December, 1998 "2.95 .-----.......

/"

Affirming Sanatana Dharma and Recording the Modern ftstory of a Billion-Strong Global Religion in Renaissance

MlTA (P) No: 245/04/96

PPS 1201/4/96

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HINDUISM TODAY was founded on January 5, 1979. py Sotguru Sivoya Submmuni­yoswami 10 strengthen all Hindu lineages Published by Himalayan Academy, 107 Kaholalele Road, Kapaa, Hawaii 96745-9304 USA. Editorial Office Ph: 1-808 822-7032. Subscriptio"" 1-808-822-3152 or 1-800- 890-1008: advertising: 1-808-823-9620 or 1-8~1008 All-department fox: 1-808-822-4351. USA subscriptions: "'$3511 year. S65I2 years, 89513 years, 85OO1lifetime. Foreign rates on request. C 1996 Himolnyon Academy. All rights reserved. ISSN# 0895-0801

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PUBLISHER: Sotguru Sivoya Subramuniyaswnml ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR: Acharya Veylanswami EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Acharya Palaniswami PUBLISHER'S ASSISTANT: Acharya Ceyonswami DEPUTY EDITOR: Acharya Kumarswaml MANAGING EDITOR: 1}agi Arumugaswami GRAPHICS DIRECTOR: '!Jog! Natarajaswami PROMOTION/ PRODUCTION: 1Jagi Kalhi rswaml MANAOING EDITOR'S AID: 1}agi Shanmuganathaswami lDVERnSINO MANAGER: Sodhaka Jothinatha SUBSGRIPTION MANAGER: Sadhaka Haranandinatha EDITOR-IN-CHIEF'S ASSISTANT: Sodhaka Yuganatha DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR: Yogi Kasinatha SUMMER INTERN: Brahmachari 10thi Sendan

. DEGEMBER, 1996 COLLECTOR'S EDITION

~~: .. CJ"--:-

COVER: Girls in Kerala decorate in front of their home for annual Onam festiVal

I N T E.R N AT I ON A L Recognition: Satya Sai Baba is Honored

as 1996's Hindu of the Year 17 Exhibition: National Exhiqit Teaches

Americans How Hindus Worship 22 Science: Impact of Life on Mars 27 Issues: Lord Ganesha in Disneyland 28 Cl;llture: 'tIK Showcases India's South 29 Society: Panduranga Athavale

Mobilizes India's Middle-Class 34 Crisis: Daring Resc iI at Amarnath 40 Milestones: Balis Cosmic Centennial 48 .photography: 35 MM Mega-Memoir 54

:Ll'FESTYLE Yoga:' kt Enduring Sri Chinmoy 27 In~ight: Belief, the D"NA of Hinduism 30

.striving: Discovering Our Convictions H Astrology; Back to the FUture 36 Videos: Three Godly Documentaries 47 Pilgrimage: Remembering My Icy Trek 49

O!pINION Publisher's Desk Editorial My Turn

DIGESTS Frorm the Vedas Quotes &; QUips Briefly

.6 Letters 14 8 Healing 44

10 Minister's Message 50 .-

, 7 Evolutions 9 Dlaspora

~O Digital Dharma

44 11 52

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,

PUBLISHER'S DESK

Suicide: ' a Case of ' ,

Pa{ental pressures Guiding through intimidation, coercion and abuse doesn't win respect from kids

BY. SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI

EENAGERS ARE SUFFERING

the pangs of sex, desire and independence and

sOJ.:ts of other emotions. are as if ill during this

time. In Moscow one cold 1990 winter evening, the astrophysi­cist Carl Sagan (photo) told me they are poisoned by their own hormones. For boys, he called it "testosterone poisoning." T:his z observation is nothing new. Over iii '------'"'" two thousand years -ago, 'the Greek philosopher Plato lamented, "What is happening to our young people? They disrespect their elders. They disqbey their parents. They riot in the street, inflamed with wild l1'6tions. Their morals are decaying. What is to become of them?" Sound famil­iar? Parents now, as then, must be the mother, father, nurse and doctor. I say that because they are as if incapacitated, needing healing and special care. And not unimportantly, when a patient is delirious, the nurse does not pay all that much attention to the ranting and ravings. Similarly, reason does not mean the same thing to you as it does to your teenager. So, be a friend. Both par­ents must talk privately together and work out a strategy for the next seven years, from age 13 to 19. It will be over in only seven years and all will be well. .

So-en, they .will be raising their children in the very same way you raised yours, with deep appreciation for how you had the pa­tience, the willpower, the forbearance and the love-mainly love­to raise them and endure their unending str~s. Those of you who have children in the testosterone and estrogen years, proceed with confidence. Keep smiling and keep loving. Keep remembering your teenage years. That may help unstress the stress that is daily making you both stronger and, stronger.

When you have successfully performed your seven-year tapas of stressful fire in bearing up un(ler the strain and pain of the teenager, ttuly you will enjoy great satisfaction and be able to sit back and smile. Have compassion and give some leniency" for dur­ing this time they are all mixed up and emotionally frustrated in­side; they are, truly they are. They are facing an uncertain future in an unsure world, becoming adult, keeping in with their' peers, kee ping in with their parents, striving fOJ.; excellence in education, facing marriage, job, career and community expectations.

No wonder so many become suicidal, because their pru;ents jtlst don't understand ana are not there for them at a time when they truly. need them. Don't let this happen in your family. Please don't.

6 HINDUISM TODAY. DE,<;: EMBER , 1996

Be a stern but loving Mom. Be a strong but understanding Dad. Be a gentle nurse. Be a wise doctor. And, most of all, be a good friend-their friend, their closest friend-during this tumultuous, turbulent, troublesome time called teenage.

Here is a suicide letter a Malaysian Hindu girl wrote before she attempted to end her life at age ~8. One of the rea­sons she cited was too much pressure from her parents. Too much verbal abuse and, we can assume, physical abuse, starting with pinching, then slap­ping, leading to uncontrolled beatings, as simply a way of life. Is this Hindu culture? It 'bhreatens to become so. _

Dear Mom and Dad: You'll never un­derstand why I did vl-iis . Never. In you.r opinion, you always did what was best for m.e. You always knew what was best for me. You always believed I was yowr naive, irresponsible little girl who al­ways needed you".- hand to hold onto. You thought it was necessary to use the sharp edge oj your tongue to keep me on the "right track. "

I never had any say in my own life. Did you realize that t hat "right track" , became a psychological p1"ison fOl- me? That your leading hand, became a set of chains for me? That the sha1''fJ side of your tongue got to be a barbed wire t hat was continuously lashing out at me? No, you never did. Di.dn't you ever stop to think that maybe I should have some say in what I wanted to do witl1 my life? You decided which college would be t~ ·right one for me to attend and what acac!.emic field I should go i:nto. The college, of course, had to be the most prestigious and elite one so you could brag to your friends about it. You never t lwught that maybe I wanted something more than school and books, bu.t that was never important to you. You only wanted me to achieve academically so your friends would be duly impressed. That was the same reason that you waTJ.ted m.e to become a doctor. I didn't want anything to do with it.

You never realized that ·maybe I had wanted a social life. To make rea~ friends for once in my life. When I told you tli.at, you scoffed at me and told me that we Indians were so much superior that we didn't need to deal with "them." There wa$ never anything

in my life that you let me have any control over. When I finally met som.eone who meant something to me, you two couldn't handle the fact that maybe someday I would learn to control my own life and rid myself of your manipulations. So, then you decided who it was that I was going to see and who it wa$ that I didn't. You forced me to break the first real rplationship that I ever had in my life. L was constantly harassed by you about him. You told me that I was cltisgracing the family name. ':,: .. what would everyone say?" You destroyed everything for me. This "relationship" between us is nothing but a farce. And {here is no reason to conUntte it. I have searched for some way to escape you, but I have come up empty handed. Now you must live with' this gUilt. I hope you will never be able to fOl-give YQurself.

She-lived through this ordeal. In contacting' our editors, she tes­tified that she now knows suicide is not the way out and allowed the publishing of this very personal letter with the hope that her battle with suicide would help others-parents and children~deal better with problems before they reach hopelessness. ..

FROM THE VEDAS '*' ~ttiF;r I

/

Let bJa{mony Reign Discord among members of a family is the most devastating force in the world. This fact was no secret to wise ones thousands of years ago, as the following verses from the Vedas record.

F ONE HEART AND MIND I MAKE YOU,

devoid of hate. Love one another as a cow the calf she has borne. Let the son be

courteous to his father, of one mind with his-mothe~. Let the wife speak words that are gentle and sweet to her husband. Neyer may brother hate brother or sister hu.rt sister. United in heart and purpose, commune sweetly together. I will utter a prayer for Sllch concord among family' members as binds together the Gods, among whom is no hatred. Be courteous, planning and working in harness to­gether. Approach conversing pleasantly, like-mind­ed, united. 1 ~ 0 man and woman, having acquired knowledge from the learned, proclaim amongst the

I

wise the fapt of your intentions of entering the married life. Attain to.fame, observing the noble virtue of nonviolence, and uplift your soul. Shun crookedness. Converse together happily. Living in

I

a peaceful home, spoil not your life. Spoil not your progeny. In this world, pass your life happi-ly, on

.' this wide earth full of enjoyment!2

IAtharva Veda Samhita 3.30.1-5. 2S1lllkia Yajur Veda SamMta 5.17. ,

ALL HINDUS ACCEPT THE AUTHORITY O~THE Vedas, MANKIND'S OLDEST SCRIPTURES, ETER­

NAL TRUTHS TRANSMITTE D BY GOD THROUGH GREAT CLAIRAUDIENT AND CLAIRVOYANT

RISHIS. ONE OF THE BEST AND MOST ARTICULATE E NGLISH ANTHOWGIES, THE I ,OOO-PAGE

Vedic Experience, IS PUBLISHED IN FULL ON THE I NTERNET AT'. httpJ/wvvw.HinduismToday. kauai. hi. us! ashramlHimalayanAcademy Publications!VedicExperienceIVEIndex.html

DECEMBER , 1996 HINDUISM TODAY?

/

· EDITORIAL then keep both. Smile at it. Better yet, understand it; best of all, learn from it. And

Critical 'Coflectiori never, never offer offende'rs qUid pro quo. End of course. Now that we know how use­ful criticism can be, here is a short list of common charges levied against Hinduism:

Downing D lim-rna is an ancient sport, • Hindus are idol worshippers with far

toa many gods. A trained adept will respond that Hindus are among the world's most en- . thusiastic and energetic devotees. By no means could our worship be judged idle. Here you can smile innocently, letting the

but few have amassed all the trading cards

BY THE EDITOR

NEMIES OF HINDUISM DON'T GET MUCH SPACE IN OUR

journal, though we do report when Pat Robertson trashes our religion (as he dia again recently on his Christian Broadcasting Network). That doesn't mean Sanatana Dhar­ma is deprived of adversaries. They are plentiful, and I for

one hope they are strong, not caring much for a wimpy rival. It seems to be the Law of Things that good rivals make for great achievements, whether in sport or science, politics or religion. Consider Galileo, Gandhi, Socrates, Appar and Martin Luther King, Jr., five men whose ~ncounter.s with fierce opposition made them better for the experience. I am reminaed 0\ the maxim: ''A tr~ly great man-can be measured by the greatness of his enemies." Wishing one's enemies strength is somehow strength-inducing. In that spirit, much gratitude is owed to the antagonists of Hinduism. I have collected their t riticisms, much like others collect first edi­tio.n novels, baseball cards ·or exotic stamps. You may smile at this, but remember that a first-rate book will be gone in 500 years or so, while even a mediocre criticism will last 1,000, usually more.

One I'm particularly fond of is the slanderous story j\merican missionaries spread in the press to blunt Swami Vivekananda's unexpected triumph at the 1893 C~icago Parliament of World Religions. The tragic truth, reporters wrote 100 years ago, is that "Hindoos throw their infant children into the open mouths of river crocodiles." There is a kind of evil genius in, the sheer simplicity of that fatuous indictment.

You might think that folks living,.in these en­lightened times wouldn't peddle such preposter­ous ~ivel. You would be wrong. Case in point, a museum-quality derogation crafted recently by Chick Publications of Cucamonga, California. Opening their anti-Hindu, comic book style pamphlet called "The Traitor," one reads, "This is a true story, lridia-1982." A many-armed Kali stands ominously in the darkness, as a man kneeling at her feet sacrifices his son so the Goddess will answer his prayers. And that's just pa'ge one! The gruesome stuff comes .later.

No one teaches us in school hQw to cope with criticism, turning it to our advantage. They should

l but they don't. A gifted few will learn- <

the concert sitarist or aspiring opera singer for whom reproach and incessant evaluation are a professional imperative. Dancers, actors and athletes all pay niggling mereenaries 'for the privilege of being corrected, faulted and verbally assailed. Professionals blossom un­der it; others wilt and wail.

To rectify tnis, we offer here the world's shortest course on "Censure Management." Never cringe. before criticism. Take it like a man, even if you're a woman. Winnow the true from the false,

8 HINDUISM TODAY, DE~EMBER , 1996

critic wonder if you even fathom his insult. • Hindus worship cows. They honor cows,

they worship God. Hindus abhor the killing of any creature on the Earth and one day will:-be esteemed for this long-held nonviolent ide3I. .

• Hinduism is life-negating and brings poverty to its followers. One need only visit the slums of New York, Tokyo, Bangkok or Beirut to know that no religion exists which has eliminated human suffering, though all make the attempt.

• Hinduism is too r itualistic, complex and contradictory. The problem here is that an outsider is trying to comprehend Sanatana Dharma as a single creed, when it is 10,000 independent religions, each allowed to believe as it chooses. I love ritual, the more elabo­rate the better. But there are many Hindus who hate the simplest rites, and no one asks them to betray their' natural inclinations.

• Hinduism has no hell, no understanding of Satan, no real fear of God. Nolo contendere. Guilty as charged.

• Hinduism is so fatalistic. Only if your definition of fatalism includes the belief that all experiences are 9f our own making, that God is in all things as love, that all of creation is sacred, that all paths are good and that all beings without exception are destined to attain oneness with the Divine. If that's fatalism, then Hindus

are incorrigibly fatalistic. • Hindus sa~rifice animals. I cannot defend

against such a criticism, but can only hope that whatever few remaining expressions of an ear­lier time that may still per~ist will pass soon.

• Casteism in India is a terrible i11justice. No pensive person will deny that. So is crime, homelessness, job discrimination and social! racial inequality in other nations. Neither one has anything to do with the peoples Jeligion.

Those are the classic insults. Sadly, they are old and worn by use. It is rare to find an inno­vative invective. Not long ago, to my utter de­light, I stumbled on an award-winning, fresh­as-the-morning-dew slur. It came courtesy pf the J~hovah's Witnesses, in their April, 1989, magazine, Awake. Each month they print ove.( 11 million of these in 54 languages, so ~e're talking global character assassination here. According to the Jehovah Witnesses, the fatal flaw in Hinduism is-dare I even whisper it­tolerance. That's right, Hindus are too open­minded, excessively sympathetic of another

man's faith, and this tolerance, the article darkly warns, may open the door to lesser paths, to "bad religions."

This mischief will find a cherished place in my collection. While the genius of the alligator allegation was its tall (should that be long?) tale, this one seeRs to hurt Hindus with brute honesty. Nice try. An intolerant sect calling our faith too tolerant? Ouch! In a world far too full of hatred, bias and provincial consciousness, let us pray that we may one day deserve to be called such a name.

\~_"R~_~"~"A~~~"~_I_~_? 4

"There is more to life than increasing its speed." Mahatma Gand6i (1869-1948)

"111e goai of life is not to do what makes you happy. Its to be liap­py doing what you have to do." Satya Sai Baba

"Whence was it.born? Whence issued this creation? Even the Gods came after its emergence. Then who can tell from whence it came to be? He who surveys it in the highest heaven, He surely knows-or maybe He does not!" Rig Veda 1.129

"If we want world peace," Swami Beyondananda qUipped, "we must let go of our attachments and truly live like nomads. That's where I no mad at you, you no mad at me. That way, there'll surely be nomadness on the planet."

"Men' never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it with religious conviction." Blaise Pascal (-French mathematician, 1623-1662)

KaFMl,a Kat-... _ ...... _ .. .,,4..... __ ..... __ by Barry Gener

IT SEEMS THAT MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE BELIEVING IN REINCARNATION.

"Common men talk bagfuls of religion but act not a grain of it, while the wise man speaks little, but his whole life is a religion acted out." Sri Ramak~ishna (1836-1886) to his followers.

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." Albert Elnst@ln (1879-19$5)

What do you call a very rich Madras brahmin? A "Million Iyer."

DID YOU KNOW?

Fingers, Forks or ChopsticksP HE WORLD CAN BE DIVIDED INTO FINGER-FEEDERS,

fork-feeders and chopstick-feeders. Devotees of one implement often regard others as uncivilized. Fork-feeders predominate in Europe and North America. Chopstick­

feeders rule most of Eastern Asia. Finger-feeders, most widespread, prevail in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and much of AJJica.111us,fork­feeders are out­numbered more than two to one.

"The turtle lays a thousand eggs and remains silent.The hen lays just one egg and cackles endlessly. Be like the turtle. Don't behave like the hen." S\tge Yoga~wami (1872-1964) to devotees in his thatched hut in Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

DECEMBER , 1996 HINDUISM TODAY 9

/

practical, teachE~··.!:~x~rt~i?·J!Jc~~~:Y5.~~1

An BOO-page

HIMAlAYAN 4r"nclJN

BOOKS YOU

. . /

We Need the Vedas M .o(e Than . Eve { Their holistiC' wQrldview can end the battle between religion and science

B Y D R. B. V RAM. A N

HAVE TO RECOGNIZE

that all intelligible reali- ' tv--soalce. time and mat­

-IS an aspect of intelli­gent consciousness. But in the Western or modern sciences, we ~ sI\ecialize and compartmental- g ize, we grasp aspects of reality z in isolation-,-space, time, matter, ~ mind, morality, art, history. In ~ each sphere we findJorder, but ~ each sphere slJ.ows itself to be incomplete and to have "ragged edges" that imply oth­er realities necessary t<;> give meaning to it. The mil)d begins to look for a total synthe­sis that'€an make the universe as a whole meaningful and self-explanafory. As\the great Aurobindo says, "The Vedas and Upanishads are not only the sufficient fountain of the Indian philosophy and reli­gion, but of all Indian art, poetry and liter­ature. It was the soul, the temperament, the ideal mind which later carved out the great philosophies, built the structure ~f the dharma which created so many original institutions ip science, created so rien a glow of the aesthetic." The spiritual climate· of the Vedas an<;l Upanishads became the inspiration of all later developments in In­dian culture and civilization in all. the branches of human activity.

In India today, an undue emphasis is being laid on the so-called "scientific tem­per," which means denigrating religious observances, practices and heliefs, all of which are erroneously dubbed as.,2upersti­tion. Religious observances, practices and beliefs are based oli faith. Does science exclude faith and belief? Is not belief in the existence of truth i~ Nature a sustainer of the scientific spirit? While inculcation of a scientific attitude may be. desirable, its lim­itations must be understood and caution exercized in its overemphasis. An essential difference 'between the' approach of the rishis and the modern Western scientists

and their Indian counterparts is that the f@rmer are comprehen­s,ive, integral, holistic and spiri­tual, while the latter are mostly ad /wc, fragmentary, reduction­ist and mechanistic.

Toda'y" Indian p6liticalleaders are at sea, hopelessly flounder­ing in their search for the prin­ciples and methods of education and nation or man building.

The'Work of Veda 'Yyasa provides a won­derfully suggestive object lesson in the task of national leaders-but not political lead­ers-if only they can see the vision tnat lies clearly embodied in his codification. Sage Vyasa regar<;led the Vedas as containing a clear vision and scheme of life to preserve and hand on to later generations through cultural media-s-utra, darshana, music, dance, purana, drama, 'temple architecture, festivals, customs and wax;; of life. ,

One of the greatest gifts of the Vedic seers is the point of view that envisages spiritual knowledge along with s9ientific knowledge as a one organic whole, with no gu1f or conflict between them. The Vedas solved the problem of the right relation between religion,. and science for India and the world. Henee, we tjnd the lawgiver I

Manu saying that in the beginning people of all races or quarters of the Earth came . here for instruction in the arts of life. India became the World Teacher in the be'gin­ning of history on account of the inheri­tance of the Vedas, which were themselves the crystallization of an ear.lier epoch. This view of tolerance and understanding to­ward all the ultimate points of view em­bodied in different religions became a still outstanding characteristic of Indi~ culture.

DR. B Y RAMAN of Bangalore, India, is a world-renowned Vedic asttrologer and edi­tor of The Astrological MagaZine,

j - DISCONTENT

RiSing Suicide~

INDIA, KNOWN FOR STRONG traditions of joint fami1y and

community support of individ­uals, is experiencing a rising suicide rate. In 1984 only 6.8 per 100,000 Indians ended their lives-a low rate com­pared to Russia (65i100M)} Japan (33/100M) or USA (27/100lyf) . By 1994, India's sui~ cides rQ"Se to 9.9 per 100,000, joining its top ten causes of death. Most alarming: thos'e be­low age 30 comprise 55% of the total. High educational, ca­reer and marital demands on youth are cited as causing fatal

. . despair. Housewives under -marital stress, lonely, discontent with traditional roles, expecting more from their husbands, are a new high-risk group. Sui~ide crisisj ntervention services are rare in India. But three.out: of four suicides give advance dis­tress signals. Vigilant awareness can spot an'd stop the terminal despair which leads to self­killing and the sufferings it en­genders in the next life. A few compassionate souls in Bharat ' have begun centers that offer needed hot lines and cOllnsel­ing services.

HAWAII

Laoy's Light i\ N UNEXPECTED COINCI-

, Rdence brought 'India's star prison reformer, Kirin Bedi, to Kauai, Hawaii, home of HIN­DUISM TODAY, Neal Wagatsuma, ward~n of the island's jail, is running an innovative, holistic program of prison reform simi-

Prime Minister offers juice to break Bahuguna's 73-day fast

ENVIRONMENT

Bahuguna Slows Tehri Dam

EXPERTS CONTINUE TO WARN THAT THE TERRI DAM, A

new "mega-dam" in the Himalayas, threatens one of mankind's most sacred river systems near the source of the

Ganges in India. Environmentalist Sundar Lal Bahuguna protested the dam in June with a 73-day "penance" fast, eating only medicinal bae! fruit , water and honey. Prime Minister Gowda, fearing the popular watchdogs death, promised a re­view of the project by a committee of Bahugunas choosing. Bahuguna broke his fast, and dam construction has halted. The International Rivers Network claims the dam would displace 100,000 people and submerge 27,000 hectares of Himalayan land that has been home to sacred Hindu culture and ascetics for millennia. Built in an earthquake-prone region, if the Tehri dam failed or caught a landslide from the unstable mountains above, its flood would destroy the downstream holy towns of Rishikesh and Hardwar, Idlling tens of thousands.

lar to that begun by Bedi at, Delhi's 8,000-strong Tihar Prison, the largest in Asia. Lik~ Bedi, Wagatsuma believes in rehabilitating- criminals, and not letting jails become training grounds for criminal careers.

Informed of the local pro­gram, Bedi included Hawaii in her Jilly USA tour. She visited Qlree jails in the state. Finding a kindred spirit in Wagatsuma,

she declared, "Neal's program incorporates much I had hoped to achieve at Tihar." The Kauai jail will be in­cluded in her new book on prison reform. . Neal greets Kirin Bedi

Chinese ,bharata natyam dancers

LITERAYURE

Ramayana In China

T HE 1996 INTERNATIONAL Ramayana Conference of

India's Vishwa Sahitya Sanskriti Sansthan cOLlvened at the mod-

,

SAN FR A NCISCO

SIXTY TOP RELIGIOUS AND

lay repr~sentives gathered the week of June 24 for the "United Religions Initiative Conference" in San Francisco. It was a bold attempt, con­ceived by Rev. William E. Swing, Episcb pal Bishop cl' Cal­ifornia, to create a religious body parallel to the UN-a kind of United Religions. Sri Ram Swarup of New Delhi submitted a position paper for Hinduism, and delegate Ravi Peruman of San Francisco proposed a "Reli­gious Bill of Rights," declaring each religions protections, in­cluding freedom from subver­sion by others. Input is request­ed from Hindus.

WRITE: 406 SKYH ARBOUn L ANE, BAY POINT, CALIFORNIA 9 4 565 USA.

ern, 13-year-old city of Shenzhen. Scholars from Shanghai, Chun-

, king and Guandung participated. This clas, sic Hindu ethical tale proved its power to in­spire mutual under­standing and cultural bonding, this time be-tween two giant na­

tions. Its central ideals: dharma, self-sacrifice and rising above personal and political interests. Prof. Jin Ding Han of Beijing University, Chinese translator of Tulsi's Ramayana, noted that the epic first appeared in 'China in the third century C. No Hous­ton, Texas, will host the 1997 conference in May.

CL~WISE F ROM T OP: RAVI BATRA-INDIA EXPRESS, UNITED RELIGIONS COMMITTEE, LALLAN PRASAD VYAS, HINDUISM TODAY

DECEMBER , 1996 HINDUISM TODA Y 11

N EPA L

Where's the Beef?

THE SLAUGHTER AND exportation of cows is a crime in the Hindu na­

tion of Nepal, with sentences ranging from a 50,000-rupee fme to six years imprison­ment. However, for lack of

First Lady prays in India

THE WHITE HOUSE

Calling Gandhi

law enforcement, over 200,000 cows a year are smuggled out for slaughter in Bangladesh and India. Bulls, now in short sup­ply, have doubled in price and must be imported from India to meet the demand for ploughing oxen. Hindus cite their own lack of organization to fight the problem and low awareness among farmers who sell off cat­tle they cannot maintain. But last year a government officials

JUSTICE

Swami Jailed

KIRTANANANOA BHAKTIPA­da, 58, erstwhile head of

the Hare Krishna New Vrinda­ban Community in· West Vir­ginia, was fined $250,000 and

public statement, "It is a vio­lation of non-Hindus' human rights to disallow their beef eating," stoked animal-rights fires, demonstrations and at­tacks on smugglers' trucks. A leading activist, Ganesh Ba­hadur has founded the Cow Welfare Association and set himself a mission to restore Nepal as a place where cows are never killed.

H ARISH BA NSH JHA in Nepal

fabulous "Palace of Gold," built to hOFl0r his guru, attracted 250,000 viSitors a year. But then illegal activities that funded its projects, such as the sale 0f caps with trademarked logos, attracted Federal prosecutors. There were also reports of abuse and beating of members.

I In 1983, communi­

SOUTH AFRICA

Baby, Say "Om"

T HE HINDI SHIKSHA SANGH of South Africa has pub­

lished a booklet called Sanskrit Suman, Part 1 of a graded se­ries on learning Sanskrit, by Dr. B. Rambilass, for use by children in "the mainstream school curriculum." Beautifully printed on glossy, color stock, it is an unexpectedly modern teaching tool. Rambilass' pre­sentation) s simple and targets English speakers. It is testimo­ny to the growing worldwide movement to bring back San­skrit as a spoken language. That might seem an· impossible dream, but in 1995 Sudara­charlu and his wife began to successfully market globally from Madras their 12-cassette English workbook, Sanskrit for Children and Beginners.

FOR SANSKRIT SUMAN: HINDU SHIXSHA SANGH, 30 OAK AVE ., KHARWASTAN

DURBAN, 4092, SOUTH AFRICA

Miniature chariots

MALAYSIA

Tiny Fun Fete

HINDUS CARRY THEIR GODS on chariots during festivals.

Often gigantic, they are sur, rounded by a crush of people, and small children rarely par- ' ticipate. So, for a religio~s class exercise, the kids in Klang,

I Malaysia, crafted elaborate miniature chariots. They

IN 1995 HILLARY CLINTON brainstormed In the White

House for her new book. She was guided in imagined con­versations with Eleanor Roo- I

sevelt and Mahatma Gandhi by Jean Houston, psychologist and ' leader in the New Age human potential movement. The US media went wild over the FIrst­Lady's "psychic" dabblings. I

Sadly, the expose broke the two ' frlends ' association, hurting them both. If Hillary wants Gandhi in her'inner dramas, God bless her. We should all enjoy such good company.

,began a 20-year prison sentence in September for rack­eteering after pleading guilty to conspiracy in two murders and in­volvement in illegal­ly raising millions of dollars for his commune. Despite the plea, he denied complicity in the slayings. At senten­cing he stoically said, "The body be­

Swami Bhaktipada

,ty dissident Charles St. Denis was murdered. In 1986, detractor Stephen Bryant was fatally shot in LA. Aformr;r devotee, Thomas Dreshcher, was convicted of both murders and testi­fied they were carried out on Bhaktipada's orders. ISKCON

pulled them arotlDd a local temple with devotion and all / the priestly rituals. The exer­cise was for a lesson in The Master Course, Saivite Hindu Religion published by Himal­ayan Acade~. Its professional teacher's guide has a fun flair that brings religion to life. The children love it.

longs to God, and He can do with it as He pleases."

Bhaktipada, an early disciple of Srila Prabhupada Bhakti­vedanta, founded the commu­nity in 1968. At its peak in the 1980s it had 700 membeFs. Its

12 HIN.DUISM TODAY ' DE~MBER , 1996

expelled the swami in 1987. Vrindaban spokesman, Gar­

garishi, told HINDUISM TODAY, "He deviated from the stnct Vedic tenets and deserves what

'he is receiving." The communi­ty has since rejoined ISrcCON.

CLOCKWISE FROM ~~~;'~~i~~~J,\,=~: AVINASH PASRICHA-SPAN MAGAZINE

Photo images on smooth-textured

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Presently available: Krishna, Satya Sai Baba, Shirdi Sai Baba, Mother Meera, Ramana Maharshi,Yogananda (pictured above), Yogananda (the '1ast smile"), Anandamayi Ma, Ramakrishna, Aurobindo, Sarada Devi, Vivekananda, Buddha. Each: US$20

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Joel Singer PO Box 1330 Port Townsend, WA 98368 USA Tel: 360-385-3748

Roy Eugene Davis, a Widely-traveled teacher, author and direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, has taught in the kriya yoga tradition for more than four decades.

Request information about his books and classes in the USA, India, Europe and other countries.

Center for Spiritual Awareness p.o. Box 7-H Lakemont, Georgia 30552 USA

Tel: 706-782-4723 • Fax 706-782-4560 http://web.infoave.netl-csainc • E-mail csainc@stc.net

In India: A Master Guide to Meditation (Rs. 55) The Book of Life (Rs. 65) by Mr. Davis. Motilal Banarsidass 41 U.A., Bungalow Road Jawahar Nagar, Delhi no 007 • Offices and stores also in Patna, Bangalore, Madras, Varanasi, Calcutta and Pune. If by mail, add Rs. 15 each book for postage.

GURUDEVA INSPIRES MURUGAN DEITY PROJECT IN CINCINNATI

Hindu Society of Greater Cincinnati (HSGC) is in the process of finishing a 15,000 sq. ft. temple as part of a major Center of Hindu Religion and Culture on 100+ acres of wooded lot. A library, meditation room, visitor's guest house and retirement homes will also be part of this complex.

To accommodate the diversity of Hinduism, twelve five-foot deities: Shivalingam, Venkateshwar, Pillaiyar, Laxmi, Saraswathy, Durgaiamrnan, Hanuman, Srinath, Laxmi-Narayan, Mahavir, Radha-Krishna, and Sita-Ram, will be housed in "Individual Temples" on a single platform. The deities, carved in India, have already been received in Cincinnati.

Kumbhabishekam will take place in 1997. In addition, we will be housing Palamudir Solai Murugan-Valli-Deivanai, and Ayyappan Swami deities in a special wing.

Gurudeva Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami has already blessed this effort by shipping a Murugan Deity from India. This has generated a new impetus for the project, and a devotee from Bahrain is donating the Ayyappan Deity. However, we need funds to complete the wing, which is expected to cost $100,000. Therefore, we ask devotees allover the world to donate generously and be a part of this holy project. In your family name or in memory of loved ones you can donate any amount, adopt a tree for $1001, or sponsor a brick for $501. All donations are Tax Deductible (Tax 1.D. #31-1017997).

I am enclosing a $ ______ check for: TREE ___ BRICK ___ DONATION Please make check payable to: HSGC, PO. BOX 19399, CINCINNATI, OHIO 45219

IN THE NAME/MEMORY OF:

___________ ADDRESS:

________ STATE: ___ ZIP: ____ PHONE (W/H): ________ _

For more information please contact: K.R. Anantharaman 1-5.13-753-8556; Ambikaipakan Balasubramaniam 1-513-558-3819 (W), 1-513-794-0141 (H), e-mail: Ambi.bala@uc.edu; Siva Sivaganesan, 1-513-563-2901, e-mail Siva.Sivaganesan@uc.edu;

Laxmi Srivastava 1-513-558-8182 (W), 1-513-474-0533 (H).

Indications WHAT INTERESTS ME ABOUT HINDUISM TpDAY is the vast enthusiasm shown by young Hindus settled in the West. There is evidence in their queries an4 comments of an abiding and loving faith in the tradition­al values and the way of life called Hin­duism-values which have stood the test of time. The glories of ancient Babyton, Greece llJ).d Rome are now found only in museums and libraries of the world. Bul Hinduism is still a living faith. HINDUISM TODAY'S unique role is strengthening the link between Hin­duism as a faith and the eager-to-be-in-formed Indian aiaspora. .,

",

S. N ARAYANAN NEW DELHI, INDIA

In Need of Answers THERE ARE SEVERAL UNANSWERED QUES­tions floating in the growing Hindu- popula­tion such as, what should I do with Gods' pictures when I do not need them? Why is there worship of stone? Why do we use co­conuts, turmeric and kumkuma? What is their significance? Why do swamis sit on the tiger's skin but preach ahimsa? We need an­swers but can't. find them in the scriptures. Why ~e mantras powerful, in what context, and who proved their power? These fre­quently asked questions need to be answered.

Exciting Tool

A . B ALA-SUBRAMANIAM AUBURN,ALABAMA, USA

"aum@aub.mindspring.com

BY PROF~SSION I AM ANENGLISH TEA<1HER, and I have been involved in computer as­sisted language learning- for 11 years (,'A Cool, Calculating Computer-Educated Gen­eration:' PUBLISHER'S DESK, May '96). The computer can be used by a teacher to create a rich environment for learning, but the re­sponsibility to use the medium effectively is as g]:eat as that of a teacher using a text­book effectively, or perhaps greater, since huge amounts of informatIon are available, and the computer is entrancing and engag­ing regardless of whether it is being used ef­fectively.

Forge Ahead

SIMON SERGEANT SINGAPORE

"Sergeant@singnet.com.sg

THERE ARE MANY LARCiE DAMS IN THE world, and they are constructed after taking the opinions of experts' ("Religion and Envi­ronment Conspire to Tear Down Tehri Dam," July '96). In case it is necessary, a re­ligious site may be shifted to a suitable height after raking the confidence of reli­gious leaders of t>he region. When the tem­ple of Jaganath Puri was renovated, the

I

14 ruNDUI.SM TODAY DECEMBER, 1996

LETTERS deities we~e shifted to another place and re­turned after performing religious yagnas and prayers. Hindu religion is very elastic and has found solutions for shifting even an important temple coming in the way of de­velopment. I am of the opinion that such dams should be finished as early as possible without any delay.

SHANKERl'RAsA<D S. BHATT CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, USA

No Prohibition in Scripture OUR SCRIPTURES, FROM VEDAS TO PU­ranas, including the Ramayana, Mahabha­rata and Srimad Bhagavatam, have numer­ous examples of alcohol consumption, both by celestial and mortal beings ("Unaccept­able," LETTERS, Aug-Nov '96). Ayurveda prescribes several wines and spirits of medicinal value, like draksharistha; asoka­rishta, mritasanjivanisudha, drakshasava, to name a few. '

PRASAD BANERJEE TORONTO KALIBARI, ONTARIO, CANADA

Exp~1 the Aryan Theory I CONGRATUbATE DINESH AGRAWAL WHO has exposed this baseless treory tilf Aryan invasioFl ('/\ryan Invasion , Theory," MY TURN, July '96). Let us cremate the theory of Aryan invasion of India as promoted by British rulers, because there is no truth in it. '

DR. S. SHARMA NOTHINGHAM,ENGLAND, UK

Conversion Right and Wrong I AM AN ARDENT READER OF HINDUISM TbDAY, and I feel a sense of pride in being a Hindu after reading and understanding Hinduism. I am particularly impressed with the article ~bout Dilip Singh Judev ("Oper­ation Homecoming," June '96), who is doing a fantastic job by reconverting the tribals back to their original religion, i.e.: Hinduism. By God's grace, I hope there will be more such people in every country to' perform such a great service to our religion, Sanatana Dharma.

R. RAJENDRAN SINGAPORE

.J

WHEN HINDUS IN INDIA 'AND NEPAL FACE , conversions to Christianity through intimi­

dation a'nd manipulation by missionaries, they perceive condescension and even dis­dain, but cannot stop the act of conversion for die fear of challenging the highly struc­tured mechanics of Christian evangelism. Missionaries from tIie rich countries of the West do not accept Hindus' claims that their human rights are being violated by the missionaries of the Christian churches. The resuitant affect Hindus face is the religious partitioning of India, where the Christian

converts' demands create ne.w political po;:kets in India-carrying transformed val­ues animus to Hindu religion and culture. Jbe resistance given by Dilip Singh Judev is a good start, but he alone cannot stop con­version of the Hindus. He needs his state's political backing through legislation and. support of all Hindus frgm home and abroad.

PRIYA B. MUKHOPADHAY MONTREAL,QUEBEC, CANADA

I WOllLD AGREE WITH ONE FACT, THAT !f people are converted by force or by any oth­er means of cheating, then Hindus have every right to brIng them back ("WHF Au­gurs: 21st Century Belongs to Hindus," Aug­Nov '96). Otherwise, let everybody enjoy their freedom. It is strange that Nepal has this law, "No one is allowed to convert one's faith/ ' This is simply inhuman, anti-Hindu, and too much interference by the state in a persons spirituality. It is. true that a huge amount of money from Western c.ountries is being spent on conversion in countries like India and Nepal. This money is as useful for the country's economy as the billions of dol­lars sent by NRIs to their countries. I see that the only real problem with this conver­sion is, if the remote future, Hindus become a minority and face the consequences of perishment. I agree that it is a real threat, but the solution lies not in reconversion, but in making these people's lives comfortable with respect and dignity. If ~hat does not happen, the work of WHF and VHP will prove to be worthl!Jss.

DR. ASHOK K. JAIN DALLAS, PENNSYLVANIA, USA

" AKJI@PSUVM.PSU.EDU

Mankind's Origin I WAS HAPPY TO READ THE ARTICLE ON the Origin of Man ("How Did M~ Arrive on Earth?" July '96), and especially noted the \ Vedic references. The declaration by Sage

/ Tirumular in the 2,000-year-old scripture 'Tirumantiram [verse ~81-410l which recapit­ulates the essence of creation is most appro­priate, and gives a scientific and logical pre­sentation to the subject.

SELVA NADARAJAH KUALA LUMPUR, MAL.AJ'SIA

Letters, w ith writer's n~e, address and daytime phone.rlUmber, should be sent to:

Letters, HINDUISM TODAY 107 Kaholalele Road Kapaa, HI 96746-9304 USA or faxed to: (808) 822-4351 or e-mailed to: letters@HinduismToday.~auai.hi.us

Letters Il1ay be edited for space and clarity and may appear in electronic versions of HINDUISM TODAY. " INDICATES LETIERS RECEIVED VIA E-MAIE.

Books by Swami Shankar Purushottam Tirtha:

Yoga Vani Instructions for the attainment of Siddhayoga during sadhana. postpaid: US$13.50 (USA) $16.50 (Canada)

Guru Bani 100 ways to attain inner peace. How to live a spiritual life-for monks and families. postpaid: US$9.50 (USA) $12.50 (Canada)

Ayurvedic Products Distributors-wholesale or retail catalog: $1.00 (free via e-mail) • Consultations • I-year Ayurveda Certification Courses in person or by correspon­dence (US mail, or e-mail).

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Web: httpllwww.holistic.com/listings/11709acl.html Free interactive dosha self-test and articles.

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Ananda, founded in 1968 by Swami Kriyananda, a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, is not affiliated with Self-Realization Fellowship.

Vedic Astrology in Paradise March 14-17, 1997

for more infonnation contact:

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16

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TRIBUTE

$ai: Hin·du of Year , -• I

Receives 1996 "Hindu Renaissance Award"

"

ITH 1,638 CENTERS IN137 COUN­tries, Satya Sai Baba guides the

largest .Hindu organization in the world today. Most Hindus remain un­

aware of the depth and breadth of his ex-tensive worldwide programs spreading the ancient Vedic teachings. HINDUISM TODAY bestowed its 1996 Hindu Renaissance Award upon this remarkable 70-year-old saint for his 56 years of service. The award carries a "Hindu of the Year" bronze plaque and a nominal honorarium of RS51,000.

Since 1990 HINDUISM TODAY has yearly honored one saint .who has impacted the faith and spread its' vastness, compassion and profundity. Dharma's renaissance lead­ers have been: Swami Param,.ananda Bharati (,90), Swami Chidananda SQTaswati (,91), SWami Chinmayananda ('92), Mata Amrita­nandamayi ('93), Swami Satchidananda ('94) and Prqmukhswami Maharaj ('95).

Satya Sai Baba's far-reaching activities en­compass children's education, temple devel­opment, support of sadktLs and Vedic sch@l­ars, medicine and rural development. His first outreach remains the one for which he

··1 ' is best known-bhaJana-begun in 1940 when ·he was 14 years old. Today Sai's fol­lowers are regarded as masters of devotion­al music. There is minimal organizational clutter in the thousands of local Sai groups'. Followers are of all faiths and propound a staunch universalism. They collect no mon­ey and focus on diScipline and purity of pur­pose. Devo~ees come . together weekly to sing, returning home without engaging in soci91izing, gossip or politics. Bhajanas are sung'in traditionallangliages, but also in 10-cal languages so all can participate.

(

A worldwide' impact: Sri Satya Sai Baba

oSai's Education in Human Values chil­dren's course is taught in schools in , 100 countries. With a strong religious orienta­tion, it expounds five qualities: truth (satya), righteousness (dharma), peace (shanti), love (pre.ma) and nonviolence (ahimsa). EHV re­jects the rote learning, so often thought suf­ficie~t for education, emphasizing Indian techniques-silent sitting, quotation, story­telJing, song and group activities.

Sai Baba firmly advocates vegetarjanism, stating, "Meat furthers the demonic quali­ties in you." Ahead of many in the world, he is yery clear on the relationship between poor diet and poor health, and the impact of ~hemical farming methods in reducing the quality of the food grown. His US$18 million Puttaparthi heart hospital is just the latest in a vast spectrum of free medical services­

which include even major heart and brain surgery. He con-

, demns doctors who profit from illness and advocates the princi­ples of traditional ayurveda. He has endeared himself to vi\­lagers by offering veterinarian facilities which have prevented crippling diseases among cattle. His 1995 project brought safe drinking water to 800 villages through pipes and tube wells.

Followers revere Sai Baba as Avatar, an incarnation of God. In 1976, he told Blitz magazine, "The presen( avatar [Sai] has come invested with the totality of cosmic power to save dharma from anti-dharma." Regarding his powers, he said in the same interview, "I can cure, save, even resurrect people, provided they are in a spiritually receptive mood. Whatever I will, instantly materializes." Indeed, millions profess to seeing him manifest physical objects. This inspires intense faith among devotees. Sai submits, "Miracles belong to the bOl~ndless power of God."

Perhaps Sai Baba's least appreciated pow­er lies in his preaching. Twice each day he lectures articulately in Telegu to ample crowds, explaining with trenchant insight every aspect of Hinduism. A devotee said he understood God to be within ,us all. Baba corrected, "Not exactly. Think of it this way: you are like a fish swimming in the divine ocean that is God. God is above you, below

'You, inside and out." •

From 'a Simple Village Life to World Acclaim as Divinity Incarnate 1918 1926 1940 1944 1957 1965 , 1968 1991 1995

Shirdi sal ,,-

Sathyanara- Satya Sai Devotees cre- Sai's all-India Begins col- First Interna- Opens free Millions, in-Baba, pro)3o- yana Raju'1s Baba tells ate aShra~a tour attracts leges which tional Sai Sri,Satya Sai cluding the nent of Hin- born on No- ',family, "My near Sai's widespread are now a Conference, Baba Insti- Prime Minis-du1Muslim vember'23rd devotees are home. It is attention. maj~ free implementa- tute of Med- ter of India, harmony, in the remote waiting for Prasanthi Ashrama is university. tion of the ical Sciences attend 70th dies, proph- village of me." Leaves Nilayam, inundated Promotes all- Education in on 150-acre birthday cele-esying he will Puttaparthi, home, begins "abffde of with sadhus, fudia Bal Vi- Human Val- campus. p{O- brations in reincarnate in' Andhra Pra- bhajana suprep1e shastris and har children's ues program motes ayur- Andhra eight years. desh, India. movement. peace. " students. program. for schools. veda system. Pradesh.

r ,,-

DECEMBER, 1996 17 HINDUISM TODAY

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Bhartiya Temple of Lansing, Inc. clo S. Kashyap 1841 Yosemite Dr. Okemos, MI 48864 USA

8RIEftl TItE BRITISH ARE GONE, but the King's Eng­lish is still colonizing, with 350 ~illion , Asians now speaking the tongue-more than in the UK and USA combined. Profes­sor Braj Kachru of the University of Illinois told a language conference in Manila that most former British colonies ha~ devel­oped their own distinctive brand of English for internal uses. These include the Philip­pines, Singapore and India.

to preach or advise the eat ing of it." Con­tact: Madan Lal Gupta, 2912 Freeborn Street, Duarte, California, 91010, USA.

THE 11TH INTERNATIONAL AIDS Conference announced that India leads with 2 to 4 mil­lion of the world's 22-million HIV;:positive people. India Today reports 20% of high school students in large cities are sexually active. of those, 7% have sex with HIV-pos­itive partners and are at risk. Nine Indo-

IN A MASS MARRIAGE, 103 couples tied the American students have formed VISIONS, knot at Sawai Madhavsingh Stadium in '" Volunteering International Students in Or-Jaipur, India. The toughest part was finding ganizing Never-ending Service, spending 103 white mares for grooms to mount, and four-weeks this year in India presenting a festive challenge required each to catch AIDS education and prevention programs. the be st horse he could. It's a good thing they agreed on the dowry issue. Negotiating a dowry even dur­ing betrothal dis­cussions violates the Dowry Pro­tection Act of 1961, according Marriage en masse to a new interpre-tation by India's Supreme Court. The Khandelwal Vaishya Samuhik Vivaha Samaroh Samiti, which specializes in dowry-free weddings, sponsored the event.

BELIEF IN TRANSMIGRATION is blossoming in Argentina. Acceptance of reincarnation has jumped from 24% to 39%, according to a recent poll of religious beliefs. The increase is credited to the growing -influence of Asian religions in general, and popular gurus, like Satya Sai Baba, in particular.

HINDU WOMEN THREATEN to disr.upt a planned November Miss World beauty pag~ant in Bangalore, India, being staged by Amitabh Bachchan's entertainment company. The Mahila Jagaina (Forum to Awaken Women) has threatened to form a 15-member "suicide squad" to disrupt the contest (by self-immolation, according to one report). They believe such contests de­grade women by treating them as sex ob­jects and are an insult to Indian culture.

Gokarunanidhi, Ocean of Mercy for the Cow, is now available in E,nglish for US$2 postage. Written in 1881 by S1'i Swami Dayananda Saraswati, founder of the Arya Samaj, it focuses on the cow's sacredness and utility. In a dialog between a Slayer ( meat-eater) and a Protectionist (vegetari­an), he writeS,' ':Animals would never be slaughtered if there be none to eat flesh, or

THIRTY-NIN~ WORSHIPERS celebratin~oma­vati amavasya, the dawn of the new moon, were killed in a stampede down a' staircase to Mahakalishwara Shiva temple in Ujjain. The disaster occurred when the flow of devotees was halted so a VIP and his family could worship. The states chief minister im­mediately sacked top temple and police offi­cials. In Hardwar, 21 devote~s were)tram­pled to..death while crossing a narrow bridge spanning the holy river Ganga, whelie nearly two million devotees had gathered for a festival. Critics blame poor police control of fervent crowds. Judicial in­quiries were launched into both incidents. Festival crowding has killed more than 1,000 Hindus in the last decade.

INITIALLY OFFERING THREE courses, the Sri Chinmoy Institute of Ayurvedic Sciences has opened in Bellevue, Washington. Founder Dr. Virender Sodhi writes, "Our main goal is to provide high-guality sec­ond~y education ar;d eventually to provide licen-sure to Ayurve- Dr: Sodhi with students dic physicians~"

A "CENTER FOR INDIA STUDIES" at the State ' . Universi!J of New York at Stony Brook,

Long Island, is flourishing following U5$100,000 in pledged support by Indo­American profeSSionals. The center is being hailed as an all-too-rare synergy of student activism, faculty dedication and c~mmuni­ty support.

ONCE WHOLLY HINDU, then gutted by commu­nal vjolence, Bhola town on Bangladesh's largest island, is heqling and worshiping

,,-again at its largest temple, the Madan Mohan Thakur Bari Mandir, destroyed in riots in the af­termath of the Babri Masjid af-fair. Now rebuilt, Cererrwnial march its reconsecra-tion featured 108 sari-clad, married womet). iIi a mile-long procession tpat carried holy water for the rituals, attended by many to­cal Muslims.

NEW ZEALAND'S NEW ATTITUDES about reli­gious education may generate a more bal­anced syllabus. Paul Morris, professor of re­ligiolls studies at Victoria University, recommends a change and says the,facts are that New Zealand no\V has Hindu tem­ples, Sikh gurudwaras, mosques and syna­gogues, with more to come. Yet, he says 270,000 primary-school children are given no opportunity to learn about the religions of their neighbors.

MAHESH MAHARISHI'S SCHOOL of the Age of Enlightenment in Fairfield, Iowa, a private institution of 600 students, recently reaf­firmed the venerable tradition of single-sex classes, despite its costing them state book subsidies. Federal laws also prohibit single­gender. schools from receiving federal funds. "We feel single-gender classes are clearly beneficial for children, and we cannot en­dorse a policy of compulsory coeducation," said school director Ashley Deans. Other American schools are seeing the advantages, too. A Manassas, Virginia, middle-school teacher "knows single-sex classes let hei kids think with something besides their hor­mones," reports Newsweek. Teachers are finding that both test scores and class partic-

-?pation improve.

INTERNATIONAL PEACE UNIVERSITY irl'Berlin, with 850 founding members from 45 coun­tries, is dedicated to building bridges "be­tween inner and outer peace and to support networking between spiritual and material values, theory and g,ractice, generations, • disciplines and cultures." Among this years . highlights: celebr~ting International Peace Day in September, and awarding their first Planetary Consciousness Prize in October.

News briefs are compiled from press, TV and wire-service reports and edited by RAVI PERUMAN, award-winning radio journalist at KGO in San Francisco.

20 ifINDVISM TODAY D E CEMBER , 1996 CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: SHYAJ\.iAL CHANDRA DEBNATH, CHINMOY INSTITUTE, SUNDAY

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Devotional Chambers in D.C. The unique format of the exhibit takes visitors through temple, home and outdoor worship arenas

Bastar

EXHIBI"TION

Pqia in Washington Hindu art shakes off its archaic image /at the Sackler Gallery of Art's sensitive display . .

By VG. JULIE RAJAN, PHILADELPHJA RIOR TO THE CURRENT EXHIBIT AT

the prestigious Smithsonian institu­tion's Saclder Gallery of Art, viewing

Hindu art in a museum was boring at best. Sure, the aesthetic impact was often impressive and, to a few initiates, exciting, but it was still "just a muse­um." To knowing Hindus, the art was Olat of context, and out of touch with the maker's intent. It felt abandoned, cold, old and irrelevant.

has effectively made Puja an exhibition as much about Hindu devotionals as Hindu art.

Once in agreement, Huyler and Ridl€y di­vided the artifacts into three -categ0ries relat­ing to the spatial dimensions of Hindu wor­ship-temple, household arid outdoor shrines [<;I.iagFam, facing page]. "We wanted to give

While Washington, D.C.'s, Sackler Gallery is still a mu­seum, its semi-permanent ex­hibit, Puja, Expressions of Hindu Devotion, boldly and ~ trimrlphantly places Indian z art, specifically Hindu art, in ~ proper context as objects of t: worship. Largely donated ~L-___ == ___ -.l from the private collection of Sundarar and Paravai:

the exhibit some organizing principles that made it seem less foreign," explains Ridley, who has been working with the gallery for 11 years. "A ,10t of Westerners just think that Hinduism has multiple gods with multiple arms, and that is it. But when you say that worship takes place in the temple }illd in the home, most people, no matter what cul­ture they are froni, can make a connection. This was im­portant to all of us. In an art museum like ours, many of the objeots for muc:p. of our audience seem long ago and

Paul Walters with minor Dressed by temple priests contributions from Georgana Foster and Dr. David R. Nalin, the 125 pieces iri the exhibit were not originally in­tended to exemplify Hindu worship at alL Whil~ categorizing the objects, co-curators Stephen P. Huyler and Sarah Ridley slowly realized that the concept of puja, the Hindu worship rite, was like a sacred thn!ad bind­ing the collection together. .

'Rather than displaying the artifacts as ob­solete histotlcal relics, the sociologically sen­sitive curators insisted that the exhibit be a

. show of Ilving art, art that is as much a part of Hindu life today as when it was made. Huyler, the art historian, ethnologist, writer and photographer who masterminde"d the show, told Sackler that he "would only be willing to co-curate if they were willing to show th~ objects as they were meant to be seen rather than as art objects." Sackler con­curred, cementing a conceptual shift that

far away. Although many items here were made hundreds of years ago, they still have significance today. We wanted to show Hin- . duism toaay, to remind P70ple that these are Americans who are practicing HinduiSm."

This innovative conceptualization devel­oped to include on-going free lectures and demonstrations of Hindu art, music, dance and worship, along with professional videos of authentic religious J ituals in India and the US. "We have been' having a regular se­ries called 'Puja Tod,ay,' where various Hin­dus in the Washington, D.C., area talk about being a Hindu in the United States," Ridley elucidated. The primary exhibition is considered a long-term addition to the gallery, not a mere six-month show. Tempo­rary exhibits, such as Huyl~r's photographs of Indian kolams, Painted Prayers [see cov­er photo J, were scheduled to enhance and

DECEMBER, 1996 HI'NDUISM TODAY 23

supplement the main displays. The cathedral-high glass ceiling and the

wide-apen laQby in which cuJtural events are .often held connate a sense .of space and apftn-mindedness. During reg,Ylar haurs, visitars can sit in'a theater and view a vid~a, narrated by Natianal Public 1'ladia's Chitra Raghavan, detailing Hindu warship in the United States. They clln: browse through lit­erature an. Sanatana Dharma in a reading area within the exhibit, or can i;>rawse the gift shap far baaks, phatagraphs and ather .objects relating ta the exhibit.' The exhibit's educatianal impact is enhanced by well-in­farmed dacents, whase knawledge .of Indian spiritual cancepts gained by rigarous train­ing and visits ta' temples in the area will as­tanish mast practicing Hindus.

Ta accamplish all .of this, Sackler saught the help .of American Hindus, wha eagerly taak up the gauntlet. "There was a priest fmm the Siva-Vishnu temple in Maryland wha actually came and installed the Siva Linga and the SuncJarar and Paravai sculp­tures," details Huyler: "Then we had a mem­ber .of that temple, Uma Nagarajan" install the hausehald shrine ta Vishnu. Sackler felt from the very beginni:ng that H wauld be in­apprapriate far anyane ather than a tradi­tianal Hindu ta ,place the .objects."

A val.unteer far almast five years at the gallery, Uma Nagarajan was involved in the exhibit fram the .outset as a liaisan between the lacal Hin'du cammunity and the gallery. She alsa plays a significant role in the Puja videa [see page 47], demanstrating the sim­ple and profaund de~atian .of Hindu hame warship. She described her cammunity's .out­reach effqrts, "We really gat invalved thraugh d~vatianal programs twice a mQilth. Other temples in the area alsa cantributed. Same .of the participants gave lectures, demanstra­tians .of devatianal music and things like that. We are happy that the Hindu religian, which is a living, practicing religian, is get­ting same natice and attentian."

Giving the Eternal Path such public praminence was an early intent .of Huyler, wha praclaimed that, far him, the purpase .of Puja is "ta reach the /Western public, bath NRI and nan-Indian, in the hapes .of bath readdressing the massive misinterpretatian .of Hinduism in the cantemparary warld and ta be able ta laak at it as a late-20th-centu­ry, innavative, progressive, vital religi'an, and nat samething that is archaic, third-warld, remate, Ta shaw that it is living in America. It is vital ta America, andi'ital ta India. It is nat just half-way araund the warld."

Capital Idea: This nable gaal is partly achieved si~ply through the shaw's impres­sive venue. After all, this is the Smithsanian, an institutian .of the US gavernment and. the warld's largest museum and research cam­plex. Nine Smiths ani an museums are clus­tered an the Natianal Mall between the

24 HINDUISM TaDAY DE'CEMBER , 1996

Washingtan' Manument and the CapitaL Five .others are scattered elsewhere in Washingtan. This unique geagraphy gives Puja cauntry-wide prominence. Attendance ta the twa side-by-side galleries, Sackler and Freer, between May 12, 1996, when Puja .opened, and August 31, is estimated at 200,000-roughly 1,780 art afficianadas per day. Sackler's staff estimate that half t;he at­tend~es are Hindu.

Puja enchants the press, taa. Enthusiastic cayerage heralded the .opening. Mast na­table were a feature in the Washington Post and an artful,p'iece by Halland Catter in the New York Times. The Times has been typi­cally critical .of Hinduism, but eatter's stary, "Indian Icans in All Their Fine Clathes,"

. praved a welcame exceptian. The exhibit's intent Was crystal clear ta him: "Thematical­ly facused, carefully selected, the spare ex­planatary wall texts wearing schalarship lightly, the shaw ill~minates a religiaus art in which beauty and functian are ins~parable, and in which ritual 'use is warmed by the tauch afhamely affectian. It alsa gently puts art/history in the right persp~ctive. The spiritual ideals dacumented are as alive ta­day as they were centuries aga, and even re­canstituted in a mus~um cantext, they

breathe the air .of life." Creating Sacred Space: Huyler tried hard

ta bring the .displ{y ta life, ~nd harder ta maintain same sanctity, but was stymied by red tape-perhaps a kind .of asmasis from the Capital next daar. "We faught far there ta be deepas lighted; but there are fire :egu­latians, and it just Gauld nat h.appen. We wanted peaple ta take .off their shaes when they entered the whal~ exhibitian, but there , was a unian regulatian against that. We had

.-temple bells that were gaing ta be hung near the Lingam that peapJe wauld strike as they circumambulated, but .our antique pair .of bells broke at the last minute. We wanted the exhibitian ta be mare interactive than it cauld be, but we were hindered by either museum .or gavernment regulatians." •

Still, credit is du~, Far a first-af-its-kind exhibit, Puja is a trmmph. Uma NagarajaIl ptavided lacal a,ssessment. "I think they have dane a gaad study. What is presented is in such a way that Hindus cannat find fault in it. Americans wha da nat understand .our religian seem ta be very happy and satisfied because they understan~ exactly what it is thraugh the explanatians given." Huyler has alsa watched visitors' reactians, He remem­bers during the .opening, near the extraardic

Art's Apt Apostle contemporary Hinduism, its vitality and its modem value."

Living in and out of India and America exposed Huyler to the truths and discrepancies in and around Hinduism. "My understanding of Hinduism has been on a day-ta-day basis of just hausehalders all throughaut the country, staying in Indian homes and watching devatianal practices. I watched wamen and men painting in their homes as a part .of daily or seasonal ritual, It had a deep and heart-opening impact on me," This ultimately mativated him to use his artful abilities to make a difference. '1 really believe that I was given a trust, and this exhibit is a way to live up to that trust and give some­thing back. It is a chance to right some of the wrongs that exist in American and Western .opinion of India. I fully believe that India is going to be a lead­ing power in the 21st century, and that if Americans continue to be condescending towards the culture and the thought processes of the Indian subcan­tinent, we're gaing to be left rapidly behind,"

How an American in love with India may change the history of Her art

COULD STEPHEN p,

(rhymes with an American from

small coastal town of Camden, Maine, offer the Hin­du world? To start, he could catalag in exquisite photographs Indias long underappreciated sacred folk-art. Hes been doing just that, living in Bharat four months out of every year for the past twenty-five years, Open any page of the 1994 Painted Prayers, his current apogee, and you know instantly the scale and tenderness of his labors with a camera [see this months cover and gatefold],

Such photographic feats only laid the foundation for his latest revolution, It is, according to him, "the culmination of my heart/spirit experience in In­dia," namely, the Puja exhibit at the Saclder Gallery of Art '1

Huyler: With Bidulata Hota

think that this is a first of its kind for Hindu art in America," notes Huyler. "It is attempting to change attitudes, to change the level of respect towards a belief system that must be understood in the West. I think it is about

nary Kashmir crystal Lingams [phata, page 22], ; a waml}Il was-prostrate in front .of it far

. , quite a lang time. It was very strong ta watch," While explaring the exhibit for this article, I was persanally struck by the au­thentic display .of a magnificent granite Lingam, dated 17th century Tamil Nadu, that is situated as it wauld be within a tem­ple. Between the pedestal an which the adarneg Lingam was placed, the ail lamps surrounding the Deity and the .offerings .of fruit and flawers that were placed in fmnt, I felt a strong impulse ta take .off my shaes irS. reverence befare approaching.

The significance .of an exhibit an Hin­duism in the US capital signals mare than just an artistic shaw, Puja is already func­tianing as a bridge between the Hindu cam­munity and the American public, breaking dawn barriers and discrimin;3.tian caused by ignarance. T0ur guide Dr. ~arleyse Ken­nedy explained, "I think it signifies an apen-

, ing .of/the spirit, a trend foward multi-eth­hicity, and the recagnitian .of the validity .of ather beliefs, Once yau understand same­thing, yau can accept it, and there is le'ss dis­criminatian." ,-

The exhibit alsa serves ta bridge first and secand-generatian. Hindus, allawing thase

wha are nat as familiar with their religian ta delve daringly inta their roats. "Nawadays many' yaungsters seem ta help in the Hindu

' temples that are in every city," nates Na-garajan. "This may help them ta get invalved even mare." H)lyler describes this as a pri­mary mativatian. "One .of my cancerns in the ver:y beginning was that there wauld be secand aI).d third-generatian Indians-chil­dren that receive the camman peer pressure that laaks at Hinduism as samething biz­arre-that they w(!lUld be able ta came with a clas's or bring in a friend and say 'Laak, this is what we'r~_abaut' and be really excit­ed abaut it. I taught at Ohia State Universi­ty, and half .of my students wer~ Hindu. Same .of them were skeptical, and ta watch the dawning pride graw in them-there was just this excrtement and understanding that 'Yes. This is samething warthy .of pride,'"

. Puja's auth~ntic aura is clearly du~ ta the dedication .of the Sackler Gallerys staff, am­plified by the canscientiaus help rendered by the lacal Indian cammunity. Ridley warked .overtime ta establish cantacts and earn t~e eager assistance .of arg~izatians such as the United Hindu Temple and Jain Assaciatian. Through the danatian .of vari­aus props, the dressing .of the Deities, and

by giving their time ta the interactive pra­grams, these devatee; have cl~arly can­tributed ta the quality and gem:Iineness .of the exhibit.

Guard and Vanguard: Will this be the coup de grace far the mistreatment .of Hin­duism and its sacred art? Huyler thinks it's a guard against myths surrounding ~he faith, a gaad beginning, but nat the end. He saberly tald HINDUISM TODAY, "I wauld like ta think that it is a gigantic blackbuster, that everybady will see it. But thats nat the case. ' It is in the Smithsanian",and that in and .of itself will gain a lat .of notice. But itS: nat a blackbuster .or a hugely advertised shaw. Hapefully, what it will da is suggest passibil­ities far museums elsewhere."

Far the next few years, Hindu families and thase wha have 'af~ctian far India's tra­ditianal ways have a new place .of pilgrim­age On the East Ca'lst, .one where learning carnes in an atmasphere .of spirituality. The gallery is lacated near the castle-like Smith­sanian Institutian Building an the Natianal Mall at 1050 Independence Avenue Sauth­west in Washingtan, D.c. It is .open every day except December 25. Haurs are from 1a:aaAM until 5:30PM. Admissian is free. Telephane: 202-357-4880. ....I

DECEMBER, 1996 HINDUISM TODAY 25

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Fossil: '0e microscopic worm and 4. 5-pound meteorite in Which. it was discovered

SCIENCE

Life on Mars? "\\'orm" found in' meteorite in Antarctica sets Earth's theologists pondering the implications

T WASN'T QUITE WHAT WE HAD ALL

been taught to expect, b!lt indeed, it ap­pears the Martians have landed-not in spaceships swooping menacingly over-

head, a la this suinmer'~ hit alien-invasion thriller "Independence Day," but inside a 4.5-pound mete0l1ite. Scientists speculate thafhn asteroid collided with Mars about 15 million years ago, launching the potato"Sized rock into orbit. Thirteen thousand years ago it came to rest on our planet, to be found in 1984 in Antarctica. It is one of 12 meteorites discovered which, when heated,.give off a pattern of gases kn0wn to be unique to Mars.

NASi)S evidence for life found in this 4-billion-year-old rock is three-fold: unique or­ganic molecules usually associated with life; tiny mineral grains which look like the ex­cretions of Earth-bound bacteria; and mi­crofossils similar to the smallest of our bac­teria. Anyone taken alone might not mean much; together they are a compelling case for life. The announcement was met with worldwide 'excitement, one scientist calling it "the biggest thing that ever happened."

Hindus have n,o theologicat problem with finding life elsewhere. Swami Cro.idananda

. Saraswati (Muniji) said, "We believe there is life in the whole universe." Dr. B. V. Raman, India's foremost astrologer, points out that "invariably Bhumidevi (Goddess Earth) fig­ures in the different stories of the origin of Mars, either as giving birth to Mars or nour­ishing Mm. As Earth sustains life, so can

;-

Mars, only it may be not in forms visible or known to us." Astrologer Chakrapani Ullal regarded the discovery as "no surprise. This whole cosmos is a kind oflife energy." Math­ematician Subhash Kak remarked, "Hindus accept that life'exists in c.ountless solar sys­tems in the universe and are not surprised by 1& on Mars. Hindus also believe in evo­

-lution as a natural principle of nature, but not in the same way as Darwinian evolu­tion." Some even read in the Vedas refer­ences to space ships and intergalactic travel in ancient times. As to religion, Hindus would expect the same "eternal truth" to be present everywhere in the cosmos.

Theol6gians of most other faiths also pro­fess no problem with the discoveries. Bud­dhists, Muslims and Jews feel God could just as well create life on Mars as anywhere else. Christians are not quite as comfortable with the possibility. Indeed, 400 years! ago the Catholic pope ordered Giordano Bruno burned at the stake for believing in a multi­plicity of worlds like our own. Modern Christians focus on the issue of redemption.

. John PolRinghorne, an Anglican clergyman, wittily put it: "The theological question is that if Christ died for humankind, what about little green men?" Most conclude that God would have done something to ensure salvativn, even for little green men. \

The discovery has made many pause to consider humanity's place in the grand scheme of the still mysterious universe . ...I

INDWELLING POWERS

T~e Yoga of Endurance Sri Chinmoy beats 65

GE IS IN THE MIND AND NOT IN THE

heart. With determination we can conquer the age barrier and go back to our childlike heart," Sri Chinmoy ".

declared as he approached 65. The master of understanding through undertaking set out to celebrate by completing 65 challeng­ing events, his "rainbow dreams." On June ·16 he performed eight of them in a row.

He began with 7,000 "crunch" sit-ups­the most demanding kind- completed in 79 minutes without stopping, then proceeded to "abdomen lift" a 302-pound weight 130 times. Among other feats he walked 250 me­ters wearing a weighted 100-pound vest, lift­ed 1,500 pounds on a standing calf-raise ma­cp.ine, followed with leg extensions of 120 pounds. Professional muscleman and vege-

Beyond limits: 130 abdominal lifts on stage

tarian Bill Pearl, five-time winner of the "Mr. Universe" body-building contest, :was im­pressed: "I have been working out for many, many years, and I do leg extensions with 120 pounds with both legs. He is unbelievably streng to do repetitions of 120 pounds with . one leg." Equally-dazzl>d strongman Lee Haney said, "His feats 'Of strength '" are a tremendous motivation to people."

Sri Chinmoy lived much of his early life at Aurobindo Ashram in South India, where he was a star athlete. S00n he abandoned com­petitiveness for person~ self-transcendence. He is known for prodigious achievements in music, writing and ¥t, most recently com­pleting a mind-numbing 5 milliON drawings of peace birds (if he drew ten a minute, this would take 1,041 eight-hour days). In Ben­gali-influenced linked words, Sri Chinmoy summarized the impulse behind his in­domitable drive: "The old-age bondage-lim­itations will return to the childhood-free­dom-dreams." ...I

DECEMBER , 1996 HI NDU ISM TODAY 27

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II Ii i ~ i ! I

ISSUES

'Ganesha Graces DisneY'la~d -/

Is the Elephant God getting due respect?

By AR CHANA DONGRE, Los ANGELES

SPUN OUT OF THE SUPREMELY CRE­

ative imagination of Walt Disney, Mickey Mouse is the central charac­ter of the fabled Disneyland. Al­

though endowed w-ith human-like quali­ties, he is still a mouse, the vehicle of Lord Ganesha since time immemorial. With this ironic coincidence, one might won­der, does the God of abundance and the anode of all artistic genius lurk some­where in the ,?prawling 85-acre amuse­ment gark, casting his benevolent grace on the more than half-billion' pilgrims of joy that have passed through the turnstiles of Disneyland sinee its doors opened in 1@55? He is indeed there-thrice, in fact­as I discovere~ duri~~ a sweltering summer day's visit. But not all Hindus have been pleased with His less than dignified circum-stances. , ·f I found Him first along the Jungle Cruise

ride in the form of a giant, well-designea ten-foot grey stone statue, sitting royally since 1962 against a backdrop of green trop­ical forest. A few minutes into the ride, our guide erupted enthusiastically, "And now to your left you will see the Hindu deity of .. . " The~ide is replete with rustic, even barbar­ic themes, like cannibals dancing, a tribal selling human heads, a safari scene and sights of wild animals ,including hippos and a python.

What is a refined Deity like Ganesha do­ing in such a place? Most Hindus I spoke with actually liked seeing Him there. It was a touch of their own culture to this master­minded: worldclass Mecca of entertainment. What about non-Hindu ,Americans? Their response was typically, "e!h, its interesting/' but nothing offered for or against it.

More controversial is Ganesha's appear­ance in the breath-taking Indiana Jones ride, opened in 1995. The theme of the ride is es­sentially the story of a Hindu temple uncov­ered in the [ungle by Western archaeolo­gists, who also discover its secret of wealth and its curse. The entrance of the ride is a

f

28 :HJ: NDUISM TODAY D E CEMBER , 1996

didn't even notice the third Ganesha stahIe situated outside. Hindus, however, rarely miss it. The general consensus of those I spoke with was, '1t may not be offensive, but the West needs to be educated. Once they know the significance of our Deity, they will be more careful about using it in places like this." Oth­ers, such as Ravi Peruman of

, California, were incensed at the disrespectful treatment. She­khar Ganapathy and Shob~a Narayan, a young couple frotP Mumbai, were distressed by the overall temple piracy theme~

Ready for Packing: Lord Ganeshq sits upon a trolley arrwng supplies and plunder at the Indiana Jones ride

"No comment," was all John McClintock, senior public rela­tions officer for Disney, offered when questioned about Gane­sha. He did say, however, that there are no other religious icons of any faith in the park; even the par1.('s "Hunchback of

temple-like structure, not unlike Maha­balipuram, in South India, though old and crumbling. Snaking through the hour-long , wait in line, I wound through the outside area where Hindu-looking I;>eities ~arved of stone (.er cast in concrete) appear to have been removed from the temple and are be­ing packed for shipping. Shipping where? One can conjecture they are enroute to mu­seums or to those art dealers who pirate and sell fine sculptures from Hindu temples for hefty, selfish profits.

Notre Dame" cathedral set is devoid of Christian symbols. Sw8mi Atmarupananda, head of the Vedanta Society in San Diego, advised, "Hindus, especially those who are born into tlie religion, tend to have a let-go attitude in such situations. But if we do not stand up for the sacredness of' our Deities, who will? If the connotation of where the Ganesha is situated goes against our beliefs and modes of worship, then we have to tell them about it." ...

Tall towers with Naga faces and the Naga theme are seen e~erywhere. Exiting the six­minute action ride, with its wild bumping and careening in a jeep-like, vehicle, one is con­fronted with another statue of Lor:d Ganesha on a cart [photo above]. He is surrounded by or- ' dina;:y paraphernalia of excava­tion and crates, treated like a pi~ce of archeological mer­chandise.

NEHRU IN DISNEYLAND

Views dif(ered according to the emotional nature of the on­looker. To some people, the en! tire theme is the rape of a Hin-

. du temple, as offensive as the original':'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" movie upon which the ride is based, which grossly misrepresented the Hin­du Goddess Kali, the Hindu cul- ,. ture, even the Hindu cuisine ~ and eating habits. c L-_____________ ~"""'=__ ___ __"

People I saw coming out of' Jungle Crulsl.ng: Ganesha isn't the 011:..ly distinguished the rjde were engrossed in what visitor to Disneyland from India. Here Walt Disney es­they saw inside or eager to go corts Indian Prime Minister Nehru as he pilots the Jun­on to the next attraction. Most gle Cruise boat in 1961. Indira Gandhi was also along.

itor~. The Taj Group of hotels-the major sponsor-flew in three of their choicest South Indian chefs to give the public a ten­day s~pling of deliciously varied but little­known Southern cuisines.

"?acred Lands, Devoted Lives" was a free Horniman Museum eXihibition focusing on South Indian village daily life and religious practices, including bathing, cooking, culti­vation, prayer, shrines, temples, Hindu Deities, pilgrimages, customs and beliefs. Other exhibit,.s around town ranged from Tanjore paintings and Chola bronzes dating from the 17th to 19th centuries to artwork with ceremonial and workaday artifacts be- ~ ing produced on site. by contemporary Indi­an painters, sculptms and' craftsmen.

Ten thousand persons a day gathered at the open-air stage of Covent Garden Piazza ·for dance and music. "Theatre of Gods" at Riverside Studios included Kerala's tradi­tional theater forms of kathakali alo'ng with Karnata,ka's dance of the demigods, yaksha­gana. For the first time the awe-insfliring they am ("pertaining to the Gods") was per­formed in the UK. Spectators sat enthralled by the sole performers elaborate makeup in sprrealistic colors, 12-foot high headdress and glitteringly onerous 100-pound cos­tume. In India' the they am dancer enters a state of trance, being possessed by the God­dess. He dances in and around the-temple, is consulted by village elders and beseeched for cures and prophecies. Only recently was the ritual adapted to stage presentation.

dancer: London got ~ts first look at Kerala>s!zittle-known ritual art

One Londoner observed, "The festival has nighlighted for me the backwardness of the materialist West compared to the cultured and spiritual East." A Jewish Indophile not­ed, "All the programs t saw bro~ght out the distinct and great element of tolerance in Hinduism." Some lamented that events of­fered were too many in too short a time, or that they could not attend those held on weekdays. A few complained that Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka were slight~a, given less attention than Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

, CULTURE

UK, Meet South India Brits indulge in dance, art, song and hot curries The festival, proposed in 1991, was orga­

nized by World Circuit Arts (a British char- . ·f

By VETC HA RAJE SlI , LO NDO N

WHEN ANY LONDONER TALKS ABOUT

India," says director Anne Hunt, "they mention kathak dance, Hin­dustani music and Mughal paintings.

They don't know anything about South In- _ dia." Now a quarter-million Londoners are initiated in the artful mag(c of kathakali dance, carnatic singing and Tanjore bronzes,

. the result of a five-week Festival of India's -South in May and June overseen by Hunt.

The event, with venues all across London, offered art and cultural exhibitions, instru­mental and vocal musical performances, In­dian film screenings, slide lectures, gallery talks and, of course, food. Attendance was

. ity) with ..... the help of Asian high, thanks to. superb ad- Music Circuit, the Vi<: and vance write-ups in the The Indian governments, the Times and other major news- British Museum, the univer-papers. The most popular' sities of Cambridge and Lon-events by far were the free don and major Indian busi-outdoor petformances which ~ nesses."As the mela wound came alive with the colors ~ down, Ms. Hunt remarked,

. and rhyt'hm~ of the pOikkal ~ "The.festival was a success in kudhirai hobby horse dance ~ numbers, in prime time me-of Tamil Nadu, music,. street ~ dia attention and in fulfilling theater, craft stalls and story- on! Colored powders our 'basic objective of show-telling. Everyone was given a for, kolam derrwnstration casing South Indian culture." hands~n opportunity at gar- For UK Indian immigrants land m~ing and kolam, the folk craft of I and hundreds of thousands ' of Hindus born making sacred floor decorations. These the:ce, SUCh events promote much-needed were a big hit, attracting large crowds of vis- pluralism and tolerance. .,..;

DECEMBER , 1996 HINDUISM TODAY 29

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INSIGHT

lile DNA of Dharma Though Hindus are doggedly nondogmatic, they do hold common beliefs which, like a mental molecular structure, determine who they are

EWPEOPLETODAYPONDER THE SIGNIFI­

cance of belief Nevertheless, Gonvictions constitute the foundation for every ac­

tion. Webster's defines belief as a "confi­dence in 1ihe truth or existence of some­

thing not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof" But ask a Hindu what his all-important beliefs are, and the illlswer may well elude him. He is not accustomed to thinking of his religion as a clearly defined system, distinct and differ­ent from others, for it encompasses all of life. Hinduism is so vast, so generously tolerant of conflicting concepts that to condense a brief list of basic beliefs might seem a vain enter­prise, Some would assert that Hinduism oould never be limited by such an ideological inventory- and they would be right Still, an an­swer is required, Inside India, a clear answer prevents the erosion of ''Hindu'' into a mere geographical concept no different from '1ndian;" elsewhere, it provides the necessary demarcation from other faiths in a pluralistic setting, The need for a precise list arises with the cogni­tion that beliefs forge our attitudes, which determine our overall state of mind and the feelings we are predisposed to, and that these, in turn, directly determine our actions. Strong religious beliefs induce actions that weave uplifting patterns of daily conduct, furthering our

unfoldment In India, the definition of who is a Hindu is critical in le­gal deliberations, and belief is the keystone of such. determinations. Therefore, it is meaningful to catalog the convictions that all Hindus hold in cornmon.

In 1926, Dr, S, Radhakrishnan eloquently elaborated the nature of Hindu belief in a series of lectures in Oxford, later published as [[he Hinckh View of Life, "Hinduism is more a way oilife than a form of thought While it gives absolute liberty in the world of thought, it enjoins a strict code of practice, While fixed intellectual beliefs mark off one religion from another, Hinduism sets itself no such lim­its, Intellect is subordinated to intuition, dogma to experience, outer expression to inward reali-zation, Religion is not the acceptance of acade1llic abstraotions or the celebration of ceremonies, but a kind of life or experience of reality." By emphasizing conduct, Radhakr­ishnan did not deny belief In fact, he provided one of the best ex­tensive lists [see page 33]. His emphasis is on the absolute freedom of belief allowed within Hinduism-where the questioning mind is known as the seeking mind, rather than the errant mind.

The following definitions of Hinduisms shared central beliefs were garnered from prominent Hindu organizations and individuals of the 20th century-evidence that the imperative to formalize conviction is a recent phenomenon, Overall, the lists and descriptions are surpris­ingly similar, echoing certain key concepts-generally, that it is con­duct, based upon belief in dharma, karma and reincarnation, which makes one a Hindu. Some of the beliefs listed are not shared by all Hindus-most prominently the concept of avatar, divine incarnation, whiCh is a distinctive Vaishnava belief. We shall now cite what has been collected from distinguished scholars and saints.

8al Ghangadhar Tilak, scholar, mathematician, philosopher and

Indian nationa'list, named "the father of the Indian Revolution" by Jawaharlal Nehru, summarized Hindu beliefs in his Gitarahasya: ''lI.cceptance of the Vedas with reverence; recognition of the fact that the means or ways to salvation are diverse; and realization of the truth that the number of Gods to be worshiped is large, that indeed is the distinguishing feature of the Hindu religion," This oft­quoted statement, so compelling concise, is considered au­thoritative by Eharats €ourts of law,

Sri K. Navaratnam, esteemed Sri Lankan religious scholar, enumerated a more extensive set afbasic be­liefs in his book, Studies in Hinduism, reflecting the Southern Saiva Agamic tradition, 1) A be­lief in the existence of God, 2) A belief in the existence of a soul separate from the body. 3) A belief in the existence of the finitizing principle known as avidya or nmya. 4) A belief in the principle. of matter­prakriti or maya~ 5) A belief in the theory of karma and reincarnation. 6) A beliefin the indispensable guidanoe of a guru to guide the spiritual aspirant towards God Real­ization. 7) A belief in moksha, or liberation, as the goal of human eJQstence. 8) A belief in the indispensable ne­cessity of temple worship in religious life. 9) A belief in graded forms of religiells practices, both internal and external, until one realizes God, 10) A belief in ahim­sa as the greatest dharma or virtue, 11) A belief in '" mental and pbysica'l pmity as imlispeBsable factors l' f01; spiritual progress. to"

Mahatma Mohandas K. Gandhi: "I call myself a J Sanatani Hindu because I believe in the Vedas, ., the Upanishads, the Puranas and all that goes by the name of Hindu sGriptures, and tnere­fore in avatars and rebirth, Above all, 1 call myself a Sanatani Hiimdu, so Jong as the Hindu society in general accepts me as such, In a concrete manner he is a Hindu who believes in God, immortality of the soul, transmi­gration, the law ofkaFma and moksha, and who tries to practice truth and ahim.sa in daily life, and therefore practices cow protection in its widest sense and understands and tries to act according to the law of vamashrama, "

Sri Pramukh Swami Maharaj of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Sanstha (Swaminru::ayan Faith) propounds: 1) Para­brahman, one supreme all-powerful God: He is the Creator, has a di-

vine form, is immanent, transcendent and the giver of moksha, 2) Avataroad, manifestation of God on Earth: God Himself incar­nates on Earth in various forms to revive dharma and grant libera­tion, 3) 'Karmavad, law of action: the soul reaps fruits, good or bad, according to its past and present actions, which are experienoed ei-

ther in this llie or future lives. 4) Punarjanma, reincarnation: the mortal soul is continuously born and reborp. in one of the

8,400,000 species until it attains liberation. 5) Mok­sha., ultimate liberation: the goal of human life. It

is the liberation of the soul from the cycle of births ,../ and deaths to remain eternally in the service of God,

6) Guru-shishya sambandh, master-disciple relationship: guidance and grace of a spiritually perfect master, revered as the embodiment of God, is essential for an as­pirant seeking liberation, 7) Dharma, that which sustains the universe: an all-encompassing term representing di-vine law, law of being, path of righteousness, religion, duty, responsibility, virtue, justice, goodness and truth, 8) Vedpramana, scriptural authority ofthe Vedas: all Hindu faiths are based on the teachings of the Vedas, 9) Murt'i-puja, sacred image worship: consecrated images represent the presence of God which is wor­shiped' The sacred image is a medium to help devotees offer their devotion to God.

Sri Swami Vivekananda, speaking in America, said: 'All Vedantists believe in God, Vedantists also believe the Vedas to be the revealed word of God-an expression of the knowledge of God­and as God is eternal, so are the Vedas eternal. Another common ground of belief is that of creation in cycles, that the whole of creation appears and disappears. They postulate the existence of a material, which they call akasha, which is something like the ether of

the scientists, and a power which they call prana, " Sri Jayendra Sarasvat i: 69th Sbankaracharya of the Kamakoti

Peetham, Kanchipuram, defines in his writings the basic features of Hinduism as follows. 1) The concept of idol worship and the worship of God in His nirguna as well as saguna form. 2) The wearing of sa-

Left to right: Honoring ancestors on the Ganga; students ofVishva­bharati University celebrate Holi; Vaishnava Sadhu immersed in japa yoga; puja crt the Siddhi Vinayaka temple in Malaysia

A Contrast of Convictions HINDUISM TODAY and CHRISTIANITY TODAY craft a point-counterpoint

":\ ACK IN 1993, OUR EDITORS WERE CONTACTED BY CHRISTIANITY TODAY MAGAZINE TO BE IN­

-I J terviewed for a major story called Hindus in America. Thus began a series of dialogs that added -1 :\ to their article crucial and often corrective insights to dispel common myths and misinforma-

.J..J tion about the world's oldest religion. Perhaps most significantly, they agreed to publish our own

nine fundamental Hindu beliefs. The editors of CHRISTIANITY TODAY counter-composed nine parallel

Christian convictions, written just before press time in a series of grueling sessions by the best theolo­

gians they could assemble. The resulting point-counterpoint-whose brevity is both its strength and its

weakness-summarizes the cosmic perspective of two of the world's largest faiths.

HINDUS BELIEVE IN THE DIVINITY OF THE VEDAS, 1 the world's most ancient scripture, and venerate the Agamas as equally revealed. These primordial hymns are God's word and

the bedrock of Sanatana Dharma, the eternal religion which has neither beginning nor end.

CHRISTIANS BELIEVE THAT THE BIBLE IS THE uniquely inspired and fully trustworthy word of God. It is the final authority for Christians in matters of belief and practice, and though it was written long ago, it continues to speak to believers today.

HINDUS BELIEVE IN A ONE, ALL-PERVASIVE SUPREME being who is both immanent and transcendent,

both Creator and Unmanifest Reality.

2 CHRISTIANS BELIEVE IN ONE GOD IN THREE PERSONS. He is distinct from his creation, yet intimately involved with it as its sustainer and redeemer.

HINDUS BELIEVE THAT THE UNIVERSE undergoes endless cycles of creation,

preservation and dissolution.

3 CHRISTIANS BELIEVE THAT THE WORLD WAS CREATED ONCE by the divine will, was corrupted by sin, yet under God's providence moves toward fmal perfection.

HINDUS BELIEVE IN KARMA, THE LAW OF CAUSE AND effect by which each individual creates his own

destiny by his thoughts, words and deeds.

4 CHRISTIANS BELIEVE THAT, THROUGH GOD'S GRACE AND FAVOR, lost sinners are rescued from the guilt, power and eternal consequences of their evil thoughts, words and deeds.

HINDUS BELIEVE THAT THE SOUL REINCARNATES, 5 evolving through many births until all karmas have

been resolved, and moksha, spiritual knowledge and liberation from the cycle of rebirth, is attained.

Not a single soul will be eternally deprived of this destiny.

CHRISTIANS BELIEVE THAT IT IS APPOINTED FOR HUMAN beings to die once and after that face judgment. In Adam's sin, the human race was spiritually alienated from God, and that those who are called by God and respond to his grace will have eternal life. Those who persist in rebellion will be lost eternally.

HINDUS BELIEVE THAT DIVINE BEINGS EXIST IN UNSEEN WORLDS and that temple worship, rituals, sacraments as well as personal

devotionals create a communion with these deoas and Gods.

6 CHRISTIANS BELIEVE THAT SPIRIT BEINGS INHABIT the universe, some good and some evil, but worship is due to God alone.

HINDUS BELIEVE THAT A SPIRITUALLY AWAKENED master, or satguru, is essential to know the

Transcendent Absolute, as are personal discipline, good conduct, purification, pilgrimage,

self-inquiry and meditation.

7 CHRISTIANS BELIEVE THAT GOD HAS GIVEN US A CLEAR revelation of Himself in Jesus and the sacred Scriptures.

HINDUS BELIEVE THAT ALL LIFE IS SACRED, 8 to be loved and revered, and therefore

practice ahimsa, "noninjury."

HINDUS BELIEVE THAT NO PARTICULAR RELIGION 9 teaches the only way to salvation above all others, but that all

genuine religious paths are facets of God's Pure Love and Light, deserving tolerance and understanding.

He has empowered by his Spirit prophets, apostles, evangelists, and pastors who are teachers charged to guide us into faith and holiness in accordance with his Word.

CHRISTIANS BELIEVE THAT LIFE IS TO BE HIGHLY ESTEEMED but that it must be subordinated in the service of Biblical love and justice.

CHRISTIANS BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS GOD INCARNATE and, therefore, the only sure path to salvation. Many religions may offer ethical and spiritual insights, but only Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

cred mwks on the forehead. 3) Belief in the theory of past and future births in aceordance with the theory of karma. 4) Cremation of ordinary men and burial of great men.

Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, renowned philosopher and pres­ident of India from 1962 to 1967, states in The Hindu View of Life: "The Hindu recognizes one Supreme Spirit, though different names are given to it. God is in the world, though not as the world. He does not merely intervene to create life or consciousness, but is working continuously. There is no dualism of the natural and the supernatural. Evil, error and ugliness are not ultimate. No view is so utterly erro­neous, no man is so absolutely evil as to deserve complete castigation. There is no Hell, for that means there is a place where God is not, and there are sins which exceed His love. The law of karma tells us that the individual life is not a term, but a series. Heaven andRell are higher and lower -stages in one continuous movement. Every type has its own nature which should be followed. We should do our duty in that state of life to which we happen to be called. Hinduism affirms that the theological expressions of reli­gious experience are bound to be varied, accepts all forms of belief and guides each along his path to the common goal. These are some of the central principles of Hinduism. If Hinduism lives today, it is due to them."

The Vishva Hindu Parlshad declared its definition in a Memorandum of Association. Rules and RegulatiOns in 1966: "Hindu means a person believrngin, following or re­specting the eternal values of life, ethical and spirituaT, which have sprung up in Bharatkhand [India] and in­cludes any person calling himself a Hindu."

The Indian Supreme Court, in 1966, formalized a judi­cial definition of Hindu beLiefs to legally distinguish Hin­du denominations from other religions in India. This list was affirmed by the Court as recentl}t as 1995 in judging cases regarding religious identity. 1) Acceptance of the Vedas with reverence as the highest authority in religious and philosophic matters and acceptance with reverence of Vedas by Hindu thinkers and philosophers as the sole foundation of Hindu philosophy 2) Spirit of tolerance and willingness to understand and appreciate the opponent's point of view based on the realization that truth is many­sided. 3) Acceptance of great world rhythm~vast periods of cr~ation, maintenance and dissolution follow each oth­er in endless successioJl- by all six systems of HiIildu phi­losophy. 4) Acceptance by all systems of Hindu philosophy of the belief in rebirth and pTe-existence. 5) Recognition O:E the fact that the means or ways to salvation are many. 6) Realization of the truth that numbers of Gods to be worshiped may be laFge, yet there being Hindus who do not believe in the worshiping of idols. 7) Unlike other re­ligions, or religious creeds, Hindu religions.Jlotoeing ti~d down to any defmite set of philosophic concepts, as such.

The historic intel1minglihg of myriad races, cultures and religions has exposed usia a kaleidoscopic array of be­iiefs and practices; yet threads of sameness and agreement bind them together. Take;n, as a whole, the definitions above, emphasizing the Vedas, dharma, karma and re­birth, can help tlS gain clarity and insight into our mm0st convictions, offering the opportunity to freely and ably choose the same as our progenitors-or not. That "or not" may be the greatest freedom a seeker ever had or could .. ever hope fol'.

"I have come for your darshan:" Panduranga Shastri Athavale on conch-shell stage at Kurukshetra calls crowd to serve one another

SOCIAL CHANGE

To' B'ui'ld a New India Athavales amazing grassroots movement stresses God with and within man

By RAJIV MALIK, NEW DELHI HAVE NOT CDME HERE TO TALK TO YOU or deliver a sp·eech. I have come here just to meet and be with you. You are all rishis who have gone from village to vil-

lage and city to city in North India, spend­ing money from your own pockets, to meet your brothers and sisters in these villages and cities, without any s~lfish interest. I am here to have your darshan,," proclaimed Shri. Panduranga Shastri Athavale to the giant rally at Jyotisar on Match 20th. The assem­blage near the epic Kurukshetra battlefield in North India brought together t30,000 well-wishers and 70,000 memberS of'Atha­vales SwadhYaya Parivar, his "truth-seeking family" begun fifty years ago by the now 75-year-old Mumbai brahmin.

34 HiNDUISM TODAY DECEMBER , 1996

/ ----------------------For the previous four days the Parivar's

suJadhyayes ("truth-seekers"), as they are known, storrp.ed 5,700 villages and about 100 towns in Harayana, Uttar Pradesh, Del­hi, Rajasthan and Punjab to me·~t fellow hu­man beings in a spirit of divine brother-

. hood. "We went from hut to hut and heart to heart of"fhe people," said Mumbai business­man Praduman P. Thakkar, 38. Their objec­tive? to "make each man aware of his divine heritage, that the Lord is with and within him," instructed Athavale. Once this base of devotional awakening has formed:the swa­dhyayes proceed to assist in solving the so­cial-'and economic problems of the people.

They came in hundreds of buses which jammed the 150-kilometer G.T. Kamal Road linking DeIhi and Kurukshetra. Each bus

, ,

/\Vas colorfully decorated with huge banners announcing the to~ns the swadhyayes hailed from-in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, etc. The kilometers-wide camp was managed entirely by volunteers; indeed police sent to help found themselves expendable. The main point was to ~ar Athavale and gath~ inspiration for their mission of religious preaching and social de: velopment. \

It was this unique combination of aims that inspired the popular feature film ''An­tarnaad" ("Inner Voice"), which powerfully reveals how the swadhyayes have to work facing harm and humiliation at the hands of dacoits, smugglers and a'nti-social elements while trying to positively transform the lives of millions living in the 80,000 villages

Sri Athavale won the 1996 Ramon \ Magsaysay Aw~d-the "Asian Nobel Prize"-, for "tapping lhe ancient well­spring of Hindu civilization to inspire spiritual renewal and social trans­formation" ~nd leading followers "to acts of devotion and gratitude to God."

A quiet, efficient revolution: Athavale during a reflective moment on stage; volunteers at the community kitchen f ed' 200,000 daily

where swadhyaya. holdl sway. The hlm de­picts touehing real life situations in which swadhyayes were able to vigorously convey

. . to tKe rural people that God lives in them. This discovery of the indwelling God em­powered villagers to transform their lives. They call these initial encounters bhav pheri ("devotional trips") , to be followed by kriti bhakti ("devotional a9tion") .which en­lists citizens in collective social ventures.

All t4is is done by an organization that ac­cepts neither donations nor government grants, charges no membershIp fee, has no registered trust, no. paid staff and no public relations office. The swadhyayes, who be­long mostly to India's educated middle class, bear all their own expenses and do the work in their free time for two weeks a year. They don't even impose upon the hospitality of the villagers, but arrange their own lodgings and cook their own food. The social and economic pmgrams they facijitate- such as community farms, schools, cottage indus-

. tries, -/ tree plantations, roads, dams and wells-invoke the initiative and resources of the villagers themselves. In the, course of the work, many law-and-order problems are solved, for, as AtIlavale teaches, "A spiritual­ly awakened man aware of God with and within us cannot do injustic~ to others."

As HINDUISM TODAY met swadhyayes at the March 20th rally, the diverse facets of this unique organization became more clear. Navi6. Shah, 58, an advocate from Baroda,

. explained the movement, "Our ancient tools of civilization-yagna, padayatra, ekadashi, brahmin and t~mple-were concepts so nice­ly conceived by our rishis. We are following the ris/:l.is' route to a cultural renaissance."

It is neither easy nor without peril. Uday Motipwa, 37, an industrialist from Mumbai, who led the motorscooter rally, related how they nervously entered the city of Meerut, know'n for its tension between Hindus and Muslims. They 'ijere told that at the slightest disturbance the shops would close and riot­ing begin. "We were scared·," he c6nfessed, "but when we did our street play at one place, the Muslims of the neighboring locali­ties invited'U.s to perform for them. That was not to be expected in a town like Meerut."

. The street plays, with audiences of a few hundred ·to a thousand, are a common intro­ductory technique of the Swadhyaya Pari­war. The skits raise contemporary soc6J, po­litical and economic problems and show how solutions can be discovered through aware­ness of God and the brotherhood of man.

Amou'g the few hundred non-resident In­dians p(esent at the rally was Dr. Narendra

Yamadagni, a scientist working at Stockholm University in Sweden. He explained Atha­vale's unique approach to village medicine . Doctors are not simply allowed to go and treat people. They must first establish a re­lationship with the populace. Yamadagni re­counted, "Doctor friends of mine went to a village. They decided to fly kites with the young people and have a meal with them. Now, these are highly qualified profession­als from the city. You could say it is a waste of their talent. But it is equally essential to build the relationship, for that is the spirit of . swadhyaya. If you caIlpot understand it, you cannot understand swadhyaya. " -:

According to Gandhian scholar Rajiv Vo­tra, the Mahatma observed that the modern scientific, rational, secular civilization was only built up after God was dethroned . "The challenge of the times," says Votra, "is to get rid of this modern satanic civilization. To do it you have to enthrone God. And Athavale has shown such a fantastic way. I think this is the most unique and epochal movement, which 'has given thoughts, in­struments and programs that cut across class, caste, nationality and religions. After Mahatma Gandhi's, I feel ~his is the only movement which has given instruments of total recovery for India." ..

DE C EMBER , 1996 H l'NDUISM TODAY 35

,

STRIVfNG

You Are· Your B/eliefs Clashing convictions can portend problems

IN 1993 HINDUISM TODAY RECEIVED A most unusualletteF from a Christian: "I feel that the nine tenet~ of Hindo.isr'n as presented in a recent Christianity To­

day article dng much truer than their Christian equivalents [see page 32]' Is it necessary for one wh6 believes in Hindu­ism to formally become a member and, if " so, how is this done?" This was a crisis of :<

faith, for to most Christians belief is para- Hindu minister: The authority on belief mount, and questioning dogma can make qne apostate to the faith~ By comparison, most Indians never bother about their be­liefs. Emphasis is placed instead on sadha­na, religious effort and striving. . However, when Hindus begin serious

striving, beliefs become important. Viveka-

ASTROLOGY

n~nda thought Ramakrishna mad to say he saw God everywhere. The young man just didn't believe it. One day Sri Ramakrishna taught him a lesson: for three days Vivek­ananda literally Sl!,.W God in everything around him. Only after gaining this belief

Back to the Future

Sadh,Cina: Examining Beliefs ·0 Study each list of Hineau beliefs on pages

30 to 33, writing down what you believe by comparison

• Discuss beliefs with family' and friends

• Consciously discard conflicting views I

would the young mbnk progress further un­der his guru. Even so, it was not until near the end of his life that a vision ofShakti sim­ilarly convinced him of Ramakrishna's real­ization of the personal God.

Yogis report that conflicts can arise when ,Practicing one path while believing in an­other. Resolving such dichotomies requires self-refleotion, even painful reevaluations.

This process of inner discovery is still I

happening. Deva Seyon, a missionary, told HINDUISM TODAY, ''.I've been working with seekers for ten years helping them to' find and understand their spiritual convictions. The seeds of belief can give a kind of dis­turbing experience which prevents one from fully embracing a !?ure set of Hindu beliefs. Clearly, belief births attitudes which, in turn, cl.etermine one's daily actions. Once someone eliminates psychologically conflict­ing beliefs, they become a spiritual dynamo. Actually, you are w{tat you believe." wi

Society who proved instru­mental in bringing Hindu mysticism to the West. In both cycles are found serious wars

CCORDING TO ASTROL­ogers, similar historical events tend to repeat when the same plane­

tary positions are reoccurring. This December, Jupiter enters Capricorn and continues its passage throughout 1997. In astrology the earthly sign Capricorn on a global scale re­lates to politics, democracy, governments, institutions and big business. Jupiter's expan­sive spiritual energy will cause a focus on these issues. This might lead astrologers to pre­dict for 1997 big changes in governments, religious institu­tions, political ideologies, busi­ness, as well as the advance­ment of scientific and spiritual knowledge. When Jupiter was last in Capricorn 12 years ago (1985), Gorbachev became president of the USSR, and the world knows how his term changed the face of Russia.

A second noteworthy combi­nation occurring in 1997 is the conjunction of Uranus and Jupiter ["conjunction" means the planets form a straight line with the earth]. Uranus is re­lated to erratic energy or un­expected change, earthquakes, electricity and modern tech­nology. Combined with Jupiter, it is said to bring rebel­lion, war and new discoveries in science and technology. The conjunction ofJupiter and Uranus happens in Capricorn only every 83 years. For this occurrence we go back to the year 1914, when the Archduke Ferdinand of Austria was as­sassinated, catalyzing a chain reaction that led to World War I. In South India, Sri Swami Satchidananda-founder of In­tegral Yoga Institute and pop­ularizer of hatha yoga in the West-was born. Going back another 83 years to 1831, war

broke out between Poland and Russia, Sikh forces waged a holy war in Northwest India, and in Russia was born Madame H.P. Blavatsky­founder of the Theosophical

and the birth of a renaissance mystic who brought the teach­ings of Hinduism to the West.

There is a less frequent con­junction occurring in 1997 of Jupiter and Neptune, some­thing that has not happened in

36 HINDUISM TODAY D.~ CEMBER , 1996

the sign of Capricorn Jupiter in 19t11 century Rajasthan art since 1843. In April of

that year Hong Kong became a colony of Great Britain. Take note: next July, 1997, Hong Kong is being re­turned to China.

We find in these ex­amples the repetition of similar themes. On a personal level, if you can't remember what you were doing in 1843, then try going back to 1985 and take note of the major issues and fo­cus of your life in that year for a glimpse of your future in 1997.

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Meditation and Life By Swami Chinmayananda. "Offers a logical reason for medita­tion, the process of meditation, hints for taming the mind and achieving physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual harmony."-India West $12.00 plus $3.75 postage. (888)-CMW-READ or (215)-396-0390 http://www.chinmaya.orglpublications Chinmaya Publications, 560 Bridgetown Pike Langhorne, PA 19053 USA

Discover World Music Open the Nimbus catalog of World Music and discover the Indian Classical Masters. From its inception in 1987, the Nimbus series now ex­tends to more than thirty titles and is widely regarded as one of the finest surveys of Indian music.

Enjoy over two hours of music by Hariprasad Chaurasia, Ram and Brij Narayan, Dr. L. Subramaniam, Sulochana Brahaspati, Imrat Khan, Girija Devi, and Buddhadev

~ WORlD MUSIC

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Nimbus Direct • PO Box 7746 Charlottesville, VA 22906 USA Tel: toll-free 1-800-326-0823 or 1-804-985-7470 Fax: 1-804-985-3953 • hours: 10am-5pm EST, Mon-Fri.

Pictured: NI 7008 World Music Sampler, Vol. I

39

Where there:S a "will"

there is a way to benefit

your favorite temple or ashram.

Find how you can use your will

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107 KAHOlAlELE ROAD KAPAA. HI 96746-9304 USA

INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF HINDUISM

Fighting cold and altitude: Pilgrims struggle on. the treacherous path back to base camp

CRISIS

Valia~t Hima'layan Rascua ;'

Hundreds perish; 9,000 airlifted by helicopters

1 HIS WAS TO BE THE BIG­

GEST year ever for the ap­nuaJ... pilgrimage to Amar­nath cave in Jammu. More

than1125,000 ardent pilgrims were expected to trek to the 12,729-foot cave renowned for its self-forming ice :tingam of Lord Siva. For the first time in years, there was no threat to the pilgrims from Muslim rn'ilitants. Wayfarers expected an arduous journey. Some, usually among the elderly, die each year; it is widely regard­ed as an exalted death.

By official count, 239 died, but returning witnesses put the toll at more than a thou­sand. Bodies, they said, lay strew along the entire ·mute. Many old and infirm pilgrims unab1e to walk anymore pleaded with passers-by for help. The latter" struggling to save their own lives, paid lit­tle heed, passing by stoically.

PAme Minister Deve Gow­da ordered the Indian army and air force to mount a mas­sive rescue effort. Over 9,000

AMARNATH: pilgrims were airlifted from 46KM higher altitudes . in IS-seat When the initj'al batch of

25,000 departed Pahalgam base camp on August 16, the Route: 70,000 stranded mood was festive. Five days

MI-17 helicopters. Soldiers on foot carried others down. , On the 26th, 20,000 pilgrims

later, torrential freezing. rains and snow be­g~ and continued for 62 hours-an un­precedented. weather pattern for August, with 70,000 pilgrims stranded along the path. It was two days before rep'orts reached authorities of the calamiiys enormity. The

. majority of casualties were among 17,000 trappecr:in sub-zero temperatures at the cave itself or at Panchtarni, the highest sta­tion, 6.5KM away. Most still pushed on until they had darshan of the ice Siva Lingam be­fore trying to get . down. Anothe; 25,000 were huddled at the 'lower stations 0f Shesh­nag and Chandanwari. Many died of cold or exhaustion, others fell off the muddy, washed-out path into the chasms below, and an unknown numQer perished when a glac­ier broke up along the upper reaches.

;,were still trapped, and 70,000 more were 'packed into Pahalg~ (population 10,000), where local Muslim opened theithomes to them. With the trail still hazardous, the priests and Chhari Mubarik, the "sacred mace," were choppered to the cave for the annual ceremonies .

Weather forecastj.ng in the area had l)een hampered by the insurgency as meteorolo~ gists could not set up monitoring stations on militant -controlled mountaintops. The event was not only a natural disaster, but also an example of collective karma, wherein the in­dividual destinies of a large group coincide in one great happening impacting them all. Yet nothing will deter riext year's pilgrims from returning in even greater numbers. •

With VINOD SINGH RAWAT in Delhi

Krishna volunteers feed the needy worldwide, including those in war-torn areas of Chechnya.

Food for Life Reaching Millions

From his room at ISKCON'S international head­

quarters in Mayapur, West Bengal, SrIla Prabhupada, the society's Founder­

Xcarya, suddenly called for his leading disciples. When they entered, he was standing with tears in his eyes, looking intently out the window at the scene below.

A short distance away were many small children-and several dogs- rummaging through piles of rubbish in search of food.

"How hungry they must be;' SrIla Prabhupada said softly. "We must arrange for prasadam (sanctified vegetarian food) . If you want to

the Hare Krishna Food for Life project began. Today, it's the largest vegetarian relief program

in the world. "Food for Life each year distributes millions of

free meals to the needy in more than sixty coun­tries;' reported the Vegetarian Times. To date, 75 million meals have been served, saving countless

people from malnutrition and, some­times, starvation.

November 23,1996, marks the inauguration of Hare Krishna Feed the World Day. It's set to become the world's largest free food event. On this day, volunteers plan to distribute 4 million meals to those in need.

Throughout 1996 people of many faiths and traditions will celebrate the centennial of SrIla

make this a temple, a house of Lord Krishna, you must see that within a lO-mile radius no one goes hungry. God is everyone's father. How can the child go hungry in the presence of the father?"

Srfla Prabhupada's compassion set Prabhupada, Founder-Acarya of the Food for Life in motion.

International Society for Krishna Because of SrIla Prabhupada's compassion,

distribution of hot meals to the region's needy was inaugurated the next day. Thus, in March, 1974,

Consciousness and Hare Krishna Food for Life. You are invited to join in saluting the life and work of this great soul.

Hare Krishna Food for Life is the World's Largest Vegetarian Relief Project ... thanks to Srila Prabhupada.

For more information or to offer assistance, call Food for Life Global at 1-301- 983-6826 (USA).

42

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• Mahadevan. Hymns of Sankara. rep. • Griffith. Hymns of the Rigveda. . ·Pandey. Hindu Samskaras. • Hiriyanna. Essentials of Indian Philosophy. • Monier Williams. Sanskrit-English Dictionary • Singh. Siva Sutras. • MacDonelL Vedic Grammar for Students. • Miller. Hindu Monastic Life. revised edition • Wade. Music in India, Classical Traditions. • Whitney. Atharva Veda Samhita. 2 voL • w.J. Wilkins. Hindu Mythology . pa. rep.

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Free catalog of award-winning CDs: • Shankar and Zakir H~ssain • VG Jog • Dagar Brothers • GS Sachdev • Trichy Sankaran • Imrat Khan • A. Kanyakumari • Sultan Khan • Tarun Bhattacharya • plus music from around the world. Write to: Music of the World, PO Box 3620-HT Chapel Hill, NC 27515 USA Tel: 919-932-9600 • Fax: 919-932-9700 e-mail: motw1@aol.com Web:www.rootsworld.comlrw/motw

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We offer a wide selection of Sri Chinmoy's inspirational and instructional written works, including essays, poetry, plays and extensive answers to questions asked by seekers.

Music includes soul-stirring audio and video perform­ances by Sri Chinmoy and his students on instruments from all over the world.

Just published-Sri Chinmoy's long-awaited trilogy, Commentaries on the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita: The Three Branches of India's Life-Tree and a 4-CD set of selections from Sri Chinmoy's fifty Peace Concerts offered in honor of the 50th anniversary of the United Nations.

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- India Abroad List Price: US$100 with discount for academic institutions and religious bodies. Please direct inquiries and orders to R. Sundaracharlu, 18 Narasimhapuram, Mylapore, Madras. PIN 600 004 India. Tel: 91-44-493-6133.

Books by K. N. Rao We carry a complete collection of books by K.N. Rao as well as many books on Vedic Astrology, Ayurveda and Vedic texts in general. Call or write for our free catalog or visit our web site on the Internet: http://www.hway.netiwebcity/Default.htm

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One Man's Quest for the Self The true story of one man's quest for the pure Self within. Relive with him his years with Paramhansa Yogananda in the monastic order of Self Realization Fellowship. Expe­rience with him incredible visions and encounters with extraterrestrials and beings of other dimensions, culminat­ing in a meeting with a living Being of Light called I am that I am.

"Here is one of the most im­portant documents of our time"-John Michell, Author of The View Over Atlantis "Norman Paulsen is a man whose being shines with the light of cosmic consciousness. He is an articulate spokesman for the role of near death experiences in human evolution and planetary regeneration"-Kenneth Ring, Ph.D., author of Heading Toward Omega and Life at Death "To Norman, dear one: May your birth bring happiness to many spiritually, may your birthdays be filled with God­Consciousness. With unceasing blessing."-February 3, 1951 Paramhansa Yogananda, author, Autobiography of a Yogi

Soft cover • ISBN #0-941848-05-1.496 pg'/illustrated, 8 color plates • US$25 including postage. Builders Publishing Company 1305 North H StlA-289-T. Lompoc, CA 93436 USA 43

HEALING

Mitigating Menop?use

..

. Vegetarian diet, proper supplements and appropriate exercise can ease the transition

BY DR. DEVANANDA TANDAVAN, M.D.

OF THE MOST ALARM­

consequences of meno­is the loss of calcium

the bones, leading to weakening of the .skeleton and possibly an increase'in fractures. The solution to this is a correct meat-free diet high in cakium and other nutrients, 'at least be­gInning in one's mid-thirties, for this is when the problem of osteo­porosis,really begins, accelerated by the lack of estrogen at menopause. .

A high-protein diet is acidic, causing calcium to oe leached from the bones. A high-fat diet decreases absorption of calci­um from ingested food. Smoking, alcohol, colas containing pho§phates, and chronic stress 'all add to this condition. Low mag­nesium l~vels due to too much refined -, grain (flours) and lack of ,green, leafy veg- , etables contribute to calcium defici:ency. Thus we see that a well-balanced diet high in calcium-rich foods such as kale, chard, turnip gteens, Chinese cabbage and other green, leafy vegetables.is desirable. The average woman needs adequate magne­siuIll' and exposure to sunshine to help me­tabolize at least 1,500 mg. qf calcium daily. This may require some supplementation to the diet, especially if dairy products are not consumed. Exercise is absolutely essen­tial to maintain bone strength. Weight­bearing forms of exercise, such as dancing, walking, golf, swimming, cycling and Tai Chi are not too strenuous and wililfeip to maintain strength and decrease chronic tension. The possible cardiovascular com­plications-during menopause can be kept at a minimum by following an ayurvedic diet that balances the doshas. Unsettling emo­tional swings will be lessened by an exer­cise program of hatha yoga and aerobics and helped a.great deal by the stress re­duction of regular meditation.

One of the yommon effects of the de-I •

44 Il.INDUI.SM TODAY ElECEMBER " 1996

crease in production of estro­gen during the period c~lled menopause is the thinning of the mucosa of the female or­gans and- a decrease ib mucus and other secretions, leading to dryness. This causes discomfort and susceptibility to frequent infections. The use of synthetic hormones is not suggested for treatment of this condition.

Sympt@ms can be alleviated by a diet high in vitamin E, grains, nuts and cold-pressed oils from fruit and nuts. Plenty of liquids and fluid foods, such as melons, greens and other moist vegetables, are recommended. The organs Cill be lubricated with cocoa bujter, vegetable and fruit oils such as sesame, coconut, almond and cold-pressed castor oil. In spite of this dryness there can l:5~ bloating from water retentioR as well as tenderness of the tissues and even emo­tional depression. The necessary diuresis can be asslJred by the use of the homeo­pathic cell salt Natrum Sulphurica taken in four to eight daily doses. Frequent sips of warm water throughout the day and teas mad,\} of green tea, corn silk or dandelion greens may also naturally stimulate the dij.lresis so that harsh and mineral-deplet­ing drugs will not be necessary. Cranberry and watermelon juices are also very good and have a tendency to decrease possible urinary tract infections. • . I

Menopause is a normal, natural event iIi . life. It is not a disease and should not be

treated -a's a disease with harmful hormone-replacement treatments which use st~ong, synthetic and dangerous drugs.

,. DR. TANDAVAN, 76, retired nuclearphysi­cian and hospital staff president~ lives in Ch'(cago, where he specializes in alternative healing arts. Visit his home page at the HINDUISM TODAY Website.

EVOLUTIONS FAILED COUP: Trinidads first Hindu prime minister, Basdeo Panday, sur­vived an August uprising, stemming from a long-standing dispute between his government and a radical Black Moslem group, Ja­maat AI-Moslemeen. Trinidad is the fifth nation in the world to have a Hindu PM, after India, Nepal, Mauritius and, briefly, Fiji. Trinidad's PM

CELEBRATING: Divine Life Society's 60th year. Founded 1936 in a cowshed on

the banks of the Ganga at Rishikesh by Sri Swami Sivananda (1887-1963), the institu­tion grew to its current

Rishikesh anniversary 500 branches worldwide,

bringing meditation, Sanatana Dharma and yoga to millions.

TRANSITION: Balasaheb Deoras, 81, in July, third Sarsanghachalak (head) of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). A sevak since 11, he took over the Hindu nationalist or­ganization in 1973 at the death of Shri Guruji. Deoras main­tained an effective RSS presence in in­dia. He is succeeded by Rajendra Singh, a former professor RSS chief of physics at Banaras Hindu University.

Pandlt Pran Nath, 77, Classical singer in kirana Hindustani music, died in Cali­fornia in August, having taught for decades at D.C. Berkeley. He gave up life in India as a wandering sadhu at the request of his teacher, a Muslim. After a successful career, he migrated to the US in the 1970s, where he won recognition and influenced prominent Western jazz and "minimalist" com­posers, especially with his gifts of pure intonation and micro tones. The musi­cian's passing was noted in a lengthy retrospective in the New York Times.

-----fIIN6UISM- - - --

Dl1arma Graphics CD For the Mac. Reg. $249. Special offer for HT readers, only $199

1,500+ images reflecting India's rich traditions and spiritual culture

Patterns & Borders

Nothing lends a sense of Indian-ness to a design better than traditional borders and patterns.

There are hundreds to choose from on this creative CD. Fall in love with the visual magic of Bharat and enhance your personal or institutional image.

Macintosh format only. No PC version available.

Here it is-the Hindu art CD of the decade. Trek into the heart of mystic India with this spectacular collection of imagery drawn from the treasurehouse of Hindu spiri­tuality. This CD contains a wealth of clip art, Aums, pat­terns, textures, sacred sym­bols, borders, finished graphics and some rare Raj­put scans. Great graphics for an ashram bulletin, a yoga book, Web page or multimedia presentation.

Aums & Illustrations

M any images are or­ganized in

themes, like nature, Deities, people, borders, symbols, etc. Use the Fetch browser to get a quick overview, then double clic on a page for a detailed preview.

Natural Healing Through Ayurveda

Pictured is our featured prod­uct-of-the-month from our assortment of aroma-therapy massage oils. These are rare Indian fragrances from ingre­dients carefully selected for their therapeutic value and for being natural and non­animal in origin.

"Freshen Up"

Relieves stress and anxiety. Stimulates the mind­sesame seed oil, rose, basil, patchouli and other natural flower essences.

This is but one from our over 225 Ayurvedic products imported directly from India. Buy directly from the USA's largest bulk importers of Ayurvedic products. For the past 25 years, our buyers have been traveling to India 3 or 4 times a year to insure our herbs are up to import regulatory standards.

Bazaar Of India Imports • Since 1971 1810 University Ave Berkeley, CA 94703-1516 USA Tel: 800-261-7662 or 510-548-3332 Fax: 510-548-1115 • E-mail: Tabla@ix.netcom.com Send $3.00 for full 50-page catalog.

The Divine Vision of Radha Krishn

This extraordinary new book is authored by H.D. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati, founder of the International Society of Divine Love, Barsana Dham and Shree Raseshwari Radha Rani Temple.

The Divine Vision of Radha Krishn is a Divine gift by Shree Swamiji. It is a practical guide for all who sincerely desire to experience the loving Bliss of Radha Krishn or any other form of God as described in our scriptures. It fulfills the de­votional quest of everyone, from a highly educated open­minded aspirant to a simple-hearted devotee of God who is longing to receive His love and vision. • It incorporates the philosophy and theme of more than 400 scriptures and gives a crys~al-clear view of the path to Supreme God . • For the first time in hundreds of years, such a book in the English language has been published that reveals, in extensive detail, the true Divine form of Radha, Radha Krishn, Divine Vrinda­ban and raganuga bhakti. • 464 pg . • $30 • Available from:

The International Society of Divine Love, Barsana Dham, 400 Barsana Rd. , Austin, TX 78737 USA. Tel: 1-512-288-7180.

--Beautifully done - the seJlsl1t1 the intelligence - the Slnt!CI.t',

- I loved it. ~

--A masterful mix of education and w(.rshllP~

Feel

See .Authentic Ancient

WORSHIP OF IN lit.iE FORM OF MOTHER

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phy is Agamic Saivite, with its focus upon the progressive path to God through service, worship, yoga and God Realization under the ~u's guidance.

Pilg".;,mage to Sabarimala is a right-on-tar­get presentation of Hindu thought and prac­tice, though ironically its producer, former film-actor M.M. Alex, is a Christian. Future film projects by the Vedik-India Society in­clude In Search of Hinduism with 108 episodes covering Hindu history, scriptures and traditions~ and Brahmavidya Yatm, a tour of India's temples. Contact: Vedik -India Society, Sapta Swara, 57, First Avenue, Ashok Nagar, Madras 600043, South India. ",

'Saranill!' Ayyappa!': Replica of Sabarimala inner sanctum crea:ed for pilgrimage video

The Cosmic Dance of Siva: Seldom does so much information Gome packaged with such sheer enjoyment. Against a backdrop of fa­mous Indian Siva temples, producer Deben ·Bhattacharya deftly conveys the profound mysticism of Siva's dance. His verbal explana­tions are then delightfully translated mto the language of dance by virtuoso bharata natyann performers Raja and Radha Reddy. Mudra, hand gesture, is explruned, for exam­ple, then, as we view nothing but Raja's right hand, he glides through ddzens of mudras­hplding viewers rapt with nothing but his bare fingers! In another, he enacts rapid-fire the eight emofions (rasas)-love, heroism, sadness, wonder, laughter, fear, disgust, anger and peace. At the film's climax, the narrator switches to physics and mathematics. The Reddy's dance upon a large fractal, a complex mathematically-generated shape which ap­proximates forms of nature from snowflakes to the distribution of galaxies in the universe. Though new to science, such underlying rhythms are what Hindus have always called "Siva's Cosmic Dance.' Contact: J~ffrey Nor­ton Publishers, Inc., 96 Broad Street, Guil­ford, Connecticut 06437 USA. wi

VIDEOS ,

Small Screen Sacraments With these three videos, there is no need to

. -leave hom~ to have some quality religious timE1

ILGRIMAGE TO SABARIMALA," A RE­

markable 'video procluction released two years back by the .Madras-based

rum (pictured) for the filming. Narrator Ramesh Elaman provides an in­

formative commentary on the history of Sabarimala and the worship of Lord Ayyap­pan, as well as detailed philosophic explana­tions of the practices. For mantra, we are told, "The vibrations set up by chanting aum are s6 powerful they arouse and transform

. every atom in the body and awaken the spiritual power of the mind." The philoso-

Vedik -India Society, is just' circulating in the West. It combines dramatic footage of the yearly pilgrimage to the mountain he>me of LOld Ayy~ppan in Kerala, with a reenaot-

. " meriI of the 72-kilometer jungle trek to the shrine. The result is a professional90-minute film which begins with a swamiye, as each pilgrim is called, taking vows and putting" on the sacred chain to mark his commencement of . 41 days of sadhanas (spiritual practic~) which defme the tra­ditional pilgrimage. The detail of preparations before departure and obsen:ances ell route; make this practically a "how to" manu­al for would-be pilgrims. It re­counts faithfully the Southern tradition, with its emphasis upon austerity, strict adherence to the rules of the yamas and niyamas and the arduous barefoot and barechested hike through ~re­mote hill country to the temple. '.

. The idea of driving in and'start-

Museum-Quality Puja

ing a few kilometers away-as most do these days-is not even mentioned as an option. The temple priests ce;operated fully in the production, even setting. up a temporary SaNotum san~to-

r

ACKLER GALLERY PRO­

duced Puja, Expressions of Hindu Devotion in conjunction with their

Washington, D.C., exhibition of the same name [see page 22-25]. Shown as part of their tour, the short video is in­tended to explain the Hindu way of worship to non-Hindu exhibition visitors. Scenes from India and the USA are interspersed with fIrst and second-generation American Hindus explaining worship in personal ways. Nitya Nagara­jan, a young international trade analyst, shared words

she silently utters in prayers to Lord Ganesha, "OK, I'm going to start this task Please make sure that I'm able to fmish it properly."

This is a useful video for its artful photography and crisp and accurate explanations of contemporary Hindu religious customs. The main sequence is about twelve minutes, mak­ing it suitable for short TV programming. For the hearing impaired, a second version with English-language cap­tions and a few additional scenes from India fills out the half-hour documentary.

Roadside: Video vignettes

Contact: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.c., 20560 USA.

DECEMBER , <1996 HI'NDUISM TODAY 47

,

America~ first all-stone traditional

South Indian Siva temple is now

being hand caNed in Bangalore,

India, to be shipped to the Garden

Island. Iraivan Temple will crown

the 5 I-acre botanical paradise

of Kauai~ Hindu Monastery.

Hindus from around the globe

are making a yearly pilgrimage to

perform sadhana and enjoy a

unique spiritual experience. Call or

visit our web site for more details.

1-808-639-8886

http://www.HinduismToday. kauai.hi.us/ashram/lraivan.html

HAWAIIAN PILGRIMAGE

SAN MARGA IRAlVAN TEMPLE

I 07 KAHOLAlELE ROAD

KAPAA. HI 96746-9304 USA

A TEMPLE BUILT TO LAST 1.000 YEARS

MILES:TONES

Lett the . .

Universe .Conti·Due ~ Praying for peace on paradise island

By DWIKORA PUTRA, BALI

SONOROUS SbUNDS OF CHANTING, BElLS

and prayers of the priests ring out to glorify God. All day thousands of Hin­dus wearing traditional white head­

dresses, shirt and yellow sarongs head for the Temple of Grand· Besakih on Bali's high­est mountain to witness once-in-a-century ceremonies for universal welfare.

The complex of 86 temples, the largest and grandest in Indonesia, is decorated in . lavish colors and ornaments. These festivi­ties, stretching from March.l4 to ¥arch 26, 1996, cast a substantial US$212,700. They co­incide with the final stage of the Karya Agung Eka Dasa Rudra, a series of unique religious observances.

The peak day is March 20. Sacred arts and dance accom­pany the morning events in which different animals are, still and sadly, sacrificed as col­orful offerings are made. At the same time, on this exotic island of temples, 1,300 traditional vil­lages perform their own rituals.

In the early afternoon the pri~sts con.duct die main cere­mony. Its purpose is to purify and maintain the harmony be­twe{n the universe and human b~ings through the wotsliip of the Almighty Paramasiva.

Besakih Temple, 900 km. east of Jakarta~ is considered by Balanese to be the center of thel

universe. An example of exquis-. ite and beautiful architecture,

it reflects the high respect of the warm-hearted Balinese people for their Hindu religion.

Siva's Temple: Center of the Universe

needs." It is testimony to the Balinese ability to hold fast to traditional culture, practices and 9ress while mixing with visitors from all corners of the world. Bali is, as Pandit Nehru put it, "The mornmg of the world."

The day after, everyone starts their new year, Nyepi. The island comes to a total halt. All 2.8 million people-93% Hindus-go without lights for 24 hours. They don't go anywhere or engage in any outer activities. Only hotels and hospitals function. Bali sur­renders herself to a sacred quietude, peace­fully expecting the next year. ...,..;

Twb million visitors a year bask in Bali's spiritual atmos­phere. Businessman Charlie Baker, who imports Balinese ~ crafts tp Hawaii, said, "Through ' ~

Bali'~ unique form of Hinduism ~ .~J~~[{:.L __ :~~---=!!!!!~;~~~~~ they make an art .out of life Q Ii:!! which satisfies the people's Priestly magicians: Invoking Gods, dispelling derrwns

I ,

Holy destination: The ice Lingam forms naturally each August in this high cave ~

P I L G RIM A G· E

Iqy Trek to Amar~ath Reminiscing my ascent to Siva's: cave abode

.;

By MEENAKSHI DEW B·HAVANANI, PONDICHERRY, SOUTH INI)lA

I I TEARFULLY READ ABOUT THE 200

devotees wno died/tragically in August on· their Amarnath pilgrimage [see page 40], I remembered the earuy

. . modling of August 15, 1969. Sixteen of us, including a 70-year-old American woman, Rukmani Devi, of Portland, Oregon, had set off on our ponies and pack horses with our Muslim guides. "That old lady will die and it will be a lot of trouble," our grizzled chief

Earthly Petitions HE SUN HAS NOT YET

risen. A devoted Indian wife and mother carefully cleans her doorstep. Witl1

guide Aneez muttered. He himself was 80, but a veteran of hundreds of trips to Kash­mir's holy cave, which he too held in rever­ence. His entire family made their living from these pilgrimages. "I'm happy to leave my body here. I already wrote my children," Rukrflani retorted gaily, "Siva, here I come."

. Swami Gitananda Ji, my guru-husband and the head of our troupe, wrapped a bright orange tmban and chanted '~um Namah Sivaya{, so loudly the mountains seemed to tremble. We had spent the

cially at festival times, the streets are a joy to behold. In front of every house, as far as tl1e eye can see, stretch lines of beautiful, intri-

night in Pahalgam, a sleepy little village and the base camp. Our ponies were frisky and spirits were high in the cool morning air. ManY,9tl1er pilgrims were also trudging along the road. We knew we had reached heaven when we rounded a bend near 4PM, and the~e stood a small shack with a large sign­"TEE STAULL." We greedily drank several cups-paying 50 times the going rate. Light was receding. It catches one by: surprise in mountain country how fast the Sun leaves the Earth and,. how little can be done with­out the light. We pitched our camp in Sheshnag in an old log cabin. It was freezing cold in spite of ample sweaters, many blan- ~ kets, 'gloves and socks.

Morning came, .warm 'Jal1d soft, and w~ washed in a shockingly brisk clear stream. Wide awake-minds crystal clear, we pre­-pared for the ascent. Smiling pilgrims thronged everywhere-all in the same fam­ily on the way to pay our respects to the same Father Siva. We walked barefoot over the Kolahoi Glacier, reaching the 12.,729-foot-high Amarnath cave. Siva was here be­fore us-within us, without us, in tl1e high peaks of consciousness, reached after stren­U9US effort and hardship. The majestic ice Lingam vibrated with chants of eager devo­tees. Could thiS exaltation ever be matched again in one lifetime? "Hara Hara Ma­hadeo!" How many times did we chant this rousing spiritual song? How many bodies, minds and emotions vibrated in resonance? Even the lofty and austere mountains seemed full of the holy sounds.

"We must go," Aneez said. "The light is leaving and we must follow it. Cold comes soon and paths are n~row. " But he too was suffused with awe and wonder ip. the pres­ence of this majesty. The road down was much easier; it always is. ..,..;

intense concentration, she dips her finger into the rice flour and makes a series of pullis or dots upon tl1e ground. With deft fmgers, she draws bold lines, crafting mind-arresting patterns, the artform called kolam. The Goddess Mahalak­shmi, out for Her morning walk, pauses to admire the selflessness, tl1e concentrated

effort and the artistry of Her devotee. With a benevolent smile, She enters the house­hold and blesses it for yet an­other day. The occupants rise, stretch happily, filled witl1 a beautiful sense of well being. cate designs. Tal Pongal: Elaborate kolam design joyfully

Some women created for the four-day haroest festival The kolam decorates tl1e lives and houses of the Soutl1 India community. It makes ones heart happy to walk over a kolam in entering a house, and tl1us puts one in an elevat­ed frame of mind when visit­ing friends and relatives. Espe-

acquire great ex-pertise. Like magic, tl1ey make a fantastic, meaningful pattern appear. One could stand and gaze for a long time at these sacred designs, and no won­der, for tl1ey are indeed man-

dalas, geometric representa­tions of forces and powers which cannot be perceived tl1rough tl1e senses. They have their own spiritual reality.

M.D.B.

DECEMBER , 1996 HINDUISM TODA Y 49

,

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/

MINISTER'S MESSAGE

The ~ssence.., Of Hiil'duism Perhaps remarkably, Sanatana Dhar~a is as bro~d and open-minded as ever

BY SRI SWAMI SATCHID A NANDA

another. We have enough money, enough land, enough food to feec), clothe and house everyone. Poverty and hunger are not due to lack of resources. The reason is that we are not caring and sharing. We have to open and change the hearts of the people. That can be done only through religious understanding- t6 help them see that we are all children of that One Absolute God, one global, divine family There is only one God who is our Lord, who is the life in us. Like rain in the river going back to the ocean, every drop of water that wants to go back to its source is a religious seeker. God above is like completely distilled water. When-it falls down oIt one side of the river,

-it is called Heavenly Father. On the other · side, they call it Allah. If it falls in the Hi-malayas, they call it Siva. We may call this

INDUISM IS A UNIVERSAL RELIGION. IT IS A One God: Brahman, Father, Mother, Ado-of approaches. Even the name "Hinduism" nai, Cosmic Consciousness, Divibe

late. The original name is Sanatana Dharma, Essence, etc. But we mean the same thIng. the Eternal Truth. We can pick up and understand God is pleased with any name we give that Truth in any way we like. In this great religion Him. He doesn't care what we call Him,

we have real freedom of choice in worship, in approaching but rather how we feel about Him. that one Supreme Entity that we call God. . .\ In the Vedantic part of the Hindu scrip-

In Hindu thought, there is room for everything-not only tures, it'says that G6d has no name or form. the nice, refined philosophies. Even the simple, ordinary, . So we find it hard to communicate. Due to

~~:ee :~~~~ ~e;i~s~e;~e~~~:!~~dth~~,c~~:ea t~:t~ ;ra~~g ~ ~~~~~~~i:~:h:~ ~fur~~;o~~r:~~~:~i~ I with a wooden horse, taking it to the water, putting grass into ~ say ':sweetness," ho\Y would you understand its mouth an~ saying, "Cbme on, horsey, come and eat." You ~ L-~ ______ --LJ sweetness? Immediately, you have to think don't laugh at the child, because that's the way he begins. of sugar or honey or candy Without a form, you cannot under-

Hinduism never rejects or denies anything or anybo~y It is a big stand sweetness. That is the reason why we try to understand God ocean. It could be called Sindhuism. "Sindhu" in some-of the Indi- through forms and names. Otherwise God is formless. The Saiva an languages means "ocean." It never says, "Only Ganga and Go- Saint Manikkavasagar said, "You dop't have a name; You don't have davari may enter; Missouri and Mississippi must stay out." No, they a form, but we approach You with thousands of names and thou-all flow in. Even the eity gutter water goes in. It's as if the big sands of forms. You accept all our approaches." ocean mama says, "Come, my child, I know you went around and The beauty and greatness of Hinduism is that it allows real free-got dirty Come in, and I will clean you up." Even atheism is ac- dom of choice in worship. There is room for the Vedantin who ap-cepted. The Hindus J<now that the moment you say, "I.don't be- proaches God within as his own Self without any, form: If you wish lieve in God," you s~em to accept a God. If there is no God, why to approach God through a form, there is Siva, or Vishnu, or -Kllmara do you want not to believe? You sa)V that there is a God, but you or as the Goddess, Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati and others. If you don't don't believe in it. A true Hindu will have no problem in accepting believe in a human form of God, you can worship a tree, a snake all ot~er faiths. He will never say, "Oh, I am only a Hindu. ! am or a stone. You can see God in any form you want, because God not a-Catholic. I'm not a Buddhist. I'm not a Muslim."· They are all made everything in .His own image; everything is His expression. based on devotion, the Bhakti Yoga. ~he ocean never denies aI).y It is my heartfelt prayer that we all make this resolution: "From water; it's all embracing. That is why sometimes I like to call my- this day onward, my life will be all-embracing and harmonious. self an "Undo," because I would like to undo all limitations. Let me learn to accept all the various approa<a):J.es of people, be,

All of our prqblems today are based on the attitude that, "My cause everyone is looking for the same happiness and joy in life. way, my approach is the right one. And if you don't follow this, Let me not condemn anybody because he or she looks, thinks or ' you'll be condemned." There is no one way, because each mind is acts a little different. Let me realize the spiritual unity behipd all different. Each person conceives of God according to his capacity, the .diversities in the creation and remember always that we are ta'ste and temperament. You have YOHr way. You have the freedom mem,bers of one divine family Th"Lfs, in my own small, humble and the. right to follow it, but YOW following your way should not way, may .J; contribute to the peace, joy, and harmony of the world." caHse problems to others. Just as you have your freedom, others must also have the freedom to find peace and joy in their own way:

It's very painfu~ to see people hurting each. other, even killing one another, in the name of God and religion. Even in the name of Hinduism, you find religious quarrels. People who see God as Siva dOn't want to see God as Vishnu. Saivites and Vaishnavites quarreL It is our lack of understanding; we don't see the underlying spiritu­ai unity behind all the diversities in the creation.

Religion has a very important role to play in the world. 'Unfortu­nately, it forgets that role, and the different religions fight with one ·

50 HINDUISM TOD A.Y D~CEMBER , 1996

SRI SWAMI SATCHIDANANDA, 81, is a Hindu minister, a master of yoga, a global spiritiual teacher and ambassador f-or peace. He lives at Yogaville in Virginia, his main USA center.

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W ITCHES ONCE cast spells at rites

performed in dense, dark forests-so the tales go. Now pagans are join­ing together electroni­cally on the Internet, "casting a circle" to en­act lituals and benign, healing magic. S0me Western relIgions decry such practices and have, it is wryly suggested, re­sorted to a computers spellchecker to counter any spells effects. Join the witches at http:/www.cascade.netla rachne.

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IT REQUIRED SOME PRODDING by our friends, but HINDUISM To­DAY finally assembled the ulti­

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five percent of all web sites. It offers a vast ar­ray of links for :Q.!ajor modern and ancient

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mind-boggling collection of village­style borders and more. The price, $249, is consistent with professional clip art disks, and the collection is offered with no copyright restric­tions-you can use and adapt this art for dharmic purposes. It is available for the Macintosh. Files are in Adobe illustrator and Photoshop formats. To order write: Himalayan Academy Publications, 107 Kaholalele Road, Kapaa, Hawaii 96746-9304 USA.

SIGHTED SITES

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at http://www.theraj. com, TM's ritzy Iowll treatment center.

Alain Danielou fans can visit http://www. imaginet.fr/ - jcloared danielou for a compre­hensive overview of the life, works and resources of fhis great'votary of Saivite Hinduism.

Facets at http://sunfly.ub.uni-freiburg.de/religionl

faiths' lcomparative reli­gions and interfaith movements. Scholastic . resources, authentic reli­gious organizations, pho­tographs, scriptures and more can be found here. Am6ng the twenty.Hin­du links are some that contain far more com­prehensive listings of Hindu web sites. And exploring the other reli­gions is a revealing exer­cise in how rapidly each faith is making its pres­ence felt in a major way on the World Wide Web.

For general informa­tion and references on

52 HINDUISM TODAY D~CEMBER, 1996

/

BEWARE

].\ddicted!

IT'S EITHER THE COM­puter or me," one hus­

band finally threatened. His wife-wHo had been spending 12 hours a day surfing the Internet and carrying on typed con­versations with people around the planet-di­'vorced him' rather than part with her new elec­tronic world. Psycholo­gist Kimberly Young of the University of Pitts­burgh calls it a case of "Internet addiction"-and says it has the same symptoms and is just as life-destroying as addic­tion to drugs or gam­bling. She found hun­dregs of people spending 40 hours a week or more on the Net, some of whom were serl0usly af­fecting their careers and family life.

Bharat, India Connect is' a good place to start at http://www.indiacon­nect.com.

Finally, Spirit-WWW at http://www.au. spiritweb.org·is a master resource for Hindu and related subjects.

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I

Capturing India: Calcutta's flower vendors ready at dawn; mOther and son in Manipur wit~.forehead pmye<rs in sandalwood

PHOTOGRAPHY

35MM Mega':'Memoir around to Americans in a personal way, it's no longer intimidating or imposing."

From well-known tourist spots to obscure outposts, she documents the people, festivals and color of India. To her, India is not the

Uncommon Chronicle of India's Common Style city lights of Bombay or Delhi-these are mere starting places to get to the India that has remained untouched and <unspoiled by

By LAVINA MELWANI, NEW YORK

HETHER IT IS THE POMP OF DUR­

ga puja in Calcutta, the oolor of Onam in Kerala or the sheer vitality of Lai Haraoba being celebrated by

the Vaishnav Methis of Manipur, Canadian­American photographer Lindsay Hebberd's camera has recorded it all. Over the years she 'has shot thousands of images in India. But don't ask her to shoot pictures of beg­gars or undernourished children; she is just not interested in promoting negative stereo­types. Says she: "Scandal, disaster, plagues, earthquakes, the sale of child brides to old men-the American media has done much damage to India. Their news is always bad news and overshadows the wonderful cul­ture, quality oflife and community service."

HeQberd is hoping to bring about a revo­lution ill people's thinking and change some misconceptions about India. Her weapon of choice is the camera. She has created a port­folio of the cultural diversity and dignity of

:\

: • : :: 1 ; ... 'W- :: I ,+~. ~ . ..... :

the passage of time. She seeks out remote tribal peo­ple in little exposed places, hoping to capture what no one else has photographed. A diehard people watcheL', she specializes in catching the extraordinary qualities, in her words, "the spirit and energy," of ordinary people.

Hebberd expresses con­cern that "a lot of traditional cultural beauty is being de­stroyed by the embrace of

its people. The result of crisscrossing India, from the desert to the tropics, from the Ganges River to the Hi­malayas, is "Cultural Por­traits of India"-a powerful exhibition of images which will be traveling through In­dia and the US. The non­profit project is endorsed by the government of India and is being jointly presented by the East-West Center of the United States and the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation of India.

Seizing the Spirit: Lindsay Western civilization and Hebberd with image morals. Blue jeans are taking

The exhibition begins in late 1997 and will show in US museums, schools and corporate galleries. Through it Hebberd hopes to introduce to mainstream Americans all Indians, including the ones who live in the US. She observes, "When you make friends, it's very hard to have bar­riers of prejudice. When you show India

over. And look what they're trading it for! Beautiful han~made garments and jewelry are being replaoed by commer­cial clothing and jewelry." Using her camera, Lindsay Hebberd attempts to deep-freeze time on film, and preserve and promote the traditions of India which are endangered by the steady onslaught of modernization . ...

BehQld the universe in the ~IQ(Y of CQd:

+-lnd all that lives and moves on !;arth.

LeaVing the tMnsient, -And jQy in the !;te(naL. SUKLA YAjUR V EDA, Isa Upanishad 1

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