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.:

. DECEMBER, 1997 ...

"'~ 1'. · . ~--·"b7~·O~

. 'COVER: India's incomparable philosopher, Sri Adi Shankara [788-820 GE], is surrounded by the sil Dieties whose worship he consolidated as the Shanmata Stlia-pana: (clockwise fron left) Siva, Shakti,Vishnu, Kumara, Surya and Ganesha. . J

:£ < < 0:

INTERNATIONAL Trinidad: l!.egal Equality for Hindus Cover Story: Eleven-day Rites

Bring Vedic Priests to US Nepal: Girl Temple SerVarlts Suffer Tribute: Yogi arld Peacemaker:

Sri Chinmoy is Honored

LIFESTYLE Insight: Evaluating Adi Sharlkara's

17

22 27

34

Virtuosity in Vedi.~ Verse 30 Child Rearing: How Spanking Makes • Childr.en Behave Even Worse 40 Devotion: A CD for the Goddess 41. Interview:' Painter Indra Sharma 48 Serviae: krishna's Lifeguard 50

OPINION • Publisher'S Desk: Garlesha Carl Cure

Your Kids' Christmastime Blues 6 Editorial: Xmas: Fact or Fairy tale? 8 My Turn: Saving the iHindu Priesthood 9 Letters 14 Astrology: Princess Diarla's Chart 36 Healing: Helping Hyperactive Kids 44 Minister's Message: You Must..control Your

Egotistical Desires arld Your Anger 52 71

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Oaddy, 'Do We, Get Toys fbr Christmas, too? Yuletide is not a Hindu holiday, but we have our own Decemqer ~ft -giving festival called Pancha Ganapati . . BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI

ADDY, WHY DON'T WE

have Christmas? What do we do? Don't we get presents, too?" That ques­

tion was heard in so many Hindu homes some 15 ye8!s ago that it inspired us to create a new holiday based on time-honored traditions. In cooperation with swamis, scholars and elders, an alternative for Christmas was con­ceived and put into action: Pancha Ganapati, a five-day, festiVal cele­brated from December 21 through 25, has since become a favorite in homes all over the world. The winter solstice has always been a festive time of year in all countries, religions and among Hindus especially, for it is a traditional season for the worship of Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed lord of culture lmd the arts.

In the Sri Lankan tradition, for example, thirty days are dedicat­ed to Ganesha worship during December-January in the festival called Markali Pillaiy.ar. In Vedic astrology this time of. year marks the end of the sun's ~outhward movement and the beginning of its movement north. Since most Hindus do not celebrate Christmas, they often fmd it difficult to relate in a meaningful way to those who do. Their children are often embarrassed when asked '{Vhy they-don't receive gifts like their friends. Adults feel the need to give gifts and mail greeting cards as well as accept them from J;ela­tives, neighbors, friends and business associates. The five days of Pancha Ganapa~i offer a Hindu expression ot this natural season of worship, gift-giving and celebration.

to open only on the futh day. Gifts need not be extravagent or expensive; they should be within the means of each family. Handmade presents are by far the most precious. Ganesha does not want gift­giving to promote Western commercialism but to further the great Hindu culture. Clearly, killer games should never be given. Greeting cards, ideally made by the children, offer Hindu art and wisdom, such as verses from

the Vedas. Now let me explain how the five-Clay cefubration is observed. •

December 21, yellow: The family sad­hana for the first day 'of Pancha Ganap­ati is to create a vibration of love and harmony among immediate family members. The day begins early, and the entire family works together to design and decorate the shrine with traditional symbols, m~oli, lamps and more. Then a grand puja is performed invoking the spirit of Pancha Ganapati in the home. The sadhana of the day now begins.

During each of the five days, a special sadhana, spiritual disci­pline, is focused upon by the entire family. Because of the festivals importance as a new beginning and mending of all past mistakes, a festive shrine is created in the main living room of the home. At the center is placed a large woo~n or bronze five-faced statue of Lord Pancha Ganapati. If this is not available, any large picture or statue of Lord Ganesha will do. Each morning the children dress " or decorate Ganesha anew in a different colar: golden yellow on December 21, then royal blue: ruby red, emerald green and finally brilliant orange. These are the colors of His five powers, or shaktis.

The family sits togetheF for the purpose . of easing any strained relationships that have arisen during the ye.ar. They make amends one with' another for misdeeds performed, insults given, mental pain and injuries caused and suffered. When forgiveness is offered to all by one iilld all, they sReak of each others good qual- <L1lm~~~~~~~.~;;;;:;;~=;;

Each day a tray of sweets, fruIts and incense is offered to Lord Ganapati, often prepared and presented by the children. Chants, songs and bhajcJns are sung in His praise. After puja, the abundant, diverse sweets are shared by one and all as prasada. Each day gifts are given to the children, who place them before Pancha Ganapati

6 HINDUISM TODAY DEC~MBER , 1997

ities and resolve that in the days ahead they will remember the futility of trying to change others and the ' practicality of changing one's self to be the silent example for all to witness. Gifts are then exchanged and placed unopened before Pancha Ganapati. As fainily harmony is important to all Hindus, this sadhana must be taken very, very seriously.

December 22, blue: Day two is devoted to creating a vibration of love and harmony among neighbors, relatives and close friends and p resenting'them with heartfelt. The sadhana of the day is to offer apologies and clear up any misunderstandings that exist. Relatives

and friends in far-off places are written to or called, forgiveness is sought, apologies maQ.e and tensions released. Gifts received are placed unopened before Pancha Ganapati.

Decembllr 23, red: The sadhana far the third day is to create a vibrabon of love and harmony among business associates, the ca­sual merchant and the public at large. This is the day for present­ing gifts to fellow 'workers and customers and to honor employers and employees with gifts and appreciation. The sadhana today is the settling of all debts and disputes. Gifts received are placed

J

A happy holiday: The children are celebrating Pancha Ganapati in gala fashion with a real, live five-faced Ganesha, Lord of culture and apliftment. The five-segmented sky, each with its own sun and distinct color, represents His five powers. (Photo left) Guru.deva blesses the Sidqhi Vinayaga Temple in Ula Behmng, Malaysia .

• ................................... " .................................... . "' ........... • ...... • ........ • ........ • .. • ........................... " ... 'u, ............... ..

unopened before the Deity. December 24, green: The s.adhana of day four is to draw forth

the vibration of joy and harmony that comes from music, art, dra­ma and the dance. Family, relatives and friencB gather for satsang to share and enjoy their artistic gifts. Then all sit together before Ganesha, Patron of Arts and Guardian of Culture, discussing Hin­du DharIIll\ and making plans to bring more cultural refinements into the home. More gifts are placed before Pancha Ganapati.

December 25, orange: The family sadhana for the fmal day is to bring forth love and harmony within all three worlds. Because of sadhanas well performed during the first four days, the family is now more open and aware of Ganesha's grace, and their love for Him is now overflowing. On this day the entire family experiences an outpouring of love and tranquility from the great God Himself His blessings fill the home and the hearts of everyone within· it, inspiring them anew for the coming year. /

Quite honestly, however, many Hindus do celebrate Christmas and would ask, "What's wrong with that?" My answer is that it dilutes and weakens our noble tradition and leads children astray. Each religion educates its young in a sectarian way, for religionists believe that to learn one specific path is sufficient and necessary. Therefore, education should not be diluted by taking in all reli­gions under one banner.

Religions are one in their movement toward God, some offering knowledge, others service, others love, attainment and direct expe­rience. At the same time, they are different in their practices and attainments, and most assuredly distinct in their beliefs, the foun-. dation of the attitudes of their members. It is good to love. and respect all religions; that is a necessary condition of individual spiritual unfoldment. Following the path given by our religion leads one onward through religious practices and sadhana into Divine Realization.

The success of any person on the spiritual path) s reliant upon the depth and strength of his religious roots. A great tree with roots well wrapped around boulders and sunk deep into the Earth can withstand any storm. High winds are nothing more to it than the cleansing' of its branches. The individual on the path must be just as fIrm in his religious foundation in order to withstand raging emotions, depression and elation, confusion and despair. To'him, such disturbances will be nothing more than a cleansing of false concepts as he dives deeper into his religion and philosophy.

We can clearly see that religion and tradition are interlocked in the annals of time back many thousands of years and how tradi- I

tion moves forward from on~ generation to the next, setting the patterns for humanity. Every time-honored tradition loyally serves mankind, and by following it through the context of one of the great religions of the world, one cannot go astray. Jai Ganapati! .­May He)ead us always along the righ( path.

The Mini-Mela Gift Shop , Pancha Ganapatl Posters of this page's art in three sizes are available: 8.5" x 11" is $5; 11" x 17" is $11; large format (photogloss poster paper) 36" x 46" is $101 ($51 to orphanages and charity homes for the aged). Loving Ganesha: 800-page illustrated resource. See ad, page 10. Aums CD: a collection of computer graphics. See ad, page 45.

DECEMBER, 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 'I

~ .. ~ ~ ~~.8~.U~.~ ~~~~~ "~.8~.~ ~F~. E D

I TOR I A L Ass~g Christmas as a pagan festival with a Christian veneer, New England Pu-

C h·' ritans were trying desplrately to suppress , - t t - -' the annual rowdiness that had evolved Its . rls mas Ime In ~a:~e~~:~~~f:~:~v:~~:;~;!dobser-

A h' A drinking, mocking of authority, audacious

th S· rL""l m' 8L""l I- n b.e~ging on the streets and unrestrained in-e a a vasions of the homes of the wealthy. . .; Nissenbaum tells th"e tale of how this De-

' --___ --:-___ -:!:=;.... cember "Mardi Gras" turned into gang vio-

'Tis the season to remember that Hindus honor all religi?ns-we don't practice all religions

lence and public riots in the early 19th century. He writes that "the Yule log, the candles, the holly, the mistletoe, even the Christmas tree [are] pagan traditi0ns all."

Enter a group of ~w York entre-

BY. THE EDITOR

o HO! THE TREE IS BRIGHT WITH TINSEL AND H , lights, a little wooden angel hovering at its top. The

et of pine wafts through the room and arouna ~e children as they play amid the many brightly wrapped

. ~ d among soft, white cotton beneath the tree. You would gI~ts:~iS~S a Christian h?z:ne, but wait. Aren't those ladies wear­~m . and what's that SPICY scent of roasting turmeric and gin­mg sarafIs: g from the kitchen? Vma music fills the air, and ger W tm th h . "N "1' Chri . answers e pone saymg, amaste. t s stmas m someone I 't . th . th . hr' hram. Whi e 1 may surpnse ose m 0 er natIOns, C ISt-the ~ WI'dely_observed annual holiday in American yoga schools , mas IS a al t H" d cultur cen ers. and m ue in A1Jlerrica· has to cope with the indisputable reality of

Everyon d d ' . . It's the most toute , most a vertIsed, most expensIve, Chns~~ratory, most exhausting holiday in the nation. Nothing most ce e s close It's the quintessential family ritual a-dramatic eve:t::t cuItUr~ extravagance and a child's first id~a of what SOCI must be like and that being good pays off . h~ave~ 'n perhaps surprise readers to hear that it may be time . S~ I following Indian spiritual traditions to stop celebrating

fO~is:as. It's high t,ime we t~e .some stands, not just pliantly fit ? 0 Western ways. I $.I sa.y .ChristIan ways, but Christmas, it turns mt . 't a Christian "traditIOn at all, at least not a very old one. It out, I~t~ vented in Rome or Jerusal~, but in the good' 01 USA! wasnm . Am ' I , . ht Christmas IS as encan as app e pie. It was concoct-Th~s ~erica, and it originally had nothing to do with baby Jesus ~d a manger. NoW, before you reach for your keyboard to send a u: ling e-mail about how ~s can't be so, let me explain. • slz~e real myth is that ChriStmaS began at the birth of

. d it was thereafter observed as a sacred family Cro:IS~, anuntil the greedy '01 merchants of the 20th cen­festiVIty ed the Yuletide into a hollow hallowing, a ped­turY, turn ant. '!bose who believe this are living a fairy­dIers pag~g to University of Massachusetts t~e, accorofessor Steven Nissenbaums dense, fact- . hlstodrYb P k The Battle for Christ..,inas (381 pages, fille 00, . al"ll Id I f $30). In his an 1'SIs, JO y 0 Santa C aus is Knop'f central figure in Christmas that Christ. He more 0 a . h hr' . . "There never was a tlIDe w en C Istmas ex-wntes. ddt' • 'd II . th . d unsullie omes IC 1 Y , Immune to e Iste afs anmmercialism." From its outset he declares

. to co .... " ta:o twas has been "commerciaL at its very core." C ~ ghout !Dost of Christian history, there was no

. ou s at all When it did surface it was met with Chrlstma . , itan disdain. Its very observation was declared a • :UUal offense by the Massachusetts General Court in 1659.

-8 IIIN

I!UISM ToDAY . DECEtt BER, 1997

• preneurs and leaders. Seeking to get revel­ers off the streets, Nissenbaum chronicles, they led a movement to take all that wild

energy ~d transmute it into a family-centered celebration, with special emphasis on children and presents. Charles Dickens joined the cabal, writing his classic tale A Christmas Carol, one of several fictions that fueled the movement and set the homey tone for the new holiday. Soon families started gathering at their secure hearths to share gifts, all as a counterbalance to the ruffians outside. By 1822 Santa Claus was invented, at first in a poem by Clement Clarke Moore, son of an Episcopal bishop. Saint Nick slowly mor­phed from a beardless sprite to become the jolly, plump patron saint of commercialism. Indeed, the immense income that stores and publishers enjoyed drove Christmas' popularity, then as now.

So why are ashrams and Hindu cultural halls observing an American holiday that has at its core commercial success and civic restraint? Perhaps we're trying to fit in, trying to assure non-Hin­dus that "We're not so different. We are tolerant and all­embracing." Are we so unself-assured that we have to follow others' cultUre to prove who we are? I hoPIt not. We should not be doing this. And the fact is we have better options. Hindus could take their example from other courageous and creative peoples who have had to confront the present-day reality. J~wish families in the West turn all that energy toward Chanukah, an 8-day festival about the same time of year. Most submit to the secular gift-giving part. Creative African-Americans have created their own holiday called Kwanzaa. Like Chrisfinas itself, Kwanzaa was invented in ' America, and is now the only nationally celebrated, non-heroic Black holiday in the US. It was begun in 1966 by M. Ro:d Karenga to distance Blacks from the holidays alienation and crass commer­

cialism. He established December 26 to January 1 to allow Black shoppers a chance to shop economically during after-Christ-

mas sales. Millions today observe Kwaazaa and thus , strengthen their. culture. Hindus, too, have invented a hol­iday, called Pancha Ganapati, which we celebrate at our • Hawaiian ashram. I propose that all ashrams, yoga,

schools, temples, dharma-centered societies and Hindu homes ditch th~ play-pretend Santa Claus and put the all-giving Lord Ganesha at the center of this seasonal holiday. Loved ones can still

gather. Gifts can still be shared. Kids can still ' delight in the feasting and fun, and we can all still be proud Hindus when its all over.

As the season draws near, remember: we honor all religions, we don't practice all religions. Let's stop observing other faiths and follow the rich, celebra­tory heritage of India. Parents and ashram managers will fmd day-to-day instructions on how

to make this happen on the previous page.

-,

, MY TURN

.. Rescu,n8 Our V(~dic Pundits Why we organized the iargest Vedic. rituaJ ce~~mony in American history

BY DR. S . , ' YEGNASUBRAMANIAN

OW THAT THE AT! RUDRA

Maha Yajna at the Sringeri Sadhana Center in Strouds­burg, Pennsylvania, is ac­

complished [see page 22], I revisit my initial motivation to undertake this .... sadhana. I have always felt proua of the affluence of the Hin­du community abroad, specifical­ly, the community's efforts and de­sire to encourage' and lionor our ?ne artists, musicians and sculptors by invit­mg them to various parts of the world. I wondered what the Hindu community could do to similarly acknowledge the merits of the Vedic pundits. Their dedication is the key ~omponent in 'the protection and prop­agation of our scriptures, which is the basis of Hindu tradition and dharma.

But the self-esteem of these pundits is very disturbed at the moment, as is evident from the very poor enro.llment in the patha­salas, the priest trainiitg schools. From the original classification of 1,131 recensions of all the four Vedas, only an ineomplete ten seem to ,be available today. At this rate, this ~umbel'~ill further dwindle to very alarm­mg magrutudes. To prevent further deterio­r~tio~, the encouragement of the Vedic 'pun­dits IS a must. What event could raise the pundits' self-esteem and sensitize the com­munity to this issue? What doable event in America would involve the participation of a

. number of these pundits and m~e an im-pacf in our midst? .

The Hindu tradition has brought us the power of prayer and service for the welfare of all communities as the highest of ideals. Historically, such services (ya~nas) were conducted by emperors for the welfare of their subjects. What yajna can be d0ne here todaj'to accomplish this objective? All these considerations resulted in conception of the Ati Rudra Maha 'Yajna which I personally consider as a divine sankalpam (conception, resolve),! Performing such a yajna here will

help our younger generations to have the feel and appreciation for an authentic Vedic rite and will ~mpress upon them that events of such magnitude are possible to conduct these days! It will also serve to rejuvenate the Hindu community with the reassurance that we are all to­gether in performing such wor­ship for the benefit of all.

To conduct a yajna on this scale for the first time outside India was a monumental task! Meticulous planning of all legal, safety, food, transportation, housing, medical and other opemtional logistics, in addition to taking care of so many priests' from India (who are totally ·new to plane travel), stay abroad ·etc., for a duration of nearly three weeks, was a challenge! All these were ac­complished within a span of just eight months, only because of the strength of the blessings of His Holiness, the Jagad~ of Sringeri Peetham.

The support for this massive effort came from contribut,ions from several phllan­thropists and the selfless dedication of many volunteers who devpted their time and labor for a very worthy community cause. I was x.ery emotionally touched to see so. many devotees attending an eleven-day vaidika rit­ual in the remote Pocono location. All the~ priests who participated went back with ex­tremely emotional sentiments and very proud of their paiticipation. AhPost a once­in-a-lifetime event, this yajna undQJjbtedly brought all our communities together in a serene and peaceful setting. There is definite hope and support fmancially, spiritually and physically if the sankalpam has merit and the anugraha (grace) of the Acharya em­powers that sankalpam of the devotee.

DR. S. YEGNASUBRAMANIAN, 48, a materia~ scientist with'Lucent TechnologieS, was gen­eral chairman otthe Ati Rudra Maha Yajna.

Loving Ganesa, at once simple.

deep and practical. teaches ever so

many ways that Ganesas grace

can be attained by sincere devo-

tion. song. prayer and meditation

to bring greater harmony.

contentment and spirituality into

ones daily life. An BOO-page illus-

trated resource by Satguru

Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. $ 19.95

plus shipping (US $ 2.

Foreign $4). Also in bookstores.

I-S00~S90-1 OOS

I-S0S-S22-3152

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

LOVING GANESA

HIMAlAYAN ACADEMY PUBUCATIONS

107 KAHOlALELE ROAD

KAPAA. HI 96746-9304 USA

BOOKS YOU CAN TAKE. SERIOUSLY

f

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"Only one thi~i to learn in life: You must think of y~urself . the\'Y8Y God thinks OfYOU-8S 8n~ther God.

Sri Chlnmoy-renowned spiritual leader, author, ;oep, artist, musician and athlete, named "Ambassador of Pea.t;e" by world leaders

Remaining in the Eternal Now: It's too late. By the time you think, "Now I'm in the now," its already then. Swami Beyondananda

10 HINDUISM TODA"Y D'ECEMBER , 1997

Renunciates can't count on liberation just for all their lamentation. 'The road to heave~ isn't blocked by jokes. Thus cheerful are the wisest folks-without solemnity and all it brings, they laugh at the very state of things. Humorous insight found iii an old Sanskrit text, Padataditaka, Verse 5

Sadhu Vaswani's brother, having been stung more than once by honeybees who had built a hive on one of the walls of tp.eir house, complained to the great saint Sadhu Vaswani: "How can men and honeybees live together?" He felt certain that Sadhu Vaswani would have the hive removed. He was shocked to get the saint's answer: "Then l~t the men go!"

. Wearing orange robes, carrying a walking stick or water pot, talk­ing of Vedanta and arguing about it with everyone-these things do not make one a swami/ Legendary siddha yogi Swami Nityananda (?-1961), satguru of Swami Muktananda.

I am not enamoured of acquiring fame, knowledge, luxuries of life, power, or heaven or moksha, but my desire is to have a rebirth in Bha1"atha Bhumi [India], as a hum~ being or as a animal or as a bird, or as an insect or at least as a stone! A Hindu's patriotic cry on the occasion of India's 50th anniversary.

When a boy, one is attached to sport; when a you,th, one is attached to a young woman; when old, one is attached to anxiety; to the sup~eme BralIman, no one, alas, is attached! Adi Sankara,: Bhaja Govindam, verse 7

During my discourse in Banaras, an elephant became very uncon­trollable and began running berserk among the passers by. I, along

with my disciples,'were passing by that str,eet "Ego" (c) f197 on our way to bathe in the Ganga. Seeing the

elephant running amuck, we had to run for safety. One pandit who used to attend my discourses daily, referring to this incident, asked me the question: "0, great teacher. If as you say, the world is maya [illuSion] and the I

soul is indestructible, why did you, a liberated soul, run for safety seeing the maya elephant rutming wildly?" I replied: "Well put, my learned brother. The elephant was maya, as you say, and so was my running!" Adi Sankara during his famous debate with Mandana Mishra.

INDIA 'ILL NEVER FORGET THE MASSACRE OF 379 UNARMED

civilians at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar in 1919. That incident has relIll'lined one of the most notorious in the history of the British E!mpire, and provided powerful impetus to Indias free­dom mo rement So when the itinerary for the QueenS trip to In­dia honoring 50 years of independence was found to include AmritsaD many Indians demanded she apologize for the slaugh­ter whil there. Much political haggling has resulted, but there is considemble sympathy in England for a royal apology. Authorita­tive sources report one has been approved by the government of Prime Minister Tony Blair. Editorial opinion in the UK favors an apology. .Present plans are for the Queen to lay a wreath at the site, but °thout making an apology then and there.

T Gujadhu:rwith his young Mauritian yogis

course in yoga­the fIrst in Mauri­tius. They pro­mote the Ackl?ar Yoga Movement as "the most an- • cient science to 'manage modern disease," in an ef­fort to bring yoga to Mauritians of all races and faiths. They hope their students MAURITIUS

Diploma Yoga Moves Ackbar 'i\ CKBAR YOGA MOVEMENT IS r-:\the creation df Trilo and Shiksha Gujadhur, two yoga therapists who teach a diploma

graduate into yoga's mental and spiritual frontiers. The new six­month Diploma in Yoga course started in November. In 1994, the Gujadhurs organized an In­;r-ernational Yoga Therapy Camp held in Mauritius. Trilo and Shiksha hope one dai' to see yoga therapy at all the is­land's hotels.

'The Leather Alternative \ V /HAT'S A TOUGH GUY W vegan to do these days,

anyway? Nobody wants to see someone wearing half a cow on his back in the form of the traditional black leather jacket. Thats got the same . stigma as fur coats on rich ladies-a sign you're a self­ish person who cares noth­ing for animals or environ­ment. Well, cry no more, big guy, just get a catalog from Aesop and buy your­self a "ClasSically-styled, English-made, leather-free Biker jacket" for a very reasonable US$150. The folks at Aesop want to bring you products that don't sacrifIce the rights of animals, but do protect the environment. Anyone who has ever tried to fInd non­leather shoes will be im­pressed 'with the wide se­lection-their main

wear to durable work boots and hiking shoes. Other itelDS in­clude nonleather bags, purses, backpaclts, wallets and your choice of the biker jacket (for the really tOugh) or an English­style bomber jacket (for the high-flying very cool).

AESOP, INC. P.O. BOX 315. NOR'JH CAM­BRIDGE, MASSACHUSETrS 0 2140 USA

WEB: WWW.AESOPINC.COM

product, actually-from comfy sandals to office

Aesop's mascot urges human beings "to wear their own skin"

TRENDS . Free Scotland

C ITIZENS OF SCOTLAND

approved a referendum on September 11 to form a paFlia­ment of their own with powers of taxation and control over most domestic affairs. Accord­ing to a report in the Deccan Herald (Bangalore), "The devo­lution w;ill be in tune with the internationaI...trend of recogniz­ing diverSity to ultimately light­

. en burdens on heavily encum-bered national centers while at the same time encouraging the growth with responsibility 'of units on the political periph- . ery." The paper editorializes, 'J\s devolutionists rightly argue, measures which eventually lead to people's empowerment

,

strengthen rather than weaken national bonds." The Scottish situation might serve as model for solving the so-far intractable situation in Sri Lanka between Tamils and Singhalese.

i:/ >.

Scotland gains new freedom

CLOCKWISE FROM T OP: EMBASSY OF BRITAIN, ANDI JONEs! AESOP, HINDUISM TODAY, ACKBAR YOGA

DECEMBER , 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 11

/

President Clinton announcing new guidelines on August 14

USA

Religion in the Workplace

NEw FEDERAL GUIDELINES

now allow employees 9f the US government considerable freedom of religious expression in their workplace. Under the rules announc~d Au~st 14 by President Clinton, it is now permissible for a federal em­ployee only-this does not ap­ply to the private sector-to keep a Bible, Koran, Upan-

ishads or other holy scripture on his desk. He may wear reli­gious clothes, put up religious symbols in his work area and observe the holidays of his faith. It also allows proselytiz­ing of fellow workers on the job, but only as long as the per­son being proselytized does not ask that it stop or demonstrate that it is unwelcom~.

THE VEDAS

God's Word, Sages'Voices

Earth is upheld by Truth. Heaven is upheld by the sun. The solar regions are supported by eternal laws, rita. The elixir of divine

j I r

I 1

I r

RIG VEDA 10.85.1 II

Sunless and demonic, verily, 1 are those worlds, and en­veloped in blinding dark-

love is supreme in heaven.

ness, to which all those people who are enemies of their I own souls go after death. I

Truly, God is One; there c~:: ::::;:~al::g: 3 }

erns these worlds with His powers. He stands facing beings. He, the herdsman, after bringing forth all worlds, reabsorbs them at the end of time.

KRlSHNA YAJUR VEDA, SVETASVATARA UPANlSHAD 3.2

12 HINDUISM TODA<Y DEG~MBER, 1997

Help on Way

T HE VETERINARIANS AND

PhDs ot the British Feder­ation of Zoos thought they knew how to manage an ele­'phant, but when Kamini, Chandrika and Raja arrived from north Bengal earlier this year, they had mor:e than they could handle. The three pachy­derms become accustomed to the day-and-night attentions of their mahout and grew dis­tressed without it. The-solu­tion? The zoo imported ten mahouts, post haste, reports In­dia Today, "to teach their more educated colleagues the wis­dom of the ancients."

Also in elephant news is a US$25-million bill introduced in the US Congress to protect the Asian elephant, particular­ly those in India, Sri Lanka and Nepal, from extinction. The number of elephants in the wild may be only 35,000, existing in small fragmented herds of less than a hundred. The money will go to current conservation programs.

ENGLAND

First Curry i\ NGLO-INDIAN EDWARD

J=\Palmer deserves dhanavats (thank you's) from UK Indian restaurant lovers, for founding Veeraswamy's, the first such eatery of them all, in 1927. When the new owner sought to renovate the old place recently along the lines of Indian Vastu Shatra, she discovered that Palmers original floorplan, long since altered, already followed the ancient Vedic science.

With earnest effort hold the senses in check. Controlling the breath, regulate the vital activities. As a charioteer holds back his restive horses, so does a persevering aspirant restrain his mind.

KRlSHNA YAJUR VEDA, SVETASVATARA UPANlSHAD 2.9

o learned people, may we with our ears listen to what is beneficial, may we see with our eyes what is beneficial. May we, engaged in your praises, enjoy with firm limbs and sound bodies a full term of life dedicated to God.

RIG VEDA 189.8

After death, the soul goes to the next world bearing in mind the subtle impressions of its deeds, and after reaping their harvest returns again to this world of action. Thus, he who has desires continues subject to rebirth.

SHUKLA YAJUR VEDA, BRIHADARANYAKA UPANlSHAD 4.4.6

As oil in sesame seeds, as butter in cream, as water in river beds, as fire in friction sticks, so is the atman grasped in one's own self when one searches for Him with truthful­ness and austerity.

KRlSHNA YAJUR VEDA, SVETASVATARA UPANISHAD 11

Verses are drawn from various sources. Those taken from The Vedic Experience by Prof Raimon Panikkar are available at www.Hin­duismToday.kauai.hiusiashramIDir-New.html#VedExp.html

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Hello! What About Hindus? IN THE YOUR OCTOBER '97 LETTERS, MR. RJan Amptmeyer was upset at what he con­siders trivialization of a horiendous his­torical event of the holocaust of the Euro­pean Jews. However; he doe; not grant the same courtesy to the Hindus who lived through a holocaust of much bigger propor­tion and cruelty at the hands of tJ:ie invading lllarauders and ruling Islamic kings and despots. Mr. Amptmeyer very rightly wants to perpetuate the memory of the Jewish holocaust so that it never happens again. Hindus who want to do the same and also want some symholic retribution of that, he '" terms as Muslim hate groups. I think he is being very unfair. The temples at Mathura, Kashi and Ayodhya, converted to mosques, are the three most holy places for the Hin­dus. These temples are a constant reminder of the acts of barbarism perpetrated by con­quering armies. It is-only just and right, for

- the sake of amity and goodwill, that these three temples be returned to Hindus. This demand is not an act of hate but a demand for dignity and self-respect.

/ YASH PAL LAKRA

BL OP MF IELD HILLS, MICHIGAN, USA " YLakra@aol.com

Womanly Protocol Issues IF THE ARTICLE "CUES AND CLUES," [IN­SIGHTS, September, 1997] were a summation of antiquated traditions, I might begin to un­derstand the riecessify or the intent of the paragraph entitled "Womanly Protocol." However, if, as the author states, "Tradition is the best of the past that has been carried for­ward for the future," I beg to disagree, as aD. Indian woman, and on behalf of my female family, to this section. I fmd the suggestions to the Indian woman's exalted position at best hopeful. The majority of Indian women are very oppressed. If the opposite were true there would be no need for a woman's movement. Indian woman are and have been encouraged to live under the rule of men, whether their rules are beneficial or not. How does it behoove a woman to eat after a man? Walk behind a man? Be shy, self-effac­ing and afraid to even walk outside on her own? What do these things teach a woman, but to devalue her own self in favor of any masculine presence? These rules do not con­tribute to a woman's drive to learn, invent, achieve or succeed. I hope I am wrong in in­terpreting your article. I pray that your pub­lication will do anythin~ it can to support the emancipation of Indian women.

" AMRITA RAMAN

.... THE TRADITIONAL HINDU EXPRESSIONS OF respect, including the husband and wife protocol, have protected the Indian couple

I

14 HI NDUISM TODAY D E CEMBER , 1997

:bETTERS and family from· the difficulties that are so common in the West. However, I wonder if there are cases of Westerners who have adopted these rules, and how successful they have been in avoiding or solving mari­tal issues. Such case stories would be most useful to those spiritual seekers who have to face the hardships of misunderstanding in their homes. Indian folks tempteti to go the Western way would also be encouraged to cherish and preserve their traditional her­itage in the area of family customs.

J.S . SA!JAI , GUADELOUPE, FRANCE

" sharad@outremer.com

I WAS DISAPPOINTED WITH THE ARTICLE "Womanly Protocol," which requires the wife to walk' a step or two behind her hus­band, always giving him the lead. This is in direct conflict with the claim made earlier that "women in Hindu society are held in the highest regard, far more respected and protected, in truth, than in the West." I don't see anything respectful and protective about compelling women to be subordinate to . their husbands. Sanatana Dharma mandates us to treat everyone eqvally, including women; for there is a spark- of divinity in every being and every object.

PRADEEP SRIVASTAVA DE TROIT, MICHIGAN, USA ­

" srivasta@dwsd.org

V The men-women protocols which we surveyed are in many places ol.d-fashioned and ignored, if nO.t totally disdained. I want td affirm, if you have not been reading our magaZine for long, that we at HINDUISM TODAY are 108% in support of Asian wo­men's issue~, and children's too. I agree with your assessment of today's terrible" in­excusable conditions, and our team world­wide is committed to be a voice of change in thj:se matters. We will never abandon that vision or the work involved in-seeing it come to pass. Still, the "Womanly Proto­cols" that we presented serve a purpose, re­minding us of :vays of life evolved over long eras, ways of life that still are followed in many refined, traditional homel Quite the opposite, really. But, if men take it in ego-'

. tistical or power games ways, yes, these are then bigoted rules, useless and belittling. Women, it is felt liy many, are the bastions of our dharmic values, our refinements, our cultural heritage. Their example does much to soften the man's boorish ways, ay d to give style and purity' to society. Humility, in our view, is not a lesser position in life, but:the spiritual maturity of eve~ soul, man .or woman. To most Hindus, the pro­tections (you may see them as limitations) offered women are based not on some no-

tion that men are more deserving of free­dopls, but that women are more capable 'Of living the higher ideal. THE EDITOR

Thanks for the Honor I AM A STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF. Texas at Austin. I am also ·the president of the Hindu Students Council chapter here at University (If Texas. I would like to thank you for profiling our organization in your beauti­ful publication ["Searching for Our 'Roots," YOUTH, October '97]. It was an honor to se:e oUr organization graced in the pages of your exciting and informative magazine.

SIDHANTA SHARMA AUSTIN, TEXAS , USA

" sid.sharma@mail.utexas.edu

You have given the world a gift that cannot be fl,llly comprehended or measured. Late­ly, the PUBLISHER'S DESKS have been speak­ing straight to me. You aIr' are phenomenal. I cannot thank you en0u,gh.

SPENCER ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO, USA . " plantluY@juno.com

Exposing Dharma THANK YOU, HINDUISM TODAY, FOR YOUR assistance in helping us to provide our -local newspaper, the Anchorage Daily News, with the ,Hindu calendar of festivals and events. Through your referral we were able to pro­vide him with all the dates for ,1997 for pub­lishing in his newspaper. What a wonderful boon it is to see our Hindu festivals listed. We pray thaLthis l~tter will inspire others to contact local newspapers in their communi­ties and do the same in the name of Sanatana Dharma.

Corrections

SHYAMADEVA DAND~ANI ANCHORAGE,ALASKA,USA

" shyamadeva@corecom.net

..... In November's Briefly we incorrectly attrib­uted the photo of the/ Pundit from Trinidad to Anil Mahabir. The 'story and photo were submitted by Parasram Ramoutar.

Our October article on the Hindu Student's Council gave an incorrect Web address. J he HSC may be found at www.hindunet.org

L~tters, with writers ~e, address and daytime phone number, 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@HlnduismToday.k~ual.hi.us

Letters Il!"y be edited for space and clarity and may appear in electronic versions of HINDUISM TODAY,

" INDICATES LEITERS RECEIVED VIA E-MAIL

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A musical tribute to the Goddess of inspiration and beauty. Saraswati Devi celebrates classical Indian music and the ancient tradi­tion of Mantra, "This album is an auspicious beginning for me," says Aditya Verma who sees his music as the means to share Indian culture,

-Composer: Aditya Verma - Vocals: Kala Ramnath -Tabla: Narendra Verma -Narration: G.S, Birla

US$15 CD & $10 Cassette, $4 shipping and handling, Overseas, add an additional $4, Other mantra recordings available, Ask for free catalogue: Galaxy Publications & Recordings - 351 Victoria Ave. Westmount, Quebec H3Z 2Nl Canada Tel: 1-800-307-2292 or 514-484-8090 - Fax: 1-514-488-3822 E-mail: mailbox@palmistry.com www.palmistry.comlGalaxy.html

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BEGINNINGS

Sringeri Takes Root in US Sringeri Vidya Bharatl Foundation flowers as the first Adi Shankara mission outside India

UTSIDE THE HALLS OF academia and the homes of far-flung devotees, the ven­erable tradition of Hin-

duism's monk-sage Sri Adi Shan­karacharya [pages 30-33] has been largely confined to the sub­continent of India. Its strict rules had .barred the travel of monks acros's the seas, while the less re­stricted Saivite, Vaishnavite and Shakta Hindus built thousands of institutions outside of India over the past century. Now, with the founding of the Sringeri Vidya Bharati Foundation, New Jersey, the monastic order of Adi Shankara's first cardinal monas­tery has made its move to join the global march of Hindu mis­sions. The fledgling organization, with its center for Advaita Vedanta in the beautiful Pocono mountains, shows signs of be­coming a powerful new presence in the US. The Ati R~dra Maha Yajna ceremony [see page 22-25] is its most recent accom­plishment.

35-acre Pennsylvania property, the Foundation has strength­ened the center's SUTIlIDer activ­ities, its forte for many years. Popular camps for children and youth with puja, meditation, yoga, Sanskrit, Hindu deities and their symbols, Hindu philosophy, dharma, the Bhagavad Gita, Ma­habharata and 'devotional songs have been held each year. In a re-

, cent interview with HINDUISM TODAY, former Foundation presi­dent T. R. Ramachandran ex­plained why they are now devel­oping "family camps." He offered, "Just teaching the teen­agers is not enough. If there is no backing at home, nothing sticks. The whole family must be in­volved."

The Foundation began in 1995 with the blessings of His Holi­ness, Sri Bharati Tirtha Maha­

Progenitor: The Center's exquisite shrine to Sri Adi Shankara

The trustees are keeping the center on a firm religious base. His Holiness Bharati Tirtha Ma­haswamiji is dIrectly involved in overseeing developments. Activ­ities are much focused on the preservation of the Sanskritic tradition-the well-spring and strength of the Smarta Advaita Vedanta. They have conducted three Gayatri yajnas and three annual Chandi homas in addition to this latest Ati Rudra Maha Ya­jna. The master plan for the fu­ture includes a magnificent Sharada temple in traditional gopuram style. The trustees hope to make the center a unique North / American spiritual rendezvous and a world-class re­search and propagation center for Adi Sankara's philosophy

swamiji, Jagadguru Sankaracharya of the tus as a "church" under the regulations of Sringeri Sharada Peetham. A group who was the US Internal Revenue Service. This is then running the financially failing Sri Ra- equivalent to "official religion" status in most jarajeshwari Peetham in Pennsylvania had countries, and requires meeting many more come to him in India for help. r-------"--, qualifications than the common He instructed his devotees to "religious organization" exemp-purchase the center, lest it be tion held by nearly all US Hindu lost. Now it was to be an official organizations. It was a strong be-extension of the ancient Sri ginning, a crucial step in Hindu Sharada Peetham of the Sringeri history for the first fficially af-Matha, with His Holiness Bha- filiated Sankara branch of rati Tirtha as spiritual head. He Sringeri to be established outside appointed Ravi Subramanian, of India. Its international board age 39, a New Jersey business- of trustees nominated by the Ja-man, as chairman. The Founda- gadguru is: T. R. Ramachandran tion was formed. The nearly de- Ravi Subramanian of Bombay, Arjun Daswani funct Rajarajeshwari center was (USA); v. R. Gowri Shankar and renovat~d and renamed Sringeri Sadhana V. Panchapakesan (India) ; G. VisWanathan Center becoming the exec,utive arm of the and Ram Mahtani (Hong Kong) and S. Ra­Foundation. makrishnan (Dubai). This grohp donated

Following lldvice from Hindu organiza- the entire U8$650,000 needed to acquire the tions that preceded them, the Foundation center, and it remains debt free. applied for and was granted tax-exempt sta- Within the short time since acquiring the

16 HINDUISM TODAY DECEMB E R , 1997

Conference rooms, an auditorium, high­tech audio and video facilities are planned to support the study of Upanishads and Ad­vaita Vedanta. To keep close to nature and provide positive physical activities, there

.... will be facilities for swimming, tennis, na­ture walks, boating and skiing. Condomini­ums will be built to provide quie( comfort­able accommodations. Costs for the plan, already blessed by Jagadguru, are estimated at US$5 million. An incredibly short comple­tion date of year 2001 has been mooted. That's only four ye~s away! But if the suc­cess of the Ati Rudra Maha Yajna is any in­dication of what ,this spiritual team can do, they may just make it happen-'by the grace of our Gurudev," as they will always be quick to tell you.

SRINGERI VIDYA BHARATI FOUNDATION SILVERLINE PLAZA, 53 KNIGHTSBRIDGE RD

PISCATAWAY, NEW JERSEY 08854 USA PH: 908-457-0200; FAX: 908-457-8801

. I

LAW AND ORDER

Legal Inequity , Tr;~idads PM wcm.ts archaic laws changed that

protect Christianity but not other religions

ANIL MAHABIR, TRINIDAD -, ITH A HINDU PRIME '

Minister and a Hindu majority cabinet and

government, Trinidad & Tobago is experiencing a fresh breeze-some say a tornado-of psychological, cultural, social and legisllative . change. Hindu groups have never been more vocal, in their demands for changes to the archaic colonial laws which foster uneqllal treat-ment of faiths. '

BasdeoPanday himself set the tone for the Hindu resurgence ~ 1986 as Trinidad's first Hindu cabinet minister. He caused a two-hour delay j,n his own swearing-in ceremony when he refused to take his oath of office on a Christian Bible and de­manded instead the Bhagavad Gita.:....which had to be pur­chased in a local bookstore. Pre­vious Indian miillsters v in the governmeJO.t had invariably con­verted to Christianity. In 1996, Basdeo became the country\; fIrst Hindu prime minister. The once silent Hindu leaders are now clamoring for change. Sat ... Maharaj, leader of the Sanatan 5 Dharma Maha Sabha, has been . ~ in the forefront of the crusade '" designE~.d to have certain laws and practices changed to treat all religions equally. .

There are eight such laws. One is Blasphemous LibeL Ac- .... cording to the Attorney General of Trinidad was formulated, Christianity was the state & Tobago, only Christianity is protected by religion, and an attack upon it was regarded law from blasphemy. Blasphemy is specifi- as an attack upon the state. The government cally defmed as "any contemptuous, revil- wants a new law that recognizes blasphe­ing, scurrilous or ludicrous matter relating to . mous publications as those which revile, at­God, Jesus Christ or the Bible, or the formu- tack and, wrongly criticize any religion in laries of the Church of Englati.d as by law es- , Trinidad and Tobago. tablished" [Chapter 27.I.C]. A 1991 attempt A second law cited as discriminatory to extend it to the protectibn to Islam failed, makes it illegal for the armed forces} o in­and the law is specifically "restricted to at- vade and search a Christian church without

, tacks on Christianity." This offense is de- a warrant. The same does not apply to Hin­fmed in English Common Law and appears du temples or Islamic mosques. The law to remain in eff/c;t in England and possibly originates in the medieval European custom other present and former Commonwealth of "sanctuary," wherein a criminal was im­countries and colonies. At the time the law mune from arrest in a Christian church. The

Hindu leaders want the law changed to re­quire warrants for temples and mosques, too.

It is, however, Maharaj's demand to cease using; 'amen" to end the prayer that opens each meeting of parliament which has at­tra~ted the most fire. He pointed out the parliament is a "national institution belong­ing to everybody in the society." As such, he feels that Hindus should not be compelled to end their parliamentary prayer with "amen."

He wants a universal closing. Qontroversy erupted immedi­

ately over his request. Non-Hin­dus labeled Maharaj as "racist" and his demand "out of place." 4'

Maharaj retorted that "Amen is only part of the problem which exists in the society. The critics have missed the point complete-ly It is my Parliament. It is the national Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. Whatever transpires there affects me and the Hindu community. Whenever a univer­sal prayer is maCle, there is no ending. In the school system, for instance, a universal prayer is said and there is no ending. Fur­ther, the Inter-Religious Organi­zation had a prayer framed for radio programs and there is no ending in that prayer. I have no problem with the Christians say­ing 'amen: but if it is a national prayer, it should reflect every­one." Raji Ji, head of the Hindu Prachar Kendra, supported Ma­haraj's efforts and said, "The is­sue has to do with having laws which are reflective of a plural society." .

In a document titled "Reform of Media Law: Towards a Free and Responsible Media" the gov­ernment has signalled its inten­tion to change certain laws that enforce inequality. The propos­als are in the "Green Paper" stage, meaning still open for -­comment and review before be­ing submitted' to parliament.

Hindus count it imperative that laws re­flect the constitution of Trinidad & Tobago, which guarantees freedom of religious ex­pression and allows for the peaceful co-exis­tence of all religions. This ideal is stated in the country's national anthem, "Here every creed and race fmds\an equal place." Hindus in other countries, especially those with sys­tems based on English common law, such as the former colonies, should research their laws and see if such discriminatory statutes still exist in their judicial system. :~,

TO COMMENT WRITE: OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, ATTORNEY GENERAL CHAMBERS, "COMMENTS PERTAINING TO GOVERNMENT GREEN PAPER: REFORM. OF MEDIA LAW,"

PORT OF SPAIN, TRlNIDAD AND TOBAGO

DECEMBER, 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 17

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MANTRAS ARE SPIRITUALLY POTENT, but can they heal the body? Janak Shahf, chosen to run the Mantra Heal­ing Centre in New Delhi, says yes, mantras can cure conditions from rheumatoid arthritis to cancer and muscu­lar dystrophy. But doctors with the Del­hi Medical Associa­tion say the clinic "has no rational or scientific basis" and Chant Om, get well? that .government support is unwarranted. Even ayurvedic doctors object, saying, "in place of encour­aging proven systems of medicine, the gov­ernment is encouraging mantra recitation."

NEPAL'S REMOTE MANAKAMANA TEMPLE is be­coming more accessible. By October, a new 1.5-mile cable car system, appropriately named Manakamana Darshan, Ltd., will ferry 600 pilgrims per hour to view the Goddess. Visitors are expected to increase from 400,000 per year to one million.

PILGRIMS TO AMARNATH have found a pious if untidy use for those blue & white identifi­cation cards the Jammu and Kashmir gov­ernment now requires the faithful to carry. They're being tied to the railing protecting the ice Shiva Lingam, joining other types of name tags, wedding announcements, even a missing-person flyer, as calling cards-invitations for God's blessings.

TEMPLE DESECRATION IN FIJI has sunk to a new low. A Member of Parliament reports that a land rental dispute actually resulted in lq.cal villagers entering a Hindu temple with a bundle of fish and cooking it in the havana kunda, or sacred fire pit.

./

NORTH INDIAN HINDUS are being specifically targeted by evangelicals. The goal of "OM India" (Operation Mobilization) is 100 mil­lion converts. The Partnership for North India "has a goal of seeing a Christian church within 'shouting distance' of every village and urban area (one million church­es)," reports the missionary publication Pulse. By one estimate, "just nine Indian and Western agencies have started nearly 5,700 Indian churches."

THE US .DEPARTM ENT OF STATE issued its first report on religious rights around the world, naming Saudi Arabia as the only nation

I

where freedom of religion is nonexistent. But the report, commissioned by Congress, focuses only on the worldwide persecution of Christians. The National Council of Churches urges "further dialogue among America's various faith communities as to how to respond to any religious p1;lrsecu­tions ... " and prayerful conversations 'based on the assumption that each is seeking the best interests of all religious people around the world."

" SPOUSAL ABUSE is not just a man-beat­woman issue. "Of the 9,000-odd cases of marital disturbances registered by the Crimes Against Women unit during the past year, lO' to 15 percent of the complaints were of women harassing and beatir;g up their husbands. And the numbers are grow­ing ... " reports The Gazette, Mont;eal. New Delhi's All-India Front Against Atrocities by 'yvives claims to have "a membership of 40,000 maltreated husbands across India."

FIVE YEARS AFTER AYODHYA erupted with vi­olence between Hindus and,Musli.r:ns, 49 people.have been indicted on criminal charges' for their role in the de­struction of Babri mosque. The charges include conspiracy, creat­ing hatred, defil­ing a place of worship, causing Mosque was destroyed grievous hurt by " threatening and damaging the life and safe­ty of others: Over 2,000 people died in the subsequent DeceI?ber, 1992, riots.

NEW EXCAVATIONS at Dholavira, ill Gujarat, have "given a well-stratified account of the rise ~d fall of Harappan culture and re­vealed an exquisite planning, monumental ~d aesthetic architecture, and water-har­nessing and ~torm-water drainage systems," writes RS. BiSht, a senior director at the Archeological Survey of India. Among the unearthed marvels is a reservoir measuring

. 30 feet wide by 260 feet deep, cut into a single ro'Gk.

GRAMrN SEVA SANGHA, dedicated t9 educat­ing children and helping the needy of rural West Bengal, is facing needs in excess of re­sources, and is appealing to non-r~ident Indians for help. Programs include several nn>al schools and support of the 'destitute and' c;lisabled. Contact: Baduria Village School, 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India.

"ORGANIC" MEANS MORE than simply "grown ;-vithout pesticides or chemical fertilizers"- . it means money. Organic produce has grown into a $3.5-billion dollar a year agri­business in the USA with a four-fold in- , crease expected in the next: decade. A simi­lar expansion is reported in Britain, where Europe's d~mand for organic fruit and veg­etables is rising 20% annually.

A PATENT ON TURMERIC has been revoked bY, tile USA's Patent Office, a decision applaud­ed as a crucial ];mt "small step" in stoppihg bio-piracy. American law "permits patents to be filed on discoveries in the US, despite the fact that identical ones may already ex­ist' and be in use in other parts of the world," reports The Hindu. "The 'uS needs to revoke all patents based on indigenous knowledge," they said.

" IS IT REVOLUTION OR REVIVAL? The Madhya Kailash temple complex in Chennai now al­lows devotees (not just priests) to perform puja and arati, generally a North Indian tra­dition. Temple trust secretary S. T. Swami says that Saint Aandal offered her garland to Lord Vishnu, and Saint Kannappan his eyes to Lord Siva, and that personal wor­ship used to be the tradition and should be again. His 25-year-old temple is otherwise unique, too: chanting is to be done only in Tamil; an "invented Deity" of half Lord GanesB. and half Lord Hanuman has been installed, and a pa1Jcha-loha (£ive metals) image of Tamil nationalist poet Subramania Bharati, installed August 15, has received regular worship ever since. Hmmm!

AIDS IS DEADLY, BUT MALARIA kills almost as many people each year as AIDS.has in' 15 years. A full 40% of the world population is now at risk from the parasites and viruses carried by the anopheles mosquito. Ironi-

,..,cally, the mosqui­to's resurgence as "a new drug-re­sistant avatar of malaria" is' linked to previously successful Small but deadly drugs and in- ,,-secticides. According to the Malaria Foun- . dation, research <;lollars spent per death by AIDS in 1990 equalled $3,274; for malaria it was $65.

BRIEFLY is compiled from press, TV and tlJire-service reports and edited by RAVI

PERUMAN, award-winning radio journalist at KGG in San Francisco.

20 iU NDUISM TODAY DECEMBER, 1997 CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: HINDUISM T<;DAY, HINDUSTANI TIMES, INDIA TODAY

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.. '" " c; ,. .. .. '" " i

Sringeri Sadhana Center: Main building of Sringeri Math'sJirst international branch

OR ELEyEN D~YS IN AUGUST, DIVINE

Vedic chants resounded through the tranquil Poconos mountains of Penn­sylvaI,lia. The Ati' Rudra Maha Yaj­

na,"very great worship of Lord Siva," was performed for the fIrst time on

American soil, and witnessed by 6,000 en­chanted devotees. One-hundred-twenty-one Vedic priests surrounded 11 fIre altars in a huge yagasala (worship hall) set up for the event at the Sringeri Sadh'ana Center in Stroudsburg. Following a ritual formula set thousands of years ago, priests chanted "Sri Rudram," the most s1:tcred of Vedic chants to Lord Siva, 11 times a day each day lor a to­tal of 14,641 individual recitations. Th~ ritual's offIcial purpose was to en­

hance America's prosperity, though pre-ex­isting prosperity on the part of the organiz­ers was required. The event cost US$600,000 (Rs 2.2 crore). Nearly half was used to bring 81 eminently quaIifIed priests from India for the ceremony. Permanent improvements at the Center consumed $100,000. The affair proved as costly and as compl~x to organize, calculated one devotee, as 11 kumbha­bhishekams (temple dedicatio~), usually the biggesf spectacle sponsored by a temple. The yajna was managed by the Indian­American devotees of Jagadguru Shankara­charya Sri Sri Bharathi Teertha Mahaswa­miji of India's renowned Sringeri Math, who blessed and guided each detail Rom afar.

Why go to all this time and expense? For no less a goal, stated the event's general chairman, S. Yegnasubramanian [see "My Turn," page ten], than to rescue the Hindu priesthood from social and economic extinc-

22 HINDUISM TODAY DE~EMBER. 1997

as,

~fferings: One:hundred twenty-one P'rests, eleven each at eleven fire altars, offer ghee libations to nourish the heavenly devas in tliis ritual intended to create pros­perity and offer release from rebirth

How for the first time in America 121 traditionally­trained Vedic priests performed the ancient Ati Rudra Maha Yajna over eleven days in the tranquil Poconos mountains of eastern Pennsylvania

DECEMBER, 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 23

tion. "We bring musicians and dancers from India to the West," he told HINDUISM TODAY. "We bring temple architects and ~culptors. They all make money and receive respect. As a result, these exponents of the fine arts, which are the offshoot~ of the Vedas, get so much encouragement. But what are we do­ing to encourage the Veqic pundits, those who know the Vedas, without whom this dharma will die?"

In India, fewer and fewer brahmin fami­lies are sending their children to the patha­sala training schools as has been done for thousands of years, bemoaned Yegnasubra­manian. Fearing a life of penury for their children, they educate them as doctors, en­gineers and scientists. India's temples still have .priests, but they are a' depressed, even desp-erate class. "Go into any village in In­dia," says T.S. Shanmuga Sivacharya of Chennai, son of eminent Saiva priest Sam­bamurthi Sivacharya, "and the poorest, most broken-down house will be that of the priest. There are very few full-time priests, because of poor economic conditi0ns." Re­s~ect is waning. "When a politician comes in," Shanmuga complained, "we are expect­ed to stand up. At least Sri Lankans still re­spect the priests, and among them the politicians stand when the priest enters."

Shanmuga laments, "Fifty years ago priests were looked -upon as representatives of God. They had patrons. They had a re­spectable position in society. Today the priesthood suffers from low pay and disre­spect. It is undergoing extinction. This trend Ill!Ist be taken very seriously." One can cite numerous reasons for the situation in In­dia-colonization, secularism, Marxism, Westernization-but the fact is that the same plight is faced in growing measure by all the world's religions. In America, for ex­ample, so few Catholics are entering the seminary that the church must import cler­gy from abroad (including India) to meet its obligations to parishioners, and the average age of Catholic nuns is an astounding 65.

Yegnasubramanian and several associates are themselves a product of this trend. Their , ancestors were priests who, in one or two generations, educated their children to be­come doctors, businessmen and engineers. Recent visits to India have , left Sringeri d~votees painfully cognizant that the-Hindu priesthood in India may indeed h.e slated for the endangered species list. Ironically, they noted, the opposite is true in the West. The clergy in America are an esteemed class, roughly the professional pee/ s of attorneys or doctors. As Yegnasubramanian had seEm, other exponents of the Vedic arts have been honored in the West, and this has translated into renewed regard back in India.

"I told my colleagues," he reminisced, '''Let's make an international Maha Yajna (great sacrificial offering) and bring a large

24 HI.NDUISM TODAY DE ~EMBER , 199 7

consignment of priests from India. We can make so much noise about it that the priests thnlUghout India will realize that there are prospects for them over here. It will moti­vate them to send their children for priest training. It will increase their self-esteem. ",

A December of 1996 visit to the Sringeri ponti~f near Bangalore earned the guru's blessings upon the plan. Then, with the help of Srin~ri administrator v.R. Gowrishan­kar, the team set out to organize, in just eight months, the largest Vedic ritual ever held i,n America. They succeeded for two reasons. First and foremost, as devotees of a single guru, they proceeded in harmonious coop­eration to fulfill his intent. Second, each is a highly accomplished individual. Yegnasub­ramanian is an eminent research scientist. Ravi Subramanian, who provided logistical support, initial fmancial backing and exper­tise, runs a top-notch software company. Likewise, trustees T.R. Ramachandran, S. Ramakrishnan (Dubai), V. Panchapekesan (India), G. Viswanathan (Hong Kong), Aju Daswani, Ram Mehtani (Hong Kong) ,and many others who helped, such as Sharad Trivedi, are all experts in their fields.

Two years earlier the group had come to­gether to create the Sringeri Sadhana Cen­ter in Stroudsburg, pennsylvania, 200 miles west of New York City. The property was previously the Rajarajeswari Peetham, which after a series of staffmg changes, was unable to sustain itself financially. The new center is an official branch of Sringeri Math, the first outside India. Their intentl s to cre­ate and implement guidelines for modern life based on the philosophy of Adi Shan­kara [see page 30 l, even develop the site as a learning center rivaling Harvard or Yale. Presently the center conducts retreats for children, and next year plans training camps for entire families. '

Organizers say a minor miracle occurred prior to the ¥aha Yajna-the US Consulate in Chennai granted the 81 Indian priests vis­itor's visas with ,no personal interviews and no rejections. Immigration attorney Michael Phulwani attributes the success to proper presentation and a knowledgeable US Con­sulate. A century ago, priests would have been subject to rigorous prayaschitta (penance), even loss of caste, for "crossing the ocean." With today's air travel, however, most priests deem that a simple Renance is sufficient to efface any demerit or impurity. To fill out the yajna's 121 seats, 40 qualified priests were recruited from within the US, some of whom preside at temples here.

Unexpectedly, the priests were invited to join the India Independence Day parade. They marched en masse in ochre-coloFed robes through the streets of Manhattan on August 17: thrilledto see New York up close as they chanted the Vedas. Some among the 50,000 onloClkers were so delighted they

prostrated as the Vedic liturgists passed by. The priests returned to the Poconos that evening to continue the yajna.

Invited by the organizers, HINDUISM-To­DAY'S managing editor, Tyagi Arumuga­swami and production/distribution manager, Tyagi Kath.irswami, attended as repre­sentatives of publisher Satguru Sivaya Sub­ramuniyaswami. We arrived on the eighth day to encounter a palpable spiritual force. In lilting Sanskrit and practiced unity the priests hastened through the day's first ten recitations; then slowly and deliberately in­toned the eleventh while offering ghee to the sacred fire. Pandit Chandra Sekhara Sharma presided as chief priest. Swami Narayananda Bharati performed exquisite devotional songs throughout. Each after­noon, a variety of rare Vedic rites took place.

Vedic ceremonies differ outwardly anq in­wprdly from the Agamic tradition of elabo­rate temple ritual in which offerings of flo\(­ers, water, lights, etc., pour fortI} deep religious feelings toward the Deity. Vedic rit­uals bypass' the devotional element and pro­pel one immediately into a meditative state. Sarala, a Chennai devotee of Sringeri who chanted along with the priests with others,' said, "Often I stopped because the sounds induce meditation so beautifully." • Belur Krishnaswami Sridhar, 38, a priest from Bangalore, was delighted with the event. "Too good," he called it. "Most sur­prising," he said, "is that we have seen a lot of English people, Amer-icans, who could meditate and chant the mantras. This amazed us priests."

Young people t here were few. Many spent the Labor Day weekend getting ready to head for college. One parent thought children were not allowed. Jehi Jayaraman, age 8, did come and enjoyed it, "Because I

. can chant along, I think it's fun." Others did not, like the clueless 16-year-old who said, "I don't know what's going on. They should have had workshops on why they are do­ing it on such a grand scple."

Yajna is an esoteric practice com­bining the science of mantras, sa­cred sourlds, with the use of fire to transmit.offerings to a higher plane, to "nourish" the .devas. But none of the youth and few of the adults could explain just how that works. Dr. Sankat!' Sastri had a plausible an­swer: "We are told by great seers that the performance of austerities and yajnas is what keeps the heav­enly deVllS prosperous. And wh~n they 'p rosper, the whole universe prospers." T.R. Ramachandran, edi- -tor of Sringeti's Tattvaloka maga­zine, concurred, "It is called in San­skrit drishta and adrishta, which are seen lmd unseen effects. when we work in the material world, it is · towara seen results. But these man­tras, chanted in the right rhythm, create an unseen' effect which al­lows things to be achieved in the material world."

Did these rare rites succeed in

their noble aims? As for prosperity in America, the Standard & Poor index (mirroring 70% of US stock, valued at $6 trillion) was 907 on August 21, a day before the sacri­fice, and hit 945 on September 26. That's ~ jump of 4.2%, a whopping increase in overall value of $252 bil­lion, or about $1,000 for every man, woman and child, in the country! Not a bad five-week return for $600,000 invested in ·the Maha Yaj­na! Then, too, each priest returned to India $1,000 richer-their hono­rarium. Devotees were spiJitually enriched. The spectacle's sheer scale focused needed light on the be­darkened prospects of todays priest­hood. Surely, Vedic rishis would have wanted theil\ sacred ways thu~ practiced and perpetuated.

What can those who were not there do? At the local level, e~ery Hindu should look into the priests' situatibn and work to see they are better paid, properly treated and reinspired to guide their children in the sacred profession. This problem should be discussed at all interna­tional Hindu conferences, and glob­al strategies formulated to solve it. If

. more priests perform such empow­ering rituals with such mindful pro­ficiency, all mankind may prosper in the worlds seen and unseen. __

SRINGERI SADHANA CENTER, RD 8, BOX BuB, STROUDSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA 18360 USA

DECEMBER , 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 25

I

I'

irresistible-offer a young girl to the temple, and the throes of life will cease.

Parents began giving away their ow.n off­spring as payoff for petitions to the Gods that had been fulfilled. As subsequent monarchs failed to rectify the injustice, the practice per­verted as it spread through the surrounding districts. In a tragic twist,.jt is now common practice in western Nepal for feudal families to buy ,girls from poor families like the Nayak, Bist and Negi. The girls are then trad­ed to the temple like a commodity in the hopes of a boon from the Gods.

Girls thus offered are called Deuki, mean­ing "girl offered to God." They are expected to engage themselves in the worship of the Gods and Goddesses. They also clean the temple utensils, collect wootl and prepare food for ritual offerings. They are not consid­ered to be ordinary servants, as their main job is to assist the priests. During festival periods, the Deuki and priests have much to do in performing the rituals and tending to devotees. But on most days of the year, there is lit­tle for ·a Deuki to do. And with no means to support themselves, the ~ majority resort to prostitution. ~ The name Deuki has become vir- ..; tually synonymous with harlot.

to marry a Deuki, as they have already been "married" to the temple. They cannot share in their parental property, as they are con­sidered no longer to have a fanillj. In a seem­ing contradiction, society regards the Deuki highly-a remnant of an earlier cnaste sys­tem a,nd the fact of their dedication to the temple. However, it is this esteem that bars them trom earning wages to meet their basic needs. People are afraid of insulting or of­fending them, but at the same time no one offers them support. So the Deuki end ~p trapped, fIrst victimized. by the whim of a wealthy devotee, then crushed by the rules handed them by society.

Offered to the temples between ages fIve ,

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cities like Bombay and Delhi in India for prostitution. This has raised serious concern over the introduction and spread of diseases like syphilis, gonorrhea and AIDS in Nepal.

Less hope: A prevalent misconception is that the Deuki system is none other than In­dia's devadasi system migrated and adapted to. Nepal. But the' history and original prac­tice of the two systems prove this wrong. The devadasi system star1ed long before the Deu­ki. In the untainted devadasi system, the girls were highly trained in India's complex dance arts. They offered dance to the Deities daily as a part of the temples routine worship. They were considered.an integral Rart of the ceremonies. By comparison, the Deuki are

untrained and are not consia­ered integral to, nor do they per­form any part of the worship of • the temple. They are essentially a class of assistant priests. The only commonalities are that neIther system is practiced in its original purity (the devadasis of today also must resort to prostitution).

If you ask at a temple to see the Deuki, you will be told the prac­tice has been abolished. The mu­luki ain, civil code of Nepal, st~"ictly prohibits the sale and purchase of girls for any purpose,

Uphill battle: Krishna Kumari Poon (right) initiated the Snehi W01'IWn's Awareness Center to fight exploitation of women in Nepal

It is felt that assistance should focus on education, vocational training and annulling the su­perstitions that prohibit the Deuki from working and marry­ing. While there are thousands of Non-Governmental Organi­zations and several International groups working in. Nepal, few have taken the problems of the peuki seriously. The Snehi Women's Awareness Center (SWAC) in Baitadi is an excep­

with a stiff punishment of years of impris­onment. Nevertheless, a clandestine Deuki trade manages to thrive, and the Deuki can be found in several districts in western Nepal, including Baitadi, Darchula,.Dadeld­hura and Doti. The going rate for Nepalese girls these days ranges from US$400 to $500. Prominent temples where girls are offered in Baitadi district are Melauli Bhagwati, Ni­glasaini Bhagwati, Tripurasundari Bhag­wati, Jagannath and Bhageshwor Mahadev. Baitadi claims the largest concentration of Deuki, with approximately 250. A Kath­mandu UNICEF agent estimated the total number of Deuki in Nepal to pe 1,000.

No way out: King Nagi Malla had the ca­pacity to provide for his daugltter and to make her 'life with the Deity comfortable and spiritually fulfilling. She had no wants and enjoyed a life of religious service and worship. But today's parents db not have the means to provide for their daughter, and th'hse who illegally trade girls fe~ no obliga­tion to meet her needs once she's at the tem­ple. The young Deuki are thus abandoned.

They are also discriminated against. It is considered inauspicious to have a Deuki serve in your household. It is deemed unwise

28 HINDUISM TOD A,.Y D~CEMBER , 1997

and nine years, Deuki are expected to main­tain celibacy for life. It is through the offer­ings made to the temples that they try to scratch out their living. But such offerings are meager. Therefore, when stilt children, many vainly search for livelihood as a ser­vant. As sooI} as they reach menarclle, they ax:e compelled to sell their body.

Many feudals ,consider the Deuki an ex­clusive source of physical entertainment and lure them to indulge their desires. They claim this as their right earned through pur­chasing and offering the girL Thus, their ul­terior motive for giving the girl to the temple is revealed, as most of the Deuki directly or indirectly fall in this trap. Spme Deuki are even consigned to live in certain {llmi.lies as concubines. In such cases they do not share beds with general clients but remain as pri­vate concubines. The cases where a Deuki remains celibate are rare.

Of late, there has developed a trend for Deuki girls to travel outside their district in search of clients. According to a report frem D.N. Bhatta of the Child Protection Centre (CPC) in Baitadi, such girls commonly go to urban centers like Dhangadi and Mahen­dranagar in }qepal and to the metropolitan

tion. Established by ~ishna Kumari Poon, the Center aims to create awareness among the "socially deprived and exploited women" of western Nepal. Poon appears petite and unassuming, but she has a core of steel and a will that won't quit. She is a rarity;

The Child Protection Center ~ set up in Baitadi district in 1993 with the objectives of providing shelter and protecting the daugh­ters of the Deuki from becoming temple girls themselves. The tendency is for the da~gh­ters of a Deuki to follow their mother, thus perpetuating the tradition. According tJ? Bhatta, Executive Secretary of the CrC, 30 girls have been admitted to the Center. There, they receive primary education ~d learn certain income-generating activities like making textile products and cotton gar­ments. UNICEF of Nepal supports the CPO and the SWAC, and together they work to create public opirlion opposing the Deuki system. Their commonly held hope is that this age-old custom will be eliminated by the year 2005. But with no signiflcant involve­ment yet on behalf of the current govern­ment, their confidence is tenuous. _

CONTACT: DR. HARI BANSH JRA, POST OF FICE BOX 3174, KATHMANDU. NEPAL

Conclave: Sri Adi Shankara with his four disciples (left to right): Padmapada, Totaka, Hastamalaka and Sureshwara

Seeking What's Raal A tribute to Adi Shankara, the precocious ninth-century Indian philosopher

ADI SHANKARA IS IRREFUTABLY ONE OF THE MOST SIG­

nificant historical figures of India. His life story, writings and sayings were diligently documented, and tales of miracles and

. tarltmmcfeats fill his biographies. With devotion, a trenchant intellect and an unyielding wiU, he led and gave lasting direction

to an India-wide Hindu renaissance that countered the prevailing Buddhist influences of the day. He reformed Hindu lineages that he deemed errant and unified splintered ones by revitalizing and reaf­firming the message of the Vedas. He was an ardent Hindu mission­ary, an exemplary ascetic and a formidable opponent to all who chal­lenged his thinking. He had accomplished more by age sixteen than most achieve in a lifetime, including his most Significant works-1ofty commentaries on major Hinoo scriptures. These commentaries and his expository writings are so highly regarded that every philosopher since him has felt compelled to counterpoint their credo with his. Shankara's persistent logic and stunning insights were fortified by an overwhelming compassion for every human soul's plight. His words and deeds instantly reveal him as one who knew the pinnacle, source and cause of aU circumstance. This Self-knowledge endowed him with the authority to lead and to effect changes. His reach was perhaps the greatest of any swami in Indian history, spanning the entire sub-con­tinent and every strata of Hinoo society. Tomes have been written about him. We offer, by way of introooction, Dr. s. Radhakrishnan's tribute from his book, Indian Philosophy. Hear now, how even today, Shankara changes lives and leads minds toward the Absolute.

30 HINDUISM TODAY DECEMBER, 1997

It is impossible to read Shankaras writings, packed as they are with serious and subtle thinking, without being conscious that one is in contact with a mind of a very fine penetration and profound spir­ituality. With his acute feeling of the immeasurable world, his stir­ring gaze into the abysmal mysteries of spirit, his unswerving resolve to say neither more nor less than what could be proved, Shankara stands out as a heroic figure of the first rank in the somewhat mot­ley crowd of the religious thinkers of mediaeval India. His philoso­phy stands forth complete, needing neither a before nor an after. It has a self-justifying wholeness characteristic of works of art. It ex­pounds its own presuppositions, is ruled by its own end and holds all its elements in a stable, reasoned equipoise. The list of qualifications which Shankara lays down for a student of philosophy brings out how, for him, philosophy is not an intelleetual pursuit but a dedicat­ed life. The first, "discrimination between things eternal and non­eternal," demands of the student the power of thought, which helps him to distinguish between the unchanging reality and the changing world. "Renunciation of the enjoyment of the reward here and in the other world" is the second requirement. The seeker after truth must refuse to abase himself before things as they are and develop an aus­tere detachment characteristic of the superior mind. Moral prepara­tion is insisted on as the third requisite and, lastly, longing for liber­ation is mentioned.

Shankara finds the basis of truth in the immediate self certainty which is untouched by any of the doubts cast on other things. The Self

ARTWORK: TATTVALOKA

is prior to the stream of consciousness, prior to truth and falsehood, prior to reality and illusion, good and evil. '~means of knowledge ex­ists only as: dependent on self-experience, and since such experience is its own proof, there is no necessity for proving the existence of Self .. . The very existence of understanding and its functions presup­poses an intelligence known as the Self, which is different from them, which is self-established and which they subserve." Atman cannot be doubted, "for it is the essential nature of him who denies it."

For Shankara, philosophy is an exposition of the eternal nature of reality, or !the innermost essence of the world. He presents to us the true ideal of philosophy, which is not so much knowledge as wisdom, not so much logical learning as spiritual freedom. For Shankara, as for some of the greatest thinkers of the world, Plato and Plotinus,

Thirty-Two Years

IN 788 IN KALADI, KERALA, A BRAHMIN

couples prayers to Siva for a child were answered with the birth of Adi Shan­kara.1 His prodigious intellect shone ear­

ly, and he entered a gurukula at the age of five. By eiight, he excelled in Vedic knowl­edge, counseled scholars and even hosted Kerala's King Rajasekhara.2 Some of his most famous devotional hymns were composed in those early years, and his name and fame be­gan to spread. But his deepest longing was to know the Itruth not found in books. . With his mother's reluctant blessings,3 eight-year-old Shankara sought out his guru, Govindap:ada, disciple of Gaudapada, and renounced4 the world. After training the youth in Omkarnath for three years, Govin­dapada sent Shankara to Banaras to write commentaries on the scriptures. Miraculous tales trailed him as he traveled, such as his saving a village from a swollen river by catching the flood-waters in his water-pot.5

He compfj)sed Sanskrit hymns at every oc­casion. A chance encounter with a chandala (outcaste) on a Banaras street6 revealed his own residual caste bias and inspired the fa­mous Man-isha Panchaka, wherein he vowed to see the Self in everyone. By age 16 he had completedl his world-famous commentaries on the Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita, and he began his trav­els throughout India.

Shankara met with students, scholars and leaders of the prevailing philosophical and devotional sects. By debating and promulgat­ing his pure monistic vision, he unified di­vergent factions. It was he who revived and empowered the Smarta Sampradaya, one of the four most prominent denominations of Hinduism. With his renunciate initiates, Padmapadla, Totaka, Hastamalaka and Sure­shwara, he established the lineage's cardinal monastaries at Sringeri (where he witnessed a cobra giving shade to a frog),1 Badri, Dwar­ka and Puri. At 32, his work done, the re­markable renunciate disappeared into the Himalayan hills at Kedarnath.8 His life enno­bled Hinduism in deep and enduring ways.

Spinoza and Hegel, philosophy is the austere vision of eternal truth, majestic in its freedom from the petty cares of man's paltry life. Through the massive and at the same time subtle dialectic of Shankara there shows forth a vivid, emotional temperament, with­out which philosophy tends to become a mere game of logic. A mas­ter of the strictest logic, he is also master of a noble and animated poetry which belongs to another order. The rays of his genius have illunrined the dark places of thought and soothed the sorrows of the most forlorn heart. While his philosophy fortifies and consoles many, there are, of course, those to whom it seems to be an abyss of con­tradiction and darkness. But whether we agree or differ, the pene­trating light of his mind never leaves us where we were.

FROM INDIAN PHILOSOPHY, VOL. 2 : 1991, OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, OXFORD.

DECEMBER, 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 31

/

VER 300 LITERARY WORKS ARE ASCRIBED

Shankara. Some are poetic hymns, oth­ers are instructive and the rest are scrip­

tural analysis, all written in Sanskrit. Most renowned are his critical commentaries on the Brahrrw Sutras, the twelve Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and the Sanat Sujatiyam. While his devotional outpourings are among the most oft-recited of Hindu chants, he is associated more with his austere philosophical theses. Here is offered a sparse sampling of both worlds.

TO GANESHA MARA GANESHA PANCHARATNA STOTRA, 1; 5 I bow to Vrnayaka, who with glee holds a half-eaten modakam, who is the ever-present means of liberation, who has the moon as an ear or­nament, who protects all. the worlds, who is the single leader for those who have been left leaderless, who destroyed the elephant demon and who swiftly removes the blemishes of those who bow to Him.

TO LORD VISHNU VISHNU BHUJANGAM, 1 I salute the immaculate, auspicious, tranquil, without beginning or end, life of the universe, unbounded by time, space or objectivity, who is known through the Vedas, whose effulgence pales the light of millions of suns and moons risen together, who is invisible, who is neither heat nor cold, who is pure knowledge.

TO LORD HANUMAN SRI HANUMAT BHUJANGAM 14-15 Disease, decay and other troubles weigh me down and give me sor­row. You are of indomitable valor, 0 compassionate one, grant me devotion to thy feet and love towards you. I salute Him who is gen­erous, who is ever devoted to Sri Rama, whose deeds are great, who appears with a mace to his enemies, who is ever serene in attitude, the destroyer of darkness whose body is mighty.

TO GODDESS GANGA SRI GANGASHTAKAM, 7 You have paths as many as the eyes can see; and when your waves come to sight, how can the waves of samsara remain? You are yel­lowish, having been to the dwelling place of Vishnu who wears yel­low silk. 0 Mother Ganga, if my slender body falls on your lap, then even attainment of the status of Indra appears small in comparison.

TO GODDESS ANNAPURNA ANNAPURNASHTAKAM 11-12 Beloved Shakti of Siva, fullness everlasting and fully manifest as this food; 0 , Mother of the universe, nourish us with this gift of food so that we may attain knowledge, dispassion and spiritual perfection. Goddess Parvati is my mother. God Mahesvara is my father. All devotees of Siva are my family. All three worlds are my home.

COUNSEL TO SEEKERS SADHANA PANCHAKAM, 2; 5 Seek the company of the pious. Develop strong faith in God. Ac­quire with determination peace and divine qualities. Approach a pi­ous one learned in the scriptures. Worship at his sandals daily. Con­centrate upon the highest Brahman. Perceive everywhere the all-pervading Self See this world as falsified by It. Identify the Self in you with Parabrahman and stay in the state of experience divine.

TO THE SELF BEYOND DASA SLOKI, SIVA KEVALOHAM 9 I am indivisible, one by nature, all-pervading like space. All this uni­verse, being other than the Self, is unreal; for the Self alone is all-in­clusive, constitutes the ultimate goal, is self-established and self-de­pendent. I am that One, auspicious and pure, that alone remains.

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Food-blessing: Slumkara's verses to Annapuma (11-12, in Devana­gari) are chanted daily by millions to bless food before each meal

ANKARA'S TWO PRIMARY PHILOSOPHICAL DISSERTATIONS

are the Upadesasahasra and the Viveka Chudamani. The lat­ter, the Crest-Jewel of Discrimination, is considered by many his magnum opus. In it Shankara elaborates the very nature of

Reality as he dissects and reveals the subtle essence of the world, body, mind and soul. It is a profound and lengthy treatise. The ex­cerpt below offers a glimpse of his teachings on the soul.

THE ATMAN CREST JEWEL OF DISCRIMINATION There is a self-existent Reality, which is the basis of our conscious­ness of ego. That Reality is the witness of the three states of our con­sciousness, and is distinct from the five bodily coverings. That Re­ality is the knower in all states of consciousness-waking, dreaming and dreamless sleep. It is aware of the presence or absence of the mind and its functions. It is the Atman. That Reality sees everything by its own light. No one sees it. It gives intelligence to the mind and the intellect, but no one gives it light. That Reality pervades the uni­verse, but no one penetrates it. It alone shines. The universe shines with its reflected light.

Because of its presence, the body, senses, mind and intellect ap­ply themselves to their respective functions, as though obeying its command. Its nature is eternal consciousness. It knows all things, from the sense of ego to the body itself. It is the knower of pleasure and pain and of the sense objects. It knows everything objectively, just as a man knows the objective existence of a jar.

This is the Atman, the Supreme Being, the ancient. It never ceas­es to experience the infinite joy. It is always the same. It is con­sciousness itself The organs and vital energies function under its command. Here, within this body, in the pure mind, in the secret chamber of intelligence, in the infinite universe within the heart, the Atman shines in its captivating splendor like a noonday sun. By its light, the universe is revealed. It is the knower of the activities of the mind and of the individual man. It is the witness of all the ac­tions of the body, the sense organs and the vital energy. It seems to be identified with all these, just as fire appears identified with an iron ball, but it neither acts nor is subject to the slightest change. The Atman is birthless and deathless. It neither grows nor decays. It is unchangeable, eternal. It does not dissolve when the body dissolves. Does the ether cease to exist when the jar that enclosed it is broken?

The Atman is distinct from Maya, the primal cause, and from Her effect, the universe. The nature of the Atman is pure consciousness. The Atman reveals this entire universe of mind and matter. It cannot be defined. In and through the various states of consciousness­waking, dreaming and sleeping-it maintains our unbroken aware­ness of identity. It manifests itself as the witness of the intelligence.

With a controlled mind and an intellect which is made pure and tranquil, you must realize the Atman directly, within yourself. Know the Atman as the real ''1.'' Thus you cross the shoreless ocean of worldliness, whose waves are birth and death. Live always in the knowledge of identity with Brahman and be blessed.

CHANTS ARE DRAWN FROM SH...U«ARA. THE MISSIONARY: 1978. CENTRAL CHINMAYA MISSION TRUST, MUMBAl . THE ATM ANIS F ROM VIVEli CHUDAMANI: T RANSLATED BY SWAMI

PRABHAVANANDA AND CHRISTOPHER ISHERWOOD, 1947. VEDANTA PRESS, HOLLYWOOD.

DECEMBER , 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 33

I •

. TRIBUTE

Hindu"of the ·Year .-------------------------

Sri Chinmoy clinches 1997 "Hindu Renaissance Award"

LEARNING HE HAD RECEIVED 1997 Hindu Renaissance Award

at his 66th birthday celebration in New York, Sri Chinmoy modestly

IiH)rO(~J.almeQ to 1,300 followers who come from aroUnd the world for

his Jayanthi, "To be a true Hindu is to be­come the beauty of Hinduism's Heart and the fragrance of Hinduism's Soul, and also to be a sleeplessly self-giving life to the world community. I am praying to my Lord Ab­solute Supreme to make me a perfect Hindu. It is a great honor." And a prayer for us all.

Starting in 1990 HINDUISM TODAY has hon: ored one saint each year who has most im­pactea the faith and spread its vastness, compassion and profundity across the globe. Past renaissance winners are: Swami Para­mananda Bharati (,90), Swami Chidananda Saraswati (',91), Swami Chinmayananaa (,92), Mata Amritanandamayi ('93), Swami Satchidananda (,94), Pramukhswami Ma­haraj ('95) and Sri Satya Sai Baba ('96). Sri Chinmoy was an easy choice for 1997.

ince his arrival in America in 1964 "on inner orders," the Bengali yogi has quietly emerged as one of the most dynamic and in­novative spiritual leaders on the world scene. The yoga he t~aches is at once strict- Sri Chinmoy: Upon his 66th birthday. (right) The Hindu Renaissance Award bronze plaque.

One Yogi's Odyssey

SRI CHINMOY KUMAR

Ghose was born on August 27, 1931, in Shakpura, a small

village in East Bengal, India, which is now part of Bangladesh. He was the youngest of seven

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children. Upon the death of both his parents in 1944, at the age of 13, he entered the Sri Aura­bindo Ashram in Pondicherry. There he lived for 20 years, im­mersing himself in in­tense prayer and medita­tion (14 hours on some days), writing poems and songs, practicing sports and becom­ing ashram de­cathlon champion.

In response to an inner com­mand, he came to New York City in 1964 to serve as-

34 HINDUISM TODAY DECEMBER, 1997

piring seekers in the West. He initially held an administrative post at the Indian consulate but left after three years to devote himself fully to spiritual pursuits. The fIrst Sri Chinmoy Centre was irJaugurated in Puerto Rico in 1966. His fIrst lecture tour in 1968 took him to eight major

universities. In 1970, at the invita­

tion of then UN Secre­tary-General U Thant, Sri Chinmoy began lead­ing twice-weekly peace meditations at the UN for delegates and staff. These have continued uninterrupted to the present day.

His literary output in­creased immensely in the 1970s when he commenced work on what would become tens of thousands of poems, hun­dreds of books and thousands of spiri­tual s(mgs in Ben­gali and English

(including one song hon­oring HINDUISM TODAY). He completed and ex­hibited tens of thousands of paintings during this prolifIc decade.

His interest in sports intensilled, not for com­petition, but as a means of overcoming self-im­posed limits. The Sr~ Chinmoy Marathon

----------------;;---------------------~--------.-----

ly traditional and progressively modern, dy­namically Hindu and decidedly universal. It is a synthesis of devotion, intuitive knowl­edge and dedicated action, with a distinc­tive e)I1phasis on effective living through the surpassing IOf self-imposed limits. Sri Chin- , moy lives this teaching himself, as demon­strated by his herculean achi~vements­some without precedent-in the areas of music, writing, art and athletics. He may be peace's greatest evangelist, through 11\s Peace

Concerts, Intefnational Peace Run and meditations he leads at the United Nations.

Guru, as he is affectionately known, spends most of his time looking after a few thousand far-flung followers with whom he maintains a close, personal relationship and of whom he requires responsiveness and tangible spiritual flrogress. Followers work in the world in nor­mal careers, meeting weekly without fail for darshan and satsang. Gurus headquarters is no big ashram on a hill. Instead of ~ongre-

J

Where Nearly a Billion Hindus Live Hindus are onc-sixth of the human family. While India is home 10 H 9tI of the world',

951 m illioD Hindus. nearly 60 million are sattered widely acr'O" the globe.

HINDlJRENAISSANCEAWARD FOR 1997 Pusml~ to His Holiness Sri OUnmoy

of his bring honored as Hindu of the Year bv H"'mn<.~ T".,..y Ifo, his lifetime of extraordinary service

to ".,,.tanll Vb"nna, to ... ,c .. mlto mankind's lpirituaJ awakening

gating in a single facility, followers have homesteaded one square mile in Jamaica Hills on New York's Long Island. Outwardly there is lit­tle to distinguish the area as the hub of 350 Sri Chinmoy Centers on five continents. Only a handful of stores, such as Guru Health Foods, and Garland of Divinity's Love florist shop, offer evidence of their J?res­ence. But this is where Sri Chinmoy has lived since 1968, and this is where his followers have put down their roots to be near him. In a modest dwelling on a quiet street,

~ he has composed thousands of po­~ ems and songs, sketched millions of ; paintings and weight-lifted a kazil-~ lion pounds. .. ~ .Devotees are not hard to spot on iil the street, however. They are the

• ones radiating a brightness born of the celibacy most follow strict-1y. Most are single, and many are in superb physical shape, able to complete, and even win, the gru­eling ultra-marathons-races above 100 miles and up to 3,000!

"God-Realizatio~ says there· is no such.thing as bondage and freedom. What actually

. -eXIsts is consciousness." I Sri Chinmoy's spiritual achieve­ments eclipse his outer feats, vast

lowed in several countries. His 1995 Prague Con­cert drew 15,000 seekers. He com­pleted his 500th Peace Concert in 1997 with a per­formance at Lon­

President Gorbachev.

I

as they are [see box below]' The marrow of his path is mystic communion with the Ab­solute within through prayer and meditation, approached with an ingenuous purity, tinged, like his kaleidoscopic wardrobe, with an ~nchanting other-worldliness. According to disciples, before age 13 he had a spiritual experience during which he recalled the past-life attainment of the ultimate state of \ God Realization, simultaneously reexperi­encing that illumination in this life. In his consciousness-[ aising book, The Summits of God-Life: Samadhi and Siddhi, Guru writes, "God-realization, or siddhi, means Self-discovery in the highest sense of the ' term. One consciously realizes his oneness with God. As long.as the seeker remains iIi ignorance, he will feel that God is somebody else who has infInite Power, while he, the -seeker, is the feeblest person on Earth. But the moment he realizes God, he comes to know that he and God are absolutely one in both the inner and outer life. He sees God both in the fInite and in the infInite; he sees God as both personal and inipersonal. And in his case, this is not mental hallucination or imagination; it is direct 'reality."

In a 1994 interview with HINDUISM TODAY, Sri Chinmoy was asked, "How should we serve God?" He replied, "You are destined to serve God the creation. If I know my Fa­ther is all for me, can I not have faith in Him that whatever I need He will give me? Be like a child. The child knows only how to cry. The mother comes running to give milk to the child. The child is not using the term, 'milk, milk,' or something else. His only job is to cry. Similarly, I'm crying to God only to make me a good instrument of His use. -w.;

CONTACT: SRI CHINMOY CENTRES INTERNATIONAL, 84- 43 164TH STREET, JAMAICA, NEW YORK 11432- USA

astonishing seven million bird draw­ings. To celebrate India's 50th year of independence in 1997, he held 50 peace concerts, performing on 50 different instru­

Team was founded in 1977. Today it sponsors more than 1500 track and field events and a 3,100-mile foot race-the worlds longest-and en­joys the support of Olympic athletes such as Carl Lewis (left).

don's Royal Albert Hall. His efforts toward world peace have resulted in meetings with dozens of international leaders, in­cluding the King of Nepal, the Prime Minis­ter of Britain and Soviet

Sri Chinmoy began weightlifting in 1985 and achieved several world records. In 1987 he lifted an unprecedented 7,063-pound weight with one arm (left). The next year he began his ''Lifting Up the World with a One­ness-Heart" program, honoring luminaries (now more than 2,000) from various walks of life by lifting them over­head on a special plat­form.

cities, mountains, lakes and other natural won­ders or historical sites (over 1,000) to the cause of peace in Sri Chin­moy'sname.

ments in the last. He has received numerous awards and honorary de­grees, including Bha­ratiya Vidya Bhavan's Gandhi Peace Award.

The fIrst Peace Con­cert dedicated to world peace was I~erformed in Cologne, Germany, in 1984. Other concerts fol-

Inspired by his various activities for peace, gov­ernment officials around the world began dedicating

In 1991 Sri Chin­moy began his "Dream-Freedom­Peace Birds," depic­tions of the human soul in the form of birds. By 1997 he completed (right) an

DECEMBER , 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 35

. I

I

Princess Di: Earth's most photographed human being, driven to fame by emotional need

ASTROLO G Y

Why Did She Have to Die? Diana-blessed by the Moon, beleaguered by Mars

By CHAKRAPANI ULLAL, Los ANGELES 1 EDIC ASTROLOGY LIFTS THE VEIL OF

, illusions to reveal the underlying men­tal, emotional and psychological states

. propelling one's actions. Consjder the natal chart of Diana Spen~er, Princess of Wale~, born July 1, 1961, 2:15 PM BST (G:M-T +1), Sandringham, England. It is re­plete with many indications of her rise to prominence, her rebellious tendencies, phil­anthropic inter~sts, unhappy marriage and ... tenuous emotional/psychological health, as well as the possibility of an untimely death.

The chart shows a strong Saturnian influ­ence (the planet of the cO}llillon man), which allowed Diana to resonate w.ith the masses as "one of them." Her bi th in Virgo rising made her youthful, vital and contem­porary in style, with keen interests in health, beauty and aesthetics. The ruler of her ris­ing sign, Mercury, in the 10th 'House, Gemi­ni,. created Bhadraka yoga, which mifde Mercury (indicator of communieation) a de­termining planet for her. Mercury also with the royal planet Sun, of accomplishment, success and status, brought her excellence in the ability to communicate and connect with others. Jupiter, Saturn and the Moon in

36 HINDUISM TOD A-Y HECEMBER , 1997

Capricorn, significantly placed in the 5th House, brought her philanthropic interests, as well as the opportunity to create institu­tions for humanitarian purposes. Capricorn planets give practical understanding of how to best protect oneself and how ones inter­ests can be ~erved. This makes it clear that she was never unaware of how her interest in public servic~ could also give her political advantage, as well as fulfill her need to be valued and appreciated. One of the ironies of her death was that despite the problems of an intrusive press, she required the media to feed an urgent and compelling desire for affection and approval. Jupiter in conjunc­tion with the Moon gave hel: a love for chil­dren, and created Gaja Kesari yC{ga, which brought prominence, importance, recogni­tion and visibility, as well as association with powerful and influential people. A powerful Moon situated in the house of Saturn creat­ed Sasha yoga, characterized as "Lord over the common people," which gave a natural instinct for leadership and echoes the theme of her involvement with the everyday man.

Diana had a highly 'emotional tempera­ment, caused by a MarsIRahu conjunction in the 12th Kouse of Leo, supported by Vir-

go rising in the constellation of Mars. The Moon, being the planet of emotions, also in the constellation of Mar§ in the 5th House, resulted in the emotional nature assuming radical aggressive qualities. Essentially, Di­ana's planetary set-up created an intensely emotional environment which resulted in a craving to be knoWn, understood and appre­ciated, as well as a tendency to be governed by passionate likes 'and dislikes. Her chart shows philanthropy was not the overriding motivation of her life. She had emotional struggles which resulted in her being able to identify with the suffering of others and propelled her to do good works, sO' as to re­ceive recognition ana appreciation and to heal a fractured sense of worthiness. For those with Virgo rising, Mars is a malefic. This is increased many fold by the rising I

sign degree occupying a Mars constellation, and Mars itself placed in the 12th House along with vicious Rahu in Leo, which also caused her to be different in thinking, style and action. Mars conjunct Rahu in the 12th House in the constellation of malefic Ketu is also a sure indication for misery, suffering, depression, emotional problems and acci­dents. In addition Mars and Rahu created Kuja dosha, a strong affliction to marital happiness and indicated that she would have secret lovers. It was all these malefic indications that gave her a rebellious and unconventional nature, the spirit to chal­lenge conventional wisdom and rise above the prevailing social norms, and brought her to the .status of a popular leader. As much power as the malefics have to push one up, they also have the power to bring

the fall, in this case, Diana's death. Jupiter is also a malefic for people born

with Virgo Rising. Prin~ss Diana's death occurred during the major dasha cycle of Jupiter (which has the power to inflict death for people with Virgo rising) and the sub cy­cle of malefic Rahu. Jupiter and Rahu are natural enemies, further aggravated here by being placed in adversarial positions to one another. Death was also partly caused by two eclipses in the m0nth of SeptembeI; af­fe,cting Leo (sign of people in high posi­tions), which had a global effect for kin~, royalty and prime ministers. An ecJipse is like an obstruction of the life force of those energies and consequently has a powerful effect upon people in high places. An!ong such people, anyone going through difficult planetary cycles would definitely suffer. '

The phenomenon of Princess Diana's pop­ularity was, in part, an expression of the growing global trend starting in 1988 for the gradual loss of power of dictators, autocrats anCl. monarchies, and the elevation of the people of the lower echelons. This is due to the transit of powerful Saturn from Sagittar­ius to Pisces, which culminates in 1998 . .-

See unabridged version with the December web issue

Books by Swami Shankar Purushottam Tirtha:

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The complete, unabridged edition of Paramahansa Yogananda's extraordinary life story is available now for the first time in the immediacy of the spoken word.

Yoganandaji was a master storyteller, and his profound and eloquent autobiography readily lends itself to an audio presentation. The remarkable saints and sages he intro­duces . .. the colorful scenes and rich spiritual heritage of India ... his unforgettable experiences in higher states of God-communion . . . the founding of his worldwide work in America ... the wisdom, subtle humor, and divine insight of a master of yoga ... all are brought to vivid life in a sensitive and compelling reading by Academy Award®-winning actor Ben Kingsley.

12 Audiocassettes, 18 hours Handsomely boxed, with notes and photos US$48.00 (does not include shipping, or sales tax in California)

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Classified ads are uS$25 for 20 words, $1/word for each additional word, payable in advance • Hinduism Today, 107 Kaholalele Rd, Kapaa, Hawaii, 96746-9304 USA. Tel: 800-850-1008 or 808-823-9620 • Fax: 808-822-4351. E-mail: ads@hinduismtoday.kauai.hi.us

Ashrams

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Panchakarma retreat. Medically supervised one-week complete detoxification program with Scott Gerson, MD, recognized authority. Authentic and economical. Tel: 212-505-8971 (USA). DrGerson@worldnet.att.net.

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Ayurvedic tours in India. Panchakarma, massage, herb gardens, lectures, secrets. Also arrange Sanskrit-learning retreats. Beginners and advanced. Health Tours. Tel: 1-505-323-7233 (USA).

Free 36-page booklet on ayurvedic gems. Help overcome your negative karma. Personalized planetary gem analysis, US$20. Clear diamond crystals. $200+/carat. A.AJ, 1106 2nd St #101, Encinitas, CA 92024-5008 USA. Tel: 760-753-6071. Fax: 760-753-3355.

Home Remedies from India: Herbal and Nat­ural by Dr. Ranvir Pahwa, Ph.D, Herbalist­Homeopath. US/Can$15 (includes shipping and handling) check or money order to: Her­itage Holistic Health and Environmental In­stitute, 1527 A, Idylwyld Drive N., Saskatoon S7L lA9 Canada.

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Best software, Hindi/others. US$109 +$10 s&h. VB.L., PO Box 86065, Oakville, ON L6H 5V6, Canada. Tel: 416-315-3186. Fax 905-896-7500. Email: dsharma@worldchat.com.

Devotional Supplies

Ganges clayfired statues for puja, meditation. Sixty beautiful handpainted images including hard-to-find Narasimha, Kalki, Jagannatha, Chaitanya, Shankaracharya, Dhanvantari. Color catalog, US$2. JBL, Box 163 H, Crozet, VA 22932-0163 USA.

Malas, malas, malas! Tulsi, rudraksha, lotus, sandalwood, rosewood and semiprecious. Sil­ver and gold capped in rudraksha, sandalwood and tulsi. Sacred images and more. Call 1-812-323-9768 or write for catalog. Sacred Woods, 1916 Arden Drive, Bloomington, Indiana, 47401-6731, USA.

Quality Incense from India. Golden Rose. Neel Kamal. Pure Sandal­wood cones, and more. Tel: 970-949-6329 USA Email: vel@vailnet

~ducation

Excellent correspondence course on Vedic Astrology by Jyotish Krishnan, recipient of several awards including the recent award of Jyotish Vachaspathi by leas, India. Normal cost for four courses, US$558 (November or De­cember registration: $200 off). Tel/fax: 972-783-1242 or write PO Box 852892, Richardson TX 75085-2892 USA.

Vedic Astrology classes, workshops, tutorials, books. Offered by Umananda (Stephen Quong, Ph.D., Jyotisha Vachaspati), in Mount Shasta, California. 17513 Grizzly Den Road, Lake Shastina, CA 96094-9448, USA. Tel: 916-938-2997. Website: www.jyotisha.com

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Hindu Deity paintings, notecards and prints from India. Website: http://www:lakshmi.com. Catalog. Lakshmi International, 411 Madison Street, Boonton, NJ 07005-2051 USA

Beautiful devotional sculpture and masks. Classic cast stone murthies for your home, temple or retail shop. Ganesh, Shiva, Laxmi, Sarasvati, Durga, Buddha. Ht: 2 ft. (61 cm) or 4-5 ft. (1.2-1.5 m). Free catalog, tel: 800-608-8632, 515-472-8115. Vedic Sculpture Studio, 607 W Broadway #136, Fairfield, IA 52556-3200 USA.

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februaJ'Y. 27-March 2, t 998 Keauhou Beach Hotel • Kona, Hawaii

(5 mUes south of Kona on e Big Island)

• OVer Ten Faculty, Including: Chakrapanl UllaI, Dr. David Frawley, Dennis Harness, Ph.D. Chnstlna Collins-Hili, Dennis Flaherty, James Kelleher, Ravlnder Angrlsh, Edith Hathaway:, WlJllam levacy, and Acharya Ceyonswaml

• Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced Classes • Registration Fees: (for MaIn Symposium 1;/27-3/1)

$195 by Nov. 30, 1991 $245 after Nov. ,1997

. ($25 DISCOUNT fOR ACYA MEMBEiIs)

Speclal Reduced Hotel and Car Rental Rates

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To register. wlffi Visa or Mastercard call:..800-900-6595

o Please register me ror attendance at the Vedic Astrology in Paradise. FebruaJ)' 27-March 2, 1998, at the Keauhou Beach Hotel, Kona, HI Endosed is pa)ll1lent of $ __ ror __ Registratlon fee(s)

o Please send more information about the conference and hotel. * Opttonal pre-conference introductory classes and post-conference Intensives will also be offered.

City, State, zlp ___ ....':..!~ __ ~~_=~~~~~IfC>'.I~~~

,

"

P A-R E N TIN G

Spanking Hurts Forever , . .

Children subjected to physical punishment often end up bigger troublemakers than before

(

ORPORAL PUNISHMENT of '. . children does not improve ' behavior, concludes a

newly published study by Professor Murray A. Straus of New Hampshire University's Family Research Laboratory. In fact, far from achieving that goal~the more parents physical­ly punish a child, the more that child is going to misbehave, the study strongly indicates. This conclusion contradicts the folk wisdom of nearly all cultures that "sparing the rod spoils the child." But Straus has insightful research to back it up:

'" <

~hildren in three age groups (3-5, 6-9, 10 and over), in the National Longitudinal Study of Youth from 1986 to 1990. By so­phjsticated statistical analysis, the study at­tempted to remove the effects of family so­~ioeconomic status, sex of the child, and the extent to which the home provided emo­tional support and cognitive stimulation, and focus only on the relationship between. spanking and behavior.

-IConsider the following true story from a r~lated study by_ Philip 1!'isher, Ph.D., a research scientist and clinical psycholo- ' gist at the Oregon Social Learn­ing Center: ' "Jeffs life was rough. His parents fought often. Mother used corporal punish­ment frequently to ~top Jeff's misbehavior. But simultaneous­ly she mil-de her deep love for J~ff very clear, showering him with affection. At school he was aggressive towards kids, using similar methods that his mother used to punish him. He was placed in special programs. Ex­

O~ch! The principal wlw hit and bruised a student with this large paddle was charged wit1J, assault. Tlwugh still legal in many US sclwols, spanking does not improve behavior, says Straus's study.

In 1986, at the beginning of the study, 44% of the mothers report­ed spanking, during the previous week, averaging 2.1 times. ~When using the word spanking, paren(:; usually refer to several forms of physical punishment, such as slap­ping, caning or paddling.) Some mothers even spanked their chil­dren during the interview itself Ten percent of the 6 to 9-year-old children were spanketf three or more times. (Millions of children they represent would have the greatest probability of improved behavior if their parents stopped hitting them.) An anti-social be­havior scale had been developed, based on six items. Mothers were aSked the extent to which each of these items described their child during the prece'ding three months: "cheats or tells lies," ~'bul­lies or is cruel/mean to others," "does not feel sorry after misDe­having," "breaks things deliber­ately and is disobedient at school," ''has trouble getting along with teachers." Two years later all the motbers were interviewed again. As Straus had predicted, the more spanking, the higher the level of anti-social behavior re­ported. Findings were parallel for all ages. Girls had a lower level of

celling in athletics, everyone thought he was impj;oving. Then he started to as~ociate with gangs, and one day when a rival youth ap­proached him, Jeff shot him with ,a gun. Now he is incarcerate8l." '

Research up to 1985, says Straus's study, shows that over 90% of US parents used cor­poral punishment-mainly spanking-on toddlers and over half continued into teen years. Even this is a decrease from -99% in the 1950s and 97% in 1975. There have been further decrea~es since 1985, but nearly all American ·children still get spanked.

Previous' studies have found-that the more the parent spanks, the greater the tendency of the child to misbehave. However, the de­sign of these studies could not allow re­searchers to conclude that spanking causes the increase fu misbehavior, only that, on av­era~, it fails to reduce it-a startling con­clusion in itself. 'Straus wanted to take the re­

/ ...:.

40 HlNDUISM TODAY DECEMBER, 1997

search one step further, to determine what sociologists call the "causal direction," that . is, c!id the parents spank more because the child's behavior got naturally worse as he got older, or did the spanking actually cause the childs increa?ed misbehavior?

"The key," says Straus, "was to measure the c~ds anti-social behavior le(,el one year, then again two years later and measure the

. difference. Does spanking make the child a nonvioleNt person in the long run? Well, it's been argued for years that, no, ironically, it has the op,posite effect. It tends to make the child 'a violent person. But parents have no way of seeing that. They can't look down the road two or three years. They only ~e what's happening right when they a~nister the pmt;ishment (i.e., the misbehavior stops). That's where the research is necessary."

His analysis used data from interviews with a nati~ral sample of 807 mothers of

anti-social behavior, which Straus attributes to their being generally better behaved than \ boys, regardless of what parents do.

'" Professor Straus concludes his study, ·"1 believe in years aheag, corporal punishment as a cause of anti-social behavior Will receive the same broad endorsement that smoking as a cause of lung cancer is now receiving. Because most US children experience 9r­poral punishment, our findings suggest that nearly all AmeriCa!) children could benefit from ~ reduction or 'elimination of corporal pimishment. MOl;eover, taking into account research showing that anti-social behavior in childhood is associated with violence and other crimes as an adult, society as a whole, not just children, could benefit from ending t!J.e system of violent child rearing that goes under the euphemism of' spanking." •

Surrounded by green meadows, wild flowers and rose gardens, beau­tiful Radha Kund and Matharas man­dal is the jewel of Shree Haseshwari Radha Rani Temple which enlightens the world with its radiance of Divine Love. Barsana Dham is the main US center of the International Society of Divine Love. It provides the experience of the true devotional environment that prevailed in the ashrams of the historic saints of Vrindaban (India) 500 years ago. Guests enjoy comfortable guest rooms and fresh vegetarian meals, take part in the ashram's devotional programs, darshan and satsang with H.D. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati.

"Barsana Dham is pure Divine Grace. My pranams to Shree Swamiji for showering us with kindness and true knowledge of the Divine." -a visitor from Northern California.

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Provenance: Born into a family of Vedic astrologers, Birla was in­spired early in life by his grandfa­ther, Sri Net Ram Singh Birla, who had deep insight into the an­cient science of the heavens. Bir-

Two in tune: Narendra Verma (left) and his son Aditya in an impromptu concert for Ganesha (center)

la recalls how the memories of his spirit-filled youth created a long­ing which eventually manifested the Saraswati CD. 'J\s a young man growing up in India, part of my .education was in the Daya­nanda Mahavidyalaya gurukula., a spiritual academy where every morning before breakfast, stu- ", dents would assemble to chant mantras.- It was there that I first learned about the Goddess Saras­wati and the mantra recited to in­voke Her presence. Years later, it seemed as if Saraswati Herself whispered to me. After working

MANTRA MPSIC

To IJoddess, with Love A Canadian trio solemnize Saraswati on a C~D of musical and poetic -genius

By RADHIKA SRINIVASAN , NEW JERSEY

OR GHANSHYAM SINGH BIRLA, THERE

is nothing more powerfully healing than mantra, music and meditation.

«If done with faith," the multi-faceted .. Birl~ explafus, «the psychic centers of the

body can be aroused through chantmg, a powerful medium to soothe the nervous sys­tem and attract positive influences into our lives." This Vedic scholar turned philoso­pher and poet is the founder and director of the National Research Institute for Self Un­derstruy:ling, a center of ancient Indian palmistry :md astrology based in Montreal, Canada. He aspires to introduce mantra.into the mainstream and to promote meditation and healing through"Spiritual music.

Saraswati Devi, the latest CD of Galaxy Publications and Recordings, an arm of the NRISU, features Birla's original poems set to music, traditional Sanskrit slokas and Birla's sublimely spoken words explaining the «majesty of Saraswati Devi" and the «power of the Saraswati mantra." Saf.aswati is a de­votional tribute to the «Goddess 'of inspira-

and the recording sparkles. The truly heav­enly voice of Ramnath is nectar for the ears. By all counts, Saraswati is a one-of-a-kind audio venture and an all-out success.

Birla's narration, w.ith soft celestial back­groutl:d music, is clear and soothing. He is to be commended for his excellent presentation of the Hindu teachings. For example, he not only avoids the shallow explanations of the Gods and Goddesses commonly put forward, but he offers his own eloquent phrasing. His description of the Hindu trinity is poetic. He narrate?- "The single omnipotent and om­nipresent Godhead is primarily divided into the trptity of Lords Brahrna, Vish­nu and Siva. Each is responsible for a specific tasl<. Lord Brahrna is the creator of the universe. Through His supreme wiD, He I~ lights the spark that ignites the !: uriiverse. Lord Vishnu is the sus- ~ tainer, who "fIpholcb the balance of all things within the universe.

as a personal growth consultant in Canada for over twenty-five years, I was struck by a powerful feeling/of nostalgia for those days at the guru kula.. As I reflected upon the countless hours spent in prayer and meditation trying to understand the in­effable, I was suddenly overcome with the joy of creative inspiration and found myself writing lyrics to celebrate the beauty and wisdom of Saraswati. I hoped that; with the right music, these lyrics could become songs to inspire others in their own personal growth. For the next two years, circum­stances prevented any progress beyond the original lyrics. Then I met Narendra Verma and his son Aditya, two highly regarded mu­sicians who have studied under and per­formed with some of the most famous and accomplished artists of Indian cl&sical mu­sic. On that blessed day, the Saraswati Devi project was born! The album was recorded in Montreal from August to November 1995. We hope that Saraswati brings you ,as mucb joy as she has brought to us." ..

GALAXY PUBLICATIONS AND BBCORDINGS. 3 15 VICTORIA AVENUE, WESTMOUNT QUEBEC H3Z 2.Nl CANADA.

TEL, 5'4-484-8090; WWW.PALMISTRY.COMiGALAXY.HTML

. tion and beauty" deliveretl with delightful talent and taste by Kala Ramnath on vocal, Narendra Verma on tabla and Aditya Verma on sarod. At the same time, it is an offering of profound and practical Hindu wisdom, both introductory and advanced. The musi­cians unite brilliantly in their performances,

. Lord Siva is the destroyer who, through His fiery dance called the tandava, breaks down old patterns of consciousness, allowing them to be recreated anew. Together these three .-jJ}ustrious forces regulate the unending cycles of creation, preservation and transformation of the cosmos." Mata ki Jail The Vermas relax with Birla. in his office

DECEMBER, 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 47

\

/ i

...

\~--~~ •• ~.g~"A~~~"~"~"~_l , INTERVIEW

Pio,-.s· Portraya~s , .

48 H IND U ISM TOD A·Y D E\CE MBER , 19 97

RA:JASTHAN-BORN SRI INDRA SHARMA,

age 74, has been depicting Gods, God­I I desses, saints and epic heroes in oil

and watercolor as one of India's pre­emin~t religious artists for over 60 )fears. It is likely that your faVOrite sacred poster was , done by Indraji. He learned t,he Vallab­ha.charya style of infuSing a painting with Godliness, thereby rendering it a holy piece of art. Based in Mumbai, Sharma lives part­time at his son-in-laws home orr Kauai, HaU2?ii, where he spoke with HINDUISM

TODAY about the painter's world. 'He indeed is an international treasure.

On paintin~: as a sadhana It is a meditation, a contact to God. I paint every day- from 6 to 7 hours-after a I-hour puja. Sometimes I paint in the late evening because-a thought comes to me and I need to express :it before forgetting. Early morn­ing is,also wonderful. No noise, no thinking. , On his early, village trlijning In Nathadwar village is' Chitrakaroki Gali, «street of painters." All the houses in this district belong to painters. This, is the com­munity where I learned traditional tech­niques from my uncle, Gopilalji, beginning at age 13. So many techniques are learned only throup-,h the village structure, not in for­mal schools.

On squirrel hair for paint brushes Part of our Rajasthani training was to make our own br ushes. We went to a garden and trapped squirrels ' under' baskets. dne stu­dent held· the squirrel, while another person soaked its tail in water and arranged the hair."With scissors, we cut the hair on both sides of the tail. After that we 1et the squirrel go. We performed this ritual only in the summer, because in the winter squirrels needed their tails full of hair to keep warm!

On his British college years In 1946) entered Mumbai's Sir J.J. School of Art to also absorb Western styles. Here I learned about sitting portraits: life size and landscape paintings. By God's grace I was fIrst in the class. The best quality of West­ern style is in depicting scenes realistically.

On some biig name commissions I did 12 paintings a year for the Graphite In­dia Ltd. calendar, each one 22 by 30 inches. This lasted for 20 years. They gave themes, such as Nlahabharata or ~at saints. For Birla, the industrialist, I created 21ii paintings.

/ . On his mO!it expensive order It was for the Singapore mus.eum, at Rs.3 lakhs (US$10,000), 8 by 10 feet. The scene was of a Moghul King and his court. I put real gold and jewels in the painting, Tanjore style.

I

Artiste at easel: Sri Indra Sharma at his son-in-law's home. His inner concentration and devotion yield results that cause viewers to say «I feel that God is IN your painting!"

On his prime years of production I typically produced 30 or 40 per year. The large t ever was 15 by 20 feet for the Brah­rna Ki..unaris at Mt. Abu. It was a meeting in heaven, an all-Gods «conference."

On family involvement, training successors The whole family supports my work. I am teaching my style to ten students in Mumbai. They are doing well, not at a deep level yet, because' painting is a meditation. It takes time to develop. My brother's son, Parsot­tam, has studied with me for many years and is now a good artist, following my style.

On Hussain's nude painting of Saraswati I was so angry I could not sleep for two nights. I told newspapers, «This person is no artist." ThiS'is an insult to Hinduism. Nude paintings are okay, but not of Goddesses. On

. the other' hand, many Muslims in India cre-ate wonderful Hindu religious paintings. Be­cause when the artist is at work, he forgets about H:indu or Muslim. He only fhinks «God wants to be painted."

On trends in Indian art production Most traditional artists remain in villages. Some artists are indulging in Western mod-

ern art because traditional styles take longer to perfect and longer to create. Now every­body wants to become famous quickly and not spend much time learning, so they go into modern art, in big cities like Mumbai. India's painters right now are about 75% tra­ditional and 25% modern. Some of the mod­ern art [he says with a laugh], if yOl} hang it upside down or right side up, it won't matter.

On financial realities for Indian artists Traditional artists are still more affluent • than modern artists, bes;ause their work is popular among foreign ,buyers. In 'India, many families have their own museums and collect only Indian traditional paintings.

On what infuses a painting with power I paint with my heart ,!!lld through medita­tion, imagination on the' subject and through devotion, bhakti. I ~tudy scriptures to un­derstand the nature of the characters I paint. It is difficult to convey how all this works, but I basically carry the feeling of Godliness. The main magic is to put soul into the painting, so it has life in it. I have given all my life to this work ..

INDRA SHARMA, 18 EVEREST, 3RD FLOOR, PEDDER ROAD, 1I.ruMBAI, 400 026, INDIA.

DE CEM BER , 1 9 97 H INDUISM TODAY 49

/

years back. He was my God and guru. He always told us Rama­yana and M6habharata stories before going to bed. He dinned into us the importance of honesty and fairness."

Narayanan: This home based, self-inspired missionary is a God-informed, down-ta-earth reformer

As for Tamil Nadu's atheistic politicians, Narayanan feels, "Who cares? It is their philosophy. We aren't coru:erned with it. Without God there is nothing here for us. We fishermen folk firmly trust in the Almighty. We feel His hands in the deep sea, calm or storm. It is not peculiar to my family alone. My sister-in-law, Jothy, says: 'We all pray to Om Sakthi. She is there, constantly in the back of our minds even as we are engaged in domestic chores. And we pray to her at the' end of the day before turning in.' Every Sat-

PROFILE

Guarding· Lives, Dharma I

urday evening we sing bhajans in front of icons we recovered from the sea and installed near our home. In 1965, when there was a big sea erosion. A huge statue of

YoUng Tamil lifeguard serves Lord Krishna with vigor Perumal [Lord Vishnu] was dis­covered. With the help of a white gentleman from Singapore we

By GOWRI SHAN~R, CHENNAI

1 HIRTY KILOMETERS SOUTH OF CHENN­

nai, Narayanan, a 28-year-old lifeguard at the five-star F1shermen's Cove beach resort near Mahabalipuram, says, "I

have saved more than 100 people from drowning to date-some prominent persons, too. One was a Russian consul, another a German diplomat. They tip me. However, I see only Kannan [the Tamil name for Lord Krishna] behind them. I use such rewards on public weal. Even yesterday we spent 200 rupees on brooms. I took 35 men and ano~er 65 came from other parts of the city. We set . to work and spruced up the main railway station in Chennai."

Narayanan is a magnificent amalgam of social worker, athletic coach, yoga teacher, bhajan singer imd exemplar of Krishna's ideal of service. Born in the poor fishing vil­lage of Kovalam, he was cut off from higher education, but never gave up higher pur­suits. '~t 22, I ran 1,500 meters ill' three minutes and forty-five seconds ' just three seconds behind the Indian national record," recalls this Tamil rather wistfully. The would-be-famous long distance runner then adds, 'M a boy, I used to visit Ramakrishna Mutt and the Vivekananda Kendra in Trip­licane, Chennai. Vivekananda's ciill to India's youth, 'For Brave Youths: left an abiding im­pression on me. I learned yoga at the Tripli­cane Kendra and got further training at Vivekananda Kendra at Kanyakumari. I have started a sports club attended by 45

50 HINDUISM TODA-Y DECEMBER , 1997

children and named it after Vivekananda. He was as brave as he was compassionate to the downtrodden. I teach swimming, run­ning and yoga postures. We begin with omkara dhyanam [meditation while chanti­ng Om] and then repeat aloud 'I am good because, Kannan, You occupy my heart. I am prepared to spend my life in the service of my motherland, upliftment of my village and my-home. All are equals, for Kannan is in each one of us. I shall treat ever.}' one with love and kindness. I shall acquire the neces­sary skill and fight in the sports fields to win laurels for my country. I will keep my head high and never, never give up.' Some tourist& help us after le~ning about these potential champions. One Englishman got them T­shirts, cricket bats and balls."

Asked if he was gaining any notoriety for his activity, Narayanan, an active abolition­ist, says, "Without meaning to sound im­modest, I succeeded in routing country liquor shops in my village. Jt is a feat, be­cause for decades attempts by IllJ!ch better placed persons, even police, have failed. We banded women together under the title Sak­thi Exnora, mounted a campaign, and the outraged females smashed some 20 liquor shops. Smashed they remain. It was hot news and Tamil dailies splashed it."

Narayanan's day begins at 5 AM with "Kan­nan, help me do my duty well," on his lips. Asked about the source of his devotion and passion for social' service, he replied, "I owe it all to my father who passed away two

built a small temple over it and other icons later discovered in the sea while swimming. The sea here harbors many more icons. Only a few have surfaced."

Asked how he stays cool, undazzled by the elegant, afflvent tourists, their language, pol­ish, etc., the young lifeguard asserts, "Easy. You hold on to your Kannan. He is the eter­nal truth. How can yO}! be blown off your feet when He fills you?"

As for his challenges, hI( bemoans, "There is this massive pull that these cinema hous­es exert on our youth. F1ghting it is not easy. When they hear me talk of Kannan, they seem impressed. They come. Blit they are far from regular. They fmd the films and se­ductions of the cable TV network irre­sistible. That is why I start with the young in my yoga schoolf I fare far better with th,em. Eyen if a dozen out of 45 should live out the values that are imparted here, they ~ bound to make a mark as good, respgnsible, God-fearing citizens.

Asked if'he had any regrets, Narayanan laments, "I am unhappy that compliments gladden me yet. I still care for appreciation. For, has not Kannan told us to do our duty' unmindful of any reward? That craving, though mild, for acceptance, has not been stamped out yet. That is my only regret.

"But I don't mind having never become a famous athlete. There are many Narayanans in my care waiting in the wings to sprint, hop and swim their way t0 gold. An individ­ual is something. A country is great. But Kannan is forever." -.f

The Largest Hindu Youth Organization in North America - over 50 chapters

HSC a Teaching and Learning Experience

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I Address Hindu defamation Issues

I Disaster relief

I Service to the homeless

\~_ •• R"~~'''A_~~_~''I __ l MINISTER'S MESSAGE faction or peace. By attempts at fulNllment,

Dest(~y Egocentrfc Desi(~ and ·'-/Jnge(

both the ego as well as t:l)e objects of desire get expanded. And expanded growth of such vices in the world has been the cause of ruin. Anger, being the effect of an unful­filled desire, is yet another enemy to mankind. In thousands of years people have fought hundreds Of wars-all prompted by egocentric desire and by destructive anger.

Sruti [the revealea scriptures of Hinduism] advises us to intelligently evapo­rate the unending egocentric desires for acquisition of trivial and unworthy things of this world by repeatedly pointing out the faults both in the ego as well as in the object of egocentric desires. 'Ibese two dirts are i-emoved by performing the svadharma [the individuals unique duty according to his or her station in life] as prescribed in the shas- I

tras in the spirit of sacrifice and self-surren­der to the Lord. Actien performed with this surrender generated in the mental mood is called devotion. On attaining such a concen­tration of devotion, the mind gets clearer because the ego and egocentric desires ob­structing that claritr are removed by the "therapy" of self surrender to the Lord. And this enhances chitta shuddhi. Desire and anger distract the mental moon like an eclipse, and are removed by the treatment

Lasting joy comes when the mind is purified enough to surrender to devotion and dharma

BY JAGADGURU SHANKARACHARYA SRI BHARATI TIRTHA

DI SHANKARACHARYA SAYS, "AGAIN BIRTH, AGAIN

death and again lying'in the mothers womb. This world-jugglery is very difficult to cross over. a Lord! Please save me and take me ashore." .

Spiritual strength alone bestows joy in one's life. People devoid of this are qften caught in the maddening :r:hythm of a helpless delusion. Having been ca~t thus, they e\'en bring in disintegration, disasters, disturbances and disharmony around them for others to suffer. The knowledge of the objectiv~ worlel" however exhaustive it may appear to be, cannot give us any durable satisfaction. This is evidenced by the present-day testimeny that there is an increase in ten­sions amidst increases iIimaterial comforts.

Though the common direction of all human endeavor and the instinct of all the human mind is to run away from soIT9w and seek only peace or joy, few alone achieve this. This joy which a human being seeks outside in this phenomenal world is never experienced by him in its truest sense. Instead, illusion takes possession of-him, and he mistakenly thinks that illusion is joy. Continuous egocentric desires and anger are the breeding ground for the spread of illusion around us. Because of this illusion, one is not able to correctly dis­criminate between right and wrong, and the situation eeteriorates from bad to worse.

Before the dawn of peace or righ1i knowledge, this illusion, being spread out by the "desire/anger" syndrome, seems to affect tIre major ity of the universe, and this syndrome is shared by all y,'ho are engulfed.by it. Unlike a small dream which lasts for a few hours during deep sleep, this dream of life's journey is an elongated illJ.l­sioFl. generated by the continuous nonrealization of one's peaceful nature and seq~ences of wrong outbursts of 4esire and anger. And, naturally, as long as this illusion lasts, one has to live in accordance with the effects of that illusion.

Anger harms the one who gives room to it in more ways than one. It is, as declared by the Lord Wmself, a gateway to hell. Hence, it is iiI the interest of everyone to give no.quarter to anger.

Desire, anger and greed are ~ pitfalls that one should avoid to lead a peaceful life. What is the way out? Shastras [religious scrip­tures],promise the way to achieve permanent peace by a perma­nent cessation of sorrow. To achieve this peace, one has to disengage oneself from the cobweb of illusion. This disentangle­ment is called chitta shuddhi [consciousne ss purification]. To attain tllls chitta shuddhi one has to remove all dirt from the mind. And what are the ditts of the mind? One is egocentric desire, and the other is anger:'

If we reflect on the nature of desire, we will arrive at the conclu­sion.that almost all desires have failed to yield any permanent satis-

52 HI )'I DUIS'M TOD AlY I\EC EMBER , 1997

of devotion. The mind then becomes fit in the trans-mental stage to receive the

tattvapadesha [discourses on the nature of reality] from the Lord Himself, incarnated as the supreme Guru. This removes all the illusions ofjiva [individual soul] andjagat [the phenomenal world] and inakes one dwell in pristine glory and unending bliss. By es­chewing adharma [wrong actions] and clj.scharging one's duties in a spirit of dedication to' the Lord, one attains great purity of the mind. Flill. of dispassion, he turns away from tl}e world and, seeking refuge in Guru, strives to attain liberation from transmigratory exis-tence, the cycle of reincarnation. ...

Dear dEtvotees! Learn to respect the teachings of wise and elderly persons. Do not be puffed up with pride as though you are the master of yom life, as though you have nothing more to lyarn. Such a misunderstanding has been the downfall and misery of many. Be humble, subdue your arrogance. Understand that elders, wise and' learned men, are all your well-wishers only. They have nothing personal to gain by showing you the path of peace. A happy world is our motto. ,

Never make the mis~e of acting in haste, without considering the consequences of your actions. You will have to pay dearly for your impetuosity.

May God give all the wisdom to practice dharma. Ml}y all become better persons and lead a happy life. .

SHANKARACHARYA SRI BHARATI TIR'DHA, 46, head of the Sringeri 'Math in Karnataka, is the 36th descendent in an unbroken line of spiritual preceptors beginning with the great Adi Sankaracharya.

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