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PUBLISHER: Satguru Sivaya Submmuniyaswami ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR: Acharya Veylanswami EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Acharya Palaniswami PUBLISHER'S ASSISTANT: Acharya Ceyonswami DEPUTY EDITOR: Acbarya Kumarswami MANAOINB EDITOR: 1Jagi Arumugaswaml ORAPHICS DIRECTOR: 1)ragi Natarajaswami PROMOTION/ PRODUCTION: Tyagi !Cathirswami MANAOINO EDITOR'S AIDE: 1)ragi Shanmuganathaswami ADVERTISINO MANAOER: Sadhaka Jothinatha SUBSCRIPTION MANAOER: Sadhaka Haranandinatha EDITOR-IN-CHIEF'S ASSISTANT: Sadhaka Yuganatha DEPUTY MANAOINO EDITOR: Yogi Kasinatha MANAOINO EDITOR'S AIDE: Yogi Ekanatha

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JUNE, 1997

~p·O~ INTERN ATI O.N AL Smuggling: Auctioning India's Treasures 17 Cloning: A Sheep is Cloned. Are Humans

Next? A Hindu Perspective 22 Cover Story: Charming and Chilling: Nepal

Still Worships Virgin Goddesses 26 Religion: Athavale's Heroic Life and Plump

Priz6 Are Celebrated in New York 34 Diamond Jubilee: The Brahma Kumaris'

Hold a Birthday Bash in Delhi 48 Technology: Sacred Architecture Under

Ct'mstruction at 1rerala Colloquium 52

·LIF:ESTYLE Trinidad: He Built a Temple in the Sea 36 Astrology: Are Clones Off the Charts? 36 InSight: Sacred Sile~e, Mau.na 30 Family: It's OK Again to Stay Home 40

• Business: One Crafty Crafts Fair 19 OPINION Pdblisher's Desk: Discovering the Powers

, of Gratitude an,p. Appreciation 6' Editorial: A Hindu Take on Cloning 8 My Turn: Who's GJ iding Science? . 9 L~~s 14 Healing: After All, ;Boys Will Be Men 44 Minister's Message: yvomena s Partners 50

DIGESTS Quotes &. Quips Dlaspora Briefly .

10 Evolutions ~1 Digital Dharma 20

44 54

• COVER: The youthful Royal Kumari of Kathmandu during the yearly Indra Jatra ' festival. (Right, top) In procession-ever calm amidst the clamor. (Bottom) Former

http://www.HlndulsmToday.kaual.hl.ull 1117 Edltl .... Olio" welllIte.ward Royal Kumari, Dil Kumari Sakya, reminisces her days as divinity. See pag~ 26 .. '

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PUBLISHER'S DESK

Two Powers: Gratitude and Appreci'ation

HSome people complain because God put thorn's on roses. Others praise Him for putting roses among thorns."

BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI

UCH OF LIFE TODAY IS BASED depreciation and denigra­

tion of public leaders, groups, governments, religions, corpo­

and even family mem­bers. This is negative living, always. pointing out faults in no uncertain terms and ignoring the virtues. A Hawaiian civic leader lamented to us recently that people are cruel in their complaints. "It's ok to criticize, but they should be kindly when doing so!"

A story I was told decades ago re­lates. A guru was sitting with two dis-ciples under a sprawling banyan tree . in India. The older student inquired, "Guruji, how long must I wait until I realize God?" The teacher responded, "Enlightenment is n0t something that can be predicted, but since you have asked," he leaned over and spoke in the right ear, "it will be tWenty more lives." "Oh, no!" the youth cried in dismay, '1 don't know if I can wait that long!" The other follower, naturally curious, asked of his own future. The guru whispered, "Liberation will come after you live as many lives as'this banyan has leaves!" Hearing this, the seek­er jumped to his feet and began to aance. Why? He was suddenly overtaken with the assurance that he would ultimately be liberat­ed. Ecstatic with appreciation, he transcended the mind an~ at­tained his Liberation that very moment. The fIrst student was on the path of depreciation. For him, the pot was half empty. For the sec0nd, immersed in thankfulness, the pot was half full.

Appreciation is a beautiful, soulful qualitx: available to everyone in every circumstance: being thankful for life's little treasures, grateful for the opportunity to begin the day where you are, appre­ciating the perfect place your karma and God's grace has brought you to. Appreciation is life-giving. Depreciation without apprecia­tion is heartlessly destructive. Yet, it i.s the all-too-common way of our times. When something is d<ine that is good, helpful or loving, it is often overlooked, treated as something expected. No acknowl­edgement is shown, no gratitude expressed. But if a shortcoming is seen, everyone is swift to point it out!

The Vedas, the Tirukural and our many other holy texts indi­cate a better way. The wise ones' knew tHat all humankind possess­es'freedom of choice and the willpower to use it. Today that free­dom is usually used, unwisely, to downgrade others as well as oneself. Ignorance seems to be almost as all-pervasive as Yod. We fmd it everywhere and within every situation. It does not have to be this way.

6 HINDUISM TODAY · JUNE 1 9 97

Gratitude is a quality of the soul. It does not depend on how much we pos­sess. It's opposite, ingratitude, is a quali­ty of the external ego. When we abide in soul consciousness, we give thanks for whatever we have, no matter how little or how much. When in ego conscious­ness, we are never grateful or satisfIed, no matter how much we have.

I have faith in human integrity, in that unfailing "still, small voice of the soul" which each who listens for can hear. We are essentially pure souls tem- . porarily living in a physical body. We can and should use our God-given gift of free will encased in love to make a difference in the world today, even if it is in a small way. All of us making the same difference together do so in a big way. Sishyas should be grateful to their gurus, husbands to their wives, wives to their husbands, both to their children, students to their teachers and teachers to their st~dents. Its far more effective to praise others and appreciate what we have than to find fault and complain about what we don't· have!

Gratitude and appreciation are the key words for a better life. They are the spell that is cast to dissolve hatred, hurt and sadness, the mediciI\e which heals subjective states of mind, restoring self­respect, confIdence and security. Shall we review them one at a time and con­sider.a practice, a sadhana, for each?

First, gj:atitude. It is a feeling within the heart that we cannot suppress for long when overcome with abundant memories of all the good that I

has come into our lives. Most often, people remember the bad hap­penings, perhaps because they make the deepest impressions in the subconscious and are not expected. Good happenings are ex­pected and, therefore, tend to be overlooked. The sadhana here is to take out paper: and pen and list all the good that has come into your life during the past fIve years. The list will grow as memory is stimulated. Should it not be possible to think of even one good thing, then write the afrmnation several times, "I am a spiritual

being of light maturing in the ocean of experience." Soon a good memory will come up followed bl more. Feelings of loving appre­ciation will begin to flow toward those who participated in the good times. Forgiveness then wells up for the bad times. Amazing­ly, on'the day I was writing these tlloughts down an island person handed me a paper on which was written this wisdom from the great Catholic mystic Meister Eckhart, "If the only prayer you eveF say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough." t

Now. let's look at appreciation, turning our thanks toward the

, A full cup: Respect and gratefulness are keys to endUring, harmo­nious human relationships. Offering appreciation (gunagrahanam ~in Sanskrit, symbolized by the nectar-bearing pot), one man acknowledges a friend's unique qualities.

people in our hves. The sadhana of appreciation is to approach those you are grateful to and tell them, to their face, while looking deep into their eyes, how much you esteem and value them. Be specifIc. Find details to share so they know this is not a shallow compliment. Explain what each one has done to inspire this loving confrontation and convince each in turn that you are sincere. The look of a full smiling {ace, eyes shining and heart full of love, is conv.incing enough in itself Words of appreciation are words peo­ple do not often hear. These confrontations do not happen nearly often enough among friends and relatives in today's world. Loving appreciation is a life-changing force just waiting 'to be used. Appre­ciate community leaders, liusiness associates, spiritual mentors, family members as often as you can. Loving appreciation is a mag­ic formula that works both ways. When we commend another, we are automatically uplifted.

Here's a true story. A young man tried the aeove practice on his rather gruff employer, whose heart melted when he heard the words, "One of the things that I appreciate most about you, sir, is your brilliance as an inventor. You have so much to teach me." Af­ter saying that andtIIlOre, the youth urged the astonished elder to pass on the voicing of appreciation to another person. The man sat with his son that same evening and awkwardly told him how much he appreciated his only son's many fIne qualities. "I never take time to share these things. I tend to keep to myself and be de­)!landing and harsh because of the pressures of work. But please know that I do love you." The youth began sobbing and confessed, "Father, thank you. I was planning to commit suicide tomorrow be­cause I thought you didn't care about me any more. Now I won't." You never know how much difference your appreciation will make.

To prepare yourself for this sadhana, stand before a mirror and look at your face, right into your eyes, {illd say aloud, as if talking to another person: "I am grateful to you and appreciate your being in my life." Then describe in many sentences, to yourself, all the good you have done during the past fIve years. Yop can read from your list of goodness that you made earlier. You will soon see the reflection in the mirror soften, begin to smile as it absorbs the happy feelin~ of your appreciation. Once this art is perfected be­tween you and you, you can begin to appreciate others in the same way. Don't be shy. No one is shy when angry. Why be shy when we are happy and ovingly grateful?

There is a brave new world on the horizon for followers of dharma, one in which we are kindly to each other, trusting and aware of one anothers' feelings, a world where we acknowledge our debt to others, express our thanksgiving, fITst in 0ur silent heart t

and then outwardly. Gratituc;le is one of lifes richest resources, con­taining the power to change people's lives. Its opposite is a disease that erodes all contentment and fIlls our life with emptiness an<;l. despair. Take heart. These sadhanas on gratitude and appreciation have worked wonders for many. Yes, each one of us can make a difference. 1J.1e world is changing, and we can make it change for the better, or we can leave it in. the hands of those who make changes for the badder: It's our choice.

I appreciate each of our readers of HINDUISM TODAY. You are the men and women, boys and girls who are strengthening Hin­duism in hundreds of remote communities, upholding the dharma, setting the record straight. It is you who are inspiring us to pro­duce the magazine each mon'lli, giving us so many ideas and cheering us on. You are making a great difference by simply living and speaking on these high principles that are so important to us all and to the future of humanity.

JUN E, 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 7

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, , I

EDITORIAL There are two fundamental principles .

SwalT)i~ Bill Clinton H~s a Question

that every Hindu applies to determination of right and wrong in qJestions of conduct or conscience. The first is ahimsa, nonin­jury. The second is nearness to God lead­ing to moksha, spiritual liberation. Every action, word or even thought is judged against these two touchstones. Of course, the application of such broad principles is ' open to interpretatibn. How much injury is permissible to elone a person or find a cure for cancer? Some would answer none, not even to laboratory animals. Other Hin­dus postulate that the very search for a cure assumes that cancer is an unneces­sary '€lvil, a crack in the universal machine

The President is asking all faiths, includ\ng Hinduism, about the ethics of human cloning

BY THE EDI·TOR

UESTIONS FROM THE WHITE HOUSE ARE INFREQUENT enough, even wnen indirect, that the HINDUISM TODAY staff was equally honored and stunned by a March 14 phone call from the National Bioethics Advisory Commit­tee. They have been commissioned by executive order to

submit to Bill Clinton a summary of the ethics of human cloning for his early-April contemplations in deciding w~at US laws to im­p1se on this remarkable, some say frightening, new scientific possi­bility. ·Part of the report to the President will be a summary of reli­gious views of the issue, and we were deputed to assemble the Hindu eonvicti"on, summarized in our story on page 22.

The notion of having perfect genetic copies of <'Jurselves, o~ce the stuff of syience Mction, is heading toward fact and causing a good deal of incendiary debate along the way. Crities say, "One of me is quite enough, and one of Adolf Hitler was too m¥1y. Theres 5.4 billion of us. Why make more?" Initial discussions..goth with swamis and falIlllies indicate unequivocally a~d overwhelmingly that Hindus find the idea of replicating human beings unneces­sary, unethical and unthinkable. They recalled a surprising number of cloning ref­erences in the old In9,ian tales. Has it hap­pened before? Could-it happen in the future that we would meet or even ~each the dharma to dozens of copies of ourselves? It gives new meaning to the Hin­du id~al of seeing ourselves in others.

Many religionists find it frightening to watch man tinkering with God's universe. There's no user's manual, they fret. What if we break something permanently? The Creator made it with loving intent and di­vine intelligence, they offer, and it is arro­gant, foolhardy and downright sinful for people to play God with something as pro­foundly consequential as the huJ:i.1an genetic instruction.

It is possible to understand such a prudent warning and still \,lis agree. While the argu­ment makes sense with a Bibl:ical God, Hinduism does not separate man froJIl God so coml2!etely. Man is God; and God is man. Indian yogis and mystics speak of the co creative process of evolution. Man is not merely following a distant Deitys decrees in fulfillment of fhe Divine Law; he is engaged, alongside the Archi­tect, in engineering that Law; or you could say God is working His . will through mankind, including scientists.

8 HINDUISM. TODAY. JU~E , 1997

'needing urgent repair. What of the pur- , pose behind it all? What of the need some have to experience cancer? Cancer is the

problem, says mind. How we confront cancer is the real issue, says spirit. ATe we looking for a perfect, death-defying body' or are ,w.e looking for soulful qualities derived from experiencing life's joys and sufferings with wisdom and equanimity?

Most Hindu spiritual leaders we spoke to were less concerned for the moral issueS' and casuistry surrounding human cloning than for the practical need. Why do this? they asked. Will it lielp us to draw nearer to God if we have 'such bodieS'? Will the soul's evolu­tion toward Self Realization be advanced one millimeter? Will the inner consciousness ge enhanced? They think not.

But there ate other voices. Some told us that a cloned bodX might be useful. One noted that in ancient Greec~, priests for the tem­ples were specially cr,eated by hypnotizing or drugging two virgins and arranging for them to conceive a child. Because that sexual en­counter was passionless (there even remained no memory of its having it was said that their progeny would be

. unwOI:ldly anq dispassionate, qualities wanted in a priest. Parallel instructions exist in ancient Indian texts, explaining how to con­ceive a child of this nature or that, all based on the thoughts and yogi~ practices of the parents during coitus. If th~ is true, might not cloning, with its total elimination of human sexuality, provide a physical-emotion­al home for an advanced soul seekipg an earthly passage of solace, needing to live

. without emotion or powerful desires and sen­timents? And might not cloning bring us back t01the Indian ideal,of a 120-year lifespan?

It's hard for pas~ionate.'People in old- I

fashioned bodies to think dispassionately about all this. Fears arise, evoking the spect¢ of human farming, of armies of look-alj.ke sdl­diers, of avaricious organ sellers and irrecon­cilable questibns of inheritance, personhood and belonging. With all that complex surro­gacy, whose childreIil are the clones, what happens to the idea of family? In fact, human' clohing is just the most recent moral clillem-

ma between conscience and science. We have stood here before. A short list will put the problem in perspective. In the 15th cen­

tury there was a terrible outcry when the first rifles and pistols were made in Spain. Surety, we thought, this would bring the end.. When Karl Benz built the first automobile in Germany i n 1885, 'clergy thought it of the devil and condemned it harshly. Many will remember the soul-searcbing that greeted the first successful

atomic bomb test at Alamogordo; New Mexico, on July' 16, 1945. When kidneys were first implant ed into humans in t~e ._ 1960s and a heart in the 19805', the moral furor was universal and P9werful. Ditto

. whenynan set foot on the Jlloon July 20, 1969, and again when British researchers perfected in iitra fertilizatio~ of the human egg, leading to the bir th of Louise Brown, the world's first "test-tube bab/' conceived outside the human body and born on July 25, 1978; and again with sur­rogate mothers. You get the idea. Things that at first seem unthinkable gradually be­come accepted. Whp today thinks of a test­tube infant as a freak or eonsiders plane travel to be against the natural order? Many dtd back then. '

Hindlls realize there are karmic consequences to ev.ery act, including cloning. Would your parabdha karnw~that which rules. the present life span~be impacted if a duplicate of your body lived on 50 years, 100 or more beyond your death? Would you, the soul, be held up in

.. the astral plane, awaiting a new birth inde1initely, 'lingering until your very­much-alive physical body expired? Hindus consider that this life's karmas are not com,­plete until the body succ\mbs, and having a par,t of the body remain alive could per­haps forestall freedom. ,If oloning so impacts spiritual progress, we would certainly approach it with circumspection.

Was it intuition that led Hindus to protect , themselves from such a fate by requiring cre~tion? No one can dig up a Hindu's corpse and clone him or her from a piece of bone or skin. Not true outsid~ of Indian culture, where we can still find the grave of a pharaoh or Isaac Newj:on or Elvis. Still, India preserved her sailits, for they are the only Hindus traditionally interred. Did the rishis. anticipate cloning mille=ia ago, and set up principles that would assure only the bodies sf the most advanced souls would be cloned in some distant future? Hmmm!

Our summary to Bill Clinton will include I

a Hindu appeal for laws to restrain clorling of humans and emphatically urge him to engage spiritllally-minded people to guide

, and control the process. Good people are . the best promise of a good outcOl;ne. We will 'share with him full transcripts of the sagacious counsel on cloning we re~ived this month from spiritual leaders in several countries. We will inform the President that Hinduism neith~r }:ondones nor con­demns the march of science. If done with divin~ intent and cQnsciousness, it may benefit; and if done in the service 0f self­ishness, greed and 'Power, it may bring se­vere' karmic consequences. The siinple rule is this: Let dharma be the guide for all such explorations.

r

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Keep.Science at Peace with Nature ' Spiritually awar~ and -responsible people must oversee any cloning research

BY ~ATA AMRITf.-NANUAMAYI

HE IDEA OF CLONIN€;, though implemented only

recently through modern science, was in the minds of the ancient saints and

sages of India. Quite a few rele-. vant examples can be found in the Ved.as and ancient wri.tings. However, man's. attempt to change the natural order of things has a long-term potential of unexpected negative results.

Historically, it is impossible and unwise to interfere with the advance of science. The fuller understanding of cellular and reproduct~e processes can enhance the genetic engineering alieady unClerwa}\ and lead to new treatments for disease and the relief of suffering.

However, because of the ethical issues involved, this research should be carried out at appwved institutions in conformance with the guidelines of ethical forums and legislative protection. These forums should be composed of spiritually aware and re­sponsible peopl~ whcysincerely desire to s.erve humanity. These forums can then advise industry ang government as to a prudent course of action. The advance of science can be used for both good and eviL The powerful forces within th~ atom can be harnessed to h~lp mankind or to build ' weapons of destruction.

Many identical suits can be .fabricated from the same bolt of cloth, but what can we. say about the wearer of the 'suit? While science may eventually succeed in cloning a carbon copy of a physical form, the in­awelling consciousness of that form is still beyond the reach of material science. .

God has established a natural order in His creation which contributes to the spiri­tual evolution of life. These natural proces~-, es, if interfered with, will ultimately result in sorrow and suffering wliich is the state of the world today.

A government alone carmot do anything m ithout the 'sincere and wholehearted cooperation­of the people. For this to hap­pen, it shoulcl be a government which works in accordance with the will and wishes of people wni) love nature. People

. should be taught to function from their heatts. Societies should be formed in every vil­

lage in order to create ?Il awareness of the significance of protecting and preserving nature. Mere intellectual understanding is. not enough. The teachers and counselors of these societies should have the ability to encourage people to love nature, to feel compassion for all of creation and its crea­tures. The teachers themselves should be highly competent and efficient people, who can inspire o1'hers to do whatever they are taught. Only then will there be any benefit.

Looking at nature and observing its -6elf­less way of giving, we can become aware of our own limitations. That will help to de­velop devotion and self-surrender to God.

. Thus, nature helps us to become close to God and teaches us to truly worship Him. In reality, nature is nothing but Gods visi­ble form which Wf'J can b~hold and' experi-, ence, through our senses. By loving and . serving nature, we are worshiping-God Himself A sincere Truth seeker carmot harm nature becau~e he or she sees nature as God. A rear scientist should be a real lover-a lover of mankind, a lover of all creation and a lover of life.

By creating a balance between spiritual and material science, we can certainly im­prove the quality of life on this planet. This als6 involves an understanding of nature and living in harmony with it.

Ammachi; lwnored as a "President of Hinduism" at the Parliament;..of the World's Religions in 1993, lives in Kerala, India.

JUNE , 199 7 HINDUISM; TODA¥ -9

,

t§ z ~ ~ OJ o o cz ..:

, ' I S "Whatever appears in the world is God.

No one knqws ~is beginning, mid~le or ynd."

Load too many of them and even peacock feathers would break a sturdy cart's axle. Tirukural, Verse 475

. . "You are fine. How am I?" Asked by one psychic upon meeting another psychic on the Street .

Sw~ml Muktananda (1908-1982)

"Nothing is permanent but change." Greek philosopher 'Heracleitus (540--480BCE) .

'That deathless love which the ignorant have for the fleeting obj.ects of the senses­as I keep remembering You, may that love not s1ip away from my heart. " Vishnu Purana, Verse 1.20.23

As he stepped out on the golf course at Ooty, India, a distinguished Hindu gentle­man was asked, "But why are you wearing two dothis (wrap-aro.lJnds)?" He replied with an optimistic smile, "Because today r might get a 'hole-in-one!' "

Said to be a true story, a thermo,dynamics professor had written a take-home exam for his graduate students. It had one ques­tion: "Is hell exothermic (heat releasing) or endothermic (heat absorbing)? Support your a11swer with a proof." M~st students responded with proofs using Boyle's Law, relating temperature, pressure and volume.

One student wrote: "We postulate that if souls exist, then they must have some mass (weight). At what rate are souls moving into hell and at what rate are souls leaVing?! think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to ~ell, it will not leave.

'1\s for souls eIltering hell, let's look at the different world religions. Some state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to hell. Since there are more than one of these religions and'people do not belong to more than one religion, we can conclude that all people and all s.ouls go to hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in ,hell to increase exponentially.

"Now, we look at the rate of change iq volume in helL Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in hell to stay the same, the ratio of the mass of souls and volume needs to stay constant. So, if hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter hell, then the

/ temperature and pressure in hell will in-crease until all hell breaks loose. Of course, if hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in hell, then the tempera­ture and pressure will drop until hell freezes over."

L L-____________ ~ ______________________ ~-, __ ~ ________ ~-------

10 HI :t< DUISM TOD A-Y J U ,NE , 1997

Jains of Rajasthan, where boys are initiated at a very early age

MONASTI C LIFE

Monks' Initiation Blocked

ON FEBRUARY 8TH, IN ALWAR, RAJASTHAN, INDIA, DIS­

trict authorities raided the Jain monastery of Mahavir Bhavan, They took away 12-year-old Arun Arora and

two other children who were under the guardianship of the priests. The legal "abduction" was mounted to prevent the per­formance of an age-old ceremony the following day, to initiate Arun as a Jain monk. In the week preceeding the event, planned as a grand public celebration, factions within the Jain communi­ty, social activitists and a local Hindi daily newspaper success­fully agitated to thwart the "initiation of a minor boy against the provision of the law." Opponents contended that though the boy came to the monastery with his parents' consent when he was nine years old, he should not be initiated until the age of 18, They also plan to push for laws banning the practice in all com­munities. Jains siding with the priests point out that early initia­tion into monastic life is traditional in many religions.

INTERFAITH

Preying on Kashi

C HRISTIAN EVANGELISM IS hot on the internet as the

9,000-strong Youth With A Mission in 130 countries coordi­nate a May '97 "30 Days Hindu Prayer Focus." Guidebooks and leaders denigrate Hinduism, Ganges worship and the power

of Kashi: "One of the world's oldest cities, Varanasi (Kashl, 'City of Light') on the banks of, the sacred river Ganges draws thousands of 'Hindu pilgrims annually, as well as Western spiritual seekers. We see from history that Varanasi is a world influencer, a place of learning that goes out and touches the ~orld. God wants Varanasi to be associated with the Gospel.

India and Hinduism are entwined with powers that withstand Truth. It is time they bow the knee to the Lord Jesus!"

Kashi: Hin.du rites for deceased parents '

Rigorous Rites

INDIA'S ADI SANKARA ORDER

of monks are spiritual authori­ties for much of India's Vedic priesthood and the large Hindu Smaria denomination. On in­struction from the pontiff of Sringeri monastery in Karp,ata­ka, the fledgling Sringeri Vidya Bharati Foundation Inc., uSA, is poised to make history by con­ducting a classic Athi Rudra Maha Yagna Vedic fire rite on a magnitude unheard of outside India. From Aug. 22 to Sept. 1, 121 priests will chant the most powerful prayer of Hindu scrip­ture, called "Sri Ruruam," (a 20-minute chant) 14,641 times in Shroudsburg, Pennsylvania. The 4,900 hours of prayer and fire ceremonies spanning 11 days are unprecedented in America.

BANGLADE>SH

RKM in Dhaka

FOUNDED IN 1897 BY SWAMI Vivekananda when West ,

Bengal was still part of India, the Ramakrishna Mission in Dhaka is now in Bangladesh. Under the direction of Swami Aksaran'anda.,:since 1972, the mission maintains a daily schedule of spiritual disciplines and teaching programs, a fun annual festival roster, runs a ju­nior high school, a stu­dents' home, a free li­brary, a vocational training center, a med­

\.~,( lll1t~~1 IIV~I I"""~

rntt NIN l llII. INCIM I. fIOttl UItHM)IOM I\I: \ UI/,YINC alll~T.1t IUl l"lllUl."ICN II.HO 'jel.~Dlltc::aVttlt'Y,

National Geographic Jeep ad

POP C ULTURE

Jeepl-\sanas

INEXORABLY, HINDU CULTURE

is seeping into all levels of the modern world. A striking exam­ple appeared in a February, 1997, National Geographic ad­vertisement by Jeep. Yoga pos­tures were featured including a tongue-in-cheek at-the-wheel asatta called "The Jeep Grand Cherokee." The lead slogan, "Nine principal postures for achieving gre8;ter relaxation and Self-Discovery," unabashedly promoted the cul!ure of yoga to NG's ten million plus readers.

and facilities for monastic train­ing. In Bangladesh there are ten affliated Ramakrishna Mission centers !\,hich all playa great role in relief and rehabilitation I

work. An able organizer, Swami Aksarananda has extended RK Mission worI$:s to the remote ar­eas of 64 districts of Bangladesh.

ical project in Dhaka Dhaka's strong Ramakrishna Mission

CLOCk 'WISE FROM TOP: COREL; SRINGERI DHARATI VIDYA FOUN­DATION; JEEP CORPORATION; 5ASHUDED DHAR; RAJESH DEDI JUNE , 1997 HI N DUISM TODAY 11

Siva 'worship in Varanasi's Vishwanatha Temple with ghee lamps, conch shells and food offerings

INDIA

Siva's Priests Disenfranchised servants of the temple" and only receive offerings for actual services rendered to devotees, the court decreed. The judg­ment held that scripture re­quires liturgical competence to merit appointment. Misconduct or unfitness for service consti­tutes grounds for dismissal.

O N MARCH 18, REPORTS THE

Indian Express, India's Supreme Court upheld an Uttar Pradesh state act which abol­ished the right~ of th~ priests of centuries-old Kashi Vlswanatha temple in Varanasi to receive offerings from pilgrims. The legislation also transferred man­agement of the temple to the state, disinheriting and "firing" the priests. It was a sad new piece of the puzzle of Hindu 'temple administration in post-

feudal India in which a secular government i~ forced to com­pensate for the absence of any self-regulating infrastructure for Hindu temples and clerics. '~ppalled by the mismanage­ment of the temple and the ex­ploitation of the devotees," the court held that the priests were not a [passive 1 integral part of religion [like a shrine or Deity 1 who could receive offerings simply by virtue of holding a hereditary post. "Priests are the

It is true that innocent and pious pilgrims to the holy city are routinely rudely accosted by demanding priests. But the contrast of state intervention in Hindu affairs versus a hands­off policy tdward Christian and Muslim institutions is perplex­ing for many Hindus . .

FROM THE VEDAS , MANKIND 'S OLDEST SCRIPTURE

Fire is His head, the sun and moon His eyes, space His ears, the Vedas His speech, the wind His breath, the universe His heart. From His feet the earth has originated. Verily, He is the inner Self of all beings.

ARTHARVA VEDA, MUNDUKYA UP AN 2.1.4

God is, in truth, the whole universe: what was, what is and what beyond shall ever be. He is the God of life immortal and of all life that lives by food. His hands and feet are every­where. He has hands and mouths everywhere. He sees all, He hears all. He is in all, and He Is.

YAJUR VEDA, SVETASVATARA UP AN 3.15-16

12 HINDUISM TODAiY JU.NE, 1997

We know not. We cannot understand how He can be explained. He is above the known, and He is the unknown. Thus have we heard from the ancient sages who explained this truth to us.

SAMA VEDA, KENA UPAN 1.3

To Him ascend these hymns, these steed-swift prayers. He alone hears my words. All-mover, all-conqueror, conveyer of sacrifice, the Child, ever aiding, He assumes great power.

RIG VEDA 1.45.1-3

He is the Supreme Brahman, the Self of all, the chief foundation of this world, subtler than the subtle, eternal. That thou art; thou art That.

ARTHARVA VEDA, KAIVALYA UPAN 116

Verses here are from the Vedic Experience by Prof Raimon Panikkar; viewable at www.HinduismToday.kauai.hi.uslashrami HimalayanAcademylPublicat ionsl VedicExperienceNEIndex. html

UNITED KINGDOM

Beef- Free Kids

FEAR OF MAD COW DISEASE

is sprouting a new meatless generation in Britain. A Vege­tarian Society survey shows 38-percent of 4-to-11-year-olds are ' avoiding beef and 20 percent avoid most meat. Only three percent of the children surveyed were strict vegetarians, but "almost a quarter of that age group were avoiding meat. They'll be comfortable with a vegetarian diet in the future," · said Vegetarian Society com­munications manager Stephen Conner. A majority of parents agreed veggie tikes can be as healthy as carnivorous kids.

HOTEL SHAMAN

Hold the Rain . i\ T THE BALI FOUR SEASONS

J=\resort, baJ.1ans, Hindu priests/shamans, are contracted for a $100 fee to prevent rain during large outdoor rvents. The "rainstopper," as the West­ern hotel execs call him, returns the fee in the event of rain. At least he would. So far, the hotel has 'never had to ask for a rei fund. "When someone is plan­ning a $10,000 event," said the..: hotel manager, "they dOI\t wor­ry about an extra $100 to guar-

, antee them good weather."

Balian, Nuratmadja, at work

The Abhinay School of Dance of New Delhi, India will present:

Nadopasana "Worship Through Music" (An integrated Cultural Heritage of India)

Nrithya Roopam "Evolution Of Dance Form" (A dance feature)

Bharatham (Special feature on the 50th year of independence)

Dancers • Jayalakshmi Eshwar (Kalakshethra) • Nitya Ramachandran • Gayathri Shrinivasan • Swathi Biswas • Smitha Sheshadri • Piyomori Mehta

Musicians • Vocal: O.S. Sridhar • Mridangam: Bejanki Krishna • Violin: K.L.N. Sastry • Flute: G. Raghuraman

Sponsored by India Circle (a not-for-profit organization based in Central Texas). The itinerary is still being devel­oped. For scheduling and inquiries, please contact:

P.K. Nair, 820 M Way, Salado, Texas 76571-9352 USA. Tel: 817-947-1720. Fax: 817-947-1820. E-mail: pnair@vvm.com

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

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

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

Call or write for our free catalog!

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Judaism, Islam, Christianity and other modern faiths. • Religious Statues: wood, stone, metal, crystal-l in. to 5 ft. • Pooja Items: incense, dhoop, floral oils, beads and malas. • Clothing: kurta pyjama sets, silk saris and punjabi sets, pooja

clothes, wool shawls, cotton, rayon and silk prayer shawls. • Natural Remedies: homeo, bach flower, vitamins, ayurvedic

and herbal preparations, massage oils and and more. • Posters and Pictures: posters and calendars of deities, all sizes. • And much, much more • Mail Order Inquiries welcome.

Free Catalog: Moneesh • 467 Brickman Rd., Hurleyville, NY 12747 USA • Tel: 914-434-8990 • Fax 914-436-5878.

The Path of Love

Several spiritual masters offer ways of enhancing and perfecting our love, enabling us to experience a gentle, serene power abiding in our own hearts. 122 pages. ISBN 1-880687-10-0 US$lO plus $3.75 postage. Tel: 215-396-0390 or 888-269-7323 http://www.chinmaya.org/publications

Chinmaya Publications 560 Bridgetown Pike Langhorne, PA 19053-7210 USA

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

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

Center for Spiritual Awareness P.O. Box 7-H Lakemont, Georgia 30552-0007 USA

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

In India: A Master Guide to Meditation (Rs. 55) The Book of Life (Rs. 65) by Mr. Davis. Motilal Banarsidass 41 U.A., Bungalow Road Jawahar Nagar, Delhi 110 007 • Offices and stores also in Patna, Bangalore, Madras, Varanasi, Calcutta and Pune. If by mail, add Rs. 15 each book for postage.

Sri Lanka Report THE ARTICLE ("SRI LANKAN TAMILS TELL T!j.les of a Desperate Diaspora," COVER STO~ RY', April '97) is the most co~prehensjve that I have read. The article is sensitively written, very educational and. constitutes a valuable reference.

I

- AMBIKAIPAKAN BALASUBRAMANIAM CINCINNA'f!, OHIO, USA

.... Ambi.bala@UGEdu

YOUR COVERAGE OF THE TAMIL REFUGEES is brilliant. The Refugee Council in London has published a report which may interest your readers called, "Protection denied: Sri Lankan Tamils, the Home Office and the Forgotten Civil War." This report follows a 199&-fact -finding mission to the country by a Council delegation. The report calls on the UK government to show a humanitarian atti­tude towards Sri Lankan asylum seekers. Copies are availablej"rom Katharine Knox at (44) 171-820-3038 in London.

RAKESH MATHUR LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

It Took Courage A DOUBLE CONGRATULATIONS AND COM­mendation: one for your new layout and second for your publisher's article ("Spare the Rod and Save the Child," PUBLISHER'S DESK, February '97~ condemning corporal punishment. Both took ·courage and in­sight, and I applaud them!

- I CHRISTOPHER LARGENT

DELAWARE, USA

Recalling Ramana YOUR RECENT ARTICLE ABOUT-SRI RA­mana Maharishi is superb (Ramana Ma­harshi and His Teaching of "Who Am I," SAGE OF ARUNACHALAM, March '97). Many are those who revere Maharshi and who seek Self-Knowledge-Jnana-entirely free of t1;).e concepts and remoteness which are sometimes erroneously associated with this clear wisdom. His s"imple, yet pro­found, methociof Self-inquiry ("Who am I?") and the showing that the abidance as That is, indeed, our natural state are in­valuable for those who yearn for deep peace and lasting happiness.

MASTER NOME SOCIETY OF ABIDANCE IN TRU:rH

CALIFORNIA, USA

Singing Calypso's Praise I SEE PERSONALLY NO CONTROVERSY IN teaching Kaiso (Calypso) to Hindu children in Trinidad and Tobago. Both East Indian and Afro-Caribbean cultures have been rather blendeCI. in T&T for ages, especially in the recent years. Thus Calypso, despite its being thought of as strongly rooted only

14 Hi NDUISM TODAY JUNE, 1997

LETTERS in Africari culture, has, in my opinion, re­ceived a lot of influence from the East Indi­an culture and arts and also from other cul­tures. The influence is seen in the lyrics, language, music, instruments and in the race of the artists. All of it is Trinidadian culture and should be appreciated by all Tri­nis as well as foreigners.

MIKA HELSINKI, FINLAND

"jansson@cc.helsinki.fi

Something Is Missing I'M AN 18-YEAR-OLD STUDENT FRQM THE University of Natal-Durban. The price of your magazine almost tripled over the newspaper format. I, along with many oth­ers, am no longer able to afford it. How can you just suddenly increase the price of a religious magazine which is meant' be ac­cessible to almost every Hindu? The old format was very nice and reasonably priced. It had quotes from our scriptures at the bot­tom of each page which the new one seems to be lacking.

,,-

V. MOODLEY • DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA

.... MOODLEYVI7@S?IFS1.U.,ND.AC.ZA

V We have added a Vedic verses section each.issue in Diaspora.

Are Tamils Hindus? THERE IS A MISCONCEPTION IN SOUTH Africa [and Mauritius, tool that there is an indigenous difference between Hindus and Tfunils. Tamils are Hindus who speak the language Tamil. Hindus, therefore, ..may speak any language, be it Tamil, Hindi, Tel­ugu, Gujarati, Kannada, English, etc. The re­ligion of the Hindus is Hinduism. A person who speaks Tamil may belong to Hinduism or to another religion.

KRISHNASWAMI R. GOVENDER GREYTOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

Fiir from Home A NEPALI LI~E MYSELF, LIVING VERY FAR from my homeland, is very glad to see that I can count on HINDUISM TODAY to be in­formed of Nepalese news every once in

- awhile (article on Himalayas). ,,-

KlAN DHUNGANA, EDITOR, DrYAW (A NEPALESE COMMUNITY NEWS MAGAZINE)

15 FOXACRE ROW, BRAMPTON, ONTARIO, L6v 3v7 CANADA

Movies Worse than Pageant INDIAN MOVIES ARE MUCH MORE PROVO­cative than most Hollywood mo~es. No one is forcing women t9 enter beauty pageants, ("Bangalore Battlefield," COVER STORY, March '97), nor people to attend or support

them. With so much ignorance about birth cOJltrol, poverty and pollution in India, these beauty pageant protesters ought to be pro­plOting birth control, helping the needy and cleaning up unsanitary public facilities.

HENRY KARNILOwICZ CALIFORNIA, USA,

Make it Appealing WE FEEL Y~UR NEW MAGAZINE WILL HELP Hindus and non-Hindus transcend the nega­tive poverty-stricken image of Hinduism that most Westerners seem to have-dirty, weird­looking people with greasy, stringy hair in weird-looking, messy dothing (or the la& of it), who are worshiping snakes, stones, rivers or other incomprehensible symbols because they were presented without an explanation of their deepest significance. Giving Hin­duism the face it deserves is of ' the utmost importance. The Hindu image must be raised to the level that Westerner's have for Bud­dhism and Buddhist monks: welcoming, and defInitely not weird. Only then, we believe, will Westerners find Hinduism appealing.

SHRI GURUDEVI SWAMI SAVITRIPRIYA SHIVA-SHAKTI ANANDA ASHRAM

JALISCO, MEXICO

Some Things to be Proud of THE SADHUS IN SARANGPUR VERY MUCH recall the visit and talk of Satguru Sivaya­Subramuniyaswami in which Swamiji re­ferred to the center as the largest training center for Hindu sadhus anywhere. We use your magazine to inform our sadhus on ways to implemeIl:> our Hindu teaching in young generations minds in _ foreign coun­tries. The London Swaminarayan temple and the Akshardham complex in India have been grand successes in bringing people closer to Hinduism. -

SADHU CHAITANYAMURTIDAS AKSHARPURUSHOTTAM SWAMINARAYAN TEMPLE

AHMEDABAD, INDIA

.... Corrections V Bagmati riverphotpgraph, page 12, April '97, was by Thomas L. K.elly. ....

V The correct home page address of Sri B.a­mana Maharshi's ashram in India is httrJ:I/ www.nanet.comJramanalindex.htm •

Letters with writer's name, address and daytime phone number, should be sent to:

Letters, HINDUISM TDDAY 107 Kaholalele Road KAPAA, HI, 96746-9304 USA or faxed to: (808) 822-4351 or e-mailed to: letters@HlnduismToday.kaual.hl.us

Letters may be edited for space and clarity and may appear in electronic versions of HINDUISM TODAY.

.... INDICATES LETTERS RECEIVED VIA E-MAIL

Books by Swami Shankar Purushottam Tirtha:

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

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

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

Ayurveda Holistic Center c/o Swami Narayan Tirtha Math 82A-H Bayville Ave • Bayville, NY 11709-1671 USA TeVfax: 1-516-628-8200 • Ask for Swami Sada Shiva Tirtha E-mail: ayurvedahc@holistic.com

Web: httpllwww.holistic.comllistingsl11709acl.html (Free interactive dosha self-test and articles)

Nestled in the foothills of the rain-drenched coastal range of Oregon, a small community of Ammachi devotees creates the world's fInest chai. Pure premium spices; cardamom, cinnamon, clove, black pepper and ginger combined with Assam black tea (or pepper­mint in our naturally caffeine­free beverages) for a nourish­ing taste of heaven on ear.th. We have four unique blends: • Sattwa Sun: a classic blend

of premium spices and black tea such as you might drink at a fIne Indian restaurant -if you get lucky.

• Kovalam Spice: like the "Sun" only blended for more fIre. • Shanti Herbal: Sattwa's natural caffeine-free chai. The

same wonderful spices with a pinch of Northwest pepper­mint, chamomile and fennel. Great evening tonic.

• Choco Chai: to the traditional Sattwa spices we've added our own proprietary pure chocolate base.

Cost: Four-pack with 20 servings/box just U8$25.00, (includes , shipping). 1 and 5 lb. bulk quantities available at substantial

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The tea that stirs the maker.

Ganapati sitting (or dancing), Ram Darbar, Lakshmi, Shiva-Parvati, Durga, Shirdi Sai Baba, Hanuman, Santoshi Ma, Tirupati Balaji, Vishnu, Shiva Nataraj, Krishna, Krishna with Cow. 3 to 5" (7 to 12 cm) high. $19.95 to $39.95. $3.50 shippg. Catalog. Discounts for retailers and temples. - Nirvana Collection-289 Route 416, RR3, Campbell Hall, NY 10916 USA. Tel: 1-800-374-2304 or 1-914-294-1498 • Fax 914-294-3870.

Pooja, Devotional and Wedding Items Pre-packaged items for havans • Religious statues • Religious Books in Eng­lish, Sanskrit, Gujarati and Hindi • Kohlapur chappals, silk paintings, brahmni booti, kut, agar, tagar, bhojaptra, lotus

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seed • Men's, children's kurta, pajamas, sari blouses, sari falls and petticoats, children's clothes • Jaintri and Panchang • 1997 shipment from India just arrived • Ask for list of items . • Prompt delivery • M.Card, Visa, Am.Ex credit cards OK.

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Vedanta for spiritual growth • Values for lasting happiness.

TalkslJnana Yagnas: July 7-11 Buffalo, NY July 12-18 Toronto, Canada July 19-25 Washington, DC

Chinmaya Mission West • Krishnalaya PO Box 129, Piercy, CA 95587-0129 USA Tel: 707-247-3488 • Fax: 707-247-3422 http://www.chinmaya.orglevents

716-633-1633 416-663-6553 301-384-5009

Shri Anandi Ma-Master in the tradition of Kundalini Maha Yoga, will be offering public meditation programs in:

• Woodbury, Connecticut: May 23 & 24. Tel: 203-598-3323

• Boston, Massachusetts: June 6 & 7. Tel: 617-491-4091

• New York, New York: June 27 & 28. Tel: 212-877-7339

Shaktipat initiation will be offered by appointment each weekend. "With Shaktipat, the student is saturated with Divine Energy. After Shaktipat, the Kundalini is permanent-1y awakened and, like a mother, constantly cares for and nourishes her infant. One may be of any religion, caste, or creed to benefit; for all persons, the field of inner joy is the same. After Shaktipat, the Shakti will take the student to the ultimate goal, without doubt."

For general information about Shri Anandi Ma, Kundalini Maha Yoga or Shaktipat contact:

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Two exciting sessions for children 8-16:

Session 1 July 6 to July 19

Session 2 July 20 to Aug. 2

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• Puja • Yoga • philosophy • sports • nature • Bharata Nat yam • talent shows • teen discussions • Sanskrit chanting • arts and crafts

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To all of our Indian youth across the USA: Be proud to be a Hindu! Understand your heritage!

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Spiritual experiences of Swami Sivananda Radha by Julie McKay

Through the stories of Radha and Krishna, the author relates the story of Swami Radha's love affair with the Divine. By bringing these two realities together, she allows us to see the potential for each person with a desire to focus on hislher spiritual path. This book confirms that this search is not in vain. Julie McKay, a student of Swami Radha since 1979, worked closely with her for seven years until Swami Radha's death in November, 1995. It was this inti~ . mate contact that allowed her to write this very personal story.

"This is a charming, stirring and elevating love song within a love song .. . a modern Gita Govinda."-Georg Feuerstein, PhD, author of Structures of Consciousness

Limited edition: cloth, ribbon bookmark, photos, US$35.00. Write/call to order OT for a free catalog:

Timeless. Books PO Box 3543, Spokane, WA'99220-3543 USA Tel: 800-251-9273 • Tel/fax: 509-838-6652

Sotheby's Illicit '.lndla . Artifacts Re'porter exposes . auction house antics

EJ.LEVISION AUDIENCES IN THE UK

and the USA watched in amazement as Roeland Kollewijn of the Sotheby's auc­tion' house casually advised an under­

coven reporter on film she'd get more money for an old Italian painting in England than in Italy. He not only recommended she smuggle it-it is a crime in Italy fo remove a painting of that age-he offered to.do it for her aRd to . arrange for Sotheby's to pick it up in London. The reporter, part of an elaborate sting oper­ationlengineered by a TV station and British art journalist Peter .. Watson, accepted the il­licit offer. 1fie painting was smuggled to Lon­don, picked up by Sotheby's and auctioned.

This was not a chance piece of entrap­ment. Watson had received,several boxes of documents filched from Sotheby's by a dis­gruntled employee over a period of several years. The documents indicated a regular trade by ,Sotheby's in stolen or illegally ex­ported antiquities· from not only Italy but

.. many other c<'luntries-notably India. Five years of investigation by Watson resulted in the TV program and a just-published book, Sotheby 's, Inside Story. The dust jacket de­scribes the contents: "The international auc­tion .h<'luse Sotheby's has an unparalleled rep­utation as the world's premier dealer in art and antiquities .... However, in these pages Peter Watson tells the story of his investiga­tion into Sotheby's and his discovery of prac­tices that include: .the facilitation of smug­gling; the sale of antiquities known to have been stolen from tombs; the rigging of auc­tions by 'chandelier bidding,' .. . "

The book does not disappoint, and Hin­dus will find chapter ten, "The Men from Bombay," the most compelling. "Everyone who worked in [Sotheby'sl antiquities was well aware of the degree of ~muggling that went on from India," writes Watson. "Sothe-

. by's s~aff regularly travelled to India under cover, pretending to be on holiday or writing a book" Watson managed to actually meet Mr. Fakrou Sham who, with his family, fiGt only freely admitted on hidden camera that he smuggled antiques illegally out of India, he proudly pointed out sev~ral such items

India's treasures: Peter Watson in Lokhari village, India, inspects Diety left behind by looters. Alroost certainly smuggled a~cient Kushan coltl:mn was sold by Sotheby's in 1996.

listed in Sotheby's auction catalog. Asked how the objects were gotten out of India, Watson was told, "The diplomatic bag." Wat­son goe,s on, "The Shams took their time amassing a great many objects-a whole container load-and then sent them out, perhaps when a diplomat ;"as moving house." Another method was to pack true antiques along with recently-made decora­tive fakes and ship them out of India.

Watson's team later inspected the Sham's material in London, six'to seven rooms with thousands of Indian· artifacts, one "chock-a­block" with items of museum quality, most of them from temples. The affable Watson ex­plain~d to HINDUISM TODAY by phone that it is a crime to take such antiques out of India, but it is not a crime to bring them into Eng­land. Even so, if an object is deemed to have been illegally acquired, then British law re-

gards it as stolen property anB title to it can­not be passed by auction or any other means. If the object is located, Inaia could demand its re~urn, and the buyer would have to sue the auction house to get his money back

The investigative TV report and book have attracted attention in India, and one Mr. Pande of India's Revenue Intelligence was in London to meet with Watson the day we called him. Watson is handing over to Pande 102 pages of Sothebys documents which re­fer to India. Pande is especially interested in retrieving one object mentioned in the TV program. 'The "Goat-Headed Goddess" had been stolen from the village Lokhari and sold by Sotheby's at auction in 1988. ~n an emo­tionally touching scene the distraught village headman identified on camera the stolen Goddess in the auction catalog.

The case of SotheQYs and India is far from over, and rep<'lrts are the auction house is pulling back from the in­ternational antiquities market, as so much of the material coming from any country for auction is of ' questionable origin. There are . " more profitable and less contro-versial areas to focus on, such as the sale of Old Masters paintings (e.g. Van Gogh). India meanwhile has arrested the Shams in Mum­bai. Watson .,said a proper expert could review'all of Sotheby's auc­tion catalqgs for the last decades which are available at the British Museum and in two days deter­mine what and how much has been illegally taken out of India. Sotheby's denies corporate culpa­bility and blames t he incidents on a few rogue employees. Roeland Kollewijn, for one, lost his job. :~\

JU N E , 1 9 97 HINDUISM TODAY 17

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HI.,NDUS WILL HELP Britain celebrate the year 2000 in a very Hindu way. The London Millennium Committee is considering a £10 million grant 'to the SWaIDinarayan Hindu Mission in Neasdon for a center cel­ebrating different world cultures. A £25 million bid by the Hinduja Foun.'Q.ation for ll,)TIulticultural center in Petersborough is also under consideration. '

VEDIC MANTRAS and sweet-smelling incense filled the air at #10 Janpath, the official New Delhi addTess of the Gandhis, as Priyanka Gandhi, daughter of the late Prime Minister Rajiv, was wed to Robert Vadra, a New Delhi businessman. She wore a South Indian temple sari

'. "

which belonged Vadra anq. Priyanka to her grand-mother, the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The two-hour ceremony was con­ducted.in traditional Kashmiri Pandit style.

THE AMARNATH PILGRIMAGE will be holy but regulated this year. The Jammu and Kash­mir state government, hoping to prevent a recurrence of last year's tragedy, when 250 pilgrims to the-16,00o'-foot Himalayan cave shrine died in snowstorms, has accepted the recommenQations of a review commit­t~e. They will install modern weather fore­casting equipment, restrid the pilgrimage period to 30 days, the ages of pilgrims to between 15 and 65 years and the number of pilgrims to a daily rate of 8,000 and a maximum of 100,000 total.

QUA~TUM PHYSICISTS AND VEDANTISTS agreed at a New Delhi conference on "Yoga in Daily Life" that matter originates from consciousness-.not the other way around. Dr. Amit Goswami of the University of Oregon said such a paradigm resolves the wave-particle duality. "If we take the monistic view of consciousness as the perennial philosophy of the Upanishads, the paradoxes of quantum mechanics are resolved," he said.

TIRUMALA'S famed and revered Tirupati temple for Lord Venkateswara recently set a record for a single day's hundi offerings, surpassing the half-crore rupee mark. The US$140,000 eclipsed their old recorn by more than us$40,000.

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20 aIN DulsM TODAY JU NE, 1997

BUDDHISTS WANT HINDUS TO HAND OVER con­trol of the Mahabodhi temple in Bihar, site of the Buddha's enlightenment. Anything less, they say, is drawing the promise of a "do or die" agitation from Buddhist monks throughout India to "emancipate" their most sacred shrine. '"

THE DEATH TOLL rises in Sri Lanka, even as boat loads of Tamils seek escape to India. A fishing trawler carrying 150 refugees flee­ing from advancing government soldiers

~ capsized in the Mannar sea, killing 130, mostly women and children, according to a statement from the Tamil Tigers faxed to Reuters. Sri Lanka's military denied the refugees were fleeing from troops.

" ITALY IS COUNTERING illegal immigration by increasing patrols along its southern coast. One hundred and ten Sri Lankans and Pak­istanis were intercepted from a Honduras­flagged ship; 20 others in dinghies had al­ready reached the beach near the city of Reggio CalabFia. Italy's southern coast and Lampedusa, an island betw~en Sicjly and North Africa, are favorite targets for would­be iU1lYiigrants bound for Italian or other European cities.

IT'S "CASE CLOSED" now for the Hare Kr­ishna community of New Vrinda:ban, West Virginia. Crim­in'al racketeering charges, and a pos-sible $21-million in Palace of Gold fines, were settled for $10,000: The community was also set­tling with the US Government over proper­ty seized during a 1987 federal raid, which coul~ equal that amount, so the fine "won't set us back very far," said Nityotita Swami.

"GAUTAM BUDDHA, Mahavira, Jesus Christ and Kalki?" That is how The Indian Ex­press began a recent report on the fast growing Kalki movement. "Has'Cod ar­rived? So believe five millIon people in In~

. dia alone ... " the report continues. The Kalki Yagnas fuust, headquartered near Chennai, says there are now Kalki centers worldwide. The report questions the fast growing san­nyasd order, and whether youth between 15 and 25 years of age. are being '1ured away from bright academi'c and professiO'nal ca­reers to join the trust and lead a life of re­nunciation." In Hindu mythology, Kalki is the t~nth, and yet-to-arrive, avatar or in­carnation of Lord Vishnu.

SADLY, South Asian women in the USA "are ,especially vulnerable to abuse due to their cultural socializatioI'l and recent immigration," writes Shamita Das Das­gupta, PhD, representa­tive of Manavi, a communitx-based agency founded in 1985 in New Jersey. Helping wOl1wn Dedic;ated to serving " tne needs of battered women of Southeast Asia, the latest achievement of this pioneer­,ing outreach and counseling agency is the establishment of a transitional home and refuge to be known as Ashiana, meaning "nest." Contact: Manavi, PO Box 2131, Union, New Jersey 07083-2131 USA.

COSMIC FORECASTERS predict milder weather for the solar system over the next decade, meaning cooler Earth tempera­tures, fewer power surges and blackouts and less disruption of global communica­tions. The mild forecast is based on de­creased sunspot activity resulting in de­creased magnet.ic storms, cosmic rays and disturbances in Earth's ionosphere. The sun's magnetic activity waxes and wanes in ten-year cycles. The latest, which began in September, 1996, is predicted to be the mildest in the last 50 years.

A CORRESPONDENT OF The Hindu reported the following harroynng tale to her newspa­per editor. She had just applied for her child's admission in a Catholic school. The principal said her daughter would be con­sidered if she were to bring in 10 Hindu families to be converted. "Difficult to be­lieve, isn't it?" asked the Chennqi newspa­per's editor, who lamented the "total indif­ference of many teachers toward their young wards."

/

'THE EXPANSION OF CH~STIANITY throughout the world is not keeping pace witK-popula­tion increases-a pattern that will continue into the next century, reports Quadrant, the newsletter of the London-based Christ­ian Research Association. World Christ~n­dom as a percenta~ of the population has decreased from 30% in 1960 to 28% in 1@95 and is proje(:ted to decline to 27% 9Y 2010, according to latest projections.

BRIEFLY is compiled from press, TV and tyire-service reports and, edited by RAYI

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

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: MANAVI, NEW VRINDABAN, NEERAJ PAULITIMES OF INDIA

Among Vidyas, Vedas are supreme, In ~, Rudram is supreme. In Rudram, the Panchakshari "Namassivaya" is supreme. And in i~ the two syllables "Siva" are supreme.

Sponsorship Schedule Items 14 are both Indi~dual and COIporate Sponsorships

U.S.$ Indian Rupees Grand Patron . . .......... 50,001 IS lakhs Patron: Entire Yagnam & Associated Events .......... 10,001 Grand Sponsor: 11 day Rudra]apam, Abhishekam & Homams .. . 5,001 Sponsor: One Priest from India ..... .. 3,001 Final Day Rudra]apam, Abhishekam & Homam ...... 1,001 Veda Parayanam (all 4 Vedas) & other Parayanams .... . SOl Rudra Homam ............ 251 Swama (gold) Sambhavana to One Priest.. ... . lSI Vastram, Ganapati Homam, Navagraha Homam, Avahanti Homam, Mrityunjaya Homam, Lalita Homam, Sri Sukta Homam .. 51

3.01akhs

1.5lakhs

1.0lakhs

30,001

10,001 7,001

5,001

1,001

Contributions to SVBF are fax-deductible in the USI.

Prasadam will be mailed within two weeks after the conclusion of the yagnam for

sponsors who cannot attend the yagnam.

Sringeri Vidya Bharati Foundation Inc. USA • Sringeri Sadhana Center invites you to the

Athi Rudra Maha yagnam Conducted for the first time outside India

Sringeri Sadhana Center RD 8, Box 8116, Stroudsburg, PA 18360 USA · Tel: 717-629-7881, 1-800-4SHINDU

Dr.s. YegnaSubramanian~5~.orDr.S.S.1yer90S-23S-1l19

Contributions in US dollars may be made payable to SVBF - Athi Rudram Account. Please mail checks to our registered office: Sringeri Vidya Bharati Foundation Silverline Corp. Plaza, 53 Knightsbridge Rd. Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA

Donations in Indian rupees will be accepted and used for priest expenses and sambbavanas and the purchase of puja items from India. Please mail your checks or bank drafts, payable to: Sri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri Sri V. R. GOwrishankar, Administrator, Sringeri SharMa Pee/bam Sringeri - 577 139, Karnataka, INDIA

71Jis Yagnam is the higbesl fOlm of Rut/ra Yagnam wi/b 14641 recitations of Sri Rut/"am & 1331 Rudra Homams.

I

MEDICAL ETHICS

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A UK laboratory clones a sheep, unleashing a worldwide furor over the ethics of genetic research and the specter of duplicating humans

N JULY 1996 A BLACKFACE EWE

gave birth to lamb 6LL3, an out­wardly normal baby sheep, at the Ros­lin Ins,titute's genetic research facility in Edinburgh, Scotland, In the Feb-ruary 27, 1997, issue of lYature mag­azine, Roslin's chief researcher Dr.

Ian Wilrnut stutined the world when he an­n~unced that 6LL3 (now named Doily, after American country singer Dolly Parton) was the first successfully cloned mammal. Wilmut was summoned to the British Par­liament, and later tO ,the US Senate. He in­formed alarmed committees on both sides of the Atlantic that he foresaw no particular obstacle to the cloning of humans-the cre­ation,of a genetic duplicate of another per­son. -Shocked politicians realized Wilmut's accomplishment coupled with advance­ments in genetic engineering could alter the future of the human race in a manner not seen since the discovery of atomic energy.

A clone is a genetic duplicate of another organism. Its only natural occurrence in hu­mans is identical twins, in whi,ch each share tIre same DNA and thus develop physically into nearly identical people. W~hin a few years, predicts Wilmut, cloning humans will be a very real possibility. Why would we do it? There are many reasons, some wonderful, some unquestionably immoral. A women whose husband and child died in a car acci­dent could replace the child by cloning. It has been seriously proposed to clone people to serve as a spare parts depot from which to replace failing hearts or kidneys. Cloning may .be possible with the long dead, too. We could unwrap mummified Egyptian King

22 HINDUISM TOD A.Y J l.\,N E , 1997

Tut and make a new copy of him, or of Ein­stein, or of the 5,000;year-old Stone Age man found frozen in the Alps-even revive mastodons. We could take a piece of Bud­dhas.molar from the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, ~ri Lanka, and recreate the physical body (Mlough not the enlightened soul) of Gautama Buddha. We couln take locks of hair preserved from saints, or dig up samad­hi shrines where they are entombed.

The prospects get scary when cloning is combined with genetic engineering (the ac­tual intent of Wilmut's research witn sheep). DNA could be taken from a person, cus­tomized with genes for disease resistance, intelligence, beauty and then grown into a baby. The PE?rfect musician or the 'creative genius could' be ordered up by calculating parents to be-9s could be the perfect un­questioning soldier or murderous sociopath by the less altruistic.

The territory is so new that world leaders are in an ethical void on what to think about it. A host of questions are suddenly being ad­dressed by scientists, politicians, philosophers and religious leaders. After Wilmuts announce­ment, US President Clinton forbaQ.e any fed­eral research on human cloning pending for­mal review by the' US National Bioethics Commission-a significant part of which is to solicit opinions of the world's religions.

Most religious leaders, including Hindu, are opposed to cloning humans. Many con­sider it "playing God" and therefore wrong. Others question the necessity for another way to make people at a time when we have too many people. Putting these opinions in perspective requires a certain amount of

technical background I as to exactly what cloning .is, how it was Itccornplished and where genetic engineering fits in.

Every cell a blueprint: It has long been known that each cell contains thy complete DNA genetic code, unique to that organism. However, in the growth process, as cells be­come specialized, parts of the DNA code are i'turned off," so t]J.at muscle cells make only new muscle cells, brain cells new brain qells ar,td so on. Before this discovery there was no way to make a muscle cell spawn a brain cell, even though the genetic code to do ,so was present. Many plants 'are different. Their cells are abfe to reprogram themselves. That's why we can take a branch cutting from a tree, plant it and have a complete new tree, a clone, develop. The first cloned animals were' tadpoles (in 1952), but the results were par­tial and no adult frogs developed. Scientists thought cloning a mammal would rf1quire an­other half century of research. They reck­oned the most likely way was to replace the DNA at the very first stage of growth, in the egg, but had no idea how to accomplish it.

Wilmut's group solved this dilemma with masterful ingenuity. Harvesting and isolat-

ing ~n egg from an adult female sheep h~d already been done. In fact, tlie technique is used reliably in humans for in vitro fertiliza­tion-"test-tube babies." The second step was removing the DNA-containing nucleus of the egg. Then came the hard part. They took a cell from the mammary gland of an adult sl}eep and put it into a dormant state, essentially by starving it. During dormancy, they hoped, the cell would forget its mam­mary identity and .be prepared to generate an entire new organism, something that oc­curs naturally only when the egg is fertilized by a sperm cell. Wilmut used an electric spark to "fuse" the dormant cell into the egg, and, to the amazement of all, an embryo started to develop. The embryo was placed in a surrogate ewe-a process also perfected in humans-and Dolly was b1?rn. Hello!

There are four individuals involved in the . cloning: the donor (male br female) of the DNA, the donor of the egg, the surrogate mother and the clone. The clon.e is an identi­cal DNA copy of the cell donor (and always the same sex), ancf unrelated to either the egg donor or its own birth mother. lt required 277 attempts to create Dolly. ~ome eggs failed

H8110,001ly Meet Dolly, the first mammal cloned from an adult of the species. With ingenuity and a tight budget, Dr. Ian Wilmut of Scotlan"d (below) and a team of twelve made the unexpected breakthrough resulting in Dol­ly's birth in July, 1996, made public in February, 1997. Religions condemned it and nations rushed to ban or limit resyarch on human cloning. Proponents foresee cures for thousands of genetically related diseases and improvement of our race. Opponents fear uncontrolled manipulation resulting in untold complications.

to de elop, others died during gestation, some . were stillborn and others born alive but de.­formed. Wilrnut himself opposes cloning hu­mans, because at this stage researchers would be faced with one success and 276 abortions, stillbirths and deformed babies.

The discovery came cheap. Wilmut's team of 12 managed it on a research grant of US$500,600/year. That's far less than what Nissan spends to develop next year's car model, and mere lunch money compared to the multiple bilJions spent developing the atomic bomb or going to the Moon. Even though the British government has t anceled Wilmut's grant, private companies are rush­ing to supply him money if he wants it.

DNA is Vut one factor, albeit an important one, in determining the physical character­

. istics of a human. Studies on identical twins raised separately reveal they will be, on av­erage, within two inches of the same !;.eight, ten pounds of the saine weight and six points of IQ. Their fingerprints wil\ be sim­ilar, but not identical. They'll have a remark­able affinity for the same medical problems, even communicable diseases. For example, if one twin has diabetes the chances are

80% the twin will, too. Similar figures apply for feeblemindedness, tuberculosis and even criminality. This is vital to the prospect of using cloning for organ transplants, because a clone raised for "spare parts" is likely to have the same weaknesses as the DNA donor-be it heart, kidney or what~ver.

Identical twins can be astonishingly similar in even the smallest physical features, and share many personality traits as well. One set · of tWins separated at birt!; in the USA was re­cently reunited. Among a: long list of shared traits, both had become firemen, both grew moustaches, both held a beer glass with the same peculiar grip and both had pet dogs-to which they had given the same name! So far there is no precedent for identical twins growing up separated 'by time as well as space, as would be t4e case with clones. It is expected the different environment and as­trological chart (see page 36) would result in greater distinctions between donor and clone.

Genetically engineered perfection: Wil­mut and associates did not develop cloning as an end in itself Their main g~al is to produce genetically altered sheep whose milk con­tains commercially profitable hormones for

JUNE , 1 9 97 H I'N DUISM TODAY 23

,

!

humans. On~e one such sheep is successful­ly made-a very difficult process-it can be cloned again and again. Researcher~ are sim­ilarly attempting to create animals that gen­erate human clotting factor (to treat hemo­phHiacs) and geneticruw altered pigs whose organs could be transplanted into humans.

Reproduction by cloning holds the key to genetic alterations to cure certain incurable diseases. Before the donor nucleus is implant­ed into an enucleated egg, its DNA can be al­tered. By such "genetic engineering" some 4,000 incurable genetic diseases could theo­retically be eliminated. But such cures are not welcomed by all. The large deaf commu­nity in the USA 'has complained that if deaf­ness is eliminated, their distinctive culture, sign language and literature will disappear. If clorung technology were perfected, made-to­order, genetically engineered humans would be the logical next frontier. 11. superhuman could then be perpetuated by cloning it again and again, just as Wilmut cloned Dolly.

Cloning from the Hindu view: Cloning in In­dia took a wrong turn about 6,000 years ago with the creation of Raktabija ("blood drop"), a mytholOgical demon who appears in the Markandeya Purana. Another of him sprung from every dro.p of his blood spilled on the battlefield. Only witll great effort were he and his clones finally destroyed. More benign results were . obtained by dozens of other methods of asexual procreation found in the vast scope of Hindu literature. for example, Lord Ganesha was created from the skin of His Mother and Lord Murugan by a spark from Siva's third eye. Kunti conceived her sons, the Pandavas, by means of mantras (sa­cred formulas) offered to the Gods.

Even so, there is really no easily found scripture directly ad<;lressing the practice of cloning, just as there was no need for a Fed­eral Aviation Agency before airplanes were invented and started to crash. In Hinduism and tJ1e other religions, endorsements or ob­jectiC9ns to cloning are necessarily based upon induction and extrapolation.

Hindus analyze cloning in Hindu terms­karma, reincarnation, ahirnsa, all-pervasive , Divinity and soul's evolving nature-along with the benefit or danger to society as a whole. In a survey of seven Hindu leaders conducted by HINDUISM TODAY [sidebar] , all called strongly for strict regulation. Aeharyas and swamis were unanimous th( t scientists were in no way creating a soul by cloning, in contrast to the Abrahamic belief that the soul is created at ,conception. In the Hindu view, the God-created soul' inhabits the body, but is not the body. The question aris­es: what kind of soul would take birth in a body created so uniquely. At a gathering of the American Association of Vedic Astrolo­gers (AAVA) Chakrapani Ullal said religious sanctification of marriage helps insure the birth of high souls. Lacking such sanctifica-

24 HINDUISM TODA·Y J l\NE , 1997

tion, he warned, "people born through clon­ing will be fraught with problems." Speaking from the view of ayurveda (II]-dia's tradi­tional medicine), Dr. David Frawley (Va­madeva Shastri) pondered, "You are trying to have birth without prana [vital1ife ener­gy]. What kind of creature is going to be create/d without direct participation of the pranic force?" Mrs. Ullal asked how a normal being could be born from a "conception" de-

o void of love. The 2,000-year-old Tiruman­tiram supports their wisdom, describing how each embodied soul is influeI\ced by the consciousness and energies of the parents before and (luring coitus. Without these pranas, life would certainly be different, thbugh not all think negatively. Perhaps a highlr-evolved soul would choose to take such a passionless birth. Dr. M. M. Sankhd­her, ex-professor of political scie~ce, Univer­sity of Delhi offeryd: "To a Hindu, a cloned human being, when this reality materializes, ~ would be another manifestation of a new ~ species as an outcome of the Divine Will." ;

Human Clanin 3 1. A single cell is taken

from the donor woman (or man), for cloning.

2. The donor cell is starved into a state of quiescence in which it stops reproducing on its own.

3. An unfertilized egg is taken from a second woman and the genetic nucleus is removed.

4. The enuc1eated egg is kept alive in a test tube.

5. After 36 hours (for sheep; humans may dif­fer ), the donor cell is fused into the egg with

®

an electrical spark which also starts cell di­vision. According to Hinduism, an incarnat­ing soul enters at this point, drawn by its kar­ma and by the con­sciousness and karma of iliose involved in ilie conception.

6. For six days (in sheep) the developing egg is kept alive in a test tube.

7. If ilie embryo is grow­ing normally, it is im­planted in a surrogate mother who carries it to term and gives birili normally.

8. The offspring is an ex­act genetic duplicate of ilie cell donor, and has no genetic relationship to ilie egg donor or to ilie surrogate birili moilier.

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The research itself violates the tenet's of S ah,irnsa, noninjuriousness. Several ofWilmut's ~ sheep, for example, were killed and autopsied :t ___________________ ; . _ ____________ ~~------------------__

by the researchers after their fetuses died. In ayurveda, research on animals is allowed only to benefit the animal. If human cloning is permitted, deformed fetuses will certainly be aborted as part of the larger process. Dr. DeIll'lis Harness, of the AA VA, warned of po­tentiall9ng-term problems, "Cloning involves altering-energies on a very subtle level where we don't even realize what we are doing."

Bhairava Sundaram Sivacharya, who be­longs to an ancient lineage of Saivite priests, said that Hinduism has always welcomed new discoveries. He asks, "A soul is born with a parabdha karma [the karma it is des­tined to experience in this life]' When it lives through the parabdha karma, that body will die. Now if we take a cell from that b0dy and make another man, do the parabdha'karmas of the first man continue in some way? If so; the original soul/cannot get released into the next world upon the body's death. It will bring a great confusion."

Several prominent swami leaders ques­tioned the need for cloning in an overpopu­lated world, where abortion of unwanted children occurs daily. Rev. Swami Satchi­dananda warned about unanticipated conse­quences, the problem of "letting.:the genie out of the bottle" and not being able to get it back in. Many warned cloning would result in the same havoc to society and the envi­rorunent as have so many other scientific in­ventions of the last few centuries.

In a joint statement, Dr. Ajit Ram Verma, ex-director of the National Physical Lahora­tory of New Delhi and Dr. I. S. Kothari, ex­professor of physics, Delhi University, said, "In an intelligent society, cloning could be used for the betterment of the society. But

today decisions may be based on considera­tions other than societys good. Therefore, re­search in the field should be carefully con­trolled." A poll of the US Hindu Students Council concluded, "Hindus believe that man is neither superior or infetior, but sim­ply a part of nature as are the trees, animals, and so on. By manipulating nature, we may be upsetting natural and spiritual balances."

Pramukh Swami Maharaj observes that

Hindu Leaders on Cloning Swami Satchldananda (In- -tegral Yoga Institute): What is the need for it? It is simply scientific curios­ity, and you know curiosi­ty killed the cat. We may think we are doing some­thing good, but If it turns

up bad, then we don't have any control over It.

Tlruchi Mahaswamigal (Founder, Kaila~h Ashram, India): It Is not new to our cultural history of India. We did not call It cloning, but there were other meth­ods of procreation. Presently we do not re­quire any such alterna­tive methods of procre­ation for population, so man need not develop them.

o "Human cloning would mean a parentless ed on whether possible benefits outweigh ilie risks. Some urge an outright ban; ~thers call for close supervision. Mata Amritanan­damayi said, "Historically, it is impossible and unwise to interfere with the advance of science." She and others call for a forum of "spiritually aware and responsible people" to advise industry and governments on cloning. No one polled was willing to leave the regulation to science .or business alone,

. society, full of sUl;rogate moiliers, careless donors and, loveless children." He says a race of clones might develop alongside the hu­man race-with unknown consequences. Clones may be regarded as less ilian human. Genetic engineering raises other questions, and Pramukh Swami quoted scriptures that warn against introaucing' animal qualities in man or vice versa. Hindu leaders are divid-

Pramukh Swami Ma­haraj (Head, Swaml­narayan Fellowship):

Mata Amrltanan­damayl ("President of Hinduism" at Par­liament of the World's Religions, 1993, Hindu of the Year, 1993): The idea of cloning, though im­plemented only re­

Human cloning Is not a matter of a few sci­entists' research, a few nations' decision or a few leaders' preference. The en­tire humanity should

unite to control this crisis; future genera­tions shall hold us responsible.

Swami Omkarananda Saraswati (Founder, Omkarananda Ashram, Europe, India): Imag­Ine, through millions of abortions around the world, how many saints and benefac­tors of mankind are destroyed! In the face of this, how senseless and damaging to spend money and God-given time trying to produce unfortunate artificial copies of hu­man beings. The aim of Creation Is to help the creature not Into false channels, but guide it into the world of knowing, loving and being one with the Creator.

cently through modern SCience, was in the minds of the ancient saints and sages of In­dia. Man's attempts to change the natural order of things has a long-term potential of unexpected negative results. Forums of spiritually aware and responsible people can advise a prudent course of action.

,.

Paramhans Swami Maheswarananda (Founder, Sri Deep Madhavananda Ashram, Europe, In­dia): This kind of ac­tivity Is contrary to ethical and moral

recognizing that the consequences impact all of humanity.

Other religions react: Jewish Rabbi Ger­shon Gewirtz said, "I think there are too man/things we just don't understand. In my view, the risk is just too great." Roman Ca­tholic Cardinal John O'Connor said, "Contra­ry to the right of every human person to be conceived and born within marriage and from marriage, the clone is reduced to the level of a product made rather than a person begotten." Th~ Navajo Indians of the South­west US hold the sheep in particular sacredness, and complained that the scientist desecrated the animal. Muslim scholar Ab- '" dulaziz Aachedina, a medical ethicist at the University of Virginia, worries about the long-term implications of separating repro­duction. from human relationship. "Imagine a -world with no need for marriage," he invites.

Governments act: Malaysia and France re­acted by banning human cloning. W Febru­ary the ,US Senate considered a permanent ban, and the research for this article will be part of future deliberation. Seu.ator Tom Har­kin protested any ban, defending the impos­sibility of limiting human knowledge. ''What npnsense. What utter, utter nonsense to think that somehow we are going to hold up our hands and say, 'Stop,' " he told his colleagues.

Cloning will not stop. It has been done for a sheep. In a few years it will be done with humans. Cloning may become as easy as or­dinary reproduction, with profound conse­quences on human society. For this reason, and remembering we represent one-sixth of the human family, all Hindus should take a serious interest in this issue. ....I

prinCiples. Our beloved Master Bhagwan Sri Deep Narayan MahaprabhiUi says, "Do not go against the nature, or else It will take revenge, and you will have to suffer the consequences." Manipulating nature Is greatly damaging our Holy Mother Earth.

Swami Chldanand Saraswatl "Muniji" (Head, Parmath Nlke­tan, India): The egg needs a waiting soul to activate It and to turn on the poten­tialities In the genes at proper times. It would be unfortunate if all persons looked like one another, God Intends a rich variety. A lot of evil can re-sult from human cloning. However the ex­tension of knowledge should not be stopped. Genetic engineering should go on under strict conditions of global regulation with Input from the different nations, races and genders.

JUNE , 1 9 97 H I'ND U ISM IfODAY 25

,

i

ANDERING CROWDS OF CAM­

era-toting, pot-bellied tourists, so essential to Nepal's fragile

economy, wear shorts and clothes too tight for th~ essen­

tially conservative culture. They crowd the temple-palace complex, the Ku-mari Ghar, deep in the heart of Kathman­du's Durbar Square, the oldest section of a very old city. Everyone wants a glimpse of the virgin girl Goddess. A tourist gUi.de yells up tp the elaborate 18th century w00d­carved windows of the second floor. Look­ing like a Moghul miniature, the present Ku­mari, a little girl no more than five, her eyes blackened with kohl, the soot from a sacred butter lamp, dressed in regal red, is carried to the window·and solemnly peers down on the gaping crowd without uttering a word. "Was tbat her? 'That little girl?" A woman with a sfrong New York accent questions in­credulously. Lacking the knowledge to show traditional devotion, the crowd brazenly ogles her, like an exotic bird in the zoo. As quickly as they look, she is withdrawn from the window. Little do they or any Western­ers really know about the inner life of the Kumari-for ritually impure Westerners are forbidden from her restricted quarters.

. Shrouded with th~ secrecy associated with tantric rituals, taught from an early age that a Goddess is to utter as few words as possi­ble, the inner feelings of a Kumari remain as mysterious and inaccessible to Westerners as a statue made of stone.

Among the most ancient of Hindu prac- . tices, Kumari puja (virkin worship) dates back at least 2,300 years to the late Vedic period. In essence it utilizes purity to call

• . fortI< the presence of powerful Deities for direct offering of devotions. ill India, for ex­ample, orthodox Hindu families worship their unmarried daughters as the great Dur­ga during the annual10-day Dashera festi­val. But only in the Kathmandu Valley is Ku­mari puja institutionalized in the form of living Goddesses.

Not any girl can become a Kumari, whose reign generally lasts about ten years, even if she wanted to. Though Taleju is a Hindu de­ity, the royal Kumari is always chosen from the Newar Buddhist Sakya caste of gold­smiths and silversmiths. The current line trace their beginnings to an 18th century Hindu king, Jayaprakasa Malla. According to the story, the king was a worshiper of Taleju, one of the many forms of Di.lrga and protectress of the MallS:; royal lineage. So ardent was his devotion that .from time

. to time She would enter his chamber in the guise of a red serpent and then transform Herself into a woman of radiant beauty. One day, however, the king's thoughts to­wards her took ~ libidinous turn, and for punishment Taleju declared thereafter She would only comnmne with him by inhabit-

must then make a clockwise cir­cuit of the macabre display and while doing so not betray any sign of fear or stress.

The present royal Kumari was chosen in 1991 at the tender age of two. "She was screened by the royal astrologer, many priests, and the King's religious advisor," , her father Arnrit Sakya tells me. She was also inspected by fe­male attendants for the neces­sa,;y "32 perfections" of a God­dess. These include clear skin with small pores, even teeth, ., black hair and eyes, soft hands, a moist tongue, no bad bodt odors and "small and well-re­cessed sexual organs." Most im­portantly she must show no signs of ever having bled, as from a cut or nosebleed, for it will be blood that will signify the end of her reign as a living Goddess. ...

Previous princess: Once granted any reasonable re­quest, Rashmilla Sakya joins the everyday worl.d

Apart from her family, the lit­tle girl Goddess has lived over two years in isolation in the or­nate, recently restored 18th cen­

ing the body of a young girl. With a twist of divine i.rony, the girl She selected would be from a local caste of Buddhists.

Hence, while Nepalese Hindus believe the Royal Kumari to be a living embodiment of Taleju, local Vajrayana Buddhists regard her as their chief female deity Vajradevi- a union of religious identities that subsequent­ly assumes enormous significance in a coun­try marked by sharp ethnic divisions .

TIle royal Kumari candidates, who are generally 3 to 4 years of age, are screened by a special committee comprised of Newar and Hindu priests, the royal astrologer and the kings religious adviser (raj guru). Once their choice is made, the designee's horo­scope is checked against the king's to assure a positi;:e compatibility. Above all, the Ku­mari must always exhibit the perfect com­posUI;e of a true Goddess, and for this a fi­nal, extraordinary test is administered.

The setting for it is kalratri ("black night"), the anniversary of Durga's Puranic slaying of the demon Mahisasur'a which saved the primordial universe from evil. Each year the event is reenacted with the massive miGInight beheading of 108 water buffaloes in the outer courtyard of an an­

. cient temple in Kathmandu known as Hanu-man Dhaka. Shortly after the slaughter, the Kumari-elect is brought to the courtyard en­trance. Greeting her are neat rows of"uffa-10 heads laid out on the ground with lighted wickS/placed between their horns, the paving'stones underfoot still glistening with pools of fresh blood. As the selection com­mittee looks on from a balcony, the little girl

tury Kumari Ghar. Her daily schedule varies little. Attendants set her hair in a rit­ual bun, her eyes are rimmed with kohl, ex­tending like a Zen painters stroke to her temples, while her forehead is distinctively painted with a vermilion red, black and golden all-seeing "fire-eye," and each day she sits on her lion throne for two or three hours. At this time a priest from the nearby Taleju temple perforII}s a purification rite, using objects said to cleanse eac4 of the five sensory organs: flour for the ears, rice for the mouth, incense for the nose, a lamp for the eyes and red powder for touch. The Ku­mari receives up to a dozen faithful devotees every day. "Many people come to seE; the fu­rnari," the Kumarima, a small elderly woman explained. "Some come with medical prob­lems, especially illnesses related to bleeding. Many government officials visit, hoping her . blessings will ensure pro;;notion."

She must remain solemn and silent,s itting cross-legged in her gilt-canopied lion throne while the line of worshipers shuffles through her private chamber, each person touching the floor with his or her head and laying down offerings.,of money, fruit and flowers. To her followers, every movement the child makes is d.eemed a sign from the Goddess Taleju. If she receives a petition in unmoved silence, it will be fulfilled; should she laugh, cry or rub her eyes, the supplicant will fall ill or even die. Anita Sakya, now in her early twenties, was th,e royal Kumari seven years ago. Shy and reserved, as most ex-Kumaris are known to be, she told me a sad story. "I was just a little girl. Once an old,

JUNE , 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 27

sick man came to be blessed. He was so sick he coughed and a touch of spit landed on my toe. My attendants gasped. He died the next day. I felt very sad: 1 believed 1 was re­sponsible for his death."

For all the aura of power surrounding her, the Kilmari appears to live a lonely existence. Her only companions are the hereditary c~aperone, the Brahmin priest and a dozen Buddhist priests. She isn't taught to read or write, and she has no playmates of her own age. She lives a disciplined life adheFing to a strict diet and wake~ up early every morn­ing to spend a few hours at her

time as Kilmari. I love all the caretakers at the Kilmari ghar mQre than my own family. I still go and visit Kilmari and her attendants almost every week."

A girl cannot stay a Kilmari forever. With the first, shedding of blood, the Deity Taleju leaves ~he child's body, returning her once more to the everyday worfd. In 1991, ten days before the big Dasain Festival, micro­phones announced that the reigning twelve­year-old Kilmari would be replaced. "When I began to menstruate, I didn't know what was happening," Rashmilla, the last reigning

royal Kilmari shyly explained. She was wor­shiped one last time in the company of the neW' Kilmari, tnen her ornaments were re­moved. She was led by the head priest, twenty guardians and priests to her family home which she would not remember.

devotions. Her original name and I

identity are forgotten. The ~riest tells qer she is beyond joy and sor­row~she is now a Deity in hu­man form. She is told that if she weeps or laughs, the Deity may leave her. Forbidden to go out in sunlight, the silk-hung rooms are her private sanctuary.

"When I was Kilmari, 1 would look out the window at all the cllildren playing. I wanted to play, too," Dil Kilmari, a woman with: graying hair whose childhood as a living Goddess ended over forty years ago, expl~ned to me. "I wanted to be like a butterfly imd fly, down to join the playing chil· cb;'en. I used to play stones and. jacks by myself. When 1 was a <Soddess, it was like that," she lamented. Nani Maya, a Kilmari over . twenty years ago, recalls, "I have such fond memories of my

28 HINDUISM TODA.Y JU E, 1997

Once worshiped as divine, the youth must quickly adapt to being treated as a normal girl. After the customary four days in isola­tion in a dark room with no sunlight, female attendants of the TaleN temple undo the lit­tle girl's hair bun and remove her last token bangle, signifying the beginning of her life

Dharma Kumari Having reigned longest, she is said to hold the real power

HARMA KUMARI BAJRA­

. charya has found per­manent refuge and safety. She has never

had to face adjusting to daily life for she claims the goddess Taleju has never left her. The forty-five-year-old living God­dess lives in the town of Patan in a beautiful, traditional Newar home with elab0fately carved windows, small door­ways and freshly painted, clean mud floors. Like the

child Goddesses, Dharma Kil­mari rarely speaks. So first 1 meet her mother, Siddhi Lax­mi, a devout woman of seven­ty-one. Unlike the royal Kil­mari, the Patan Kilmari is allowed to live at home and is only taken to the Kilmari ghar for ceremonies and festivals. Siddhi Laxmi delicately fills clay cups with home-brewed rice liquor and tells me the story of her daughter and the controversy surrounding her.

"When she was a little girl, no more than two, 1 found her in her room playing with two snakes: one red and one yel~ low: She was two years old when chosen Kilmari in 1953. The astrologers predicted she would reign longer than any other Kilmari."

Neighborhood politics boiled over three years ago when a young girl was in­stalled to formally replace her as the ruling Patan Kilmari.

--------------------------------~------------------------------------------------------------------------------------~

I

as a mortal. Dil Kilmari remembers the difficulties of

adjusting to leaving her post. "When I left the Kilmari temple and weilt to live with my moth~r and father, I didn't want to stay. I just wanted to go back to the temple." Thr Rash- I

milla's family, the sense of presti~e associat­ed with a virgin Godtless daughter has been tempered by feelings of bitter­ness. A forthrjght woman with a bush of curly hair, her mother Pragya Devi tells me, "If I knew

.. then what I know now, I would ' never have let Rashmilla become the royal Kilmari. It's been too hard for her to adjust. She can't read or write. She never talks, she rar,ely smiles. When we joke ><

and laugh, she sits quietly, with- ~ drawn. / We, her family, are ~ strangers to her. The other day :( she tlirned to me and asked me, ~ 'Mother, why did you ever let me ~ become Kilmari?'" / "

would go and S"ee the new Kilmar,i being pulled in the chariot and ms heart was sad."

In the old 'days, an even bleaker future awaited ex-living-Goddesses. Few Nepalese, want to marry a dethroned Goddess. There are superstitious stories such as snakes issu­ing forth from ex-Kilmaris, devouring weak husbands. Many will cite examples from ex-

t

ot being pulled at the Indrajatra festival, my heart is filled with joy and .remembering." For Nani Maya, the difficulties of everyday life h~e made her nostalgic for the safety of a divine past. "I have a recurring dream of being chased through the streets of Kath­m~du by an unknown Goddess. I run and run and only fmd refuge in the safety of the

Kilmari's quarters."

Weaned from pomp and leis­ure, an ex-Kilmari reenters her

Mortal again: Anita Sakya, former Kumari, adjusts to life at home

I walk one last . time over to the royal Kilmari Ghar and pl~ce offerings of flowers and money on a stone in the center of the courtyard. 1 ask the at1en­dant that it go to her future .,. schooling, since the pension the government provides for het once she leaves office (RS640 a month-about US$ll) cannot even begin to cover school fees, let alone tutoring fees neceSSaFY for her to catch up wlth lost schooling once she is retired. The little Goddess is taken to the window by 'the Kilmarima, and I am blessed with the vision

family's household as a normal family mem­ber, expected to cook, olean and. do other chores. Dil Kilmari recalls the hardship of

. returning home ~sl having to sudd.enly ad­just to her arranged marriage and the many duties of a Nepali wife. "Married' life was difficult after being treated like a Deity. As a daughter-in-law, I had to .Qbey my in-laws. As a Wife, I had to obey my husband. I was accustomed to people worshipping me and bringing me gifts: As a ¥1ife, I was expected to sweep ·the floor, cook rice and earry wa­ter. I was a little bit lazy. My husband beat

. me kd said, 'You're no good. You're worth­less, and I'm going to leave you.' Each year I

Kilmari's lives in an effort to verify this myth. Qut of nine recent ex-Kilmaris, seven married, and their husbands died within the first year of marriage, say local.residel)ts.

Still, no} all Kilmari's lives are met with 'misfortune' or unhappiness. Nani Maya was the royal Kilmari over twenty years ago. She is a well-adjusted, happily married middle­aged wife and mother of two children who now runs her own pharmacy. "I feel blessed to have been a Kumari. 'It was a real privi­lege. But my husband feels otherwise. When the priests asked us to offer our daughter, he refused. He would rather see our daughter

. receive an education. When I see the char~-

of her face before a busload of tourists stream in for a look. Despite her exposure to thousands, the Kilmari's power and inner feelings-of freedom or loneliness-remain her own silent mystery. "We need Kilmaris, no Goddess is more important to this valley," Siddhi Laxmi said.

As old traditions and ways of life fade in this rapidly changing city, just how many Newar Buddhist families will continue to c'hoose the dharma of a virgin Goddess for their daughters, is anyones guess. _

Send donations for 3'HE FORMER KUMARI EN­DOWMENT to Hif)rfu Heritage En~wment, 107

Kaholalele Road, Kapaa, Hawaii 96746-9304 USA

"The priests summoned her to the temple for inspection-to see if she still had Taleju's ener­gy. They could find no mar,ks to disqualify her, no marks of bleeding, for she has never menstruated. All they could find was a slight scratch on her ear. For this they said she could no longer reign. Asked what she thougnt, she replied, "It is not my opinion. It is Tale­jus decision. When she is ready to leave me, she will."

as she sits silently, crouched in a seat designed for a child, alone in this room. 1 realize

that this is all she has ever known-that most of he! forty­five years of existence have

puberty, Dharma Kilmari has become an unusually powerful living Goddess, for she now can fullfil the elaborate secret rituals that traditionally only male Buddhist priests perform.

When I go and bow down before her with offerings of flowers, incense, fruit and some money, she gives me a big tilaka of rice and red powder on my third eye-a sign my soul has made union with Tale­ju. I sense her unique energy,

. I /

Stili fit for the chair: Priests go to her for initiation, not the child Goddess

taken place in this room. Only during festival times when carried through the streets has she ever seen the outside world. When given the opportunity to leave the duties of divinity, she chose instead to become an expert at what she knows rather than face an unfamiliar world. Unlike the child Kilmaris, who in a sense are controlled by the priests who worship them until

"She was never taught to read or WTite, and yet she reads the sutras and performs ceremonies," her mother ex­plains. "She has no signs of unhappiness. She is very happy with her power." When I ask how Kilmari feels about her self-imposed confinement, he! mother replies, "She never feels sad that she cannot leave her room, because she already knows everything that goes on outside of her room. She sees everything. She sees the future. She is free inside."

JUNE , 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 29

i

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innate serenity regardless of the cacophony that surrounds us. This is the basis of the Hindu praotice of mauna, the vow to remain silent, and it is why some subdue speech altogether. Mauna is not the exdusive province of the sage. Brilliant orators and well-to-do in­tellectuals have also chosen to curb their speech. Mahatma Gandhi was perhaps the most prominent public figure to observe mauna. He tamed his tongue every Monday, communicating on that day only through wrIting.

The late Swami Nirmalananda of Karnataka had served the Army Postal Service in Europe during World War II. He later held vari­ous government posts in India. He travelled the globe and studied well the world's religions and philosophies. In the end, his burning search for truth culminated in silence. "If you desire to live in peace," he said, "hear all-that falls on your ears, see all that appears before your eyes, realize that everything is in accordance with the eternal law of nature, and be silent." He did not speak for eleven years, arid thereafter spoke sparingly. When he did,jt was with clar­ity and conviction. "Wisdom to me is not a set of words, but fresh­ness and emptiness of the mind. Empty the mind by self-observa­tion, self-awareness and inner attention. Thus make the mind shine like a mirror. Then nothing is seen or known but the limitless radi­ance of eternity. This is a wonderful source of ever-renewed joy and inspiration beyond words."

Mauna is practiced in varying degrees by spiritual leaders, as­cetics, aspirants and householders alike, throughout India and

30 HINDUISM TODAY JUNE , 1997

abroad. Still, popular belief holds that the vow of silence can be fol­lowed only by ascetics and sages; that it lies beyond the capability of ordinary mortals. HINDUISM TODAY correspondent, Choodie Shiv­aram of Bangalore, dispels this misconception, "I have seen ordinary people observing mauna in daily life. A very orthodox elderly cook in our house during my school days strictly observed mauna one day of the week. No matter how much we joked about her stony silence, she never budged. So, too, my great grand-aunt, Kadakka, observed mauna on certain days of the week. She insisted that we children keep perfect silence at least during meals. Of course, despite our valiant efforts, our childish giggles could not be contained."

Choodie continues, "In my childhood, an old friend of my father, Shri Chandrasekhar, would chat with me and my young friends. I had not seen him for many years, and I was shell-shocked last year when he refused to talk to me. Only later did I learn that he was ob­serving mauna. Now in his eighties, Chandrasekhar spends most of his time at the Ramakrishna Math. He has been observing mauna for the past 17 years. Although with a wife and children, he speaks only for two hours on the first of every month. Even then, he is very choosy about to whom he speaks, and how much. Always clad in a white dhoti and half-sleeved white shirt, a sling bag over his shoul­der, simplicity is his way of life."

Choodie heard Chandrasekhar's insights on his singular talking day last month: "Often people take me to be some worthless being, look­ing at my dress and silence. But it just does not matter to me. I began

Oasis: The French Polynesian island of Bora Bora, a quiet citadel in the midst of the central South Pacific, the ocean called peaceful

expression for a period. "I was in kashtha mauna for one year. I did not use anything to communicate. There is always an advantage in re­moving the mind from worldly attachments, whatever the means. Mauna is one of the means." Baba gave up speaking over forty years ago. Sri Tiruchi Maha Swarnigal of Kailash Ashram, Bangalore, un­

by talking for only one hour a day. After about one year, I began talk­ing only once in a fortnight and gradually made it once a month. Now, I speak only two hours once a month. I plan to give it up totally. Besides talking, my communication is limited to written conver­sation with the brahmacharis in the ashram. That, too, is only done when I have to pass on some message or give instructions. I do not communicate with anyone else. I'm only a lis­tener now. Silence teaches you to listen."

Prema Pandurang of Chennai is perhaps an unlikely candidate to have spontaneously taken a 41-day vow to remain mute. Prema is a famous religious lecturer in South India. She was a professor of English at Chennai's Presidency College for twenty-three years. She told HINDUISM TODAY'S publisher how silence came to her. "For a long time, I had "Qeen a speaker. One day I woke up and said, 'Now. Let me see how it sounds-how it feels-if I don't speak.' It was not that any­thing in the world disgusted me. It was more the thought that there was so much sound around me, and I was creating most of it. I said, 'Let me be in silence and watch.' " Pre­ma found the silence profound, and wrote down her inspirations in a small book, Re­flection on Silence. She now continues her si­lence every Tuesday.

As austere as maunis may seem, most still shy away from the absolute vow. The strictest observance of mauna, utter silence, can seem unnatural to onlookers and impossible for those wishing to attempt it. Such a deliberate denial of human interaction is a stark with­drawal from a world structured and sus­tained with words. In Sadhus, The Holy Men of India (1991, Brijbasi, New Delhi), author Ramesh Bedi describes an encounter with a most extreme mauni. "Sadhus who take the vow of silence include those who will conde­scend to communicate with others by ges-

. ture or by writing things down and also those who take the absolute vow of silence, the kashtha mauna vow. Kashtha means wood. So this is the vow 'to be silent like a log of wood.' The kashtha mauna sadhu will par­take in no communication at all with others. Only very penitential ones are capable of un­dertaking this vow. One such sadhu I encoun­tered in 1938, in the foothills of the Shivalak Hills off Haridwar, even refused to accept the fruits and edibles offered to him. Having of­fered him a handful of mulberries once, I re­turned the next week to discover that these lay where I had left them. He didn't even

SPEECH NEEDS COMPANY, SILENCE NEEDS SOLITUDE. SPEECH WANTS TO CONQUER OTHERS, SILENCE HELPS CONQUER ONESELF.

SPEECH MAKES FRIENDS OR FOES, SILENCE BEFRIENOS ALL. SPEECH DEMANDS RESPECT, SILENCE COMMANDS IT

SPEECH IS EARTH-BOUND, SILENCE IS HEAVEN-BOUND. SPEECH EDU-CATES, SILENCE EXALTS. SPEECH IS SUBJECTIVE, SILENCE OBJECTIVE.

SPEECH HAS REGRETS, SILENCE NONE. SPEECH HAS LIMITATIONS, SILENCE IS BOUNDLESS. SPEECH NEEDS EFFORT, SILENCE A LOT MORE .

SPEECH IS HUMAN, SILENCE IS DIVINE. WHILE SPEAKING YOU ARE HEARD BY CREATURES, IN SILENCE YOU HEAR THE CREATOR.

SILENCE LEADS TO A STILLNESS OF THE MIND, THEN TO INTROSPEC­TION, THEN TO SELF-CLEANSING, FINALLYTO LIBERATION.

PREMlo. Plo.NDURlo.NG

dertook mauna for two years while living in a cave in the region of Tayumaneshwarar Tem­ple, Tamil Nadu. The purpose of his vow was to "contemplate deeply upon his l1pcoming divine mission." Swami tells stories of the many snakes encountered in the cave. As they passed him by harmlessly, he found that even wild animals are tamed by a true prac­titioner of mauna.

Quest for quiet: To abruptly stop speaking may be too stern a step for most. But the benefits of mauna can be obtained in less ar­duous ways (see the Seven Sadhanas of Si­lence, page 32). If you have the desire, dedi­cating some time to silence can be easy. J.P. Vaswani advises, "FIrst thing when you wake up in the morning, observe silence for at least ten minutes. This will help you to gather your thoughts." Sri Tiruchi Swami recommends that people with busy sched­ules fix a day or two in a week, or an hour or two in a day, for mauna. He elaborated to HINDUISM TODAY, "An ordinary devotee can observe mauna daily during, before or after the morning worship (personal or commu­nal) for a duration of about one to three hours. One can also be silent for one to three hours during the evenings before or after sunset. Silence can be practiced one or two days a week while keeping aloof from one's normal schedules and activities. A visit to the temple can become extra special by includ­ing the discipline of not speaking. Also, one can make the vow of silence a part of ones pilgrimage. All days are suitable for mauna. The longer we can detach ourselves mental­ly from daily trivials, the better."

Recalling her own profound experience of silence, Prema Pandurang implores, "There is so much stress and tension today that every­one must observe silence-some time away from mother, father, child and wife, friends and everyone-at least a half-hour every day with no telephone calls in some corner of the house where one can see nature. Just sit and silently think about what you are doing. Youll be different. It is necessary. It brings your high blood pressure down, makes your pulse beat normally. You start recollecting whatever you've done and you start planning for what you're going to do. For this introspection you need silence, and that is why for the past eight years I've observed silence on Tuesdays."

One of the foremost reasons to curtail con-look at them. Nearby villagers would regular-ly bring offerings of food, but the ascetic ate none of it, living on the wild fruits he found in the jungle."

More common are those who observe complete silence for shorter periods and those who communicate through writing. Baba Hari Dass of the Mount Madonna Center of California currently "talks" tersely through a book-sized chalkboard. But even he abandoned all outward

versation is to conserve energy. Abstinence from speech transmutes the creative energies of the mind in the same way that sexual abstinence, brahmacharya, transmutes the physical energies. Baba Hari Dass explains, "We talk only by exhalation. The more we talk, the more we have to exhale and the more life energy we lose. Energy is lost primarily in two ways-by sex and by talking. The origin of both sound and sex is the muladhara chakra at the base

JUNE, 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 31

/

of the spine. When we talk, we use tremendous energy This can be felt if you stop talking for a few days and then start talking again. The energy we preserve through silence can be used for meditation."

A more mundane impetus for mauna is simply to stay out of trou­ble. Chandrasekhar confessed, "I have committed many mistakes. I have been harsh to people and have hurt many with my speech. F1-nally, I realized the impOltance of silence. In mauna, the mind pro­jects all of our faults. They come like flashes. We begin to look within and see our mistakes. This helps us to rectify ourselves. This can solve many of life's petty problems. The natural mind is . filled with compassion and Divinity I think mauna is the first step towards realizing God. It detaches us from worldly pleasures."

In this regard, Rev. Swami Satchidananda, founder of Integral Yoga Institute, shares a Sanskrit proverb-"Mauna kalaka nas­H. " He explains, "Mauna means silence; kalaka means prob­lems or quarrels and nasti means nonexistent. So this say­ing tells us, 'When you are silent, there are no quarrels.' By talking, we create problems because we do not know how much to talk, how to talk, what to talk and when to talk. So, the immediate benefit of mauna is to avoid problems. The other benefits then follow: The silence of speech leads to the silence of mind, because if you decide not to speak, what good are thoughts? Every time a thought comes, you cannot express it with words, so the mind ultimately says, 'Alright, what is the point of my thinking?' You get into a thoughtless state. But there is one more mauna, the bodily silence. That

Saven Sadhanas of Silence Some silence is golden, others are silver and a lot prove out just to be heavy metal-copper, iron, zinc or tin. A few kinds of silence are

brazen brass. Silence can lJe learned. Let's begin at the bottom, by silencing the brass. To do this there is a sadhana, spiritual

discipline, the first of the Seven Sadhanas of Silence. The brass sadhana is to conquer jealousy, which bemoans,

"She has more than I do. He gets everything he asks for, while I get nothing or very little. It's unfair." This

noise goes on daily in the mind of those are in the jealousy chakra (sutala), located in the knees, which has to stop spinning in the astral areas of the inner mind to make

way for peace of mind. How do we do this? It is easy Just begin to stop talking to yourself about what is unfair. Let all mental arguments go. Drop the subject. Be silent about the issue. Such a silence provides a place for harmony of minds, while too much noisy complaining about "me and mine" gives no room for others.

The silence of tin is an even worse din. Have you ever heard a ohild beat on a tin can? That's

how the force of anger sounds, "clank, c1ank, clank." Not musical, not melodious, not even nice. The noise of anger, which vibrates in the vitala chakra located in the thighs, has to

means you don't move around. You stay in one place. That Vishvamitra: beyond words helps the silences of speech and mind also." Swamis insti­tute holds occasional silent retreats where participants study yoga and meditation, all the while remaining silent. During one retreat, he jested in his jovial way, "Observe all, but refrain from talking. I will do all the talking for you. Whatever you want to say, just leave it to me ... I think you cannot talk too much about silence."

The Ribhu Gita tells us, "Sitting in silence is the holy ablution. Sit­ting in silence is the japa. Sitting in silence is the worship. Sitting in silence is the highest. Read silently to yourself about the experience that all is Brahman. In a moment, all the punya, merit, which would result from a million asvamedha, horse sacrifices, can be obtained" (verses 16.42 and 33.29).

Quiet inspiration: L to R: The ever-silent Baba Han Dass of Califor­nia. Kamataka's late Swami Nirmalananda, speechless for 11 years. The late Homi Baba of Banaras, silent for 40 years. A sadhu offers a mute bleSSing. Prema Pandurang, silent for 41 days in 1996.

be quieted to enjoy even the smallest sliver of silver peace. How do we do this? Well, it is expensive. A monetary sum is paid for each outburst or even unexpressed wave of anger. A jar, labeled "anger penance," is established in the shrine room, into which a monetary sum is placed each time anger is experienced-the greater the ex­pression, the larger the sum. The money collected is sent to the charity of one's choice on the first day of each month.

The silence of zinc comes next. It is quieting the force of fear. Yes, fear can produce a very noisy mind. But it is not beyond being controlled and courted into obeyance. Fear creates. Often we create what we fear and make it happen by fearing that it might. We give it that energy, that possibility in our life. Fear vibrates in the atala chakra., located in the hips. To bring fear under control is a power­ful accomplishment. How do we do this? One way is through the power of affirmation, reprogramming the subconscious mind. An affirmation is a series of positive words in line with a visual concept

repeated time and time again. If caB be repeated mentally or, preferably, verbally Here is an effective affirmation for overcoming fear. "I am the complete master of all my forces. My spiritual ener­gies govern and control the force fields wherever I am for the high­est good. Through understanding, being a pure soul, full of spirited life, I am filled and thrilled with unlimited power now and forev­er." While repeating this affirmation, visualize a bright white pro­tective shell around your outer aura with a round opening at the top. As you persist, the trembling voice of fear will desist.

Now, the silence of iron. Many of us have strong memories, which become stronger as years go by As strong as iron, they are there, rusting away in the muladhara chakra at the base of the spine. How do we silence memory? Write down or type in your computer all that you want to forget. Then burn up the paper. Writ­ing down problems and burning them in any ordinary fire brings them from the subconscious into the external mind, releasing the suppressed emotion as the fire consumes the paper. The memory still exists, but it has lost its emotional power.

With the past thus stilled, we come to the silence of copper. We are climbing up the ladder of the chakras when we try, to silence our reason, which in most of us is the noise of asking rhetorical and in­tellectual questions over and over again. Questions that have no an­swers. "Why did he do that? Does he not know better?" And on and on and on. It is important for seekers to silence the tendency to ra­tionalize, to explain away, to excuse and defend the ego. To silence this svadhishthana chakra, located at the kidney level, some basic yoga must be done to empower the higher self. Controlled breath­ing, pranayama., helps harness and slow down the prana, energy, that spins this chakra, as does hatha yoga. Sit quietly with the spine in a straight line. Breathe naturally, as a baby breathes, by using the diaphragmatic muscles below the solar plexus. Inhale. The di­aphragm pushes the stomach wall out, as the lower lungs inflate. Exhale. Relaxing the diaphragm, the air is expelled. Then pull the diaphragm in to push out the last bit of air. Nine counts in, hold one, nine counts out-this is a basic sadhana for the silence of copper.

With the intellect quieted a bit, we can seek the silence of silver, stilling the willpower located at the solar-plexus manipura chakra, which spins constantly, being the nerve center that interconnects all the forces of the physical and astral bodies. How to quiet willpow­er? Competitiveness and aggression must stop, for these direct the pranas, or energies, down to the lower chakras. The force of will­fulness in its negative expression makes noises about self preserva­tion-"Take care of me first and forget others." This can be coun­teracted by the practice of speaking only that which is true, kind,

helpful and necessary The silver sadhana is to use willpower posi­tively to control the tongue, to be a helpmate to silence by speaking little, and never boasting of ambitions or attainments.

With the willpower subdued, the silence of gold comes into view-without the L, it is God. So get the L out of it. Here silence is truly the voice of God. To quiet the anahata chakra, heart center, of understanding, soul knowing, vision and peaceful thoughts is not to be a metaphysical know-it-all. It means not being a prophet or big ego in speaking about how others should live, but rather silently liv­ing the example of how one should be.

Then we come to the platinum vishuddha chakm, in the throat. Here resides the force of divine love. Love is understanding, forgive­ness, compassion and benevolent, selfless giving. It is the chakm that the yogis enter to be truly silent. Here they cannot speak. Here they feel good and fulfilled. True, writing on a chalk board communicates the essentials; other than that, in a room alone such yogis are silent. Not blank in consciousness. Silence does not mean emptiness as much as divine fullness. They are all-seeing, for the vishuddha chakm energies stimulate the third eye-the ajna chakm, the all-see­ing, never-sleeping sight of the soul. Here we are truly silent. In a room crowded with noise, we hear but a little of it. In meditation we soar beyond into the infinite of infinities.

How to quiet the highest chakras, which are quietness itself? The titanium metal of the ajna chakm of divine sight and the multifaceted gems of the sahasmm chakm at the top of the head? Do they speak, think, reason? Those who know and have experienced say no. These jivanmuktas are content in their silent knowing, not knowing all that they know: Their ever-watching presence on today's apparently hurt­ing planet is an earned sukarma, good karma, for the human race. They are the beginning and end of all. They see the cosmic panora­ma of which the Vedas speak. "He contains all works, all desires, all perfumes and all tastes. He encompasses the whole universe; he is beyond speech and beyond desires. He is my atman within my heart, he is Brahman" (Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad 3.1.4.4.4). "Now, what people call 'the practice of silence' is really the disciplined life of a student of sacred knowledge, for only by leading such a life does one find the atman and meditate" (Chandogya Upanishad 5.5.4.3).

When to be silent then? Astrologers have an answer: one day each week, on the day ruled by one's current mahadasha planet­i.e., Monday for Moon dasha, Tuesday for Mars, etc. Some as­trologers advise fasting and nonspeaking on that karmically critical day. If you don't know such details of your horoscope, an easy and pragmatic alternative is on the same day of the week you were born. Enough said.

/

B\Y LAVI NA MELWAl'-i I, NEW YORK

HE YEAR WAS 1925 AND PANDU­

rang Shastri Athavale' was all of five years old. Wrapping his tiny hand around his graI1dfather's finger, he ac­companied th~ Vedic scholar to the

forsaken tenements where the harijans, the untouchables, lived. There his grandfather, a strong believer in Gandhian values, would hold' a discourse on the Bhagavad Gita es­pecially for these outcasts of society. At that early age, the child learned about the heal­ing power of religion. But he learned some­thing more: whim they returned home, his orthodox brahmin grandfather, having been in touch with the untouchables, would still undergo the ritual bath to cleanse himself Young Athav.ale questioned this custom: if God resides in everyone as the Qta says, he reasoned, and the harijans were worthy of listening to its holy words, then why were they regarded as unclean? The seeds of serving God through servi'ng humanity were sown in childhood for Athavale-and through his revolutionary Swadhyaya move­ment he has worked to move outcasts into the mainstream of society.

Indeed, if there is a Utopia on Earth, it is probably the world created by Athavale in thousands of obscure villages which are the

34 HINDUISM TOD A,Y J l\N E, 1997

heartbeat of India. Through the concept of bhakliferi (devotional visits) he has spread a healing rriessage of love to all communities. He has created amrutalayam (village tem­ples) built by joint efforts of the villagers for people from all religions, castes and eco­nomic strata to worship together; yogeshwar krushis (farms for God) where the villagers give a few d1)ys of labor a year to show their devotion to God, with the village's needy sharing the prop-uce; matsyagandas (float­ing temples of God) fishing boats on which the fishermen give their time for a few days per year, as devotion to Go.d, and share the harvest with the needy. There are also vrik­shamandirs (orchard temples) which are cultivated impersonally by the villagers and the produce given to the needy. Through the ingenious jeevan sampada ("wealt..h oflife"), religious songs are recorded and distributed related to each Swaahyaya activity, explain­ing in song, for example, the proper religious attitude to take while caring for the trees in the orchard temples. There are gauras ("home dairies") which are village-level milk cooperatives, and bahna kendr-as, '1adies centers."

Nor are the .children forgotten: bal sanskar kendras ("children's value centers") are so­cialization hNbs for children, and dhananjay

kreeda samuh ('1\rjuna's sport group") pro­m0tes games and sports for the young. DBT-"divine brain trusts"-are discussion centers for youth. The;e is also the tattavaj­nana vidyapeeth ( "philo.~ophic knowledge center"), which offers a free two-year course in Vedic and comparative religion.

Does this sound like a fantasy~ It is every inch a reality, affecting the lives of over 20 million people in 100,000 villages in rural India. This seeming miracle is the work of tAthavale, a non~assuming, simple man of God who has started ,a quiet revolutiop. in Ir}dia by changing lives in remote villages. In March, 1997, the world doffed its cap ifJ. recognition of his work, conferring on him the prestigious Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion: valued at US$1.21 millio~-the largest annual award in the world. Global in­vestor John Marks Templeton instituted the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion in' 1972 because he felt the Nobel Prize unfair­ly excluded spirituality from the disciplines · it honors. This prize's monetary value ex­ceeds that of the Nobel Prize. As Templeton polhts out, "It is not for saintliness or mere good works, it is for progress. The Swa­dhyaya movement is a new concept which thrills me. Look what a benefit it is-100,000 villages now living by the principles

of Elder Brother Athaval~. Now his disciples are spreading this same concept, and per­haps it will be useful in America and Eu-

. , ropl and many other areas." Over 6,000 Swadhyayees (the name given

followers, meaning "truth seekers") gathered in Madison Square Garden after the March award announcement to felicitate Dadaji, as he is known, with flowers, song and dance. Like all their events, the flawless evening was enljrely managed by unpaid volunteers.

Athavale's philosophy is logical and stun­ning in its simplicity. He explains: "It is. my experience that awareness of nearness of God and reverence' for that pnwer creates reverence for self, reverence for the other, reverence for nature and reverence for the entire creation. And devotion as an expres­sion of gratitude to God can turn into a so­cial . force to bring about transformative changes in all aspects of human life arid at all levels in the society." --:

Athavale was born in 1920 in the small vil-. lage 0f Roha near Mumbai, the son of a Brahmin scholar, Vaijnath Laxman Athavale Shastri, who f9unded the Shriroad Bhagavad Gita Pathashala, a seat of Vedic learning. His grandfather was a headmaster and Vedic scholar under whose_ guidance Athavale learned not only cl?-ssic literature,

Sanskrit and Hindi? but also English, com­parative religions and Eastern and Western philosophy.

Byl twenty, Athavale was preaching the , virtues of the Bhagavad Gita and attracting people. In fact, in 1954 he addressed the Sec­ond World Religious Conference in Japan where his message was so impressive that he was asked to speak I n other parts of the world. Athavale, however, chose instead to take the p ita to the villages of India, to teach people to live by its tenets. In 1956 he estab­lisheq his first social program, the tattvaj­nana vidyapeeth, to teach the Vedic way of life, which event.u,ally developed into the all­India and worldwide movement it is today. In the USA alone there are about 15,000 fol­lowers at 350 centers in 38 states. Athavale's fainily are worship~rs of Siva, but in his tem­ples he give's equal honor to all Deities, for he believes that devotional temple worship is

. vital for c'oncentration on God. He leaves the choice of Deity to the worshipers .

As a boy, Athavale . would trudge .,-miles rather than ask his father for bus money. When he was reprimanded, he w~uld say, '1\sking for money is not in my nature." Even today he. never asks for donations or even for volunteers. Say s Dilip Patel, a member of Swadhyaya's US Devotional Associates of Yo-

geshwar, ''I've been doing this work for 20 years, and 4t still amazes me. Dada never asks for anything. He merely says, this js an idea, and if you intellectually accept i~, then it is your moral duty to do it. It has become sec­ond nature to us." At the awards ceremony, one of the Rockefellers asked what they could do to help him. Athavale replied, "Nothing," to which the surprised member o( the bu­lionaire family replied no one had ever be­fore answered that way to a Rockefeller.

The fame and prestige has not made a dent in Athavales frugal way of life. Says Pa- . tel, '''He has a Spartan lifE}Style; his needs are very few. He's a man who enjoys ideas, not possessions." He lives with his wife in a mea­ger one-bedroom apartment in Mumbai­the same place where he has lived for 45 years. He gets up around 3AM to meditate, and never misses his d¢ ly worship. His day is devoted to discourses and work. In the evening he relishes long walks, heplth per­mitting. Recently his poor health has put him in a wheelchair, but work is still ~is way of worshiping God. He takes no credit for the awards and the honors, knowipg in his heart who orchestrates these hapFY events. Athavale smiles and says, 'The Templeton Prize is God's love letter to me, and the de­livery man is Sir John Templeton." __

JUNE , 1 9 9 7 H I'NDUISM TOD i\- Y ·35

TRINIDAD

Driven T .... r"""'"

Sewdass his temple in the sea

cleo He placed these in the ocean, and gradually built up the stones un­til a small island rose from the water. In time, Sewdass' Sadhu built a ce­ment structure above the ocean wa­ters, which he freely used as the ha­van site for his prayers. Sumintra, a community elder, remembers, "Peo­ple used to laugh and make fun o£ the man when, day after day, he would be seen riding his bicycle for miJ..es to the sea. Many of the vil­lagers said he was mad, but that did not bother him. Look what we have today, a beautiful Siva temple. Is thtl;t madness?" The little-known Hindu sadhu died in-l970.

In 1995 the temple was rebuilt in exquisite style, and today is a main tourist attraction. Located on the central-western tip of the island, with a view of Venezuela's coastline;

By ANIL MAHABIR, TRINIDAD

EWDASS SADHu' ... WAS BORN TO POVERTY­

stricken parentS in India on January 1, 1903. Yet he was a man with an inex­plicable desire to build a house of God

against impossible odds and regardless ' of tUe consequences to himself and his family. He first came ~9 Trinidad as an indentured laborer for five years. After completing the contract as a cane cutter, he retilrned to In­dia only to realize he had reentered poverty. So he returned to ';friFlidad and settled in Waterloo, a predominantly pro-Christian

and anti-Hindu village. In 1947 he built the foundation of his

dream ' temple on sugar company land. When British authorities ordered him to stop, he refused and continued construction. He was arrested, prosecuted and incarcerat - . ed for 14 days for violating the order. His temple was demolished. After hi~ release, Sewdas5 pledged to build his-temple on "no man's la'nd"-the sea.

the temple is maintained by village women who gather every evening to offeF prayers and sing bhajans. ,.

Also in ~995 the local Hindu Seva Sangh installed a statue of Sew-dass near the temple. entrance. It is only the second statue honor­ing a Trinidadian of Indian origin in the country.

Legend has it that the man who gave the order to destroy Sewdass Sadhu's first tem­ple and the man who bulldozed the edifice died under mysterious circumstances while Sewdass was in jail. w/

ASTROLOGY

Every day thereafter Sewdass Sadhu would pack a small leather bag with foundation blocks and journey to the seaside on a bicy-

Can We Clone the StarsP

poses some interesting questions regarding jy-

. otisha. In a horoscope, the lagna (rising sign) and any planets influencing it have much to do with a person's ap­pearance. An attractive face will have the influence of a benefic planet like the Moon or Venus on the rising sign. Take a Marilyn Monroe or a Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Their charts show the Moon aspecting the lagna from the 7th house, and both have Jupiter in the 8th house, adding charisma. Lets imagine we clone Marilyn, but the clone is born with Mars and Ketu in the r ising sign and Sat­urn in the 7th house instead of the Moon. This is not a combi-

nation that produces charm and beauty. To the contrary, someone with Mal'S and Ketu in the lagna will not have a pleasing appearance and will tend to experience injuries to the face or head that leave scars. Does a clone somehow not come under the laws 0f nature and jyotisha? Or could Marilyn's clone only be born when the Moon and I:ising sign were in the same position as the original Marilyn's?

If the jyotisha chaFt of the clone is entirely different from the original, the karma, dhar­ma, interests, motivati0ns, thmlghts and actions of the clone will all be different. Wouldn't these factors eventu­ally reshape the appearaFlce of the clone to reflect what's hap-

36 aJNDUISM TODAY JU'NE, 1997

pening on the in­side? Imagine if a clone of Marilyn Monroe was born at the exact mo-ment Mahatma What lfil Movie star Marilyn Monroe's clone Gandhi was born. was born under Mahatma Gandhi's chart? We would have a Marilyn clone body with the astn)logy chart and dharma of Mahatma Gandhi. All the indi­cations of a great mystic would be in the chart, but the body would resonate to the DNA of a seductive movie star. Or would it?

Jyotisha texts indicate that the moment of conception de­termines the birth time. This means the astrology of that moment, as well as the pranas, thoughts and feelings of the fa­ther and mother all influence

the final product of body, mind and soul. Perhaps two horoscopes would apply: that of the original Marilyn would pertain to the karma of the physical body and that of the clone would delineate the in­ner karma and dharma of the incoming soul. Nevertheless, it's all very confusing to pon­der and would probably be even more so for the clone who had the look of Marilyn and the aspirations of Mahat­ma GaFldhi.

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Ayurvedic/Health

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

Recipe of the Sages. Classical ayurvedic remedies prepared strictly, following ancient texts (Ashtanga Hydriya, Sahasrayoga, etc.). Just arrived from India: massage oils, head oils, ashwangadadi, lehyam, agasthyarasayanam, chavanaprash, dasamoolaristhan, draksharish­tam, and more. Call/write for catalog & price list. Tel: 800-455-0770. Tri-health Inc., PO Box 340, Anahola, HI 96703-0340 USA.

Meat substitutes: Textured Vegetable Protein and Instant Seitan. Fat-free, quick-cooking. Free catalog: 800-695-2241. PO Box 180-HT, Summertown, TN 38483-0180.

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

Avoid gum surgery-save your teeth. Natur­al home-care breakthrough fights advanced gum disease. Proven. Simple. Fast. Economi­cal. Free details: 800-533-1821.

Computer

The best software for Hindi, Sanskrit, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bengali with diacritical marks. The Hindi Word Processor for Windows from Krishna Software. US$109.00 + US$10.00 shipping. MasterCard/M.O. Tel: 416-315-3186. PO Box 86065, Oakville, ON L6H 5V6, Canada. Email: dsharma@worldchat.com. Distributorship available.

Devotional Supplies

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

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

Quality Incense from India. Golden Rose. Neel Kamal. Pure sandal­wood cones, and more. Fax: 970-949-5826 USA E-mail: vel@vai!.net

Education

Hindu University of America summer intensive courses, Florida campus. Hinduism, Sankhya Yoga, Raja Yoga, Sanskrit, meditation, music, Hindu psychology, etc. Hindu University of America, 8610 Vesta Terrace, Orlando, FL 32825-7934 USA. Tel/fax: 407-277-5959. E-mail: 103655.2733@compuserve.com

Rocky Mountain Institute of Yoga and Ayur­veda. Classes and seminars in Ayurveda, yoga therapy, yoga asana, pranayama and medita­tion. Ayurveda and yoga therapy clinic. Two­year practitioner and teacher certification pro­grams. Boulder, Denver and Longmont. RMIYA, PO Box 1091, Boulder, CO 80306-1091 USA. Tel: 303-443-6923

Excellent correspondence course on Vedic Astrology by Jyotish Krishnan, recipient of several awards including the recent award of Jyotish Vachaspathi by leas, India. His book entitled Ashtaka Varga Made Simple for the Western Astrologer is available for sale by the author. Tel/fax: 972-783-1242 or write PO Box 852892, Richardson TX 75085-2892 USA.

Free Products and Services

Free educational flow charts on all aspects of Hinduism. Write to Viswanath. Am I a Hindu ? [ISBN 1-879904-06-3] Box 56697, New Or­leans, LA 70156-6697 USA.

Functions

Sri Aurobindo Conference July 25-29th. Catskill Mts. Speakers from Ashram and Auroville. Workshops. Matagiri, 1218 Wittenberg Rd, Mt. Trem­per, NY 12457. USA. Tel 914-679-5358, Fax: /5853. Matagiri@ao!.com

Immigration

Canada Immigration Complete preparation of application package for US$l,OOO only. Leading team of immigration lawyers and consultants. Contact Surya Consulting, Inc. Tel: 709-747-4709 • Fax: 800-330-3670.

Jewelry

Affordable jyotish gems/jewelry. Vedic astrological prescriptions filled. Paramahansa Yogananda bangles. Meditation beads. Free information. Satisfaction Guaranteed. Order by mail from King Enterprises, 1305 N. H StlA-289-T, Lompoc, CA 93436-3335 USA. Call 1-805-693-0911 (business hours).

Music and Art

Heart-melting Deity miniature paintings from India at website: http://www.lakshmi. com. Catalog: Lakshmi International, 411 Madison Street, Boonton, NJ 07005-2051 USA.

Devotional sculpture: Classic stone-cast murthies of Hindu deities for your home or temple. Ganesh, Shiva, Laxmi, Sarasvati, Dur­gao Height: 2 ft. (61 cm) or 4-5 ft. (1.2-1.5 m). Commissions available. Catalog: tel: 800-608-8632 or 515-472-8115. Vedic Sculpture Studio, 607 W Broadway #144, Fairfield, IA 52556-3200 USA.

Exquisite Vedic paintings done to order at very reasonable prices. Art book, Windows to the Spiritual World, containing over 108 color prints (14 double-page) 8.5 x 11 inches, hard­bound, dustjacket: US$45. Contact for free flyer: Pushkar, PO Box 1094, Alachua, FL 32615 USA. Tel: 904-462-0144. Fax: 904-462-7893.

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: 619-436-9589.

Portable Bina harmoniums: Excellent quality and sound: 3 114 octaves, 2 sets of reeds, 2 drones, carrying case. US$450 includes UPS shipping and tax. Ananda, 2171 El Camino, Palo Alto, California 94306-1504 USA. Tel: 415-462-8151.

Products/Stores

Jay Store: Houston's oldest Indian grocery store. Over 5,000 items-pooja articles and much more. UPS daily. 10AM-8PM every day. Tel: 713-783-0032 (USA).

Purity Farms organic traditional ghee. 100% pure, from cows raised completely free ofhor­mones, chemicals or pesticides. A delight to cook with! Wholesalelretail. Call 303-647-2368

Evolution'· vegetarian health food for dogs, cats and ferrets. No slaughter-house waste as found in all meat-based pet foods. All­vegetarian; contains more essential and extra nutrients than any other brand. Five to ten extra healthy years for your companion guaranteed. Brochures and discounts availahle. 287 E 6th St #270, St. Paul, MN 55101-1926 USA. Tel: 612-228-0632, 612-227-2414.

Professional Services

Worldwide construction in masonry and con­crete. Will travel anywhere. 25 year experi­ence. References available. For free estimates, contact: Sankara and Sons, 6136D Kala Kea, Kapaa, HI 96746-8642 USA. Tel/fax: 1-808-823-6698. Mobile tel: 1-808-639-2809. E-mail: Sankara@aloha.net

Publications

Amar Chitra Katha for children. illustrated colorful tales on Hindu mythology. Discounts to schools and distributors. ACK Agency, 2653 Grande Vista, Oakland, CA 94601-1317 USA. Tel/fax: 510-532-2505. Website: http:// www.ackagency.com

Sri Aurobindo books: Complete works of Sri Aurobindo, the Mother, Shri Madhav Pandit. Additional titles on Yoga, Philosophy, Ayurve­da and Alternate Health. Exclusive distributors for Samata Books Classical Spiritual Texts. Free Catalog: Lotus Light, Box 325HT, Twin Lakes, WI 53181-0325 USA.

For latest Indian magazines/newspapers­subscriptions available. Also available: Hindi, Gujarati magazines and much more. Call Emkay Advertising. Tel: 281-933-4005. Fax: 281-498-6286 (USA).

Auromere: Sri Auroblndo books, classical spir­itual texts, ayurveda books, children's books from India, ayurvedic products, incense, and much, much more. For free catalog call: 1-800-735-4691 (USA).

Palani Pan chang 1997. Trivedi's American Panchang available in English or Gujarati. US$9 (+ US$2 s/h). In 3 versions for NY, Chica­go, San Francisco times. 510-490-1533. De­vendra Trivedi, 4831 Piper St, Fremont, CA 94538-2525 USA.

The Major Distributor of books from India.

A sampling from our catalog: • Ganesha: The Auspicious ... The Beginning. Shakunthala Jagannathan. pap. US$17.00 • Hinduism: An Introduction. Shakunthala Jagannathan. Pap. $12.95 • Introduction to the Puranas. Pushpendra Shastri. $12.00 • Iswara Darshan. Sri Swami Tapovan Maharaj. pap. $8.95 • Gita Rahasya. B.G. Tilak.

' $25.00 • Meditation. Narayan Dutt Shrimali. $25.00

Free metaphysical booklist: Astrology, Dreams, Healing, Inspirational, Mysticism, Oriental, etc! (www.sunbooks.com) Sunbooks, Box 5588 (HT), Santa Fe, NM 87502-5588 USA.

Cookbook: Conscious Cuisine: Delicious and Simple Vegetarian Recipes with Italian and Indian Influence by Angelo DeVivo. US$15+ shipping. Tel: 401-642-9238. Fax 402-642-5240 (USA). E-mail: Margdevi@aol.com

Vacation/Retreat

Beautiful rooms by the ocean. Ayurvedic meals. One hour north of San Francisco. Brighton Beach HAUS. Tel: 415-868-9778.

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.

A Video Pilgrimage 60 rarely-fUmed sites. Inspir­ing. US$39.95. M. Cianciara Studios. 2000 N. Ivar Ave #7 Hollywood, CA 90068-3960 USA. Tel 1-213-466-9370

Sana tan Dharma: Pilgrimage to the Source of Eternal Wisdom. 43 min. US$32.95 ppd in US. A visit to Babaji's ashram in Himalayas. Free catalogue of music, books, jewelry, etc. Fax: 402-642-5240. Tel: 402-642-9238. E-mail: Margdevi@ao!.com. USA

Ramana Maharshi Video. Just released! Nar­rated by Ram Dass, Abide As the Self. presents the essential teachings of Ramana Maharshi. Includes comprehensive live footage, rare photographs, and interviews with H.W.L. Poonja, Douglas Harding, Allan Anderson and others. Inner Directions, PO Box 231486-H, Encinitas, CA 92023-1486 USA. Tel: 800545-9118 or 619-471-5116. Fax: 619-471-0337. E­mail: mail@innerdir.com

Yoga

Yoga in Daily Life Yoga classes, guest lecturers, satsang. Yoga related items, books, audio and video tapes and more. 1310 Mt. Vernon, Alexandria, VA 22301 USA Tel: 703-299-8946. Fax: 703-299-9051

Yoga at home video series, all levels, with Ramet~ Yogi, Indian guru, 25 years experi­ence. $25 each, inc!. postage. Yoga Center, PO Box 36-D-67, Los Angeles, CA 90036-1363 USA Tel: 213-876-9970. http://www.indolink. comlgloballyogaCntr.html

Sri Chinmoy Ayurvedic Institute

The Sri Chinmoy Institute of Ayurvedic Sciences offers authentic training in the ancient traditions of Ayurvedic Medicine. Comprehensive programs taught in all areas: nutrition, pulse diagnoses, Ayurvedic skin care, massage, Panch Karma (cleansing and rejuvenation), and herbal medicine. Taught by Vrrender Sodhi, MD. (Ayurved), N.D. and N.D. staff. Now enrolling evening and weekend seminars.

Sri Chinmoy Institute of Ayurvedic Sciences 2115112th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004-2946 USA. Tel: 1-206-453-8022 • Fax: 1-206-451-2670 e-mail: Ayurveda@Ayush.com • http/www.ayush.com

• What Becomes of the Soul After Death. Sivananda. pap. $8.00 Learn at Home by Mail Self study courses: • Prana Pranayama Prana Vidya. Swami Niranjananda

Saraswati. pap. $12.95 • Hatha Yoga Pradipika: Light on Hatha Yoga. Swami Muktibodhananda Saraswati. pap. $14.95 • Third Eye & Kundalini. B.S. Goel. $22.00 • Chanakya's Neeti SCripture. RK. Sharma. pap. $14.95 Visa/MC accepted.

NATARAJ BOOKS 7073 Brookfield Plaza • Springfield, VA 22150-2915 USA Tel: 1-703-455-4996 • Fax: 1-703-912-9052 email: nataraj@mail.erols.com.Please ask for our free catalog

• Hindi in 2 months • Sanskrit in 6 months • Speak Hindi in 2 weeks Other Vedic University Publications: • How to befriend God • Win the battle of life • Happy Home • Valmiki Ramayana • Unknown facts revealed

Call or send us an e-mail for a free catalog: Vedic University of America, 10509 Caminito Basswood San Diego, CA 92131-1704 USA. Tel: 1-619-578-7790 Fax: 1-619-578-8293 • E-mail: VedicU@cris.com Visit us on the internet: http://www.cris.coml-vedicu!

Do you love Nepal?

Help to preserve one of

its most venerable treasures

in a rapidly changing world.

Your gifts to the Nepal Kumari

Goddess Education Fund

will provide a stipend for the

education and adjustment of

future Kumaris as they re-enter

the world after their time of

sacred service to the Gods.

1-800-890-1008 Ext. 235

1-808-822-3152 Ext. 235

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

HHE.html

ENDOWMENTS

HINDU HERITAGE ENDOWMENT __ I 107 KAHOLALELE ROAD

KAPAA. HI 96746-9304 USA

INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF HI ND UISM

FAMI ~Y

Mom, Please Come Home Fulltime parenthood is back in style

OTHERHOOD MAY BE THE MOST CON­troversial career you can have these days," opens this manual for stay-at­home moms. Staying Home is the re-

sult of the authors' own career woman-to­full-time-mom transition and their survey of a thousand others who did the same. The b60k is a highly practical guide to making a transition from a double-income, no .Jd.ds,

whether to put their career on hold ana de­vote themselves to their family, to continue wor-king or to do something in-between. When the New York Times assessed this book, their reviewer cynically observed that the average US marriage lasts just 9.1 years, and any woman reckless enough to completely give up her career for her chil­dren may be unable to face both a hus­

" .. hI ,,' "~" • .l~ ., ~.s",. d ~ ~ .. '. , ~ ~ , .... I· ... , " " _.4 .. ' __ ' ..... "' ......... ..... ,,~...J .. __ .. ,L-

yuppie, "me first" lifestyle to that of a single-income family raising sons and daughters. It is astonishing to read the kind of obstacles these women faced-often from other wor£en. "A 28-year-old moth­er, reported her sisters-in-law criticized her for giving up her professiQnal career, and even told her that their own children were better off in I

day care than her son was at

ST.AYING ·HOME

bandless and jobless future. Yet, for the family that stays together, Darcie and Martha make a persu.asive case that-with proper financial planning, smart shopping , and fewer indulgences-kin­dred can indeed live on one incoIIJ.e. In fact, the second income is much overrated. "Unless you are making over $60,000 a year, it is cheaper to stay home, espef:ially with two children," Darcie toldJIINDUISM TODAY.

. home with her, since she is not a trained child-care work­er." Motherhood is held in such low esteem these days that the book suggests answers to the dread­ed query, "What do.you do?" with sjlmething more substantive than "I'm a mom."

Only 47% of American mothers are full­time homemakers, although that percent­age is now slowly increasing. Many women begin a career, then have children in their thirties and face the tough decision

I ,

One option for moms-at­hQme is to start some kind of

home-based business, as the authors did­which is the subject of their next book.

Staying Home (240 pages, softcover) is available from Himalayan Academy Publica­tions, 107 Kaholalele Road, Kapaa, Hawai·i, 96746-9304, USA. Pric~ including airmail shipping is US$13.95 for the USA and Cana­da; $19.95 for everywhere else. :~,

Saraswat; Oev;: A Remarkable CD Enjoy 75 min. of Sanskrit and Hindi songs composed and performed in a North Indian classical style by Aditya Ver­ma, a dynamic young artist whose musical lineage draws from the greatest teachers and performers of Indian music, Pundit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Aashish Khan.

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

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

US$15 CD & $10 Cassette, $4 shipping and handling. Overseas, please add an additional $4.

For orders or free catalogue: Galaxy Publications & Recordings 351 Victoria Ave. Westmount, Quebec H3Z 2N1 Canada Tel: 1-800-307-2292 or 514-484-8090 - Fax: 1-514-488-3822 www.palmistry.com/Galaxy.html

Natural Healing Through Ayurveda 1

Pictured is our featured product-of-the-month from our assortment of ayurvedic products.

Prevent colds and flus naturally! Chy-wan-prash, the Indian "one-a-day" is considered one of the best health tonics in the world. With over 40 selected herbs, the main ingredient is the amla fruit which alone contains 20 times more Vitamin C than orange juice.

A complete health tonic for the whole family!

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

Bazaar Of India Imports - Since 1971 1810 University Ave - Berkeley, CA 94703-1516 USA Tel: 800-261-7662 or 51O~549-9986 Fax: 510-548-1115 - E-mail: Tabla@ix.netcom.com Send for free, full 64-page catalog.

SIVANANDA ASHRAM

~ruL"LIA~ 7emfde 673 Eighth Avenue - Val Morin Quebec - Canada JOT 2RO 1-819-322-3226 1-819-322-1379 Fax: 1-819- 2-5876

Swami Vishnu­devananrla 1927·1993

Sunday J une 20th-29th Mariamman Temple 1St Anniversary Celebrations The first anniversary of the Mariamman installation will be celebrated with special ten-day pujas, each sponsored by a different family The tenth day will conclude the series of pujas with a grand pongala festival.

Sunday, June 29th PONCALA Our 6th annual fungala celebra­tions will commence with a special Homa for Devi from 6-9am, after which fire from the Homa pit will be taken to start the cooking fires. A traditional Tamil festival especially for women for women, for the well bei of all.

SubramanyalAyyappa Temple's third anniversary with the conclusion of special9-da Chandika Homa in the m g followed by the evening Sah~wa Ki!lashabhishekam and Sa~atra Sankabhishekam

a Bharata Natyam performance with Smt. Priyamvada Shankar dance gro real.

nsor is festival sportation,

on. ceding the actua procession will be 15 days of family poojas.

Thanks and Appreciation We wish to thank all the devotees who helped to make last year's program so successful. We especially thank those who worked so hard to install the Mariamman and Navagraha statues in their new shrines. Special thanks to those who built the beautiful 18 foot tall Chariot for the Kaavadi festival.

Some of the wonderful projects planned for next Summer include the completion of an outdoor kitchen and dining hall. These will be used for feasts and celebrations. We plan to construct 18 steps for Lord Ayyappa, as at Saoorimalai, and continue the steps to the bottom of the hill.

Ofcour.;e, the Temple requires fu nds for the completion of all these works. All donations in time and/or money are very much appreciated. Checks and money order.; should be drawn in favourof·Sivananda Ashram Temple: Contact the Temple manager if you desire a receipt fortd)( deduction. Be sure to send your full postal address and phone number along with yourdonation.

An Ancient God's Visible Grace It began on September 21, 1995, when an image of Ganesa in a New Delhi temple be­gan sipping milk. Then, this modern miracle took on global dimensions as, over sever­al months, it was witnessed by millions, in temples, shrines and homes worldwide. How timely that, only days before, Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami had fmished his illustrated resource book, Loving Ganesa---800 pages of insights into this great God! Loving Ganesa is at once simple, deep and practical, and teaches ever so many ways that Ganesa's grace can be attained through sincere devotion, song, prayer and medita­tion, to bring greater harmony, contentment and spirituality into our daily life.

Imagine yourself sitting crosslegged under a shady tree, the hum of insects and a gentle breeze coloring the background as you absorb the words of an important teacher. Only a handful of religious texts have been able to convey such an <;lVerwhelm­ing presence; this is one.-Napra Review

It is an important text for English-speaking readers and should remain as an all­you-wanted-to-know-but-were afraid-to-ask book about Ganesa, the divine and much-loved remover of obstacles.-Publishers Weekly

A majestic book of love, peace and happiness depicting Ganesa as a friend and pro­tector, generously accessible to young and old, expressed in intriguing mysticism for the world's oldest living religion.-Book Reader

800 pages. $19.95 paper. lavishly illustrated. ISBN 0-945497-64-4

HIMALAYAN ACADEMY PUBLICATIONS

107 Kaholalele Rd Kapaa, Hawaii 96746-9304 USA

Tel: 1-800-890-1008, ex. 238 1-808-822-3152, ex. 238

Fax: 1-808-822-4351 e-mail: letters@HinduismToday.kauai.hi.us

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

Exceptional Answers to Eternal Questions Every spiritually-inclined human being will be enriched by the path re-vealed in this t008-page volume. India's vision of the Divine is depicted in all of its infinte variety here: meditative, devotional, philosophical, scriptural and yogic, answering the vital questions: What are life's ultimate goals? How can I achieve them? How do Hindus view family, sex, sin, worship, death and nonviolence? What are the foremost schools of Hindu thought, and what do they teach? Dancing with Siva is the masterful work of Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, a traditional satguru immersed, for half a century, in an ongoing global Hindu renaissance.

English-speaking Hindus, yoga enthusiasts, and anyone interested in Sanskrit lit­erature and culture will be overjoyed by this remarkable reference work of Hindu belief and culture .... Quite simply-the best English overview of Hinduism avail­able today.-Napra Review

The swami concisely answers 155 key questions, ranging from "What is the ulti­mate goal of earthly life?" to "How are Hindu marriages arranged?" ... a 40-page timeline, a 200-page lexicon of Hindu terms, a comparative guide to major religious traditions, and a primer for teaching religious principles to chil­dren ... enriched by extensive scriptural quotations and reproductions of Rajput art.-Yoga Journal

1,008 p .• $19.95 paper. lavishly illustrated. ISBN 0-945497-47-4 Shipping: to USA, add 10%, to other countries, add 20%

These two titles are also available in: • Australia: Yoga in Daily Life Tel: 02 9518 7788, Fax: 02 95187799. Canada: Int' Yoga in Daily Life: 604 524 2942 Fax: 604 5241395. Europe: Om Vishwa Guru Deep Hindu Mandir I?H/Fax 3611143504 email: ervin@mail.matav.hu. India: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Delhi: PH : 11-777-1668 Fax:11-751-2745. Bangalore: Jiva Rajasankara Fax: 91-80-839-7119 email: jiva@giasbg01.vsnl.net.in • Malaysia: Hinduism Today I Sanatana Dharma Publi­cations: PH: 03 3319242. Mauritius: Saiva Siddhanta Church PH: 412-7682 Fax: 412-7177. New Zealand: India Emporium Tel: 09 3773733 Fax: 09 3733300 • Russia: (Russian Language edition of Dancing with Siva) Centre of Tantra Sangha Tel: 70 95 465 0339 Fax: 70 95 972 0230 email: tantra@ online.ru • Singapore: Hinduism Today I Sanatana Dharma Publications: Tel: 957 66 012 • South Africa: Wizard's Warehouse Tel: 021 461 9719 Fax: 021 45 1417. Trinidad: Aswinee & Narendra Persad Tel: 809 662 8741 Fax: 809 662 3351 • UK: Hinduism Today Tel: 0171 9379163 Fax: 01714601819 E-mail: easan1@aol.com • Also available from India Ink on the Internet at: www.pacific-basin.com/indiainklindiaink.html

..

Prof Bharat J. Gajjar is available to give yoga and meditation workshops/ seminars on Hinduism at your loca­tion. He is a disciple of HH Swami Vishnu-Devananda Maharaj, has written books on and taught yoga and meditation for 30 years. He manages the Sivananda Yoga Ctr of Delaware, has his' own local TV show, and has given many seminars and workshops on yoga across the US. Tel: 302-733-7576 • Fax: 302-737-6835

Hinduism Today SE-Asia Subs. offices In Singapore:

Sanathana Dharma Publications Bukit Panjang Post Office • PO Box 246, Singapore, 916809 Kindly contact: Mrs. Dohadeva: 957 66 012 • Thanam: 952 69 586 • Uma Maheswaran: 980 42 2379.

In Malaysia: Sanathana Dharma Publications Sdn Bhd. (391870K) No: 15, Lintang Besi, off Jalan Melawi 41000 Klang, Selangor, Malaysia. Kindly contact: Chudikadevi Saravan, 03 331 9242 Rohini Kumar, 03 774 2946 • Thanabalan, 044219326

Marriage Rites and Rituals of Hindus Hindu Marriage Samskara by Dr. Prem Sahai.

This book is a guide and practical manual for under­standing, conducting and recording the marriage experience. Dr. Sahai gives step-by-step procedure in a clear and organized but not overly complicated manner. By studying this book, a couple can deeply appreciate the profound step they are taking in their lives, and consciously embrace with joy

HINeD lt1ARRIA(;E

SA14SKARA MA. RRlAGE RITES AND RIt UALS OF HINDUS

PREM SAHA)

the fullnes of this noble rite of passage. It is designed not merely to inform, but also to become a lifelong part of the family archives.

"Highly recommended. A must to go back to our ancient tra­ditions" - Hinduism Today. 150 pg. Hard bound. US$15.00

Available through Himalayan Academy Publications 107 Kaholalele Road Kapaa, Hawaii 96746-9304 USA Phone: 1-800-890-1008 ext 238 - within USA Phone: 808-822-3152 ext 238 - for overseas Fax: 1-808-822-4351- 24 hours

Worship the Divine Mother Goddess Kali on July 4 (new moon), 5 & 6 at Armeliese's School in Laguna Beach, Calif. Officiating priest from the Dakshineswar Kali Temple (India). Ecstatic kirtans, flower offerings, great veg. meals. Sugg. donation for the weekend US$45 per person $90 per family. For reservation, check or money order to: Kali Mandir, PO Box 4700, Laguna Beach, CA 92652-4700 USA • Tel: 714-494-1906

Hanuman Yagna For the welfare of the Universe, courage and success, Sri Sai Suvarchala Hanuman yagna will be performed May 23rd to May 31st. Sponsorship is from US$108 to $508. Call for information or make checks payable to:

Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, 1449 Abers Creek Rd. Monroeville, PA 15146-3603 USA Tel: 1-412-374-9244 • Fax: 1-412-374-0940.

Shri Maha Muniraji, successor designated by Shri Haidakhan Babaji (as written about in Autobiography of a Yogi).

USA Tour Dates in 1997:

June 21 San Francisco, California Benefit Concert for the Shree Haidakhan Babaji Charitable and Research Hospital. Venue to be announced. Contact: 818-991-8645

June 24-26 Rural Malmo, Nebraska at Haidakhandi Peace Center. Contact: 402-642-9238, fax: 402-642-5240. E-mail: margdevi@aol.com

June 28-30 Crestone, Colorado at Haidakhandi Universal Ashram. Contact: 719-256-4108.

To attend any of these functions, please call the contact number and find out the requirements well in advance.

Photograph of Shri Maha Muniraj by Kathleen Vrana. Sponsored by the American Haidakhan Samaj.

HEALING

Boys Wi II ,Be Boys, But ' No~ for Long A boys puberty is a time to prepare him for the responsibilities of adult life

BY DEVANANDA TANDAVAN, M . D.

UBERTY IN BOYS PROC­

eeds about the same as in girls, except the changes

are more external due to the differences in anatomy. On the average, puberty begins between 12 and 13 but may occur as early as nine. In some cases, the process of growing into man­hood may be delayed as late as the 14th and 15th years.

Parents should help prepare their sons before puberty on what to expect. One of the first signs is some swelling of the mam­mary glands. This often leads to a brief but very sore and swollen nipple area. It gradu­ally recedes and returns to a normal flat­ness, and the underlying muscles become harder and more prominent. This period of change may take up to one and half years to complete, but some boys may not go through this phase.

Concurrently hair will begin to grow in the pubic area and the armpits. The sweat glands in these areas will tend to produce copious amount of sweat, more than in females. The facial hair starts as a very fine fuzz; and in late puberty it may not only be more coarse but also be quite visible. The boys take a lot of teasing about their "peach fuzz" from their peers and adults.

The gangly gait and awkwardness pro­duced by the rapid growth of the lower extremities may be much greater than in girls. But what boys lack in grace they make up in speed. The musculature of the upper body is emphasized with a square­ness to the shoulders and hardness of the muscles, unlike the soft curves of the fe­males. Another change that opens the boys to teasing and ridicule IS the change in the voice. It begins by becoming deeper and deeper in pitch, but it is not a smooth tran­sition. The boy may be speaking or reciting in class when the voice 'breaks" and re­turns to its soprano pitch momentarily. This

may occur with concomitant blushing, something which seems to develop slightly more with boys. Of course" this oc­curs at all of the inopportune moments, again leading to teas­ing and moderate discomfort.

One of the earliest changes develops in the sex organs. The testicles tend to enlarge. It is normal for one tp be larger than

the other, and it is also normal for one to hang, wben standing, lower than the other. The male organ is made of erectile tissue and when it is filled with blood becomes hard and erect. This may occur at any time without provocation or apparent cause. This leads to blushing and teasing which should be understood by everyone.

As the external organs are growing in prominence there are internal hormonal changes occurring which eventually lead to the production of semen. There may be spontaneous, sometimes nocturnal, emis­sions. Yogis say this is perfectly normal, but masturbation should be discouraged. Boys should be taught to save the sacred seed and ,trained prior to puberty to re-channel sexual desire by learning to transmute their vital energies and sacred fluids.

Other internal changes are in the boys perception of girls. The childhood joshing of "those dumb girls" changes to a new appreciation for them. But the ~tallife force must be focused on studies and spiri-

. tual pursuits. The sexual drives and im­pulses are natural but should be confined within a sanctified marriage. Celibacy until marri~ge will enable the boy to merit a good wife and a happy life together.

,,-DR. TANDAVAN, 77, retired nuclearphysi­cian and hospital staff preSident, lives in Ch~cago, where he specializes in alternative healing arts. Visit his home page at the HINDUISM TODAY Website.

EVOLUTIONS DEPARTED: Dr. Cheddi Bharat dagan, 79, Guyana's "man of the people," of a heart condition, on March 6, 1997. Af­ter a lifetime leading the struggle for in­dependence from British rule, Dr. Ja­gan was elected the first democratic president in 1992. He devoted his en­tire life in service to his people, who ad- Father of nation mired his energetic ways, wit, humor and brilliance.

CONFESSED: Abigail Boettcher, the reigning pork spokesperson of Buena Vista County, Iowa, that she is a vege­tarian. A cheerleader, athlete and daughter of a pig farmer, the veggie­loving college freshman stunned 200 assembled hog producers when she told her secret in a farewell speech at the annual banquet. Pork Queen

ELECTED: Sister Nlrmala, 63, a former Nepalese Hindu brahmin who convert­ed to Roman Catholicism, by 132 se­nior nuns to replace the ailing Mother Teresa as the leader of her religious or­der, church authorities said. Sister Nir­mala was trained as a lawyer before joining the Missionaries of Charity. Since 1979 she has led the contempla­tive wing in which nuns devote their lives to meditation.

RECOVERING: From a stroke, Richard Alpert, a k a Ram Dass, is partially paralysed, with some speech loss but mentally well. A Harvard University colleague of LSD guru Timothy Leary in the '60s, he met his spiritual master, Neem Karoli Baba, in India in 1967. His book Be Here Now sold over one million copies and introduced many Westerners to Eastern spirituality. His Hanuman Foun­dation developed the "Prison­Ashram Project" to help inmates with their spiritual growth, and the "Living-Dying Pro­ject" to provide support for con-scious dying. Ram's guru Baba

44 H.INDUISM TODAY JUNE , 1997 PH OTOS, FROM T QP: RA ME SH D . K AL I C H A R RA N ; HA RR Y B AU M E RT ( COPYRI G HT 1997 TH E D ES MOI NE S REG I S T E R AND TRIBUNE C OMPAN Y, R E PRINT E D WITH PERMISSION ); BALARAMDAS

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The Master Course, Level One By Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami

An illustrated children's course in seven books, teaching love and worship of God Siva. Based on the holy Vedas, and presented in the context of tradi­tional Hindu philosophy, culture, family life and values. Excellent resource for parents and teachers. Subjects include God and Gods, our soul, the world, right conduct, karma, dharma and reincarnation, each presented in simple language. The course has been adopted by the Fiji school system, and it is used extensively in numerous other countries-Malaysia, Singapore and Mauritius among others. Each book is presented in three or more languages. Prominent swamis, pundits, scholars and lay persons of all sects have given enthusiastic endorsements.

Paperback, beautifully illustrated, 81/2" x 51/2". Each book, approx. 150 pg. English-Hindi-Tamil version: US$lS (USA or Canada), $20 (world) ship­ping included. Available from:

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Also available' English-Hindi-Tamil version: UK: Hinduism Today, tel: 0171 9379163, fax: 01714601819 email: easan1@aol.com. Fiji: Then India Sanmarga lkya Sangam, Mr. N. K. Naidu: tel: 679 660199, fax: 679 660 761' English­Malay-Tamil version: Malaysia: Uma Publications, tel: 603 441 1617, fax: 603 4419395' Sanatana Dharma Publications, tel: 033319242' Singapore: Sanatana Dharma Publications, tel: 957 66 012' English-French-Tamil version: Mauritius: Saiva Siddhanta Church, tel: 230 412-7682, fax: 230-412-7177 • Denmark: Abhirami Amman Temple clo Mrs. V. Sri Palan, teVfax: (French or Tamil spoken) 45 9718 0192.

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Ready for, 60 More India's VIPs praise

. Brahma Kumq.ris -,

By M. P. M I;)HANTY, NEW DELHI

HE PRESIDENT AND PRIME MINISTER

of India headed a ~ong list of digni-t.aries gathered February 9, 1997, at the

.:-World finale to the Brahma Kumaris' -60th year celebrations. They were there to honor the ' dedication and determination with which the organization has pursued its goal of creating a "value-based society" through social, spiritual and educational programs. It began in the 1930s when its fopnder, Prajapati Brahma, had a vision in wnich he saw a society, of spiritual love and perfect harmony. Creation of such a society became his life's goal and is now that of his I

thousands of followeJs. , Dr. Shanker Dayal Sharma, President of

India, opened the event at Indira Gandhi -Staruum. He said, "Moral character and con­duct, wgich are the foundations of peaceful life and-society, should be cultivated for our individual and world welfare. A\ country does not becElme great by men of mean character but by persons of noble character and integrity. They do not merely preach but" practice values like truth, nonviolence, nonpossessiveness and fearlessness-all on the basis of realizatien of the immortal na­ture of the soul." He expressed deep appre­ciation for their work.

Mr. H. D. peve t;owda, Prime Minister of

j

India, launched "Project Positive Change" at the afternoon youth session. He told the youth that at a time whe'n we enjoy a high­er standard of living there is a lower stan­dard of life. Mothers, scriptures and the lives and works of great people should guide our life, thoughts and actions, which are increas­ingly being contaminated by material con­siderations, violence,an\f vices.

Rajyogini Dadi Pi'akashmani, administra­tive chief of the Brahma Kumaris, presided over the conference. She told the group that the inculcation of divine qualities and the demolition of devilish traits in ones thoughts

. and deeds was the key to a balanced and blissful life. This was:t>ossible through spiri­

-..iual practices and Rajyoga meditation. -Mr. Feodar Starcevic, director of the Unit­

ed Nations Information Center in New Del- I

hi, spoke on the years of cooperative effort between the UN and the Brahnla Kumaris in the areal! of peace, education, develop­ment and promotion of values. Others who addressed the conference were Jagatguru Balagangadharanathaswami, head of Adi­chuchanagiri Mutt, Karnataka, and Brahma Kumari' chiefs Rajybgini Dadi Janki, Chan­dramani and Hriday Mohini.

The'core of the Brahma Kumans' teachings and mission was set forth by the group's f0under, Prajapita ~rahma, from a series of visions and spiritual experiences. While Hin­du-based in their beginnings and teachings, and still worshiping God as Siva, the Brahma Kumaris have declared themselves an inde­pendent reli,gion. Eight thousand full-time workers oversee 4,000 branches and 400,000 fGllowers in sixty countries. Together they work at the individual and social level to cre- . ate a peaceful, loving v.:orld and to be a van­guard of the impending new age of peace, foreseen by Prajapita as the "Gol(;Ien-aged Deity World" -the Sat Yuga of Hindu philos­ophy. Global Headquarters: Pand1fv Bhawan, M?unt Abu, Rajasthan, 307 501, India. ...'

vanguards of es: Dignitaries honor Dadi Prakashmani (center) and other BKchiefs

Pr.omenade: Vendors vyingfor sales and shoppers searchingfor bargains--all's fair here! '" ,

COMMERCE

A .Colorfully Crafted' Fair .. Once a year, India celebrates a festival of arts

By SHIKHA MALAVIYA, MINNESOTA S OUR TAXI RUSHES THROUGH THE

dusty streets of Delhi, my heart goes pitter patter. We are gQing to the fair!

fair my uncle ~escribes as, "a cul­tural kaleidoscope of music, dance and art." Within minutes we cross the border, enter. the state of Haryana, and

. . pull'/into th~ small town of Surajkund. Colorful banners -wave back and forth in the bright winter sky. We park our car along with a sea of others and follow the stream of people toward an intri­catelY-9afved wooden gate flanked' by two turbanned men playing the tutuhi, tra­ditional horn. The Su.w­jkund mela beckons'us in all its splendor.

. /

'" ously bargruns for an ornate hand-embroi-dered bedsheet. "I will only give Rs250," she avows. I smile knowingly as the craftsman gives in and says, "Okay. But only this time!" What is a crafts fair without a bargain?

Standing on a hill, r survey stalls dis­guised as thatched huts spilling over with

everything from colorful Kashmiri shawls to marble statues. The mela, hosted by Haryana Tourism, began in

The mela, or fair, spreads Let's talk: A Tamil Nadu across a hilly terrain. Walk- artist's display of deities

. 1987 to promote and expose the many arts and crafts of India. The Surajkund Mela Authority, a non-profit orga­nization comprising the Union Ministry of T011fism, and the Deyelopment Com­missioner of Handlooms ,!nd Handicrafts, is res­ponsible for organizing the ever-successful eve'nt. With award-winning craftsmen bri~ging their wares from ing along its dusty paths, I

feel as if I ' have entered a 'bustling village. Each year the mela has a t.lJ.eme which is represented by a state in I~dia. This year Gujarat has tIie honors, and it has added to the n1.ela's village charm' by designing a street replete with authentic havelis (village mansions) decorated with c.arved bal1,ls­trades, antique wooden doors and embroi­dered wall hangfngs. People crowd around the havelis where. craftsmen proudly display their goods. The woman in f~ont of me furi-

f

every part of India for the past eleven years, is it any surprise that-word of the Surajkund

. mela has' crossed the Indian Ocean? Jam­packed With tourists in the fifteen days that it runs, an estimated 20-40,000 peop~e vis-it on an average day. . ,

So how do they do it? The planning starts nine months in advance. First the theme state is' decided. Past states have been Ra­jasthan (1989), West Bengal (1990), Kerala (1991), Madhya Pradesh (1992), Orissa

,

(1993), Karnataka, (1994), Punjab (1995), and Himachal Pradesh (1996). Most states design an ornamental gate which is con­struc~d at the entrance to the exhibition. Next, the participants are selected from a datil-base which mela authorities update reg­ularly. The selection precess is critical, with each participant allowed to participate only three times and not more than two years in , a row: This year, 76 national award winners and 22 state award winners filled the stalls, ensuring top guality and creativity.

A sample of the variety at Surajkund: Em­broidery comprising Banjara "gypsy" and Bunni work in the form of bedsheets and ,., cushion covers (Rajasthan and Gujarat); tra­ditional Kantha work in/the form of sari!> (West Bengal and Tripura); Chikan embroi­dery in the form of Salwar Kameez (Uttar

·Pradesh) ... just to name a few: In woodwork, you'll find a dazzling array of sandalwood, rosewood and cane from Punjab, South In­dia and other states, carved into statues, plaques, tables, chairs, treasure chests and much more. And let's not 1'orget carpets: Punja dhurries from Haryana; wool carpets from Mirzapur and little rugs from Kashmir p,erfect for meditation! You'll find oxidized jewelry, colorful wooden toys, temple paint­ings from Orissa .... The list goes on and on .

Working through the maze of stalls, I sud­denly fimi myself in front of the -beautiful Maheshwar Devta gate. Walking further, I spot a group of men dressed in orange, their turban-clad heads moving from side to side. It is the Haryana Orchestra enthralling the crowd with their mystical music and snake­like ·dance. The Surajkund meta is well known for its folk the~re. In naty.ashala, an open-air theatre, dance and music groups perform throughout the day. Today it is a Rajasthani folk dance about Lord Krishna and His Gopis, who are getting back at Kr­ishna for His naughty antics.

After two hours of scoping the fqir, I spy a stall displaying beautiful tantric motifs. 'Nle craftsman has come from Ladakh to sell hand-painted scrolls with the eight sym­bols of good luck and dragons painted on . wood. I bargain for both)l scroll and a drag­on flainting. By now, it is dusk rufd the crowd is thinning. We arrive at the food stalls to be greeted by a welcome feast. The mouth-watering food from Punjab, South India and Gujarat would satisfy even the most discriminating pl}late.

By the. time we finish our meal, Suraj­kund village is retiripg in a blanket of dark­ness. Workers spray water on the,dirt roads, getting ready for the thousands of soles that will trample these trails tomorrow. As we walk out the gate, my uncle looks at me wit4 a glint in his eye and says, "So was I right? Have you seen anythlng like this be­fore'?" I smile and reply, "Sure I have. .. In storybooks!'; ...'

JUNE, 1997 HI'NDUISM TODAY 49

/

MINISTER'S MESSAGE Saroe sant-u niraamayaa Saroe bhadrani pashyant-u

Eternal Partnership' For a rfealthy SOCiety

Maa kashchid d-ukhfnaapn-uyaat. "Mayall be happy, healthy, cultured, wise,

peaceful and reach the aim of perfection." All includes women, who were, in ancient times, equal participants in all affairs of society and politie:s, shoulder to shoulder with their husbands, like Arundhati, wife of sage Vashista, and Kaikeyi who went to the battlefield and saved her husband King Dashrath, father of Ram. Later, when India was invaded, it was essential for ladies to remain cloistered at home, only doing housework. Over time.this became·a way of living widely acceptell by society for its

-Convenience in the division of work and for the sake of the children's upbringing.

Men and women have equal rights and ciuties in making a better world through high conduct

, BY H . H. MA . YOGA SHAKTI SARASWATI

RIGINALLY, A LONG, LONG TIME AGO, THE ANCESTORS

the Hindus settled in the lush and spiritually corn-land of India to pursue their continuous

. .

Men and women both should aspire to a very high code of conduct to be able to give right direction to future generations. If both

search for Divine Light and Wisdom. The warm, ever-green and fruit-loaded land and climate was well

suited for their purpose, ~hich was the search for knowledge. The Sanskrit name of India, Bhaa-rat, explains i\ very well: Desirous of Seeking Divine Light. ,

In those days our rishis and sages were married. All work . ••••

~~- ~;: '

. .. ~ \ ~,. I~. ..:....~~\*.~ ~ ,~l~>:~f.~

partners are good, loving, caring and share the joys and responsibilities equally, noth­ing can go wrong. The problems arise when one partner is idle, bad-natured or has a bad character: From childhooa both men and women should be trained to be effi­cient in work and should develop good na­ture, habits and character through studies and practices. One learns to become a good citizen through the "kiss and care" of the parents. A citizen is one who cares for her

" '~~<.- ' ~ ~ ~: ~ . iH~ .. ~~. ~ ]&

was shared. W<.?men ~ere equal participants in religious rites, and all activities, like farming. Neglecting the children, which should never happen, was 'not an issue, because the family business was. in the home. My firm opinion is that men and women have eternal partnership in this universe. Beth have played equal parts in the promotion of civilization, culture an<;l knowl­edge. All men and women have roles to play in this world. All lives are born with a purpose. That Divine Purpose is to explore the limits of consciousness which by nature is infinite and limitless. Are not all men and women children of the Infinite?

Does not history prove that civilization has been promoted by individual and collective little acts of love and hate? A boy or a girl both get a place in the womb of the mother, and both have claims upon the heritage ofthe father. Does this not clearly indicate that both have equal rights and duties to each other and as members of the group? A society also functions like an organism, and parts of the bpdy need to remain healthy and strong singly to promqte the geneFal health and activities of the whole body. As two eyes, ears, hands and feet cooperate fully in the survival of the body, so do JIlen and women both need to function individually and collectively for the over-all prol!lotion of the world, which isjust a collection of smaller social, religious, cultural and geographical units.

If we find a hole, a drawback in our society, in which society failed to provide comforts, opportunities and justice, both sexes are equally responsible. Nothip.g has ever been achieved in the wbrld without a price. Necessary preparations must be made to pave the road of the future. If s$ewhere we lacked in our efforts, both men and women are responsible for that shortcoming.

Instead of grieving at the past, we should focus our attention on . a better future. Leave no stone unturned. Time, mind, money and resources are the wealth of the universe, all to be utilized to create a better world fOJ tomorrow. God has done a great justice by giv­in~ everyone equal time and energy. Let us promote the whole society, and we will have equal shares of joy. The Vedas and Upan­ishads lay stress on the word saroa, which means all. It includes women as well as men. The mantras boldly proclaim: '

. Saroe bhavantu sukhinah

50 HINDUISM TODA·Y J t.r"NE , 1997

country. Husband and wife must care for each other. There w.ill be changes and you can do anything you want. But be prepared for the consequences, which should not be hurtful to anyone.

Tliere is so much negative publiclty today given to the evil side of our society. Crimes become the news of the day and this in turn engenders more negafive behavior. Instead let us focus on the fam­ily. Everything begins with a loving family. All,should aspire to live up to the high ideals expressed in this prayer:

Om saha naa vavat-u; Saha na-u bh-unakt-u . Saha, viryam karavaa-vahai Tejasvi-naava-dhita-masru maa vidvishaavahai May God protect us. May God be pleased with us. , May we work together with vigor. May our studies illumine us. May we have no contention or hostility between us.

This wisdom applies not only to the Guru and disciple relation­ship but also to other partners of life. B~t, for the sake of personal freedom, people have given up so much. I seel$o much loneliness in America. Instead then~ should be mutual trust, mutual affection. Rama and Sita are the best examples-like two bodies, but merged as one. Like two legs they move together, one after the other. For this we will all have to make adjustments. Children also must be taught how to adjust to the changing times. But it can be done. We all have tc(work hard to maintain the harmony of our relationships.

MA YOGA SHAKTI, 70, a renunciate sannyasini, with five'centers in India and two in USA, has taught yoga, dharma and transforma­tive spiritual practice throughout the world for over thirty years .

SATGURU SIVA YOGASWAMI 1872-1964

Siva Thondan N'dayam, Edmonton

Jaffna's Sage Yogaswami's

1997 World Tour And Birth Celebrations

In this 125th birth anniversary year of Sri LWka's great spiritual leader, a small, gold-plated, five-metal bronze statue of Siva Yogaswami begins a world tour to join devotees at the many Sivathondan Nilayams and more than 35 Tamil temples and commUnities. As he travels, celebrations and satsangs will 'he held in Canada, USA, Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, Seychelles and finally Jaffna, Sri Lanka, where the statue will be permanently installed.

653 Chereton Cresent N.W. Edmonton, Alberta T6R 2N2 Canada

Sivathondan N'dayam

434 Kankesanturai Road Jaffna Sri Lanka

Tel. 403-450-1048

Sri Sivayogaswamy's Sivathondan Centre

2131 Lawrence Avenue East, Scarborough, ONT M1R 5G5 Canada TeL 416-293-4697

Sivathondan Centre

9 Saffron Drive Hallam 3803, Victoria Australia TeL 03-9796-3964

Sivathondan N'dayam

256 B High Street North Manor Park, London E12 6SB England TeL 0181-552-6381

Sivathondan Nilayam

Chenkalady, E.P. Sri Lanka

Yogaswami Center

5 Moor Road 6 Colombo Sri Lanka 941580-584

1Oi'J _:w_e_b_~_~-;m-u-is-m-1I-0-d-ay-.---kauai.hi. us/ ashramIYogaswami.html

For details on Siva Yogaswami's world tour, please call 808-639-8886.

TECHNOLOGY

·Bya.osmic Design Reviving the Hingu s,cience of sacred space ,

ROM JANUARY 25 TO 29 MORE THAN 300 delegates and observers partici­pated in the World Meet on Vastu in

design consciousness that pro­vides wholesome environments, peaceful interiors and balanced energies within home or office structures.

Chennai architect C. Ravindran testified that he designed a facto­ry which proved unsuccessful. Adopting Vastu, he went back and. implemented design changes that reversed the flow of products \hrough the factory, altered door entrances, etc. The business now enjoys growth and larger profits.

Kerala, South India, convened under the direction of the renowned Dr. V. Ganapati Sthapati, whose family lineage goes back more than a thousand years. Other tradi­ti<mal architects and builders mingled with modern architects and research prefession­als from India, USA, Australia, Hungary, Finland and England. The Vastu Shastra, also called Sthapatya Veda, is a class of an­cient writings on architectur~, and classified as supplementary Vedic texts .. Vastu has en­joyed an unbroken history of practice in Kerala for thou?,ands of years.

Revivalists: Sthapati and Vastu ~ert Sabhanithnam

Australian delegate Ms. Kerry Press explained her application of the Chinese' science of Feng Shui which; like Vastu, deals with the subtle energy flows of buildings, and is having a worldwide resur­gence. Fellow Aussie architect Alan Crocker reported significant interest in Vastu residential de­sign among Australians. American Michael Peter 'Cain of Maharishi

The JIlost prevalent use of Vastu is for Hindu temple architecture. No one in India would commence construction of a sacred structure without cGnsuLting a Vastu Shastri for site selection, building orientation, size, layout, doorways, wall thickness and loca­tions, size of icons, efc. Even outside India, sthapatis (architects) are invariably brought in from J;ndia as consultants for new temple ./ . .

constructlOn projects. But Vastu Shastras deal with much more

than temple construction. Said Dr. S.P. Sab­harathnam, "It is an ever-relevant and fruit­ful science capable of revealing the inner

structure and inherent nature of a sub­stance. It is the science of space and time, of number and numerical order, of letters and . orthography, of proportions and proportion­ate limbs/parts/con~tituents, Vastu/aims not only at; creation, but also -at meticulous preservation and maintenance. And by over­coming the possibility of destruction, it leads us to the point of eternal existence."

Many attending the seminar are practic­ing architects, eager to nurture professional associations and learn about the Vastu their clients are beginning to request. Ganapati Sthapati noted, "The science lay unnoticed ru\d uninterpreted during alien rule, which stifled its growth and prevented it all along from joining the mainstream of nation­building activities." Now, he said, Vastu is freely finding its rightful place in India as a

International University in Iowa, described the school's program for Sthapatya Veda.

Dr. Prabhat Kumar Poddar's research into biomagnetic fields revealed Vastu's inner working. He demonstrated with an instru­ment that subtle energy fields exist around us at all times and that our bodies react to these energies by the way we are oriented to them, facing one way, then another-just as Vastu predicts.

And the future of Vastu? A third of the delegates were young computer-smart archi­tects and engineers who need little or no mental adjustmens> to see and utilize the benefits of Vastu as a superio,r approach for designing residences and office environ­ments. I foresee a new diaspora of design consciousness flooding the world. .."

By D EVA R AJAN, Cali.(omia

Building by the Book and in harmony with their en­vinmment for: centuries.

Mayan's Aintiram by Dr. S. P Sabharathnam. This transla­tion from the ancient Tamil gives critical access to the ear­liest exposition of Hindu C0S­

mological science in terms of primal space souree, time, rhythm, f01-m/structure and,. matter.

lIFETIME OF RESEARCH

by v. Ganapati Sthapati is embodied in the Sci­ence and Technology of

Vastu Shastra, released at the January seminar. This work emphasizes the theoretical or science side of Vastu, rather than its technical building as­pects. Still, Vastu Shaswa is abundantly illustrated with schematics, drawings and ar­chitectural plans to make the application of the principles evident through practical ex­amples.

,

The science of Vastu is root-ed in the Hindu cosmology of the origin, structure and space-time relationships of the universe. The little material pxeviously available on the subject failed to penetrate its depths. Sthapati adroitly pre­sents the occult knowledge of the silpis. They were the mas­ter builders who created the great temples of India, the splendorous palaces of kings and dynasties, and the scien­ <

'" tific layout of towns and vil- ~ lages that remained in balance ~

52 :HJND'U~SM TODAY J U'NE, 1997

A second book released at the seminar was the modem Tamil and English versien of

SDIUt' CJhnJ'l'u of

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF

VASTU SHAsTRA IR .. defined. r .. interpreted and iIIullretedl

By Dr. V.Gnnapali St1mpati.

El':'. . 11 I

. I : . - -

• .l I ..

Both books are availaDle from Vastu Vedic Research Foundation, Plot AI, H.I.G. Colony, New Be~ch Road, Thiruvalluvar Nagar, Chennai, 600041, Tamil Nadu, India.

D. R.

Vastu Shastra: A modern pre­sentation of the ancient science

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RESEARCH

Yoga Online THE YOGA RESEARCH I Center is spearhead­

ing a movement to pro­mote a spirit of unity among yoga practition­ers and organizations. Founded by Dr. Georg Feuerstein in 1996, the Center is located in Lower Lake, California, and now publishes an international newsletter called Yoga World for Western yoga teachers and students. The jour­nal's purpose is to reach those interested in learning about the vari­ous aspects of yoga as part of their per-

c sonal spiri­g tual quest. -=-The '" '" .. :z;

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COMPUTING

Center's website (mem­bers.aol.comlyoga resrchl) introduces the three major cultural branches of Hindu Yoga, Buddhist Yoga and Jaina Yoga and includes an ar­ticle explaining these and other forms of yoga entitled "Forty Types of Yoga." Here you can register for lectures and workshops, subscribe to the newsletter, become a member of the Center and enroll for a 200-hour correspondence teacher's training course on the classical yoga of Patanjali. Also found are links to yoga-related web sites and affiliated organizations. In con­junction with Sava Mul-

timedia Productions, the Center is work­

ing on a multime­dia CD version of

Dr. Feuer­stein's bib­liography of yoga re-

sources, "Shamb-hala Encyclopedia

of Yoga." You can link to a sample on SMPs site.

Kit will allow users to enter, edit and print text and graphics in three fonts: Devanagari

Gates is greeted by India's Prime Minister Gowda BUSINESS

India's New GatesWay

MICROSOFT CORP. CHAIRMAN BILL

Gates urged Indian programmers to think globally during his three-day visit in March. He told the heads of

500 Indian software firms in Bombay, "India has what it takes to participate in, even to shape, the future if it makes the necessary investments now. It must build a national telecommunications in­frastructure, develop a robust domestic software industry, provide Internet connectivity for the consumer and invest in education." Gates said his company was committed to establishing India as a global pool of talent and resources in computer software. He encouraged the software chiefs to invest heavily in research and development.

I most populous state, Ut­tar Pradesh, would

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NONVIOLENCE

Syber Serenity

FAR TOO FEW WEB­

sites are created to promote the concept of ahimsa, or nonviolence. Prince among the pages of peace is the Ahimsa Home Page (wizard.netl -ethanlahimsa.htm). Its purpose is to provide links to the best Internet sources on the subject. Here you can find scrip­tures about nonviolence, compassion and vegetar­ianism from Hindu, Christian and Jain sources. Relevant Hindu verses can be found a­mong 108 complete chapters of the Tamil classic Tirukural, trans­lated in English. The Hindu and Jain vjews are well represented in essays on ahimsa, main­ly one by Swami Sivananda Maharaj and a piece dedicated to Ma­hatma Gandhi by Arun M. Sannuti entitled, "Vegetarianism: The Road to Satyagraha."

Three Indian Fonts for Hindi, ~.ra:.!~:~ on computers

clude three Apple® TrueType fonts , a De­vanagari typing tutor and the Hindi Learning Stack 1.0. The kit will al­low users to create and view Indian language­based websites and Quick Time movies. Claris Corp. is at http:// www.claris.com or fax 1-408-987-3932.

"7\ PPLE COMPUTER

!=\announced in Feb­ruary software for six North Indian languages for shipment in April. The Indian Language

Marathi, Nepali and Sanskrit; Gurmukhi for Punjabi and Gu­jarati. Apple said a study showed that the government of India's

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