Life Literature Culture

Issue 4.9 March 2007

2007 Souvenir Edition

14 - 15 April 2007 - page 40-41

‘Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

- Rig Veda

Vedic Scriptures and Peace - Contributed by Rev.Pravrajika Ajayaprana Mataji of Vedanta Hall, Sydney

Peace is what man is after. All his efforts in amassing wealth, running after name, fame etc. are but attempts at securing peace in life. But his quest ends in failure. Peace eludes him, because peace does not reside in those. This fact has been illustrated by one episode given in the Ch ndogya Upanishad which comes in the Br hmana portion of the S ma Veda.

N rada, the divine seer and devotee of Vishnu, had fulfilled all his worldly duties and obligations towards his family and community. He had mastered various arts and sciences such as a thorough knowledge of the Vedas, history and mythology, grammar, mathematics, study of nature’s forces and the method of harnessing or confronting them, mineralogy, logic, ethics, etymology, chemistry, science of archery, astronomy, fines arts etc. etc. But much to his astonishment and disappointment he found that with all this knowledge at his disposal he hadn’t yet acquired the greatest treasure man is after, that is peace of mind. He approached the greatest yogin Sanatkum ra with the humble request to show him the way to real peace.

The eminent teacher adroitly led the seeker step by step along the arduous path to the final goal of the attainment of perpetual peace. In the course of the journey the teacher made this crisp, important assertion:

yo vai bh m tat sukham, n lpe sukham asti, bh maiva sukham; bh ma tv eva vijij sitavya iti; bh m nam, bhagava, vijij sa iti. [Vll 23.1]

“There is no happiness (peace) in anything finite. Only in the infinite is peace. But the infinite is to be sought after.

Where to look for it? The Vedas want us to find it hidden within ourselves. The quest is very demanding, very challenging, but not impossible to achieve. In the Katha Upanishad which is a part of the Yajur Veda, Yama, the God of Death, tells the student boy Nachiketas:

anor an y n mahato mah y n, tm sya jantor nihito guh y m,Tam akratuh pa yati v ta- oko dh tu-pras d n mahim nam tmanah. [I.2.20] “Smaller than the small, greater than the great, the self is set in the heart of every creature. The unstriving man beholds Him, freed from sorrow. Through tranquility of the mind and the senses (he sees) the greatness of the self”.

Peace is in one’s own Self, the Atman. The Atman is Imortality (Truth), Consciousness (Wisdom) and Peace (Bliss). Declutching oneself from the tentacles of worldly pleasures when man looks within and dives deep into the innermost recesses of his heart he comes face to face with the Ultimate Truth, Ineffable Peace, that has always been there.

Each of the four Vedas has been divided into 4 sections. The first part, the Samhit , gives an account of the various rites and ceremonies that people of different stations in life are advised to perform in order to reach up to a better mode of living and thinking. The texts very strongly and appealingly laud in flowery language the merits these will bring for man, such as enjoyment of heavenly pleasures, long-lasting health, youth and beauty etc. which the minor gods pleased with the worship will deliver to the performer. This acts only as an incentive to turn worldly minded people towards a higher form of life based on faith and devotion. The second part, the Br hm nas, deals with the minute details of sacrificial rites and the specific duties and rules of conduct for people according to their place in the community. Life is presented here as more serious, and hopeful, more enjoyable, but still beset with problems. Peace is a far-away entity. The third part of each, the ranyak s, introduces man to a semi-retired life, his mind half-detached from the world, searching for serenity and turning to God for more and more spiritual aspirations. The fourth portion, the Upanishads, deal with the real nature of man, mind, the universe and God. As man travels by gradual steps along the ladder of life he ultimately reaches the final stage, the acme of perfection, perfect peace, which is as the Mundaka Upanishad, which come in the Atharva Veda, puts it:

bhidyate h daya-granthi chidyante sarva-sam ay h,k yante c sya karm i tasmin d e par vareThe knot of the heart is cut, all doubts are dispelled and his deeds terminate, when He is seen, seen everywhere.

To find peace we do not have to go to the solitude of the forest, or seek for the tranquility of a mountain-river or

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escape into the vastness of the ocean. Peace, real peace, is with us, in us, all around us. We need to control our outward and wayward leanings and hankerings and calm the mind. As the English saying goes:

At the heart of the cyclone tearing the sky, And flinging the clouds and the towers by Is a place of central calm; So here in the rear of mortal things, I have a place where my spirit sings, In the hollow of God’s palm. – Edwin Markham.

Dr.Radhakrishnan in the footnote to his commentary on Verse 11 of Chapter 2 of the Bhagavad Gita quotes Plotinus’s words echoing the same sentiment:

Murders, death in all its shapes, the capture and sacking of towns, all must be considered as so much stage-show, so many shiftings of scenes, the horror and outcry of a play; for here too, in all the changing doom of life, it is not the true man, the inner soul that grieves and laments but merely the phantasm of the man, the outer man, playing on the boards of the world.

One sage in the Svet shvatara Upanishad, which comes in the Yajur Veda, stumbles upon the realization of this tranquility, the Truth, Peace in his heart of hearts and in sheer exultation exclaims:

ved ham etam puru am mah ntam ditya-var am tamasah parast t,tam eva viditv atim tyum eti n nyah panth vidyate yan yaI have known the Supreme Person of sunlike colour (luster) beyond the darkness. Only by knowing Him does one pass over death. There is no other path for going there.

The glorious citadel of Immortality, Wisdom and Bliss is right here, the Vedas affirm. Once we touch that perennial source of peace our whole outlook gets transformed. Peace within, peace without, peace everywhere. In the Shukla Yajur Veda the seer experiences indescribable peace, tranquility, a seamless whole pervading in the entire cosmos. He prays:

Unto the heaven be peace, unto the sky and the earth be peace. Peace be unto the waters; unto the herbs and the trees be peace. ---- unto all be peace, peace yea verily peace. May that peace be unto me.

President’s Page

Freedom of speech is as ancient as the speech itself. Freedom of speech is the concept of the inherent human right to voice one's opinion publicly without fear of censorship or punishment. The right is enshrined in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and is granted formal recognition by the laws of most nations. Nonetheless the degree to which the right is upheld in practice varies greatly from one nation to another. In many nations, particularly those with relatively authoritarian forms of government, overt government censorship is enforced. Censorship has also been claimed to occur in other forms (see propaganda model) and there are different approaches to issues such as hate speech, obscenity, and defamation laws even in countries seen as liberal democracies.

The Indian constitution guarantees freedom of speech to every citizen and there have been landmark cases in the Indian Supreme Court that have affirmed the nation's policy of allowing free press and freedom of expression to every citizen. In India, citizens are free to criticize politics, politicians, bureaucracy and policies. The freedoms are comparable to those in the United States and Western European democracies. Article 19 of the Indian constitution states that "all citizens shall have the right ..to freedom of speech and expression".

Australia does not have a bill or declaration of rights; however, in 1992 the High Court of Australia judged in the case of Australian Capital Television Pty Ltd v Commonwealth that the Australian Constitution, by

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providing for a system of representative and responsible government, implied the protection of political communication as an essential element of that system. This freedom of political communication is not a broad freedom of speech as in other countries, but rather a freedom whose purpose is only to protect political free speech. This freedom of political free speech is a "shield" against the government - and the government only - it is not a shield against private interests. It is also less a causal mechanism in itself, rather than simply a boundary which can be adjudged to be breached. Despite the court's ruling, not all political speech appears to be protected in Australia, and several laws criminalise forms of speech that would be protected in other democratic countries such as the United States. The Australian government is currently trying to pass amendments to several laws, to give counter-terrorism agencies more power. At least one of the amendments has come under a large amount of public scrutiny, the amendments to the Crimes Act 1914, and the Criminal Code 1995 to change the way the crime of sedition is handled. Many have decried this as an attack on the freedom of speech of Australians, and many claim it is entirely unnecessary. Mediawatch has been running a series on the amendments on ABC television, and more information is available on vicpeace.org

It is understandable, though not justifiable, that an autocratic or authoritarian regime have an official system which restricts freedom of speech or puts informal curbs on free speech. How can a democratic society like India, USA, UK and Australia explain curbing freedom of speech whether formally or informally / indirectly?

Abraham Lincoln, the father of modern democracy defined democratic government “of the people, by the people, and for the people”. ‘People’ includes each and every individual irrespective of caste, creed, race, religion, colour, sexual orientation…. Guarantee of freedom of speech is the key foundation stone for the establishment and survival of any sound democratic system. Without ensuring and accepting in practice the freedom of speech any society, in my opinion, has no right to call itself a truly democratic society.

Mahatma Gandhi said “by Swaraj (self rule) I mean the government of India by the consent of the people as ascertained by the largest number of the adult population, male or female, native-born or domiciled, who have contributed by manual labour to the service of the State and who have taken the trouble of having their names registered as voters.

I feel greatly appalled and emotionally disturbed whenever I come across any incidence of a democratic government or the majority section of the society curbing formally or informally the freedom of speech. Recently on 30 January 2007 we had organised our third annual Interfaith Prayer Meeting at Archibald Fountain, Hyde Park Sydney to pay tributes to one of the greatest apostles of peace and freedom of speech Mahatma Gandhi on the anniversary of his martyrdom.

The Mufti of Australia His Eminence Sheikh Taj Aldin Al-Hilali expressed his desire to come and pay tribute to the apostle of peace and freedom of speech Mahatma Gandhi. I accepted his offer as it would have been a hypocrisy on my part to advocate something like interfaith or peace, or say freedom of speech and not practice it myself. This decision of mine led to boycott of the interfaith prayer meeting by some prominent religious leaders and government officials. I wonder if we still have right to call ourselves members of a democratic society!

According to Mahatma Gandhi fortunate people who have amassed wealth are trustees of the wealth in their possession which they must utilise for the benefit of the underprivileged and affected people. The practice codes of the various religious scriptures also encourage keeping aside a proportion of one’s income for charitable causes.

Gambhir Watts President Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia

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Message from Stepan Kerkyasharian Chair

Community Relations Commission For a Multicultural NSW

Holi is indeed a fun festival. It unleashes inhibitions in a way rarely seen in public festivals in Sydney in earlier years.

But it is much more than people having fun showering each other with masses of coloured powder. It is a day when people of Indian cultural background can relive their younger days of mischief and enjoyment and when other Australians can learn a great deal about Indian culture, music, dance, food, philosophy and traditional medicine.

Holi is an ancient festival which until today brings thousands into the streets of Indian cities to make fun. But the spiritual aspects of spreading love and harmony are well understood and underpin the broad acceptance of this festival.

The Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan has again challenged itself in planning to make this two day event even bigger and broader than before.

I congratulate the Bhavan on its continuing expansion of this significant festival and I wish them well.

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PO Box 5363 Kingston ACT 2604, Australia Telephone 61 2 6261 3839 Facsimile 61 2 6112 3833 Email: ausindia.council@dfat.gov.au Web: www.dfat.gov.au/aic

Chairman: Darren Gribble

MESSSAGE FOR HOLI MAHOSTAV 2007

On behalf of the Australia-India Council, it gives me great pleasure to send my best wishes to mark the annual festival of Holi Mahotsav. I congratulate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan on the organization of the festival and also maintaining its international reputation for promoting knowledge and understanding of the rich diversity and history of Indian culture.

The Bhavan also continues to make an important contribution to diversity in Australian society. Australia has a large community with Indian roots, an ever-increasing number of Indians coming here to study, travel and work and India and Australia continue to experience growing political, economic and cultural links.

The Australia-India Council welcomes the contribution the Bhavan makes – both generally and through this festival – to enhancing mutual understanding and respect between Indian and Australian society. We hope that this important work will continue for a long time to come.

I wish those attending the Holi Mahotsav festival and the organizers the very best for an enjoyable event.

Best Wishes

Mr Darren Gribble

12 March 2007

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The Holi Mahotsav has become an annual event in Sydney to which, for the second year now, has been added the festival of Rathayatra, the chariot parade of Lord Jagannatha. The Rathayatra festival originated in Orissa but, as with Holi, is now celebrated India wide. Indeed, as the culture and spirituality of India has continued to spread, both these festivals have become events celebrated in many countries all over the world.

The increasingly rapid movement of India's people across the globe has created a modern day phenomenon. In previous centuries the Western civilizations, spear-headed by the vested interests of economics and religion, also spread over the world, often subverting in the process the more ancient cultures of the East. At least to some extent it seems that the tide is now beginning to turn. Certainly many have come from India to this country inspired by the vision of economic prosperity. The movement of people from India to Australia has increased in the last thirty years till now it forms the fastest growing contingent of any of our migrant groups. The economic consequences flowing from this interaction between East and West is significant indeed and is rapidly changing the shape of our political world. However, no less significant, and perhaps, in the long run, far more so, has been the effect of India's influence on the Western world in terms of culture, and in terms of the ideas and understanding upon which that culture is based, and of which it is an expression.

The enduring strength and real glory of a civilization is based upon its wisdom, upon its ideas and values. Alexander's empire, based as it was simply on the power of the sword, barely out-lasted his life. The Greek philosophy and science which he brought with him however, continued to influence the world down to the modern day. The industrial and technological strength of India is now making its mark. India's prevailing influence however will come ultimately from its pervasive spiritual wisdom, its religion and its culture. Man shapes the world but ideas ultimately shape man. It is herein that the real value and the real glory of India reside.

Today's celebration, though we may little appreciate it in the course of all our festive enjoyment, holds a deep significance, not just in terms of its ancient cultural meaning, but in terms of what it means for the future of man, for the future of the world and all its people. India has never had within it the urge for religious conversion. Its spiritual wisdom goes deeper then that. It has within it however the unlimited power of ideas, of great spiritual truth, and of the ways and means of realizing that truth. In due course these will have their effect, and these will ultimately prevail.

On behalf of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness I would like to congratulate Bhavan Australia, the main organizers of this event, as well as those within the business and political community who have given it their invaluable support. I would also like to thank all those in attendance. This is an important event and its success is dependent on your participation. May you have a wonderful and enjoyable day: Hare Krishna.

Message

Atmarama Das President: International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

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The real essence of religion. I see a crisis facing the world today. It is fundamentally one of identification. People identify themselves with limited characteristics such as gender, race, religion and nationality, forget-ting their basic identity as part of the universal spirit. These limited identifications lead to conflict both glob-ally and on a personal level. Every individual is much more than the sum of these limited identifications. The highest identification we can make is that we are part of Divinity, and only second are we human beings and members of the human family. In divine creation, the whole of the human race is united. Along with the proper identification of our true nature, we need to return to the values that are the essence of all major traditions. Religion has three aspects: values, rituals and symbols. Moral and spiritual values are common to all traditions, and the symbols and practices — those rituals and customs that form a way of life within a religion are what distinguish one tradition from another and give each of them their charm! The symbols and practices are like a banana skin, and the spiritual values — the quest for truth and awareness of our divinity — are the banana. However, people in every tradition have thrown away the banana and are holding onto the skin. This distinction, between value, ritual and symbol, was made in ancient times. The Sanskrit term smriti refers to those practices that are appropriate to time and place, those things that are time-bound. Shruti refers to those values that are timeless. In the right order of things, what is time-bound is secondary to what is timeless or eternal. However, in all the traditions, we find the order inverted. People tend to honour what is time-bound — symbols and practices, give them an individual identity- more than the values, which are timeless. Then fanaticism flourishes and the differences have to be defended. We can see this today in the wars taking place around the world in the name of religion. If we could focus on values, the larger truth that the symbol represents, then most of the conflict in the world would be resolved. Symbols vary between religions because they relate to the relative factors of location, environment and time. The crescent moon and star on the flag of Islam were chosen by people living in a desert region, where eve-ning is a pleasant relief from the scorching heat of the day. The sun was chosen as a religious symbol in Ja-pan and in Tibet, where it gives welcome warmth and a feeling of elevation. Symbols are relative, but they are intended to lead us to something beyond the symbol — to the essence of religion. We need to reach for the deeper values and not be distracted by the apparent differences. Practices are also time-bound, dictating how you should dress, what name you are to take, what you can eat, how many wives you may have and how a person should be punished if they make some mistake. In all traditions you find practices like these that were necessary at the time they were instituted, but may no longer serve a good purpose today. In the Koran, it is prescribed that if someone steals, their hand must be cut off and at one time a Christian who wanted to be religious had to take a vow of poverty. Jains were not allowed to touch money (this dilemma was solved by having someone accompany them to carry their money for them) and Jews could do no work on the Sab-bath. Those who follow this rule today cannot turn on a light switch. Human values are social and ethical norms common to all cultures and societies as well as religions. They represent a melding of social progress, justice and spiritual growth. The timeless values are: A deep caring for all life; l A responsible attitude to-ward the planet; l Non-violence; Compassion and love; l Friendliness and compassion; l Generosity and sharing; Integrity, honesty and sincerity; l Moderation in one’s activity; l Service; l Commitment and respon-sibility; l Peace, contentment, enthusiasm. Much of the misery that has come into the world in the name of religion can be avoided by reintroducing these shared values. And it is not necessary to use guilt and fear to promote these values. You will find in the history of all religious systems in the world, that guilt and fear were used to control people, but such discipline is not needed today. At this time we need only to cultivate love and understanding.

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Vishwaguru Mahamandaleshwar Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda International Sri Deep Madhavananda Ashram Fellowship

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Blessed Selves, Dear Brothers and Sisters of Australia and India,

The annual Indian tradition of Holi Mahotsav is a celebration of friendship and harmony, two of the most important elements most needed in today’s society.

We stand at a time in the world’s history when all humanity must reaffirm its commitment to a global culture of harmony and peace. As peoples of different nations, cultures and religions, we ought to be more than witnesses to global events. Rather we ought to be an active, driving force to create a more peaceful, just and sustainable world - a world where global ethics prevail without national, religious or ideological borders.

In the words of the United Nations Charter we must “reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small. to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and unite our strength to maintain international peace…”

The Vedic culture of Sanatan Dharma is the oldest spiritual tradition on earth which, like others, teaches the transformative power of forgiveness, harmony, cooperation and unity for peace. It deepens our awareness and awakens our inner understanding of divine governance. To practice Sanatan Dharma means to open our heart to all, without exception – to give help, tolerance, understanding and respect to all nations, cultures and religions.

Therefore, on this occasion of Holi let us awaken the transformative powers of tolerance, love and respect. Treat others as you wish to be treated and awaken universal love.

Thank you Mr. Gambhir Watts, President of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia, and all sponsors, for organizing and supporting this meaningful event of Holi Mahotsav. To accomplish the task we have ahead of us to create world peace, we have only two days - yesterday and today. No body has ever seen tomorrow. With hindsight we must learn from our mistakes of yesterday and with that knowledge, act appropriately today.

With Blessings of the Almighty Vishwaguru Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

Founder of Yoga in Daily Life, the System

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A pioneer of Indian Renaissance

'My interest in India is in her literature, her philosophy, her religion, and her science; it was to study these that I came hither,' said Col. H S Olcott, (1832-1907) addressing a gathering at Amritsar in 1880. He was the Founder-President of The Theosophical Society who arrived at Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1879 along with Madame H P Blavatsky (1831-91) and a small group of enthusiasts. He travelled to every nook and corner of the country to search for the Wisdom that was the basic foundation to the existence as a whole.

In his address he traces the past glory, the presently seeming degradation and the futuristic hope of leading the world to enlightenment. 'India, stripped of her once limitless forests, that gave constant crops and abundant fertility by regulating the rainfall, lies baking in the blistering heat, like a naked valetudinarian too helpless to move. — I want you to love your land and appreciate and honor your forefathers, while, at the same time keeping your mind open to see the high qualities of your fellowmen of all races and countries. The true Aryan, the worthy child of the Rishis, is too just to be envious, too high-minded to be mean,' he exhorted.

He was the man who started schools and institutions to educate the younger generation in health, hygiene and general culture in and around Madras (now Chennai). He was the one to identify the poor state of 'pariahs'- the untouchables and work for their total development. The schools were later made over to the government and only one remains now on the campus of The Theosophical Society under the name "Olcott Memorial High School.' He was basically interested in agriculture and was advising the provincial governments and native kings then, assuring the right and fruitful results. During 1879 at Bombay, on the venue of the annual convention of the Society, he organised a Swadesi Exhibition to highlight the rich quality of the Indian goods and craftsmanship. In his travels around the country, he conferred with the scholars, pundits and leaders of religion for the revival of Oriental knowledge and its nourishment.

Instrumental in starting many institutes for Sanskrit learning, he was honored by the contemporaries as one working for the enlightenment of the men and women in the right direction. His association with scholars at Pune, Calcutta, Allahabad, Prayag and the other centers of Learning was remarkable for it paved way for re-publication of several classics with authentic translations into English. Establishing a library at Adyar, within the Society, was a dream he held and accomplished in 1886. He collected several palm-leaf manuscripts and books of perennial value from different sources and made available for posterity. His active interest was in Religions and the seeming schisms therein and he missed no opportunity to bring all sects together in framing a common acceptable program for them.

In educating and informing the masses on the basics of religion, he encouraged the compilation of short catechisms on world religions and making lexicons for Sanskrit in the regional languages. His active participation in Buddhist studies, efforts in bringing rapport among the Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and Japan groups, much varied in philosophic presentations, and work for the under privileged at Ceylon as remarkably noticed. A memorial of his statue at Anuradhapura stands as an evidence to this. His zealous working for the teachings of Buddha even drew controversies and discerns among the members of The Theosophical Society that the Universal character is being side tracked.

A Master of the Wisdom endorsed the stand taken by him and reiterated that the teachings stripped off superstitions and interpolations, come very near the Absolute Truth. Comparative religion was his forte, and looking at its commonality with philosophy and science makes the three direct avenues for the search of Truth. This formed the second object of The Theosophical Society, when thoroughly practiced and implemented strengthens the first and fundamental object of 'forming a nucleus of universal brotherhood of

Col H S Olcott

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humanity' without any distinction whatsoever. 'Common foundations of all religions' was the central topic of his lectures throughout the world. Even while inaugurating the Society in 1875, he said: 'In the economy of nature, an impulse., however slight, once given to matter, is eternal; and an act once performed, its consequences, be they great or small, must be worked out sooner or later.'

He was drawn into Spirituality from spiritualism -the recall of dead souls -; and from the miracles and phenomena, he formed a mysterious organisation, The Theosophical Society for the spiritual enlightenment of all humanity. His records of events at the American stations in the scientific investigation of the continuity of soul and spirit were well placed in his earlier book "People from the Other world" (1874). His powers of healing through mesmeric passes brought him many beneficiaries in India and Ceylon. He had to abandon this exercise after a short time, for his own reasons of health. "By the aura of the inner man is the aura of the outer man perceived" and his watchword.

According to him, the study of Occult Science has twofold value: there is a teeming world of Force within this teeming visible world of phenomena; knowledge of one's psychic powers, by self-discipline and education, can be utilised for betterment in the right direction.

'Ah! The dream of Universal Brotherhood of Man, when nations will cease to enslave nations, and the only strife will be who can best live up to the ideal of human perfectibility! — Theosophy is the enchantress that alone can conjure it up; and though hard be the task and disheartening the delay in gaining the divine wisdom, when once gained, the sacrifice of a life seem no adequate price to pay for its acquisition."

He professes the use of occult arts and sciences for the total betterment of humanity, for which purpose alone they were granted to us. Col. Olcott laid down his physical vesture on February 17, 1907 at Adyar in Madras (now Chennai) and this happens to be his death centenary year. He left a large unfinished agenda to us. Caring to know and to fulfill that will be our continuous task.

Source: N.C. Ramanujachary, Bhavan’s Journal; February 28 2007

Seniors Week Program

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s second annual Seniors Week program ended with a live musical evening presented by Avijit Sarkar, Pushpa Jagdish, Maharishi Raval on the tabla and others. The program was held at Bhavan’s Institute for Indian Arts & Culture, Abattoir Heritage Precinct, Building B, 1 Herb Elliott Avenue, Sydney Olympic Park.

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Keeping the hopes alive - Avijit Sarkar

Holi, the ancient Indian festival, is usually celebrated in the early days of March. However, irrespective of the day of celebration, Holi still remains, for want of a better phrase, the perfect excuse to celebrate peace, love are and harmony. There are numerous ways in which this can be achieved but I think the perfect means is through the medium of performing and fine arts. And this is exactly what Bhavan Australia intends to do during the two day Holi Mahotsava at Tumbalong Park in Darling Harbour. Art knows no language and yet it seems to miraculously communicate every emotion between humans. It allows minds to connect and arguably remains the most potent tool for imparting knowledge and for making global statements that can be understood by persons of every creed, colour and race. We at Bhavans use every form of art to make our statement heard – that the world is one family.

The annual Holi Mahotsava is one of our platforms for communicating with different communities – an event where communities spread their cultural gospel and at the same time learn from others. This is an event where cultural ideas are exchanged amidst an environment of gaiety, colour and entertainment. This year, like the previous years, Bhavan Australia will present performing artists from a wide variety of communities who will display their talents through music and dance. Dances will range from the traditional folk and classical to the very modern phenomena often referred to as Bollywood hip-hop. At the same time, the event will host a variety of musicians and singers who will display their skills that range from the traditional styles to contemporary fusion and film music.

All in all, it will be an event that should not be missed. This is more so because the behind each performance is a simple hope – a hope for peace, unity, harmony, love and compassion for fellow human beings; a hope to make others understand each other. Today, the deep chasm of unrest that the world faces is like an ocean with but a few drops of water and in its current state, this world needs more such events, to promote the understanding of the paradigm “the world is one family”. We, at Bhavans, are extremely proud to be able to organise Holi Mahotsava every year and contribute to the spread of world culture and international harmony.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank every participant and every member of the audience at the Holi Mahotsava and wish everyone a very happy Holi for 2007.

- Avijit SarkarAssociate Vice-President

Freedom Of Expression

In a vast country like this, there must be room for all schools of honest thought. And the least, therefore, that we owe to ourselves, as to others, is to try to understand the oppo-nent ‘s view-point and, if we cannot accept it, respect is as fully as we expect him to re-spect ours. It is one of the indispensable tests of a healthy public life and, therefore, fit-ness for Swaraj.

Freedom of speech and pen is the foundation of Swaraj. If the foundation stone is in danger, you have to exert the whole of your might in order to defend that single stone.

- Mahatma Gandhi

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Holi In Braja (Vrindavan)

Holi in Vrindavan is celebrated for about a week before Gaura Purnima. Last year some bhaktins came from South Africa for the first time to Vrindavan during this time and ended up spending most of their time in their guesthouse room afraid to come outside. They had taken breaks from their jobs and only had so much time for their yatra. Needless to say they were a little disap-pointed. Holi will start on Mar. 8th (Naumi) in Varsana, something worth experiencing once in a lifetime. But be warned, if you stick around for the grand finale, you may spend two hours getting out of the parking lot after it is

over. Although colors are being thrown all day, the real festivities start in the afternoon around 3 pm when the brahmanas from Nandagram come charging into the Varsana Temple carrying the flag of Nanda-lala. After running all around the temple they sit in the courtyard, which is an ocean of colored water, facing all the brahmanas from Varsana and sing ancient Holi songs back and forth. People are throwing colored pow-der from all the four corners of the singing groups and there is a nice breeze on the hill of Varsana so you will see a red cloud cutting across a yellow cloud. A blue cloud cutting across a pink one. Green one cutting across red one. It all blows in the air and the scene looks like something from Goloka Vrindavan. From the balcony they are shooting big brass syringes (pichkaris) of yellow water made from a special dried flower. The singers become completely black and blue from the mixture.

Then around 4:30 pm, the brahmanas from Nandagram go downstairs with big turbans on their heads and carrying brightly colored rhinocerous-skin shields. There in the street below, Rangili Gulli, the brahmanis of Varsana are waiting for them with big thick long bamboo poles. The Nandagram brahmanas hurl insults at the girls and squat down with their shields over their turbans and 4-5 brightly dressed girls wack them with all their might with their dandas. This is the famous Latmar Holi of Varsana. Then next day Mar 9th (dasami) the same thing happens in Nandagram with all the Varsana brahmanas coming with turbans and shields and Radharani's flag. But somehow there are more Nandagram brahmanis than Varsana brahmanas, so you will see 6-7 of these girls letting these guys really have it! And the difference is that is after it is over in Nandagram, you can easily get in your car and drive away. There is not so much rush, but you essentially can experience the same thing that happened the previous day in Varsana.

From the Ekadasi, Holi starts in Vrindavan, so watch out. Wherever you go, you will be pelted with color and water. Except surprisingly, the main festival is at Banke Bihari Ekadasi morning up till noon, where they only throw dry colors and it is quite nicely done. There is no targetting of a particular gender or color, but everyone is throwing color in the air and shouting, "Banke Bihari Lala Ki Jaya!! I was very surprised how pleasantly it was done. Outside on the streets coming and going, though, there is a bit of hooliganism with targeting of a particular gender and especially color.

This goes on until sundown every day and after dark it is safe to go to different temples for darshan or to Loi Bazaar for shopping. This all goes on up till the Purnima, with everyone being fair game. Purnima is the heaviest day. And then suddenly at noon on Purnima it all stops. There is actually a law that it must stop at noon. And believe it or not, it is practically the only law strictly followed in all of India. By 1 PM it is all over. Everyone comes to 4:30 darshan with brand new white cloth or else the marvelously colored cloth they wore all week and there is no more color throwing! In a few small villages around, they have their own day for Holi even after this also. Like in Gokula, they celebrate on the Panchami after Gaura Purnima (20th March). But most places it is all over.

Source: www.chara.org

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Holi in Gujarat

Holi is no more a festival of Hindus only. Like many other festivals - Christmas, New Year Eve, Id, Diwali, Pateti, Dushera etc. it has become a national festival and celebrated by all Indians irrespective of their language and religion. For centuries Holi is celebrated in India, infact it is believed that it existed even several centuries before Christ. During the Muslim rule in the seventh century it was celebrated wherein all people from different religions participated.. The last full moon day of the month of Phalgun is the day which heralds the start of Vasant Ritu and end of winter. This is the day when harvesting is over and farmers are happy, the start of spring brings surge of happiness and enthusiasm

in the young's and thus makes the Holi celebration more lively. In Gujarat, Holi is celebrated for two days. On the first day the religious minded people and mainly the women keep fast. The story is that on this day Prahlad was to be burnt in fire by his aunt called Holika. However, God Vishnu saves him and Holika dies. Thus on this day no food is taken till late night. In the evening a bonfire is lit. In smaller villages there is a common bonfire in the centre of the village and in towns and cities there are several bonfires arranged by respective societies and areas. We see children and many elders moving house to house and collect money or wood etc for the bonfire. At the time of lighting the bonfire there is a big crowd of women, children and elders. The women pray and circle the fire offering flowers, fruits, coconut and patasha -circular and toys of sugar to Holi/Holika. There are invariably some children and a few young persons with sticks who recover the half burnt coconuts and then distribute as prashad. People return home late night and take food. For children it is difficult to sleep as they keenly await the next morning. During the day children and most of grownups eat chana and dhani -grams and popcorn. The second day is called Dhuleti. Dhul means mud and the day on which people played with mud/Dhul is called Dhuleti. Even today there are a few villages and few groups of people who play with mud rather than colours.Till recently, there were many instances where some people used oil paints and cheap and harmful colour powders resulting into skin problems. Now with stricter regulations this danger is minimized. Children get up early and are the first to come out and start shouting and running and spraying colours on each other. One need not be surprised if a group of children ask you to pay some money or else they spoil and colour your good cloths. We see groups of women, young people playing colours and enjoying. In fact this is the festival of youth and they play and sing and dance to the tune of dholak. In cities and towns it is the loudspeakers and popular film songs. As the day progresses, the elders too come out and start playing colours in somewhat controlled manner. No doubt, their eyes sparkle as they do remember their days of youth and their fun. This riot of colour continues till late afternoon or evening and unless you are ready to get drenches with colour and water, do not venture out till evening. This is a holiday and generally the kitchens are closed. The ladies prefer to get food from hotels rather than cook at home. It is common to see people queue up the shops to buy phaphda, jalebi, khaman dhokla - popular items which are consumed in huge quantities. In earlier years people used to make colours using flowers like tesu and palash which also have special flavor. Some people used flowers of kesuda too. Now a days one gets from market a variety of colours ready for use. However the best colours are gulal and abir and very popular. The unique feature of Holi in Gujarat is the celebrations by the tribals of Guharat. These tribes are in the Dangs and Panchmahals districts - full of hills and forests. This celebration is a popular tourist attraction. The tribals are simple people and their life is more tuned and in harmony with the nature. This aspect is clearly visible in their dances and songs. Holi being the celebration of a change in the nature is more popular with these tribals and all of them, without an exception, return to their homes in respective villages from their work places in towns and cities. Their dance is known as GHERAIYA wherein they dress like ARDHANARISHWAR - wearing sarees, flowers, colourful clothes, ghungaroos and goggles. Some of them dance with umbrellas. Men and women dance together keeping their hands on shoulders or waists of others. They dance in circle or in serpentine style. From time to time they jump and also make sounds of different animals. Many marriages are arranged during these dances and this becomes a real Madanotsav in true sense of the word. If you are lucky, you may see some elderly person peering at the flames of Holi and predicting the prospects of next year. - Contributed by Madhukar Joshi

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HOLA MAHALLA

Hola Mahalla or simply Hola is a Sikh festival, which takes place on the first of the lunar month of Chet, which usually falls in March. This follows the Hindu festival of Holi; Hola is the masculine form of the feminine sounding Holi. Mahalla, derived from the Arabic root hal (alighting, descending), is a Punjabi word that implies an organised procession in the form of an army column accompanied by war drums and standard-bearers, and proceeding to a given location or moving in state from one Gurdwara to another. Hola was celebrated for the first time in the year after the birth of the Khalsa, 1700 AD and from then on has been celebrated every year in the fields of the Holgarh Fort at Anandpur Sahib. Held over three days the festival begins the day after Holi. It emphasises the importance of Sikh warriors and includes displays of swordsmanship, horsemanship, archery, wrestling, and mock battles.

This custom originated in the time of Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708) who held the first march at Anandpur on Chet vadi 1, 1757 Bk (22nd February, 1701). Unlike Holi, when people playfully sprinkle colour, dry or mixed in water, on each other the Guru made Hola Mahalla an occasion for the Sikhs to demonstrate their martial skills in simulated battles. This was probably done forestalling a grimmer struggle against the imperial power following the battle of Ninnohgarh in 1700. Holla Mahalla became an annual event held in an open ground near Holgarh Fort across the rivulet Charan Ganga, northwest to the town of Anandpur Sahib, Distt. Ropar (Punjab). Hola Mahalla is presently the biggest festival at Anandpur Sahib.

Guru Gobind Singh Jee wanted to make his Khalsa army into a superior fighting force and so asked his followers to come together to have mock battles at the fort of Holgarh to learn the necessary fighting tactics that they would need in a real battle. The Khalsa armies would demonstrate their skills of horsemanship, soldiery, swordsmanship and archery.

Each year thousands of Sikhs including large numbers of Nihang Singhs gather at Anandpur Sahib and take part in the procession from the fort of Holgarh to the fort of Fatehgarh. Fighting skills such as Gatka (martial arts), Archery and Horsemanship are demonstrated as well as more modern sports. This was further emphasising the importance that Guru Jee laid upon making his Khalsa an army of SAINT-SOLDIERS. He wanted to rid the people of cowardice and make the "sparrow hunt the eagle". Guru Jee knew that the Khalsa would have to fight against oppression, tyranny and persecution and history has borne witness to this throughout the 300 years of the existence of the Khalsa Army. Countless tyrants have tried to crush the Khalsa

but each time with, Guru Gobind Singh Jee's blessing, it rises a stronger force.

This year also the Hola Mahalla procession was marvellous. With a fabulous display of martial arts skills by Nihang Singhs all over the town, the three-day festival of Hola Mohalla ended on 15 March 2006 at Anandpur Sahib. The Nihangs performed gatka, sword-fighting and horse-riding. Nihangs beating drums, riding on horses and elephants headed the procession of thousands of Nihang Singhs of 16 different groups

Hola Mahalla procession at Anandpur Sahib, Distt Ropar (Punjab)

Two Nihang leaders displaying their big turbans in Hola Maha l l a process ion a t Anandpur Sahib

A Sikh child is showing his skills in the Hola Mahalla procession at Anandpur Sahib

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across the state began from Shahidi Garden. The blue and saffron colour of hundreds of Nihang Singhs wearing traditional dresses and turbans dominated the internal roads as they passed through the streets of the town. Age appeared to be no bar for the performance as a 5-to-50-year-old Nihang Singhs performed gatka and mock sword fighting in the internal roads. Many of the Nihangs wearing huge turbans weighing 30 kg surprised the devotees who had come from far-flung areas.

Gatka (Martial arts) by Nihang Singhs at Anandpur Sahib

Contributed by Harmohan Singh Walia

Dol Jatra , Or Basanta Utsab

The Festival of Holi is celebrated in Bengal with great fervour. With the advent of the warmer days in spring, Nature abounds in colour, and this is reflected in this colourful festival. The colourful powder “abeer” and the liquid colours mixed in water are used for great merriment with the young and the old. It is also a celebration of the triumph of good, over evil. Leg-end has it, that the powerful, arrogant and ambitious king, Hiranyakashyap wanted to establish himself as the most powerful king and demanded to be worshipped as a god. He was rebuffed by his own son Prahlad, who was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu. Hiranyakashyap decided to punish his son and asked for help from Holika, his sister. As Holika was immune to fire, the king asked Holika to lure Prahlad into a flaming pyre with Prahlad on her lap. The intention was to kill Prahlad. Prahlad emerged unscathed by the fire while Holika was burnt to ashes. From Holika to Holi, this festi-val is a big event all over India. In Bengal it has special meaning, too. Basanta Utsab at Shanti Niketan

Rabindranath Tagore, the famous poet Nobel Laureate, revived the spirit of Holi in Bengal as the Spring fes-tival or Basanta Utsab at Shanti Niketan, in the University he founded, called Biswha Bharati. The students dress in yellow Sarees and Kurtas on this day. The yellow colour is Basanti, in Bengali, and hence related to Basanta, the spring season. A number of special cultural programmes commemorating Tagore’s songs, and by dances are performed during the day. Later, all the students and teachers play Holi with 'abeer', (colourful powder), smearing each other's faces with red, yellows and greens. Basanta Utsab has become a highlight of Bengali culture. It draws numerous international tourists every year. Another way Bengalis celebrate Holi is as Dol Jatra or the Swing Festival. Beautiful idols of Krishna and Radha are placed on swings, women sing devotional songs, shower the idols with 'abeer' on them and perform dances. Devotees take turns to swing the idols. The people of Orissa celebrate Holi in a similar manner but here the idols of Jagannath, the deity of the Jagannath Temple of Puri, replace the idols of Krishna and Radha.

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Manipur

In the lush green land of Manipur, in North East India people observe Holi for six days. Holi was introduced to these the eighteenth century, along with Vaishnavism. As time passed, Holi merged with the ancient festival of Yaosang. Traditionally, at night, men perform a folk dance called 'Thaabal Chongba' on the full moon night of Phalgun (this is also the time for Holi) along with folk songs and rhythmic beats of the indigenous drum. However, this moonlight party now has modern bands and fluo-rescent lamps and a bonfire of a thatched hut of hay and twigs is arranged. Boys

bribe the girls to play gulal/abeer with them, by offering money. In temples of Krishna, devotees sing devo-tional songs, perform dances and play 'gulal' wearing traditional white and yellow turbans. On the last day of the festival, large processions are taken out to the main Krishna temple near Imphal where several cultural programs are organised. Coming back to Bengal

Bengalis are renowned for their sweet tooth. So of course this festival needs to be celebrated with sweets. People visit each others houses and savor the delicious dishes, be it the famous Rossogolla or the preparation of Malpua (a dessert made of flour, milk, sugar and dry fruits). The colour, noise and entertainment that ac-companies the celebration of Holi bears witness to the feelings of oneness and a sense of brotherhood and goodwill. No other festival brings home the lesson of spiritual and social harmony as well as the festival of Holi.

- Contributed by Sonelina Pal

Holi in South India The Holi festival is traditionally celebrated more widely in the communities of North India than in the South. However the event is becoming more popular, with wider community recognition and participation, particularly in the urban centres. Some north Indians that migrated to the South post-Independence, such as Marwaris and Punjabis belong to the business community and during Holi shops owned by them are filled will Holi items. Pre-independence migrants such as Goas’s Kudumbi community in Kerala celebrate Holi in a unique style. These migrants tend to reside in specific pockets in the cities of the South. In recent years Holi celebrations have extended to the wider South Indian community through the adoption of the festival by urban professionals and young people influenced by movies and marketing. The Holi festival is increasingly being celebrated in South India, beyond the communities it has its origins in. In Tamil Nadu the Holi period is coincides with celebration of the Kamadahanam legend - or the burning of Kamadeva, the God of Love, by Shiva. According to mythology, following the suicide of Sati in protest against her father’s non-acceptance of her husband Shiva, Shiva decided to withdraw from the world and meditate. The Gods became concerned and afraid of the effects of Shiva’s

withdrawal and approached Kama requesting that an arrow of desire be shot at Lord Shiva to reignite his desire for a life of a householder rather than ascetic. Kama agreed and let an arrow fly…but Shiva, who became disturbed and angered, opened his third eye and instantly burnt Kama to ashes on the spot for his indolence. A grief stricken Rati, Kama’s wife, appealed to Shiva for mercy and requested that Kama be given life. Shiva relented and partly restores Kama to life but only restored the intangible aspects of his form (emotional, mental) but not his physical form. The melancholy songs sung in Tamil Nadu during Holi (Kamadahanam) recount Rati's lamentation that her husband is without form. Holi period festivities in Tamil Nadu can therefore be seen to share similar themes as Holi festivities in some northern cities. Kamadahanam celebrates the victory of spiritual bliss over body or material desires, and celebrates love. In some northern

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cities the application of coloured powder at Holi is recognised as a way in which dark skinned Krishna and fair skinned Radha and the other gopis, playfully concealed their bodily (skin colour) differences and emphasised their emotional or mental similarities and love. Holi has gained wider recognition in Tamil Nadu as Hindi film viewers in South India are exposed to Holi in storylines and songs. The Southern film Aadhi has a song shot in Chennai on the sets of a big house with a Holi-like celebration. Members of the family sprayed colour on each other and wash it off in a big tub of water.. Multinationals and advertisers increasingly cash in with "Holi Bonanzas", “Holi Discounts", “Holi Contests". The consumer festive season that ends with Pongal can now flow into Holi, followed by Vishu. Urban centres – Bangalore and Hyderabad

In Bangalore urban professionals are increasingly celebrating Holi even though it is not a cause for holiday. The migration of urban professionals from the North to work in the booming IT and related industries of the South has brought with it a greater awareness and celebration of Northern festivals in the South. In Hyderabad, the death of Holika – the wicked aunty of Vishnu devotee Prahlad - who was killed in a fire originally prepared for innocent Prahlad, is recognised as the symbolic reason behind the bonfires lit at Holi. People of all backgrounds celebrate the victory of good over evil. Coloured water and powder is sprayed the following day to celebrate Holi, however the joyous abandon of merrymakers in North India, where the general public is liable to be sprayed with coloured water, is far less common in the South. The introduction of widespread Holi festivities in urban centres of the South has not been without growing pains. This year twenty-three people drowned in the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, after plunging into rivers and lakes to wash dye off their skin and clothes. To limit rowdy behaviour Hyderabad city police in recent years ordered the closure of toddy (coconut alcohol) shops, wine shops and bars attached to restaurants. Police also banned throwing of coloured water on persons or property, and the smearing people with colour in public places. To counter this yet still allow for community celebrations, holiday resorts on the outskirts of the city have arranged Holi festivities including rain dance events. According to news reports revellers managed to find places on the outskirts of the city, where spirits were freely available! Hyderabad has also contributed to India’s Holi cultural heritage. Urdu poetry includes the work of Quli Qutab Shah, a renowned South Indian poet who wrote about Holi in a unique Hyderabadi Urdu style. Kudumbis of Kerala

Holi is observed by Kudumbis in Kerala a few days after the North Indian Holi and celebrations are spread over a number of days. In 1864, when Portugese rulers outlawed the use of the Kudumbi language in Goa, many Kudumbis fled Goa. Those who reached Kerala were welcomed by the ruler of Cochin. The Kudumbi community’s Holi celebrations in Kerala are solemn and centred on temple rites. The rites vary between the community’s 20 temples in the state: In some of the Kudumbi temples in Ernakulam, an arecanut tree is felled and carried to the shrine, symbolising Durga's victory over the demons. According to Kudumbi belief the Goddess, in the form of a crocodile, helped the Kudumbis during the community’s migration to Kerala; On the second day of the celebrations Kudumbis spray each other with coloured water (containing turmeric) and dance to traditional Kerala percussion. This ceremony is called 'Manjakkuli', literally yellow wash/bath. Holi for this Keralan community is a time when satire flourishes, barriers are broken and people take licence to tease others. Children are said to take advantage of the occasion to humour their elders. Banjara Tribal festival. At Holi the Banjaras of Andhra Pradesh hold a major ceremony is the dhund ritual for all males born in that year. The dhund ritual recognises both the myths surrounding Kama and Holika and honours both. The tribes people gather around the Holika bonfires dancing in separate groups of men and women. Women bring out sweets in a vessel. This vessel is hung from a tree and a battle takes place between men and women to steal the sweets. The whole community gathers to watch the fight and often the men sing songs to playfully taunt the women. As with the Kudumbis of Kerala, the entire Holi ceremony including the teasing is a chance to release negativity, and is symbolic of a purgation of evil and a process of cleansing.

- Contributed by Divya Raghavan

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The Rath-Yatra of Lord Jaggan-Nathji in Puri.

At the beginning of the Monsoon, the Lord of Puri, Lord Jagannath goes to his garden palace for his annual summer vacation. Lord Jagannath is a form of Lord Krishna. He is called “the Lord of the Universe”. He travels in style from his temple in Puri, to his garden temple, outside the town centre called Gundicha.

Millions flock to see, and to pull the grand chariots from one temple to the other. The English word "Jagannaut" comes from the giant chariots of Lord Jagannath of Puri. Lord Jagannath goes with his elder brother Bala-Rama and his sister Subhadra, on big chariots. As a mark of respect, and humbleness, the king of Puri sweeps the street in front of the chariots. Accompanied by a huge fanfare of drummers, chanters and dancers, the divine travellers begin their journey to the garden temple.

All buildings on the way are colourfully decorated with flags, buntings and awnings of bright colours. Ladies in colourful saries crowd the balconies, doors and windows decked with flowers. Men and women rush to pull the chariots along this main street of Puri. This is an exciting time in Puri. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, away from the innumerable temple servants, away from their spouses, the siblings enjoy their "Vrindavan-like" garden retreat. The temple routine in the garden temple is very much relaxed compared to the main temple. Various festivities and fun are planned for their short stay in this luxury abode. As the Lord has only taken his brother and his sister on this holiday, the wives are left at home! Alone and brooding, Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess of wealth), seeks help from Goddess Vimala to get their husband back. Travelling by night, in a closed palanquin, she arrives at the garden temple of the Lord. She enchants the Lord and entreats him to return.

A few days later, the Lord returns to his city temple. Though delighted, goddess Lakshmi orders the temple doors to be shut in His face - in the vain hope of teaching Him a lesson! In the conversation that follows, female attendants of the Goddess blame the Lord of being inconsiderate, "Jack the Lad", taking His wife for granted and being far too easily led by the in-laws (sounds familiar?). The devotees in Puri see Janannath as their

friend, not their Master, as in other lilas. They draw many comparisons between their own life and that of the Lord.

Back at the temple, the Lord's servants explain that He really had no choice, as they bring Him back. He went against His will. He still loves Her deeply and respects Her enormously!! Eventually, the Lord offers the female gate-keepers bribes and enters the temple to pacify the Goddess Lakshmi. Such are the dramas of a married man's life! The next day, Lord and the Goddess once again appear in the public, reconciled and as loving as ever. Holidays are over, and life in the great temple returns to its age old routine. Such is the reverence, the fun, the mysticism, and overall bliss of Rathyatra in Jagannatha Puri. The Ratha-Yatra of Lord Jaggan-Nathji in the West

The first time the Festival of the Chariots was performed outside of India was in1967 in San Francisco, under the supervision of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada, as he is more affectionately known, is the Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), Srila Prabhupada lead the Hare Krishna Movement, guiding his disciples to open temples and perform festivals all over the world. Srila Prabhupada first got the idea for performing the festival in San

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Francisco, while looking out the window of his room above Frederick Street. Noticing flatbed trucks passing below, he thought of putting the Jagannatha deities on the back of such a truck and conducting the Ratha Yatra festival. He had even sketched a truck with a four-pillared canopy on the back and decorated it with flags, bells, and flower garlands, just like in Puri. `Several months later, there was the cart - a yellow Hertz rental truck, complete with five-foot columns and a pyramidal cloth canopy.

Furthermore, Prabhupäda told the devotees they should make a procession and distribute prasadam (food offered to Lord Jagannatha) and hold kirtana (chanting of the names of the Lord). The people should get a chance to see Lord Jagannätha and chant Hare Krishna. There should be chanting and dancing in front of the cart throughout the procession. Do everything nicely," Prabhupäda said. Do it as well as you can, and Lord Jagannatha will be satisfied." It was great! It was wonderful! It was beautiful, everyone said. And Prabhupada listened, moved by his disciples' description of the celebration. Many had joined the large procession. Everyone in the streets had liked it and had chanted and danced with the devotees. From there in San Francisco, the Festival of the Chariots has been performed every year since, and now there are festivals celebrating Lord Jagannatha in every country in the world. Also in Australia for nearly three decades.

RATHA-YATRA IN SYDNEY CBD

Although the festival has been held continuously in Sydney and surrounding regions, in 2006 we were very happy to bring Lord Jagannatha and His associates and devotees into the heart of the city for the benefit of all it's citizens in conjunction with the annual Holi Mahotsav in Darling Harbour hosted by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. This year we are back in a bigger scale. During the two days of Holi Mahotsav

in Chinese Garden Forecourt and Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour (31 March and 1April) Lord Jagannatha will be worshipped with great opulence and will be available for darshan (sacred viewing) during that time.

PARADE ROUTE

Begins at 9:30am at Hyde Park (Archibald Fountain) through to St James Road; Elizabeth Street; Park Street; George Street; Liverpool Street; arriving at 11am at Darling Harbour.

Padmanabha Das (Patrick Stultiens)

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Ayurveda and Modern Medicine

Ayurveda, the science of life, (Ayu=life;vid=science) is part of the ageless Vedic heritage of India. Speculations about its origin go back thousands of years before Christ. Extensive literature on this subject, dating back to the fourth century BC, has one thing in common that the essence of Ayurveda is to preserve good health, which is every human being's birthright. Ayurveda prescribes life style changes with emphasis on tranquility of mind that is filled with universal compassion, as an insurance against an occasional illness. In this system disease is only an accident. Just as road accidents are rare if one follows traffic rules, disease would be an exception if one follows the life style prescribed in Ayurveda, which is not hard to comply with.

The human body has an inbuilt powerful immune system that could correct most, if not all, ills that man is heir to. In the unlikely event of this mechanism failing, and only then, should doctors interfere to help the system, when possible. In fact, the concept of immune deficiency syndromes had been prevalent there. Immune boosting methods are the mainstay of Ayurvedic therapeutics, the panchakarmas, and the five modalities.

Swasthasya swastha rakshitham (Keep the well healthy as long as possible is the motto). This motto would be great help to modern medicine where a stage has come, what, with an array of scopes and scanners, coupled with our inability to define normality precisely, we end up with having no normal healthy human beings at all. Among the many methods of preserving health in Ayurveda, the one that stands out is Sage Patanjali's Yoga Shashtra, Unlike what is sold by the new age gurus, original Yoga had eight wings: rules for day to day living including diet, the art and ethics of living, regular exercise menu, the all important breathing method-pranayaama, detached outlook towards life, yogic postures for constant ease to enable one to practice the next steps of dhyaan a-conc&nir&tion, tranquility of mind, and the ultimate realisation of the impermanence of life to make man fearless even in the face of death.

Thus defined, Yoga becomes a way of life and not just a few contortions of the body for an hour or so daily. Yoga, in its true form, is a way of life. Another distinct philosophy in Ayurveda is that every disease begins in our thoughts (consciousness) and grows in the body. Genetic contributions are very clearly understood, in addition. The concept is holistic and never reductionist. Man is a part of the universal consciousness, the environment and even the stars are supposed to have a role to play. Modern medicine is just trying to grapple with the role played by the mind in serious illnesses. Science, especially quantum physics, seems to be going into the new realm of human consciousness. Werner Heisenberg's Uncertainty principle and Ervin Schrodinger's Cat Hypothesis point in that direction. Recent studies of patients revived after cardiac arrest and those undergoing brain surgeries have pointed to the possibility of human consciousness (mind) out with the brain in every single human cell. This all-pervasive consciousness has been the hallmark of Ayurvedic thinking. Effectiveness of Ayurveda:

In the absence of its recognition by the main line science journals, the studies in the field of Ayurveda find it very difficult to get published, but there have been modern scientific enquiries into the effects of Yogic breathing. Millions all over the world now practice breathing methods for good health. It has become big business with all market force trappings.

Small pox, the only scourge that we have been able to eradicate so far, was done with the help of

The Twain Together can benefit humans’ health

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vaccination. The authentication for Edward Jenner's anecdotal experience came from the prospective controlled study observations of a London physician, T.Z.Holwell, FRCP, FRS, who after studying Indian vaccination systems prospectively for twenty long years in the Bengal province of the Raj, reported his findings to the President and Fellows of the London College in 1747. He wrote that the antiquity and the authenticity (ninety percent protection of the vaccinated) could certainly give credibility to Jenner's method.

The graphic descriptions of the Indian method and its efficacy are portrayed in his paper, which could be viewed in the archives of the College library even today. Although slightly damaged by the great London fire of the eighteenth century, the document, providentially, survived the fire to show the original method that eventually led to the eradication of the greatest scourge of mankind. Recent evidence also suggests that the mind could initiate the cardiac rhythm and also the arrhythmias. Ayurveda classifies human beings into three distinct types. vaata, pitta, and kapha with multiple subtypes. This typing takes into account the pheno-typical and geno-typical features, in addition to consciousness. In short, it is a holistic concept unlike the modern medical method of matching groups for controlled studies based on tiny fractions of the phenotype. Like height, weight, age, sex and body mass index with a few of the biochemical and physical characteristics.

This kind of science of reductionism has led to doctors predicting the unpredictable. An experienced Ayurvedic physician could classify his patients based on these types since the treatment modalities are individualistic and not based on controlled studies as in modern medicine. Each patient needs individual titralion of the methods used for him. Since time-evolution, in a dynamic system, depends on the total initial state of the organism, controlled studies could be done using these personality types to match cohorts for belter results in future. There are computerized systems to classify people based on this system.

Ayurveda does not look at the human body as a sum total of the organs. The physiology in Ayurveda takes into account every aspect of man's existence, including the planetary influence. There is a whole science of Ayurvedic astrology. The various rhythms of the body like the circadian and ultradian were explained by their mode-locking to the most dominant rhythm of breathing. Breathing could control all the systems in the body except the one rhythm that occurs outside twenty-four hour cycle-the menstrual cycle that occurs once in twenty-eight days. This, Ayurveda. claimed is under the gravitational pull of the moon stimulating the human brain! “Kujendu hetu prathimaasaarthavam” (Because of the moon the woman menstruates once a month).

This might have looked very odd but for the fact that recent advances in human physiology have shown that the final stimulus for the endocrine orchestra that maintains the infradien rhythm of menstruation comes, from the gravitational effect of the moon on the cortical cells. Most of the present day "so-called" Ayurvedic drugs in the market are reductionist in that they are only the extracts of the active principle in the plant to conform to the modern medical standards of drug sales. Dravyaguna, Ayurvedic pharmacodynamics, does not deal with active principles.

It deals with the whole plant extract as envisaged in the ancient texts. This takes into effect even the photodynamicity of the plant. Some plants are to be harvested only after sunset lest their properties should change if harvested while the sun is up. Modern medicine now tells us that extracts might have serious side effects in the long run. Vitamin C in large doses, over long periods, could encourage cancer growth in the body, but eating tomato daily with lots of vitamin C in it, would not harm the body. There are many unknown chemicals in the whole plant that prevent the active ingredient from harming the patient while, at the same time, potentiating the good effects of the active principle. We will have to standardise the drug delivery methods to conform to the present standards but on the basis of holism only.

In fact, herbal medicines are the least important part of Ayurvedic therapeutics. While yoga, panchakarma, and surgery are the main stay, herbal medicines are occasionally used. Ayurvedic surgery was so advanced

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that the rhinoplasty method used by the Ayurvedic physician, Shushruta, is being used by plastic surgeons even today. His anatomy classes lasted more than two years for students and he had devised most of the important emergency surgical methods. His main job is to study his patient in great detail with special reference to his surroundings and classify him. Having done that he should then try and tailor the management strategies. Most of them would need panchakarma methods. Almost all of them would do well with change of mode of living that ayurveda prescribes with special emphasis on diet, yoga, and exercise.

Rarely do surgical methods and/or drugs become appropriate. With advances in modern science and technology one cannot ignore the benefits of using modern hi-tech methods for emergency care. This requires the conventional ayurvedic doctor to have a reasonably good knowledge of the modern medical methods to be able to give proper advice to patients. A judicious combination of modern medicine and ayurveda would be an ideal training for a family doctor. More skilled specialists in either system could be used only at the referral point. This would bring down the top-heavy cost of modern medical care remarkably. More than eighty per cent of the illnesses are either minor or self-correcting. They could easily be helped using ayurvedic methods and a placebo doctor. In addition, Ayurveda could help chronic debilitating diseases to a great extent, at a very small cost to the taxpayer. About ten per cent of the time modern medicine becomes mandatory. Roughly, ninety per cent of the unnecessary cost could be reduced for the benefit of all without detriment to public health. Rather, most of the iatrogenic problems could thus be avoided. Iatrogenesis is usually due to the long-term side effects of modern drugs. The latter form about fifteen per cent of hospital admissions.

Modern medical doctors, who do not have an idea of Ayurveda and how it works, could be baffled when confronted with a patient who has probably taken the wrong advice from unscrupulous ayurvedic practitioners. The whole gamut of these intricacies would have to be thrashed out before changing the system of medical education into a complementary holistic system. Ayurveda would not be of much use in an emergency. For the management of emergencies we have to follow the modern medical methods. But for all the chronic degenerative and ageing problems Ayurveda is a panacea. The cost is very small in comparison. Modern medical drugs and interventions are good for acute emergencies, but in the long run most of them have run into serious problems.

Source: B.M. Hegde, Bhavan’s Journal 28 February 2007

"Qantas is proud to be supporting the 2007 Holi Mahotsav Festival. A time for families and friends to join together and celebrate the colour and vibrancy of the festival of Spring. Qantas wishes everyone a bright and happy Holi Mahotsav."

- Simon Bernardi, Regional General Manager New South Wales, Qantas

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'Dear Sir', wrote a friend of mine, 'My mother passed away on Feb. 18. She first lost consciousness - after three days of very poor intake of food - at 4 p. m. on 17th and continued breathing through mouth till 8.30 a.m. the next day. She must have been aware of what was happening around her. We played some of her favourite songs on the tape and CD. Thanks very much for helping us to introduce a novel therapy when she was alive. It certainly helped to prolong her life and contribute to her quality of living.'

A 75 year old lady was a cancer patient, who was abandoned by the medical profession after trying various measures including radiation. She had no place to go except to face the music. Instead of facing 'music', she was advised to 'hear' the music, which made all the difference in her home front!

The ailing lady was advised a dose of songs which she used to sing or hear during her childhood and adolescents. Her son made all arrangements to get those favourites re-recorded in CD's which were played to her at least thrice a day for 30 minutes, immediately after she had had her meal.

The result was encouraging. From a helpless and frustrated behaviour with the children in the household, she became cheerful and even participative in the household choirs. Death, did take her away from them. But thanks to the palliative music, her last days were made pleasant.

The palliative care movement in Australia began in the early 1980's in response to the needs of the dying. In recent decades, palliative care has evolved and developed into a recognised specialty of healthcare practice that acknowledges the holistic needs of patients and their families/carers. In preparing for their death, patients with terminal illnesses may express a need to explore and confirm their identity in terms of their familial, social, cultural and ethnic heritage. It is for music therapists to build upon existing foundations to consolidate music therapy's future in palliative care and eventually into a larger healthcare movement.

When people are dying, they fluctuate through various psychological states. Several observers have tried to incorporate these psychological states into theoretical models that describe the process of dying. There are four theoretical models drawing on the early work of Kubler-Ross .

One of these models by West (1994) has suggested ways that music therapy can support terminally ill patient. Many music therapists are of the view that this theoretical model can be incorporated into music therapy practices for terminally ill patients. With a heightened awareness of these suggestions and theoretical models of the dying process supported by examples of how they are applied, music therapists will be better informed in their clinical work with terminally ill patients.

The presentation of known songs and adaptations of known songs - as was experimented here - elicited a range of responses in the lady.

Further study of the role and effects of music with this patient group is required.

It is clear that a multi-disciplinary music therapy treatment team approach for hospice and palliative care units will prove very useful as the process of dying will be transformed into a beautiful pathway of rose petals - thanks to the magic in music.

Music as Palliative Care

William Wordsworth, Bhavan’s Journal 28 February 2007

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Gandhi and Lincoln

IN his introduction to Lincoln's speeches and letters P. Angle aptly observes, "without an understanding of Lin-coln, one can have no more than an imperfect grasp of the course of the United States for the past century, and cannot fully know the nation as it is today." How very true is this about Gandhi and India! For after 1915, the story of Gandhi's life and the history of India's freedom struggle become almost synonymous terms. The under-standing of one without the other would remain incom-plete and distorted. Both Gandhi and Lincoln were hu-man and humane; both were relentless fighters against injustice and inequality and great liberators of mankind. They dominated the political scene in their respective countries like titans, gave new turn to political events and a new philosophy to their nations.

Gandhi's faith in God and human nature was deep and abiding and his love for truth immense and unalter-able. Lincoln also believed that "the purposes of the Almighty are perfect and must prevail." So also did he regard Truth as man's truest friend under all circumstances. That both cared more about their own conscience than about external approbations or encomiums is proved by the fact that Gandhi embarked upon fasts and preferred to face a self-imposed ordeal disregarding the advice of friends and well-wishers in response to a call from conscience and Lincoln replying to the Missouri Committee in 1864 observed,1 "I desire so to con-duct the affairs of this administration that if at the end, when I come to lay down the reins of power, I have lost every other friend on earth, I shall at least have one friend left, and that friend shall be down inside me." For Gandhi, no man was too mean to be loved or trusted for even the lowest of the low represented the Lord in his own way. Like the poet, he also would say "My path is with the pathless and my tract with the tract-less." Seeing the deity even in the most despicable man, he could not and did not suspect human nature; on the contrary, he saw immense possibilities of progress open to every one, however depraved he be. What was needed to open these floodgates was a sympathetic attitude, a human and skilled treatment. According to him, if we only know how to strike the right chord, we can surely bring out the music. Arguing in the same vein, Lincoln said in his first speech on slavery: "The great majority, South as well as North have human sympathies of which they can no more divest themselves than they can of their sensibility to physical pain." Liberty and equality

Though Gandhi propounded no theory of rights, he was both a great advocate of and fighter for the inalien-able rights of man. As a Satyagrahi, he stood for the natural and moral right of man to fight evil and injus-tice. He had to wage a ceaseless battle to gain liberty for his country from alien and unwilling hands as also for gaining equality of status for the untouchable — the lowliest and the lost of the Hindu society very much like Lincoln who fought a life-long battle to restore the rights of the slaves — the damned and the con-demned in the American society. One major difference between the two great champions of liberty lies in the methods adopted by them. Whereas Gandhi wanted strict adherence to nonviolence in all his struggles great and small, Lincoln's wrath against the wrongdoers was so great that he did not mind taking resort to violence if it became inevitable. Putting forward a strong plea for the abolition of slavery, he said in an enraged tone "... it is your sense of justice and human sympathy, continually telling you that the poor Negro has some natural rights to himself — that those who deny it and make mere merchandise of him, deserve kickings, contempt and death. However, like Gandhi who exhorted his people to rely on their own strength and capac-ity to undergo hardships and sufferings for the sake of the liberation of India, Lincoln too advised the Ameri-can people to rely on their love of liberty rather than on external aids. Talking on the spirit of Liberty, he convincingly argued, "What constitutes the bulwark of our own liberty and independence? It is not our frowning battlements, our bristling sea coasts, the guns of our war steamers, or the strength of our gallant,

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disciplined army. These are not our reliance against a resumption of tyranny in our fair land. All of them may be turned against our liberties, without making us stronger or weaker for the struggle. Our reliance is on the love of liberty which God has planted in our bosoms. Our defence is in the preservation of the spirit which prizes liberty as the heritage of all men in all lands everywhere."

Though Gandhi accepted the old varnashramic system as a valid principle for the organization of the society and its stability and progress, he did not accept its debased form and hence refused to acknowledge any sense of superiority and inferiority between the different varnas. As a matter of fact, his whole being re-volted against discrimination, be it between individuals or castes or varnas or between different races. In South Africa, he led a successful struggle for the restoration of civic and social equality when he discovered that Indians were denied the rights enjoyed by the Europeans for no other reason but the colour of their skin. The racial discrimination prevailing in that country cut him to the quick very much as the unwarranted and inhuman practice of untouchability in India bruised his sensitive heart. For him, both the racial discrimina-tion practised against the Negroes in America and the social ostracism against the Harijans in India were like cancerous growths hampering the healthy progress of the American and the Indian societies; they were mani-festations of the same virus of inequality and a false sense of superiority. Making a passionate plea for equality he wrote: "The real white man's burden is not insolently to dominate coloured or black people under the guise of protection; it is to desist from the hypocrisy which is eating into them. It is time white men learnt to treat every human being as their equal. There is no mystery about whiteness of the skin. It has re-peatedly been proved that given equal opportunity, be he of any colour or country, is fully equal to any other."

In a similar vein, Lincoln too made an ardent appeal to his countrymen to discard all differences and unite as one people. Though he did believe that all men are created equal, this was not construed by him to mean that all men are created equal in all respects; they were equal in regard to their right to "life, liberty and the pur-suit of happiness. As he asserted in one of his speeches: "Certainly, the Negro is not our equal in colour, per-haps not in many other respects; still, in the right to put into his mouth the bread that his own hands have earned, he is the equal of every other man, white or black. In pointing out that more has been given you, you cannot be justified in taking away the little which has been given him. All I ask for the Negro is that if you do not like him, let him alone. If God gave him but little, that little let him enjoy. Thus equality did not mean identity for either Lincoln or Gandhi. They neither pleaded for depriving the favoured ones of their special comforts and privileges nor for reducing all to the same social or economic level. What they pleaded for was the right of all human beings — irrespective of their caste or colour to lead their lives in their own way un-hampered by social or political discrimination, to be treated not as mere things or chattel but as dignified, respectable human beings. Theirs was a plea for justice and airplay, for equity and human and humane re-gard for all men and all races. Satyagraha, as conceived by Gandhi is adherence to and following of Truth and justice even at the cost of one's life. Gandhi never preached unconditional obedience to the laws of the state, especially when it conflicted with the higher or the divine law or the dictates of one's conscience. Saty agraha, however) is not a means to spread chaos or anarchy or disintegration. It is necessary for a citizen, before he becomes a Satyagrahi, to cultivate the habit of rendering willing obedience to law.

Emphasizing the role of necessary discipline in a Satyagrahi, Gandhi maintains: "A Satyagrahi obeys the laws of society intelligently and of his own free will because he considers it his sacred duty to do so. It is only when a person has thus obeyed the laws of society scrupulously that he is in a position to judge as to which particular rules are good and just and which unjust and iniquitous. Only then does the right accrue to him of the civil disobedience of certain laws in well-defined circumstances". By and large, Lincoln too preached obedience to laws. As regards bad laws he, no doubt, wanted them to be repealed at the earliest possible opportunity but so long as they did exist, his advice to the citizens was to abide by them. Like Gan-dhi, he believed that obedience to the law is the price one has to pay for one's liberty. In a Socratic vein, he argued that to violate the law is to trample on the blood of our ancestors and to tear the charter of one's own and one's children's liberty. He wanted reverence for the laws to become the political religion of the nation. However, being essentially a liberator, he could not but justify a revolution as and when it seemed to be in-

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evitable. Justifying the right to revolt, he observed: "Any people anywhere being inclined and having the power have the right to rise up and shake off the exist-ing government and form a new one that suits them bet-ter. That is a most valuable, a most sacred right — a right which we hope and believe is to liberate the world." This right, according to him, again can be exer-cised even by a dissatisfied section of the people, i.e. for a revolution to be just, it is not necessary that it should be the revolution of the whole nation. When a minority is tyrannized or deprived of its constitutional right, it has the moral right to rise in revolt against the majority

trying to crush it by the mere force of numbers. He, however, was not preaching anarchy and was in favour of the government being equipped with the necessary powers for "preventing and redressing all wrongs which are wrongs to itself," and putting down a movement meant to overthrow the government. As he rightly believed "no government proper, ever had a provision for its own termination!" Like Gandhi who believed in the close correlation between morals and politics and consequently between rights and duties and argued that perhaps the right to perform one's duty is the only right worth living for and dying for, Lincoln also believed that it is "eternal right that makes might" and that it is incumbent upon every citizen to perform his duty as he understands it. Government

Government, according to Lincoln was "the combination of the people of a country to effect certain objects by joint effort." Like the individualists, both Lincoln and Gandhi, were against state-interference or giving too much power to the government. The government, according to them, was charged with the responsibility of providing for the general welfare. This, however, should not be construed to mean that the government has a right to encroach upon that sphere of an individual's life which is strictly personal. Reminding us of Mill, Lincoln asserted, "My faith in the proposition that each man should do precisely as he pleases with all which is exclusively his own lies at the foundation of the sense of justice there is in me.

Consent of the governed was considered to be an essential of democracy both by Lincoln and Gandhi. Lin-coln made it very clear that in his opinion, "no man is good enough to govern another man without his con-sent and so did Gandhi who contented that by Swaraj, he meant the government of India by the consent of the people. Again, both were convinced that the best way to ascertain the wishes of the people was to hold free, periodical elections, i.e. they preferred 'peaceful ballots to bloody bullets' for establishing and main-taining democracy, the rule of the right. Though both were strong advocates of the rights of minorities, they were practical enough to realize that under normal circumstances, the majority must be allowed to rule and majority opinion to prevail provided it functions within the limitations imposed upon it by the constitution and is in accord with public opinion. Lincoln's argument is: "A majority held in restraint by constitutional checks and limitations, and always changing easily with deliberate changes of popular opinions and senti-ments, is the only true sovereign of a free people.""

Tolerance on the part of those in charge of power and vigilance on the part of the people were accepted by both as two important prerequisites of democracy. Gandhi insisted on tolerating and understanding the oppo-nent's point of view for a healthy public life. Exhorting the Americans to adopt a charitable attitude, Lincoln observed, "Let us neither express nor cherish any hard feeling toward any citizen who, by his vote has dif-fered with us. Let us at all times remember that all American citizens are brothers of a common country, and should dwell together in the bonds of fraternal feeling." Both Lincoln and Gandhi were firmly of the opinion that democracy could not function successfully in a state where people acted like sheep, that under a true democracy people should zealously guard liberty of opinion and action, and be ever vigilant and watchful of the government. It was their faith that alertness and virtuousness on the part of the people will act as an auto-matic check on the government to public opinion. As Lincoln beautifully puts it: "While the people retain

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Source: Usha Mehta - Mahatma Gandhi & Humanism, Published by Bhavan’s Book University

their virtue and vigilance, no administration by any extreme of wickedness or folly, can very seriously injure the government in the short space of four years."

Though abolition of slavery was one of the foremost concerns of Lincoln, he did not want it at the cost of the weakening or disintegrating of the Union. In a letter to The New York Tribune in 1862, he wrote: "... my paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or destroy slavery. If I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it. Though Gandhi favoured redistribution of states on a linguis-tic basis, he was emphatically of the opinion that it should not militate against the organic unity of India. Autonomy, as he argued, was not to be mistaken for the disruption of the essential unity of the land, i.e. de-spite administrative division of the country into different states, the hearts and minds of the people should remain one and united. This is what Lincoln meant when he said that the Union of the states should as much be a union of hearts as of hands.

The same trend towards unity and integration is visible in the views of the two leaders on the relation be-tween economic classes and between nations. Neither Lincoln nor Gandhi desired to liquidate capitalists or to abolish private property. Lincoln regarded property as a positive good; if some are rich, he argued it would work as an encouragement to industry and enterprise in the propertyless. Similarly, Gandhi made it amply clear that he had no quarrel with the capitalist though he wanted to fight capitalism. For him, labour and capital were not opposed to each other.

Like Gandhi who believed in the principle of bread labour, Lincoln too was of the opinion that labour is the source of all human needs or that capital is the fruit of labour and hence its value and worth should be prop-erly recognized. His argument was "... in as much as most good things are produced by labour, it follows that all such things of right belong to those whose labour has produced them. Peace

Both Lincoln and Gandhi were essentially lovers of peace. Lincoln, however, left no doubt about the fact that he wanted peace consistently with the maintenance of government, i.e. if the choice was between peace and lawlessness, despite knowing the folly of inviting a war, he would not hesitate in taking recourse to arms as an inevitable step towards peace. Gandhi was more hopeful about the possibility of permanent peace in the world and about its being achieved through love though he admitted that it may be long before the law of love will be recognized in international affairs... Yet he was of the view that the world was moving steadily to realize that between nation and nation, as between man and man, force has failed to solve problems." He also, however, was not for peace at any cost or by placating the aggressor at the cost of honour. Of course, Lincoln did not share Gandhi's deep faith in nonviolence and Gandhi doubted the efficacy of the institutional framework of parliamentary democracy but the two leaders of mankind and saviours of the suppressed work-ing under different circumstances and at different periods of time held certain fundamental beliefs in com-mon. Both were lovers of truth and justice, fighters for freedom and inherent rights of the individual, advo-cates of democracy and purity in public life, men who served their country and through it humanity at large and left an indelible impress on the course of human history.

"Women make up more than half the population, perform 2/3 of the world's work ... However women earn only 10% of the world's income and own 1% of the world's property . If we are serious about achieving peace then we must be committed to women's empowerment." from Peace, Conflict, and Violence: Peace Psychology for the 21st Century

- http://www.peace.ca/peacepsychology.htm

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Migration Heritage Centre brings migrant history to life

The NSW Migration Heritage Centre celebrated the 60th anniversary of mass migration following the Second World War at a reception at the Powerhouse Museum on 12 March 2007. 1947 is regarded as the beginning of Australia's broader migration program which included non-British migrants.

Hundreds of guests graced the Powerhouse Museum for an evening reception on 12 March - the day when the Misr ship carried migrants to Australian shores six decades ago. Senior government representatives, community leaders and media partners celebrated Australia's vibrant past and set the stage for a symphony of cultures. Guests were in the presence of Her Excellency, Professor Marie Bashir, AC CVO, Governor of New South Wales.

Her Excellency, Professor Marie Bashir, AC CVO, Governor of New South Wales said that "Today, the vast majority of Australian people - especially our young people, - take immense pride in the rich ethno-cultural diversity which those pioneers initiated in our multicultural communities. People have come from the farthest corners of the earth to become Australians and to build a great society".

Sailing from Port Said, Egypt, the Misr ship carried hundreds of passengers of whom many were planning to settle in New South Wales. Passengers bound for New South Wales included people of Greek, Lebanese, Italian, Yugoslav, Palestinian, Polish, Czech, Romanian, Jewish, German, Austrian, Russian and Hungarian backgrounds.

Dr Nick Pappas, President, Board of Trustees, Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences said that "If the Misr's story teaches us anything, it is that we must be eternally vigilant of the dangers of intolerance that are prevalent today as they were in 1947."

To commemorate the 60th anniversary, Fairfax's Sydney Morning Herald online, in association with the NSW Migration Heritage Centre, has produced a compelling mini-documentary depicting the personal stories of some of these Misr passengers - their stories will inspire and be remembered as capturing the essence of Australia's migration heritage. This documentary can be accessed through the Centre's website. Fairfax will continue to promote the Centre's online exhibitions throughout the anniversary year.

Another reason for celebration was the innovative and virtual nature of the Migration Heritage Centre, similar to an online museum, providing extraordinary insights into the lives of the former migrants -men, women and children - who have shaped and developed Australia's rich history.

The gateway - available online at www.migrationheritage.nsw.gov.au- tracks the footsteps of migrants through an eye-opening audio-visual experience of community collections, family belongings, people's memories and special places no matter where they are in NSW.

One of the Centre's online exhibitions, Belongings: post-WW2 migration memories and journeys: www.belongings.com.au, features a former migrant, Mr Chafic Ataya, who arrived on the Misr in 1947: www.migrationheritage.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/belongings/people/ataya

"The experience of migration to Australia must be incorporated into mainstream social history," said Mr Anthony Sukari, Chair, Panel of Advisors, NSW Migration Heritage Centre. "It clearly is an integral part of our nation's history."

Today, four out of every ten people in New South Wales are either migrants, or the children of migrants. The Centre recognises that migration has touched the Australian way of life though a myriad of cultures and traditions.

The Migration Heritage Centre is located at the Powerhouse Museum and is a New South Wales Government initiative supported by the Community Relations Commission.

Media contact: John Petersen, Manager, NSW Migration Heritage Centre. Tel: (02) 9217 0625 Fax: (02) 9217 0628 Email: johnp@phm.gov.au

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In the 19th century, English-educated Indians in Calcutta (now Kolkata) were increasingly succumbing to Western influence and developing contempt for everything traditional. It was then that an illiterate sage whose teaching helped reestablish faith in the ancient religious traditions and spread the message that all religions were true and deserved equal respect, appeared in Bengal. This sage was Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, whose famous disciple, Swami Vivekananda, later took the world by storm. Ramakrishna was born at Kamarpukur, about 100 km northwest of Kolkata, in Hooghly district. A remote village once accessible only by bullock cart or palanquin, Kamarpukur is now a major place of pilgrimage. A temple marks the spot where the sage was born in 1836.

Jayrambati, 5 km away in Bankura district, is the hometown of Sarada Devi, wife of Ramakrishna and revered by devotees as Holy Mother. The Ramakrishna Math, headquartered in Belur, Howrah, has established temples at both Kamarpukur and Jayrambati. The ambience at both places ipeaceful, and visitors will find the atmosphere there charming and purifying. Devotees find a visit spiritually uplifting. There are guest houses where devotees are accommodated on prior application. Two or three lodges also exist which overflow during the peak season, when festivals are organised at the temples.

Hundreds of pilgrims visit these places every day, travelling by car or bus from the major cities. Pilgrims include many foreigners from the West still under the spell of Vivekananda. The ancestral houses of Ramakrishna and Sarada Devi have been maintained in perfect condition by the math authorities. The houses were built in the traditional manner, with mud walls and floor, and have roofs made of straw. At Kamarpukur, there is the pathashala where Ramakrishna had rudimentary education as a boy. It was run by the zamindar family of the Lahas, whose descendants still live in the village. Nearby is the Lahas' Durga temple, and the Vishnu temple, the latter said to have an underground tunnel where people went into hiding during the Maratha depredations under the Peshwas. Other important sights at Kamarpukur are the places and temples that have become famous due to their association with the sage.

Prominent among these are the three Siva temples and the Vishalakshi temple at nearby Anoor. The Yogi Siva temple stands in front of the math at Kamarpukur. Devotees specially venerate this temple as it is said that a divine light from the lingam entered the body of Ramakrishna' s mother when she conceived him. A mango tree planted by the sage as a boy still stands near the temple gate. At Jayrambati there is the famous Simhavahini temple whose soil is said to possess healing properties. There are numerous other places nearby that are worth visiting due to their connection with Ramakrishna and Sarada Devi. Public fairs are organised for several weeks during their birth anniversaries when thousands throng from far and near. Music, dance and theatre are among events organised by the math authorities on these occasions. Jayrambati is also famous for the Jagaddhhatri puja, which is held on a grand scale after Kali puja. The birth anniversary of Ramakrishna this year falls on February 19 The birth of Holy Mother is celebrated in December.

Buses are available from Kolkata or from Howrah station, which take nearly four hours to reach. Local trains run from Howrah to Tarakeswar, from where connecting buses are available. The Railways has begun work on a pilgrim tourist circuit. The existing Howrah-Tarakeswar line is being extended to touch Kamarpukur, Jayrambati and other spots up to Bishnupur, the temple town. Tarakeswar is known for an ancient Siva temple.

Get a Spiritual Recharge

Source: Karunamoy, Bhavan’s Journal March 15 2007

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

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Woman as seen by Mahatma Gandhi

Woman is the incarnation of ahimsa. Ahimsa means infinite love, which again means infinite capacity for suffering. Woman is the embodiment of sacrifice and suffering and her advent to public life should, therefore, result in purifying it, in restraining unbridled ambition and accumulation of property. Woman is more fitted than man to make explorations and take bolder action in ahimsa. Women are special custodians of all that is pure and religious in life. A woman’s intuition has often proved truer than man’s arrogant assumption of superior knowledge. The woman who knows and fulfils her duty realizes her dignified status. The woman has circumvented man in a variety of ways in her unconsciously subtle ways, as the man has vainly and equally consciously struggled to thwart the woman in gaining ascendancy over him. The duty of motherhood, which the vast majority of woman will always undertake, requires the qualities which men need not possess. A fearless woman who knows that her purity is her best shield can never be dishonoured. There is no occasion for women to consider themselves subordinate or inferior to men. Woman is the companion of man, gifted with equal mental capacities. If by strength is meant moral power, then woman is immeasurably man’s superior. If non-violence is the law of our being, the future is with woman. To call women the weaker sex is a libel; it is man’s injustice to woman. Who can make a more effective appeal to the heart than woman? Man is born of woman; he is flesh of her flesh and bone of her bone. Man the law-giver will have to pay a dreadful penalty for the degradation he has imposed upon the so called weaker sex. Men to be men must be able to trust their womenfolk, even as the latter are compelled to trust them. Marriage is not an act of services. It is a comfort man or woman seeks for himself or herself. Marriage must cease to be a matter of arrangement made by parents for money. Languages proclaim that woman is half of man, and by parity of reasoning, man is half of woman. I am the only one, whom you may find it hard to get rid of, for I have always counted myself as a woman. I have mentally become a woman in order to steal into her heart. My own opinion is that, just as fundamentally man and woman are one; their problem must be one in essence. What is it but my ahimsa that draws thousands of women to me in fearless confidence? For the courage of self-sacrifice, woman is any time superior to man, as I believe man is to woman for the courage of the brute. Woman, I hold, is the personification of self-sacrifice, but unfortunately today she does not realise what a tremendous advantage she has over man. Any young man, who makes dowry a condition to marriage, discredits his education and his country and dishonours womanhood. Contraceptives are an insult to womanhood. If you want to play your part in the world’s affairs, you must refuse to deck yourselves for pleasing man. If what passed as non-violence did not enable people to protect the honour of women, or if it did not enable women to protect their own honour, it was not non-violence. Why should men arrogate to themselves the right to regulate female purity? Man has regarded woman as his tool. She has learnt to be his tool and in the end found it easy and pleasurable to be such, because when one drags another in his fall, the descent it easy.

- Compiled by Gambhir Watts

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Ayurveda means "Science of Life" in the Sanskrit language and is commonly understood as "The Science of Indian Medicine". The World Health Organisation acknowledges Ayurveda as the world’s most ancient, scientific, holistic and complete health care system. Ayurveda is from India and rapidly gaining prominence throughout the world. As per Ayurveda, the individual body is composed of the five Mahabhoutas (Elements) namely: Ether, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. In the body these Five Mahabhoutas are explained in terms of the three Doshas/ Energies - Vata, Pitta and Kapha (the five elements condensing to 3 Doshas), the seven Dhatus (Body tissues) and the three Malas (Body wastes), applicable to humans, animals and plants. In medicine, food, & the environment, these Elements are represented by Rasa (taste), Guna (qualities), Virya (potency) and Vipaka (post digestive taste) and Prabhava (special effects).

In Ayurveda the physiological and the psychological functions of the body are known to be intricately woven, with the body having a natural tendency to maintain equilibrium for optimum health. Certain morbid influences (emotional /physical/environmental) can disturb and lower this level of optimum health. Ayurveda acknowledges these disturbances and supports ones health by addressing the root causes of such disturbances through well planned lifestyle changes, diet and therapies. Ayurveda is the most comprehensive health care system and takes into Consideration the Mind, Emotions, Body, and the Soul. For maintenance of optimum health, Diet & Lifestyle changes are essential in response to Stress, environmental and seasonal variations. In this holistic science, Ayurveda considers the following, as most relevant to work out a health assessment/treatment plan: The environment (external/internal), diet, lifestyle, family traditions, work and home conditions, emotional and physical toxins, society, age, sex, individual constitution with its strengths and weaknesses, the quality of the mind, meditation, qualities of food, acquired, environmental and Karmic influences. Some of the Ayurvedic treatments are: Diet and Life style correction, Ayurvedic Facials, Shirodhara, Massages with a variety of herbal oils to suit the individual and the Season in which treatment is given, Full body steam and herbal Ubtan/ paste treatments, Yoga therapies Satkarma, Meditation, Vedic Astrology, Vedic lifestyle changes, Cleanses and detoxifications, Pancha-karma, oils, herbs, diet, minerals, herbal pastes, decoctions, tonics and rejuvenating treatments, etc. These are used not only in sickness but for regular maintenance of health as well. Through Ayurveda the practical knowledge of healing can be acquired by all.

Prof. Jason Chandler, CEO, Ayurveda College, Kyogle NSW Australia

Ayurveda

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Bhavan’s Children Section

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From Bhavan’s Journal December 2 1956 Reprinted Bhavan’s Journal December 31 2006

Kulapati's LetterAn old superstition still survives that the lawyer's is a wicked profession. In fact, it is the finest profession, and, after the teacher's, the noblest. To win success in it, you need no privilege of birth, no capital, no favour, nor need you travel on a devious path, unless you lack the necessary fibre.The high cost of living makes the early years of the practitioner's career strenuous .Now, as always, the struggling lawyer has to find his way in an overcrowded profession, where competition is keen and relentless. Most lawyers fail to reach the stage where they can command the confidence of a clientele and the respect of the Bench. The reasons are that they lack faith, patience and the capacity for steadfast, concentrated work. They dislike working hard without immediate returns, and some waste their time in clubs or in Bar Libraries. And yet, in no other profession is the mettle of a man tested as much; in none, is the intellect sharpened or knowledge acquired as in this; in none are laurels more tempting.Vyasa and Valmiki - Sri Aurobindo

A comparison (of Vyasa) with Valmiki is instructive of the varying genius of these great masters. Both excel in epical rhetoric, if such a terms as rhetoric can be applied to Vyasa's direct and serve style, but Vyasa's has the air of a more intellectual, reflective and experienced stage of poetical advance. The longer speeches in the Ramayana, those even which have most the appearance of set, argumentative oration, proceed straight from the heart, the thoughts, words, reasonings come welling up from the dominant emotion or conflicting feeling of the speaker; they palpitate and are alive with the vital force from which they have sprung. Though belonging to a more thoughtful, gentle and cultured civilisation than Homer's, they have, like his, the large utterance, which is not of primitive times but of the primal emotions. In Valmiki there are marvelous and revealing touches which show us the secret something in character usually beyond the expressive power either of speech and action. They are touches often found in the dramatic artist than the epic, and seldom fall within Vyasa's method. It is the difference

between a strong and purposeful artistic synthesis and the beautiful, subtle and involute symmetry of an organic existence evolved and inevitable rather than shaped and purposed. His deep preoccupation with the ethical issues of speech and action is very notable. His very subject is one of practical ethics, the establishment of a Dharmarajya, an empire of the just, by which is meant no millennium of the saints, but the practical ideal of government with righteousness, purity and unselfish toil for the common good as its saving principles.Religious Differences - C. Rajagopalachari"We can worship God in various ways and obtain His vision and grace. Are there not many Ghats in a river? So also in the full river of bliss that is the Supreme there are many ghats. We can get down in any ghat to fetch water or to bathe. Whatever the faith we profess or the method we adopt, if we do it with pure heart and with devotion, we can attain God. One can reach the top floor of a house by getting up the stairs or one can use a bamboo ladder or one can hold on to a rope and get up by it. Similarly, our religions show several paths. "It is proper that each person worships God according to his own religion. It is best that Christians follow Christ's way, that Muslims follow the path shown by the Prophet Muhammad and that Hindus practice the method taught by the Rishis. True devotees of any religions will honour the followers of other religions with great humility. All religions will lead us to the Supreme".

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Editorial Page Current Board of Directors

Publisher & Managing Editor:

Gambhir Watts president@bhavanaustralia.org

Editorial Committee: J Rao Palagummi

Som Majumdar Rajesh Katakdhond

editors@bhavanaustralia.org

Designing Team: J Rao Palagummi

Utkarsh Doshi

Advertising: info@bhavanaustralia.org

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia Suite 100 / 515 Kent Street,

Sydney NSW 2000

* The views of contributors to Bhavan Australia are not necessarily the views of Bhavan Australia or the

editor.

*Bhavan Australia reserves the right to edit any contributed articles and letters submitted for publication.

Copyright: all advertisements and original editorial material appearing remain the property of Bhavan Australia and may not be reproduced except with the written consent of the owner of the copyright.

Bhavan Australia - ISSN 1449 – 3551

Office Bearers :

The other directors of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia are:

Abbas Raza Alvi; Moksha Watts

Nominees of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Worldwide:Homi Navroji Dastur, Executive Secretary and Director General Jagannathan Veeraraghavan, Executive Director , Delhi Mathoor Krishnamurti, Executive Director , Bangalore Palladam Narayana Sathanagopal, Additional Registar P. A Ramakrishnan, Executive Vice Chairman, Puthoucode (Kerala)

President Gambhir WattsVice President Avijit SarkarTreasurer Catherine KnoxCompany Secretary Sridhar Kumar KondepudiChairman Emeritus Pravinchandra V Gandhi - President Bhavan

Worldwide

The Test of Bhavan’s Right to Exist

The test of Bhavan's right to exist is whether those who work for it in different spheres and in different places and those who study in its many institutions can develop a sense of mission as would enable them to translate the fundamental values, even in a small measure, into their individual life. Creative vitality of a culture consists in this: whether the ‘best’ among those who belong to it, however small their number, find self-fulfilment by living up to the fundamental values of our ageless culture. It must be realised that the history of the world is a story of men who had faith in themselves and in their mission. When an age does not produce men of such faith, its culture is on its way to extinction. The real strength of the Bhavan, therefore, would lie not so much in the number of its buildings or institutions it conducts, nor in the volume of its assets and budgets, nor even in its growing publication, cultural and educational activities. It would lie in the character, humility, selflessness and dedicated work of its devoted workers, honorary and stipendiary. They alone can release the regenerative influences, bringing into play the invisible pressure which alone can transform human nature

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My Religion

My religion is Hinduism which, for me is the Religion of Humanity and includes the best of all the religions known to me. I often describe my religion as Religion of Truth. Of late, instead of saying ‘God is truth’, I have been saying ‘Truth is God,’ in order more fully to define my religion.

I claim to be a Sanatani Hindu. I take the root meaning of the word Sanatana. No one knows accurately the origin of the word ‘Hindu’. The name is given to us and we have characteristically adopted it. Hinduism has absorbed the best of all the faiths of the world and in that sense it is not an exclusive religion. Hence, it can have no quarrel with Islam as

unfortunately is the case today.

Though my claim has not been accepted by those who call themselves orthodox Hindus, I persist in calling myself an orthodox Hindu. If orthodox Hinduism consists in dining or not dining with this man or that man, and touching this man and not touching that man, or in quarrelling with Mussalmans and Christians, then I am certainly not an orthodox Hindu. But if orthodox Hinduism can mean an incessant search after what Hinduism possibly can be, if orthodox Hinduism can mean an incessant striving to live Hinduism to the best of one’s lights, then I do claim to be an orthodox Hindu.

I am also an orthodox Hindu in the sense in which the author of the Mahabharata, the great Vyasa, would have it. He has said some where in the Mahabharata to this effect ‘Put Truth in one scale and all sacrifices whatever in the other; that scale which contains Truth will outweigh the one that contains all the sacrifices put together, not excluding Rajasuya and Ashvamedha Yajna.’ And if the Mahabharata may be accepted as the fifth Veda, then I can claim to be an orthodox Hindu, because every moment of the twenty-four hours of my life I am endeavouring to follow Truth counting no cost as too great.

I am a staunch Hindu, but my Hinduism teaches me equal regard for all religions.

My Hinduism is not sectarian. It includes all that I know to be best in Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and Zoroastrianism.

Truth is my religion and Ahimsa is the only way of its realization. - Mahatma Gandhi

When I was turning over the pages of the sacred books of different faiths for my own satisfaction, I became sufficiently familiar for my purpose with Christianity, Islam, Zorostrianism, Judaism and Hinduism. In reading these texts, I can say, that I was equiminded towards all these faiths, although perhaps I was not then conscious of it. Refreshing my memory of those days, I do not find I ever had the slightest desire to criticize any of those religions merely because they were not my own, but read each sacred book in a spirit of reverence, and found the same fundamental morality in each. Some things I did not understand then, and do not understand even now, but experience has taught me, that t is a mistake hastily to imagine, that anything that we cannot understand is necessarily wrong. Some things which I did not understand first have since become as clear as daylight. Equimindedness helps us to solve many difficulties and even when we criticize anything, we express ourselves with a humility and a courtesy, which leave no string behind them.

- Mahatma Gandhi

Holy & Wise

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