hinduism today, jul, 1998
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Hinduism Today, Jul, 1998TRANSCRIPT
Mfuming Sanatana Dharma and Recording the Modem History of a Billion-Strong Global Religion in Renaissance
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Letters to the editor, and editorial inquiries should be sent to Hinduism Today, 107 Kaholalele Road, Kapaa, : 96746-9304 USA. E-mail: [email protected]. HINDUISM ToDAY (rssN# 0896-0801), July, 1998 20, NO·7. Editorial: 1-808-822-7032 (ext. 241 ); subscriptions: 1-808-822-3152 (ext. USA) 1-800-890-1008 (ext. 238); advertising: (in USA) 1-800-850-1008 or 1 -808-iS2~-Q6:20 .~I~··del)artment fax: 1-808-822-4351. HINDUISM TODAY is published month-ly by Himalayan Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, Publisher; Acharya Pa!aniswami; Ed-itor. USA subscriptions: year, $74'2 years, $10gl3 years, $60o/lifetime. International rates are an additional $10 per distributed through major subscriRtion agencies worldwide. Call 1-808-822-7032 for (ext. 230) or permission to publish a HINDUISM TODAY article (ext. 227) or fax 1. Printed 'in USA.
C 1998 HIMAI:.AYAN ""''''''''·'''M
(Cj()CkW1~;'~ from left): Artists depiction of twenty-one inner chakras of man. .L.L\l'U C ' Jm::u Dot," an acclaimed childrenS film on prejudice. Corpoi-al.
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.'- 1- r - • JULY, 1998
~~M <:::f-:' INTERNATIONAL Tolerance: What's that Little Red Dot? 18 Lead Story: Corporal Punishment: Shall
We Be Tough or Tender with Kids? 20 India: Mostly Ignored, Child Beating
Is Becoming a Serious Issue 32 Nomliolence: Discipline Without Pain 35 Mysticism: Kundalini in the West . 36 Nepal: Vegetarianisms Vanguard of One 46
LIFESTYLE Insight: Chakras: wh'; Exactly Are . These..(Jenters of Consciousness? 28 WOmBn: lIlside Pepsi's Executive Sweet 39-Music; We Talked with Talking Tablas 40 Books: Does Your Dress Really Matter? 40 Youth: Teaching TeenSManners 41
• • OPINION Publisher's Desk: Stop Taking It Out
On Your Ohildren! 10 Letters 12 My Turn: "You ShouIclln't Have Hit Us" 13 Editorial: A Brief and Unpleasant
History of Corporal Punishment 16 Healing: Consequences of.!j.it1:ing Kids 44 Ayurveda: Legalizin,g Healing 45 Minister's Mllssage: Nonviolent Parenting 50
DIGESTS ' Diaspora 7 News in Brief 49
Quotes..& Quips 17 Digital Dharma 56 , Evolutions ' 37
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1995 milk miracle was warmly received by media outside India
SUPERNATURAL
Pakistan Gets Its Turn
NEARLY THREE YEARS AFTER A SPECTACULAR EVENT IN
spired Hindus worldwide, hundreds of Pakistani Hindus rushed to the coal mining town of Machh at the end of March, 1998, upon hearing the townS Shankar Bhagwan (God Siva) temple mum (icon) was drinking milk. The temple announced the mum had consumed over 50 kg of milk by April 1. All milk in the town was purchased by April 2. "This is a holy sign that our wishes and dreams will come true," said Jai Krishan, a government employee from Quetta, over 500 km away. Local Muslim residents also scurried to the temple to witness the miracle. The town administration expressed fear that the old temple building would collapse due to the mad rush. According to the Indian Express, this is Pakistan's first reported Hindu miracle.
Elephants at Trichur Pooram temple festival
beer? British and Japanese tourists to India who witnessed an elephant put thr~ugh this spectacle in the state of Kerala didn't think he liked it, either, charging the Tourist Department with brutality. Foreign animal-lover tourists
ANIMALS
Cruelty to Elephants \ V fRAT IF YOU WERE W chained, taken to a beach
and forced to dance for seven hours while intoxicated with
are part of a growing concern over cruelty in the name of cultural promotion. The dances
• (and another abusive event modeled after elephant parades at the Trichur Pooram festival), are the showpiece of Kerala's tourism festivals. Activists feel tourists should only be exposed to traditional activities.
CLOC1CWISE FROM TOP LEFT: SH.ARAD SAXENA/INDIA TODAY, COURTESY SWAMINARYAN PR.AK.ASH, MYSTIC FIRE VIDEO, PQRsiPHAL S. GIRDTA
'Spirit Behind The Politics ~ BHARATIYA JANATA
I Party couldn't resist. India's new Hindu-led government had to get blessings from the spiritualleaders who maintain India's inner stability. So, on March 6, 1998, shortly after their narrow election victory, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Lalkrishna Advani (BJP's chief), Keshubhai Patel (Chief Minister of Gujarat) and several other top
pols pilgrimaged from Delhi to Gandhinagar, Gujarat, to meet with H.H. Pramukh Swami Maharaj at ills Bochasanwasi Akshardharn temple complex. Swami urged his guests to "Keep almighty God with you all the time, in all your actions, and He will guide you towards a successful government." Pramukh Swami is a leader of the Swaminarayan sect, a worldwide family congregation and one of Hinduisms largest monastic orders, with over 600 monks, known as "saints." He is also the founder of a stunning marble temple in Neasdon, United Kingdom.
Pramukh Swami Maharaj blesses India's Prime M,inister Vajpayee
HATHA YOGA . Farm Hands
GRAB YOUR MAT AND
"play" yoga with a Rastafarian rooster and a straw-hat-
ted cow uttering udderly silly lines in "E.I.E.I. Yoga" ("'$14.95, Mystic The Video). We ~howed this to children (those over nine called it corny) who delighted in watching Yogi Oki Doki, aka Max Thomas, perform handstands .one minute, then toetapping song and dance routines, to the accompaniment of blue grass music. The approach may confound purists, but TIlomas tries to keep it fun while teaching hatha yoga to kids. With a continuous emphasis on breathing, Oki Doki guides you through twenty classic poses with names like Broccoli ("tree" pose) and Twisting Pea Vme ("eagle").
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Yogi Oki Doki and young guests
JULY , 1998 HINDUISM TODAY 7
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Priest Sri Puganeswara Iyer blesses the foundation bricks in Perth
AUSTRALIA
Groundbreaking Puja in Perth "7\ USTRALIA'S NEWEST ADDI
J=\tion to religious pluralism took root in the Western coastal capital of Perth on April 10,
1998. Special guest Paramacharya Bodhinatha from Kauai Aadheenam, Hawaii, and 800 Hindus converged on a small tent to witness the foundation stone-laying ceremony for a new, Agamic-styled temple. Since
1990, the group has worshiped in a temporary hall also used for cultural activities. The new temple,. building on solidarity, is designed with shrines to five main Deities: Devi, Siva, Ganesha, Vishnu and Subramanya. Total cost, including adjacent facilities, is likely to exceed US$970,000.
HINDU TEMPLE ASSOCIATION OF W.A. , PO BOX 53, WILLETTON, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
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THE VEDAS
God's Word, Sages'Voices .
Being overcome by fruits of f his action, he enters a good or evil womb, so that his I course is downward or up- r ward, and he wanders around, overcome by the pairs of opposites. 1
KYV. MAITRI UPANISHAD 3.2
Just as spokes are affixed to I the hub of a wheel, so are I
all things established in life, the Rig and Yajur and Sama I Veda, Sacrifice, the nobility and also the priesthood.
ATHARVA VEDA, PRASNA U 2.6 t According as one acts, according as one behaves, so does he become. The doer of good becomes good. The doer of evil becomes evil. One becomes virtuous by virtuous action, bad by bad action.
SHUKLA YAJUR VEDA, BRIHADARANYAKA UPANISHAD 4.4.5
8 HINDUISM TODAY. JULY , 1998
Fatyously Fat THE WIT'I"Y NEW ISSUE OF
I Colors magazine is about human obesity. It explores many factors such as unhealthiness of fatty foods, sneaky marketing strategies and lack of exercise due to effort-saving inventions. For example, Colors reports 73 percent of Indian women devote two hours a day preparing roti, a flat bread. But now Easy Roti (advertised below) promises no rolling and 50 rotis an hour. It's one of many appliances permeating India.
AlWertisement for "Easy Rati"
HousehOld cavalry in England RACE
Toward Parity! ELITE IS THE IMAGE OF
Britams Household Cavalry, for centuries the monarchs personal guard. And so are white faces. Ethnic minorities, mainly descendants of immigrants from India and other former colonies, make up nearly seven percent of Britain's 56 million populace. But they're only one percent of the military. In 1996 a British commission found the Cavalry guilty of "institutionalized racism." The army unit pledged progress, but the first two blacks recruited so far quit due to racial abuse. In March, 1998, officers were ordered to recruit 200 black or Asian soldiers within 2 liz years.
One should not be negligent of truth, virtue or welfare. I . One should not be negligent of prosperity One should not ,. , be negligent of study and teaching.
KRISHNA YAJUR VEDA, TAITTIRIYA UPANISHAD 1.11.1
Stirring both worlds the Brahmachari moveth: in him the deities are all one-minded. He hath established firmly earth and heaven: he satisfies his Master with his Fervor.
ATHABVA VEDA 11.5.1
The Vedas are the divinely revealed and most revered scriptures, sruti, of Hinduism, likened to the Torah (2,000 BCE), Bible New Testament (200 CE), Koran (600 CE) or Zend Avesta (600 BCE) . Four in number, Rig, Yajur, Sarna and Atharoa, the Vedas include over 100,000 verses. Oldest portions may date back as far as 6,000 BCE..
Who Is a Hindu? ''Acceptance of the Vedas with reverence; recognition of the fact that the means or ways to salvation are diverse; and the realization of the truth that the number of gods to be worshiped is large, that indeed is the distinguishing feature of the Hindu religion." B.G. Tilak's definition of what makes one a basic Hindu., as quoted by India's Supreme Court. On July 2, 1995, the Court referred to it as an «adequate and satisfactory formula. "
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: COURTESY NANTHA SATGUNASINGAM COREL, COLORS MAGAZINE, PAINTING BY S. RAJAM
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The book that has touched the lives qf millions ...
Rramahansa Yogananda's acclaimed autobiography is at once the riveting account of an extraordinary life and a profound introduction to the ancient science of Yoga.
With engaging candor, eloquence, and wit, the author describes his experiences with a number of India's venerated saints and sages, providing a rare firsthand glimpse into their lives. Includes his meetings with
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The Pr~blem w ,ith' Taking It Out On the Children Corporal punishment defeats its own purpose, causing harm th~t is difficult to forgive . .. but forgive we must
B Y, SAT G U R U S I V A Y A SUB RAM U N I Y A S W A M I
HE WHOLE WORLD IS REEVALUATING
HOW we treat women, children, the aged and infIrm. Ways of behaving toward our fellow human beings that were normal and
acceptable one hundred years ago are no longer acceptable. We now comprehend, as never before, the tragedy of a battered wife or an abused or neglected infant. Shamefully, we do not always live up to the Hindu ideal in these areas.
What is that ideal? It is this: Never injure others. Hindu children are always treated with great respect and awe, for one does not always know who they are. They may be incarnations of a grandmother, grandfather, aunt or uncle, dearly bel0ved mother, sister, brother, respected father, a yogi or rishi returned to flesh to help humankind spiritually. As parents and teachers, we must ask, "Who are these' souls? What is their destiny to fulfill in this life? How can I help?" Parents love their children, or at least they should, and the principles of ahimsa-nonviolence and nonhurtfulness, physically, mentally or emotionally-do apply in the parentchild relationship, as well as in the husband-wife relationship. Children must be allowed to develop physically, emotionally and mentally without being hurt in the process. Even profeSSional dog trainers know the importance of bonding with their dog, through kindness and affection, and the folly of abuse or neglect. W~ know children are sometimes mischievous and can gElt on
ones'Ilerves, but religious parents and worthy teachers are, in truth, more mature than the children and are able to handle situations as they come up without recourse to pinching or hitting. Only in this way can we bring children from one stage of physical, emotional, mental growth to another and still nurture spiritual qualities. To hurt a child in any way is to drive that child into fear and cause the development of anger and resentment at an early age. Bhakti, love of God and cpmpassion for all, will awaken in such a person only with great effort. ·Parents are supposed to lift their offspring into the higher n~ture of love, forgiveness, friendliness and security, not drive them into the lower nature of hate, mistrust, resentment, offishness and insecurity. Obedience through fear is not a desirable obedience. Conformity through threats does not build a loving family or a strong society. To anger a child at an early age is to place him on the path of retribution toward others later in life. Striking or pinching a child may seem expedient in the confusion of the moment. It may provide a short-term solution. But never forget the long-term price that we pay.
I have been asked, "Should parents never spank a child?" "Should teachers use corporal punishment?" Of course, one should
10 HINDUISM TODAY JULY, Igg8
never spank or beat children, ever. Those who are physically punished are taught to later punish their children. 'ifhis is a vicious cycle that can only be broken by the child's later, as an adult, facing and forgiving the way he was mistreated and vowing to not do the same to his children.
The wife-husband relationship is where it all begins. The mother and father are karmically responsible for the tenor of society that follows them. An ahimsa couple produces the protectors of the race. Himsa, hurtful, couples produce the destroyers of the race. They are a shame upon humanity. It's as simple as that. Its also so crucial that it needs to be said more than once, "Himsa, hurtfui, couples produce the destroyers of the ra£e. They are a shame upon humanity." The beating of a child is a kind of psychological murder, killing creativity, killing love and trust, and awakening fear. A five-foot-ten-inch adult beating on a tiny child-what cowardliness. What cowardliness! Yet another kind of cowardliness belongs to those who stand by, doing nothing to stop known instances of harm and injury in their.community. Such crimes, even if the law dq,es not punish, earn a lifetime imprisonment in the criminal's own karma, because they always know that they watched or knew and said nothing. Beating a child I destroys his or her faith. It destroys faith in humanity and therefore in religion and in God. If he is beaten by his father and mother, his first gurus, who is he going to trust throughout his whole life? Certainly not another guru or swami, no matter how spiritual.
Beautiful children who see their father beating their mother or their mother scratching their father's body after she emotionally destroyed his manhood by insinuations, threats and tongue lashing have at those very moments been given permission to do the same.
Of course, we can excuse all of this as being simply karma-the karma of the parents as taught by their parents and the karma of the children born into the family who abuses them. But the divine law of karma cannot be used as permission or an opportunity to be hurtful. Simply speaking, if hurtfulness has been done to you, this does not give you permission to perform the same act upon another. It is dharma that controls karma. It is not the other way around.
Those beautiful children who see their mother and father 'working out their differences in mature discussion or in the shrine
Teachers'techniques: Scenes fronlschoolrooms, tVhereteachers discipline youths by caning, slapping, ttVisting ears and hitting then1 tVith books, tVrongly thinking this builds good'character ................... u . ................................................................................................ . . ..... . .
room through ,prayer and meditation are at that moment inspired . to do the same in their own life when they are older. They become the elite of society, the pillars of strength to the community during times of stress and hardship. These children' when older will surely uphold the principles of dharma and will not succumb to the temptations of the lower mind.
The flower penance: Those who have been physically abused are as much in need of penance to mitigate the experience as are those who ,abused them. The penance, or prayashchitta, for abusees is called the flower penance, or pushpa prayashchitta. It has been successfully performed by many children and adults to mitigate the hate, fear, resentment and the dislike toward tHe parents, teachers or other adults who beat Ylem, by hitting, pinching, slapping, caning, spanking or other methods of corporal punishment. This penance is very simple to perform, but often very difficult to carry out.
Each person-child or adult- who has been beaten at any time, no matter how long ago, is enjOined to put up in the shrine room a picture of the person or persons by whom they were beaten, be it a father, mother or teacher. Then, every day for thirty-one consecutive days, without missing a single day, he or she must place a flower in front of each pieture, and sincerely forgive the person in heart and mind. If no picture is available then some symbol or possession can be substituted, or even a paper with their name written on it.
When it becomes difficult to offer the flower of forgiveness because hurtful memories come up from the subconscious mind, the individual must perform the vasana daha tantra, writing down the hurtful memories and burning the paper in a trash can. This tantra releases the deep emotions within the individual who fmds that he or she does not like or deeply resents the parent or other relative, school teacher or principal. After writing about these experiences, expressing in words the emotions felt, on many pieces of paper, the area of fhe subconscious mind holding the suppressed anger and resentment gradually disappears as the papers are seen burning to ashes in a garbage can.
Upon recognizing and admitting their fear Of hatred of their abuser, they must deal with the pangs of pain that arise each day by mystically turning the slap, beating or spanking into a beautiful flow of prana by placing a flower before the picture with a heart full of love. Each day while performing the "flowers of forgiveness prayashchitta," the individual should mentally approach thEt antagonist-the person or persons who beat him or her-and say, "I forgive you. I don't hold anything against you, for I know that you gave back to me the karma that I set in motion by performing sinillar actions at a prior time." If possible, this verbal forgiveness should also occur in person at least once during the 31.days, ideally face to face. but at least by phone (if the person is still on this Earth plane).
Of course, for most it's much easier to pass on the slap or beating to someone else. Parents often hit their own child, or abuse another person in order to "get it out of their system." That slap has to go someplage, and turning it into a flower is very, very difficult. This prayashchittf! brings up all those awful memories. This discipline brings up all the pain. It brings all the injustice to the surface of the mind. Nevertheless, this tantra or method has been a great help to many. It is difficult to forgive, and some had to work very diligently within themselves to face up to being able to place that little flower lovingly before the picture 'of a parent or a teacher, perhaps looking like one in the painting on this page. Many tried and failed again and again when deep-seated resentment emerged but fmally succeeded in true forgiveness, whose byproduct is forgetfulness. They all feel so much better today. Now they are responsive, creative and happy inside. Yes, hitting people is wrong-and children are people, too.
JULY , Igg8 HINDUISM TODAY 11
/
A Divine Language TAMIL IS NOT JUST ANY LOCAL LANGUAGE, blJ,t a classical language with over 2,000
years of literary history [BRIEFLY, May '98]. It also happens to be the mother tongue of some 65 million people around the world. Along with Sanskrit, Tamil has also always been a '1anguage of the Gods." We have a moral duty to protect the Hindu spiritual works in Tamil and give it its rightful place ~ the temples of Tamil HindUs.
RENUKA KUMARASAMY EDISON, NEW JERSEY, us
The Colors of C.W. Leadbeater AS A THEOSOPHIST, I MUST RESPOND TO the Mock of text concerning C.W. Leadbeater in your article ["The Colors of Our Cc;Jllsciousness," INSIGHT, May '98]. The adjective "great," used in describing his work, is one that, I belieye, many Theosophists would disagree with. Leadbeater was in my opinion a Christian riding on a Theosophical wave (see his involvement in The Liberal Catholic Church, Co-Masonry and the Adventist movement known as the Order of the Star in thEl East, which I understand many Hindus denounced in print), while it also seems that his work has done much to discredit true Theosophical thought and teaching alongside the great foundations of Eastern occultism and Hinduism. It is unfortunate that his name continues to turn up within, not just in, the same articles here and there, but often even the same sentences alongside the name H .P. Blavatsky, as we fmd in your May issue.
JOHNRAu RODNEY, MICHIGAN, us " [email protected]
Booking My Complaint . THE "BOOK BARONS OF DELHI," ARTICLE madp an interesting reading, but I felt it to be incomplete [PUBLISHING, May '98]. It showed only one side of the coin. All of the six publishers covered were happy and had nothing to complain about, showing that things are good and nice with them. As a reader-consumer, I feel that the prices of Indian books are high. Much higher sales can be achieved if the prices are reasonable! Mter sales, service is also an area where some attention is needed. Indian publishers don't realize that once put off, it is difficult to attract a customer. Credibility and quick response help to increase the confidence of readers.
PRAKASH MODY, TORONTO, CANADA
Why Just Women? JUST TO BE CLEAR, THE BINDI (THILAKAM)
12 HINDUISM TODAY JULY, 1998
LETTERS is not just tor women [LETTERS, May '98]. It used to be a "must have" for all Hindus, men and women alike. No one is losing sleep over why the men stopped wearing thilakam or why they are not wearing dJwti every day. Is it expected that women should stick to the tradition while men embrace the Western culture and accouterments? The responsibility of carrying over the tradition to the next generation rests equally on men's as well as women's shoulders.
SUBHA VARMA PATHIAL " [email protected]
" IT IS EVERY WOMAN'S PREROGATIVE TO choose for herself what she would like to wear. I don't see' any sons of Bharat going to school or work in America wearing tradi~ tional Indian attire or bindi. Why is it not expected of them? ,..
DEEPTIP KOTIHAL KING OF PRUSSIA, PENNSYLVANIA, us
Nonvegetarianism's Aftereffect THE RAPID GROWTH WE SEE IN CHILDREN these days is due to the growth hormones that are fed to the aninIals. I think this could account for the early physiG.al development in children and the early onset of menstruation in our young girls. The violence seen in yaung boys could also be attributed to this. They are being "forced" to grow physically before they are ready mentally and emotionally to deal with all the emotions that come with physical maturity. Children naturally are drawn to vegetables, fruit and grain products. They will not even consume sweet or salty items without learning to first.
Bulwarking Ahimsa
DOVE GRiMES " [email protected]
I UNDERSTAND THAT HINDUS BELIEVE that it is cruel and unnecessary to abuse or slaug!her animals or to use them in experimental labs. There are animal welfare grgups in the world who are trying to eliminate the cruelty. Their strategies and efforts have helped to a certain degree, but the cruelty continues. I am sad to say that a letter such as this would not be-accep(ed by many of my fellow Christians. I am therefore ask-
. ing for assistance from the Hindus. "" SARA B. MAGUIRE
P.O. BOX 180 SEAL ROCK, OREGON 97476 us
Erroneous Reports VOICE OF INDIA WAS STARTED IN 1982, NOT in 1989, and not by me but by Jiam Swarup ["Book Barons of Delhi, PUBLISHING, May '98f It is not my individual effort. Several scholars and small businessmen have helped it to grow. What I emphasized to your re-
porter was that Islam and Christianity have co~tinued to progress in India despite hundreds of thousands of books in all Indian languages, including English, having been published extolling all aspects of Hinduism down the centuries. We are telling Hindus what Hinduism is "not" so that creedal reli, gions are not accepted as dharma and nailed as totalitarian imperialist ideologies like Communism and Nazism.
SITA RAM GOEL NEW DELHI, INDIA
THE PASSING GlF SRV'GYANAMATA IS blscussed accurately in your article ["BornAgain Books, REVIEWS, April '98], except that she is described as a nun of the Ramakrishna Order whereas she was a nun of Self-Realization Fellowship, a direct disciple of Yogananda Paramahansa as mentioned in the article.
SANDY MARTIN " [email protected]
• Expose Us to Hinduism MY FAMILY MOVED TO AMERICA WHEN I was two years old, and I never had the opportunity to immerse myself in Hindu culture as much as I would have liked. I was very happy to discover your magazine and cannot express enough how comforting it is. It greatly bothers me that I know more about Christianity and its customs than my own religion. I do not speak a language native to India, and the holidays, prayers and practices are a mys~ery to me.
PALLAVIVEERA WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, US
THOUGH BORN AS A HINDU, A LOT OF PEOple are not exposed to the proper teachings or practice of Hinduism. As usual, fingers are always pointed at the younger generation, saying that we have no interest in our religion, are going in the wrong direction,
;etc. How are these people to blame when the older generation)s responsible to lead, and yet they fail to do so? Much emphasis is placed on education, career, etc., but there isn't a firm foundation on religion.
VIMALA " [email protected]
Lattars with Writers name, address and daytime phone number, .should be sent to:
Lattars, HINbulSM TODAY 107 Kaholajale Road KANA, HA'AI~ 98748-9304 USA or faxed to: (808) 822-4351 or e-mailed to: [email protected]
Letters may be edited for space and clarity and may appear in electronic versions of HINDUISM TODAY. " INDICATES LEITERS RECEIVED VIA E-MAIL
HINDU RENAISSANCE TEAM
HINDUISM TODAY was founded January 5, 1979, by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, for the following purposes: 1. To foster Hindu solidarity as a unity in diversity among all sects and lineages; 2. To inform and inspire Hindus worldwide and people interested in Hinduism; 3. To dispel myths, illusions and misinformation about Hinduism; 4. To protect, preserve and promote the sacred Vedas and the Hindu religion; 5. To nurture and monitor the ongoing spiritual Hindu renaissance. We invite our readers to share these purposes with us by writing letters, contributing reports and articles on events, sencling news clippings and encouraging other;s to subscribe .
Publisher: Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami Admin. Dir.: Paramacharya Bodhinatha Editor-in-Chiej: Acharya Palaniswami Publisher's Aide: Acharya Ceyonswiuni Deputy Editor: Acharya Kumarswami Managing Editor: Sannyasi Arumugaswami Graphics Director: Sannyasi Natarajnathaswami Mauritius Editor: Sannyasi Sivamurugaswami Mauritius Staff Writer: Sannyasi Sivadevaswami Prod./Promotion Mgr.: Sannyasi Sivakatirswami Managing Ed. 's Aide: Tyagi Saravanathaswami Dep. ManagingEa: Tyagi~ Editor-in-Chiifs Aide: Yogi Yuganatha Advertising Manager: Sadhaka Jothinatha SubSCription Manager: Sadhaka Adinatha Correspondents: Gowri Shankar & Anandhi Ramachandran, Chermai; Choodamani Shivaram, Bangalore; Rajiv Malik, Prabha Prabhakar Bhardwaj, Mangala Prasad Mohanty, Delhi; V. S. Gopalakrishnan, Kerala; Basudeb Dhar, Bangladesh; Archana Dongre, Los Angeles; Lavina Melwani, New York; Dr. Hari Bansh Jha, Nepal; Parasram Ramoutar, Anil Mahabir, Trinidad; Dr. Devananda Tandavan, Chicago; V. G. Julie Rajan, Philadelphia; Shikha Malaviya, Minnesota; Rajesh Jantilal, South Africa; Tara Katir, Hawaii. Sanskritist: Dr. S. Jayaraman, New York. Artists: A. Manivelu, S. Rajam. Cartoonists: Barry Geller, David Lourie, Mario de Miranda, Manick Sorear, Gary L. Stair, Bob Thaves. Photo Contributors: Thomas L. Kelly, Stephen P Huyler, Dev Raj Agrawal, Phal S. Girota, 'll:1ny Stone Images, Photobank, Art Wolfe Inc., Gordon Wiltsie, Indivar Sivanathan. Web Masters: Deva Seyon, Sadhunathan Nadesan. Scanning: Vikram Patel, New York. Distribution: USA: Ingram Periodicals, New Leaf, EBSCO Subscription Services, Indo-US Books, One ource, Ubiquity, Total CirculatioIh.Services. Canada: Gordon and Gotch. Europe: SWETS Subscription Service. Malaysia and Singapore: Sanathana Dharma Publications. South Africa: Atlas Printers. India: Central News Agency Limited, New Delhi. Printer: Banta Publications Group, Kansas City
Dear .Amma &- Appa: It Was Not "Alright" One Hindu youth tells her story of life in the high-achieving Indian-American family
ANONYMOUS
u~'An'ctir It is a ques-asked by
parents faced with a child who is on the verge of falling apart. They put z their kids through the best j schools, lived in a safe area and ~ hoped their children would be ~ spitting images of themselves- ~ that they would be successful, <
respected citizens of this not-so-foreign country of America. So what went wrong?
The biggest, most prominent problem, the most obvious one, is we are Indian children immersed in America. In school, we tried to blend in as much as possible. We wanted everyone to like us, so we would talk like them and act like them. We wanted to "fit in." At home, parents would push us and pressure us to do well. Often that meant tutorial sessions that ended in violence, or other tough forms of punishment when we didn't measure up. In our eyes and hearts, we slowly became their medals. Any accomplis~ment was just a tool to brandish to their friends-to prove how well they were raising us. Nothing we did could ever have been based on our own merit; it was all their doing. In public we had to be the perfect little submissive toy robots. We were constantly being put down, told that we were not good enough, how incredibly stupid we were if we ever got a 'B', yet were expected to Qe the best.
You parents were never really affe",tionate toward us, and we could not find the affection anywhere else, so love became a foreign concept that we could only dream oE Some of us found secret ways to get around the problem. Some rebelled. Lying to you became second nature.
Look at yourself and ask if the way you think, act and speak about your friends and children is reaIIy what you feel to be right. Realize that you are in a completely differ-
ent world from where you grew up. Times have changed; and you have to adjust.
To those of you with younger children, try to understand some of their fears and embarrassments and try to teach them pride. Instill in them a sense of humor. Let your kids know how much they mean to you, and show it. Pay attention to your
child's health. Teach your children those aspects of language, culture and religion that you think they would enjoy and appreciate. Do not mock them when they do not understand certain things. Explain. The pressure you PVt on a child to act a certain way or to get that 'N can be so detrimental. The most important thing is that we, as children, as humans and a;1 young adults, need to grow. We need to be given choices in life and need to make those choices for ourselves. Your children are responsible, intelligent people, but not all can be doctors, lawyers or engineers.
The key to life is happiness. If Y011 take .that away from your children, and they have no way of getting it back, it may be too late to do anything about it. If you take what we have said to heru;t and work thing~ thrOlJ.gh with your children, they will want to forgive and forget.
We think ultimately we all want the same thing-respect. You parents want our respect for bemg the ones who raised us. We children know that and are grateful for it. But we also demand respect for our views, ideals and individuality. If we fmd some meeting ground, then maybe healthy relationships can be formed, love will blossom and happiness will allow our community to not just survive, but thrive.
This article was published on the InMlink web site, from an anonymous writer expressingfrustration over the way she was raised.
JULY, 1998 HINDUISM TODAY 1~
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LoVING GANESA 800 Lavishly fllustrated Pages on Ganesa
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MONK'S COOKBOOK A tasteful arrangement of South Indian and Sri Lankan dishes perfected in homes and temples as offerings to the Lord. Indian ashrams serve the finest cruelty-free meals enjoyed anywhere, and the monks at Kauai's Hindu Monastery carryon that 6,000-year-old tradition. Believing that good food is humankind's best medicine, they are sharing their secret collection of recipes
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I
, EDITORIAL continued to dominate. Child-raising be
came less a process of conquering young
Beating What Devi1 Out dfOur Children?
sters and more one of~raining and guiding them. The emphasis turned to teaching them to conform and socialize."
America's pioneers believed children to be essentially wicked. Their appetites and passions had to be harnessed. They had to be 'broken like wild horses." Then about 80 years ago a view emerged that "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." This lead to more time during childhood for recreation and exploration. Discipline was virtually abandoned and apologies were
Why a simple theological difference. makes it harder to strike little Hindu boys and girls even given to children who were treated
harshly. Styles of child-raising see-sawed through the century, fIrst becoming •
BY. THE EDITOR
EATING CHILDREN WAS NEVER MUCH OF AN ISSUE IN
the old world. For most of human history, the only question was how to beat, with what and how often. But whether to
? Most societies didn't even discuss the option. So parents pummeled their offsPJ"ing into quivering obedience,
into abject submission and even to death. And nobody complained. But attitudes are changing. Now, in,the gos, child beating-by
which we mean something far less severe than child abuse-is illuminated by the same light of conscience that outlawed slavery and championed women's rights. It is becoming unthinkable and, in some places, criminal to strike your own child.
Our perceptions of and therefore our relations with children are not static. In his book, Peaceful Parenting in a Violent World, Dr. Joseph Cress describes how Western society has swung between authoritarian and permissive approaches to child-rearing, neither of which, he says, really works. "The past several centuries are marked by hypocracy, ambivalence and contradictions in the raising of children. Three facts are clear: 1. child maltreatmen{has been practiced for centuries; 2. child maltreatment has been historically sanctioned .by cultural values and 3. the history of child abuse has contributed to current controversies and practices." I
'He notes that every civilization, East and West, has abused children. In European ancient times, he Writes, "ehildren weren't even considered human, but instead were viewed as chattel, owned by the father like sheep or a bullock cart. The accepted notion y.'as that children existed to' meet the needs of their parents, and that they were a burden, a fInancial investment, or born evil and had to be redeemed by severe punishment." He '" tells a tale of how brutal beatings, abandonment of g children, sale into slavery and to}lsome child labor ~ were common up to the 13TH"Century. Then for ~ 300 years attitudes morphed, and more "gentle" ~ disciplines became popular: verbal scolding, caning and chaining to stools fOJ; hours at a time. In the 18TH century, attitudes reversed again as parents moved away from conquering aJ{d intimidating children towaid supportive strategies and mentalemotional ways of controlling behavior. Coercion and threats gained popularity, but severe whipping continued. As the 19TH century dawned, "an increasing number of adults felt that whipping would create lasting resentment or alienation, and rob children of their dignity' and sense of identity." Nonetheless, strict child-rearing policies
16 HINDUISM TODAY JU1..Y , 1998
permissive, then authoritarian. When the parental tyranny of the 30S created malad, justed adults, an era of leniency followed in
the 50S and 60S, letting children grow up freely. But this resulted in undisciplined and irresponsible brats. Neither system seemed to work, and no one really knew how to compromise between permissiveness and strictness. To this day, America remains ambivalent about whether to be tough or tender in raising children.
More subtle strategies have evolved recently. Parents are taught to take each childs temperament and age into account, to discipline differently according to their own nature and moods at the time of a childs infraction, and according to cultural-biological forces facing the child. And defInitely, experts urge, don't strike when angry. When in doubt, hug, don't hit.
It is a sad fact that Christians are dragging their feet on reform. In the Southern Bible Belt of America it is still regarded as one's Christian duty and every parent's inalienable right to physically punish young children. The Abraharnic Bible is legitimately quoted in defense of such a claim (thoug.\;J. victims might say that civil laws
supercede the religious injunction in such cases). Proverbs 22:15 & 14 says: "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt delivet his soul from hell." Clearly, Christians who want to physically punish children, and not all do, have a fIrm theological defense for it. Hindus do not. ,
Quite the opposite. Hindus don't believe that children are inherently evil, or that they need to "have the Devil beat out of them." In Sanatana Dharma each human, however young or old, is a divine, evolving soul: and the prime ethic is ,this: Thou shalt not injure other living beings. That means neither hitting nor physically punishing kids. We have no spiritual justillcation. We cannot excuse oursylves by pointing to scriptural authority to assuage our conscience. We cannot say it's OK 'because the Vedas permit it." They don't.
It is our belief that Indian spiritual wisdom has much to offer the world today regarding this ana
other contemporary moral issues, just as we were at the vanguard about slavery and non,violent civil disobedience. Hindus can, we know, lead the world toward the right balance between tenderness and toughness. Without..compromise of diScipline, we can set standards of child-Tearing for the world to follow. Alas, the world follows example, not sermonizing, so we must begin in the home, of which Hindus have approximately 200 million. This work can only be done there, where children grow up, one home at a time.
a.IUI S "You'd think our children woula be more religiOUS.
Aft'er all, we did. beat the hell out of them." •
Overheard at a social gathering where parents lamented their kids' lack of religiOUS interest
The biggest room in the world is-room for improvement. Dada J.P. Vasw!lni
We are a nation of many nationalities, many races, many religions-bound together by the single unity of 'freedom and
R.EPRINTED WITH PERMISSION
TII'S "EXTINCTION of TlfE pf~SONAL.ITY ANp
/oNfNf»' WITH THE VNIVi1$f" TtilNG . " 1$ TH6f2!e ANY MONF(
IN IT? •
equality. Whoever seeks to set one nationality, race or religion against another, seeks' to degrade all nationalities, enslave all races and destroy all religions. Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd US president (1882-1945), in a New York address, November 1, 1940.
WEVE HEARD So MUCH ABOUT )t)UR TANDOORI CHAl1'AL~ AND YOUR
LAFlJRI Ro115,MY DEAR."
FOOTNOTE: "TANDOOR" IS AN OVEN FOR BAKING BREAD. "CHAPPAL" MEANS SANDAL IN HINDI. "KHOLAPUR," KNOWN FOR ITS SPECIAL FOOTWEAR, IS A CITY NEAR GOA IN WESTERN INDIA . " ROT!" IS INDIAN FLATBREAD.
The low-minded are happier than men who know the good, for they are never troubled by the pains of conscience. Tirukural, Verse 1072
Children are so wonderful-they just can't be beat! Swami Beyondananda
If all the world is a stage, where is the audience sitting?
A yoga master stepped up to a samosa stall and said: "Make me one with everything." The vendor fIxed a samosa and handed it to the yogi, who paid with a $20 bill. The vendor put the bill in a cash drawer and closed the drawer. "Where's my change?" asked the yogi. The vendor smiled, "Change must come from within."
DID YOU KNOW?
Cool Dot Gets Hotter
1 HE BIND!, OR POTTU IN TAMIL, IS
a small dot worn on the forehead, made of red powder, sandalpaste,
clay, cosmetics or other substances. A sign that one is a Hindu, and a beauty mark for Hindu women, it mystically represents the "third eye," which sees things physical eyes cannot. Today the bindi is an international fashion ornament. Western celebrities are all over it, from Hollywood actresses to rock singers like Gwen Stefani. See page 18.
JULY, 1998 HINDUISM TODAY 17
/
VI"DEOS
Turning I;ruel to Cool Broad-minded children respond to racism by promoting tolerance through the Hindu Bindi
By ARCHANA DONGRE, Lo's ANGELES N THE HEELS OF THE RACIST "DOT buster" incidents which occur in major US metropolises, a refreshing 35-minute docudrama, Just a Little Red '
Dot (Sandalwood Productions, Ontario), aims to make a difference. Viewing it is an illuminating experience for adults. But even more heart-warming is the fact that it has turned elementary-school children into ardent anti-racism activists. The young stars of the film now travel far and wide, giving presentations on tolerance and acceptance to other kids in formative years.
The docudrama sprang from the real-life experiences in the 5th grade classroom of film-maker-turned-teacher Mitra Sen. It all began at the Tom 0' Shanter junior public school in Scarborough, Canada, on May 20, 1994. A new student from Sri Lanka, Parvathi, was jeered by other kids for wearing a bindi on her forehead. Later when classmates gave birthday presents to their teacher, Parvathi offered a package of bindis, and Sen wore one, explillning its cultural significance to her-charges. Hearing that it would beautify them, the girls asked to wear one, and tl;:en they ran out to the playground with their bindis on.
the tremendous abilities senior citizens and children have to contribute. I also have a strong affinity for my culture," elaborated Sen in an interview with HINDUISM TODAY. She now lives in Toronto, although she was born in England and brought to North America as a two-year-old by her Bengali parents.
Impassioned by the challenging ,.project, Sen went on an unpaid two-year leave of absence, sought funding, then wrote, directed and produced the film. She recruit~d 80 chil-
the film, for Sen, and also for the Little Red Dot Club, which was established on the kids' initiative in the SUlllffier of 1996.
'pur goal is to make our generation realize -the importance of sharing and under~tanding different cultures, so that when we grow up, we will know how to cooperate with all people no matter what they look like or where they come from," Mandy Pipher,,, 13, co-chair of the club, explained to HINDUISM TODAY. The five-member club has made some, 60 presentations to elementary schools in metropolitan Toronto. "I love to see the impact on the kids. They come to me later asking for the cool dots," beame'Cl Pipher. It is an enhanced and intense learning experience for the club kids, who are' becoming well versed in planning, public speaking and speech writing, not to mention the project's flip side of applying for grants, preparing a budget, designing logos and formatting their first upcoming newsletter this SUlllffier. In December of 1996, the club received a $10,000 "Get up and Stand
",
Their artless enthusiasm was quickly crushed as their peers hurled names at them, including slurs like "Paki-dots." Stunned, ashamed and confused by their first-hand experience of rampant racism, eveI}. before understanding what the term meant, the nine-and ten-year-olds quickly and begrudgingly removed 'their bindis.
Dot" club: Parvathi applies a Bindi, termed a "cool dot," to eager classmates
As Sen persuaded them to discuss it, some wise kids came up with the idea of "educating" their schoolmates about tolerance and respect for others' cultures and appearances. They successfully popularized the bindis on the school grounds by cleverly calling them "cool dots." Other women teachers also donned the dots, and despite initial obstacles, the teasefs soon fizzled out as the new schoolyard fad mushroomed.
Sen, now in her thitties, had two years' previous experience as assistant director for the hit TV series Degrassi Junior High. She saw in the bindi events fertile ground for an educational film. "My niche is to send out positive messages about multifaceted human rights issues, such as child labor and
18 HINDUISM TODAY JULY, 1998
dr~n from more than a dozen national and racial backgrounds and turned them into actors. When the Red Dot premiered at the Ontario Science Center on June 25, 1996, the cast and directors earned a standing ovation, not just for the hearty, upbeat message, but also for the notable characters, graphics and an outstanding musical score by Ron Korb.
"Thls powerful film inspires, informs, heightens awareness and encourages the kind of respect, sensitivity and positive action so essential for our multicult~al society," remarked Dr. Karen Mock, ,national director for Human Rights of B'nai B'rith of Canada. Accolades from top government officials rained in along with public praise. Dozens of prestigious awards followed, for
Up" grant from Trilljum Foundation. The club also became a fmalist for the "" Leading anti-racism organization in Canada."
Meanwhile, Sen is planning another sabbatical in the fall of '98 to finish a teachers guide to accompany the film. "Then I will go to India, interact witJ:t children in villages and follow my other passion of photography," Sen, said. She has alrea.dy been to India five times, and intends to do a film on Indian architecture, landscape, forts, medieval and rural settings and costumes. And if she fmds racism and discrimination within India? Maybe she will change that, too, one day. ..,..1
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19
" SOCIAL · ISSUES
" '. ar.ln e 'i
Should corporal punishment endP By V G. JULIE RAJAN, PHILADELPHIA
HOUGH THEY DON'T SAY MUCH ABOUT IT, YOUNG HINDU ADULTS
today feel deep resentmen~ and anger at having beeI;l beaten as children. We struggle with feelings of low self-esteem and failure. Many qf us will continue the cycle of violence by beating our own children or our spouses simply because we are unable to tesolve those feelings.
We don't blame our parents, who genuinely loved us and sacrificed for us, for they ~e themselves just the previous round in this same cycle. We don't blame our Hindu faith either, for corporal punishment of c~ildren is present in every culture. But as advocates of nonviolence, we do claim a special role in solving this problem. Unfortunately, when objections are raised to corporal punishment, the Hindu community's reaction too often is outright denial, or a cmt, dismissal, as it "never happen? in high-caste nouses." Some offer the defiant defense, "I was beaten as a cbild and am a better adult today," or, "It is in our tradition." Unfortunately, such evasive and erroneous replies mask th~ real harm being perpetuated.
The most common defense of hitting children is: "I was b8CJten as a child and am a better adult today for it." 20 HINDUISM TODAY JULY , 1998
I
, \
This extensi~e rep~rt on child; discipline includes accounts from HINDUISM TODAY correspondents worldwide, but mostly from v.c. Julie Rajan, who was born in Madurai a1td raised in the USA. T~ topic is "corp 0; ral punishment," in the specific "Sense of slapping, spanking or hitting a child as a means of discipline at home or in school, either with the hand, a cane, a belt or a hard object. Also included are other forms of physical distress as well as emotional battering ... Our topic is not "child abuse," in the sense of bodily injury, though corporal punishment can easily lead to such results.
I
Many Hindu 'adults deny there is any problem with corporal punishment in our community. The reality is too often like this report from a young Indian-American Hindu: "I know of a Hindu boy whose father hits him severely. Once, he gave him a black eye. I didn't believe it, but then I saw it. He had covered it very wen with his sister's makeup foundation. That scared me because when you can cover it that well, you
One India school teacher quit her job rathel' than fulfill the pl'incipal's request to punish students by banging their head against the wall
don't know how many times he's covered it. A couple of weeks later, his father hit him in the other eye. I think that there was also a lot of verbal and emotional abuse." HINDUIS~ TODAY correspondent Choodie Sivaram reports from Bangalore, "Beating is eVf rywhere in India and in all classes, especially in families with working mothers. Just recently, I saw a prominent man slapping his grandchild at a public event." [See page 32 for Choodie's three-page report. ]' A 1996 survey of university students in India found
. g1 % of boys and 86% of girls were physically punislied as children.
And in school? In America, it would be rare for the super-achieving Indian-American children-even in those states that allow it, such as Texas and Florida-to "9.e on the
Austria outlawed corporal.punishment because of ''the 1mmeasurable harm children suffer when parents uSe physical punishment."
/
22 HI NDUISM TODAY JULY, 1998 I,
receiving end of the vice-principal's threefoot paddle. But in India, Malaysia, Mauritius and Sri Lanka, teachers routinely hit even good students with a rattan cane or ruler on the hand, back, legs or buttocks, slap them across the face, bang their head against the blackboard, twist their ears, make them stand on desks with hands raised high, squat in the sun or stand with books held in outstretched hands for long periods. Catholic schools in particular are noted for their brutality. Despite new laws , in several countries to reduce such punish-
"IIlent, all these practices continue to this day. A few weeks ago, for ~ample, a teacher in a Chennai, India, school hit every student in her eighth grade class on the hand for poor performance on a math test. One student in Malaysia said, "Vigorous slapping for not paying attention during lessons is a daily affair." [See "Healing; page 44, for the physical effects of hitting' children.] .
Corporal punis,hment of children is legal in most countries of the world. Only Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Austria and Cyprus outlaw hitting of children by their parents. The Parent Code in Sweden, the first country to pass such laws, states, "Children are to fie treated with respect for their person and individuality and may not be subjected to physical punish-
ment or other injurious or humiliating treatment." The Austrian lawmakers wrote, "The motive for this reform is our knowledge of the immeasurable harm children suffer when parents are not willing or able to avoid physical punishment as a way of bringiNg up their children." Some countries outlaw only hitting of students by teachers, including Malaysia and South Africa. Corporal punishment in schools is legal in 23 of America's 50 states, and by parents in all states. AccordingJ o recent polls, 70 percent of American parents hit their children.
Opinions of saints in Nortli India: HINDUISM TODAY corr~spondent Rajiv M~k queried a number of saints and sadhus present at the Kumbha Mela in early April on the issue of corporal punishment. Manybut not all-condemned the practice. Ramesh Bhai Oza, the famed Kathak singer from Mumbai said, "Only by dealing with the child with a lot oflove can his immense latent potential be brought forward. What can be done by the power of love cannot be attained through a rod." Sri Mahant Ganga Puri Ji, Secretary, Sri Panchayati Akahar Mahanirvani, Haryana, concurred, "I do not approve of the practice of physically manhandling children. We must use other positive methods of reforming children."
Sri Mahant Govind Das Ji, Secretary, Sri
PHOT OS: ROH}NI KUMAR
School disciplines - whacking the hand with a ruler, being made to hold books in outstretched hands. Parents buy rattan canes to beat children at home.
Panchayat Bada Udasin Akhara, of Haridwar observed that, "When a child is beaten, he becomes stubborn. And a stubborn child becomes a confused child. When the child knows that the ultimate punishment given to him Will be beating, he becomes mentally prepared. This is not the solution."
Sri Kapil Puri Ji, former Sri Mahant, Juna Akhara, Haridwar, was one of the few who demurred. "Our scriptures say that to age five we must love the child. Five to sixteen is the time when he must get tadana, reprimanded [by beating], because it is from five to sixteen years that his life is made."
Dr. P. Jayaraman, head of the Bharatiya .Vidya Bhavan in New York, disagrees. In the scripture cited by Kapil Puri, which comes from the Neeti Shastra.by Chanakya (dated 350BCE) the term tadayet, according1:o Jayaraman, "while literally meaning 'strike' or 'hit: symbolically means 'teach discipline' or 'teach strictly. '" Jayaraman states, "My personal view, and that of the Bhavan, is completely against corporal punishment of chil-
dren. We cannot quote some references from smritis [secondary scriptures, such as Neeti Shastra or the various Dharma Shastras] in favor of this, since smritis are subject to change from time to time and are based on the circumstances of the time and period in which they were written." For example, parents will quote the saying, "Sarna, dana, bheda, danda," which means "using kind words (or negotiation), bribery, sowing dissension and punishment (or striking)," and appears in Manu Dharma Shastra 7.1g8. "These are the four means of achieving success against an ..-enemy," explains Jayaraman, and are meant for a king, not a p~ent.
Other verses of Manu Dharma Snastra explicitly permit corporal punishment, for example, verse 8.22g, "A wife, a son, a slave, a pupil and a younger brother of the full blood who have committed faults, may be beaten with a rope or a split bamboo." However, this verse has bee;; rejected in modern times and cannot be used as a defense of wife or child beating~
Swami Satchidananda of the Integral Yoga Institute in Virginia, USA, told Hinduism Today in an exclusive interview he believes "limited thrashing, controlled hitting of children a little, is necessary. Children should know why the parents are doing it, and parents should have complete control over
JU LY, 199 8 HI NDUISM TO DA Y 23
"
themselves. If I am a big swami today, it is because I had a lot of beating from my father. He had control over it. He told me the reason. The beating comes at the 'very last, when everything fails. If the children know the parents love them tl;!.e most, that they are doing everything because they love them, they will not have any re~ntment."
Swami Tathagatananda of the Vedanta Society of New York also calls for parents to approach their child with love. He said, "Life being an opportunity to reach divine excellences, idealism in Hinduism exhorts us to look upon a child as God Himsel£ Parents are to treat the child with utmost care and with a reverential attitude for their spiritual well being. 'Sarna, dana, bedha, 'danda' has nothing to do with raisiIig of kids." A few years ago the Ramakrishna Mission iIi. India forbid corporal punishment in its schools.
The Vedic edict is ahimsa, affIrms Swami Brahmavidyananda of Satyananda Yoga Ashram, Florida, [see his Minister's Message, page 50]. The Shukla Yajur Veda, Brhihadaranayaka Upan~had says, ''Ahimsa is not causing pain to any living being at any time through the actions of one's mind, speech or body." "Nowhere in the Upanishads," agrees Tathagatananda, "do we do fmd anything like physical punishment."
Students being hit on the hand with a thick rope by the discipline teacher for coming to school with long fingernails
Swgmi Sahajananda of the Divine Life Society of South Africa offered this insight: "In the old. days, during the parent's and grandparent's childhood, the children had strong
. nerves and a different mental makeup. Even if they received corporal punishment at school or at home, it did not affect them much. But today, perhaps the children have weak nerves' and their mental make-up is also different. Any kind of violence is sure to affect their nerves and mind and even damage their psyche. The scars left on their psyche may be carried over to the next birth."
Does hitting work? Beating children does not instill discipline. Rather, violence brings into play myriad spiritual and psychological problems for both parents and child. "Violence against children is a shameful act," states Swami Brahmavidyananda. Beating children "is an act of violence with its root in anger. Anger is caused by a desire for something which, when not fuilllled, results z in uncontrolled action. Everything is based ;:; on karma. What goe;; around comes around. ~
It's Scary Being Hit By Big People
ceptable [in the community]. If you say something wrong, they'll hit you on the face. If you hit your brother, they hit you on the hand. If you kick someone, they hit you on your leg."
Corporal punishment thrives at home and in schools
NDER THE CLOAK OF
anonymity, dozens of Hindu youths gave testimony of their experi
ences with child beating. USA: "I once remember
when I was 11, I had done something wrong. I ran to my room and locked my door, because I knew my father was in an angry rage-he had been beaten regularly as a child. He began beating my door and scratching it so loud that I did not open it. If! did, I knew it would be bad. The next day, I looked at my door and it looked liked some animal had clawed it."
USA: "My cousin was raised
in my family by my parents. As he was the older one, my parents were more harsh with him. I know he has internalized it all. He hates my parents and feels they abused him and hit him too much. They have apologized for it and realize that wasn't the way to do it, but he can't get over it."
Mauritius: '1\1l of us in our lives have been beaten by our parents using hands, canes, hangers, rubber pipes, sticks and brooms. Until I was twelve years old, my mother used to hit me on the head with cooking pans and pots."
USA: "I have been slapped on the face. I think that's ac-
24 HINDUISM T ODA.Y JU,LY , 1997
India: "My friend was hit regularly as a child and cannot get over it. Now he is a parent. Sometimes he gets really angry and takes his mood out on his kid. He doesn't hit her, but he sends the same message."
USA: '1\s you get older, it turns into verbal abuse. It is always that the Indian parent and Indian-American child are coming from two different directions and end up at a wall. There is just no in-between. When you go to school, you are one person and when you come home you are another person. The only positive way to see it is to think that for my kids it will be different."
USA: "I was eleven. I had just come home from playing with my friends outside, and my father must have gotten mad because he began hitting
me in front of my American friends on the doorstep. He just grabbed my hair and hit me. He did the same when we had an Indian friend over. I realized this wasn't normal only when my friend gave me a look of shock and sympathy."
India: "I feel abused because my dad would pick up anything that came to his hand and hit me. I have actually bled, I have actually been cut."
USA: "Sad, but one of my earliest memories was as a child of about three to four years old. I am not sure what I did wrong, but I remember my father picking me up and throwing me, my back, against the wall-I remember this quite clearly. I remember confronting him about it, but he denied it all."
India: "My father told me stories about how his grandparents used to put red chilies around his and his cousin's eyes if they had done something wrong."
,
India: "In my father's house in India, my youngest uncle, about 19 years old, was always getting into trouble. One day when he came home late, my older uncle grabbed a shoe, chased him into a room and really beat him badly. The screams and beatings were just so loud and lasted for twenty minutes and no one did anything. There were ten adults in the house and not even the mother did anything. I seemed to be the only angry person there, but as a young boy myself, what could I do? Was I shocked when that young uncle committed suicide later? No. When people beat you and tell you are worth nothing, why live?"
Malaysia: "Yelling at the children would be most regular, almost every day in a week. Harsh words painful to hear are used. Stupid would be the very most common."
India: "I saw the father slap his one-year-old baby, and it
upset me. The baby did not cry. It made me think, 'He is used to it.'''
India: "My grandmother tried to go to school after she attained puberty. She was going to run away to another town. When her father found out, he beat the hell out of her, black and blue, locked her up for days and married her off She vowed her own daughter would get an education. That beating made her determined, but also hateful and vengeful. She destroyed the family eventually, destroyed her own children's relationship-my mom and my aunt. My mom and her broth-ers, never spoke to ~
:l! p ..
Rapping on the head z with the knuckles is :>: •• ~
You will reap what you sow." "Those who beat or pinch or slap or whip
their children are the enemies to religion, becau; e they are pushing the next generation into lower consciousness," summarizes SivWa Subramuniyaswami. [See page 28 for a description of these lowest chakras governing fear, jealousy, anger, revenge, etc.]
Dr. Devika Krishnan is a Hindu psychologist who has been practicing in the USA for over 21 years. He asks, "If a child is born with a low self-esteem, beating is only going to add to the child's low self-esteem. On the other hand, if the core personality is going to be one where there is yearning for inde- .. pendence, you're going to create so much anger in that child .• If the ehild is going to be basically aggressive, you're only going to make the child more aggressive. If the child ·is going to be passive, you're only going to make the child more dependent, submissive."
Respected astrologer Chakrapani Ullal of ' Los Angeles concurs, "If the tendency of the / I child is to be mischievous, then you must teach him dharma by giviIl"g him a good training in how to be a better person. If you beat him, then you will 'bnly cause those k!ll'mas indicated by his astrological chart to develop. Punishing children makes them hide their feelings, tell lies, manipulate their
each other. She destroyed it. My mom realized how destructive that anger could be, and she never hit us. I always see my grandmother as a woman whose life was molded by that beating."
USA: "My mom never hit
me. When I frustrated her, she just popped and would throw things at me, usually the TV remote control. I do not understand how anyone can hit a child. They may do things wrong, but they are learning and can only learn to do things right by making mistakes. We learn from our mistakes. So, I would never hit my kids."
comrrwnpunishnwnt ~ L-~ ____________________________________ ~ ____ ~ .......
JUL Y, 1997 HfNDUISM T ODAY 25
"
parents and develop poor associations outside the family." Vamadeva Shastri, an expert in ayurveda, pointed out that children react differently to punishment according to their physical constitution (cWsha). ''A vata cWsha child can be damaged for life by physical punishment; the kapha child needs j:o be stimulated from the inside, not the outside; the pitta child will develop strategies to fight back."
". "In the old days, children had strong nerves. Today children have a'different meJltal makeup. Violence is sure to damage .
Beating children actually undermines any discipline that parents might be trying to' instill in their children. An August 1997 study by Dr. Ml,lITay Strauss in the Archives of Pediatrics and AcWlescent Medicine reported that the more children are spanked, the more likely they will be aggressive or engage in other anti-social behavior. In a 1994 study of 8,000 US farnilies, Strauss found that children who are beaten more are more likely to attack theIr own' siblings. They develop less adequate consciences, experience depression as adults, and are inclined to physic&ny attack their spouses as adults.
"When they grow older they 'can see abuse as a way of control," agrees Santhi Periasamy, a US-born, Hindu graduate student in psychology. "For boys, they have more of a tendency to hit their spouses and their children. For women, you have a tendency to g~t into an abusive relationship and stay. It can predispose you to anorexia, depression. It can affect you in so many ways."
Worst of all, when we beat children, we are only falling into a continuous cycle. "Beyond any doubt, I think all studies prove that abuse is perpetuated from one generation to another if there is no early intervention," adds Dr. Krishan.
Breaking the cycle: One visitor to the HINDUISM TODAY editorial offices in Hawaii told a shocked staff that "Hindu parents in. America know not to hit their-kids in public because they might get arrested." A virtual conspiracy of silence prevails. "Your parents tell you that what happens in the family stays in the family," explains Periasamy. "You also don't waDi to send bad messages about your parents. Then the kids who are hit all of the time, I don't think they say anything
26 HINDUISM TODAY JULY, Igg8
their psyche and leave scars carried to their next birth."
SWAMI SAHAJANANDA
to anyone." The next generation of Hindus,
however, is not prepared to maintain this conspiracy of silencewitness their stark testimonies for this article. Nearly all frrm1y believe that corporal punishment is wrong, and do not intend to use it on their children. Of course, when the reality of parenthood comes upon them, as it did to HINDUISM TODAY correspondent Shikha Malaviya of Minnesota, young mother of a two-year-old, they may waiver. "You don't real- I'
ize how overwhelming the responsibility of bringing up a child is. If your child is beyond control, and believe me, they can be absolutely defiant, what do you do? I started thinking, 'Maybe it is OK to hit: then I thought, 'How could I think like that?'"
We can look to the country of Sweden, the first (0 ban corporal punishment, as a model for the massive change in societal attitudes required. They did it not through criminal penalties, but through a Parent's Code which calls for the intervention of social service agencies to teach parents alternative methods of discipline. The trend against corporal punishment in Sweden began in the 1920S when it was outlawed in schools. In 1966 it was banned for parents. While there were initial
periods of permissiveness by the parents, a recent report indicat~s they hl;lve gained considerable skill with nonviolent methods. By 1994, only eleven percent of Swedes supported corporal punishment. After a year's "experiment," even school headmasters conceded nonviolent methods worked better.
Just as parents can improve the' lives of their children by setting a positive example, parents can harm their children by setting a baa example. When you beat your child, you • show them it's alright to peat others. When you slap them, pinch them and twis their ears, you teach them that violence and anger are the preferred ways to solve problems. When you beat with the intent of teaching them a lesson, you tell them they are failures, and that they do not d~serve your respect. You are not teaching them about the great love and tolerance weached by Hinduism. So the next time that you are about to hit your child, think about it. As a Hindu, will your legacy to your offspring and our community be one of hate or one of hope? _
FOR A LIST OF RESOURCES ON CHILD REARING, SEE PAGE 35. PHOTOGRAPHS WERE TAKEN BX nOHINI KUMAR OF RK
ENTERPRISES AND STAGED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE MALAYSIAN DEVOTEES OF HINDUISM TODAY PUBLISHER
SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI. NO CHILD WAS HARMED IN THE PROCESS.
JULY, Igg8 HI'NDUISM TODAY 27
j
I
l'
INSIGHT
A yogic road-map for awareness as it journeys through states of consciousness
HERE ARE FOURTEEN GREAT NERVE CENTERS IN THE
physical body, in the astral body and in the body of the soul. These centers are called chakras in Sanskrit, which means "wheel." These spinning vortices of energy are actually regions of mind power, each one
governing certain aspects of our inner being, and together they are the subtle components of people. When inwardly perceived, they are vivid1y colorful and can be heard. In fact, they are quite noisy. When awareness flows through anyone or more of these regions, the various functions of consciousness operate, such as memory, reason and willpower. The physical body has a connection to each of the seven higher chakras through plexuses of nerves along the spinal cord and in the cranium. As the kundalini force of awareness travels along
the spine, it enters each of these chakras, energizing them and awakening in turn each function. By examining the functions of these great force centers, we can clearly cognize our own position on the spiritual path and better understand our fellow man.
In anyone lifetime, one may predominantly be aware in two or three centers, thus setting the pattern for the way one thinks and lives. One develops a comprehension of these seven regions in a natural sequence, the perfection of one leading logically to the next. Thus, though we may not psychically be seeing spinning forces within ourself, we nevertheless mature through memory, reason, willpower, cognition, universallove, divine sight and spiritual illumination.
There are six chakras above the muladhara, which is located at the base of the spine. When awareness is flowing through these chakras, consciousness is in the higher nature. There are also seven chakras below the muladhara, and when awareness is flowing through them, consciousness is in the lower nature. The lower chakras are located between the coccyx and the heels. In this age, the Kali Yuga, most people live in the consciousness of the seven
28 HINDUISM TODAY JULY, 1998
ARTWORK:: ABOVE BY EDIZIONI BE A,TffilCE O'ESTE, MILANO ' RIGHT! DECCAN, C. 1800 '
force centers below the muladhara. Their beliefs and attitudes strongly reflect the animal nature, the instinctive mind. Thus, the muladhara chakra, the divine seat of Lord Ganesha, is the dividing point between the lower nature and the higher. It is the beginning of religion for everyone, entered when consciousness arrives out of the realms below Lord Ganesha's holy feet. Through personal sadhana, prayer, meditation, right thought, speech and action and love of God, we lift our own consciousness and that of others into the chakras above the muladhara, bringing the mind into the higher nature.
The functions of the chakras are aspects of our being that we use every day. In the same way, we use our arms and hands everyday without thinking. Yet, if we study the physiology of the hands, we encounter layer after layer of iI!tricate interrelationships of tissues, cells, plasma. We exanline the engineering of the structural system of bones and joints, the energy transmission of the muscular system, the biochemistry of growth and healing, the ,biophysics of nerve action and reaction. Sudden-ly a simple and natural part of human life seems complex. Similarly, we use the various functions of consciousness, the chakras, every day without even thinking about. them.
The chakras do not awaken. They are already awakened in everyone. It only seems as if they awaken as we become aware of flowing our energy through them, because energy, willpower and awareness are one and the same thing. To become conscious of the core of energy itself, all we have to do is detach awareness from the realms of reason, memory and aggressive, intellectual will; then turning inward, we move from one chakra to another. The physical body
changes as these more refined energies flow through it. And the inner nerve conduits, nadis, inwardly become stronger.
It may help, as we examine each of these centers individually, to visualize ourselves as a seven-storied building, with each story being one of the chakras. Awareness travels up and down in the elevator, and as it goes higher and higher, it gains a progressively broader, more comprehensive and beautiful vista. Reaching the top floor, it views the panorama below with total understanding, not only of the landscape below, but also of the relation of the building to other buildings and of each floor to the next. Venturing below the muladhara, we enter the basement levels of consciousness.
Planetary patterns: During each predominant age throughout history, one or another of the chakras has come into power. When the Greek God Cronus, the God of time, was worshiped, the mass consciousness came into memo-ry-the muladhara chakra-with its new-found concern for
. time, for a past and a future, dates and records. Next the mass consciousness came into the svadhishthana and its pow
ers of reason. Reason was a God in the Golden Age of Greece. Discourse, debate and logic all became instruments of power
and influence. If it was not reasonable, it was not true. Next the chakra of will came into power. Man conquered nations, waged
wars, developed efficient weapons. Crusades were fought and kingdoms established. Our world was experiencing force over force. Direct cognition, the anahata chakra, came when man opened the doors of science within his own mind. He cognized the laws of the physical universe: mathematics, physics, chemistry, astronomy and
Inner world map: (left) A traditional diagram shows the myriad dimensions of Hindu cosmology; (above) a Vaishnava rendition of the Manipura chakra, with the presiding deity being carried by Caruda
biology. Then he unfolded the mind sciences by looking into his subconscious mind, into the chakras where he had previously been. With malls look into his own mind, psychology, metaphysics and the mind-religions were born.
Now, in our present time, the mass consciousness is coming into vishuddha-the forces of universal love. The forerunners of this
emerging Sat Yuga, popularly called the New Age, are not worshiping reason as the great thing of the
mind or trying to take over another's possessions through the use of force. They are not wor
shiping science or psychology or the mind religions as the great panacea. They are looking inward and worshiping the light, the Divinity, within their own body, within
their own spine, within their own head, and they are going inward into a deep spiritual quest which is based on direct experience, on compassion for all things
in creation. As the forces of the vishuddha chakra come
into prominence in the New Age, it does not mean that the other centers of consciousness
have stopped working. But this new one coming into prominence is claiming the energy within the mass
consciousness. When the center of divine love gains a little more power, everything will come into a beautiful balance. There will be a natural hierarchy of people based on the awakening of their soul, just as previous ages established hierarchies founded on power or intellectual acumen. With that one needed balance, everything on the Earth will quiet down, because the vishuddha chakra is of the new age of universal love, in which everyone sees eye to eye, and if they do not, there will always be someone there to be the peacemaker. Look back through history and you will see how these planetary influences, these great mind strata of thought, have molded history and people.
Personal patterns: The same cyclical pattern of development in human history is evident even more clearly in the growth of the individual. In the seven cycles of a person's life, beginning at the time of birth, awareness automatically flows through one of these chakras and then the next one, and then the next, provided a pure life is lived, following Sanatana Dharma under the guidance of a satguru. Each one experiences the chakras somewhat differently, depending upon the amount ofkundalini force [see page 36] that is released. Non-religious people, who have a minimal amount of kundalini released, may experience the chakra only in its physical and emotional manifestation. Those who perform sadhana will experience the chakras in a much deeper way. Yogis performing tapas, serious austerities, would likely experience each chakra in the depths of their soul body.
In reality, most people never make it into the higher four chakras, but instead regress back time and again into the chakras of reason, instinctive will, memory, anger, fear and jealousy. Nevertheless, the natural, ideal pattern is as follows. From one to seven years of age, one is in the muladhara chakra learning the basics of movement, language and society. The patterns of the subconscious are established primarily in these early years. From seven to fourteen one is in the svadhishthana chakra. One reasons, questions and refmes the ability to think for oneself Between fourteen and twenty-one, one comes into willpower. The personality gets strong. Likes and dislikes solidify. Generally, about this time one wants to run away from home and express oneself. From twenty-one to twenty-eight one begins realizing responsibilities and gaining a new perspective of themselves and the world. Theoretically, one should be in anahata, the chakra of cognition, but a lot of people never make it.
If awareness is mature and full, however, having incarnated many, many times, one goes on at twenty-one to twenty-eight into the anahata chakra. Here we begin to understand "what its all about." We
JULY , 1998 HINDUISM TODAY 29
comprehend our fellow men and women, their relationships, the world around us. We seek inwardly for more profound insight. This chakra is stabilized and smoothly spinning once one has raised one's family and performed one's social duty, and though one may yet continue in business, one would find the energies withdrawing naturally into the chest. It is most often the renunciate, the mathavasi, the sannyasin, who from twenty-eight to thirty-five or before, depending on the strictness of his satguru, comes into the vishuddlw chakra, into inner light experiences, assuming a spiritual responsibility for himself and for others. This awakening soul appreciates people, loves them. His heart and mind broadly encompass all of humanity. He is less interested in what people do and more in what they are. It is here that, having withdrawn from the world, the world begins to renounce him. Then, from thirty-five to forty-two or before, he perfects his sadhanas and lives in the ajna chakra, experiencing the body of the soul, that body of light, awareness traveling within naturally at that time, withdrawing from mundane matters of the conscious mind. From forty-two through forty-nine he is getting established in the sahasrara chakra in a very natural way, having met all of the responsibilities through life.
Esoterically, there are seven more chakras above and within the sahasrara. Agamic Hindu tradition cites them as seven divisions of Paranada, inner sound. They are, from highest to lowest: Unmana, Samana, Anasrita, Anatha, Ananta, Vyomanga and Vyapini. These chakras are a conglomerate of nadis that slowly develop as a result of consistent and repetitive Self-Realization experiences.
The Seven Chakras or Higher Consciousness Below we present a condensed overview of each of the seven principal chakras, followed by the seven chakras below the muladhara. For more details, and to see also how chakras correlate to the physical body, refer this months gatefold, pages 3-5.
The mu/adhara: The memory center, muladhara, located at the base of the spine, creates a consciousness of time through the powers of memory. Whenever we go back in our memory patterns, we are using the forces of the muladhara. It has four petals or aspects, one of which governs memories of past lives. The other three contain the compiled memory patterns and interrelated karmas of this life. This chakra is associated also with human qualities of individuality, egoism, physicality (including sexuality), materialism and dominance. A
Castles of consciousness: (counterclockwise from above) The muladhara, svadishthana, manipura, anahata, vishuddha, ajna and sahasrara chakras, shOWing their presiding deity and seed syllable
30 HINDUISM TODAY JULY, 1998
person lives predominantly in this chakra during the first seven years of life, acquiring language skills, relationships and cultural ways.
Svadishthana: Once the ability to remember has been established, the natural consequence is reason, and from reason evolves the intellect. Reason is the manipulation of memorized information. We categorize it, edit it, rearrange it and store the results. People in this six-petaled chakra research, explore and wonder, ''Why? Why? Why?" They propose theories and formulate rational explanations. They often form a rigid intellectual mind based upon opinionated knowledge and accumulated memory, reinforced by habit patterns of the instinctive mind. It is in this chakra that the majority of people live, think, worry and travel on the astral plane. We open naturally into this chakra between ages 8 and 14. This center controls the muladhara, as does each progressively higher chakra control those that lie below it.
Manipura: The third chakra is represented in the central nervous system by the solar plexus, where all nerves merge to form the "second brain." Of its ten petals, five face up and five down. Correspondingly, depending on how the energy is flowing, the forces of willpower from this chakra add power either to worldly consciousness through the first two centers or to spiritual consciousness through the fourth and fIfth centers. When awareness is confined to the realms of memory, reason and aggressive willpower, men and women are instinctive in nature. They are quick to react and retaliate, quick to have their feelings hurt and quick to pursue the conquest of others while fearing their own defeat. In these states of mind, the ego rises to its greatest prominence, and emotional experiences are ex
tremely intense. Young adults from 14 to 21 discover willpower, willfulness and individuality as this chakra unfolds.
Anahata: The center of perception and insight is often referred to as "the lotus of the heart." Its 12 "petals" imply that cognition can be expressed in twelve distinct ways or through as many masks or personae. People abiding here are generally well-balanced, content and self-contained. Even when in day-to-day life they become involved in the seemingly fractured parts, they are able to look through it all and understand. They have a deep understanding of human nature, which brings effortless tolerance and an innate ability to help others, to resolve conflicts and confusions. Between ages 21 and 28, perceptions deepen and understanding matures for those who enter this chakra. Many people regress back into reason and memory. But, if awareness is mature, having incarnated many times, and well-trained all through youth, the soul proceeds smoothly into
CHAXRA ART BY STUDIO CHANDEL; COURTESY lofA YOGASHAXTI MISSION, MUMBAI
anahata consciousness. Vishuddha: Universal or divine love is the faculty expressed by the
vishuddha chakra, Whenever people feel filled with inexpressible love for and kinship with all mankind, all creatures large and small, they are vibrating within the sixteen-petaled vishuddha. When deeply inmlersed in this state, there is no consciousness of being a person with emotions, no consciousness of thoughts. One is just being the light or being fully aware of oneself as radiant force flowing through all form. One may sometimes see light throughout the entirety of the body. The exceptional soul who resides fully in this center, usually between the ages of 28 and 35, is able for the fIrst time to withdraw awareness totally into the spine, into sushumna, the central spiritual current. Ultimately, he realizes that the inner being is the reality of himsel£
Ajna: The sixth force center is called ajna. It is the "third eye," the center of divine sight and direct congition. Of its two "petals" or facets, one is the ability to look into the lower worlds or states of mind and the other is the perception of the higher worlds, or spiritual states, of consciousness. It, therefore, is the connecting link, allowing the awakened soul to relate the highest consciousness to the lowest in a unified vision. We open naturally into this chakra between ages 35 and 42.
Sahasrara: The seventh center at the top of the head is called the crown chakra. According to the ancient mystics, it governs 1,008 aspects or attributes of the soul body. These personae are transparent, a crystal-clear white light, ever present, shining through the circumference of the golden soul body. Here the soul dissolves even blissful visions of light and is immersed in pure space, pure awareness, pure being. Within the sahasmra is the bmhmarandhra, or "door of God," an aperture in the sushumna nadi through which the kundalini exits the body, catapulting the mind beyond and into nirvikalpa samadhi, and the truly pure spirit escapes the body at death. We open naturally into the crown chakra between ages 42 and 49.
Often when people get older, if they have not learned to sustain consciousness in the higher chakras, they start to drop in consciousness, returning to reason and trying to understand why all the things that happened to them in their lifetime happened as they did. They get stuck in the muladhara and spend years just remembering the past, reliving old experiences, good and bad alike, But more mature souls rightly fullfilllife's two fmal stages: senior advisor and religious solitaire. They utilize their golden years to manifest higher-chakra faculties oflove, light, inner vision and God Realization through service, sadhana, pilgrimage, worship and meditation.
The Seven Sub-Muladhara Regions A tala: The flrst lower chakra, located in the hips, governs the state
of mind called fear, which is truly a bottomless abyss. Someone in this consciousness fears death, fears life, even fears God and other people. This center is also the home of lust and promiscuity.
Vita/a: Here anger predominates, and burning resentment. Anger comes from despair, confusion, frustration or lack of understanding. People in the consciousness of this chakra, centered in the thighs, are always wrathful, mad at the world, even angry at God ..
Suta/a: This chakra, found in the knees, governs jealousy, wanting what one can't have. Jealousy is a feeling of inadequacy, inferiority and helplessness. People in sutala consciousness covet everything, often deny the existence of God and are contentiously combative.
Ta/ata/a: Prolonged confusion dominates here, giving rise to instinctive willfulness: to get rather than give, to push others around and pursue materialistic advancement over all else. Greed and de
ceit prevail in this dog-eat-dog state of mind, centered in the calves.
Rasata/a: This chakra of the ankles is the true home of the animal nature. Unmitigated selfishness prevails, of seeing to the well-being of "number one" first. The suffering of others is of no concern. Jealousy, anger and fear are intense, even high, states of consciousness.
Mahata/a: This is the realm of consciencelessness, or inner blindness to the effect of one's actions, of negativity and deep depression. Those living in this chakra of the feet steal freely, taking what they justify as theirs anyway, feeling that the world "owes them a living."
Pata/a: Here, in the soles of the feet, is the abode of destructiveness, revenge, murder for the sake of murder, torture and hatred ex
pressed through harming the properties, minds, emotions and bodies of others. Hatred and scorn abide here. Malice reigns supreme. Reason seldom reaches this state of mind.
This is the story of our evolution through the mind-from the gross to the refined, from darkness into light, from a consciousness of death to immortality. We follow a natural pattern that is built right in the nerve system itself: memory; reason; will; direct cognition; inner light perceptions of the soul which give a universal love of all mankind; psychic perceptions through divine sight; and the heavenly refmement of being in the thousand-petaled lotus.
ii~'~;~~'~~d;'d'ii;~;~';~~;;';~~'I:~;~';~'~;~~ ':~'~~~~~~~;.~~:~~;::;:~~ .~;.;~~~:;~~:~;;~.~: by Harish Johari, Inner Traditions loternational, Ltd., Rochester, Vermont 05767 USA; Theories of the Chakras: Bridge to Higher Consciousness, by Hiroshi Motoyarna, and The Chakras, by C. W Leadbeater, Theosophical Publishing House, 306 West Geneva Road, Wheaton, Illinois 60187 USA; The Chakra Handbook, by Shalila Shammon and Bodo J. Baginski, Lotus Light, PO Box Z, Wilmot, Wisconsin 531Z9 USA
SOC I A LIS S U HS
GraYling Up Nonviolent methods of child rearing remain a distant goal for most overworked moth~rs \
By CHO O DIE S IVARAM , B AN GALORE
T TIMES, I CONFESS, I HAVE HIT MY
own son. He would. take it quietly, and when everything cooled down, he'd ask me why I had punished him-leaving me totally lost. Had I not yelled at this boy and told him
exactly and at length what was his fault and why he was being punished? Only when I calmly explained to him what had annoyed me, and why I had resorted to punishing him, would he understand and correat his mistake and promise me never to do it again. I realized the whole exercise of punishment was uncalled for. I could have communicated to him without the hitting. It would be better for hiIp, and better for myself, too.
But how many mothers have the time, energy or the patience to go on explaining to the child what his mistakes are? I specify mothers because in most households the mother is the villain when it comes to punishments. For most parents and children I spoke to in Bangalore, it was the father who never hit the child. Yet most children seemed to dread displeasing Dad-"He'll get angry." This notion is often implanted by the mother herself in a bid to discipline .children by threatening father's wrath.
nipulation of marks. So far I have gotten them to stop hitting my daughter, age 8, though teachers have subjected her to public humlliation as retaliation. Now I am working to protect the rest of the students. Little do teachers realize that harsh treatment has adverse implicati~ns on young minds that will carry forward into adulthood resulting in personality damage.
No easy change: Children can be exaspera~g at times. What's the hapless mother to do? Some who are blessed with tremendous patience let it pass or speak sweetly to the
essary," admits Mrs. Malathi Sharma, a renowned musician.
The child who is not hit at home will soon~r or later most certainly be slapped, caned or otherwise physically punished at even the best schools. I have seen teachers easily use their hands on children for no reason at all-because somebody is not sitting properly during assembly or because a child is whispering to her neighbor. In my children's school I have found teaphers beating small children so often for trivial Feasons that I wondered how they haJl..tlled their own kids. When I asked teachers this question, what emerged were little white lies"Oh no, I never beat my children. I control
Rare is the parent who has never struck the chilpren. "My wife and I conscientiously made sure we never hit our children. We always reasoned it out with them, why we did not want them to d0 something. When they threw tantrums or sat grumpily, we just ignored them and let ~t pass. After some time, they would realize that acting funny wouldn't pay. It works well to be patient with children," said C.R. SiJJ.ha, a veteran actor and director.
Hands full: Mothers worldwide cqznplain fathers won't share fairly in child-rearing responsibilities
"I feel children get beaten be..! cause of the impatience on the part of the parents," says Dr. Ramakrishna, a senior professor of English. "If children don't meet their parents' high expectations, they begin to chastise them. But why should the child become a showpiece of the parent's expectations? Parents want the ehildren to achieve what they have not been able to. I can expect this attitude from my servant maid who
them so beautifully." • I spent a whole year during 19!i>7 trying to
fight this issue at my children's SChool, where authorities were stubbornly complacent. To them this is no~issue at all. Parents prefer not to take up the matter for justified fear of subjecting their child to victimization, fear of nonpromotion to the next grade and ma-
32 HINDUISM TOD A.Y JU \-Y, 1998
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child. Some teachers scold mildly, some admonish and others choose to give a spanking or two. "I feel that when children go out of control, they need to be disciplined, and a smack or two is necessary. Children have the habit of getting the mother so agitated that spanking beeomes inevitable. I have hit my children occasionally when the situation warranted. At that moment, I felt it was nec-
has spent all her life doing menial jobs and wants a better future for her children. But the middle-class, educated parents doing this is just silly. Parents should understand the psychology of the child, assess his abilities and aptitude, be capable of judgment and incJllcate certain values by being an example themselves rather than being irrational, regimenting and beating them," ayers Prof Ramakrishna .. "I myself," confides the professor, "was severely beaten by my elder brother when I was a young boy. But I got so used to it that I became thick-skinned."
One victim of unreasonable expectations is ten-year-old Sujit. His father insists that his son get up at five in the morning to attend a cricket coaching camp, but the child is reluctant to wake up so ea'[ly. The father feels he's providing a great opportunity and
. that ·the child ought to ' know that. He dreams of seeing his son play test matches at a tender age. As a result, Sujit's}:Ilornings be-gin with sermons and yelling. •.
"What parentS'do not accept is that they are the very cause fer the childs misbehavior. Parents have to ,first blame themselves
I
. for the ill behavior of the child and then find corrective steps without victimizing the little ones," states Dr. Radha, a child specialist.
Here in India, the child for all practical purposes is the responsibility of the mother. It's her duty to take care of their food and daily n~ds, get them ready for school, sit with tliem through their studies in the evenings and look after their other needs as well. A working mother spends all day slogging both at hOqie and the office. It's amazing what is expected of her. The husband, in sharp contrast, relaxes at day's end in front of the idiot box, rarely lending a helping hand. Most households in middle-class families functi6n this way. If in-laws or their aged parents are in the home, mom and dad
. will have'to pJ.lt up with a lot of interference, which has a spoiling effect on the child.
"Sometimes I wonder why I was born at all, when the husband doesn't lift a finger at home, and children just don't listen to me. Every'time I have tried to discipline my two sons, my in-laws would instantly jump to their rescue. They have grown up with the habit of disregarding anything I say. Had I
given them a whack or two then, perhaps they would have been far better children now," rues middle-aged, overworked Padma who starts the day at 4 :00AM to end it only by midnight. Sadly, the child is at the r!,!ceiving end of all this pent-up tension, often getting punished for no fault of his own. And when a spanking comes, it seems wholly unreasonab~ to the child. The child is the helpless . victim of mother's fra~ed nerves. Later apolGgies, however heartfelt, never. fully erase the fear and hurt.
Lasting consequences: "The child is left defenseless by a beating," states Dr. Radha, "and this feeling can be extremely damaging. What if the child gecides to hit backis the parent willing to take it? It's unfair to use physical power against someone weaker and younger than you. Even if you insist an occasional whack on the rear is necessary, still it should be as a warning, not a routine."
An eminent journalist friend of mine, whose name I do not wish to disclose, ran away from home at the tender age of nine. His father 'would routinely hit him with a stick or iron rod "for no reason or fault of
J U LY, 1998 H I"N D UISM TOD A Y 33
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I
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mine. I think he hated me," he confessed chokingly. "Getting hit every day made me so stubborn and defiant. I developed a strong hatred for my family. My mother would silently watch me being hit and at times even supported Itly father rather than stopping him, because she wanted to be a devoted wife. I decided to.:leave home to get away from this torture. I have slept on the pavement, done sundry jobs. I have been illtreated by people. I have seen so much bitterness in life. But I was determined to succeed. I educated myself the hard way and became a journalist." Today he represents an international news agency and is a very successful journalist. He dotes on his sixyear-old daughter and ensures that she has a good life. But past experiences have left a terrible bitterness in him.
"Seeing an adult lose control can have a devastating effect on the child, who learns an unintended lesson: this is how to correct others. When he or she grows up, they will tend to behave the same way because they think that is the way to discipline,". said Dr. Ajit Bhide, a renowned child psychiatrist.
Recently an educated middle-class mother, in a fit of rage, slashed and killed her fiveyear-old child with a kitchen knife for mispronouncing tlie word "forty." Similar reports of mothers unwittingly killing a child in a fit of anger are all-too frequent.
Instances of child beating appear to be more pronounced in the lower strata of society, commonly called the labor class. Besides a socio-economical dimension of it, their psycho-sensitivity is low and frustration levels are high. "They work like machines. It's a matter of survival. Talking psychology and personality makes no sense to them. Whether the family can have both their meals in a day is wh1J.t matters. They simply don't have the time or the environment to thi.nk of the psychological development of the ctuld, working so hard all day. Where do ther have the time to sit and think?" notes Mrs. Chakravarthy, a social worker.
During my interviews, many said today's children are more prone to be disrespectful and rude. Elders comment that today's children lack diScipline, bhaya-bhakti as they call it-literally, "fear-devotion." "Our elders had a way of disciplining thrQugh devotion and fear of God. When they said bhaya, it did not mean fear of the father":or elder at home, but of doing wrong, the dangers of erring. How many parents today have the moral courage to inculcate the values of right and wrong in their chilclTen when most of them lack this quality?" queries Simha.
"School discipline: Earlier this year, a case was filed in the magistrate's court in New Delhi against a teacher who beat a fiveyear-old student. The child had developed school phobia and a wide range of fears. Such reports about school authorities acting
34 HINDUISM TODA·Y JU Y, 1998
Punishment or torture? In some Hindu homes parents have disciplined children by putting hot cayenne pepper in their eyes.
high handedly and physically abusing young children, some resulting in the death" of these young ones, are plentiful. One teacher made a young boy strip in front of his classmates and paraded him in s~hool for a silly reason, not bringing his book. T.hj.s resulted in the boys committing suicide. On Aprilz6, 1998, a Delhi teacher hit a 1z-year-old student in the face with a blackboard eraser. It shattered his glasses and blinded him in one eye. The duster was intended for his neighbor, who was reading a comic book. The teacher was arrested, then released on bail.
My friend Aruna quit her job as Head Mistress in a private school because the practice there was to beat the children. "The principals complaiiit against me was that I was soft
with the children and that I had to be tough. The teachers would mercilessly b'ang the heads of these little children against the wall and beat them with canes. They wanted me to do the same thing. I protested and quit the job," s~s Aruna.
"Teachers have to have emo= tional control, logic and reasoning. Lack of control over their emotions and the superiority feeling that the teacher carries with her makes her overpower the children, behaving like a bully. The tea'Cher has no right to lift even a fmger against a child, she must use more mature fOrIns of controlling children. Unfortunate- , ly, commitment, responsibility and love for the work is not present," explains Mrs. Indira Swaminathan, a senior educationist.
"In many schools the teachers are paid a pittance, made to work long hours and often treated shabbily by' the management. They give expression to their anger toward the management by treating the child harshly. Thats unfair," says Mrs. Sreenivasa Murthy.
There is no law in India against child abuse. A provision in the the Criminal Procedure Code applies to such cases in the form of Criminal Assault where a complaint can be fileg before the police or a magistrate. It is extremely rare that parents use this recourse for fear of reprisal by the school against the chi~d. "These issues get camouflaged. The statistics don't come out. The schools maintain th~ child abuse does not happen at all, but handling children violently is there in almost every school. It's a known fact," says Mrs. Swamin~than.
"When parents take up the issue of ill treatment towards the child by the teacher, the teachers tend to humiliate the child in the classroom. 'Ulis can have very serious implications on' the CN.ild's psychology .and p~rsonality. It can be more damaging than physical abuse. We need a lot of laws to stop child abuse in schools," says Dr. Bhide.
Laws are not essential for adults to behave like adults ~ho are expected to be more mature and logical. What is needed is a reasonable amount of common sense, a humane outlook and a whole lot of honesty. I
You need a license to drive a car, but not to have children. There are no prescribed ABCs about child rearing and precious little training or preparation. Even though there is concern here in India for beating children in school, there is yet little attention given to the home. It is time for that to change. -..I
CONTACTS: SAKSHI, B 67 SOUTH EXT PART 1 , 1ST FLOOR NEW DELHI 110049 INDIA. MADHYA.M NO 1 , 10TH CROSS,
10TH VASANTNAGAR BANGALORE 560052 I NOlA
C H I ·L D REARING
Better Discipline Nonviolent methods require patience and a firm belief, ~~Ifs never right to hit a child~~
NeE PARENTS RESOLVE TO
never hit their children, ' what are they to do? There are many specific methods,
but first there's the matter of time. If parents won't devote the necessary time to the massive job of raising children, all the best methods are sure to fail. There's also the matter of the past, of how to change from hitting your children to not hitting them. The recommended method . s to talk to them, apologize fot hitting them in the past and promise not to do it again. Ask for their forgiveness, and encourage them to do the flower penance [Publisher's Desk, page 11] to help them forgive you. Nonviolent parenting is based on the concept of discipline, which means "to train," rather than punishment, which means inflicting pain.
Modern nonviolent methods follow proven prlnciple~. Many are common sense, others are more subtle and based on the specIfic mental and emotional development of the child at each age. Dr. Katharine C. Kersey of the Child Study Center, Old Dominion University in Virginia, " has assembled one list which is . ~ excerpted and expanded here. ~
frequently ignored. If you don't want your toddler to break your expensive vase, don't put it on the table where she can reach it. Wher:. children are older, control may require substantial change. If your teenager is in ~ school known for violence or drugs, move to another school district.
A misbehaving child can be told to take a "time out," go to a quiet place until he is ready to come back and behave appropriate
ly. Some parents use a timero~e minute for each year of age-to enforce time out.
"Grounding" teenagers has proven to be the best method ., of discipline. When there is misbehavior, 'the teen is not al~ lowed to leave the house except for school. He can't see his friends, play sports, go to movies, nothing but stay home. This can be for a weekend for minor offenses, or a month or more for major ones.
Have fun witn.your children, spend your time with them. They love to' know that they bring you light and joy. Don't be so busy with job, friends, adUlt relatives, television, etc. that you aren't there for your children as they grow up.
Positive reinforcement means Gentle love: Parent~stay much closer to children they don't hit to make' a big deal over responsi
Hindu parents who just won't stop hitting their children should realize that even the pro-spanking advocates in the West only allow for hitting with the open hand on the buttocks, just enough to make the child cry, a maximum of four strikes, and rarely-not daily or weekly. Even Manu Dharma Shastra forbids hitting a child on the head, and in the US slapping a child in the face can be a criminal offense. Swami Satchidananda of Integral Yoga Institute in Virginia, who en
ble, considerate and appropriate behavior. "Catch your child being g00d and praise her for it." The flip side' is to ignore minor misbehavior that is not dangerous, destructive or embarrassing. Children want your attention, and if the only way they can get it is by being mischievous, they will do so. You must reverse this so that they learn doing good is the most successful way to earn your attention.
You can't expect a child t01 0nform to the best standards of behavior immediately, especially if you have already been beating him. You must accept successive approximations and acknowledge each small step in the right direction. Children will also correct themselves~ if given a chance. One mother was making notes on her kitchen wall of how many ·times her daughter did a
certaip wrong thing, with the aim of slowly extinguishing that behavior. The curious girl read the notes, realized the problem and stopped.
Children should, within obvious 'limits of safety, face the logical consequences of their actions. If he leaves for school and forgets his coat, he.gets cold. If she doesn't do her homework, the teacher is displeased. There
,is no need. to also punish-the child will get it. Parents should enforce household rules as part of the logical .consequences. They have to clearly state the rules in ad~ance, and not make them up or modify them on a daily basis. Parents need to be c~nsistent and not let their children talk them out of their rules or decisions once made.
Control of the environment is obvious, but
dorses corporal punishment, warns, "You . should not get angry an,.d do it. Wh~n you have no control over yourself, you have no right to touch the child." Were these simple guidelines followed, the amount and ferocity of beating would drop precipitously.
Vast resources are available to the Hindu parent who wants to el)d the cycle of physical punishment of children. Especially the new 'generation of pfP'ents appear willing to make this landmark change. W/
THE VERY BEST RESOURCE IS EPOCH, 77 HOLLOWAY ROAD, LONDON N7 BIZ, UNITED KINGDOM, WHO PRODUCE PAM
PHLETS, SOME IN BENGALI, HINDI, PUNJABI, AND GUJURATI, TO EDUCATE PARENTS AND RUN A CAMPAIGN AGAINST
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT. FOR A LIST OF WEB SITES SEE HTTP://www.NURTURING.CAlAAl.POCLINKS.HTM
TWO OUTSTANDING BOOKS ON NONVIOLENT PARENTING ARE: "THE CASE AGAINST SPANIING," JOSSEY-BASS INC., 350
SANSOME STREET. SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 94104 USA AND "DON'T TAD IT our ON YOUR DDS'"
JULY , 1998 Hl'NDUISM TODAY 35
/ 1
. PARAPSYCHOLOGY
Kundalinl's Rise and Fall Has the ancient Hindu scienc~ of enlightenment veered off cQurse?
ITH ITS CHARISMATIC F LARE,
kundalini exploded into Western consciousness in the early
1970s, primarily through the dramatic accounts of Gopl Krish
na and Siddha Yoga guru, Baba MuKtananda. Intense interest was aroused, and the Kundalini Research Foundation (KRF) was begun in New York to promote kundalini studies, education and awareness. It has been nearly 30 years since that spontaneous awakening. Some say the field has matured. Others dare to say it has stagnated.
Gene Kieffer, 72, President of the KRF, iIi. speaking with HINDUISM TODAY, lamented, "We've never been able to convince anyone with money that this is worthwhile research. In the early '70s, we" had a lot of scientists interested. It was then a legitimate topic. But in about 197.7 or '78, the scientists turned off I think it was because of the thousands and thousands of people running around talking about their kundalini. There are so many books out there which list the 'symptoms,' that anybody who has a neurosis, or is a borderline schizophrenic-or is just having mental problems and lost their job-can end up convincing themselves that they 're on
Kundalini Shakti Dancing with Siva: Hinduism's Contemporary Catechism, (Himalayan Academy Publications), defines kundalini: "She who is coiled; serpent power." The primordial cosmic energy in every individual which, at first, lies coiled like a serpent at the base of the spine and eventually, through the practice of yoga, rises up the sushumna nadi. As it rises, the kundalini awakens each successive chakra [see gatefold and page 28]. Niroikalpa samadhi, enlightenment, comes as it pierces through the door of Brahman at the core of the sahasrara and enters! Kundalini shakti then returns to rest in anyone of the seven chakras. Complete liberation occurs when the kundalini arrives back in the sahasrara and remains coiled in this crown chakra.
36 HI~DUISM TODA;Y JU Y, 1998
Luminous leaders: (from top Mwn) Swami Chandrasekharanand Saraswati and Joan Shivarpitd Harrigan of the PKYC; The KRN board of directors for 1998: (kneeling, left to right) Joan Harrigan,. Jean RoV-erts, Jyoti Park, (standing) Stuart Sovatsky, Yvonne Kason, Barbara Harris Whitfield, Lucette LeClerc, Russ Park, Megan Nola:.n, Robert Turner, Jay Lynch, Bonnie Greenwell; KRF's Gene Kieffer and wife, Aloe
the spiritual path; that because they have these energies buzzing around their body, they~ve awakened their 'kundalini and now are superior to the run-of-the-mill mortals. Any intelligent person who meets up with these people I
thinks, 'If that's what kundalini is, don't even come near'me! ' I have 30 years experience talking to these people. I'm not just pulling ideas out of thin air."
Meanwhile, a diverse group of psychiatrists, psychologists, physical thed pists and educators feel that kundalini is forging ahead. They founded the Kundalini Research Network as a separate group from the KRF in 1990. The main focus of the KRN is to maintain among its members a heightened awareness of the kundalini phenomena that occur around the world and to document it as Scientifically as possible.
The KRN consists of individual practitioner~ such as the Spiritual Emergence Network, in Santa Cruz, Californ.la, and the Patanjali Kundalini Yoga Care center, in Tennesee, who administer to a portion of the 1,000 .Qlus people who yearly report some form of kundalini awakening. KRNl; first Vice President, Stuart Sovatsky, Ph.D., told HINDUISM TODAY that the actual number of legitiqtate cases could be higher, but most in the psychiatric community fail tQ, or are unable to, identify !he basic symptOIns. For that reason, he teaches a graduate course on recognizing kundalini awakening at the California Institute for Integral Studies, which is attended by' other therapists. Bonnie Greenwell, a transpersonal psychotherapist' co-founder of the KRN and teacher at ClIS, explains, "When there is no cultural paradigm for such events, those who are evaluated by therapists and doctors are forced into a medical model. They are considered to have ei-
\
,. ther mental problems, seizure, disorders or early symptoms of disease. This has been a major problem for- thosel who are serious about spiritual practices, but are not with a teacher who is fanlliiar with the phenomena."
The enthusiasm of these young kundalini evangelists stands in stark contrast to the disillusionment of veteran Kieffer. He regrets, "I've pushed so hard now that I've gone over the brink, and I've stirred up a hornets nest of pseudo playerS. It's a tragedy, and I don't think it will ever come back to where it was. There are tao many teachers, and it is now an industry."
But Sovatsky has higher hopes. He speculates, "In the nexj 10-20 years, more people in the West will be experimenting with it, like they did with meditation and yoga. The deeper elements of those practices are com-
,-ing to people's attention now, and the deepest elem~nt of yoga is kundalini." And despite his dejection, Kieffer admits that "There are genuine spritual masters with disciples who really will sacrifice, but they are rare. The Hindu masters . .. their tradition is sfill there. That's why we would send the scholars to India. Where else are the archives?"
Just recer;'tly a "Body-Mind-Soul" center was estaqlished in Delli by Bharat Nirman
·to teach about kundalini. M.e. Bhandari of Mystic India, Calcutta, told HINDUISM ToDAY that serious research in India is p eing done in four places: by Swamy Vidyanandji, of Bharat Nirman, New Delli; Dr. ~inanath Rai, Y6ga Research Institute, Lucknow; the Theosophical Society in Chennai and Dr. H.R. Nagendra of the Vivekananda Kendra Yoga Research Institute in Bangalore. ..
EVOLUTIONS ENTERED: Scientist S. Ramesh Babu into the Guinness Book of World Records for cutting a 12 :¥4-inch (32 centimeter) cucumber into 120,000 pieces in less than three hours April 7 in Bangalore, India. Ramesh, who practiced more than a year for
z z u
Cucumber cutter
this day, followed a complex set of diagrams designed for the project. This was his 13th world record.
SWORN IN: Four sannyasins from Uttar Pradesh during recent elections for India's Lok Sabha parliament. Fielded by the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) they are: Sachchidanand Hari Sakshi, Ram Vilas Vedanti, Chlnmayanand and Aditya Nath. Sakshi and Chinmayanand were members of the previous Lok Sabha. Nath, of Gorakhnath Peeth, succeeded his guru as an MP.
DIED: Wife of ex-Beatle Paul and famous animals rights/vegetarian activist Linda McCartney, 56, in Arizona, April 19, of cancer. Paul's office asked that instead of sending flowers, people could make a donation to cancer research or animal welfare charities, "or, Linda McCartney best of all, the tribute Linda herself would like best:
u .. " !; .. ... '" " o u
Go veggie." Linda developed her own line of meat-free foods. She said, '1 love animals, and I'm not gonna eat them."
DIED: Self-styled New Age "guru" and author Frederick Lenz, by apparent suicide in New York, April 14, at age 48. Calling himself Zen Master Rama, Lenz re- Frederick Lenz cruited followers since 1980, telling them he had led several lives and was one of only 12 enlightened beings on Earth. He was criticized as exploitive of his students.
., " < .. " .. ~ N Z ., ..J
JUL Y, 199 8 HINDUISM TODAY 37
• I
I /
38
7th International Kundalini Symposium Understanding Kundalini: Quantum Evolution for the New Millennium. Atlanta, GA USA • Oct. 15-18, 1998 Join researchers, physicians, psychotherapists and spiritual teachers dedicated to understanding and supporting the Kundalini experience. Roy Eugene Davis, Bonnie Greenwell, PhD, Yvonne Kason, MD, Charles L. Whitfield, MD, Joan Harrigan, PhD, and many more distinguished presenters. For information contact:
Kundalini Research Network PO Box ll50, Cupertino, CA 95070-ll40 USA E-mail: [email protected]
Patanjali Kundalini Yoga Care Individualized kundalini guidance by correspondence and retreats: • Assessment of Kundalini risings • Recommendations to improve process .Ongoing follow-up consultations .Spiritual retreats-kundalini process Bri. Joan Shivarpita Harrigan, Ph.D. ll33-C, Oak Ridge Trnpk #108 Oak Ridge, TN 37830-5251 USA. Tel 423-539-2361. Fax 423-482-7161 E-mail: [email protected] • Ask for our India and GerTYl"ny addresses.
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Johari on Chakras-Classical, Modern Chakras: Energy Centers of Transformation by leading Tantric scholar, Harish Johari, presents the classical view of the Chakras as well as their modern and practical applications. It provides the tools to activate the centers of transformative energy and elevate one's intellectual knowledge to an experience of spiritual growth. Nowhere else will the Western reader fmd so much valuable information on this ancient tradition in one place. Scholars and spiritual aspirants of every level will find here an invaluable resource, including techniques for developing higher consciousness.
128 pages, 8 3/8" x ll" • 9 color plates, 12 b&w illustrations US$$14.95 pb • ISBN 0-89281-054-8
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1998 Celebrations at Barsana Dham • Holi-March 14 • Ram Navrni-April5 • Mela/Open House-May 9 • Janmashtmi-August 15 • Radha Ashtmi-August 30 • Rath Yatra-October 3 • Divali-October 17 We invite you to visit Shree Raseshwari Radha Rani Temple at Barsana Dham and receive the Divine blessings of Radha Krishn. Barsana Dham, 400 Barsana Rd, Austin, TX 78737-9075 USA • Tel: 512-288-7180 • Fax: 512-288-0447 • www.isdl.org
L--___ An ashram in the raganuga tradition which is a main aspect of Hindu religion __ ---'
Kunda/ini Yoga for the West
A classic by Swami Sivananda Radha now in its 20th year, offering questions for reflection, self-knowledge and the discovery of one's potential. Also: exercises to refine your senses, focus your mind, cultivate your imagination and clarify your inner power. Free catalog: Timeless Books, PO Box 3543 HT Spokane, WA 99220-3543 USA [email protected]. Tel: 800-251-9273. TeVfax: 509-838-6652
K U YOGA N
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Learn Kriya Yoga from a Realized Master
The Kriya Yoga Institute welcomes sincere seekers to learn the authentic Kriya Yoga meditation technique. The Godrealized living master of the original Kriya lineage, Paramahamsa Hariharananda teaches at the Institute. Pararnaharnsaji attained the supreme pulseless and breathless state of nirvikalpa samadhi in 1948.
Kriya Yoga is a direct gift from God, and was taught by Krishna to Arjuna (Gita 4:1-2). The modern revival of Kriya Yoga began in 1861 when Babaji initiated Lahiri Mahasaya. Swami Shriyukteshwar, a realized disciple of Lahiri Baba, initiated Paramahamsa Hariharananda into original Kriya ~. Yoga. Hariharanandaji also received direct teachings from Paramahamsa Yogananda.
Initiation is available at the Institute on Saturdays at 9 am. Monthly ten-day intensives are offered. Direct initiation is also available at more than 25 centers countrywide by monks and yogacharyas of this lineage.
Kriya Yoga Institute • 24757 SW 167th Ave Homestead, FL 33031-1364, USA. Tel.: 305-247-1960 Fax: 305-248-1951 • www.kriya.org • [email protected]
Big workload: Indra Nooyi, far left, keeps family responsibility ahead of corporate demands
WOMEN OF VISION
"She Met Pepsi's Challenge ' Joint family by her side, Nooyi shines in .. business
By LAVINA MELWANI, NEW YORK , F YOU EVER VISIT THE CONN~CTICUT
home of the Senior Vice President of : Strategy Plamling for PepsiCo, do rei member to take your shoes off before
entering. If you forget, at· least remember to take them off before entering tHe large puja room where a light always burns and the air is perfumed with incen~e. PepsiCo may be as American as mom afid apple pie, but Indra K. Nooyi, a powerful executive of this US$31 .billion company, is a Hindu and proud of her a.I}cient heritage.
"The -great thing about the US is that as long as you're darn good at what you do, people will accept you," observes Nooyi. She' relishes the creative challenges of her job at PepsiCo: "My goal· is to make sure we are constantly renewing ourselves. When you're ten million dollars in size, it's easy to grow at ten percent. We are 31 billion dollars, which means we have to add $3 billion of revenue every year. It's like adding a comRany the size of Hershey to PepsiCo every year." Nooyi came to the US from Chennai to earn a Master of Public Pplicy degree from Yale University. She was Senior Vice President of Strategy Planning for Motorola before joining P~psiCo, and has made it to the top the old-fashioned way, through sheer hard work.
Although hard work, ingenuity and boldness all are important factors for success, Nooyi believes that her Hindu culture is a very powerful anchor for survival and suc-
cess in this country. She keeps an image of Ganesha in her office, and in fact, some PepsiCo oificials who visited India and received images of Ganesha tliere, liaving learned that He ·is the God of Auspicious Beginnihgs, now keep images in the office. Nooyi thinks nothing of going to a PepsiCo board meeting in a sari, for she believes the corporate world appreciates people wno are genuine. "Be yourself' is her magic mantra. 'Tm so secure in myself, I don't have to be American to play in the corporate life." .
A staunch vE:lgetarian, Nooyi has never tasted meat or drunk alcohol. She says, "Now when we go,out, even my chairman will tell everybody to make sure there's veg~arian food for Indra." A Hindu brahmin, Nooyi has always seen the world through the prism of her mother's faith and beliefs, and" calls her the guiding light in her life. The family are Aiyar Saivites but also devotees of the Shankaracharya of Kancbipuram in Tamil Nadu. Her mother-in-law is ~qually religious, with an affmity for Guruvayur, the Krishna temple in Ketala, and the Subramanyam Temple near Mangalore.
Says Nooyi, "Our family is so deeply religious, that whenever anything goes wrong they will pray and pledge a visit to the temple. So whenever we go to India, we spend. all our time in temples, executing all the promises my mother and my mother-in-law made for the various illnesses or problems in the house!"
Nooyi recalls that while growing up in Chennai, which has temples on almost every street corner, prayer and fitual were the markers which gave meaning to life: "Our house had a very large temple room, and my mother used to pray three or four hours every morning. So the house was a deeply religious house, and' every occas~on of life and death was observed with great care and exacting standards."
Nooyi's husband, Raj, a partner in a management -consulting fIrm, travels five days a week, so she is fortunate to have her married brother and sister living in New York. The three of them literally fight to have' their mother stay with them. 'She believes three geBerations living under one roof is wonder- . ful, the way it was meant to be. "Now my mother lives with me, and my kids see her praying, so they too sit down and pray with her. Two days ago when my little daughter was feeling sick, she went and lay on my mother's lap. She chanted hymns and caressed her; after a while my daughter said she felt much better."
During the day-, Noot is often ·exposed to the pressure cooker world of international business, but when she enters her home, it is like entering a sanctuary of calm. She says Carnatic music plays in their home 18 hours a day, and the feeling is. much like being in a temple. Does she think her religious convictions help her to do a better job in the corporate world? "I don't know about a better .job, but it certainly makes me calm," she says. "There ar~ times when the stress is so incredible between office and home, trying to be a wife, mother, daughter-in-law and corporate executive. The9- you close your eyes and think about a temple like Tirupati, and suddenly you feel 'Hey...LI can take on the world.' Hinduism floats around you, and makes you feel somehow invincible."
Is it tough being a mother and a corporate executive? Nooyi admits that it is a ~ery dif·ficult task: "You can walk away from the fact that you're a corporate executive, but you can't walk away frorp the fact that you are a mom. In terms of being a,mother and a cor, porate executive, the role of mom comes first." What sees her through tough times? ..... "My family and my belief in God. If all ,else fails, I call my mother in India when she's there-and wake her up in the middle of the night-and she listens to me. And she probably promises God a visit to Tirupati!"
Pepsi details: It's the world's number two ' soft-drink maker, after Coca-Cola. But beverages make up just one-half of sales for the diversified food and drink company. The other half comes from Frito-Lay, the world's leader in snack chips. PepsiCo's 1997 sales reached US$21 billion. Its employees' number 142,000, while Coca-Cola has a mere 29,500.
PepsiCo is listed No. 31 in the Fortune 500
most wealthy companies in the US. ..wi.
JULY, Igg8 HINDUISM TODAY 39
/
MUSIC
Rhythmic Gymnasts Indian drum maestros , "band together in . celebration of their art
NLY IN INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC
have percussionists so successfullyere- u
ated a place for themselves as solo p artists. ,While in the West, Alia Rakha ::;,--_~~ ___ -,-~~ _____ ~_...;;;c.. _ __ ~~~ ___ ~~~ ____ ---!
and Zakir Hussain first brought the tabla Tempo duo: Santoorist Tarun Bhattacharya (right) accompanies Bikmm Ghosh on tabla center stage, now new fast fingers and ,. pounding palms have secured the spotlight. And the "other In<llan drum," the carnatic mrdangam, is also being honored.
Bikram Ghosh is the latest welcome addition to the clique of solo percussion artists. His 1997 recording, Talking Tabla, has been re-released in a two-CD set called The Language of Rhyt~m, (Music of the World, US$26.9.5). In addition to Bikram's best, the set includes the solo CD of mrdangam maestro Trichy Sankaran [see A Master's in Rhythm, May, 1997'], as well as a 26-page booklet introducing the history, construction and theories of performance of both drums.
Language is a valuable and rare presenta-
tion of the rhythmical systems of India's North and South. While the text details the sophistication of the drums and Indian tala, musical time, these discs were never meant to be academic. The greatest lessons are taught by sound example. Ghosh and Sankaran display impressive dexterity and astute musicianship. But still, Ghosq.remains humble..- In a spare moment during an April US tour with Ravi Shankar, he told HINDUISM TODAY, "It is the blessings of the gurus which gives you success. Without their guidance, I would not have been able to do anything."
Ghosh is known for his years of work with Ravi Shankar. Lately, he has added tasteful
punch to recordings of santoorist Tarun Bhattacharya. Returning the favor on Talking Tabla, Bhattacharya j6ins Ghosh on one track. We would have enjoyed more such duets, but the character and intent of this CD set is different. A variety of styles and instrumentations are presented in order to demonstrate: still only partially, the wide dynamic range of the drunIffiers and music.
Ghosh says of his art, "When we sit with our instrument, we take off our shoes. We pray, touch the feet of the guru and then begin playing. It is a form of prayer." ..
IlUSIC OF THE WORLD, POST OFFICE BOX 3620 , CHAPEL HI LL , NORTH CAROLINA 2751 5 -3620 USA
Does Clothing Matter? themselves, who were largely uninspired. Some had given
al clothing, Tarlo discovered, has become the fashion for not only a certain segment of Indian society, but for Westerners as well. Dressing convincingly as Gujarati or Rajasthani peasants, with only their make-up betraying urban roots, ethnic chic has become a fashion statement.
By TARA KATIR, KAUAI _ ,,_ ,. ,E ALL KNOW THE
adage, 'You are what you eat." But are we also what we wear? Dr.
Emma Tarlo documents modern and aged clothing conundrums and the changing dress codes of Indian society in Clothing Matters, Dress and Identity In India (382 pages, Chicago University Press, US$23.95). Pursuing a doctorate in anthropology at the University of London, Tarlo followed India's developing clothing mores from Vedic times, with an emphasis on the colonial period to today.
Tarlo began her field work in 1988 by studying the significance of the embroidery tradition of a Gujarati village. Se-
,
Unveiled: Dilemmas of dress
lecting a multi-caste village in Saurashtra, an area renowned for its stitchery, Tarlo quickly discovered that her own interest was prodigiously more keen than the women weavers
40 HI NDUISM TODAY JULY, 1998
up wearing traditional clothing altogether and others, embarrassed by its backward connotations, seemed eager to dispense with the garments in favor of more modern wear. As Tarlo points out, "There was something slightly farcical about the anthropologist trying to uncover the vital significance of a textile tradition that the villagers themselves were keen to put behind them."
Thus began a study into the attitudes behind the clothes and controversies smoldering in the community about them, including issues of womens modesty and caste modernization. Just how far can one move away from the established traditional clothing and be accepted by society?
Coming full circle, tradition-
The irony has not been lost on the village peoples. While beholding a glittery fashion show in the town of Hauz Khas, the headman opines, "Previously people were looking down on us because we were wearing dhotis and looking like farmers. But now they actually come to the village and dress in our old clothes." It may seem that the more things change, the more they stay the same. .....
THE UNIVERSITY OP CHICAGO PRESS, 5 8 01 SOUTH E LLIS AVENUE, CHlCAGO,
ILLINOI S 60637,USA
"' "'
YOUTH
Yo Dude, You'rct Rude! A h:ip handbook f01;: etiquette-c~allenged teens
LEX J. PACKER OPENS HIS WITTY YET
wise, irreverent and very relevant book, How Rude, The Teenagers'
to Good Manners, Proper Behavior, and Not Grossing People Out, with historical tidbits on manners: "The evolution of table manners can be quite fascinating. For example, when forks were first used for eating in Tuscany in the 11TH century, they were condemned by the clergy. This was because food was seen as a gift from God.
eating; etc.( 9. Give people a firm handshake. 10. Have compassion towards others.
Here is how Packer teaches teens to receive gifts (after he has instructed them in all the goofs and skills of gift giving): "There are two ways to' receive a present: 1. with great pleasure, or 2. with greater pleasure. Response No. 1 is for gifts you don't particularly like. It involves a warm smile, a look of delight and surprise, and expressions of gratitude such as: 'Thank you so much.' 'I'm
going to enjoy reading it.' 'This will look so nice in my room.' 'I'll sure stay warm in these.' For gifts you do . like, use response #2. Wear an ear-to-ear grin. Let yomjaw fall open and your eyes bug out. Remain speechless for a second or two as words fail you. Run around the room a few times. Do cartwheels. Say, 'I can't believe it' and 'Oh, wow!' over and over while you try to regain control of
~~ __________ ~A~I~c~x~J~. ~P~a~c~l(e~r~,~P~h~.=D~. __________ ~
• your conscious mind. Then let loose a torrent of thanks: 'This is ;0-0-0-0-0 fabulous! ' 'I've wanted one of these forever and ever! ' 'This is the greatest present!' You'll notice that these responses do more than just convey gratitude. They make the person who gave you the present feel like giving you another one. This is a lovely by-product of the proper expression of thanks. Now that you kpow what to do, here's what not to do: don't ask how much somethi:q.g cost. This is always a serious breach of etiquette. Don't complain about gifts you receive.
Frank talk: Few books can push teens' buttons like this
Only the human hand, another of God's creations, was fit to touch it ('Ethelred, use your fmgers, not your fork! ')."
In his humorously illustrated, teen lingo, Packer lays out the table of manners. Drawing from his extensive surveys, he lists what adults and teens consider the 20 most important manners. Here are ten: 1. Say "Please," "Thank you," "You're welcome," "May I?" and "Excuse me." 2. wtite thankyou notes. 3. Look people in the eye. \ 4· Clean up after yourself 5. Respect adults. 6. Don't interrupt. Wait for your turn to speak. 7. Treat people as you would like to be treated. 8. Use good table manners (wait to begin; chew with your mouth closed; stay at the table until the last person is finished
As in: 'Not another stupid wallet.' 'Nobody wears these.' 'Why'd you get me this?' 'I al-' ready have one.' This may be difficult, particularly if you were expecting a car and ended up with an Etch-A-Sketcl,l. But sometimes, for the sake of the greater golid, you have to pretend."
Packer, who styles himself as a polite educator, is also a psychologist and screenwriter. In a recurring motif of his book called Dear Alex, a teen asks, "How can you have manners without people thinking you're weird?" Alex answers, "The only people who think , manners are weird are those without any Who cares what they thinK?" WI'
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l.emurian Scrolls
AllltUIU"ed. datI"fOlJVl1 m'$lilll. allIII1tI.lIntOkS ~ 'CIf.arth lrom lbe ~ raUlIoAs 01 ytIU. ud lbe mug)e:s Ia4 \1\ Cfto lUI", em l16Wls maured 111.10 l'1'*r ultimate aest\nv _no t)Mnlfl,
Lemurian Scrolls is a remarkable
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Available August 1998. $29.85.
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107 KAHO lAlELE ROAD
KAPAA. HI 96746-9304 USA
BOOKS YO U CAN TAK E, SERI OUS LY
i
42
CLASSIFIED
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: [email protected]
Ashrams
Ananda Ashram. Sanskrit, meditation, yoga, cultural programs, intensives, retreats. One hour from New York City. Wooded setting. Tel: 914-782-5575. Fax: 914-774-7368 (USA).
Ayurvedic/Health
Discover Homeopathy! Books, tapes, medicines, software, information for laypeople or health professionals. Homeopathic Educational Services, 2124 W Kittredge, Berkeley CA 94704-2604 USA. Tel: 510-649-0294. Website: http://www.homeopathic.com
Computer
Fast, friendly, fun software-Hindi, Sanskrit, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bengali, diacritics, all-inone for Windows, now on special offer. Call 416-315-3186 (Canada).
Devotional Supplies
Ganges clayfired statues for puja, meditation, immersion, other rituals. Sixty intricately hand-painted images, many hard to find. Color catalog includes 200 other deities. Send US$2 to: JBL, Box 163 H, Crozet, VA 22932-0163 USA.
Quality Incense from India. Golden Rose. Neel Kamal Pure Sandalwood cones, and more. Tel: 970-949-6329 USA Email: vel@vailnet
Beautiful wooden puzzles. Krishna, gods & goddesses. Also two games for Hindu children: "Memory" and 'Dominoes."Call Lakshmi: 209-337-2477 (USA). [email protected]
Education
Looking for a Hindi conversational tutor in Los Angeles. Must at least have a high school diploma from India. Please call Loganatha at 213-937- 0885.
Accredited Vedic astrology degree program offered by state-recognized Florida Vedic College (FVG) Also: books, workshops. Contact Shyamasundara Dasa, Dean of Astrology (FVC), Jyotish Sastri, member ICAS, fully trained by masters in India, over 20 years experience, author of the pioneer Matrix Jyotish Vedic astrology program that made Vedic astrology accessible to the West. Tel 352-332-3931. E-mail: [email protected]
. ,
Vedic Astrology classes, workshops, tapes, books. Offered by Umananda-Stephen Quong, Ph.D., Jyotisha Vachaspati.17513 Grizzly Den Road, Lake Shastina, CA 96094-9448, USA. Tel: 530-938-2997. Website: www.jyotisha.com E-mail: [email protected]
Events
Ma Kali Puja Worship Mother Kali on August 22 (New Moon) & 23. Priests from Calcuttas Dakshineswar Kali Temple will officiate. Ecstatic kirtans, flower offerings and great veg. meals. Sugg. donation: $45. Contact Kali Mandir, PO Box 4700 Laguna Beach, CA 92652-4700 USA Tel: 714-494-1906 www.kalimandir.org
Free Products and Services
Free educational flow charts on all aspects of Hinduism. Write to Viswanath. Am I a Hindu? Box 56697, New Orleans, LA 70156-6697 USA. [email protected]
Jewelry
Affordable gems/jewelry for ayurveda, astrology, meditation. Satisfaction guaranteed. Mail order. King Enterprises, 1305 N. H St.!A-289-T, Lompoc, CA 93436-4377 USA. Tel: 805-736-0449 (business hours.)
Astrological rings, pendants of gemstones, made to order in 14, 18, 22 karat gold or silver. Call Manju: 914-434-6630 (USA).
Music and Art
Hindu Deity paintings, notecards and prints from India. Website: http://www.iakshmi.com. Catalog. Lakshmi International, 411 Madison Street, Boonton, NJ 07005-2051
Exquisite Vedic paintings done to order. Art book, Windows to Spiritual World. Pushkar, PO Box 1094, Alachua, FL 32615-1094 USA. Tel: 904-462-0144. www.seva.iskcon.netlpushkaralintrop.htm
East Indian instruments and gift items. Giant selection of instruments: harmoniums, tabla, daggas, kirtan instruments, audio/video tapes. Also incense, spiritual books, etc. For a beautiful catalog, send US$l to Encinitas Imports, PO Box 230419-H, Encinitas, CA 92023-0419 USA. Tel: 760-436-9589
Beautiful devotional sculptures and masks. Summer special offer: 33% off classic cast stone murthies for your home, temple or retail shop. Ganesh, Shiva, Laxmi, Sarasvati, Buddha. Height: 2 ft. (61 cm) or 4-5 ft. (1.2-1.5m). Free catalog, tel: 800-608-8632, 515-472-8115.
Vedic Sculpture Studio, 607 W Broadway #136, Fairfield, IA 52556-3200 USA.
Pilgrimage/Travel
Spiritual pilgrimages, vacations: India, Nepal, Hawaii, Grand Canyon, Costa Rica, Alaska, Mt. Shasta, Peru. Small groups. Self-discovery Adventures. Tel/fax: 515-472-7918 (USA). [email protected]
Products/Stores
Elegant, custom-designed Hindu clothing for all occasions- kurtas, punjabs, salwar kameez, etc. Also, western. Natural fabrics. Free brochure: Palani Sewing, tel: 510-680-7278 (USA). E-mail: [email protected]
Publications
Sri Aurobindo books. Ayurveda. Reiki. Classical spiritual texts. Homeopathy. Aromatherapy. Alternative health. Also over 7,000 health products including ayurveda, homeopathic remedies, herbal remedies, incense, essential oils, massage oils, etc. Wholesale-retail-mail order. Free catalog. Lotus Light, Box 1008HT, Silver Lake, WI 53170-1008 USA.
Auromere: Sri Aurobindo books, classical spiritual texts, ayurveda books, children's books from India, ayurvedic products, incense, and much more. Free catalog: 1-800-735-4691 (USA).
Palani Panchang 1998. Trivedis American Panchang available in English or Gujarati. US$9 + $2 s/h. 3 versions for NY, Chicago, San Francisco times. 510-490-1533. Devendra Trivedi, 4831 Piper St, Fremont, CA 94538 USA.
Videos
Acclaimed spiritual videos: SadhanaIndia's holy men, see the Kumbha Mela. 60 min. US$33.95 pstpd (ck). Pal and Catalog available. Penny Price Media. 355C Lake Pleasant Dr. Staatsburg, NY 12580 USA. Tel: 914-876-0239, fax 914-876-0260
Yoga
Yoga in Daily Life. Yoga, meditation, guest lecturers, satsang. Books, audio & video tapes and more. Free catalog. 1310 Mt. Vernon, Alexandria, VA 22301-1714 USA. E-mail: [email protected] • Tel: 703-299-8946 • Fax: 703-299-9051. • .
Wanted
Spiritually evolved people to acquire land to form a hermitage on the island of Kauai (Hawaii). Based on Eastern Philosophies. Living in harmony with nature using permaculture technique, creating a sthapatuveda center where to retire, write, meditate and Be. Hermitage Center, PO Box 452, Kapaa, Hawaii 96746-9404 USA. Fax: 808-822-2148.
SOS-Save Our Seas!
This original painting, The Last Orca (pictured), is offered at auction. Bidding starts at US$l,OOO,OOO,OOO (1 billion), and the entire proceeds of the sale will be used to establish a police force to end toxic dumping into the world's waters by industries worldwide. View of painting and information online: www.hawaiian.netl-khamislkhamisspeaks.html! www.galaxymall.com/commerce/khamis/page4.html
Pooja, Devotional and Wedding Items
Pre-packaged items for all types of puja • Homa pits • Deity statues, devotional pictures • Japa malasrudraksha, tulsi, lotus, sandalwood • Bhojaptra • Ganges River water • Oils· Religious Books
34159 Fremont Bvd I Fremont, CA 94555 USA • Tel: 510- 793-7930 ~ ~ Fax: 510-793-7026
Pooja International
in English, Sanskrit, Gujarati and Hindi • Bhojaptra • Men's, children's kurta, pajamas, sari blouses, sari falls and petticoats • 1998 Jaintri & Panchang • Ask for our free list of items • Prompt delivery. M.Card, Visa, AmEx accepted.
The Ayurvedic Institute
Dr. Vasant Lad, Ayurvedic Physician and Director of the Institute, with visiting faculty, offer the Ayurvedic Studies Program, seminars and private consultations.
Yearly Curriculum: • I: Introduction to philosophy,
theory and systems (Fall). • II: Introduction to Ayurvedic
assessment (Winter). • III: Intro. to management of
imbalances (Spring).
• Correspondence Course by Dr. Robert Svoboda, Ayurvedic Physician
• Weekend and Intensive Seminars: Ayurvedic Cooking, Psychology, Herbology, Pulse Reading, Sanskrit, Jyotish, etc.
• Panchakarma-purification and rejuvenation by licensed staff: oil massage, herbal steam, cleansing diet, herbal therapy, etc.
• Ayur-yoga-integrating Ayurveda and Yoga for the purpose of returning each person to his or her balanced state.
• Ayurvedic and Western herbs, extracts, oils, books, audio and video tapes and a quarterly journal.
Write/call for our mail order catalog and information: The Ayuvedic Institute • PO Box 23445 Albuquerque, NM 87192-1445 USA Tel: 505-291-9698 • Fax: 505-294-7572
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Writings and Music of Sri Chinmoy
We offer a wide selection of Sri Chinmoy's music, inspirational writings, poetry, plays, and instructive answers to questions asked by seekers.
New and unique book! Diana, Princess of Wales, Empress of the World-accounts of Princess Diana's spiritual dimension, with depictions of her meetings and personal correspondence with Sri Chinmoy • 124 pages US$6.95 plus $2.25 shipping
Learn to meditate! Meditation: Man-perfection in God-Satisfaction , is a classic introduction to our timeless birthright. In this book, Sri Chinmoy takes you, with simplicity and clarity, from the fIrst stages of concentration and meditation through the advanced practice of contemplation. 261 pages • $9.95 plus $2.25 shipping.
Call for a free catalog with over 70 books, audio and video tapes, CDs and more:
Heart-Light Distributors p.o. Box 85464-H • Seattle, WA 98145-1464 USA Tel: 800-739-2885 or 206-527-2099 Fax: 206-523-5637
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43
HEALING
Consequences of Corporal Punishment Even a single slap can cause significant injuries" leave alone the psychological fallout
B Y D E V A NAN D A TAN D A- v AN, M. D.
N EMERGENCY ROOMS across the US it's fairly common for young people to be admitted in a bat-
tered state. The tip-off to the diagnosis is often multiple fractures of bones in various stages of healing. But many abused children never reach the hospital. They are often unattended and not discovered until symptoms of such ferocity appear that they are taken to a doctor. Parents feel their abuse is not very serious; however, some children have suffered lifelong consequences because of abuse. Here are some of the common and frightful complications.
Slapping the face may injure the eye from pressure applied. A common result is retinal detachment, which if unrecognized may produce permlillent blindness. There may also be rupture of the eardrum., leading to permanent deafness or decreased hearing. The many small bones in the face are delicate and may be fractured, leading to problems with the sinuses, nose and teeth. Breathing may be impaired.
Rapping the skull with ones knuckles often ruptures small vessels surrounding the brain. A hematome (blood clot) may occur and may also be associated with a blockage of cerebral vessels, l~ading to more or less permanent infringements of the brain. Due to external pressl[re on the brain (from hematomas that increase in size), the brain's nerve pathways are hampered in their normal workin~, leading to bizarre, but typical, symptoms. Head injm:ies may also result in cervical spine tra:uma. Any fracture or subluxation (partial bone dislocation) at this level is serious.
If one is hit upon the chest (anterior) with great force, the heart may rupture, of cour.se resulting in rapid death unless rec-
44 HINDUISM TODAY JU~Y , 1998
ognized almost at once. Lesser trauma to the chest may produce rib fractures. The fracture's pointed edge may puncture the pleura (covering the lungs) witlrthe result that the lung may collapse, impairing respiration. Trauma to the chest and upper lumbar area may produce a hematoma or infraction of the kidneys. A blow can injure the ureter (duct from kidney to urinary bladder) to an extent that it is blocked, leading to perma-
nent kidney disease. . A child is usually reluctant to name the
abuser. This may be partially due to a misplaced loyalty to parents or fear of further retribution. The US has social agencies to look after all childrens' well being. In cases of habitual abuse, children may be taken from the parents. Once, social w~rkers installed a video camera in a boy's reom to have evidence. After several weeks of surveillance, it ~as found the boy was abused · by an older sib4Pg out of jealousy and a need for attention. So it is not always the parents, foster parents, relative or such.
Many abused children have such mental trauma that they proceed into a neurosis or even a psychosis. They quickly develop a severe inferiority complex and "separation" from their true self Even thpugh they may be brought through this phase wiSh counseling and true loving care, there is always some residue making them lead a sociopaths life. This is an extreme price to pay for doing only "what all children do."
Failure to thrive: This term describes the condition of a child who is underdeveloped physically, mentally or emotionally. "Organic" failure to thrive is a result of lack of maternal affection, malnutrition, disease or injury and is ·seen mostly in very young
children. "Nonorganic" failure to thrive is a more complex disorder found in older children. Studies have showh. that when a home becomes abusive or dysfunctional, the childs development will slow down. During the years and months leading up to a messy divorce, for example, the child's height and weight may cease to increase at a normal rate. Daily beating and berating can . similarly result in failure to thrive. The compromised future development may produce subnormal mentalities and mutilated bodies.
In the extreme situation, the child will be below average height for his age and birth weight; thin; even emaciated.; potbelly; suffering from heatlaches, diarrhea; "tension and misery; with an apathetic and withdrawn demeanor, prone to short temper tantrums, insensitivity to pain, insomnia and disrupted sleep, so that they roam the house at night, probably searching for food; eating and drinking inappropriate substances, such as things from the garbage can. When a physician sees several of these qualities in a child, he should investigate the family situation and, if necessary, recommend counsellirlg.
If the infant and younger child does not receive enough personal attention, cuddling, holding, kissing and general fulfillment of his needs, he is likely to have psychological changes that will also induce changes in the gastrointestinal system, so that a state of malnutrition begins. If a factor of physical abuse is added to this neglect, there may be marked psychological changes such as depression, lack of interest in games, inability to digest food, antagonistic behavior lYld even changes in the mentality, as evidenced by changes in the intelligence quotient. The personality changes seem to bring about more parental abuse as the child becomes older.
A family whose children fail to, thrive lacks communication and interaction between its members, parental bonding, nurturing and attachment. The child responds .in like kind, frequently with feeding and behavioral problems. Even in otherwise, w.ell-to-do families, failure to thrive may be seen in greater or lesser degree as a resul . of abusive corporal punishment and the resulting disruption to the child's being.
You may'say "my father beat me as a child and I had no serious consequenc~s." This may be true, but doesn't guarantee there will be no lasting effects on the body,' and-more importantly-the mind. We are thankful that not all parents are abusers. . DR. TANDAVAN, 78, retired nuclearphysiclan and hospital staff president, lives in Chicago, where he specializes in alternative healing arts. Visit his World Wide Web home page at: www.hindu.orgldrtl
Dlspens'Rry: Calling it "medical treatment" and prescrib"ing an herb can get you arrested
AYURVEDA
Opening Shop in America , Traditional doctors face the need for licensing
AVIN IS A CASHIER IN A NEW YORK bookstore. But he is no ordinary cashier. Navin (not his real name) is actually a full-qualified vaidya, an
ayurvedic doctor, hailing from Gujarat. "I studied medicine for six years in India. But I carmot practice iii. America, and so I sell books and magazines and occasionally give free consultations," explains Navin. His father, who lives in the US, brought him from India five years ago. "I was unemployed for more than a year before ending up here." Because ayurveda is not a recognized form of medicine in the US, Navin carmot set up a clinic. Unable to pursue his real profession, he plans to return to India early next year.
"Navin is one of the lucky
is that you do not try to pretend or sound like you are a licensed allopathic medical doctor. Thus, you carmot say 'treat,' 'diagnose' or< 'prescribe,' or call your business a 'clinic.' You can say 'analyze' or 'suggest,' and call your business a 'center.' You cannot call yourself a 'doctor,' but can say you are a 'holistic educator' or 'guide.'"
Dr. Vrrendra Sodhi, who runs the Ayurveda and Naturopathic Medical Clinic in Washington State, told HINDUISM TODAY, "I studied ayurveda for six years in college in India. But when I came to America, I had to go back to college for four more years of naturopathic medicine so I could get a license to open qJ.y clinic and be recognized
as a doctor." The advantages were s~bstantial. "I could have practiced low-key without going to school," explained Sodhi, ''but I would be nowhere. I could not get lab tests done, or request x-rays or ultrasounds."
Most US states have been loathe to license non-allopathic systems. But over the decades, several systems have been granted permission to be licensed when certain qualifications are met. Thus, naturopathy, homeopathy, osteopathy, chiropractic and, most recently, acupuncture, have gained legal status. In some states traditional Chinese medicine is allowed full rights.
Licensing is, at heart, a political process, and alternative systems have gained' legal status more by the dem~ds of consumers than by any openness from the allopathic establishment. Chiropractors fought for decades against orchestrated persecution from the American medical establishment. Only after lengthy court battles were they fmally left to practice in peace.
Acupuncture started to gain popularity in the US in the 70S, around the same time ayurveda appeared on the American scene. As the result of intense grassroots efforts, it gained legitimate status. As of 1996, 11
states regulate the practice of acupuncture by physicians and 26 states offer licensing for nonphysician acupuncturists. Licensing allows a practitioner to open a clinic and provides qualifying services for graduates with foreign degrees. Local boards of experts are set up by the state to issue the licenses.
A,yurveda is ~ong the newest systems to arrive in America. It is gaining popularity through efforts of people such as Deepak Chopra and organizations such as Maharishis Transcendental Meditation. As yet, it lacks the public support necessary to establish a licensing procedure, but that should change in just the next few years. ~
AYURVEDA HOLISTIC CENTER, 8 ZA BAYVILLE AVE ., BAYVILLE,
NEW YORK 11709. e-mail:[email protected]
ones. At least he is able to practice a little Ayurveda," says Swami Sada Shiva Tirtha, Indiatrained vaidya and founder of the Ayurveda Holistic Center in New York. "Our center receives many e-mails and calls from In- • dian vaidyas in the US who cannot or do not know how to begin a practice in the US. So they end up jobless or working in candy factories or stores like Navin. They are frustrated being • unable to pursue their dharma."
Copious Compendium
A,yilrveda is controlled by varying requirements for unrecognized forms of healing determined by each state's education department. Swamiji explains, "The main concern of the state
OU COULD BUY A HALF
dozen plus books on ayurveda to start your reference library, or you
could buy Swami Sada Shiva Tirthas nearly-two-kilos, 686-page Ayurveda Encyclopedia: Natural Secrets to Healing, Prevention, & Longevity. It's detailed enough for the professional, but accessible to the lay person. Topics include physiology and philosophy, nutrition, herbology, hatha yoga and related therapies
such as by aroma, gems and music, mostly written in nontechnical terms. It includes a resource list, glossary, extensive biography and descriptions of 85 major herbs. There are interesting sections on ayurvedas history, ethics and on how doctors should deal with patients. It is useful and entertaining for any student of ayurveda or as a home self
Natunll Secrets to Healing, Prevention, & Longevity
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JULY, 1998 HINDUISM TODAY 45
·1 I
Surrounding Iraivan Temple is an
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Pilgrims enjoy groves of plumeria,
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Kauai. hi. us/ashram/Ira ivan . h~ml
RUDRAKSHA FOREST
SAN MARGA IRAlVAN TEMPLE
107 KAHOlAlELE ROAD
KAPAA. HI 96746-9304 USA
A TE MPLE BU IL'F TO LA ST 1.000 YEA RS
~
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Brisket business: Goat heads marinated in orange preservative peer out from a meat-seller's stall in Asan Tal, Kathmandu. Most Nepalese eat meat, especially in the high country.
DIET
Will Nepal Go VeggieP Meet a one.r-man army trying to change the nation
By MARl BANSR JRA, NEPAL ~I SINGH ESTIMATES THAT 15 PERcent of Nepal's 20 million citizens are vegetarians. Now 52, he has 'waged a campaign for more
than' half his life promoting vegetarianism in a kingdom where even the priests eat meat. I first encountered Singh when he lectured at a Rotary Club luncheon in Kathmandu. "By nature," he iI:
told the attel).tive crowd, "hu- ~ man beings are not carnivo- ~ ;;:
~~~~'e~f ~: ~~~~:~:~f ~ bad food and drink, the 2 Nepalese people are showing ~
country of Lord Pashupatinath, Lord, Buddha, Sita and Bhrikuti, the Nepalese society is not living up to its ideals. It is actually falling. Many people eat the meat of buffa-
los, goats, sheep and chickens. They drink contaminated water and sometimes toxic ho'me-made alcohol. It is due in ~t to these problems that we have not been able to produce Noble Peace laureates, eminent scientists, great writers and so forth. For the same reasons, India, too, despite its glorious ancient tradition brought about by Lore;! Rama, Krishna jiIld
bad social and moral charac- 8 L-______ ~ ________ -1
recently by Mahatma Gandhi, has witnessed embarr~ ing opportunism and corrup-teristics. Teachers, adrninis- Hari Singh: Nepal's cham-
trators, farmers and the other pion of vegetarianism tion in public life." , "My message to the Nepal-sections of the society are be~
coming immoral and selfish, all ,Que to the impact of bad food. This inspired me to propagate vegetarianism and pure food."
Singh has held various posts in ministries of His Majesty's Government. He lectures constantly throughout Nepal, distributes pamphlets and does one-on-one conversion attempts with individuals. He calls his efforts modestly successful, particularly among the brahmin ahd Chhetria communities.
At stake, he feels, is the very future of the country. "Despite the fact that Nepal is the
ese people," Singh told me, "is that we should stop eating bad food, especially meat, and stop drinking alcohol and contaminated' water. Consumption of clean food and pure water will result in physical and mental health, purity of mind and body. Such a change in our food consumption will contrioute tremendously to uplift our moral life and overall health of our society. " ..,.;
CONTACT: MARl SINGH, do DR. HARI BANSH JHA. DHOGBIGHAT PATAN, GPO BOX 3174. KATHMANDU, NEPAL
Gayatri Gyanyagya Samaroh, Chicago
Gayatri Yugnirman Chicago will celebrate GAYATRI GYANYAGYA SAMAROH on Gurupurnima, Jul. 12, '98. The head of Gayatri Pariwar, Yugnirman Yojana, Mathura, India- REV. SHRI LILAPATJI SHARMA-will attend, making it the most auspicious and grand event of the year-a unique opportunity to receive Saint Lilapatji's blessings. Call: Gayatri Mandir, Chicago: 773-465-2533 or Gayatri Pariwar, Chicago: 847-692-7712.
DHARMAWARE: Gallery of Sacred Arts
For 22 years, providing the highest quality Hindu and Buddhist puja supplies to the growing Dharma community. Deity statues, South Indian bronzes, Shiva Lingams, Arati lamps, incense and malas. Send US$3 for 36-page color catalog specializing in Tibetan Buddhist items. 54E Tinker St., Woodstock, NY 12498-1200 USA. 914-679-4900 Orders from USA: 888-679-4900 Website: www.dharmaware.com
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MAHESHYOG[
Maharishi International University 1971-1995
MAHAIusm UNIVERSITY OF MANAGEMENT
FAIRFIELD, IOWA
Academic Excellence Consciousness and Creativity
High Quality of Life
Graduate and undergraduate programs in a broad range of disciplines. All-vegetarian food. Drug-free, crime-free, alcohol-free
campus. Financial aid available. FREE VIDEO: Office of Admissions, Maharishi University of Management,
Fairfield, IA 52557-0001 (800) 369-6480 www.mum.edu
MAHARISHI UNNERS[TY OF MANAGEMENT [S A NON-SECTARIAN, EQUAL OPPORTUNITY INSTITUTION.
American Institute of Vedic Studies Expand your horizons in Vedic and Hindu Dharma. Practical teachings of Vamadeva Shastri (Dr. David Frawley). Authentic lmowledge in a clear modern idiom. Books and courses, conferences and seminars, research information, from the Rig Veda to India Today .
Dr. Frawleys latest books: • Ayurveda and the Mind • Oracle of Rama • Awaken Bharata:
A Call for India's Rebirth
• Ayurvedic Correspondence Course: six hundred pages of in-depth material.
• Vedic Astrology Correspondence Course: six hundred pages of in-depth material.
• Vedic yoga and the new view of ancient India.
American Institute of Vedic Studies PO Box 8357 Santa Fe, NM 87504-8357 USA Tel: 505-983-9385 • Fax: 505-982-5807 Email: [email protected]· Web: www.vedanet.com
Subramanya/Ayyappa Temple, Canada
The Subramanyal Ayyappa Temple opened in July 1994, as a manifestation of the life works of Sri Swami Vishnudevananda (1927-1993)founder of the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres and Ashrams worldwide.
In addition to daily pujas, the following festivals will be celebrated during Summer '98. • Mariarnman Tiruvala Pujas and Pongala (June 19-28), marking the 2nd anniversary of Mariarnman Pratishta. The tenth day will be the 8th annual Pongala celebrations. ·Chandika Homa (July 1-9), marking the 4th anniversary of the temple, concluding on the Pratishta day, July 9th. ·Kaavadi Tiruvala Pujas and Kaavadi (July 12-26). After 14 , days of Tiruvala pujas, the 15th day will be the Kaavadi with over 100 Kaavadi-carriers dancing in procession with our newly built IS-foot chariot. ·Sahasra Kalashabhishekam and Sankabhishekam (Aug. 15) A rare puja of its kind celebrated in memory of Swami Vishnu-devananda for world peace.
Sivananda Ashram & Subramanyal Ayyappa Temple 673 8th Ave., Val Morin JOT 2RO Canada Tel: 1-819-322-1379 • Fax: 1-819-322-5876
Sivananda Ashram Yoga Camp
Established by Swami Vishnu- . devananda in 1962 and located amidst 250 acres of peaceful forest in the Laurentian mountains, 1 hour north of Montreal. Yearround program includes morning and evening meditations and two yoga classes.
• June 27-July 25: Childrens' Summer Yoga Camp • June 28-July 4: Vedic Architecture, with Dr. V Ganapati Sthapati, founder and research director of the Vastu Vedic Research Foundation, Madras, India • July 5-Aug. 2: Yoga Teacher's Training course • Aug. 2-9: Bhagavata Saptaham wi Sant Venu Gopal Goswami • August 17-23: Vandana Shiva, director of Research Foundationfor Science, Technology & Ecology, Dehradun, India and Andrew Kimbrell, founder National Center for Technological Assessment, Washington, DC
Sivananda Ashram Yoga Camp • 673 8th Avenue Val Morin, PQ, JOT 2RO Canada .• Tel: 800-263-9642 (from Canada), 800-783-9642 (from USA), 819-322-3226 Fax 819-312-5876 • E-mail: [email protected] www.sivananda.orgicamp.htm
Ull~yush.I~9J!iPIm.y~F.or ~reQJlesi; ;aIILd Longevity
, . NatariY Books-5,OOO Titles The Major Distributor of books from India.
A sampling from our catalog:
• Shiva: An Introduction. Pattanaik. US$19.95
• Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana: With Sanskrit text and English translation, 2 vols. set. $55.00
• Understanding Your Puja Better. B. Dwarka. $4.95
• Devatma Shakti: Kundalini Divine Power. Swami Vishnu Tirtha. $8.95
• Mantrapushpam (in Sanskrit). Swami Dev Rupanand. $15.00
• Shri Rudram De-Coded: Mystery of Vedas Revealed, Mantras and Medicines for Healing. Shubhakaran. $35.00
• Aadi Shankara's Bhajagovindam. Krishnamani. $18.00 • Handbook ofVastu. B. Niranjan Babu. $9.95 • Kundalini Tantra. Satyananda Saraswati. $16.95 • Rabindranath Tagore: A Biography. Kripalani. $25.00
Nataraj Books 7073 Brookfield Plaza • Springfield, VA 22150-2915 USA Tel: 1-703-455-4996 • Fax: 1-703-912-9052 email: [email protected] Please ask for our free catalog • Visa/MC accepted.
Our wide range of products include: ·MEMORENTM Nutritional Support for tbe brain. The herbs in tbis formula are known for tbeir nutritional support for the bra.in and intellect. Helps with fatigue and forgetfullness.
• BABY MASSAGE OIV'M -PromO'tes restful sleep
• ALMA KALPTM Antioxidant formula, known in Ayurveda for thousands of years as the "jam O'f youth." AMLA (tbe main ingredient), knO'wn to bave one of the bighest concentrations O'f vitamin C, 30 times that of an OI~ange.
FOR OUR CATALOG OR TO ORDER
• BREAST MASSAGE OIL™ - SupPO'rts in tO'ning and firming
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48 L-__ ----------------------~~--------------------------------~
BRIEflY", INDIA~ RAGAS AREN'T just for music lovers. For many disabled people, music is"'the easiest, pain-free cure, according to Mr. Sanjay Prabhakar, a master's degree hold.er in music from Delhi University. Sanjay runs a special school in Delhi where the mentally retarded, deaf and dumb are treated' through music. "I sing Indian ragas to the students. Continuous sound and '-'ibration attract attention of the children, and they acknowledge the tunes." Sanjay uses different ragas dependin15 on the ailment.
HATH A YOGA APPEARS IN UNUSUAL places. Business Week Enterprise says, "Entertaining clients in the 90S is less predictable and more personal," giving an example of a marketing consultant who takes her clients to yoga class. Other unlikely hot spots for teaching yoga are inner, city neighborhoods and shelters, according to Yoga Journal. The Los Angeles Times says, "Invented 5,000 years ago by Hindus" yoga is the rage, from corporations to movie studios. USA'Weekend adds, "It is winning converts-from construction workers to Madonna-who want ~trength and less stress."
FIFTY CHRISTIAN CHURCHES IN ISRAEL said April 1, 1998, they would refrain from conducting aggressive missionary campaigns aimed at Jews. The statement is intended to avert the threat of legislation that would outlaw mailing, possibly even possession of, Christian missionary materials. Meanwhile, in Malaysia, Muslims who give up their faith could face three years in prison or a fme of up to US$I ,300 under a proposed law.
GOD SIVA AS NATA RAJA ("Lord of Dance") gets His name attached to many objects d 'art. One is a sculpture by Jon Hudson ti-
tled "Shiva/Shiwana," installed near the world's most power(ul radio telescope, the Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico. The VLA is a collection of 27 telescopes divided equally into three "arms." Hudson's reasoning is that "Shiva
Siva's VLA sculpture is the HifJ.du God who embraced the universe
with many arms." The sculptures three arms reflect the symmetry of the VLA.
"PRAYERS TO OTHER GODS on the rise," runs a headline in the New Zealand Herald. Waves of migrants and changing attitudes
in Western society are creating a landscape vastly different from that sculpted by early Christian missionaries. The Herald reported on computer technician Ganesh, who daily worships various Deities at home. There are 25,500 Hindus in New Zealand, out of a two million population. Rece:ntly, Prime Minister Jenny Shipley proposed that school education no longer be secular, but have more religion and ethics.
GRAB A SLEEPING BAG, JAPA MALA and your Spirits-you're invited to Hindu Heritage Summer Camp 1998 in New York. Have great fun while studying puja, Sanskrit, philosophy, Deities and their symbols, meditation and ayurveda. All campers get to try their hand at ".. Indian musical instruments and bharata natyamlfolk dances. ,Special forest hikes included. For de ... tails, write: Camp residents play drums Devi Par-vati, 60 E Squire DR, Apt. 8, Rochester, New York 14623, USA. Ph.: 716-424-6946.
AT THIS YEAR'S KUMBHA MELA in Haridwar, India, Naga sadhus announced on January 15 the formation of a "union" to protect rights over camping space at Sagar Island, where they congregate during the mela. , "Sadhus, too, have a right to earn their living," said Suddhananda Giri Maharaj, union spokesman. Naga sadhus have traditionally camped near the Kapil Muni temple, where they garner many donations from pilgrims. But in r~cent years, they've been gradually edged out by other sadhus and vendors.
YET ANOTHER HINDU TEMPLE IN FIJI was set on fIre, the Sri Gangaman Temple in Sigatoka. Pundit Harish Sharma says on April 1, 1998, a shed erected for the ·temple's week long Ram Navami festival was burned. Temple president Subrail Narayan said, "We are sh6'cked at this level of sacrilege. People should know that by burning the
,temple, tney still cannot erase the religion. Why cant they respect our religion as we respect theirs?" Police are investigatinfl.
GANESHA AS "VIGNESWARA," Remover of ObstacleSfreceives unusual offerings at Bull Temple Road in Bangalore. Apart from traditional coconuts, flowers, etc., students
CLOCKWISE FJtOM T OP: COURTESY H INDU HERITAGE SUMMER CAMP, INC., T.e. MAJUPURIAIRELIGIOUS a. USEFUL PLANTS OF INDIA, NATI ONAL RADIO ASTRONOMY OBSERVATORY
prepa;:ing for school tests place exam tickets £a paper giving your authorization number to sit for the exam) at His feet! The rituallasts all day: tickets are entrusted to the priest, who places them on the Deity while chanting Sanskrit verses. Once the archana is done, tickets are returned to students with red pow<ter and jasmine flowers.
THE WORLD ASSOCIATION FOR VEDIC STUDIES is having its second conference, titled "New ". Perspectives on Vedic & Ancient Indian Civilization" at the. University of California~ Los Angeles, Augusf 7-9, 1998. For further information, contact Dr. Shiva Bajpai, 670 ·Wildomar ST, Pacmc Palisades, CA 90272, USA. Phone: 818-677-355l.
NATIONAL GUIDELINES for Hindu temples will be drafted to prevent friction between Hindus and Muslims. Malaysia's Public Works minister, Dato Seri Samy Vellu, says he will meet with 200 Hindu lead'ers to set up a systematic approach to temple building. The announcement follows a March riot when 3,000 Muslims stormed a Hindu temple, saying too much bell-ringing disrupted Muslim prayers. The temple has since been moved. "With ·proper organization skills . and fIxed times for prayers and celebrations, there will be no problems," said Vellu.
BEFORE BUYING AYURVEDIC products, check the ingredients. For example, today's massmarket Chyavanprash is a cheap substitute for the ancient prescription, claims Down to Earth magazine, yet it is one-third of India's total ayurvedic sales (US$220 million). Indias Botanical Research Instit;ute recently compared the new with the ". original chyavanprash. They ".. found that the honey content in commercial samples was significantly lower (or replaced with sugar).The amla fruit (plant shown above), a major source of Vitamin C, was also defIcient in m9dern recipes.
BRAZILIAN SHAMANS TXUCARRAMAE and Mantii smiled on March 31, 1998. After a severe drought causing the largest fIres in the Amazon's history, claiming more than 600,000 hectares, rain began to pour a day after a dance was held in the Yanomami Indian reservation where members of several Indian tribes asked the Gods for rain.
JULY, 1998 HINDUISM TODAY 49
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MINISTER.S MESSAGE not have any infrastructure to deal with
Corp.oral Punishment Is Totally Needless
this. It is happening even now with the rise in crime and decline in Values.
The mother's role is very important in providing proper early experiences to her child. She is responsible for education. It is my request to all mothers to make a conscious effort to gain positive samskaras in their personality and life, express them in the family environme nt and then educate their children with those samskaras.
My parents avoided it, and so can yolJ., by acknowledging the inherent Divinity of a child
Communication between parents and children should be free and sincere. None should suppress feelings and emotions. Parents should be silent observers of their child's actions. If parents follow the right
..path and self-discipline, children will follow what their parents have modeled. Swami Sivananda compared the child to a plant:
BY SWAMI B·R A H' M AV I 'DY A NAN DA
INDU CULTURE IS KINDNESS. IT TEACHES AHIMSA,
non-injury, physically,'mentally and emotionally. It prE~aCJlles against himsa, hurtfulness. My personal experience taught me that. I grew up in a simple, humble family in India. My father was a teacher. He
followed Hindu principles_strictly. He was closely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, who always taught agains,t violence.
My parents never used harsh words or corporal punishment with me or my brothers, not even when we made mistakes. Rather, t;P.ey gtpded us by communicating verbally. They were our living example. Although my father helped us develop our natural tendencies and abilities, it was enforced by his own self-discipline and not some sort of military discipline. He always used suggestions, not orders. He taught us to think properly before acting. He practiced self-punislupent to correct us-we followed spiritual practices at home: meditation, worship, prayer and yoga sadhana. On any given day, for example, if we had not done a certain practice, he would not get angry. He would simply punish himself by not having breakfast. We would not feel good about this, so we would try to correct our mistakes. My father always talked about Mahatma Gandhi's life. Gandhiji also practiced self-inflicted punishment to guide his followers.
During my 25-ye!tr residency in South and Central America and the US, many parents have complained to me about their children's behavior. Many parents use corporal punishment to correct their chilqen. I have always opposed this. Those who beat, hurt, ,slap or whip-their children are enemies of religion, because they are pushing the next generation into lower levels of consciousness. My suggestion for these parents has always been that the problem is not the children, b~t themselves. By giving exter~ punishment you cannot change internal habits, temperaments and natural tendencies. So, I ask them to change their own habits, nature, behavior, and way of acting toward their children. I suggest they always personally be good examples in V'{ord, thought and action. Often workin"g parents bring problems home. Pel'haps during their days work they are not satisfied with themselves. So, if their children do something wrong, they get angry and beat them without analyzing or thinking about it. This creates disharmony in the whole family.
Kids are innocent. A child's growth begins with positive interaction between him/her and the parents. This period is crucial for education. Todays society inspires violence. We even give toy guns an'tl water pistols to our kids. We are saying, psychologically, "Express your violence!" We are giving a wrong message, that the only way to express' anger is through violence. If that's the state of interaction with our children, we are going to see much social'disturbance and psychological imbalance in the future, and societl does
50 HINDUISM TODA·Y JU l,-Y, 199~
"The soul is the root, the mind the trunk and the body constitutes the leaves. The leaves are important because they gather the sun's rays for the entire tree. The trunk is equally important, however, and if the roots are not watered the whole tree will not survive for long." If we don't water and feed the soul of a cllild as well as the body and the mind, he or she will have difficulty in surviving.
Parents should know the needs, aspirations, strengths and limitations of every child. Paramahansa Niranjanananda calls it
the "SWAN theory:" Strengths, Weaknesses, Aspirations and Needs. Children should be properly molded by parents. They are highly suggestible, like malleable metal. They will do whatever we tell them to do. They are very imitat ive and will copy our behavior, which is one of the greatest risks of using corporal punishment.
Every conscientious parent should promote a healthy outlook and sense of well-being in his children. He hiIpself should be an ideal man. He should have sunshine within if he wishes to make his children brilliant and healthy. He should be full of life, light and joy. An unhappy, worried, sickly parent who is full of private griefs and' woes cannot guide a child and lift himlher up to a high standard of life. The parent needs teaching and education first.
Based on my personal experience, we can raise kids vAthout using corporal punishment. Many parents bring their children to our yoga ashram. We guide and inspire the parents and children with simple suggestions and spontaneous discipline. We observe great change in their nature and personality. According to the • Hindu law of reincarnatiQn, children are born with their past samskaras. If you know how to guide them, you can discover the se- . eret within themselves because they are the future scientists, yogis, doctors, and spiritual leaders who can make a change in the cour~e of world events. The innocent child is a form of Divinity. ..
SWAMI BRAHMAVIDYANANDA, 53, is a disciple ofParamahansa Satyananda. He has taught Hinduism in India, the US, South and Central America. He directs Satyananda Yoga Ashram in Florida.
Moneesh Resources - Gifts and Books For the past 18 years, we have developed an extensive collection of gifts, statues and books to support you in your spiritual upliftment.
• A broad collection of spiritual texts of all traditions, esp. Hindu-Vedas, Upanishads, Sutras, Puranas, etc. • The fmest rudraksha malas, custom made-gold-filled, 14k gold, with silver etc. • A wide collection of wrist or necklace malas in various stones and styles • Statues of deities: Ganesha, Krishna, Shiva Nataraj, etc .• Posters, calendars and notecards of deities from the fmest artists-all sizes • Puja and meditation items: Incense, prayer shawls, wool meditation asanas, cushions and more • Alternative health care remedies and books: ayurvedic and herbal preparations, essential oils and related books • Apparel: hatha yoga T-shirts and mats, meditation clothes, kurtas and dhotis
Call or write for our free catalog!
Moneesh Resources 467 Brickman Rd., Hurleyville, NY 12747-5314 USA Tel: 914-434-8990 • Fax: 914-435-00l8
Ayurveda Encyclopedia Natural Secrets to Healing, Prevention and Longevity
by Swami Sada Shlva Tirtha
• 85 herb materia medica wI photos • 89 Ayurvedic hatha yoga photos
and discussion . scientific research . nutrition . aroma
therapy . sadhana • pancha karma • in-depth pathology & diagnosis
Read Chapter 1 and other excerpts online at
http-,:llay.urvedahc.com
686 pages . ""$37 postpaid (online ordering also available
with International pricing)
"A magnificent work."Or. S. N. Srivastava BAMS, head of
Ayurveda K. Dept., Govt. Ayurvedic College, Hardwar, India • "Every doctor should read this book for better insights."-Patrick J. Conte MD, head of radiology, NJ, USA • ~n excellent reference book to meet the rising demand." -Bharat Shulka, President, Pharm-Tech Industries, NJ, USA ______________ _
AHC Press I Ayurveda Holistic Center 82A Bayville Ave . Bayville NY 11709-1671 USA Tel : 516-628-8200
Ask about the Ayurveda 2-Year Certification Correspondence/Residential Program (leading to BA, MA or PhD) • Books by Swami Purushottam Tirtha: Yoga Vani: Instructions for the Attainment of Siddhayoga, $13.50 postpaid . Guru Bani: 100 Ways to Attain Peace, by the author of The Ayurveda Encyclopedia, $9.50 postpaid • Online bookstore, herbal products mall,consultations, free dosha self-test, 10 articles, photos and more at http://ayurvedahc.com
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Sacred Woods. 1916 Arden Dr. Bloomington, IN 4740l-6731 USA Tel: 800-70l-1008.
Spirit of India
In partnership with a New Delhi Hindu company, we offer authentic journeys in comfort and safety. Join small groups or create your own.
• Spiritual India: A Yoga Journey • Art and Architecture of India • Indian Himalaya Jeep Safari • Customized Itineraries
Net prices to spirituaVculturaVyoga groups • www.spirit-of-india.com [email protected] • Tel: 415-381-5861 or 888-367-6147 (USA)
Teachings in the Kriya Yoga Tradition
Programs and books by Roy Eugene Davis, a disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda.
• Meditation retreats from May through Autumn
• Kriya Yoga philosophy and practices featured
• Sanskrit instruction and Ayurveda seminar by qualified teachers
Request information and our free book catalog: Center For Spiritual Awareness. PO Box 7-H Lakemont, GA 30552-0007 USA Tel: 706-782-4723. Fax 706-782-4560 E-mail [email protected] • Website http://www.csa-davis.org
Roy Eugene Davis' Books in India: (when ordering by mail add Rs. 15 postage each book) B. Jain Publishers • Post Box 5775 New Delhi 110 055
An Easy Guide to Ayurueda, Rs. 45 Motilal Banarsidass, Publishers 41 U.A., Bungalow Road, Jawahar Nagar, Delhi 110 007
The Book of Life, Rs. 65 A Master Guide to Meditation, Rs. 85 Life Surrendered in God (yoga-sutras), Hardcover, Rs. 295 • Softcover, Rs. 195.
51
.1997 ANNUAL , REPORT '
THE YEAR IN REVI:t;W
In 1997, the most visible change for Hindu Heritage Endowment was the transfOrmation from a small newsletter format to the beautiful three-page spread that now appears each month in ' HINDUI..5M TODAY. The establishment of a Pooled Income Bund and no-fee estate planning in partnership with First Hawaiian Bank ·added key donor options. '
The strength of !?he US dollar, was one of tJ::te big stories of the. year, emphasizing the merits of our strategy of keeping endowment funds in the relatively stable political and economic climate of the United States; We also changed inve~tment managers, and welcome the trust a~d investm,ent team of Firs~ Hawaiian Banl< who meet with us regularly as advisors of our Po oded 'Income Fund.
Much of our success centered around the beneficiaries of our grants, which included orphalls \n war-torn Sri Lanka and two ancient temples in India, still actively serving the spiritual needs of thousands of Hindus. Our grants placed free books on Hinduism in more than 500 libraries around the world qnd ·gave an honorarium to the Hinduism Today Hindu ofi:he Year. Hundreds of copies
' . , of HINDUISM TODAY were sent out free of charge to sadhus and swamis around, the world each m~nth. In addition, sevepl new endowment funds w.ere established during the year which will broaden the distribution of grants in future years. The true beneficiaries of our programs were the many generous donors. The good merit,. the feelings of love and satisfaction that result from giving without tl'\,\ught'of reward are truly the most valuable of benefits which will stay with each individual, not only the rest of this life, but into futUre lives as well. We thank you all for strengthening Hindu Dharma in modern times.
A LIST OF CURRENT ENDOWMENTS WITH FUND TOTALS
ENDOWMENTS SUPPORTING HINDU TEMPLES AROUND THE WORLD
002. Iraivan Temple En"dowment: Kauai, Hawaii, USA $810,650.35.
011. Iyarappan Temple Trust: Thiruvaiyaru, Tamil Nadu, ' , India. $5,374.68.
003. Kauai Aadheenam Annual Archana Fund: Kauai, Hawaii, USA. $42,2,88.79. ' ENDOWMENTS DEDICATED TO PUBLISHING HINDU BOOKS OR JOURNALS-
·004. Hinduism Today Distribution Fund: Kauai, Hawaii, USA. $274,954.08.
005. Hindu Businessmen's Association Trust: Kauai, Hawaii, USA. $120,16{l.17.
ENDOWMENTS SUPPORTING _ WORJ,D HINDU RELIGIOUS LEADERS
'007. Hindu of t.l~ Year Fund: Kauai, Hawaii, USA. $7,033.87. 006. Kailasa Peetham Gift Fund: Kauai, Hawaii, USA.
$134,037.71. ENDOWMENTS SUPPORTING ,HINDU MONASTIC COMMUNITIES
001. Kauai Aadheenam Monastic Endowment: Kauai, Hawaii, USA. $724,573.01. .
014. Sri Subramuniya Ashram Scholarship Fund: Kauai, Hawaii, USA. $6,181.~8 . ..:...
009. Mathavasi Medical Fund: Kauai, Hawaii, USA. $17,810.07.
ENDOWMENTS SUP~ORTING HIND,U SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMS
012. Ifhirunavukkarasu Nayanar Gurul\ulam Fund: Amparai District (Hindu Orphanage Fund), Sri I;,anka. $19,921.43.
022. Hindu Orphanage Fund: Worldwide. $1,356)~· ( Plus , Fund # 012, above.)
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047. Kaithady -?aiva Children's Home: faffna, Sri Lanka. $5,000.00
048. Sri Ramakrishna Sarada Sevashram: Point Pedro, Sri Lanka. $5,000.00.
ENDOWMENTS SUPPORTING EDUCATIONAL INSTITU'FIONS OR PROGRAMS
016. Malaysian Hindu Youth Educational Trust: Malay~\a. $9,756.61.
MEMORIAL AND FAMILY ENDOWMENTS 010. Nadesan Family Lord Murugan Shum Fund: Kauai,
Hawaii, USA. $12,852.46. 025. Sundari Pe.urnan Memorial Scholarship Fund: Kauai,
Ha}Vaii, USA. $5,961.58. 037. A Shanmugam Family Fund (Ipoh): Tamil Nadu, India.
$5,290.99. ,038. The William E. Daniels Endowment for Hindu Religious
Art and Artifacts: Kauai, Hawaii, USA. $5,290.99.
FUNDS IN THE PROCESS OF FORMATION (ENDOWMENTS ACTIVATE AT 05$5,000)
018. Sri Siva Subtamaniya Swami Devasthanam 'lirust: Fiji. 020. Hinduism Today Editorial Trust USA 021. Vishwamata Gayatri Trust Fund: India
024. Jeyanandarajan Faroily Fund: Sri Lanka. 031. Panchamukha Ganapati Endowment Mauritius. 032. Kalakshetra Scholarship Fund: India. 033. Tmunular Sannidhi Preservation Fund: India
036. Somnath Te:Ople Trust: Gujjarat, India. 039 Nepal Kumari Goddess Educational Trust Nepal 043. Saivite Hindu Scriptures Fund for the Visually Impaired: India
))46 Puri Monateries Fund: Puri, Orissa, India.
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F I NANC I AL D ETA I LS
Hindu Heritage Endowment Statement ofIncome and Expenses, Year Ending December 31,1997 (In US dollars, rounded to nearest dollar.)
INCOME Contributions Dividend and Interest Income
TOTAL REVENUES
EXPENSES Charitable Grants Advertising and Promotion Amortization Expense Office Expenses
TOTAL EXPENSES
Excess of Income over Expenses Before Investment Activity
Gain (Loss) on Sales ofInvestments - Stocks Gain (Loss) on Sales ofInvestments - Bonds
Increase (Decrease) in Unrealized Appreciation of Stocks Increase (Decrease) in Unrealized Appreciation of Bonds
Excess of Income over Expenses
$232,005 140,266
118,180 4,981 1,956
14,620
60,425 7,252
15,137 4,935
372,272
139,738
232,534
320,284
Total Assets at Market Value, Beginning of Year Total Assets at Market Value, End of Year
$2,031,824 $2,352,108
$2,500,000.00
$2,250,000.00 -
$2,000,000.00 -
$1,750,000.00 -
$1,500,000.00
Assets at Market Value
$120,000.00 -
$100,000.00 -
1995 1996 1997 Total Grants by Year
INVESTMENT MANAGERS AND CONSULTANTS: Franklin Management Inc.; First Hawaiian Bank, Trust & Investment Division; Brand.es ~~vestment Partners, Inc.; Pacific Century Trust (Bank of Hawaii); Alvin G. Buchignani, Esq., attorney; and Na1:han Palani, CPA. HHE is a member of the . Council on Foundations, an association of 1,500 foundations which interprets relevant law, international and domestic, and accounting, management and investment principles.
, "
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HINDU HERITAGE ENDOWMENT KAUAI'S HINDU MONASTERY
107 Kaholalele Road Kapaa, Hawaii, 96746-9304 USA
Tel: (800) 890-1008, Ext. 235 . Outside US: (808.) 822-3152, Ext. 235
Fax: (808) 822-4351 E-mail: [email protected]
, www.hindu.org/hhe/
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6lI111t ·-,~ DHARMA-SPANKING
What Else To Do? '\/OUR GATEWAY TO
, nonviolent disoipline on the Net is the NoSpanking website (www .ceLnetl-rcoxlnospan.ht ml). From "20 Alternatives to Spanking" that tackle real challenges like tears and tantrums, to first-aid remedy lists for parents faced with
emotioBal tension, the site links you to the best of 90S compassionate parenting. As one linked author says, "Don't take it out on your kids!"
A STROLOGY
"My Stars"
W :ANT TO PLAN
your next flight to India according to the planets? Look for a new angle on healing? Or just ask a question about Vedic astrology? Yotf can do this and more at Cy-
Deity's chariot at Alagar temple, Tamil Nadu, India. Inset: peifonner in Bali
STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY
Corel ~aptQresl the World ..
IT WOULD BE CREAT TO BEDECK
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berAstro (www.cyberas tro.com), a classy on~line astrology service. Be,fore committing to paid consultation with their professionals, you can request a free horoscope. Services include relationship analysis, life predictions, and remedies like chanting and gem' therapy for illness. Discover the effects of Venus and Saturn on your life
WORSHIP
Vicarious Temples
INDIA TODAY CALLS IT
"cyberbhakti" -devotees soliciting temple Deitie,s' darshan on the Web. Can't make it for Thesday'puja at M~bai's historic Ganesha . temple? Just visit their website (www.siddhiv inayak.org) and "namaste" to your screen while viewing live puja (coming soon), or request 8J special archana for yourself New Yorks
Chennai temple entranc
large Ganesha Temple plans to follow suit At least 50 US temples haVE their own sites, and the huge Shri Swantinarayar. Mandir in London is on· line. Temples in several countrie~ are listed at wWw.hindunet.org, and the Temple Encyclopedia (www.indiantemples com) summarizes hundreds of Indias temples.
In Him exists neither actiQr:l nQr Q~an of action; no one is found H'is
equal Qr super1Qr. His supreme PQwer is revealed in 'manifQld fQrms;
inherent tQ His n~tuie i-s t~e. wQrking Qf His strength and wisdQm. 'KRISHNA Y~JUR~EDA, SVE'rASVAlARA U PANISHAD 6.8