sexuality by disease and Scripture combined.   If the mortality rate of men increased due to illegitimate sex, such as the pox plague, then this must contribute to Bacon’s prejudices towards women; the plague served as a catalyst of Biblical porportions since God, in Baconian terms, punishes anyone who has sex outside of nuptial-sanctioned propagation in any form—masturbation (self-sodomy), homosexual, rape (sodomy), or prostitution (lustful).

In The Care of One’s Self and the Masculine Birth of Science, Golinski introduces her expansion on Keller’s writing with:

Francis Bacon’s phrase “the masculine birth of time,” the title of a fragmentary essay … was held up as symptomatic of a male desire to subdue a female nature. Bacon was exposed as a prophet of the misogynist ideology that had ruled science since his time, a destructive philosophy responsible for oppression of women and depredations of the natural environment.[24]

The parallel of what Golinski writes as “his time” and Bacon’s “universal character of Time” is offering ownership of time to Bacon and man.  To do anything else, as a man, would be contemptuous, “pusillanimous” to God. “

Golinski, while conceding that Bacon influenced the subduing of the female role in science, she also credits Bacon as the impetus of this marginalization within science with “his time.”  Bacon explicitly states that it is man’s labor, as a part of what is now the scientific method, that determines gender between daughter and author.  If truths are women, then these truths exist only for men’s posterity.  Truths are found with each man’s new search and with the masculine ideal of labor.  A man’s “discovered truth” can also be rejected as a fallacy if it were proven wrong by a fellow man through his labor. However, this labor, by the author, must be documented; or, Bacon warns, “he were but like to light upon somewhat formerly rejected, and by rejection brought into oblivion.”  The fate of the woman (“truth”), is in control of not one man, but of men. Bacon’s women personify “truth”, which is deemed worthy of “new light” or, in the alternative, “oblivion.”

This Baconian order of constitutes “truth”, which must be found by men, crystalizes Golinski’s viewpoint. Golinski concludes her article, “Having denied themselves marriage and natural offspring …’The masculine birth’ of early modern science had as one of its preconditions the meticulous care of the self of these bachelors of science.”  The subtext to his title, Masculine Birth of Time, takes women out of the active role of needing to give birth to anything but man’s “labour”. With the women in The New Atlantis, the sentiment is that they only create desire and passion, resulting in “foulness” and disease.

Keller and Golinski’s equation for Bacon’s anti-feminine views is that he wanted to foster dispairity between the feminine side of men and science–protection makes “pure”, and purity makes masculinity. Keller’s point on Bacon’s bisexuality is moot, because The Masculine Birth of Time creates Bacon’s own monk of science: a eunuch. Whereas, if man’s mind was the least bit hermaphroditic, Bacon makes it predetermined by natural law throughout his writings.

Cady, professor of medicine and gay and lesbian literature, in the same article about “masculine love” says, “[In The New Atlantis,] the fact that a culture’s laws do not differentiate a discrete homosexuality does not mean that that culture has no awareness and language for homosexuality.”[12] Based on the assumption that Renaissance England had an awareness of homosexuality, even before the term was around, then it would have homophobia, too. Perceived as a behavior of the outside world, pederasty and homosexuality would be England’s pursuit—initiated by Bacon—in establishing itself as the new epicenter, or Eden, of new thinking.

To not be chaste and to only avoid women would mean men being sexually active with one’s self or another man.  Both options emulate Greek and Roman philosophers and their sexual histories; in turn, the exact opposite of what Bacon wanted to accomplish in establishing a new philosophy, the natural philosophy and the scientific method. To be anyting like the Greeks, would threaten Bacon’s methods as an ethereal philosophy that birthed no tangibly documented debate.

The threat of the nature vs. nurture was perculating long before Sigmund Freud or B.F. Skinner.  With his dislike of war and hunting fueling rumors of his effeminate personality, Henri III, to whom Bacon served in the French Court, was an ineffective leader of any action.[30] In Tudor-Stuart drama, Native Americans of the New World were depicted as effeminate sodomites on the Elizabethan stage.[10] Meanwhile in Italy, Girolamo Cardano was making connections between same-sex behavior and nature in 1547 by linking sexuality to astrology and the position of the planets; he went as far to say that his findings would “cure” sodomites and prostitutes[31].  In Bologna, Cocles (Bartolommeo della Rocca) published early physiologist studies in 1504 that connected a sexual taste for the same gender as natural as hair color or lines on the hand.[32]

The last two have the heaviest implications. With Cardano, he ties the position of the planets, something of God’s creation, to a quantifiable scale of masculine (Mars) and feminine (Venus); this is an early indication of the discourse developing on the continent.  Not only do Cardano’s discoveries suggests that when a person is born his or her gender would be determined by the position of the planets, but he also pronounces cures for this, albeit not of medicinal methods.[32]

In Cocles’s hypothesis and observations, he writes, “I see that such people have soft flesh, fine throats, effeminate and often slender legs, large soft ankles, pale faces, and quarrelsome dispositions, and many other signs…[such] passion in many…40, 50, 60, 65, and 70 years old.”[32]

These findings have a prescient proposition in that the former is reminiscent of modern gay stereotypes and the latter in that one does not mature into a desire for the opposite sex, but are born with that predisposition. Cocles and Cardano correlate effeminate behavior and being the passive, receptive partner.

This momentum, pre-dating the scientific method, is extinguished by Bacon’s vision for a male-centric society that perpetuates chauvinism and, what will one day become, homophobia.  Since effeminate men were considered purveyors of sodomy (a word that in itself has deviant undertones as it is a Bibical and self-referential tale fall of a civilization), The New Atlantis highlights the defining elements of a heterosexual male that has many sons.  The sons of knowledge keeps a chaste mind and serve as suns on God’s truths.  Effeminate men, on the other hand, have no place in Solomon’s House because they do not live up to these ideals, thus subjugating them to that role of women.

About sixty years after Bacon’s death, John Aubrey, 17th Century biographer and member of the Royal Society, labeled Bacon as a “pederast” in Brief Lives, ironically with Greek lettering in order to censor it from the masses (and perhaps with a flippant sense of humor).[33]

In pursuing a philosophy around natural laws, perhaps Bacon should count his blessings that he was able to live to see The New Atlantis published in 1626; by 1533, sodomy was punishable by death.

As MacBeathian as it may be, the overabundance of forced masculinity within the literature of Bacon results in an internalized homophobia that would go on to inspire Blackstone and others to fuel laws against a minority and justifies killing, condemning, and alienating them for centuries thereafter.  Bacon’s emphasis on procreation would go on to have a profound influence within The Royal Society.  The all-male organization, which claimed Bacon as its father, would keep its chauvinistic themes lead a wave of fear-mongering among English society.  Sodomy became England’s scapegoat for the “pox plague” and demonized hermaphrodites as monsters as noted in the mid-1700′s by Royal Society physician James Douglas, who later theorized that it was a controllable “one-time” event along with other unnatural occurrences. [29]

A decade after Douglas, John Locke, philosopher of the Enlightenment era and also a Royal Society member, wrote that sodomy was a result of conceding to the impulse of the individual, which altered public beliefs that sodomites were the Devil’s product.  The ramifications of Locke’s theory meant that a man could choose whether or not to do something “unnatural.”[4]

Jeremy Bentham, years before he created the philosophy of utilitarianism and published articles arguing for an equal society made by positive laws that expand rights and not limit them by using nature as a determinate legal factor, wrote Offences Against One’s Self in a renunciation of Blackstone’s Commentaries treatise.  However, Bentham did not publish the manuscript that argues the case for decriminalizing homosexuals in fear of recrimination for sympathy to those damned by society for having same sex “tastes”.[6] Bentham’s article, finally published in the Journal of Homosexuality (1978), would have added essential disention of homosexual rights in the Era of Enlightenment if it had been published when it was written (1785).

Indeed, had Bacon been caught with the “masculine love” he so hypocritically denounced, he would have been “brought to oblivion” along with one the most important contribution to Western discourse: the scientific method.

References
“Homophobia: fear of men, or aversion towards the male sex; also, fear of mankind, anthropophobia.” 1920 Chambers’s Jrnl. 5 June 418/1 Oxford English Dictionary, 1993
Trumbach, Randolph “The birth of the queen: Sodomy and the emergence of gender equality in modern culture, 1660-1750″, in Duberman et al., Hidden from History (1989), pp. 129-40.
Jardine, Lisa; Stewart, Alan Hostage “To Fortune: The Troubled Life of Francis Bacon” Hill & Wang, 1999. pp 148, 464.
Dean, Carolyn. The Frail Social Body. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000. p. 25
Thomas Sprat, History of the Royal Society, Part II. 1667.
Griffith, Chuck “The Hidden Works of Bentham and Homosexual Positive Laws” 2009.
Bacon, Francis. “The New Atlantis” (Written in 1626.) From Ideal Commonwealths, P.F. Collier & Son, New York. 1901

http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/philosophers/bacon.html

“Hobbes’s Moral and Political Philosophy.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 21 May 2009 .
Crompton, Louis. “Homosexuality and Civilization”, p. 535
“Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, surfeit of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty, and did abominable things before me; therefore I removed them, when I saw it.” (Ezek 16:49-50, RSV2)
Cady, Joseph (1992) “‘Masculine Love’: Renaissance Writing, and the New Invention of Homosexuality”. Journal of Homosexuality, 23:1,9 — 40
Bray, Alan. p. 41, “Homosexuality and the Signs of Male Friendship”, Queering the Renaissance, Jonathan Goldberg, Editor. Duke University Press, 1994.
Holland, Philemon, Plutarch’s Philosophie, commonlie called, the Morals tr. 1603 (1657)
Jardine, Lisa; Stewart, Alan Hostage “To Fortune: The Troubled Life of Francis Bacon” Hill & Wang, 1999. pp 522-523
Ellis, Havelock, p.198 The Evolution of Modesty: The Phenomena of Sexual Periodicity; Autoerotism, Published by F.A.Davis Co., 1900
Genesis 38:7-10 (KJV)
Stengers, Jean, and Anne Neck. pp. 21-22 Masturbation. Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2001.
“Moving West: Three French Queens and the Urban History of Paris”, William O. Goode, The French Review, Vol. 73, No. 6 (May, 2000), pp. 1116-1129
Forker, Charles. “Masculine Love, Renaissance Writing, and the New Invention of Homosexuality”
Keller, Evelyn Fox. pp. 33, “Baconian Science” Reflections on Gender and Science, Yale University Press, 1995.
Bacon, Francis et.al. p. 188 The Philosophical Works of Francis Bacon. Freeport: Books for Libraries Press, 1970.
Scott, Joan. p.38-39, Gender and the politics of history, New York, 1988
Golinski, Jan., “The Care of the Self and the Masculine Birth of Science”, Historical Science, 1:2002 pp. 1-21
Siena, Kevin. “The Strange Medical Silence on Same-Sex Transmission of the Pox”, The Sciences of homosexuality in early modern Europe, New York, Routledge, 2008. pp. 124-125
Bacon, Francis as quoted by Rob Iliffe, “The Masculine Birth of Time: Temporal Frameworks of Early Modern Natural Philosophy” The British Journal for the History of Science, Vol. 33, No. 4, On Time: History, Science and Commemoration (Dec., 2000), pp. 444
This is a summary of Keller’s writings on Bacon in 1980 and 1985 (refs 33 and 37).
O.E.D. dates the earliest use being in 1824, http://dictionary.oed.com
Palmira Fontes da Costa, The understanding of monsters at the Royal Society in the first half of the eighteenth century, Endeavour, Volume 24, Issue 1, 1 March 2000, Pages 34-39, ISSN 0160-9327, DOI: 10.1016/S0160-9327(00)01283-7. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6V81-414X333-7/2/e8f7eb039b0f4ce94f3f9c5eb208792b)
http://www.ac-strasbourg.fr/pedago/lettres/Victor Hugo/Notes/Henri_III.htm
Rutkin, Darrell. “Astrological conditioning of same-sex relations…” The sciences of homosexuality in early modern Europe, Borris, Kenneth, ed. The Sciences of Homosexuality in Early Modern Europe. New York: Routledge, 2008. p.183 – 185
Borris, Kenneth. “Sodomizing Science”, The sciences of homosexuality in early modern Europe, Borris, Kenneth, ed. The Sciences of Homosexuality in Early Modern Europe. New York: Routledge, 2008. p.138
Aubrey, John. p. 71 “Brief lives”, chiefly of contemporaries, set down by John Aubrey, between the years 1669 & 1696 Oxford, At the Clarendon Press, 1898

She says she gets quite excited when a painting of hers turns out really well. “I like to share my joy and call some of my friends to look at it.” Shashikala Tiwari,  doyen of Nepal’s art world, is as unpretentious as they come, and as down to earth. One of her works, bought by a Japanese collector, fetched the princely sum of  $10000. “I think only one other painting by Lain Singh Bangdel was sold for a higher price in Nepal- for about $15000,” she says. “But that was after his demise, so possibly, my painting was a record in itself for a living artist.”

One of her all time favorites is ‘Merging With Nature’, completed in 1988. “I was specially delighted with it because this was the time when I tried to divert from using deep colours to more of pastel shades, specially – more of white,” Indeed, a viewer cannot but be impressed with this painting and can easily understand why the soulful artist is so attached to it. ‘Merging With Nature’ shows a woman of lovely proportions (this, a regular feature in many of her works), clad in a white accoutrement further emphasizing her feminine curves – out in the open, seemingly at one with nature even when being buffeted by the powerful gusts of a strong wind. The painting succeeds admirably in portraying a sense of the sensuality of a sublime feminine form caressed by nature, and the woman, in turn, blissfully ecstatic in the experience. It is, in other words, soulfully sensuous in content.

It is perhaps a rule of nature that people are wont to compensate. Shashikala was born in 1950 to Tej Raj and Premi Devi Tiwari. The father who was of a  liberal bent and encouraged his two sons and five daughters to pursue education, died at the young age of fifty four. The mother, happily, is alive and well, and hale and hearty for an eighty year old. An elder brother, Devendra, and an older sister, Vijaya, have passed away. The remaining brother, Professor Sudarshan Tiwari, a noted Architect and Academician, is the present Principal of the Institute of Engineering; a sister, Vidhya, lives in Ireland, and is a practicing doctor while another sister, Usha is a Botanist and is in Atlanta, USA. Pratima, the youngest, is doing her Ph.D in Environment in Baltimore, USA. Except for Pratima, all her living siblings are married and with families. So, and specially after considering her fame, fortune and personality, one has to be forgiven for being a little curious for wondering about her still single status.

She is straightforward in her reply, and even laughs about it. Thankfully, she doesn’t mind the query as some others undoubtedly would have.. “The most obvious answer is, maybe I couldn’t find a suitable soul mate?” she replies quizzically. “Of course I do have friends, some of whom are quite intimate, but as for marriage, I honestly think I never could find a person who would be perfect for me.” This, then, is one of the problems in the artist’s life. “You know, here it is quite difficult to find people one can relate to on a certain level. Specially the intellectual one.” It is obvious that Shashikala, a reputed artist who has traveled the globe, and hob-nobbed with great personalities of equally great fame, finds herself in rather shallow waters within the confines of her present day society. It is also obvious that she seeks much more, and substantially so. That is why she admits, “I don’t like crowds and prefer not to attend many functions. Even if I have to go I make it a point to reach after most others have left.”

Shashikala desires to live a simple life and says she is particular about her eating habits. Possibly, this could be one of the reasons for her state of health, which by all accounts, is pretty good. She loves to walk and doesn’t let go of the opportunity to go on long walks when so favored. She likes travel, is fond of nature, and loves to while away time with kids. Her studio, nearby her two storied house, overlooks acres of greenery within the premises of her compound in Bishalnagar. “I bring a lot of plants and such and dump it in the garden.. I don’t actually do the gardening- my brother is better at that- but I do enjoy the environment.” This love of nature has motivated the artist to paint a whole series of works on  canvases titled ‘Fallen Leaves’,  ”Flowers”,  “Harvest Leaves” and “Monsoon”. Shashikala is currently at work on a series of a different sort-that of the famed Meera which she has titled as ‘Bhakti Series’. She has also done a series of paintings on the subjects of Ganesha and Krishna.

Shashikala did her early schooling from Mahendra Bhawan and Kanya Mandir and attended college at Ratna Rajya for some time. She received her Bachelor in Fine Arts in 1973 from M.S. University, Baroda, and earned a  Bachelor of Arts degree from Tribhuvan University in the same year. The artist also has a Diploma in French Language which she received in 1975 from TU. Presently she works in the Design Section of the Department of Printing under Communications Ministry, where in fact she has worked since 1977.  ”I have a fine job which does not interfere with my painting,” she informs. “My colleagues are very understanding and supportive.” The artist says that she takes a comparatively long time to finish each of her works, “On an average, one hundred hours.” Maybe because she is so fastidious herself, the artist is not so enthusiastic about assembly line – like works by some artists. However, she is quite happy with the output of many of the upcoming artists.

From 1970 onwards Shashikala Tiwari has participated in forty-four group exhibitions here and abroad and has had ten solo shows from 1973 to 2002. The last time her works were on display was in 2005 in the Contemporary Art Exhibition organized by Nepal Kalakar Samaj at NAFA. Her first solo exhibition at NAFA had been inaugurated by Queen Ratna in 1973, and in 1984, her ‘Foot Marks of Peace’, again at NAFA, was inaugurated by the late Queen Aishwarya, as was ‘When Season’s Change’ at the Nepal Art Council in 1996. In 2002, her ‘Sunnya Man Ka Stabdha Aankha Haru’-a tribute to the late King Birendra and his family- was much acclaimed. The exhibition had a collection of beautiful and lovingly colored depictions about the royal tragedy. Specially moving were works like ‘Na Rittine Aanshoo Haru’, ‘Aashirbad’, ‘Shraddhanjali’ and ‘Ma Kasharee Udaun Aba”. The artist’s poetic talent was also obvious in the lyrical eulogy she had penned on the accompanying brochure, and in which Sangeeta Thapa, Curator of Siddahartha Art Gallery has written, ” …she is also an accomplished poetess. It is precisely this synthesis of literature and art that gives Shashikala’s paintings a distinct lyrical style”.

Shashikala has many admirers, not least of all, within her own artistic fraternity, and is looked upon as somewhat of an ideal by aspiring painters. It is also natural for many to suppose that Shashikala is to some extent a feminist, but no, she is a bit different from the usual pack. “What is independence after all?” she asks. “One should be free in one’s thinking. It is all in the mind and has very little to do with the physical aspects.” About the common desire to excel, this is her view, “One should first and foremost be sincere to oneself and one must be really dedicated to one’s calling. Then there is no reason why one can attain success.” Shashikala Tiwari seems to be living a life of her own choosing, and that too with a great degree of satisfaction. This is evident from the way she carries herself – freely given to living in the present and with a mind that is tolerant, understanding and quite receptive.

It is not surprising to observe that the artist has a lot of composure and a good deal of equanimity. After all she has herself attained a great deal in her lifetime and so can well afford to be indulgent to the vagaries of fellow human beings  She has realized a string of successes in her preferred field, successes which include ‘Echo of Love’ (1982), ‘Harvest Leaves’ (1984), ‘Intimacy’ (1987), ‘My Earth And Sky’ (1992), and  ‘My Earth’ (1989) besides exhibitions already mentioned above. Shashikala’s talents, her devotion, and her consistent efforts have been well recognized. She has been the beneficiary of many awards, which, among others, have included Best Artist Award by NAFA in 1981 and 1984; Best Prize awarded by Rastriya Sirjanatmak Pariwar in 1984; Best Artist (Country-wise) in the International Art Exhibition in 1997; Prabal Gorkha Dakshin Bahu in 2003; Shree Panch Birendra Aishwarya Padak ; Rastriya Vyakitwa Samman in 2003 and the Shree Panch Indra Rajya Laxmi Praganya Puraskar bestowed on her by the Royal Nepal Academy in 2002. The last mentioned has been specially memorable to the artist because she donated the full Rs.50000 prize money to conflict affected people in the country.

The svelte and petite artist wakes up most mornings at the ungodly hour of 3:30 AM and walks a couple of miles each day. She respects tradition and would like to see culture safeguarded. At the same time she is not particularly religious, in the sense that she is not up to following rituals as such and informs, “Neither me nor my brother are much for such things, we don’t even celebrate our birthdays”. From a professional angle, Shashikala Tiwari would like to see an increase in the numbers of art collectors within the country which would be what is needed to motivate and encourage the fine artists that Nepal is blessed with. Simultaneously, she is optimistic about the issue and admits, “I hear that there are people like Architects Deepak and Jyoti Sherchan, Som Prabha Shah Arzu Deuba, Madhuri Singh and the Pandeys (Prithvi Bahadur and Pratima) who have good  art collections. I hope such people’s number grows!”

One of the main factors contributing to the success of Make It or Break It episodes is the realistic representation of the lives of athletes.  The show tries to bring out the possible sources of distraction in the lives of the four girls, as they try to prepare themselves for Olympics.

The show also eulogizes the importance of proper guidance, in the form of Coach Sasha Belov. It is always found the coach of any team plays a vital role in holding together all the members. In this eccentric drama series, Sasha not only acts as a proper mentor, but also helps the girls to overcome all types or peripheral problems. The importance of able guidance is not just attached to sports, but also embraces all other spheres of life, Therefore it is extremely important that fans watch Make It or Break It online, and learn to overcome all the difficulties of life.

It won’t be wrong to say that the show tries to heighten the fact, that all the problems and miseries should be kept aside in order to come out victorious at the highest level like Olympics. The four female aspirants had to undergo financial problems, family crises, rivalry and many other obstacles to prepare themselves for the toughest competition of the world. They were not alone as their coach Sasha had always been a boosting force. With stars like Chelsea Hobbs, Josie Loren, Ayla Kell, Cassie Scerbo and Susan Ward, Make It or Break It download bring all kinds of excitement, both inside the sporting arena as well as outside it.

Since the storyline follows the life of each character, the use of single camera set up is fully justified. Such type of technique helps the production unit to deal with each and every detail of individual character. All credits should go to creator Holly Sorensen, who not only came up with refreshing plotline, but also utilized all the resources to the fullest. There is no doubt that fans, who fail to catch this extremely engrossing show on TV, always make it a point to watch Make It or Break It online. Probably the best destination to catch the show online, is reliable subscription website.

It’s essential to mention that Make It or Break It episodes bring day-to-day problems along with the gymnastics. In a way, the show tries to convey the message that the lives of athletes are equivalent to every other human being. So, instantly look for a subscription website, and register yourself to enjoy the path-breaking show.

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If you are looking for a show which eulogies friendship on the whole, then HBO’s comedy series Entourage is perhaps the best option. With the commencement of yet another season, a whole new package of fun-filled drama embraces everybody’s living room. This season will not only held high the flag of male friendship, but also provide some taste of romance likely to take place in lives of Vincent Chase and his ever dependent buddies. Since the show has a tremendous fan following all across the globe, it’s for sure that nobody would miss out on any of the episodes of the new season. Even if you fail to watch it on TV, make it point to catch Entourage season 7 online.

It’s not that the new season would concentrate only on the love life of the characters. In fact one of the most beloved characters Vincent Chase, played by Adrian Grenier, would be seen backing himself up for a movie project. Now that’s going to be interesting as Eric, Ari and others would surely try to reap maximum benefits from Chase’s popularity in movie fraternity.

Some of the initial episodes have already been aired. If anyone has skipped them then its important that he/she should catch Entourage season 7 episodes online. Just like the previous seasons, this one will also have some guest stars. Some of them who are confirmed to embrace the new season include Bob Saget, Sasha Grey, Jessica Simpson and Kobe Bryant.

One of reasons why should watch Entourage season 7 is that besides glorifying the cause of friendship, it will include the families of some of the characters. Ari (Jeremy Piven) would create a new kind of problem for his family, which would evolve up from his over desire to have more power and money.

One of the unique qualities of the show is that tries to come out with a representation of the lives of those people who are indirectly connected to Hollywood. It’s for sure that many people yearn to live a star-like life, but have to satisfy themselves watching the name and fame of a friend or a relative. In this drama series, Turtle, Eric, Drama as well as agent Ari enjoy all kinds of benefits simply because of the fact that their friend Vincent Chase is A-list Hollywood star.

Just like the previous ones, this season will also include lot of hilarious situation when Chase goes out to shoot for his action movie. There is no doubt that some of the fans have already made up their mind to watch season 7 online in order to keep a regular tack on all the happenings. Stars like Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Jeremy Piven and others have always come out best of performances, and this time also there is no exception.

So make sure to catch Entourage season 7 online so that you never miss out on ant of the exciting episodes.

It might be a little uncomfortable for you to think about your own funeral, but try to be practical just for a second and think of all the decisions that you would not be there to make about this somber event. What will you be dressed in? Who will give the eulogy? How much will be spent on the flowers and coffin? Will you be cremated? Will it be an open casket? These are all important aspects of end of life ceremonies that many people think their families are ready to handle, but when stricken with grief, you would be surprised how overwhelmed spouses and children can be. Many people are relieving this burden early in their adult lives by purchasing a burial policy.

If you are not only worried that your end of life expenses might thrust your family members into mountains of debt, but also that they might not be able to carry out your exact wishes, purchasing burial insurance now can ensure that all of your desires are fulfilled and that there is no extra stress of figuring out how to pay for things like a burial plot (if you do not already have one), cremation, a headstone, flowers, and food.

In case you have never really thought about how to purchase burial insurance before, you should know that there are now multitudes of ways that you can obtain quotes and purchase policies. Most of the major car, home, and life insurance companies will now offer some type of end of life coverage, but these additional policies might not be the most cost effective. Make sure that you spend some time getting quotes online and comparing coverage and ease of claim filing to ensure that you choose the right package for yourself and your family.

It is important to keep in mind that over the past decade, funeral costs have been getting more expensive, and these costs are expected to keep increasing over the years to come. One of the biggest benefits of choosing the right kind of burial policy is that you will be able to lock in the price of your funeral now, regardless of when it will be redeemed. That is why so many younger adults have started to purchase and pay off these policies now, as a way to ensure that they will have the ceremony they want, without leaving any of the costs of inflation for their children or family members to deal with later.

If you’re looking for any display which eulogies friendship about the entire, then HBOs comedy series Entourage is perhaps the finest choice. Using the commencement of yet an additional season, a complete new package of fun-filled drama embraces everybodys living room. This season will not just held high the flag of male friendship, but additionally provide some taste of romance most likely to take place in life of Vincent Chase and his ever dependent buddies. Because the present carries a tremendous fan following all across the globe, its for positive that nobody would skip out on any of the episodes on the new season. Even in the event you fail to watch it on Television, make it point to catch Entourage season 7 online.

Its not that the new season would concentrate only about the appreciate life on the characters. In simple fact a person from the most beloved characters Vincent Chase, played by Adrian Grenier, could well be viewed backing himself up to get a movie project. Now thats going to be exciting as Eric, Ari and others would surely try to reap highest benefits from Chases recognition in movie fraternity.

Some of the initial episodes have previously been aired. If anyone has skipped them then its significant that he/she really should catch Entourage season seven episodes online. Just such as the prior seasons, this one particular will even have some guest stars. A number of them that are confirmed to embrace the new season include Bob Saget, Sasha Grey, Jessica Simpson and Kobe Bryant.

1 of factors why must watch Entourage season 7 is that besides glorifying the trigger of friendship, it’s going to include the families of some of the characters. Ari (Jeremy Piven) would produce a new sort of trouble for his family, which would evolve up from his over need to possess far more power and cash.

A person on the special qualities of the indicate is that tries to come out having a representation with the lives of individuals people that are indirectly connected to Hollywood. Its for certain that a lot of individuals yearn to reside a star-like existence, but have to satisfy themselves watching the name and fame of a friend or perhaps a relative. In this drama sequence, Turtle, Eric, Drama too as agent Ari enjoy all types of advantages basically simply because from the fact that their buddy Vincent Chase is A-list Hollywood star.

Just such as the prior ones, this season may also incorporate whole lot of hilarious situation when Chase goes out to shoot for his action movie. There’s no doubt that some of the fans have previously produced up their thoughts to watch season 7 online so that you can maintain a regular tack on all of the happenings. Stars like Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Jeremy Piven and other people have usually arrive out best of performances, and this time also there is no exception.

So make certain to catch Entourage season 7 online to ensure that you in no way miss out on ant with the thrilling episodes.

The Forbidden City in China

The magnificent Forbidden Port, so named because it was off-limits to commoners for 500 age, was the whiskers tribunal for twenty-four emperors from the crude life of the Dynasty dynasty in the 15th century until the fall of the Qing royalty in 1911. It is the largest, most finished, and best-preserved gather of ancient buildings in Crockery, representing the play of battalions of laborers. Fires and lootings over the period feature parcel a largely post-18th-century shell that mimics its freehand layout, and some of its storied wealthiness and opulent furnishings are lengthened absent. Nonetheless, this vast complex it awake, with tales of eunuchs, concubines, ministers, priests, respect intrigues, and terrific excesses. Occupying statesman than 183 acres, the expandable composite earns the appellation of “port.” It was not extraordinary for emperors and servants similar never to venture beyond the moat-surrounded 35-foot walls and alarming gates – e’er. That they believed themselves to be at the cosmic parcel of the macrocosm is a vision visitors can readily understand today.

The Li River – China

Reputed to possess the most handsome mountains and rivers under heaven, Guangxi Area has been eulogized for xiii centuries by painters and writers who reliable to enamor its unworldly karst formations on publisher. A cruise downcast the Li River is same entry a creation Chinese manuscript picture of mist, mountains, and rivers. From Guilin, the jade-green Li wends its way through striking, near unreal scene of humpbacked and worn shapes with whimsical names suchlike Bat Businessman, Five Tigers Overhear a Laughingstock, and Picture Fighting Eyeshade. The unchanged metropolis landscape seems inattentive to the unremitting line of journeying boats that ply single-file olden picturesque villages where youthful boys bathe the origin to descend and entrap seek in their beaks. A anulus set around their necks stops them from swallowing the touching.

The bitty townspeople of Yangshuo is the confederate end of the cruises, and tho’ it may not be the “real China”-cybercafés, B&Bs, and cafés offering “Inhabitant Brunch” acquire sprung up to cater to naturalized tourists-prices are ungenerous, the locals are warm, and everyone speaks Spin. A bike journeying finished the surrounding conservationist plains and the forest-covered limestone peaks allows you to see few of Prc’s most remarkable scene.

Cherry Blossom Viewing – Japan

Every twelvemonth after the cutting winter skies disappear, tens of trillions of Asiatic flock to the parks and tabernacle gardens in following of hanami, or red unfold vigil. When a light undertaking carries snowflake-size pink-and-white petals fluttering to the reach on a fountain day, it is undemanding to translate how the Altaic cacoethes for these temporary blossoms is an virtually unworldly feeling. In Tokyo, city-dwelling part workers represent do with dark hanami, sake-drinking parties in the outsized Ueno Common or along the moat peripheral the Whiskers Castle. But purists and hanami connoisseurs who aim to get as overmuch as practical out of the one- to two-week-long weaken noesis for Yoshino Elevation in the Yoshino-Kumano

cap cities. The mountain is virtually crusty with tens of thousands of centuries- old caucasian mount redness trees separate into general (titled Hitome-Sembon, or One Cardinal Trees at a Resile) that, according to their height, flower at contrastive present, usually outset in other Apr. Starred pathways, distributed temples, a predominantly Asiatic blossom-viewing assemblage, and the shops and teahouses in the pleasing townsfolk of Yoshino expectation an lingering have.

The Taj Mahal – Bharat

Nix can adequately take the visitant for his or her no. glimpse of the Taj Mahal. It may be a visible cliché, the River Water of architecture, but it’s also the incarnation of beneficence and story, of placement and equilibrium, an architectural icon honourable for tercet and a half centuries as the most beautiful antiquity in the humanity. The enthusiastic Moghul emperor Sovereign Jahan shapely the somebody ball Taj as a spot to purity his love competition, Mumtaz Mahal, who died patch giving nativity to their ordinal mortal in cardinal years. One of their progeny would yet incline of the saturniid, imprisoning him in the nearby Agra Assemble. From his architect he could look crossways at the Taj Mahal, mourning the release of his woman and his chockful stagnate when the Taj Mahal is now exterior or on Fridays, when entrance is unbound and anesthetic families illuminate the sediment with the flowerlike colors of their saris and turbans.

Angkor Wat – Cambodia

Angkor, extension out over an area of nigh 40 miles in northwest Kampuchea, was the city of the Kampuchean Empire from A.D. 800 to roughly 1200, and was abandoned in 1431, pursuing the seizure of the Khmer sphere. After decades of war and strife, its temples and monuments are once writer subject to travelers, and are among the world’s perform architectural sites. The city’s spotlight, Angkor Wat, is a temple composite built at the root of the 12th century by Guitarist Suryavarman II. It took 25,000 workers over thirty-seven age to terminate the artifact, but after the turn of the corp, the structure remained inglorious to the maximal of a bifocal tower surrounded by quaternion small towers, it was dedicated to the Asiatic god Vishnu, and is purple throughout with delicate statues, carvings, and bas-reliefs depicting scenes from Religionist mythology.

Tho’ reasoned a less-stellar force, the nearby fortified city of Angkor Thom boasts at its mettle the Bayon, the lastly great temple shapely at Angkor. The Bayon is enclosed by fifty-four minuscule towers that are now, suchlike all of this magnificent devout gordian, entangled in the concentrated growing of the unrelenting Cambodian jungle.

See full topic at travel forum for further details

So many articles, books, programs and CDs on presentation skills cover all aspects on the creation and delivery of your script. They may be discussing nervousness and how to conquer your fears, giving advice on dynamic public speaking, or talking about the value of your audience. Yet never have I seen anything regarding this, truly the most important secret if you want to capture your listeners’ attention and keep them captivated throughout. It is something we just don’t think about.

Yes, I want you to be emotional in speaking, making eye contact with your audience. You should be breathing throughout and pausing for effect. Believing in yourself is part of the quotient as well as knowing your material thoroughly. But all of this advice still doesn’t cover the #1 secret that can make or break a career in public speaking.

Recently I had the opportunity to hear as well as speak to James Malinchak, considered to be the top Big Money Speaker trainer in the world. As his audience watched him on stage, the number one thought that came to my mind was his likeability. He enjoys sharing with his audience; he is funny; and, he laughs throughout his delivery. He is likeable.

How likeable are you when giving a speech or presentation? This may seem like an odd question, but it really isn’t. Those who are truly great at public speaking have that quality about them. The audience enjoys listening to them and watching them. What is fascinating about this particular characteristic is that you do not have to be famous to be liked when presenting.

The ability to be liked, however, is not possible if you do not like yourself, enjoy presenting, and truly want to share your knowledge with your audience. Being able to laugh as you express your thoughts is more valuable than you may think.

When I gave my mother’s eulogy some years ago, I didn’t dwell on the negative but pushed for the positive and my audience enjoyed listening to me describe my mom. I smiled; I laughed; I shared; and, I cried.

If you are not happy with yourself, knowledgeable about your material, and confident in your ability to express yourself, why would you expect your audience to want to listen to you? Wanting to share your knowledge is only one factor in achieving success on the stage. You must enjoy it. It is then that your audience will be captivated and enjoy listening to you.

The last but extremely important sheath (5 covering layers of a living being) is the Bliss Sheath.  When this sheath is uncovered, not only does the living being come very close to God but that it becomes God Himself.  The soul is said to be a spark of God.  Its ultimate form is Satya, Shiva, Sunder and God too is called Sat (existence), Chit (wisdom), Anand (bliss).  Both these states ooze with supreme bliss.  The ultimate goal is to make our lives happy, contented and blissful.

When the Bliss Sheath is purified, a person awakens his soul wisdom and thus becomes God, from a good human being.  Such a person’s glory is akin to that of God.  This spiritual standpoint truly is nectar of immortality.  On attaining it the divine glories of immortality, divine beauty, divine aura etc. gives us the nectarine taste of immortality each moment.

Ordinarily a living being experiences bondage.  Its organs of knowledge give a very limited taste and via the sense organs of action, it can amass very limited material wealth.  Yet in the deep recesses of the inner personality of a human being lie such infinite potentials albeit in seed form that they correspond to the powers of the entire cosmos.  The gross world is its body and the subtle world is its vital force.  The vital force is more powerful than the gross body.  In comparison to visible material objects, the invisible energy of heat, sound, light, ether etc. is more potent.  But when this invisible nature is compared to the subtle world, the latter is infinitely more powerful.  When one can enter that area or establish a strong bond with it, one’s limitations / bondage is cut as under and thus manifests limitless power.  We have the example of Extra Sensory Potentials.  Sometimes we get rare experiences of their miracles.  But if we can enter this area more deeply, if we can unearth and gain knowledge of the utility power of these divine glories, their extraordinary nature can be compared only to realized saints (Sidhas).  Only then can divinity manifest in human beings and that we can perceive God in mankind.  This state has to ooze with supreme bliss.

The abovementioned sentences say that both the external and the inner subtle world abound in infinite divine sensations.  There is no limit to its blissful feeling.  This is a fact.  Of course!  It is something entirely different that you did not benefit due to illusory notions.  A musk deer fails to realize that the fragrance of musk is manifesting from its own body and hence in order to smell it, the deer runs about here and there.  Ultimately it gets tired and keeps despairing, its “plight”.  Thus one cannot blame God for one’s erroneous thinking.  In fact God has filled us all with untold bliss, yet if we refrain from finding it within ourselves and run about furiously in the external illusory material world, who is to blame?  The fault lies entirely with the one who aims for infinite bliss, while foolishly running after transient sense objects.

The Lord sent his eldest son i.e. princely man in this divine garden called the world, to attain supreme bliss.  Over here there are means and probabilities of bliss.  Yet if we face hardships, know for sure that it is the result of our distorted and tainted thinking.  Over here bliss is our nature and sorrow has been superimposed on it in an illusory manner.  God Almighty sent man in this world to experience bliss and not pain.  If only man intensely endeavours to make this world more advanced, wealthy and cultured, he can remain blissful by conjoining to divine bliss served by the Lord.  For this attainment no gigantic step has to be taken.  If only we shed our vile intellect and lowly activities can we attain infinite bliss. Bliss is our rightful inheritance.  As true descendents of God, we already have it albeit in a covered manner.  It is most required that we know the nature of these attainments and utilize them for sacred purposes.  Those who fail in this endeavor will undergo strife and pain only.

The Lord is bliss manifest.  Every pore of a living being is an outlet of bliss.  Mother Nature possesses the quality of beauty and giving us comforts.  Everywhere there is bliss and bliss only.  Thus our life is called bliss incarnate.  Man owns this sheath in a natural, joyous and limitless manner.  We all live in the world of bliss.

Yet our ill-fate is like the lines written by Kabir (great poet-saint of India).

“A fish swimming in water is thirsty.  Hence I laugh aloud.”

Suppose a man locks up his house and leaves it.  When he returns he realizes he has lost the key and hence sits out in the cold, experiencing a lot of discomfort.  In the same way we have lost the key of the storehouse of bliss present in our own body.  Thus we cannot even lead normal lives due to hunger, thirst etc.  The Bliss Sheath is very much within ourselves, yet we undergo pain and sorrow.  How amazing?  What an irony!  Aren’t we mocking our own selves?

Hence spiritual practices pertaining to the Bliss Sheath are meant for demolishing our ill-fate from the very roots.  On its basis the lock of bliss storehouse can be opened so that we get immersed in infinite divine joy.  This is possible only when the individual soul (man) merges with the cosmic soul (God).  After reaching the peak of spiritual practices pertaining to the 5 Sheaths one searches this very key and thus makes arrangements for opening the lock.  The one who achieved this, never again said that I live a life of abject despair.  Never does such a person experience sorrow or pain.

One can only destroy all pain / sorrow by discovering the Bliss Sheath.  Only when a living being enters this sheath can it satiate all its thirst for supreme divine bliss.  Not only is this the true goal of a human life but that all creatures, knowingly or unknowingly are yearning for it.  One can also say that a living being accepted the bondage of a body with the hope of attaining eternal bliss.  It is said -

“All living beings exist with the hope of attaining eternal bliss.”

- Brihadaranyak (4/3/32)

“All creatures manifest from the ocean of divine bliss and live in the ocean of bliss.   Ultimately it merges into pure bliss.”

- Taitariyopanishad (3/6/1)

“I can never describe that supreme divine bliss experienced by a Yogi.”

- Yog Rasayanam (114)

“When living beings are liberated from the bondage of sorrow they enjoy the ocean of bliss experienced by a Bodhi-Sattva (enlightened saint) in his bosom and this is sufficient.  What can one gain from salvation that is devoid of divine bliss?”

-Bodhicharyavatar (7/108)

“The Lord is nectar, manifest.  When man attains this nectar he experiences untold bliss.  Ere he was not truly the fundamental bliss principle that pervades every atom of the cosmos (like space), who would get the experience of bliss merely by living a life full of activities related to the vital force (Pran-Apan)?  In reality this very principle is the fount of bliss eternal.”

-    Taitariyopanishad (2/7/1)

The Lord is called nectar too.  This nectar is spiritual and not material.  It can be experienced as divine enthusiasm, contentment, satiation, peace etc.  Its attainment is irrevocably united with inner greatness.  The more one’s soul becomes pure and magnanimous, the more this bliss blooms forth.  It depends on one’s exalted standpoint and high-level activities.  But this eternal bliss can never be experienced if one’s thinking is lowly and activities are vile.  Each individual aspiring for eternal bliss has to first enter the deep recesses of the Bliss Sheath, so as to drink that divine bliss from its mouth source.

Our material world does have taints and man also exhibits indolence (Tamas).  In order to reform and change it, there is a requirement of creative action.  Non-cooperation, opposition and punishment may be required under certain circumstances yet one must be extremely cautious that the underlying intention should be reformation and never should be utilized with petty attitudes of likes and dislikes.  Thus while combating the distorted aspect of the world one can also simultaneously balance one’s internal greatness.  No doubt there exists a great deal of greatness in the world, because there is greater light in this world when compared to darkness.  In comparison to vileness, greatness exists in greater measure.  Only if we search it, imbibe it and nourish it, can pure thoughts manifest in our intellect.  When our individual vision of beauty augments we shall visualize beauty pervading in every pore of the universe. One can visualize Lord Shiva (divine beauty) by contacting great qualities in material objects and all creatures of the world.  It is the Almighty Lord who is the substratum of this entire cosmos.  Those who understand this, attain divine truth (Satya).  Those with a pious psyche visualize “Satyam Shivam Sundaram” every moment and experience heaven everywhere.

Saint Emerson said, “If you send me to hell, I will convert it to heaven.”  This is a fact not worth ignoring.  With the help of a sacred view point, a lot of reformation can be induced in regions close by.  Further we become capable enough to induce desired results from external circumstances.  Heaven is nothing but divine vision and sacred thinking.  Heaven is not some particular area, planet etc. in this material cosmos but is in fact, a divine standpoint at the mental level.  Heaven and hell is nothing but good or bad results of our high or lowly viewpoint.  Every human being like Saint Emerson has the capacity to create heaven in his life by purifying his very thinking.

Further the Bliss Sheath can give us salvation (Moksha).  Salvation means overcoming bondage of this material world.  Bondage means bad psychic imprints, mental taints, sins etc.  There is no other power that can bind a living being to this world.  The biggest obstacle that a creature faces while walking on the path of progress is its own inner weaknesses and mental taints.  A spider weaves its own net and gets entangled in it.  Even silk worms create their own net (bondage).  Even so man is the creator of the bondage that he experiences and has thus chained himself to this world.  Like a lion cub in a herd of goats, he has taken upon himself the veil of spiritual ignorance.  One faces so much sorrow when one is experiencing bondage.  This can be experienced even by birds and beasts.

The human species is a prince of God.  His inner capacity is limitless.  By aptly utilizing available means, he can reach such an exalted state in this very life which is akin to divinity and Almighty God.  Over here the main obstacle is our mental state and not external worldly circumstances.  If we truly understand and imbibe all those means which glorify our lives, we can reach that state which is close to God/ divinity.  This truly is salvation (Moksha).

Strange beliefs have cropped up like weeds, regarding salvation or Moksha.  Some opine that it is the liberation from the repetitive cycle of birth and death.  Some believe that a creature at the time of death leaves this world and enters another “world”.  Some say liberation means not performing any actions and leading a very placid life.  A few strange set of people imagine that God has some specific abode and that when one is liberated one becomes a door keeper of that abode.  Our scriptures talk of 4 types of Moksha or salvation viz. 1) Salokhya – entering God’s abode 2) Sameepya – living in close proximity to God 3) Sarupya – attaining the Lord’s form 4) Sayujya – merging into God.  Salokya means building a flat in God’s abode. Sameepya means to become a doorkeeper, staff etc. of God’s abode.  Sarupya means to become a “Xerox copy” of God’s form.  Many dictators keep another man similar in name and physical looks, for security purposes.  When a dangerous situation arises, the dictator’s “Xerox copy” is sent to combat that peril.  Sayujya means partnership.  Meaning one is an equal partner as far as God’s wealth is concerned.  In short these are childish dreams full of mockery.  No doubt they have a symbolic meaning, but to accept them as bare facts is a serious error.

The true meaning of Moksha or salvation or liberation is to look upon our soul as divine consciousness and not inert material i.e. we are not the gross physical body or name and form but that we are the underlying divine cosmic consciousness.  This has to be experienced by each individual.  One must experience that joy, happiness, success etc. are not the result of usage of external material objects (they are merely mediums/ instruments) but is a result of purification of the inner soul.  One must give up bad qualities of a beastly life so as to first become a good human being and then experience one’s true divine nature.  Greatness is God.  Close proximity to God or attaining Him means conjoining greatness to our hopes, aspirations and valid desires.  A person is truly liberated from bondage when he attains that inner state wherein like a fish swimming against the ocean current, one swims against the current of common lowly trends, downfall etc.  Salvation is said to be the supreme goal of human life.  This is its true nature.

After death one may get the benefit of heaven or salvation.  But one must strive for it while one is yet alive.  In fact achieve it today itself.  All this is dependent on one’s viewpoint and transformation of one’s mind.  One attains liberation while yet alive.  What one attains after death is merely a reaction of one’s action while yet alive.  Thus one should intensely endeavour in this very life to attain soul purification and hence true salvation / Moksha.  This type of salvation is called “Jeevan-Mukti” i.e. liberated while yet alive.  It is the gist of salvation.  He who cuts asunder the bondage of limitations, vileness of mind etc. attains the eternal bliss of salvation.  Following is what scriptural scholars have to say:

“A Jeevan-Mukta (liberated while alive) is one who is devoid of likes / dislikes, sorrow / elation and whose intellect is divine.”

-    Mahopanishad (2/57)

“There are 8 types of bondage viz. hatred, suspicion, fear, shame, secretive attitude, pride of lineage, ideals, power.  He who is tied up by these, is an animal and if one is liberated from these, one is God.”

-    Tantra Kaustubh

“The one who renounces his ego, who is liberated from arrogance, jealousy etc. , who performs actions without harboring likes/ dislikes, is called a Jeevan-Mukta (liberated while yet alive) by wise men.”

-    Mahopanishad (2/50)

“A person who with equanimity shuns another person’s wealth despite living in this deadly material world is truly spiritual and because this person experiences eternal soul bliss, he is called a Jeevan-Mukta”.

-    Mahopanishad (2/ 62)

“The space between bondage and liberation measures 2 feet only.  Bondage says “this is mine” and liberation says “nothing is mine”.

-    Mahopanishad (4/72)

In this manner when one’s viewpoint is purified, when one understands the nature, basis and area of bliss, one’s belief becomes steadfast.  What does one achieve by doing what?  When this becomes definite, one’s spiritual ignorance is overcome and the wisdom of this reality is called spiritual philosophy.  This biggest problem of this world pertains to the soul.  Thus one can truly solve worldly problems only if this problem is solved.  This knowledge is also called Brahmajnana, Tattvajnana, Sadjnana etc.  In order to attain eternal bliss, one must endeavour to solve inner (mental) problems and give a proper direction to one’s thinking.  This is also called Samadhi (trance).  This is the first step towards attainment of eternal bliss (God).  No doubt Samadhi is a very elevated Yogic state yet its beginning step is as mentioned above.

When one persists with experience of Samadhi (trance), the scattered mind gets focused and thus one gets benefits of pure thinking and actions.  Thus the first leg of spiritual practices pertaining to the Bliss Sheath is based on Samadhi experience.  This is a Samadhi in the waking state.  Over here there is no need to become unconscious and that cravings and agitations have to be calmed down totally.  When the storm of desires is silenced totally, man clearly visualizes his goal.  Without this it is impossible to walk in a desired direction.  Spiritual seekers of the Bliss Sheath are asked to concentrate and focus their minds.  But this is not a mental exercise where one thinks about one particular thought exclusively so as to concentrate the mind.  In fact it means walking in a desired and definite direction.  Such a mental state is called Samadhi (trance).

“Samadhi is that state wherein the mental agitations are overcome so as to get focused on divine truth.”

-    Bhoj

“Samadhi is that inner state wherein after renouncing craving / aversion towards fleeting material objects one steadies the mind and thus attains soul force.”

-    Dakshasmriti (7/21)

“Just as when salt mixes with water, it takes up the form of water, in the same way Samadhi (trance) means the mind merging into the cosmic soul (God)”.

-    Saubhagyalakshmyupanishad (14)

“When the will power of a living being and God marches ahead in one direction, it dispels the sense of separation from one another.  This state is called Samadhi.”

-    Yajnavalkya

“When a living being’s material desires come to an end, and the living being and God march in one direction, that state is called Samadhi (trance).  Samadhi is that balanced state of the soul wherein one’s agitations are nullified.”

-Saubhagya Upanishad (2/16-18)

The inner divine powers are destroyed if mental agitations augment.  But if this mental turbulence is nullified, if the mind gets focused in one desired direction, one’s soul force augments as a result of obstruction of scattering of the mind.  Thus many divine powers manifest in our soul.  These divine powers have been described as follows -

“Due to continuous practice of Samadhi (meditative trance) the mind merges into the cosmic soul (i.e. God) and thus, one gets enlightenment.”

-    Yog Rasayan

“Objects seen in a dream are illusory whereas experiences of Samadhi (meditative trance) are the absolute reality.  Further one gets greater benefits apart from those attained during Samadhi.”

-    Yog Rasayan

The nature of the spiritual practice pertaining to the Bliss Sheath is the state of union of a living being / creature and God.  Generally we know God as His name only.  We no doubt chant His name and perform worship rites.  Yet we never endeavour to merge our individual soul into the cosmic soul (i.e. God).  We can never imagine with our limited material minds, the experience of this super blissful state.  Ordinarily God is thought to be that individual who is appeased by a few prayers, eulogies, rites etc.  Thus we try to satisfy our desires with God’s blessings.  Thus vain worship rites are carried out which is nothing but mockery.  Where can one find a true devotee of God who willingly desires disciplining by God? Where is that devotee who will surrender his all (mind) to God?  In fact this is true devotion (Bhakti).  Under such circumstances nectar will definitely manifest.  Heavenly joys can be experienced.  There will be zeal and zest for life everywhere along with true contentment and peace.

God is not an individual but is a cosmic divine force.  He can never be pleased with gifts, presents etc. just as we please others.  In order to fully utilize electricity, its utility limits have to be studies carefully.  The Lord can only be pleased by imbibing greatness of character.  It is also called faith in the arena of sentiments, spirituality in the field of thinking and righteous qualities in the arena of actions.

The true nature of devotion / meditation is unification.  The supreme goal of devotion is unification, oneness and surrender.  Duality is replaced with non-duality (oneness).  This can be called marriage of a puppet doll with the fingers of a magician.  It is the bond between a husband and wife.  This is establishment of discipline.  By destroying one’s selfish / egocentric desires, one imbibes divine discipline and this is called surrender.  This sort of self-surrender has been prescribed by the Lord on the part of a devotee in the Bhagwad Geeta.  Wood and other types of fuel become fire itself when thrown in fire.  When water is added to milk it becomes milk.  The Lord should not be looked upon as a tool (means) of satiating our lowly desires but that we should become one with His great qualities.  This state is called Brahma Nirvan, vision of God or attaining God.  This is the non-dual spiritual practice of divine sciences (Brahma-Vidya).  It is on this basis that a human being (Nara) can become God (Narayana), a Purusha can become Purushottama, a living being can become Brahman (all-pervading soul) and individual soul can merge into the cosmic soul (God).

Love is full of magnetic attraction.  One adores the proximity of love and each individual yearns for it intensely.  The very nature of divine love which is a result of devotion to God, demands that the wall between the individual soul and cosmic soul (God) be warded off.  There should be eternal oneness between the two.  Under such circumstances, either God acts as per the desires of an individual or that an individual acts according to the Lord’s wishes.  It is very clear that a river cannot merge into a pond because a pond is not wide or deep enough to imbibe a huge river.  Even so the Lord can never act according to an individual’s desire.  Thus individual souls will have to give up selfish / egocentric desires and act according to divine (God) will.  This is true faith and devotion.  Thus one can enjoy eternal bliss of devotion.

Divine love can never be limited.  The river Ganges emanating from the lofty Himalayan Mountains (in India) can never be obstructed when it is flowing.  Instead it satiates everyone’s thirst and by merging itself in the ocean, it gives up its limitations.  Devotion means divine love.  Love is a result of sensitivity in the form of oneness of soul, compassion, generosity, science and good-will.  When these sacred sensations go beyond the arenas of imagination and emotions so as to manifest in our day to day activities, it can be seen in the form of self-creation and world creation.  One yearns to surrender and help others to surrender at the Lord’s feet by imbibing faith and divine energy.  One continuously reflects on this aspect and then starts acting thus too.

This is that very state which can be called awakening of the Bliss Sheath.  This is the supreme state of devotion to the 5-sheathed Gayatri.  One continuously experiences divinity.  The Lord is subtler than the subtlest and thus one realizes /experiences Him as divine sentiments.  It is indeed very childish to try and visualize God as a toy in front of our eyes.  When it is a fact that we cannot see air, cold, friendship, anger, joy, sorrow etc. with our eyes, how is it possible to “see” God with our material eyes when He is beyond human thought and intelligence?  Those who do not visualize such images, merely give us a glimpse of the intensity of their meditative consciousness.  Apart from day-dreaming, it cannot be called anything else.  True vision (Darshan) of God is an experience of divinity within our consciousness.  For that, one has to go on a long journey with the 2 legs of faith and devotion.

The Bliss Sheath is the fount of faith and devotion.  Over here one experiences the blissful union with God.  Thus in order to fulfil the goal of meeting God, Indian Rishis laid down the path of a high leveled 5-sheathed Gayatri based spiritual practice.  In the emotional area, the result of this divine union is experienced as bliss or zest.  Bliss means experiencing intense joy on seeing the divine aspect of this world.  Zest means the valour and daring with which we overcome the vile, demonic aspect of this world.  A firm resolution of God, wherein He will incarnate in this world so as to establish righteousness after destroying unrighteousness can be seen fulfilled by a spiritual seeker in his own psyche.  Such a seeker feels that the Lord has incarnated in his psyche as bliss / zest and faith/ devotion.  This is the sensitive aspect of the Bliss Sheath.

How can funeral prearrangements and pre planning at a funeral home in Tampa be beneficial? Anyone can make such funeral pre planning and prearrangements in Tampa even for himself or herself. This can make the prospect of mortality more acceptable. It is somehow comforting to know that the loved ones you leave behind will no longer be burdened with the many tasks related to the funeral during their moments of intense grief. They will then be allowed the proper time and space to deal with their raw emotions in order to be able to process these properly.

Funeral prearrangement and pre planning is done at a time when the person involved and his or her family is still not burdened with emotional issues. Clear decision making can therefore be made, with services and costs of different funeral homes in Tampa compared for the best choice.

One of the first decisions to be made in funeral prearrangements and pre planning at a funeral home is between cremation or burial at a cemetery. The decision is often done based on religious beliefs, but many people nowadays also have personal preferences. This decision leads to having to choose from among urns and caskets. Sometimes, even if cremation is chosen, the decision includes burial of the urn in a cemetery. If the cemetery is the final resting place, a cemetery plot or mausoleum crypt has to be purchased while making the prearrangements in Tampa.

Other choices for the final resting place of the deceased after a cremation are a columbarium niche, the home of the next of kin or scattering of the ashes in a location of deep significance to the departed. If the columbarium niche is chosen, this also has to be purchased beforehand.

For some people with next of kin in another land, the choice may be to have the body shipped out to the family. This should be taken into consideration during the funeral prearrangements and pre planning. A funeral home in Tampa, for example, specializes in ship outs to Cuba.

Another decision to be made during funeral prearrangements and pre planning at a funeral home in Tampa is whether to have a funeral service or a memorial service. Having both could also be an option.

A funeral service is often held at the funeral home, where family and friends gather to pay their final respects while the deceased is laid out in a casket before the cremation or burial in Tampa. A eulogy and a religious service may be included. A memorial service, on the other hand, is done without the remains of the deceased and could therefore be held anywhere even long after the cremation or burial in Tampa.

According to the expert opinions of psychologists, funeral prearrangements and pre planning at a funeral home benefits the grieving loved ones of the departed. Without having to deal with decisions and financial obligations related to the funeral at the time of mourning, they have more emotional space. If they were involved in the funeral prearrangements and pre planning at a funeral home in Tampa, it would also have paved the way for acceptance.