hinduism today, mar, 1997
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Hinduism Today, Mar, 1997TRANSCRIPT
March,1997 "'2.95 ~~~~""'"7
-Affirming Sanatana Dharma and Recording the Modern History of a Billion-Strong Global Religion in Renaissance
HINDUISM T()Qf.Y was founded on January 5. 1971l, by Salguru Slvaya Subrnmuniyaswami 10 strengthen all Hindu lineages. 'Published by Himalayan Academy, lO7 KahoIaIeIe Road. Kapaa. Hawaii 96746-9304 USA. Edilorial Office PIc 1-808-822-7032. SubscripUons: 1-808-822-3152 or 1-800-890-1008: advertising: 1-8QS.823, 9620 or 1-800-850-1008. AII-departmenl fax: J-808-822-4351. USA subscriptions: "'$3511 year. 86512 years, S9513 years. S5OO/Hfetime. Foreign rates on request. C 1997 Himalayan Academy. AU rights reserved. ISSN# 0896-0801
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PUBLISHER: Salguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswaml ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTDR: Acharyn Veylanswami EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Acharyn Palaniswnm.i PUBLISHER'S ASSISTANT: Acharyn Ceyonswami DEPUTY EDITOR: Acharyn Kumarswami MANAOING EDITOR: '!yagi Arumugaswami GRAPHICS DIRECTOR: '!yagi Nalarajaswami PROMOTlON/ PRODUCTlOH: '!Yogi Kathirswami MANAGING EDITOR'S AIDE: 1Yagi Sbanmuganathaswami ADVERTISING MANAGER: Sadhaka JOlhinathn SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER: Sadhaka Haranandinatha EDITOR-IN-CHIEF'S ASSISTANT: Sadhaka Yuganalhn DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR: Yogi Kasinalha
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• ,COVER: Eighty-eight joyous contestants for the M1 s World pageant perform at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, on a set replicating the ruins at Hampi. On. November 23, 1996, Miss Greece was crowned. Outside, troubles brewed. See pages 22-25:
MARCIJ,1997·
A~~cy~· INT~rRNATIONAL Law and Order: A Cross Comes Down 17 i Cover Story: Bangalore Battlefield:
Beauty Pageant Turns Ugly 22 ' Sage of Arunachalam: Ramana Maharshi
and His Teaohing of ''Who Am I?" 26 Mental Heath: A Curative Temple for
the lv,[entally Challenged 34 Religion: Catholic Fathers Adopt! Adapt
Hindu Worship Rites 4'9 Photography: Marcus Leatberdale Plays
with Light in a-Darkened World 52
. LIFE:STYLE InSight: Tulsi and Rudraksha, Two of
OUf Most Venerated Botanicals 30 Horology: Seven Days for Seven Gods 36 Fashion: Wow! You Look Just Divine ,,0 -
• Cinema: 'Deep River,' a Japanese Spiritual Odyssey in India 47
Striving: Yoga in the Indian Army 48
OPINION Publisher's Desk: Meditation Can Be
More th~ You 13argained For 6 Editorial: Fear of Clashing Cultures 8 My Turn: Malaysian Mentor's Musings 10 Letters ,''- 14 Heallng: DHEA: Fountain of Youth? 44 Minister's Message: Yoga's Daily Gifts 50
DIGE .. ,STS Quotes" Quips Diaspora Briefly
9 Evolutions 11 Digital Dharma 20
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PUBLISHER'S DESK
Meditation Can Be More . ,
Than You Bargained for On the path to enlightenment, every .paxt of ones nature has to be faced and reconciled
B Y, SAT G U R U S I V A Y A SUB RAM U N I Y A S W A M I
ESPERATE STATES OF mind are disturbing ' many people these days. They are caught in emo
tional turmoil and entanglement, scarcely kn9wing how to get themselves out of it, or even fully realizing what state they Me in. This condition, which often deteriora!es as \he years go by until nervous difficulties and mental illnesses set in, can be alleviated by the simple practice of meditation. Those who are content to live in a mesh of mental conflict, which is not only conscious but subconscious, will n~ver get around to meditation or even the preliminary step: concentration. But a person who is wise enough to struggle with his own mind, to try to gain the mastery of his mind, will learn the vital practice of meditation. Just a few moments each morni,ng or evening enables him to cut the entangled conditions that'ereep into the conscious mind during the day. The consistent practice of meditati<m allows him to live in higher states of consciousness, with increasing awareness and per:ceptiol1
u~~~~~ . 'There are surprises, many of them, for the beginning meditator,
as well as for those who are advanced-unexpected consequen~es tha~ are often more than either bargained for, because on the road to enlightenme~t, every part of one's nature l.!as to be faced and reconciled. This can be difficult if the experiences of life have been unseemly, or relativeiy easy if the experiences have been mostly comfortable. What is it that meditation arouses to be dealt with? It is the reactions to life~ happenings, recorded in. the subconscious mind, both the memory of'each experience and the emotion connected to it. Buried~way, normally, waiting to burst forth in the next birth or the one to follow it, these vasanas, or deep-~eated impressions, often come forward at the most unex- -pected moments gfter serious meditation is begun. It is the shakti power of meditation that releases them. There can be no repressed secrets, no memories too woeful to confront for the serious meditatol':' These experiences can be scary if one is "in denial" about certain embarrassing or disturbing happenings.
When this upheaval occurs for you, and it will, combat,the paper dragon with the deep inner knowing that the energy of the . body has its source in God, the light of the mind that makes,
6 HINDUISM TODAY. MA~CH, 1997
thought p'ictures recognizable also has its source in God, and nothing can or has happened that is not of one's own creation in a past life or in this. Thus armed with Vedic wisdom, we are invincible to the emotions connected with the memory of formerly locked-away experiences. When they come rolling out, patiently write down the emotional impressions of hurt fE{elings and injustices of years gone by and burn the paper in an open fireplace. Seeing the fire consume the exposed vasanas, the garbage of yesterday, is in itself a great release. The experienced meditator seeks -out the unwholesome areas within hims'elf, enCieavoring to expose and.rid himself of each knot of karma. The beginning meditator may be shocked and shrink from even continuing the practice of meditation as his inner mind plays back unhappy thoughts that impose themselves upon his shanti. Many stop meditating altogether at this point and turn instead to the distractions of modern life lor solace.
But true meditatien happens because of soul evolution. We evolve into meditative practices from bhakti, the yoga of devotion. The transition is earned through past good karm,(l,$, not chosen as an intellectual'or recreational pastime. As the transition of external worship to internal worship is made, the devotee has to face all bad karmas I cheerfull)( and honestly in order to resolve them and move forward.
Sitting in a state of real meditation, one must be more alive and I
alert than a tight-rope walker suspended without a net, on a taut cable 300 feet above the earth. He must be the master of himself, all the while seeking to identify with his pure soul being, not allowing attention to be pulled here and there-to the physical body, to outside sounds; to thoughts of the past or to concerns about the future.
Upon entering a state of meditation, one may find that awareness is enmeshed in a struggle between two states of mind: the
subconscious of the past and the conscious, external, waking state concerned with the present and future. The experienced meditator learns that he is the watcher, pure awareness. When concentration is sustained long enough, he dives into the superconscious, intuitive state of mind. It enables ilie meditator, in time, to unravel the mystery. An integrated, one-pointed state of being is the goala state of inner perception without vacillation, with the ability to move awareness through the mind's various states at wilL To 'become the ruler of the mind is the goal. To then go beyond the
Internal resolution: The meditator must become master of hts own mind, facing positively each past eXperience as it arises .............. . . ... ...... . . ........ . ..... ............. . . ............. . . . . . ....... . . . . ........... .,1 •••• • • • •••• • ••• ........... . ..
mind into tne Self is the destiny of all living on this planet, for most in a life to come.
Meditation can be sustained only if one lives a wholesome life, free from emotional entanglements and adharmic deeds. Intensive, consistent meditation dispels the antagonistic, selfish, instinctive forces of the mind and converts those channels of energy into uplifted creative action. The same force works to'make either the saint or the sinner. The same force animates both love and hate. It is for the devotee to control and direct that one force so that it works through the highest channels of creative expression. When this soul force is awakened, the refined qualities of love, forgiveness, loyalty and generosity begin to unfold. In this ascended'state of concentrated consciousness, the devotee will be able to loOk down on all the tense conditions and involvements within his own mind from a v.iew far "above" them. As the activity of his thoughts subsides, he begins to feel at home in that pure state of Being, released from his identification with and bondage to lower states of mind. A profound feeling of complete freedom persists . .
Meditation is similar to watching the play of light and pictures on television. Identify with the pictures, and emotion is experienced. Identify with the light, and peace is experienced. Both light and energy forms have .their source in God. Begin this evening, while watching the news on TV, by keeping awareness more within the light than the pictures. By all means, begin tlilS ancient, mystical art, but as you progress, don't be surprised when regrets, doubts, confusions and fears you hardly knew you remembered loom up one by one to be faced and resolved. Perform the vasana daha tantm: simply write down all the regrets, doul;>ts, confusions and fears in as much detail as possible, then burn the paper in a fire place or garbage can. Claim the release from the past impression that this tantm imparts. Begin searching within now. .
THE VED A S SAY .. .
The Search Is Within The mind, indeed, is this fleeting world. Therefore, it should be purified with great effort. One becomes like that which is in one's mind-this is the everlasting secret."
KruSHNA YAj UR VEDA, M AITREYA UPANISHAD 6.24
One should meditate on the atlm.an, which consists of spirit. whose embodiment is life, whose form is light. whose essence is space which changes its form at will. swift as thought"
SH Uk'LA YAjUR VEDA, SBATAPATHA BRAHMANA 10.6 .3 .2
The Self cannot be attained by the weak. nor by the careless, nor through aimless disciplines. But if one who knows strives by right means. his soul enters the abode of God.
ATHA1WA VEDA, M UNDAKA U PANJSHAD 3.2 .4
The cosmic soul is truly the whole universe. the immortal source of all creation. all action. all meditation. Whoever discovers Him. hidden deep within. cuts through the bonds of ignorance even during his life on earth.
ATRARVA VEDA, MUNDAKA UPANlSHAD 2 . 1.10
He who knows God as the Life of life. the Eye of the eye. the Ear of the ear. the Mind of the mind-he indeed comprehends fully the Cause of all causes.
S HUKLA YAJUR VEDA. BRlBADRARANYAKA UPANISHAD 4.4 .18
MAR C H , 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 1
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EDITORIAL
Zzam.mpf-Kaboom! has grown from a few billion dollars in 1980 to nearly 250 billion in 1996. Com
Knowing thii, you know much about life:
panies no longer tie themselves to geographic or political boundaries; they play in any country where it pays. British Telecom merged with the Yankee firm MCI, and folks wondered how the Brits would take the new American bosses. A tall Texas woman, Marjorie Scardino, who once ran a shrimp boat, was named corporate head of a UK publishing firm, Pearson. In Germany, Ernie Drew, anoth-
"What is the sound of one culture clashing?n
BY THE EDITOR
AS IT ALWAYS BEEN THIS WAY, THIS ANGUISHING ABOUT who we are, this defensiveness bordering on paranoia about our cultural turf and collective identity? Or h?s something changed and no one sent out a notice? Clearly, all around us
groups are reevaluating their intellectual and social histories, reestablishing their place in the human cosmos. It's a tribal thing, though tribes can be as big as all of Islam or Buddhism. The Hopi Indians in New Mexico are fighting the US government to keep electricity away from sacred sites. Europe's Pagans are coming out of the closet, advancing themselves as an alternative to the relatively young cultures that sidelined them. In many places once-conquered peoples and their once-silenceq heritages are making a comeb,ack that their once-smug conquerors find threatening.
In the media cultures are clashing as never before. Witness the page 22 feature on the Miss World beauty pageant in Bangalore, India. Not that such things never happen in India. They do, but seldom have they engendered such a virulent response from the masses. The world took it seriously when that youngman immolated himself in protest of what he deemed a kind of human "cattle show" that spelled, for him, the unacceptable desecrat'6n of Indian womanhood. Though one man died, tens of thousands lived to strike, blockade, march, parody and speak out against the coql.mercialization of a woman's body, reflecting a similar sensibility that is awakening in the US, with beauty contests quietly refocusing on contestants' oratory, personality and talent.
Yet, many educated Indians sided with South African journalist Ramesh Jetpalal who offered that "In matter~ of sex, Hindus as a rule avoid the extrem~s of prudery and prurience," calling the protest "fatuous and asinine" and the protesters "freaks and fanatics." And there are other such clashes in this issue: one on foreign media invading India, another on foreign morals invading Malaysia, a third on foreign missionaries appropriating Hindu sacred ic0ns, and more. We didn't even have space to write about the township of 500 cowherders who .decided to ban television from their borders lest precious time in the dairys be squandered.
Business is perhaps the most talked-about crossroads where these clashes happen. McDonald's felt the cr]lnch with the Hindu aversion to beef-eating and caved in last year, opening the only one of its 20,000-plus restaurants. that does not serve cow carcasses . ...Pepsi and Coca Cola have struggled mightily to gain a foothold in Bharat, and had to learn new ways of operating a company.
In its November 25 issue, NEWSWEEK noted the trend for corporate heads of multinationals to come from other cultures. in dollar term~, the transnational mergers and acquisitions of compantes
8 HINDUISM TODAY; MA,RCH , 1997
er Texan, made it on the board of Hoechst, a chemical giant, and soon the meetings were conducted nicht au,f
Deutsch but in English! More amazing yet is the head of f.ipans auto titan, Mazda. LastJune Scotsman Henry Wallace was appointed to lead the failing company, and he doesn't even speak Japanese! Unthinkable a few years back, such things are happening fast and furiously now.
Global cultural invasion is empowered by technology. ·Phones, CPUs and TV s are ubiquitous, FedEx can send a package to any remote hamlet, and films are instantly translated, dubbed and repackaged for foreign distribution, a task that took years before and only month* now. If you loved the old ways, the new ones can be downright loathsome. On top of all this comes the 'newest interloper, the Internet, rushing information, ideas and images across borders in a nanosecond, without stopping to be frisked, without flashing a visa or declaring the purpose of its visit.
Though this is changing fast, so far the Internet is a North American and European tool, and other cultures are rightly fearful of its power to change and inform citizens. China is working frantically to have its own Internet. Malaysia is creating JARING (q national net that will sift out unfit content from abroad) and Arabian nations are outright outlawing it. The Internet provides the ultimate in cult;ural traffic and therefore collisions.
But wait a minute! Do I hear the sound of one culture clashing? Outside of Asia these ·very struggles proliferate. The mythic
iconography of Michael Jackson, the evils of Internet, the tyranny of 1:elevision, the menace of materialism, the loss of childhooCl innocence are all on the minds and agendas in the West, too. Peoples of all nations are clashing with the selfsame t::ulture, usually branded Westernization.
Those who worry underestimate the staying power of our heritage, and overestimate the damage that changes bring. To fight for zero ' ehange is retrothink, reminiscent of ' those who struggled vainly against the automobile and the airplane (re
member the fatuous argument "If eod wanted man to fly, He would have given us wings"?). Would we want to live today in the one-bath-a-month US cowboy culture? The Japanese Samurai manner? Indias Harappan society? Most would say no. Our global t
Hindu family is strong enough to have our chapatti and eat it too: to allow some among us to keep the ancient fires burning, even resisting modernizations, and to encourage others to explore and experiment. Even as individuals, we can run after change while keeping both feet on the Eternal Path. In fact, there is no way on Earth that we can destroy the Sanatana Dharma, anymore than we can destroy sunshine. So, stop worrying, everyone. Be happy. Better yet, be blissful.
"Nonviolence i~ mightier tn8n the mightiest we8pon , of destruction devised by m~n."
Mah~tma Gandhi (1869-1948)
Ravi, t hey say this cave-dwelling yogi is profoundly connect ed to the cosmos.
"The nuclear family is just waiting to explode." Satgurti Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, on the trend of families breaking a~rt
A m~untain climber falls off the edge of a precipitous cliff, but halfway to the bottom, grabs a vrotruding root and hangs on. Casting his eyes heavenward, he cries out, "Is anyone.up there?" A voice floats down to him, saying, "Yes, my son. Let go of that root you hold, and I will briRg thee up here." After a long paus~ the man reappealed, "Anyone else up there?;
Disciple! "0, all knowing one, take me to the place of perfect peace." Master: "If I take you there, it will no longer be peaceful."
YOU CAN'T LEARN HATHA YOGA FROM A 600K.
YOU NEED A TEACHERI
o o
THE 600K5 EXPLAIN CLEARLY HOW TO GET INTO
A P05TURE ...
I
Amassing great wealt~ is gradual, like the gathering of a theater crowd. Its d,ispersal is sudden, like that same crowd departing. Tirukural, Verse 332
"-
"If you create enough papa '(bad karma), you'll need another mama."
"Being a vegetarian doesn't actually make you live longer. It just seems longer."
"East meets West and West eats meat." Title of a song on Tana Mana, by sitarist Ravi Shankar.
DID YOU KNOW?
Smokin' Guns! f
UNPOWDER, THE FIRST" /' \ •
explosive invented, is a ,f/j potent mixture of saltpeter, sulfur and charcoal used ~o
power guns, cannons and artillery. It was long thought that ;<~~~~~ the Chinese invented it, but re-'~, cent translations of ancient Hindu manuscripts issued from an American university prove that Hindus had, the formula long before it was recorded in China.
A minister and an unbeliever engaged in a public debate. T,he minister was declared the winner because, after listening to his opponent, the unbeliever snickered, "Thank God I'm an atheist!"
6UT ONLY A TEACHER CAN TELL YOU ...
o o o
raARCH , 1997 HINDUISM T0DAY '9
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Loving Ganesa, at once simple,
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Our Future in a FastMoving World In Malaysia,. as elsewhere, concerns about cultural survival abound
BY DR. S.M. PONNIAH
WELCOME THIS OPPORTUnity to "take my turn" and
) herald the advent of a new _ millennium in HINDUISM To
DAY. This allows me to take stock of some of the major historical events that have affected Sanatana Dharma and to anticipate what the new millennium holds for Hinduism and its adherents, both in India and beyond.
India is a sub-continent that gave birth to Hindu civilization but has been, in the last 500 years, subjected to alien rule and to thought alien to Sanatana Dharma. The price of freedom from British imperialism was the division of the sub-continent. "Secular India," the birthplace of Sanatana Dharrna, is today wedged between two theocratic states. It has ceased to subscribe to the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain concept of ahimsa, and does not accept the principle that "the light is one, but the lamps are many."
However, Sanatana Dharma, the eternal dharma of the Hindus, has withstoocl. the test of time for the last five or six millennia. It is like the iofty Himalayas that stand firm, silent and serene, or the mighty Ganga which continues to flow unhindered. The Sanatana Dharma continues, to give spiritual strength and sustenance to every Hindu, whose faith is in God. It stands -firm upon a philosophical foundation, strengthened by its language and literature, dance and drama, art and sc,ulpture. It is sustained throughout the ages by its Vedic and Agamic practices. The ancient Vedic voice echoes: "Lead us from the unreal to the real. Lead us from darkness to light. Lead us from death to immortality." It is a voice which continues to excite the hearts and inspire the minds of millions of men and women.
However, my faith in Sanatana Dharma, as a Malaysian, is often shaken by the events that occur daily in the world around
me, and the indifference of Hindus toward their cultural and religious identity. I often ask myself, "Will Sanatana Dharma be able to survive in the new millennium before us?" Besides international terrorism and religious fundamentalism, international developments are questioning our time-tested belief in dharma.
Is ,Sanatana Dharma equipped to confront the powerful forces of modern science and technology, which have no doubt brought progress but have, at the same time, dehumanized mankind? The modern mass media, which has brought the world closer, has effectively exploited human weaknesses, rather than its strengths. The combined forces of sciE1nce, technology and media have made the Hindu quest for perfection of man (sadhana) somewhat irrelevant to present-day Hindus, who live in a rapidly changing world which leaves little time for reflection or meditation) Social ills and crimes have assumed global dimensions. Throughout the world, moral decadence is swelling into a tidal wave difficult to stem. I Having been cut off from the roots of their ancestral religioN and its values, t}le m.odern Hindu youths' future in Malaysia is becoming a cause of concern for all par-' ents. They have begun to refer to th~ir children as the '10st generation." Have we a remedy? I
In answering these questions, the leaders of the Hi.ndu community everywhere have an urgent duty to perform to renew our faith in Sanatana Dharma. We must join forces not only to endeavor, ensure and enlighten, but also to defend Sanatana Dharma and our Hindu heritage.
DR. S.M.PONNIAH is an educationist, poet, father and former National President of the prestigious Malaysia Hindu Sangam.
One of Sorcar's spice Ganeshas
SUCCESS STORY
Multi-Media
M ANICK SORCAR'S SPICE Ganeshas bring India's
multi-media to the US. His recent Denver show drew worldwide attention for his collages of news clippings which portray newsmakers like Gandhi. As a boy, he excelled in helping his magician father with lighting, backdrops and sound effects. Later he received awards for his Denver Airport lighting system, multimedia art and animati0n. Such is the value of taking a career that flows fmm the family
TECHNOLOGY
Rock Crusher ,
, fILLAGE WOMEN USUALLY V work with hand-held ham
mers for a we~k, suffering injuries, to produce a knee-high pile of gravel worth US$8 for roads and concrete. A South African Bahai, Crispin Pemberton-Piggot, has invented a rock crusher that requires no fuel, oil or spare parts, only costs US$1,435 and weighs just 200 kg. It can safely produce ten or more wheel barrows of crushed rock a day. Designed in consultation with the ladies and computer modeling, the machine's hand-turned fly wheel shatters any rock between two plates with a sudden 15,000-kg force. It could revolutionize villagelevel gravel production throughout the world. [email protected]
P O. Box 3223, Manzini, t Swaziland
It's in his blood. Rock crusher--an amazing 16-ton punch,
INDONESIA
Muslims Burn Java Churches
O N OCTOBER 10, A MOB OF 2,000 enraged Muslims
from the town of Situbondo, East Java, Indonesia, destroyed one Hindu temple, two Christian scho61s, an orphanage and 24 Christian Churches. They were seeking a local Muslim sect leader named Saleh who had escaped from a court hearing
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: ONE COUNTRY, ARYA VAIDYA SALA, CHRIS:TlANITY TODAY
where he had been charged with blasphemy against Islam. It was rumored he hid in a church. Five people, a Christian minister, his family and one worker, died
Six trained masseurs giving intensi.ve ayurvedic oil therapy
HEALTH
India's Ayurvedic "Tourism"
STATISTICS ON INDIA TOURISM SHOW A DECLINE IN SIGHTseeing visitors but a growth rate of 10% among tourists com
ing to India for health reasons. Many "five-star" ayurvedic clinics are completely booked. Dr. T. R. Chandrashekaran, from Kerala, who oversees the small, four-rooms only, quality care Kairali Health Resort in New Delhi, told HINDUISM TODAY, "We are seeing about 100 visitors a month from Japan, Germany, Switzerland, USA, etc. They stay an average of 14 days for serious problems like arthritis or spinal spondylitis which require complex treatments and deep daily oil massage. We provide everything, all the food and ayurvedic herbal preparations. Others may only have single-day treatments like the 17 Japanese coming tomorrow." A 14-day stay would cost 25-30,000 rupees (US$700-835). Very reasonable, considering that a simple twohour knee operation in the US would cost US$8,000 and you would be out of the hospitial in 6 hours, while a hospital stay of 14 days with physical therapy would run US$20,000 and up.
trapped in a church blaze. According to Christianity Today, more than 200 Indonesian churches have been been burned 9r vandalized since 1991.
S'tubondo Muslim, Catholic, Protestant and Hindu leaders promptly issued a joint statement condemning the riot, saying, "We hope religious and cornrnuni~leaders
Java church gutted by angry Muslims
- will work shoulder to shoulder t~ foster peaceful coexistence between religious communities." The incident marred Indonesia's reputation for religious harmony In this worlds fifth most populous nation, 85% pr,ofess Islam, but acutally the majority follow a unique, syncretic faith of Hinduized indigenous spiritual beliefs overlaid with Islam. The constitution includes religious tolerance, and representatives from Islam, Hinduism, Taoism, Catholicism and Protestant Christianity hold government seats.
MARCH , 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 11
/
Page for July 14, 1997: wild polar bears resting on rrwm's back
PUBLISHrNG ARTS
Unbearably Beautiful
SELF-REALIZATION FELLOWSHIP'S 1997 DESK CALENDAR
Inner Reflections is, no exaggeration, simply stunning. Each weekly page is faced with a phenomenal photograph
from life's awesome visual wealth highlighted with a spiritual quote from Paramahansa Yogananda. Even the occasional surrealism remains true to the radiance of real nature. For the fifth year in a row, the calendar won the gold medal in the US National Calendar Awards competition.
INDIA
Mystique '96 , AST SEPTEMBER, NEW DELHI
L-ho'sted a 5-day event called "Mystique India, '96" coupled with a Non-Resident Indian (NRI) conference. An estimated 300,000 visited over 100 consultants and 200 modern stalls (costing US$I,OOO each) present-
ing mystical books, holistic health systems, magnet therapy, village handicrafts, spiritual, social welfare, educational ;md research institutions, rudrakshas, gems, yoga, aura photography, wpnosis, vastu, yantras- you get the i~a. Over 150 astrologers, palmists and numerologists gave free consultations. Ayurvedacharyas and other
therapists gave visitors free treatments, while NRIs tackled everything from international banking to match .making. For information on the '97 event:
Bharat Nirman, 588 Asiad Village,
New Delhi, 110049
Organizer M. C. Bhandari, 2nd from left .
12 HINDUISM TODAY. MARCH, 1997
Two Incomes Equ'als Double Stress
T HE AVERAGE ANNUAL US
family dual-income is. US$54,865. When only the husband is employed, that figure drops to U8$38,255. That's one reason working moms who want to go home find it hard to quit. But Linda Kelley, author of Two Incomes and Still Broke?, says, "They may waste huge amounts because-they don't have time to comparison shop. They may spend on such stress reV':'ards as get-awayfrom-it-all vacations. Then there are guilt-buys for the children whose parents are rarely
SPORTS
home." It can be done, she advises.'First figure the cost of working.,Add up child-care, commufing, wardrobe, lunches out, convenience goods, housecleaning help and second income taxes. Some couples actually lose money on their second income. P:mject a tighter budget basedo n the husband's income. Prepare for more time . alone and finding new friends and activities. Mothers who quit work cite the one-year mark as the point when they felt comfortable in their new [original?] roles.
Kareem Jabba'r Yogi V AREEM ABDUL-Jt\BBAR, ~guably the greatest basketball player of his time, practiced yoga throughout his 20-year career, even after he converted to Islam. Yoga magazine reported that the 7-foot 1-3/8 inch Ka'reem says, "Yoga was the best way to keep my elasticity. I used it preventively because its really effective in
that respect. Yoga is an integral part of a well-organized training. It v.cill help someone achieve elasticity, persistence or whatever he wants." When he retired in 1989, Kareem had set NBA records for most points (38,387) most field goals (15,837) and most minutes played (57,446).
TRENDS & TRADITIONS
C ROSS -C ULTUR A L
Krishna's New Rock Opera i\ SWISS I8KCON DEVO
.t=\tee Guido J. von Arx has conceived a rock opera called "The Song Divine," dedicated to ISKCON's founder Srila Prabhupada on the occasion of his 1996 birth centennial. Based on the Bhagavad-gita, Mahabharata and the SrimadBhagavatam, it "synthesizes the ancient wisdom of the East with the modern music Opera's art: Krishna at battle. and art of the West." With music by Vlatko Stefanovski and Hariprasad Chaurasia, the English script by Arx is in clear, rhyming verse. In Scene Three, Krishna advises Arjuna: "Perform your duty. Stand and fight! Rejoice in its beauty. And spread its light."
CLOC},. .. W ISE F ROM T OP: WAYNELYNCWMAST ERFILE, MANICK SQHCAR, CITA PRODUCTIONS, RAIIV MALIK
New from Blue Dove Press ... 'J\n extraordinary account of the experience of selflessness." Joseph Goldstein, author of The Experience of Insight .
Collision with the Infinite by Suzanne Segal US$14 + $3 s./h. Orders or free catalog: Blue Dove Press • PO Box 261611 San Diego, CA 92196-1611 USA Tel: 619-271-0490. Fax: 619-271-5695 E-mail: BlueDPress@aoLcom
Roy Eugene Davis, a widely-traveled teacher, author and direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, has taught in the kriya yoga tradition for more than four decades.
Request information about his books and classes in the USA, India, Europe and other countries.
Center for Spiritual Awareness PO. Box 7-H
Sivananda Yoga'Teacher Training Lakemont, Georgia 30552-0007 USA
4-weeks intensive in the Sierra foothills of California. May 3-Jun 1 '97.
Asanas • Pranayama Meditation • Mantras Raja Yoga • Vedanta Bhagavad Gita • Kriyas Anatomy • Physiology
Tel: 706-782-4723 • Fax 706-782-4560 http://web.infoave.netl-csainc • E-mail [email protected]
In India: A Master Guide to Meditation (Rs. 55) The Book of Life (Rs. 65) by Mr. Davis. Motilal Banarsidass 41 u.A., Bungalow Road Jawahar Nagar, Delhi 110 007 For Free Brochure: Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm
14651 Ballantree Lane, Grass Valley, CA 95949-9731 USA Tel 800-469-9642 or 415-681-2731
• Offices and stores' also in Patna, Bangalore, Madras, Varanasi, Calcutta and Pune. If by mail, add Rs. 15 each book for postage. (founded by Swami Vishnu-devananda, pictured)
AN APPEAL
FOR HOSPITAL BUILDING AND EQUIPMENT
HEALTH IS WEALTH is an adage. Even if one possesses wealth, he must have health to enjoy it. Where one does not have
material wealth but has physical health, then he or she can be happy and earn the wealth needed for living.
r-/1 bout 7 !ears ago, a dreadful fir~ env~loped Sri Mathrudevi Vishwa . ~ Shanthl Ashram and surroundmg villages. Helpless women and chil-
dren lost their lives. Mother Sri Vijayeswari Devi, with innate compassion, took on herself to provide relief, for 'which the victims have been most gratefuL Then she devised a plan for permanent medical relief to the poor and needy tribespeople of some 150 villages near her ashram. Qualified medical volunteers responded quickly, surveyed the area and the people, and counseled about health and hygiene. Centers were set up and medicines made
Bhagavathi Karunamay i, Sri Sri Sri Vijayeswar~ Sri Penusila available. But is was too little and malnutrition remains rampant. The Kshethrtam, Rupurmandal Nellore Dst., AP, South India beloved mother began supplying a balanced diet wherever possible, then pro-
. " .posed t~at a fully equipped hospital with at least 30 beds to begin with be set up to. prov~.de much-needed ~ehef. ,ThIS noble project, w:hIch may cost Rs 10 crores, has yet to manifest and is in dire need of finanCIal aSSIstance. Some of Ainma s devotees have contnbuted and Mother, who believes "example is better than precept" has donated one of her kidneys for a needy patient. Please help .
• Donations can bemailedtoDrs.M.P. NagarajorM.P.Mouliswar.17836MillcreekDr .• Rockville.MD 20855-1019 USA. Tel: 301-977-2347 or 301-577-2341 Thank you for your positive response.
Don't Believe in MantrasP THE FOLLOWIl:'IG STORY WHICH I READ IN
T~e Essentials of Hinduism by Swami Bhaskarananda 'provides an afuwer to ~e question "Why are mantras powerful?" raised by Mr. A: Subramaniam (LETTERS, December '96). .
"During a religious discourse, a Hindu saint told the assembled group tlJ:at a person ",)10 chants a mantra regularly for, many years develops a pure mind, which enables him to see God. At this, someone in the audience stood up and said, 'Sir, I can't believe in the efficacy of mantras. A mantra is just a word. How can' it have the power to purify anyone's mind and give him God-vision?' 'What! You don't believe in the power of manliras?' exclaimed the saint, 'You're the worst fool I've ever seen in my whole life!' Since the saint had called him a fool in the presence of the entire audience, the man felt extremely hurp-iliated. H,is face reddened and he starred shaking with suppressed anger. Pointing out his reaction, the saint said, 'You don't believe in the power of words, but look at thte power of the word 'fool'-what a strong effect it's had on you, and yet you de~y the power of mantras ?'"
ASHIM K. BHATTAOHARYYA METAIRIE, LbUISIANA, USA
Understanding the Transition I LIKE TO BELIEVE THAT· DEEP WITHIN US
all is the knowing that death can be a gloriou,s experience, thal it is only the process that most fear and many try to delay. One of the many good points in this ediltorial (' Great Departure," EDITORIAL, January '97) that deserves the reader's Closest attention is the following sentence: "Many terminal patients are under ·sedation, so instead of the conscious death Hindus esteem, there is a dim and drugged insensibility. at the end." I wish I could convey to you how much I . agre .. e with this. At the most critical point in one's' life, this practice becomes nothing more than a pain killer for the liviOg, and the one moving on is not fully keen and able to celebrate w hat follows.
BOB BOTIK " [email protected]
Squeamish about Vegetarianism YOU HAVE PUBLISHED MANY ARTICLES ON
vegetarianism, but I feel that I must bring the following points to 'Your notice. Our Hindu community is divided enough as it stands, in this present day and age. The vegetarian debate is a very touchy issue which drives our people farther apart. This is only causing damage to our communitY, and others, not to mune names, are taking advantage of the fact that our community is divided and blind to see these facts. I would
14 rfiNDUISM TODAY MARCH, 1997
LETTERS request yo'u to keep this point in mind when publishing articles on such divisive issues.
RAHUL DEOLIA UNITED KINGDOM
OOpS!-!2qOO I NEED TO POINT OUT THAT THE PHOTO
graph on the cover depicting a jtiint family in Kerala is reversed left to tight. I fear that this might give rise to a wrong idea as to how one should wear the holy threads across their chest and also how the sari is worn in South Indian states. •
R AJARAMAN " [email protected]
Same Goal in Different Ways I :AM THE CURRENT PRESIDENT OF THE Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America.: As you mentioned in your current editorial, Hindu solidarity is the mission of your monastic order ("Ghronicling Hinduism's Modern Experience," PUBLISHER'S DESK, January '97). You are t,rying to achieve this by information . and communication. We at the VHP are trying to do the same by working at the grassroot level. Hindu unity ,and soJidarity is the goal of VHP also. We can be complementary in this great effort. Most of us are full (j)f zeal and enthusiasm but lack the spiritual and philosophical knowledge. Your teachings and various articles in your magazine do a wonderful job in fulfilling that deficiency.
./
YASH PAL LAKRA BWOMFIELD HILLS, MICHIGAN, USA
Concerned about Children , I DO NOT SEE VIEWS OF CHILDREN EX
pressed in your magazine, and that has to be corrected. 'We have to know what exactly their views are on a regular basis. Growing up in a Western society with our Eastern value system is not easy. Unluckily, temples are riot offering a lot of opportunity for children to express their views. Children are u~der quite a lot of peer pressure. In schools and colleges, they are subjected to name calling as weIr as extreme anti-Eastern propaganda. Many of them- find it difficult to relate their problems to tneir parents, sinte
. most of the parents are brought up in India in very"'congenial surroundings. All of us, have to know all their problems and come out with proper solutions. Views of children of South Africa, United States of America, Mauritius, etc., that you have Rublished were an eye opener to all the Hiti'dus. I do not see Hinduism as a religion but as the true culture of India. We have ' to focus on chil'clren to safeguard our culture. Otherwise, we will lose our children, and they will lose our values, and future generations
of Indians will look at our culture as a relic ofyn ancient civilization.
ED VISWANATHAN NEW ORLEANS, WUISIANA, USA
Impressed I HAVE REALLY BEEN ENJOYING THE JANU, ary issue. I am glad to have.read your Publisher's Desk and am so impressed with the integrity otyour mission. It makes me want to be even ,more invollled. Congratulations on what you are doing.
, -/
STEPHEN P. HUYLf"R CAMDEN, MAINE, USA
,Aryan Invasion Was TrueP Not I READ WITH INTEREST THAT THE ARYAN
invasion theory was a myth according to Mr. Dinesh Agrawal (Aryan Invasion Theory, MY
TURN, July '96). How does he ~xplain Rig Veda verse 1.32 which says, "Indra fighting to break down the fortresses to open the cave to free the floods imprisoned and set the seven rivers loose, while the black captives watched under guard." The world's ancient, best irrigation scheme and the cities with straight streets were destroyed. By whom? Was it not by those who did not know the value of the irrigation scheme and their culture or language-the Aryans who came from beyond Himalayas on recently domesticated horses? If, as Mr. Agrawal says, they were indigenous people, they would have known the value of the irrigation schemes and the cities. The Aryans further went to divide the people by despising black and brown people, and }<eeping kings, the army and the rich landowners on their side, heaping untold suffering on the ordinary masses.
K. MAILVAGANAM ISAACS, CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA
Rig Veda verse 1.32 cited by Mr. Mmlvaganam does not contain the statement he quotes. We have not dis overed any irrigation , schemes. The cities and straight streets
,.-which we have discovered were not de'stroyed by any hum1l9 hand. There is no evidence whatsoever for the destrucflon of Indus Valley cities by human hands.
PROF. SHIVA G. BAJPAI CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY NOR'I'HRlDGE, CALIFRONIA, VSA
Letters with writer's n~e, address and daytime phone number, should be sent to:
Letters, HINDUISM TODAY 107 Kaholalele Road KAPAA, HI, 96746-9304 USA or faxed to: (808) 822-4351 or e-mailed to: [email protected]
Letters may be edited for space and clarity and may appear in electronic versions of HINDUISM TODAY.
" INDICATES LETTERS RECEIVED VIA E- MAIL
Books by Swami Shankar Purushottam Tirtha:
Yoga Vani Instructions for the attainment of Siddhayoga during sadhana. postpaid: US$13.50 (USA) $16.50 (Canada)
Guru Bani 100 ways to attain inner peace. How to live a spiritual life-for monks and families. postpaid: US$9.50 (USA) $12.50 (Canada)
Ayurvedic Products Distributors-wholesale or retail catalog: $1.00 (free via e-mail) • Consultations • I-year Ayurveda Certification Courses in person or by correspondence (US mail, or e-mail).
Ayurveda Holistic Center do Swami Narayan Tirtha Math 82A-H Bayville Ave • Bayville, NY 11709-1671 USA TeVfax: 1-516-628-8200 Ask for Swami Sada Shiva Tirtha E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http//www.holistic.comllistings/11709acl.html Free interactive dosha self-test and articles.
ASTROLOGY March 14-11, 1991
KEAUHOU BEACH HOTEL, KaNA, HAWAII
(5 miles south. of Kona on the Big Island)
9 SPEAKERS, INCLUDING:
A Comprehensive Approach to Yoga ..•
... based on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda (author of Autobiography ofa Yogi).
• Yoga and Meditation Retreat.
• Yoga teacher training. • Spiritual communities. • Catalog of books,
music and videos. • Ananda's home-study
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For a free cassette on Mystical Music and Talks call or write:
Ananda 14618 Tyler Foote Rd Nevada City, CA 95959-8599 USA
Tel: 9l6-47~-7560 Extension 7025
Ananda Home Page: http://www.ananda.org E-mail: [email protected]
Ananda, founded in 1968 by Swami Kriyananda, a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, is not affiliated with Self-Realization Fellowship.
Vedic Astrology in Paradise
I
March 14- 11, 1991
for more infonnation contact:
CHAKRAPANI ULLAL, DAVID FRAWLEY, DENNIS HARNESS, CHRISTINA COLLINS, DENNIS FLAHERTY, JAMES KELLEHER, EDITH HATHAWAY, LINDA JOHNSEN, AND WILLIAM LEVACY
INSTITUTE OF VEDIC ASTROLOGY P.O. BOX 2149, SEDONA, ARIZONA 86339 (520) 282-6595 to register with Visa
or Mastercard call
800-900-6595
BEGINNING AND ADVANCED CLASSES REGISTRATION FEES: (FOR MAIN SYMPOSIUM 3/14-3/16) $195 BY FEBRUARY 28TH, $245 AFTER FEBRUARY 28TH
Autobiography of a Yogi
by Paramhansa Yogananda $14.95
The verbatim reprinting of Yogananda's original 1946 unedited edition, with all its inherent power, just as the great master of yoga first presented it. A treasure for all truthseekers!
To order or for a free catalog, call Crystal Clarity Publishers: 1-800-424-1055
Celebrate Phagwa (Holi) in India
Twenty exciting days touring India, Mar. 14-Apr. 2, '97. DeparUarrive: New York City. Kali Travel is uniquely qualified to organize custom-made tours for any type of group, organization or individual. Go with confidence with Kali Travel.
For more information, contact: Kali Travel Ltd. • 169-12 Hillside Ave. Jamaica, NY 11432-4498 USA Tel: 1-718-291-9292
Shri Anandi Ma-Master in the tradition of Kundalini Maha Yoga, will be offering public meditation programs in:
• Antioch, CA: Feb. 28 & Mar. 1. Tel: 510-757-9361 • Boulder, CO: Mar. 7 & 8. Tel: 303-443-1604 • Albuquerque, NM: Mar. 14 & 15. Tel: 505-899-9135 • Tucson, AZ: Mar. 21 & 22 Tel: 520-744-1891
Shaktipat initiation will be offered by appointment each weekend.
"With Shaktipat, the student is saturated with Divine . Energy. After Shaktipat, the Kimdalini is permanently awakened and, like a mother, constantly cares for and nourishes her infant. One may be of any religion, caste, or creed to benefit; for all persons, the field of inner joy is the same. After Shaktipat, the Shakti will take the student to the ultimate goal, without doubt."
For general information about Shri Anandi Ma, Kimdalini Maha Yoga or Shaktipat contact:
Dhyanyoga Centers • PO Box 3194 Antioch, CA 94531-3194 USA • Tel: 510-757-9361 http://www.dyc.org!
Superconsciousness by J. Donald Walters (Swami Kriyananda) $10.99 A culmination of nearly 50 years of teaching the science of meditation to thousands of people worldwide, by a leading exponent of yoga and meditation. FUll of insight for advanced seekers. To order or for a free catalog, call Crystal Clarity Publishers 1-800-424-1055
Yoga and Meditation Aids
The hand-crafted meditation and yoga aids offered by The Ananda Collection are designed, crafted and distributed from Ananda Village, a spiritual community in Northern California.
~D'A COLLECTION
Our products include zafu and half moon pillows, zabutons, meditation mats, as well as padded benches.
Printworld Services Pte. Ltd. Specialists in ~nglish language books from around the world which focus on Hinduism, Indian civilization and culture.
• Ma, Who is a Hindu? By N.T. Nair. Provides a common platform for all sects and classes of Hinduism. Not dry or technica. Suitable for enhancing life's everyday.
• Yoga Philosophy by N.T. Nair. I~sights into the phil~sophy and practices of Yoga, as well as Its goal: the unrav~lm~ of the mind's mysteries, leading to the Self and emanclpatlOn.
• The Worship of Lord Ayyappan by N.T. Nair. The Pilgrimage to Holy Sabrimala and the worship of Lord Ayyappan ..
• Journeys to The Lands of the Gods by ~jalingam. Rajathurm. The authorinduces in the reader a deSIre to realize-selfrealization and God-realization-through pilgrimage.
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L AW AND ORDER
City's Cross Must Go,
~~~~~ . San Francisco: The MOl,IDt Davidson cross has stood atop the city'~ highest hill since 1934
Landmark violates religious neutrality laws
N TWO DECISIO,NS JUST DAYS APART BY
the Un~ted States Federal Court of Appeals in San Francisco, California, a 103-foot cross on top of that city's highest hill
was ordered removed, while. a ten-ton statue of the Aztec God Quetzalcoatl was allowed to remain in a San Jose city park. The seemingly contradictory Aug6st, 1996, decisions have provoked new controversy, and further appeals are ~xpected.
The Mount Davidson cross, as it is known, has been a southern landmark for San Francisco since 1934. In 1990 seven individuals of various faiths filed a lawsuit arguing the cross was a "pre-eminent symbol of Christianity" and alienated people of. other beliefs. The first judge to hear their case dismissed)t, but the appeals court ruled the cross did indeed violate the "no preference" clause in California's state constitution. That clause protects the :'free exercise and enjoyment of religion without discrimination or preference." It is a much broader assurance of government neutrality than the U.S. federal Constitution's First Amendment guarantee of separation of church and state. . In 1993, the same aPEeals court ruled the
CIty of San Diego in Southern California had to remove two 35-foot-l1j.gh crosses on public land. tn doing so the justices set down five considerations ill cases of public ownership. They are: religious significance of the symbol in question, size, visibility, absence of other religious symbols nearoy and possible historica1' significance.
"The Mount Davidson <;ross carries grf;at religious sigaificance. Indeed, to &uggest otherwise would demean this powerful religious symbol. Thus, we conclude that its presence on public land violates the No Preference Clause of the Califc;>rnia Constitution." FUrther appeals to his decision are possible.
Many Christians were upset with the court's verdict and hoped some way would be f~md to keep the towering cross stand
' ing. "I don't think th~ rights of Christian people are to be thrown out," said Rev. P. T. Mammen of tlJe San Francisco Association
of ~vangelicals, ''All of a sudden, are we expected to renounce our faith? Do only unfaithful people have rights in this city?"
On foe other side, attorney Fred Blum, representing the American Jewish Congress, a plaintiff in the case, said, "The worst part of the city argument was that the Gross represented San Francisco. What it told me is I cannot be a San Franciscan, because a Latin cross could never represent me." Barbara Bergen, regional director of the Jewish Anti-Defamat\on League, commented, "We are gratified that the court upheld the principal of separation of church and state. We consider it fundamental to the protection of /' both'majority and minority rights."
A few months earlier tMe same court had ordered the removal of a 51-foot cross in an Oregon state park because it "clearly repre'Sents government endorsement of religion." That cross had been challenged since its construction in 1965, and was ruled against in 1969. City officials then redesignated the cross as a "war memorial." That ruse survived two more court challenges eefore the appeal's court final ruling to remove it.
The same court's ruling in favor of the Quetzalcoatl statue in San Jose (about 50 miles south of San Francisco) was based on their assessment that the figure had little "current religious significance," as the Aztec religion is no longer practiced on a large scale. This mattered little to fundamentalist €hristians who, according to newspaper reports, "contend that Quetzalcoatl was a blood-thirsty demon who demanded human sacrifice," ignoring the fact that the cross is also an icon of human sacrifice. In the Aztec religion, the Quetzal; bird represents the heavens and the. coati, or snake,. represents the Earth. Quetzalcoatl was worshiped by the Mexican civilizations until the Spanish invasion 500 years ago. The San Jose statue
depicts a plumed snake coiled upon a pedestal. . -
In ruling against the San Francisco lawSUit, Judge Diarmuid O'Scannlain wrote, Aztec God: Ten-ton Quetzalcoatl in San Jose, California
San Jose has a large number of Chicano residents originally from Mexico and Latinos from countries of Central and South Ameri- . ca. The US$409,000 sculpture was commissioned by the city iN honor of their ancestors. But that community is itself divided on the ~culpture. Manuel Salazar, a devout Latino Catholic, said, "It is demonic. W~ wish not to be represented in this way." But Valdez, a playwright, said at a meeting of supporters and opponents of the sculpture, "To those people that resist the true spirit of Quetzalcoatl, let me tell you, speaking as a Chicano, that we have had 500 years of the Sp~ish Inquisition. We don't need another month of a Protestant Inquisition."
MARCH , 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 17
,
,
Discover the Way of GraceCome Listen to:
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar World-renowned Spiritual Master
Jr,.e most beautiful and colorful way home is the Way that is both ancient and new. That is the Way of Grace. In a drop of grace even stones melt.
Lecture & Darshan Tour
Date:
February 5 February 6 February 7* February 8-9* February 9-16* February 16
Locality:
New Jersey New York City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Houston, Texas Fort Lauderdale, Florida Atlanta, Georgia
Contact: 908-560-3521 212-353-9252 215-247 -3305 713-564-2216 941-334-4294 770-937-9323
~f~ From February 7-1 6, workshops with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar may also be attended.
Tamil, Hindi, Sanskrit Summer Courses June 26-Aug 19, 1997
The Center for South and Southeast Asian Studies, University of Michigan (USA), offers intensive Beginning and Intermediate Tamil, Hindi and Beginning Sanskrit in the Summer term. Courses are equivalent to a full years language instruction.
College students, high school seniors, and other adults are eligible to apply, no later than April 15.
For details, contact Marga Miller: Tel: 313-764-8571 Fax: 313-936-0996 • E-mail: [email protected].
Sri Chinmoy Ayurvedic Institute
The Sri Chinmoy Institute of Ayurvedic Sciences offers authentic training in the ancient traditions of Ayurvedic Medicine. Comprehensive programs taught in all areas: nutrition, pulse diagnoses, Ayurvedic skin care, massage, Panch Karma (cleansing and rejuvenation), and herbal medicine. Taught by VIrender Sodhi, MD. (Ayurved), N.D. and N.D. staff Now enrolling evening and weekend seminars.
Sri Chinmoy Institute of Ayurvedic Sciences 2115112th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004-2946 USA. Tel: 1-206-453-8022 • Fax: 1-206-451-2670 e-mail: [email protected] • http/www.ayush.com
Moneesh Gifts and Books • Religious Books: Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism,
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Catalog: Moneesh • 467 Brickman Rd., Hurleyville, NY 12747 USA • Tel: 914-434-8990 • Fax 914-436-5878.
The Journey of a Master Swami Chinmayananda: the Journey of a Master, by Nancy Patchen. " ... the life of one of the leading interpreters of Advaita Vedanta. Excerpts where Swami answers his followers' most urgent questions." US$15 plus $3.75 postg. • Chinmaya Publications • 560 Bridgetown Pike, Langhorne, PA 19053-7210 USA Tel: 888-CMW-READ or 215-396-0390. E-mail: [email protected] http://www:chinmaya.orglpublications
The Joumey of a Moster
SWAMI CHINMAYANANDA lho/robl.IhoPolh,IhoT~
The Tallest Hanuman Ever in India For the Welfare of the World Community
Shri Viswaroopa Panchamukha Anjaneya
The Shri Viswaroopa Panchamukha Anjaneya Swamy Foundation has started a project to install a SHRI VISWAROOPA PANCHAMUKHA ANJANEYA, in Periyakuppam village, near Tiruvallur, Madras, India. The idol of the Lord will have five faces - Lord Anjaneya, Lord Veera Ugra Narasimha, Lord Pakshi Raja, Lord Lakshmi Varaha, and Lord Lakshmi Hayagreeva. It will be 32 feet tall and sculpted in a single gr.een Granite stone; the size will reflect a look true to his name and stature.
The cost to complete this project is approximately one-half million US dollars, financed entirely through the donations, gifts, sponsorship of kind hearted devotees, philanthropic institutions, and business establishments throughout the world. Our immediate need is to shape the stone at Hassan, Karnataka and to reduce its present 400 ton weight to a more transportable size. .
Your kind contributions by cash or cheque may be sent to:
Swamy Venkatesa Bhattachariar is a divine spring of our time. Fondly called MANTRAMURTHY DASAN by his numerous devotees around the world, Swamy is the founder trustee of SHRI VISWAROOPA PANCHAMUKHA ANJANEYA SWAMY FOUNDATION. This important project was started with the blessings of Poojya Sri Paramacharyal, of Kanchi Kama Koti Peeta. Swamiji has taken this great task upon himself for the welfare of fellow beings on a Divine order.
Shri Viswaroopa Panchamukha Anjaneya Swamy Foundation 46 8/2 Krishnapriya Apartment Babu Ranjendra Prasad First Road West Mambalam Madras - 600 033 INDIA 91 444811280
For more Information please contact: India Dr. P. Lakshmi (91444811280) UK Mr. Shanti N Bhardwa (44 1477 533866) USA Mr. M.K. Srtdhar (4087322739)
Mr. M.Nachiappan (65 7370291)
A JlINDU PRAYER recited by Pundit S. Rama-. ; krrshnan opened the Maryland state gener-al assembly in the US. It was the first invocation ever outside the Ohristian-Judeo tradition, and the doing of Kumar Barve, the first assembly member of Indian origin. The US Congress also opens wit4 a daily prayer, usually Christian, sometimes'Jewish but only once of another faithLlslam.
JESUS WILL FOLLOW SHIVA and Rama into Indian television history this year when the state-run network, Doordarshan, longknown for serialized dramatizations such as the Ramayana, broadcasts a mind-boggling 100-part series on the life and teachings of the Nazarene. Even American television natworks have never given Christianity's founder his own serial, although nondenominational angel shows have been doing well this season.
DURGA PUJA was celebrated throughout Bangladesh in late October. More than 20,000 ritual pavilions were erected this year, slightly mgre than last year. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina assured Hindus gathered at Dhaka's Dhakeswari Mandir, "You will have· the equal Bangladesh festival right to practice your religion with full dignity and honor, and there will be none to interfere in it."
IF ONLY HINDUS had such a resource .... The government of Germany collects and distributes a "church tax." '~t present, the two main Protestant and Roman Catholic denominations each receive roughly US$5 billion a year in church tax," reports ENI Bulletin. But major tax reforms, planned for 1999, could reduce that income by a third, with disastrous impact upon the churches. Part of the problem is too many atheists from the former East Germany complaining about the tax.
MODERN AIR TRAVEL is threatening the ancient Khajuraho temple complex, in central Indias Madhya Pradesh, Which lies less than two miles from the airport. The shakti of {he Deity is not ail devotees are feeling inside the 900-to 1,200-year-old Siva, Vishnu and Jain architectural tr.easure. The vibrations oflow-flying jets shake tHe sfones enough to cause gaps between the blocks. "If the ancient monuments ru:e to be pre-
20 aIN DuIsM TODAY MARCH, 1997
served, the airport should be shifted a little away," warns Brijendra Singh.
EARTHSAVE'S 1997 catalog serves healthy portions of vegetarian and environment-related resources, every thing from videos to books to t-shirts sporting the text of "How To Bhoomidevi's friend Win An Argument With A Meat Eater." Contact: 706 Frederick Street, Santa Cruz, California 95062-2205 USA.
TIBETANS IN EXILE are applauding the Disney Company for backing a film about the life of his holiness, the Dalai Lama. "Principles have won, and we are ecstatic that Disney will continue its role in the production despite threats made by China that the entertainment company's plans of expanding • into China would suffer," said a spokesman for the .government-in-exile. A Chi~ese ForeigR Ministry spokesman said singing the praises of the Dalai Lama "does not conform with reality." Meanwhile, the movie's director, actors and dozens of oth-ers have reportedly been "blacklisted," marked for denial of entry visas into Tibet.
THE POLITICS OF RELIGION is prompting the staunchly atheistic Communist Party of India (Marxist) to rethink its position on religion, which Karl Marx once called "the-opiate of the masses." "We should no longer ignore Hinduism, in view of its popular appeal. Rather, Hinduism must be modified for the poor and the oppressed," said party secretary Chitrabrata Mazumdar.
"AHI"'SA AND ITS S'IGNIFICANCE in the new w,?rld order," and the "concept and practices of Hinduism-Buddhism-Shintoism" were among the themes discussed at the recent International Conference on the Great Religions of Asia, held in Kyoto, Japan. Attendees included 100 delegates
• from Bharat, Tibet, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Myanm~, Korea and Japan.
HINDU'S ARE DIVORCING MORE. Some say because' it's easier to do since the Hindu Code Law was enacted. 13ut that was 40 years ago, and the divorce rate has only soared in the last five. Why? Some speculate it's We~tern influences on Indian s~ciety; others say it's due to better educated, personally empowered women. Delhi is seeing 20
di~orce cases filed each day. In America, 20% of new marriages end in divorce.
AN ILLUSTRATED BOOK on India , designed to celebrate Bharat's 50th year of independence, is being compiled by Arun Narayan Toke, publisher of the multicultural children's mag~ine Skipping Stones. Contributions of artwork and stories from children and adults are invited. Contact: P.O. Box 3939, Eugene, Oregon 97403 USA.
LORD GANESHA'8. MOVING among massive ' crowds is nothing new, especially during Chaturthi festivities in Mumbai or Pune. But to see the elephant God move through the crowds, you have to go to Uttar Pradesh, to Chandausi. "Marathi Ganapatis are static, while our Vinayakas are not," said Sarvesh Gupta of the Shree Ganesha Mela Parishad. "They are Coin Ganesha mechanized to move their limbs." Meanwhile, back in Maharashtra, one recent 18-foot murti of'Ganapati immersed during the last annual parade was covered completely in 25-paise coins-60,000 of them worth US$428.
BEWARE THE KARMA "OLICE. A reporter recently saw a "Notice of Karma Violation" sitting on a colleagve's desk which looked just like an official traffic ticket. Seeming pretty practical-for a joke-it advised, "In accordance with the laws of the universe and karma, you are hereby required to make immediate amends. Failure to comply will cause this already negative ttnergy to come reeling around the planet right back into your life."
, WE'LL ALL BE VEGGIE in another 1,000 years. 'So envisions Arthur C. Clarke, Sri Lanka's most famous foreign ;esident and sciencefiction writer, in his new book 3001: The Final Odyssey. London's Sunday Times says Clark forecasts "that humans will no longer raise animals for eating, and that vegetable protein has replaced corpse food, which, Clarke writes, was on its way out at the enq of the second mi\!ennium because of a disease that started first with cattle and then spread to other animal foods."
BRIEFLY is compiled from press, TV and U}ire-seroice reports and,edited by RAVI
PERUMAN, award-winning radio journalist at KGG in San Francisco.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: EARTHSAVE; NO CREDIT; BASHUDEB DHAR
Some 60 sites are covered, places as hard to find as they are hard to get permission to film. Very personal, affectionate. If you can't get to India, enjoy this video-US $39.95.
Sri Ramana Maharshi
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,
S P ·E C I A L REP 0 R T
Contested Contest Beauty pageant syrs often violent debate OI}; future of India's culture
./ By CHOODIE SHIVARAM, B'A NGALORE persons-women and men-from the field
WORLD '96 BEAUTY PA- of cinema and art supported the pageant is now over. The world with a cocky, "What's wrong? Such contests was crowned on Novem- have been going on for years." •
23 in Bangalore, India, be-" Communists deplored the event as capitala live TV audience of 2.5 ist exploitation of women and part of the
viewers in 120 countries. multi-national ' corporations' carefully The other 87 pretty representa- planned plundering of India. Women's
tives' returned to their countries. All the groups found the e.vent degrading to women. n€>ise and flurry has died down. The newly The organizers were surprised by 'the proanointed Miss World, Irene Skliva of tester's vehemence, but not by the opposiGreece, US$80,000 and many perks richer, is tion, as beauty contests have been a favorite rendering service 'under the banner of target of feminists since the 1960s. "Beauty with a Purpose." When Amitabh Bachchan's ABCL compa-
What remains behind are the issues the ny announced Bangalore as the venue, compageant raised. Thousands of women (and plaints began. Mrs. Hemalatha Mahishi, emmen) across Bharat protested, calling the inent advocate-and general secretary of Jagriti beauty pageant "demeaning to our culture," Mahila Adhyaana Kendram, condeJIlned his "deval~ing to our tradition," "promoting vul- and alL-such contests: "They'are a disgrace garity and obscenity," and "a disgrace to to womanhood. Our women throughout the womanhood." An equal number of eminent ages,have been known for their prowess. Is
beauty any achievement? I can understand if these women were competing with intellectual achievers." . "Such contests do not enhance
the prestige of women, but only demean them," stated Ms. Kumidhini Patti, general secr~tary of All India Progressive Women's Association, during a protest march.
"An Indian woman is a beautiful person. Her role as a mother, wife, daughter, her patience and values make her a total person. She does not let go of her family, come what may. Beauty contests jwige the physical attributes of women by the Western yardstick. It's an insult ,to Indian women. We cannot allow this precedent," stated Mrs. Kamal Kanteeravaswamy, a housewife who regularly assists needy people.
Eric Morley and his wife Julia founded the Miss World pageant
/ in 1951, .and held it annually in London until 1990. Ra'pidly diminishing interest in England forced moves first to America,
~ then Sun City, South Africa, and ~ now India. The Los Angeles
Sponsor: Amitobh Baehc~an meets press at pageant. Times observed, "Among current I
22 -ruNDUISM TODAY MA'RCH, 1997
sentiments is the suspicion that India has become a dumping ground for the West's rejects, and the Miss )Yorld pageant surely fits the bill."
, This isn't the first threat to Miss World. In the early 70s a British activist group, the Angry Brigade, planted a bomb near the event site. In the late 70s protesters stormed the stage at the pageant finale at London's Royal Albert HalL Conti~ued pressure from feminist groups has forced a recasting of contests in the West as a judging of talent, intelligence and accomplishment, as well as
beauty~whence the new Miss World slogan, "Beauty with a purpose."
Eric Morley defended his contest: "Protesters go on about culture, but it does not help to have a closed society." His wife, Julia appealed to them, saying, "There's apurpose behind this pageant. Let's give up this rebel-lion and join hands." •
But the protests only heated up. Various
differences and GOming to an understanding with the protesters, resort~d at public functions to scathing verbal attacks on the protesting women. He even stated at one· point, "If women want to show themselves in the nude, let them, and let those who want to see, see." In fact, it seemed as if the government was a de facto sponsor of the event, which irked many protesters.
Burning an effigy: Delhi university 1pud.ents, in traditional Indian garb, bum conte$(ant ef-figiesJ to denounce pageant as cultural invasion of India by West .
factions ranging from rightist groups to extreme leftists, youth organizations and voluntary societies jOined to voice their protests. Akila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the BJP youth wing, wel?t from college to college condemning the pageant as "a cultural .invasion and promotion of Western concepts of beauty, degrading to our women." Bangalore colleges and schools had to be closed for two days before the contf0-versial event. ..-
Matters worsened when the Chief Minister of Karnataka, instead of ironing out the
Dismissing a court challenge to the contest by Mahila Jagran Samiti (Forum to Awaken Women) , Bangalore Justice S. Rajendra Babu lectured: "Coming as you do
. from the' land where there is worship of nude women by tantrics, ... where erotic sculpture is part of traditional temple architecture, where Vatsayana wrote on the' art of love in the Kamasutra, necessary sense and sensibHity regarding culture and decencyto discern between art and beauty on one hand and obscenity on the other handshould always be maintained." One high
,
court judge told HINDUISM TODAY' during an informal chat, "These women obviously did not come up with an intelligent, coherent ar$Ument against the contest."
With this, clear battle lines were drawn betr-reen the government and the protesters. Kinay Narayana Sashikala of the Mahila Jagran Samiti announced a twelve-member suicide squad would immolate themselves at the pageant while the show was. on. But due to the extreme police protection, or lastminute second.. thoughts, none did. Members did storm into a Godrej showroom and smeared cowdung on the equipment.' An unknown (and likely fictitious) group call- ..ing themselves "Indian Tigers" threatened bomb attacks. BJP parli'amentarian Uma Bharati threatened: "We will give our lives, we will take lives, but we will not allow the ·show." On November 14 India was stunned by the self-immolation of 24-year~old Suresh Kumar. He lit himself afire in front 'of hundreds of people at the Madurai train station while shouting anti-pageant slogans. He was a member of the Marxist Democratic Youth Federation. His death especially shocked the event organizers. • . Additional security forces were called,
and 12,000 police personnel posted for duty in Bangalore-at a cost to the event of more than US$l million. Section 35 of the Police Act, prohibiting assembly of four or more persons, was invoked-a law meant f0r Hmes of severe unrest and rioting. "This was required in the wake of threats to disrupt the pageant, and also the safety of the contestants who had come from different countries," saia the police commissioner .
More voices joined in chorus. About 10,000 women from allover India came to Bangalore and took out a march from the city railway station. "Some groups from outside India wrote to us expressing solidarity," reported Mrs. Nesargi. The city witnessed a host of seminars and panel discus;;ions oy both pro- and anti-pageant activists. Television channels were full of interviews and discussions on the issue.
At a seminar organized by the All-India . Mahila Samskritik Sanghatan, prominent personalities from the fields of law,1iterature and science spoke against the contest. A literary figure and former chief justice of Karnataka, High Court nonagenarian, Nittor Srinivasa Rao, expressed full support to the protest, and said, "<;ontests based on the attraction of a woman is unacceptable to the country." Among tho,'le who also raised their voices were former chief justice of India, M.N. Venkatachaliah, E.S. Venkataramiya, fmmer supreme court judge V.S. Krishna Iyer, Magsaysay award winner K. V. Subbanna, the doyen Kannada Foet, Pu. Thi. Narasimhachar, prominent literary figures A.N. Murtliy Rao and Channavira Kannavi.
To counter growing opposition, ABCL put
MARCH , 1997 HI'NDUISM TODAY 23
,
forth a survey report supposedly conducted by a reputed institute of management showing Indians were mostly pro-pagtJant. The pageant-supporting All-India Mahakal Bhakta Mandal had a special puja perfor-med for eight days qt the Mahakaleswar temple in Ujjain for the pageal'lt's success.
Says Mark West, South~frican film mak
were crying foul about culture, a number of organizations and intellectuals were opposing.J:he pageant as it promoted "commodification of women," and entry of multi-national companies whom they , called, "imperialists." "Women are being used as raw material to promote a product. They say 'Beauty with a purpose,' but what is the
purpose? Godrej co-sponsored the Miss World program to launch a new product. The first thing they did after the event was to get Miss World to model for their product in Bombay," stated Mrs. Mahishi.
Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Ltd. promised that this ten-crore-I:upee event would showcase Ihdia and launch Bangalore
er who bought the TV rights for the pageant, "I simply cannot understand how a 2,000-plus year-old culture can be destroyed by a two-hour entertainment program. This event is too small a thing to make a impact on this ancient culture. I have been to a few Indian movies and there is far more nudity and obscenity in them than in our beauty contest."
Countering these views, jus~ tice M.N. Venkatachaliah cautions, "The rationalist are trying to justify obscenity. We should remember that our country has been known for its ideals and spirituality. Yes, society should be open, but not permissive. Con{,entional values must be maintained. Ours is a duty- and obligationbased society. DegeFleration of values will lead to moral instability and destruction."
Many pointed out that when Sushmita Sen and Aishwarya Rai both won world beauty contests in 1994, Imlia celebrated wildly. Mrs. Mahishi countered, ''All these years we would watch Miss World on television and forget about it after a few hours. It was inconsequential. But when the big event comes right to our doorstep, it is bound to influence our youth. Our girls will become more fashion conscious, and this will find its way into their litestyles. These wrong values will tear our traditional culture and spell danger. The consequences of thi~ pageant can already be seen in advertisements now. They are more bold than before."
"Today it's Miss World; tomorrow it's electrolysis, liposuction, artificial eyes and face-lifting," said BJP state legislator, Pramila Nesargi. "The West wants all women to look alike, and the only way to do this is with makeup and surgery."
While some women's groups
.., u
'" <
Crowning Beauty: New Miss World Irene Skliva of Greece is honored by Indian pageant hosts
It's Harmless Fanatical reaction has hurt Hinduism
ELIGIOUSLY HEALTHY
Hindus don't share the protesters reactionary sense of moral outrage at
such an innocent activity. Objectors claim the contest reduces women to sex objects and condemn it as a flesh market. India has participated in such contests for decades, without peI:verting the morals of its society. This unknown coterie of women was seeking nothing but publicity for threatening suicide over this pageant. The media
, has given them excessive publicity, fueling their fanaticism and needlessly hurting the fair name of Hinduism.
Perhaps a few of these
pageants are mere "cattle parades," with only the physical aspect receiving attention. However, the intellectual, cultural and personality factors are evaluated in many such spectacles, and high standards of behavior are upheld. There's nothing inherently immoral in adjudging beauty. To admire feminine beauty is not to ogle at girls. The judges themselves are normally qualified people, not lay lecheI:s. Glitter and glamour eventually end, but they therefore cannot be ignored. To behave as if they do not exist, simply because they do not persist, is wrong. Femineity and grace endure, and contestants ought to
be judged on these aspects, too. All of life is to be enjoyed.
"Pleasure as such is not to be condemned," writes the greatest Hindu savant, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, former president of India.
In matters of sex, Hindus as a rule avoid the extremes of prudery and prurience. Dr. Radhakrishnan approvingly quoted Havelock Ellis' statement that in India "sexual life has been sanctified and divinized to a greater extent than in any other part of the world. It seems never to have entered into the heads of the Hindu legislators that anything natural could be offensively obscene, a singularity which pervades all their writings, but is no proof of the depravity of their morals." Thus these protesting Indian women are not in the Hindu tradition.
RAMESH D. JETHALAL
Jottmalist Durban, South Africa
24 HINDUISM TOD A.Y MkRCH , 1997
-
on the 'global pathway. I attended all the events and later watched a re-telecast of the final show. I hear<;l some people in the audience commenting, "Our local programs are bette}: organized." Obviously, they left disappointed-most people had paid d~arly for the tickets. For all the media hYP'e and publicity it received, the 'final show ~as nothing
more than a ~lorful entertainment program. I noticed the event did nothing to project Bangalore to the world, and the backdrop of Hampi (the Vijayanagar em-pire), though well done, failed to impress.
opportunity to showcase India and' its culture to the world was lost.
Renowned dancer Mallika Sarabhai described the cultural show as "Bollywood eulture of India," and regretted that such an
I found that the last round of questions, whicl;..judged the five semi-finalists, were the same that were asked the previous day at rfhearsals. I saw truth in the statement of Vimochana, "Beauty contests and the hype around them not only convey the idea that
beauty is an achievement (rather than a happy accident of birth), but a privileged ~chievement superior to accomplishments in various fields of work. Compare the publicity and rewards given to ,; beauty queens to the scarce notice taken of women whb have won prestigious international awards for their exceptional work or performance in a variety of professions and activities." .
Bangalore: Human chain of women protesters halts traffiC as thousands demonstrated in the streets
The protests no doubt dampened the show for the organizers. TIfey faced a disaster had any of the threats of self-immolati on been carried out at the final show telecast live around the world. Several international publications noted that India was only learning that beauty pageants attract protests-the Los Angeles Times , for example, headlined their piece, "India Sees Ugly Side of Pageant." The Washington Post said, "India's feminists, asserting arguments also made in Western countries, sald that suc.h pageants demean women by turning them into commodities."
It's Dangerous Pageants increase oppression of women
RGUMENTS FOR AND against beauty contests are presented in the indian media as a case of
types of women as self-sacrificing and subordinate housewives, the new role models of glamorous playthings are no less limiting, and indeed may go further in preventing the possibility of true equality between
The other day I watched a little five-year-old girl on television saying she wants to be a Miss World like Aishwarya Rai. I spoke to a group of college girls who admitted that they were a little more bold in . their fashi;9n after seeing all the beauties. "Whats wrong in it?" they asked me.
international cultural modernizers fighting swadeshi votaries resisting cultural invasion. They are alternatively described as resulting from an aesthetic repugnance for the vulgarity or supposed immodesty of the entire exercise. It is possible that the spectacle of an ageing Bollywood megastar, in his recent reincarnation as trendy impresario peddling this kind of soft and brash entertainment, may be distasteful and even slightly degrading.
tion to the Miss World contest is much more serious, and has nothing to do with spurious ideas of national culture, nor does it lie in moralistic sermonizing on the extent of clothing that should cover the female body. Jayati Ghosh
the sexes. When these images are relentlessly purveyed, not only by the media, but even by politicians and others, they can have very detrimental effects on the life changes of young women. These women may
Beauty pageants may come and go, but the issues they raise cannot be ignored. We note that;nost of the countries of the world have either shown.the door or outright rejected such beauty contests. At least in a land where Manu had written, Yatm naryastu pujyanthe, mmanthe tatm Devatha-"The Gods are pleased where the woken are held in esteem," let the women's voice But the substantive opposi-
The Miss World contest and similar competitions are fundamentally objectionable because they seek to create and to perpetuate notions of female desirability which are actually oppressive and restrictive for most women. If earlier, more traditional societies created unfortunate stereo-
fail to realize their potential, not only because of the many constraints society overtly places on them, but because their own aspirations have been colored by such representations.
JAYATI GHOSE Frontline Magazine
Chennai, India be heard. ~
MARCH , 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 25
~-~=--=-~- ~~~~~----------------------------------------.... ----------------------------------~'~------------------~
REALIZATION
Mountai us 8 Ramana Maharshi's
By A NANDHI RAMAC HANDRAN , CHENNAI
NCE AS A CHILD I ASKED MY FA
ther '1\re there rishis like Agastya, Vishwamitra and Va,shishta living today? Can we find them residing
forests?" My fathe( took my question seriously. "Ramakrishna
Paramahansa was a great sage who lived in recent times and had seen Devi. He lived in Calcutta: his discipte was Swami Vb.ekananda. You must read about them.' A gr~at sage, Ramana Maharshi, lives today in Tiruvannamalai. He is a Jivanmukta. He has attained freedom from rebirth."
After a few days, we journeyed to. Tiruvannamalai (100 miles southwest of Chennail and had darshan, sacred sight, of Ra-
26 HINDUISM TOD A.Y ~RCH , 1997
around the world
mana Maharshi. I remember that it was a crowded day and only vaguely recollect the ashram and people we saw.
Many years later, in 1992, I was in Trondheim, Norway.' I went to visit a friend, and she introduced me to her friend, Sol. When I en- ' te;ed Sol's house on the fiord, 1 saw p,eaceful eyes looking down on me and felt a thrill. There was the photo of Bhagavan. Ramana
Maharshi. Sol was devoted to him as were many non-Indians I met in Europe.
At that moment, I regretted not having had darshan of Sri Ramana Maharshi again when I was older. He attained Mahasamadhi on April 14, 1950. At the e~act :q).oment he left his body, witnesses saw a bright shooting star m9ving towards Arunachala, the sacred hill above his ashram. I could have gone many times to have his darshan. Young people do not attach importance to spiritual aspirations, and that opportunity lost was lost forever.
What was his message? It is very simple. He said ''Know Thyself" Read his many books in English and TamiL Again and again it is the same message, "Know Thy-
self" He taught, '1\ conscious bliss ensues when one abides as the Self, by inquiring 'What is the true imp~rt of I?' This oliss is spontaneous, indestructible and limitless." His method is called vichara, Self-pondering inquiry.
Devotees found him the embodiment of compassion. One said, "The m~st striking feature of his physical structure, which even the casual visitor ought to observe, is his ever-shining eye~. They can be compared to powerful electr4c lights that shed always a sqower of cool and gracious looks upon everybody who came before him."
Being with Bhagavan: Ramana qid not travel; those who desired wisdom had to come to Arunachala, just as Ramana himself had done. Many are the popular stories told aoout these visits. Once the great Tamil saint, Yogaswarni of Jaffna, Sri Lanka, came' to visit Ramana. They sat together for half an hour. Neither uttered a word. Later, in Jaffna, Yogaswami told his devotees, "We said all there was to be said."
.Not all visitors were so enlightened. Once a group of devotees, professionai men from Chennai, came in a specially chartered bus to demand the total removal of the ashram ,management and the institution of a new
system. They marched into the hall and sat before the silent Ramana. He did not speak, a.rd·1hey dared not initiate a conversation. Finally, they left the hall in frustration and returned to Chennai. Afterwards Bhagavan playfully offered, "I wondered what they came here for. Did they come to reform themselves or to reform the ashram?"
The English novelist and playwright Somerset M,.augham went to the ashram in 1936. When he entered the ashram after a tiring journey, he fainted. He was taken to a hut and remained unconsoious. When he opened his eyes, he saw Ramana Maharishi. "He bore himself with naturalness and at the same time with dignity. His mien was cheerful, smiling, polite. His eyes with a gentle benignity rested on my face. His body was absolutely still. He smiled and said, 'Silence is also conversation.' " Somerset Maugham's famous Razor'~ Edge is a story of a seeker who finds such a satguru.
Pal:l!l Brunton wrote, sitting silently before Hamana, "One by one, the questions which I prepared with such meticulous accuracy dropped away. It does not seem to matter whether they ar~ asked or not, I know only that a steady river of quietness seems to be flowing near me, aNd that a great peace is
Tiruvannamalai: Arunachala hill overlooks l J!.is magnificent Siva temple on the plains below. Bottom: Ramana lived for years in Virupaksha cave.
"The mind is a form of energy. it manifests itself as the world. When the mind sinks into the Self, then the Self is realiz'ed; when the mind issues forth, the world appears and the Self ' is not realized."
penetrating my being." Brunton's book, A Search in Secret India, brought Ramana to the attention of the world.
Among the many renunciates to visit him was Dilip Kumar Roy, who asked about the need for a guru, as Ramana was often described as having had no guru. "I might have had at one time or another," Ramana replied. "Guru is God or the Self First a man prays to God to fulfill his desires. Then a time comes when h~ does not pray for the fulfillment of a desire, but for God Himself. So God appears' to him in some form or another, human or nonhuman, to guide him as a guru in answer to his prayer."
When Ramana Maharishi was still observing total silence, Sivaprekasam Pillai, a . very learned gentleman, asked, "What is the nature of consciousness?" Ramana wrote on his slate, "It is sat chit ananda (being, con-
-sciousness, bliss) in which there is not even the trace of the T thought. This is also called mauna (silence) or atma (Self). That is the only thing that is. If the trinity of world, ego and God are considered as separate eatities, they are mere illusions: like the appearance of silver in the mother of pearL God, ego and world are really Sivasvarupa (the form of Siva) or Atmasvarupa (the form
of spirit)." In an enlightened p'erson, Ramana once
explained, "the existehce of the ego is only apparent. He enjoys unbroken transcendental experience. This ego is harmless; it is like the skeleton of a burnt rope-though it has a form, it is of no use to tie anything with."
Boyhood Realization: Venkataraman Aiyer was his childhood name. He was like any other boy. What was being kindled in him nobody knew. He went to school, played wi-th friends, swam in the village tank and -always won in any comp$ tition or game. He was also devout. He went to Tirupara'nkundram and used to go around the temple in pradakshina with a Muslim classmate whose name was Sab Jan. "God's creation is alike. There is no differentiation in creation. God is the same, the agparent differences in God are created by men," the youngster told his Muslim friend. •
In his boyhood years, he was prone to abnormally deep sleep. He recounted, "The boys didn't dare touch me when I was awake, but if they had any grudge against me they would come when I was asleep, carry me wherever they liked, beat me, paint my face with charcoal, and then put me back, and I would know nothing about it
MARCH , 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 27
I '
until they told me the next mbrning." One day when Venkataraman was alone
in his home, the fear of death over;whelmed him. He explained, "The shock drove my mind inwards, and I said to myself mentally 'New death has come. What does it mean?' I dramatized the occurrence of death. I lay with my limbs outstretched stiff as though rigor mortis had set in, and imitated a corpse. 'Well then,' I said to myself, 'this body is dead. It will be carried to the burning ground and burnt and reduced to ashes.' But with the death of this body am I dead? Is the body I?" Suddenly the fear of death vanished, and he became absorbed in the Self. Venkataraman's life changed.
His father died when he was 12, throwing the family into hardship. O'ne day when he was 16 he was writing his grammar lessons. Suddenly he plit away his books and sat down to meditate. His orother'heckled him, "What use is all this to such a one?" Venkataraman recognized the truth of this remark and decided to leave the house. He took three rupees and boarded; train, not knowing its- destination.
Three days later he arrived at the great Siva t~mple of Tiruvannamalai below Arunachala Hill. He entered a trance-like state of tapas in a IJ.~arby cave: Day by day his austerities increased. So deep was his meditation, so removed from body consciousness, that ants had eaten into his skin; the scars could be seen throughout his life. Nearly a year later, his uncle Nellaiappan found him. Venkataraman would neither speak nor hear what was said. Nellaiappam notifi~d the boy's mother, who arrived shortly. Initially rebuffed by her son, she and l].er younger son were later allowed to stay.
waiting outside the gate to take any devotee anywhere he wants to go. There is a branch of the post office close by to handle the heavy mail the ashram receives and sends every day-when he was alive, a letter addressed "Maharshi, india" would reach him. As I enter the precincts of the ashram, I sense ,the all-pervading shanti. The office rooms are on the right. We go straight to a big hall 'ehere a few ladies are stringing gar-
. lands and softly talking. A German lady comes in with a little girL The other women greet the child with smiles an4 give her a few flowers. She is delighted.
One of the women tells me that this woman from Germany has moved near the ashram because she wants her little daughter to-grow up in this atmosphere. She is fortunate. The child will absorb the values of peace, worship and meditatioIl; She must have been only S!X years old, but she was
, home page at http://wwwrtanet.com/ramanalindex.htm with information about vis-
I iting the ashram and linKs to related organi-zations in the US, Canada, UK, Sweden and Russia. The mailing address is: Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai, 606 603, India.
The ashram has published many good works of Ramana's teachings, and a beautiful pictorial biography. There are a number of books in various 1anguages-over a hundred separate titles. Nearly fifty years after his great departure, the ashram work is increasing through the dedication of its staff.
Many flowers: Ramana left no formal.successor, but his teachings today guide many, many thousands around the world. Some
..read his books and visit the ashram; others follow a teacher who perpetuates Ramana's wisdom. Visitors to Tiruvannamalai may en- I
counter the beggar saint, Yogi Ramsuratkumar, who counts Ramana among his t~ach-
More traditional devotees did not like Bhagawan's mother and brother staying with him. Once
Receiving guests: Bhagavan met with dozens of visitors daily in the ashrar)1,'s main hall
Seshadri Swamigal, an ascetic in Tiruvannamalai, joked about it, calling Ramana a householder. In India, Hindus believe that renouncing family life is the first step in the quest for the truth of the Self. So, many people thought it odd that the yogi's mother lived in the ashram. Today the ashram administration remains in the family; Sri T.N. Venkataraman, current president of the board of trustees, is Ramana's nephew. When his mother died, Ramana said, "She diCI. not pass away She was absortJed," and a samadhi shrine was built for her. Around her tomb grew the ashram, which nas become a pilgrim center for international devotees.
Abode of peace: The ashram is not a desolate place now. There are auto rickshaws
28 HINDUISM TODA"¥ ' MAflCH, 1997
gentle and seemed so content for her ag~. They do puja for Maharishi. Ramana did
not believe in rituals. He did not believe in orthodoxy. He mocked his mother for being so orthodox even in food ha.bits. She didn't take onions because it was not sattvic food. Bhagavan teased her by saying, "Mind that onion! It is a great 'obstacle to Moksha."
The flowers are blooming at the back. We go to the hall where Ramana Maharishi gave darshan to his devotees. In his later years he wanted to be accessible to all. There is pindrop silence, People are sitting on the fleor with closed eyes, Is it easy to control the mind? But' in this room devotees seem tranquil, and there is peace on their faces.
The ashram in India has an Internet
-\ , er,s, He has neither home nor home page, but hi's devotees may be reached via Insti.;tute of Indian Thought and Culture, ).18 Big £treet, Triplicane, Chennai, 600005, India.
A list of '5\.dvaita groups," not all of which are directly related to Ramana, is at http:// www.sentient.orglamberl, .Notable among them is the Society of Abidance in Truth' (SAT) of Master Nome, located in California. Their home page is at http://www,SAT Ramana.orgl; address is: SAT, 1834 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz, California 95060 USA.
"'What is destined to happen will happen, do what you may to prevent it," Ramana wrote on his slate. " Whatever is destined not to happen will not happen, try as you may, The best course, therefore, is to remain silent." .,./
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INSIGHT
Tulsi and Rudraksha Plants provide our food, clothes, medicine, building materials and the oxygen we breath, yet we seldom honor their import. Here are two extraordinary ones.
EW HUMAN CULTURES VALUE AND VENERATE
the millions of species of plants upon which our lives, and our enjoyment of living, so pro
foundly depend. The tribals are an exception. In Brazil today medicine men know every forest botanical intimately, and plainly claim they talk to plants and plants teach them much. America's Indians still esteem plants and know the interrelationships we share with our photosynthesizing kin. But for sheer depth of detail and ritualistic reverence, few cultures can parallel the intricate and profound relationships between the human and botanical kingdoms found within the Sanatana Dharma. Virtually every species has a purpose and a pious place. Among the elite must be counted rudraksha and tulsi, loved by worshipers of Siva and Vishnu, respectively. The rudraksha is a towering tree yielding an intricate, carnelian seed. Tulsi is an unassuming, bushy herb. Both are found in temple, home, roadside shrines and on the bodies of the devout, who wear them for healthful benefits and to please the Gods. Non-Hindu aspirants seek out both to aid their spiritual quest. Now a look at two remarkable plants and their unique place in the lives of hundreds of millions.
Tulsi: the Holy Basil Tulsi, Ocimum sanctum, belongs to the family of Labiatae. The classical name, basilicwm, from which "basil" is derived, means "royal or princely." Hindus know the plant as T-ulasi and Surasah in Sanskrit, and Tulsi in Hindi. Other commonly used names are Haripriya, dear to Vishnu, and
Bhutagni, destroyer of demons. Tulsi is an upright, many branched, softly hairy annual herb ranging in height from 30-60 cm. Its leaves are slightly smaller and paler green than the common basil. All Ocimum species are similar, but Vaishnava Hindus intransigently attest that there is only one true Tulsi-Ocimum sanctum.
What distinguishes Tulsi from other basils is its peerless religious significance. Tulsi is Divinity. It is regarded not merely as a utilitarian God-send, as most sacred plants are viewed to be, but as an incarnation of the Goddess Herself Thus, when one bows before Tul-
30 HINDUISM TODAY MARCH , 1997
Daily deliverance: the simple yet sincere worship ofTulsi
si, one bows before the Goddess. Of course, denominations differ in their approach. Generally, worshipers of Vishnu will envision Tulsi as Lakshmi or Vrinda; devotees of Rama may view Tulsi as Sita; while Krishna bhaktas revere Her as Vrinda, Radha or Rukmani.
A plethora of Puranic legends and village stories relate how Tulsi came to grow and be worshiped on Earth. The classic Hindu myth, Samudramathana, the "Ohurning of the Cosmic Ocean," explains
ARTWORK FROM THE GARDEN OF LIFE BY NAVEEN PATNAlK, e l993. USED BY PERMISSION OF DOUBLEDAY, A DIVISION OF BANTAM DOUBLE DAY DELL PUBI:.ISHING GROUP, INC.
that Vishnu spawned Tulsi from the turbulent seas as a vital aid for all mankind. More common are legends that describe how the Goddess Herself came to reside on Earth as Tulsi. A complex legend in Orissa views the plant as the fourth incarnation of the Goddess who appeared as Tulsi at the beginning of our present age, the Kali yuga. The tale continues with intrigue and deception among the Gods, typical of the Puranic stories, culminating in Vishnus transforming the Goddess Tulsi into a basil bush to be worshiped morning and evening by men and women in evet;y household in the world.
Traditional worship begins when seeds are sown on the eleventh day of the waxing moon in the month of Jyestha, May-June. The plant is then nurtured for three months. The worship during this period is simply the loving care offered the tender seedling. Beginning on the full-moon day of Ashvini, September-October, the worship intensifies with prayers and chanting, circumambulation of Tulsi seven times each morning, offering of camphor or oil lamps once or twice a day and offering of water, rice, flowers and sweets, especially by the women of the household. Worship culminates on the eleventh day of the waxing moon in Kartika, October-November, in a festival called Tulsivivaha, when the Goddess Tulsi is ceremoniously wed to Her consort, Lord Vishnu. Vishnu is represented at this wedding by His sacred symbol, the saligrarna, a black ammonite stone from the Kali Ganda'ki river of Nepal. The most devout conclude the worship on the following 14th day by offering feaves one by one to a river or sacred tank while chanting the Vishnu Sahasranama, the Lord's 1,008 names. .
The woody stem, branches and seeds of Tulsi lend themselves well to fashioning into simple beads, and industrious devotees create rnalas, rosaries, with beads made from the plant (now dead) that they had just nurtured, worshiped and wed. These malas are used for japa, prayerful chanting, and worn to insure blessings and protection of the Deity throughout the year. If not made into beads, the dried Tulsi plant should be discarded only in a river, ocean or pond.
Tusli, along with all other species of basil, possesses remarkable physical and spiritually healing properties, as author Stephen P Huyler summarizes, '1\side from its religious merits, Tulsi has been praised in Indian scriptures and lore since the time of the early Vedas as an herb that cures blood and skin diseases. Ancient treatises extol it as an antidote for poisons, a curati;ve for kidney disease and arthritis, a preventative for mosquito and insect bites, and a purifier of polluted air. Generally prepared in medicinal teas and poultices, Tulsi s widespread contemporary use in India as an aid to internal and external organs suggests these traditions are based upon practical efficacy." One finds descriptions of basil's health benefits in any of the books on herbs and ayurveda readily available today.
Tulsi is also extensively used to maintain ritual purity, to purify if polluted and to ward off evil. A leaf is kept in the mouth of the dying to insure passage to heavenly realms. During an eclipse, leaves are ingested and also placed in cooked food and stored water to ward off psychic pollution. FUneral pyres often contain tulsi wood to protect the spirit of the dead-as Bhutagni, destroyer of demons. tulsi leaves and sprigs are hung in the entryways of homes to keep away troublesome spirits, and the mere presence of the Tulsi shrine is said to keep the entire home pure, peaceful and harmonious.
Perfect picture of devotion: The following episode was written by Huyler as he witnessed Tulsi worship in an Orissan home. It conveys the intimate relationship the Hindu has with Tulsi, and it teaches, through exquisite example, how we may worship Her.
"'0 Tulsi, you who are beloved of Vishnu, You who fulfill the wishes of the devout, I will bathe You. You are the Mother of the World. Give me the blessings of Vishnu.' The high, cracked voice of Manjula pierces the damp predawn hush. Joining her voice, other women also sing the praises of the Goddess. They all kneel before a meter-high terracotta planter shaped like a miniature temple adorned with sculptures, and containing a green-leafed Tulsi [photo, page 32]. Rising to her feet , Manjula pours holy water from a small, brightly polished brass pot into the cupped palm of her right hand and sprinkles it upon the leaves of the bush. Her expression is
Contemplation: shOWing fihe tradifiional ways to w ear rudraksha
one of adoration but also one that portrays many years of close association, of friendship. For Manjula, the Goddess is incarnate in this herb, representing the duty and dedication, the love, virtue and sorrow of all women. She is a link to Manjulas own soul.
"Manjula's actions are repeated by the other women. Beneath their feet are designs of flowers and conch shells painted directly onto the ground with white rice powder and sindur (vermilion). PlaciRg the brass pot on the ground amid the paintings, Manjula lights camphor incense in a clay pot and waves the clouds of sweet smoke over and around the bush and its container. Holding a clay lamp filled with lighted ghee in het; right hand, she rotates it in a large circle three times in front of the tulsi plant. Bowls of fruit (bananas, apples, guavas and the meat of dried coconuts) and hibiscus and marigold flowers are placed on the ground before the terracotta.
"Incense sticks are lit as Manjula once again presses her hands together in reverence, singing: '0 Tulsi! Within your roots are all the sacred places of the world. And inside your stem live all the Gods and Goddesses. Your leaves radiate every form of sacred fire. Let me take some of your leaves that I may be blessed.' With her right hand clasped around the stem of the small bush, she shakes it gently, causing three leaves to flutter to its base. Thanking the Goddess, she places a single leaf between het; palms and prostrates herself before the planter. After lying in this posture of absolute supplication for several minutes, Manjula again kneels before the Tulsi shrine and lovingly asks the Goddess if she may be allowed to dress Her. Taking a length of red cotton cloth from a basket, she wraps it around the
MARCH , 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 31
/
bush. Then she places bright red hibiscus flowers in the upper leaves and hangs garlands of marigolds around the stem and the planter. Culminating the ceremony, Manjula puts the tulsi leaf in her mouth, taking into her body the spirit of the Goddess. Followed by the other women, she walks seven times around the elaborately sculpted planter, chanting: '0 Goddess Tulsi, You who are the most precious of the Lord Almighty [Vishnu], who live according to His Divine Laws, I beseech you to protect the lives of my family and the spirits of those who have died. Hear me, a Goddess!'
'J\s the first rays of the rising sun hit the tulsis top leaves, the ritual has ended. Every morning and every evening of the year, Manjula prays to Tulsi at the shrine on the doorstep of her house, but that worship is usually simple and straightforward, entailing sprinkling the bush with holy water, adorning it with a few hibiscus blossoms, and shaking down a few leaves to eat as part of her prayers. This morning's elaborate ritual celebrates the first day of Kamka, a month particularly sacred to Vishnu and his Goddess-consort Tulsi. By caring for and honoring this sacred bush, Manjula creates a bond with the Goddess. Representing honor, virtue and steadfast loyalty, this humble bush of herbal leaves is the archetype of Hindu femininity, revered by men and emulated with empathy by women. She is Tulsi, Mother of the World."l
Rudraksha: Tears of God Rudraksha names both a sacred seed and the tree that bears it. In English, it is called the Blue Marble tree, or, less commonly, the Utrasum bead tree. It is known botanically by the names Elaeocarpus sphaericus, E. grandis and E. ganitrus. Throughout the world, there are 120 species of Elaeocar
pus (elaeo means "oil," and carpus, "fruit"), 25 of which are found in India. The tree has a remarkable range of habitation-from the Himalayan foothills, to Southeast Asia, Indoneasia and New Guinea, to Australia, Guam and even Hawaii. Production of rudraksha beads in India cannot keep up with demand, so a flourishing import trade has developed between India and Indonesia. It is intensively grown around a few villages on the islands of Java and Bali. Other important Indian species are E. jlonbundus, E. oblongus, E. petiolatus, E. serratus and E. tuberculatus. Although virtually every Hindu is familiar with the rudraksha bead, only a few have seen the tree.
The rudraksha is a medium-to-tall evergreen (E. grandis can grow up to 120 feet) with a spreading handsome crown. It grows quickly and bears fruit in three to five years. As the tree matures, the roots
but;tress-rising up narrowly near the trunk and radiating out along the surface of the ground-giving a gnarly and prehistoric appearance. Attractive, creamy white flowers give birth to green fruits oneinch in diameter, which turn purple and brilliant blue when ripe [see inside front cover]. The white wood has a unique strength-toweight ratio, making it a highly valued timber. During World War I, it was used to make airplane propellors. The splendor of the tree, however, is its intricately ornamented fruit stone which, when arduously cleaned, becomes the ruddy and revered rudraksha bead.
All legends of the origin of rudraksha describe them as the tears shed by Lord Siva for the benefit of humanity. "Rudra" stems from the Sanskrit rud or rodana, which means "to cry." It is the original name for Siva as it appears in the Rig Veda. Aksha means "eye," and thus rudraksha beads are deemed the tears of Siva. Though accounts vary as to exactly what stirred Siva to shed His historical tears, the most common legend describes how He wept out of compassion as He beheld the effrontery of mankind. Naveen Patnaik briefly tells the tale in The Garden of Life, "Rudra wept when He witnessed the towering metropolis, Tripura., or triple city, created by man's superbly ambitious technology In its arrogance, this magnificent human creation had undermined the balance between the Earth, atmosphere and sky. Then, according to the Mahabharata, having shed the implacable tear which turned into a rudraksha bead, 'The Lord of the Universe drew his bow and unleashed his arrows at the triple city, burning its demons and hurling them into the western ocean, for the welfare of creation.' " Wearing the rudraksha, devotees remind themselves of Gods compassion for the human predicament, His watchful love for us all.
Along with vibhuti (holy ash) and the trishula (trident), rudrakshas are among the quintessential regalia of Saivism. Nevertheless, the Padrna Purana states that rudrakshas may be used by Hindus of every denomination. They will even benefit atheists and sinners. Rudraksha beads are not objects of worship. Rather, they are used as worshipful aids and accoutrement. Primarily, the beads are strung into strands and worn on the body. These malas are also used in the practice of japa.
Facets of benevolence: Scriptures describe four main categories of rudraksha according to colors white, red, yellow and black. Different species are said to bear different colored seeds. Today, however, it is rare to find any color but red. Beads range in size from .25 to 2 cm. Though the Meru Tantra declares, "Of rudraksha and Sivalinga, the bigger they are, the more powerful," small ones are more highly valued, possibly due to their rarity or the ease of wearing and carrying them. Chandrajnana Agarna describes other characteristics in verses
13-14: "Rudrakshas the color of copper are sublime. Those that are hard, big and highly ornamented are considered virtuous. Those eaten by worms, broken, without detail, full of wounds and unshapely are forbidden." Such inauspicious beads are called bhadraksha.
A rudraksha is categorized primarily by the number of its "faces." Longitudinal grooves begin at the pedicellar end and go all the way to the basal end of the bead, dividing it into cells which encase the seeds. In Sanskrit these are called mukhas, or faces. The classical designation describes 1-14 faces. Other sources speak of 21, while a few list 30 or more. Most common by far is the five-faced bead, followed by the four- and six-faced. Rare variations are the GowriShankar, a double-joined bead, and the Brahma-Vishnu-Mahesvara, a triple-joined bead. These are highly prized but rarely found, and fetch a high price. Single-faced rudrakshas are the most valuable and
,. <
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perity and truthfulness. Nine-faced, Durga: removes fear of death, increases happiness. Ten-faced: protects from miseries, gives' success and neutralizes planetary afflictions. Eleven-faced, the eleven Rudras: brings victory in all encounters, enhances happiness and well being. Twelve-faced, Maha Vishnu or Surya: eliminates disease, increases happiness and wealth. Thirteen-faced: wish fulfilling, promotes fertility. Fourteen-faced (rare), Siva: freedom from disease, misery and ill feelings; bestows bhakti, love, honesty and intelligence.
To your heart's content: Ayurvedic texts offer numerous references to rudrakshas healing qualities, as Dr. A. Satyamangalam summarizes in an issue of The Kalyana Kalpataru, "The pulp of the fruit is a cure for mental illness and epilepsy. Powdered beads taken before breakfast cure the common cold. To reduce high blood pressure, drop four to ten five-faced beads in 50 grams of water and keep it overnight.
extremely rare. They are kept as family or spiritual heirlooms and are often encased in gold. Legend states that trees produce single-faced beads in sets of three. One disappears into the sky; one buries itself in the earth and one remains on the ground for a pious person to find. Two such single-faced rudrakshas are kept in the inner sanctum of Nepal's Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu. One is shown to pilgrims at auspicious times through the year.
~1~~~~~~~~~~~rr~~~~~~~~1
Drink this water daily for two months. To insure an infants well being, rub a rudraksha bead on a clean stone with honey and place a drop of the paste on the infants tongue." Both the fruit and the stone (bead) have long lists of healing properties. However, the easiest way to reap the benefits of rudraksha is to wear the beads. The mere touch of rudraksha is touted to regulate blood pressure, aid in the strengthening of the heart, absorb excess body heat, balance the physical energies and neutralize mental disorders. Scriptures elaborate how wearing rudraksha pleases the
Many scriptures extol rudraksha.
:; " z ;;
Some are dedicated solely to expounding its merits. The Rudraksha Ja
Rosaries: Tulsi (white bead) and rudraksha
balopanishad is the 88th of the 108 Upanishads and forms part of the Sarna Veda. It describes in detail the nature of rudraksha, its variations, how to wear the beads and for what purpose. The properties of the beads are summarized as follows: One-faced, Siva: dissolves sins, removes obstacles to spiritual growth and bestows worldly desires. Two-faced, Siva-Parvati or Ardhanarisvara: for good living and enlightenment, beneficial for husband and wife. Three-faced: good for health, knowledge and wealth, especially helpful for the unlucky. Four-faced, Brahma: promotes supreme knowledge, happiness, prosperity and progeny; improves memory and speech. Five-faced, Pancha Brahman or Kalagni Rudra: bestows enlightenment, good luck and aids in achieving desires. Six-faced, Kartikkeya: good for education and business. Seven-faced: worn for wealth, flawless health, right perception and purity of mind. Eight-faced, Vinayaka: longevity, pros-
Gods and protects the soul by keeping troublesome spirits at bay and keeping the mind of man attuned to that of his beloved Deity.
1 SELECTION REPRlNTED FROM GIFTS OF EARTH: TERRACO'ITAS AND CLAY SCULP'nJRES OF INDIA BY STEPHEN P. H UYLER (AHME DABAD: MAPIN PUBLISHING PVT, LTD, DISTRIBUTED IN T HE
USA BY THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON PRESS)
Where you can acquire quality tulsi and rudraksha NAVRATAN EMPoRIUM, P.O. BOX 3 1, GAU GHAT CHOWK, PO HARDWAR 249 401, INOlA. POOJA INTERNATIONAL, 34159 FREMONT BOULEVARD, FREMONT, CALIFORNIA 94555; BAZAAR OF INDIA IMPORTS, 18 10 U NI VERSITY AVENUE, BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94703- 1516; MEENA JEWELERS, 2643 WEST DEVON AVE NUE, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60659; MONEESH, 467 BruCKMAN ROAD, HURLEYVILLE, NEW YORK 12747; nJL-51 SEED (FOR PLANTING ONLY): JOHNNY's SELECTED SEEDS, F OSS HILL ROAD, ALBION, MAINE 04910-9731.
Left to right: Tulsi worship at Kalachandji's temple, Texas; Tulsi is enshrined in impressive terracottas in Orissa; a lone rudraksha tree bears fruit at HINDUISM TODAY'S headquarters, Hawaii; rudraksha laden sadhu in Chidambaram offers his bleSSings
/ 1
MENTAL HEALTH
Sacred -,
psychiatry In Kerala the mentally disturbed have a remarkable alternative to drlfgs and dungeons
" := Q
< :li
By VRINDAVANAM S. GOPAI.;AKRISHNAN Y WIFE DEVELOPED MENTAL
IJIU'Ult::tll~ when she was pregnant 1965. All types of treatment,
from modern medicine to naturopathy, failed,;' recounts Mr. Shreedharan Nair. "Then one of
my friends suggested she be taken to the Chottanikkara Devi Temple. So as a last resort, I brought -her while she was in an advanced stage of pregnancy. Initially, she would become violent; -but gradually she calmed down. After one month, she was perfectly OK, and had given birth normally. It was the blessing of Chottanikkara Amma." Nair b0ught a house oear the temple, and the couple now has four healthy and well-educated childrel)..
Such cures are by no mean's unusual at the Goddess temple near Cochin in India's southwestern state qf Kerala. Indeed, the entire routine of the--temple is systematically geared toward obtaining divine r.elief for the afflicted. It is a haven of solace for the mentplly disturbed, psychically possessed and 'People .with various other ailments, such as epilepsy or Alzheimer's disease. Not a single day passes here without at least five afflicted devotees checking into the lodges on the temple's periphery. Dr. Krishna Iyer, a practicing allopathic and ayurvedic physi-
cian, attests to the temple's power. "The remedial and curative effect of the worship of the Devi, shrouded as it is in the magnificent mystery of total devotion and faith, has been an enigma challenging scientifie as-se~sment." .
"Buy these kirtan books of Chottanikkara Amma! By meditation and chanting please the Mother, and yOI,l will achieve solace from your agonies," lihouts Meenakshi Kimjamrna at visttors as they enter the temple gates. The 65-year-old book hawker was herself brought to the temple as a violent lunatic 3~ years ago. "It is just because of the grace of the Goddess that I· am now here earning my bread," she states with gratitude.
The temple mai~tains a strict daily schedule of worship and devotional activities for those those seeking relief. They are expected to begin the day 3:45 AM with a bath in the temple pond-dug deep, long and wide out of the hard, red Laterite soil. Its water remains slightly warm early in 'the chilly morning, and contains some medicinal properties. ~t serves the same pUFpose as the warm water boiled with medicinal herbs prescribec;l by ayurveda. Next they go before the sanctum sanctorum to worship the Goddess during the early morning pujas known as nirmalyam, followed by the pantheeradi puja lasting about three hours. Af
Divine asylum: Chottanikkara Devi Temple compound
ter this long ritual, they are given about five mg of panchagarya, a medicated ghee nrepared in the temple and blessed witt mantras. This ghee, consumed on an empty stomach, is a crucial part of the treatment. The next worship rite is noon, after which sweet rice is served. At 3:30 PM, the sick again bathe in the pond, then return to the sanctum for puja and bhajana led by the temple's musicians until 1:1 PM. Guruthi puja is the last of the- day, conducted at the BhadrB:kali temple in the compound.
34 HINDUISM TODA.Y M~RC H, 1997
Those who observe this strict routine witl). devotion are usually cured in a week to three months.
Bhaskara'n Nair's wife los~ her mental equilibrium when she was five months pregnant. She suffered from chest congestion, giddiness, weakness in her limbs and fre.l quent loss of emotional control. "I spent large sums of money on her treatment, but to no avail," Nair told HINDUISM TODAY. "Elders advised me to take her to the temple. At first she would become violent, and refused to stand before the Goddess. If forced to stand, she would yell and tremble. We continued like this for three months, strictly observing the rituals and temple routine. Fi-
nally, she was cured." Nair decided to settle down near the temple, as have many others who were cured. The family wor:;hips daily and Nair spends much of his time doing £ree service at the temple.
In certain cases it is suspected that evil spirits have made the person insane. After a specified period of time, these people will push a nail into a tree close to the Bhadrakali temple in the complex, either by hand or bY' knocking it with the forehead. According to witnesses, the person will fall back and soon after return to normalcy. The thick tree is now studded with long nails.
In the West, "crazy" people are often locked up in asylums, an environment in
which it is difficult to regain one's sanity. In the past some were physically restrained; now powerful drugs stupefy them into docmty. The Hindu community of India has always accepted people of abnormal behavior as part of the eommunity. Keralites have gone even a step further, and are blessed with this sacred, disciplined environment where real cures are happening. __
CIIOTTANIKKARA DE:VI TEMPLE, CHOTTANn .. '1CA.RA P.O.
E RNARKULAM DISTRICT. KERALA. INDIA 652 305
Devi temple: (clockwise from top ) devotee inmates mill about in the courtyard; those coming for cure are fed daily at the temple; sacrameftts are given at the sanctum follOWing a powerful worship rite
But Whatt About FreudP Examining therapies
URES BY A GODDESS! ALL FINE AND good," some may think, "for superstitious village people, but not for modern, scientifically-minded folk like me." Think again.
"Modern" methods of psychotherapy may be hard put to beat the Goddess in a head to head match. Consider, for example, classical psychotherapy fouoded by Sigmund Freud in the late 19th century. He attributed many mental disorders to the uoconscious part of the mind. Treatment by a trained therapist (a "headshrinker") goes on for years and calls for as many as five one-hour, US$lOO sessions each week-$26,OOO a year. The objective is to uoderstanQ the persons current behavior by delving deep into their past, especially their childhood Sigmund Freud experiences. There are two shorter-term and therefore cheaper methods: cognitive-behavioral therapy, which seeks to change or rid one of uowanted thoughts or behavior (beat your fear of spiders by holding a spider), and interpersonal therapy, focused on the patient's relationships to others (the 'Tm OK, you're OK" group approach). Then there are drugs, these days Prozac, consumed in prodigious quantities in America for depression and other emotiooal disorders. For the truly masochistic, there is electroconvulsive therapies (made famous in "One Flew Over the CUckoos Nest") which delivers electric shocks to the head. Aod, yes, lobotomies are still performed.
But there is a big problem. The SCi{3ntifie Ame1'ican reported in December, 1996, that in comparative tests of methods for treatment of the most common mental ailments-depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and panic attacks-"all therapies seemed to be equally effecti¥e-or ineffective." The number of people who stayed well as a result of any of these t reatments, experts state, is a meagre one in fourperilously close to the likely rate of spontaneous remissioh. Based upon anecdotal reports and expert observations collected over many decades, Chottanikkara Amma is doing better than that.
MARCH , 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 35
DEVOTION
Ramana as a Family Affair Bangalore votaries
Bl ANANDHI RAMACHANDRAN, CH'ENNAI ROM WHAT I HAD HEARD ABOUT SA
. rada Natarajan, I had expected to see - an elderly lady with graying hair, But the Sarada I met does not look like an
ascetic, She is 'charming in her blue sari, and her earrings dance when she speaks, Sarada, 35, and her parents are devotees of Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi. Her father, A. R Natarajan, is a retired government servant; her mother, Sulochana, is a musician, The family runs the Ramana Maharshi Centre for Learning-in Bangalore, India,
'l\lthough I grew' up immersed in the teachings of Ramana," Sarada told HINDUISM TODAY, "at one time J became very depressed, I decided .to do what youngsters tB-ink is fun-go to movies, buy clothes, read novels. But this"indulgence did not give me peace oJ joy. Again I turned to the teachings of Ramana. Then, at age 15, there seemed to more sense to his words." As a popular exponent of Ramana'g teachings, Sarada discovered, "the teaching wh.ich appeals most to the younger generation is 'Happiness is natural. ' Everyone it searching for happiness. But if it is always available, as Ramana taught, w,e don't have to depend on anybody of anything for experiencing joy. This con: cept has profoundly influenced them."
Since 1978 the Centre has brought out a monthly magazine, published 64 books on Ramana, recorded 90 music cassettes of Ramana's favorite songs and given over 350 live lecture/dance/song programs (including a tourpf Mauritius). Sarada, who is trained in both'carnatic singing and bharatanatyam, is responsible for the recordings and the choreography and production of fifteen dance ballets on 'his life and teachings. ..
Dedication: Sarada, 35, singingfor Ramana (
36 HINDUISM TODAY M A RCH, 1997
rules at sunrise, Therefore, each day is good for certain activities and inauspicious for others, The planetary effect of the weekday is quite subtle and can be outweighed by otlier astrological factors, For important events, custom in Hindu communities dictates consulting an. astrologer to analyze planetary influences when choosing an
" auspicious day.
Sunday~s God: Bihar folk dance mask of Surya, the sun
In general, astrologers consider Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday beneftt days, good for most activities, Tuesday and Saturday, ruled by the two maleftc planets, Mars and Saturn, are usually not good days for auspicious events like marriage, housewarming or buying a new car, the day of Venus, Friday, is ideal for weddings, parties, the fine-arts and buying new things, In South India it is the most popular day to
HOROLOGY visit the temple, primarily be
Seven B,ays for Seven Planets
cause of the association of Venus with Laksmi, the God'dess of good fortune, Saturday is good for planning, organizing and physical work around the house, Both Saturn's day , and Surman's are good for introspection and meditation, though Sunday is better for religious ceremonies,
Wonder no more why We say, 'Thank God, it's Frige's day!' Monday, ruled by the Moon's
moody" emotional and change-/
LATO WROTE: "THE SUN, MOON '<\ND five other planets were created by God in order to distinguish and .pre-
. serve the numbers of time." It's not well known that our seven-day week has an astrological basis, passed down to us by the Romans, who adopted it from the Egyptians who got it from Mesopotamia, where astrology had been practiced for millennia. Just who originated it is not known, but the ancient Indians, used the identical system.
The original weekdays were named after the Sun, Moon and five planets oecause of a precise astrological system (used in bOfh
. Rome and Indi/1.) in which each of the seven heavenly bodies governs an hour through the day. The planet that rules the first hour after sunrise governs that day. Each planet cycles around to ruling sunrise on the same day each week. The current English weekdays are derived from the Angio-Saxon names for: Satern (Saturn), Surman (Sun), Monan (Moon), Tiwes (Mars), Wocines (Mercuryl, Thurs (Jupiter) and Frige (Venus). The vibration of the day is established by the nature of the particular planet which
ful vibration, is not a favorite day of the week for many "breadwinners," but in North India it is the chosen holy day. For Mahatma Gandhi it was his day of silence, Memorial Day in the US, when the soldiers killed in war are remembered, -is always on the day of the Moon, ~uler of the past. Mars' day is good for aggressive activi- , ties, Election day in the US for selecting the
;,president is always held on a Tuesday. He becomes the commJ.llder of the armed forces, an attribute of Mars, The day of Mercury, Wednesday, is perfect for intellectual endeavors and beginning new business activities, Thursday, presided over by Guru, or Jupiter, the most benefic planet, promoting optimism and abungance, is very auspicious for just about everything, especially finan: dal matters, new, investments and gaining higher knowledge, America always celebrates the feast of Thanksgiving on a Thursday, which is a perfect example of the jovial, expansive, even gluttonous, atmosphere of Jupiter's day. So we find even in the selection of secular holidays there is a subtle link between the planets and everyday life, ..
By EDITORIAL STAFF
Maha Sivaratri and Rudra Yagna
For the welfare of the ft~' Universe, peace and spiritua:l guidance, Rudra Homam (sponsorship: US$54) and Sri Sai Durga Rudra Yagna (sponsorship: $504) will be performed on Feb. 17, '97. Call for information or make checks payable to: Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, 1449 Abers Creek Rd" Monroeville, PA 15146-3603 USA. Tel: 1-412-374-9244 • Fax: 1-412-374-0940,
Pooja International Gifts
Pooja, devotional and wedding items • Pre-packaged pooja items for havans • Religious Statues in all sizes • Religious Books in English, Sanskrit, Gujarati and Hindi-Ask about our new books just arrived from India • Kohlapur chappals, silk paintings, brahmni booti, kut, agar, tagar, bhojaptra, lotus seed • Men's, children's kurta, pajamas, sari blouses, sari falls and petticoats, children's clothes • and much, much more. Ask for list of items carried. Prompt delivery on mail orders. MasterCard, Visa, American Express credit cards accepted. Pooja International • 34159 Fremont Bvd Fremont, CA 94555 USA • Tel: 510-793-7930 Open: Tues-Fri 1l:30am-7pm, Sat llam-7pm, Sun 12-6pm
The Major Distributor of books from India.
A sampling from our catalog: • Ganesha: The Auspicious ... The Beginning. Shakunthala -Jagannathan. pap. US$17.00 • Hinduism: An Introduction. Shakunthala Jagannathan. Pap. $12.95 • Introduction to the Puranas. Pushpendra Shastri. $12.00 • Iswara Darshan. Sri Swami Tapovan Maharaj. pap. $8.95 • Gita Rahasya. B.G. Tilak. $25.00 • Meditation. Narayan Dutt Shrimali. $25,00 • What Becomes of the Soul After Death. Sivananda. pap. $8.00 • Prana Pranayama Prana Vidya. Swami Niranjananda Saraswati. pap. $12.95 • Hatha Yoga Pradipika: Light on Hatha Yoga. Swami Muktibodhananda Saraswati. pap. $14.95 • Third Eye & Kundalini. B,S. Goel. $22.00 • Chanakya's Neeti Scripture. RK. Sharma, pap. $14.95 Visa/MC accepted,
NATARAJ BOOKS 7073 Brookfield Plaza • Springfield, VA 22150-2915 USA Tel: 1-703-455-4996. Fax: 1-703-912-9052 email: [email protected] • Please ask for our free catalog
Dr, Vasant Lad, Ayurvedic Physician and Director of the Institute, with visiting faculty, offer the Ayurvedic Studies Program, seminars and private consultations,
Yearly Curriculum: • I: Introduction to philosophy,
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• Ayurvedic and Western herbs, extracts, oils, books, audio and video tapes and a quarterly journal.
Write/call for our mail order catalog and information: The Ayuvedic Inj>titute • PO Box 23445 Albuquerque, NM 87192-1445 USA Tel: 505-291-9698. Fax: 505-294-7572
Vedic Astrology
• comprehensive, in-depth life readings
• annual updates • predictions • marriage compatibility • advice on business,
finance and legal matters • gem therapy •. puja recommendation • astro-palmistry • rectification of unknown
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Stephen Quong (Umananda) has studied and practiced astrology in Asia and America since 1970. He has been awarded the titles of Jyotisha Kovida, Jyotisha Vachaspati and Life Fellow by the Indian Council of Astrological Sciences (founded by Dr. B.V. Raman). His professional background includes executive positions in . government, finance and publishing. He is a long-time devotee of Sri Ma Anandamayi and has close contacts with many other contemporary spiritual teachers. Please call or write for free brochure.
Office: 1-415-456-2534 (voice/fax) 433 Town Center, Suite 624 Corte Madera, California 94925-1285 USA E-mail: [email protected] http://www.jyotisha.com
CLASSIFIED Classified ads are US$25 for 20 words, $1/word for each add'nl word, payable in advance • Hinduism Today, 107 Kaholalele Rd, Kapaa, Hawaii, 96746-9304 USA. Tel: 800-850-1008 or 808-823-9620 • Fax: 808-822-4351. Email: ads@hinduismtoday/kauai/hi/us
Astrology
Consult Vedic Astrologer Jyotish Bhaskar, Jyotish Shiromani Krishnan, on all problems. Recipient of several awards, including the recent award of Jyotish Kovid by leas India. Excellent references. Also excellent correspondence course on Vedic Astrology. Book entitled Ashtaka Varga Made Simple for the Western Astralagel" is available for sale. Call 214-783-1242 (USA).
Ayurvedic/Health
Panchakarma Retreat. Medically supervised one-week complete detoxification program with Scott Gerson, MD, recognized authority. Authentic and economical. Tel: 212-505-8971 (USA). [email protected].
Recipe of the Sages. Classical ayurvedic remedies prepared strictly, following ancient texts (Ashtanga Hydriya, Sahasrayoga, etc.). Just arrived from India: massage oils, head oils, ashwangadadi, lehyam, agasthyarasayanam, chavanaprash, dasamoolaristhan, draksharishtam, and more. Call/write for catalog and price list. Tel: 800-455-0770. Tri-health Inc., PO Box 340, Anahola, HI 96703-0340 USA.
Meat substitutes: Textured Vegetable Protein and Instant Seitan. Fat-free, quick-cooking. Free catalog: 800-695-2241. PO Box 180-HT, Summertown, TN 38483.
Avena sativa extract plus. Excellent for memory, energy, spiritual healing and endurance. 30-day supply: $12. Amarveda, Box 883, Marion, VA 24354-0883 USA. Tel: 540-782-9987.
Ayurvedic Tours in India. Panchakarma, massage, herb gardens, lectures, secrets. Also . arrange Sanskrit-learning retreats. Beginners and advanced. Health Tours. Tel: 1~505-323-7233 (USA).
Tricolored, trilayered bath oil for body, mind, spirit. 8 oz, trianguiar bottle. $8.00. Booklet describing ingredients, healing and spiritual values. Amarveda, Box 883, Marion, VA 24354-0883. USA
Building Fund Drives
Ganesha devotees worldwide are invited to donate toward the construction of the Maha Ganapati Temple of Alberta. Send donation to: Maha Ganapati Society of Alberta, 128 Running Creek Rd. , Edmonton, AL T6J 7Bl Canada.
Computer
Punjabi, Bengali with diacritical marks. The Hindi Word Processor for Windows from Krishna Software. US$109.00 + $.10.00 shipping. MasterCard/M.a. Tel: 416-315-3186. PO Box 86065, Oakville, ON L6H 5V6, Canada. Email: [email protected]. Distributorship available.
Devotional Supplies
Ganges clayfired murthies, meticulously handpainted. Sixty statues in stock, including Narasimha, Kalki, Jagannatha, Laxmi, Vishnu, Chaitanya, Shankaracharya. Priced $5 to $85. Color catalog, $2: JBL, Box H 163, Crozet, VA 22932-0163 USA.
Quality Incense from India. Golden Rose. Neel Kamal. Pure Sandalwood cones, and more. Fax: 970-949-5826 USA E-mail: [email protected]
Sri Yantra-3-dimensional pyramid-shaped, $10.00. Other yantras etched on copper plates, $5.00 each: Sri, Kuber, Kali, Durga, Laxmi, Navgraha and many others. Amarveda, Box 883, Marion, VA 24354-0883, USA.
Education
Spirituality and Healing in Medicine. March 15-17,1997, Los Angeles, California. Sponsored by Harvard Medical School, Department . of Continuing Education, Directed by Herbert Benson, MD. The objective of this CME course is to explore the relationship between spirituality and healing in medicine and to give perspectives from world religions. For a brochure contact: Professional Meeting Planners, 5 Central Sq., #201, Stoneham, MA 02180-2037, Tel: 1-800-378-6857, 617-279-9887, Fax: 617-279-9875, E-mail: [email protected].
Free Products and Services
Free educational flow charts on all aspects of Hinduism. Write to Viswanath. Am I a Hindu? [ISBN 1-879904-06-3] Box 56697, New Orleans, LA 70156-6697 USA.
Free Hindu press service from HINDUISM ToDAY (or media professionals-journalists, editors, radio, TV reporters. News on issues relevant to modern Hinduism. Fax your name, postal and e-mail addresses, fax/tel, company name, position to 808-822-4351. Or e-mail: [email protected].
For inspiration, call (808) 822-SIVA (7482) day or night for a recorded sermonette by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. 60 different upadeshes are changed daily, 10-18 minuteschakras, handling karma, fear and other states of externalized consciousness, affirmations, putting teachings into practice, color meditations, and many more.
Help Wanted
name, e-mail and postal addresses, fax and tel. number to:[email protected]. Fax: 808-822-4351, tel: 800-890-1008 ex. 230. Ask for wholesale price schedule for standing orders. Discounts available for large quantities.
Immigration
Canada Immigration Complete preparation of application package for US$l,OOO only. Leading team of immigration lawyers and consultants. Contact Surya Consulting, Inc. Tel: 709-747-4709 • Fax: 800-330-3670.
Jewelry
OM Nama Shivaya trimetal bracelets. Excellent quality. Spiritual healing properties. $9.00. Amarveda, Box 883, Marion, VA 24354-0883, USA. Tel: 540-782-9987.
Affordable jyotish gems/jewelry. Vedic astrological prescriptions filled. Paramahansa Yogananda bangles. Meditation beads. Free information. Satisfaction Guaranteed. Order by mail from King Enterprises, 1305 N. H StlA-289-T, Lompoc, CA 93436-3335 USA. Call 1-805-693-0911 (business hours).
Music and Art
Exquisite Vedic paintings done to order at very reasonable prices. Call Pushkar at 904-462-0144. PO Box 1094, Alachua, FL 32616-1049 USA.
East Indian instruments and gift items. Giant selection of instruments: harmoniums, tabla, daggas, kirtan instruments, audio/video tapes. Also incense, spiritual books, etc. For a beautiful catalog, send $1 to Encinitas Imports, PO Box 230419-H, Encinitas, CA 92023-0419 USA. Tel: 619-436-9589.
Jai Shiva, Jai Ma! Easy to sing devotional kir~an by disciples of Paramahansa Yogananda with sitar, sarod, sarangi, swarmandal. An uplifting treat for the ears and for the heart. Himalayan Heritage, PO Box 231661, Encinitas, CA 92023-1661 USA. $10.00 + $1.50 post.&h.
Brass statue of Kali, 7 inches. $20. Amarveda, Box 883, Marion, VA 24354-0883 USA. Tel: 540-782-9987.
Songs of Sage Yogaswami Natchintanai songs ~ . of Siva Yogawami, Siddha Guru of Jaffna, Sri Lanka, for over 50 years. One-hour audio, sung by Nageswari Bramanandan. Send £5 to: Nadha Brahma Ganam, 1 Addiscbmbe Ct., Uxbridge Road, Hillingdon Heath, Middlesex, UB100NB, UK
Hindu devotional paintings imported from India. Catalog, write: Lakshmi International, 411 Madison St. , Boonton, NJ 07005-2051 USA. Web site: http://www.lakshmi.com
·Devotional sculpture: Classic stone-cast murthies of Hindu deities for your home or temple. Ganesh, Shiva, Laxmi, Sarasvati, Durga. Height: 2 ft. (61 cm) or 4-5 ft. (1.2-1.5 m). Commissions available. Catalog: tel: 800-608-8632 or 515-472-8115. Vedic Sculpture Studio, 607 W Broadway #144, Fairfield, IA 52556-3200 USA.
Products/Stores
Purity Farms O~ganic Traditional Ghee. 100% pure, from cows raised completely free ofhormones, chemicals or pesticides. A delight to cook with! Wholesalelretail. Call 303-647-2368
Jay Store: Houston's oldest Indian grocery store. Over 5,000 items-pooja articles and much more. UPS daily. lOAM-8PM every day. Tel: 713-783-0032 (USA).
Publications
Sri Aurobindo books: Complete works of Sri Aurobindo, the Mother, Shri Madhav Pandit. Additional titles on Yoga, Philosophy, Ayurveda and Alternate Health. Exclusive distributors for Samata Books Classical Spiritual Texts. Free Catalog: Lotus Light, Box 325HT, Twin Lakes, WI 53181-0325 USA.
Sathya Sai BhcYan CDs By leading Indian musicians. Recorded in India. Produced in Switzerland.
1. Way to Sai
2. Being with Swami
3. Always Sai
4. With Love
5. Feel the Divine (Exclusively instrumental bhajan music. Dharshan music at Prashanthi Nilayam)
Available from:
For latest Indian magazines/newspaperssubscriptions available. Also available: Hindi, Gujarati magazines and much more. Call Emkay Advertising. Tel: 281-933-4005. Fax: 281-498-6286 (USA).
Auromere: Sri Aurobindo books, classical spiritual texts, ayurveda books, children's books from India, ayurvedic products, incense, and much more. Free catalog: 1-800-735-4691 (USA).
Palani Pan chang 1997. Trivedi's American Panchang available in English or Gujarati. US$9 (+ US$2 s/h). In 3 versions for NY, Chicago, San Francisco times. 510-490-1533. Devendra Trivedi, 4831 Piper St, Fremont, CA 94538-2525 USA.
Vedas, Upanishads, Ramayana, Mahabharata, children's books. Low prices. Free catalog. Contact: Hindu Spiritual Books, 1085 Bathurst St, Toronto M5R 3G8 Canada. Tel/fax: 1-416-588-7767. .
Books on Hinduism and India. Featuring this month Loving Ganesa and Dancing with Siva by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. Browse www.pacific-basin.comlindiainklindiaink.html
Vacation/Retreat
Beautiful rooms by the ocean. Ayurvedic meals. One hour north of San Francisco. Brighton Beach HAUS. Tel: 415-868-9778.
Kauaibed-and-breakfast Visiting Hawaii's Garden Island? LooKing for reasonable prices, friendly hosts? Beautifullocation, cooking facilities available. Seyon's Bed and Breakfast, Tel: 808-822-6963 • Email: [email protected]
Videos
Sana tan Dharma: Pilgrimage to the Source of Eternal Wisdom. 43 min. $29.95. A visit to Babaji's ashram in Himalayas. Free catalogue of music, books, jewelry, etc. Vishwa Gifts, Route 1, Box 60, Malmo, NE 68040-9733 USA. 402-642-9238. E-mail: [email protected].
Yoga
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Dressing for ~eaveri Top models grace Delhi fashion show of the Gods
By FRABHA PRABHAKAR BHARDWAJ
NOlA'S TOP FASHION DESIGNERS-RITU
~~~ Beri, Reena Dhaka, Anju Modi and Atlier Samd~-joined together to offer Del
- . hites somet4ing unusual during Diwali: a Goddess 'fashion show. As , festival fireworks lit the evening sky over Delhi's ups6ale South City Country Club-on November 3, master of ceremonies Shamshir Luthra stood inside on the fashion catwalk and openeq the charity show with a powerfully chanted ''Aum. '' For the next hour, glamorous models paraded tasteful modern outfits for five forms of the Goddess: Saraswjlti, Lakshmi, Parvati, Durga and Kali.
Dress, ornaments and music were coordinqted to the traditional depiction of each. Vina music accompanied the white with gold trim fashions of Goddess Saraswati; the male models wore equally elegant dhotis and held flutes. Lakshmi arrived on'o'stage in a lotus-shaped palanquin carried by four me·n.
. Magenta and pink colors were combined in all Her &-esses (modeled by Mehar, Sliikkb and Aparna) and out-of-season lotuses were abundant, Goddess Parvati (portrayed by Rohirii) drew gasps from the audience as she appeared 0fi stage- with a large ,.9Dd very alive python. She wore the yellow and orange colors of her austerity pyrformed to win God Siva. Goddesses Durga and Kali c~e together, the women in red, the attending men in black, to depict Kali's ultimate- triumpP. over the demon Rakat Bhij.
,
There were critics who felt the show a mockery of religion. South City Club manager Ms. Preeti Singh objected to the depiction of Parvati as untraditiqnal. But thepverall reaction was positive. A temple-like mood had. been created, one too in which the Deities were approachable and full of life.
The show was the inspiration of Dr. Ramesh Kapur. His Unitech company began in 1971 with four perSONS and US$1,500 capital. Today it is a US$24-million-dollar company with 10,000 employees. Proceeds from the \ entire mela (of which the fashion show was
""a part) went to Mobile Creches, India's 'largest nongovernmep.tal organiza!i0n. They provide on-site child care for worlGng mothers at construction sites across India.
Show organizer Meenu is an ex-journalist, now Delhi "event organizer" with her own version of feminism. She advocates the strength of wom8.l}hood, the concept she used to develop the' divine shakti of Devis .. 1\s a journalist, she had covered many fashion shows and was always distressed at thei~
• superficiality. Dr. Kapur's prograrp. gave her the opportunity to produce a fashion show with some meaning, and perhaps to even set q new trend toward ele~ant outfits for both men and women based upon ancient tradition. Hopefully, many countries will extend a welcome to this utterly divine show. ..
An Ancient God's Visible Grace It began on September 21,1995, when an image of Ganesa in a New Delhi temple began sipping milk. Then, this modern miracle took on global dimensions as, over several months, it was witnessed by millions, in temples, shrines and homes worldwide. How timely that, only days before, Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami had finished his illustrated resource book, Loving Ganesa--800 pages of insights into this great God! Loving Ganesa is at once simple, deep and practical, and teaches ever so many ways that Ganesa's grace can be attained through sincere devotion, song, prayer and meditation, to bring greater harmony, contentment and spirituality into our daily life.
Imagine yourself sitting crosslegged under a shady tree, the hum of insects and a gentle breeze coloring the background as you absorb the words of an important teacher. Only a handful of religious texts have been able to convey such an overwhelming presence; this is one. -Napra Review
It is an important text for English-speaking readers and should remain as an all-you-wanted-to-know-but-were afraid-to-ask book about Ganesa, the divine and much-loved remover of obstacles. -Publishers Weekly
A majestic book of love, peace and happiness depicting Ganesa as a friend and protector, generously accessible to young and old, expressed in intriguing mysticism for the world's oldest living religion. -Book Reader
800 pages. $19.95 paper. lavishly illustrated. ISBN 0-945497-64-4
Exceptional Answers to Eternal Questions
Every spiritually-inclined human being will be enriched by the path revealed in this 1,008-page volume. India's vision of the Divine is depicted in all of its infinte variety here: meditative, devotional, philosophical, scriptural and yogic, answering the vital questions: What are life's ultimate goals? How can I achieve them? How do Hindus view family, sex, sin, worship, death and nonviolence? What are the foremost schools of Hindu thought, and what do they teach? Dancing with Siva is the masterful work of Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, a traditional satguru immersed, for half a century, in an ongoing global Hindu renaissance.
English-speaking Hindus, yoga enthusiasts, and anyone interested in Sanskrit literature and culture will be overjoyed by this remarkable reference work of Hindu belief and culture .... Quite simply-the best English overview of Hinduism available today. -Napra Review
The swami concisely answers 155 key questions, ranging from "What is the ultimate goal of earthly life?" to "How are Hindu marriages arranged?" ... a 'W-page timeline, a 200-page lexicon of Hindu terms, a comparative guide to major religious traditions, and a primer for teaching religious principles to children ... enriched by extensive scriptural quotations and reproductions of Rajput art. -Yoga Journal
1,008 p .• $19.95' paper* • lavishly illustrated. ISBN 0-945497-47-4
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The true story of one man's quest for the pure Self within. Relive with him his years with Paramhansa Yogananda in the monastic order of Self Realization Fellowship. Experience with him incredible visions and encounters with ~xtraterrestrials and beings of other dimensions, culminating in a meeting with a living Being of Light called I am that I am.
"Here is one of the most important documents of our time"-John Michell, Author of The View Over Atlantis "Norman Paulsen is a man whose being shines with the light of cosmic consciousness. He is an articulate spokesman for the role of near death experiences in human evolution and planetary regeneration"-Kenneth Ring, Ph.D., author of Heading Toward Omega and Life at Death "To Norman, dear one: May your birth bring happiness to many spiritually, may your birthdays be filled with GodConsciousness. With unceasing blessing."-February 3, 1951 Paramhansa Yogananda, author, Autobiography of a Yogi
Soft cover • ISBN #0-941848-05-1· 496 pg.lillustrated, 8 color plates. US$25 including postage. Builders Publishing Company· 1305 North H StlA-289-T Lompoc, CA 93436-33~5 USA
Ganapati sitting (or danCing), Ram Darbar, Lakshmi, Shiva-Parvati, Durga, Shirdi Sai Baba, Hanuman, Santoshi Ma, Tirupati Balaji, Vishnu, Shiva Nataraj, Krishna, Krishna with Cow. 3 to 5" (7 to 12 cm) high. $19.95 to $39.95. $3.50 shippg. Catalog. Discounts for retailers and temples. -Nirvana Collection-289 Route 416, RR3, Campbell Hall, NY 10916 USA • Tel: 1-800-374-2304 or 1-914-294-1498 • Fax 914-294-3870.
Books by K. N. Rao We carry a complete collection of books by K.N. Rao as well as many books on Vedic Astrology, Ayurveda and Vedic texts in general. Call or write for our free catalog or visit our web site on the Internet: http://www.hway.netiwebcity/Default.htm
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We offer a wide selection of Sri Chinmoy's inspirational and instructional written works, including essays, poetry, plays and extensive answers to questions asked by seekers.
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Just published-Sri Chinmoys long-awaited trilogy, Commentaries on the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita: The Three Branches of India's Life-Tree and a 4-CD set of selections from Sri Chinmoy's fifty Peace Concerts offered in honor of the 50th anniversary of the United Nations.
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HEALING
DHEA: ~Menace o'r Mi,racle? Potential benefits for those who need it; serious complications for those who don't
BY DR. DEVANANDA TANDAVAN, M.D.
TOP AGING NOW!" "DO WE
have the fountain of youth?" These are some of the exaggerated claims .
found in the lay press and in ads selling the "food supplement" DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone). In the human body , DHEA is a natural h0rmone p oduced by the adrenal gland and is intimately involved in the manufa,cture of testosterone, estrogen, progesterone and cortisone. It is a vital factor as a hormone precursor in the human endocrine system.· It reaches its peak level in both men and women between ages 20 and 3q, then gradually d,ecreases. At age 70 the level is 10 to 20% of that at age 20. Logic tells us that if the blood level i~ lower at the time aging symptoms appear, then we may be abl~ to reverse these. symptoms by an exogenous dosage 'or replacement of the hormone. To some extent this seems to be true, at least there seems to be a decrease in the aging symptoms ana fi certain well-being as the levels are elevated to those seen in one's youth.
There are reports that adding DHEA to the diet can be anti-depres~ant, anti-aging, anti-obesity, anti-dementia, give protection to the thymus and reduce stress. It can also protect against heart disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, cancer, viral disease, and postmenopausal syndrome. Most of the evidence is backed only by animal experimentation, and extrapolation from these studies to human use is not very reliable. There is some data from human studies that tend to support the l€,ss exaggerated claims in the advertisements. "Yet, there are noilong term reports sufficient to claim that life is prolonged, or that this is "truly the fountain of youth" or the "wonder hormone of the 90s." / ' ,
According to Dr. Billie Jay Sahley, a pain clinic operator, DHEA treatment can result
I
44 IfJ NDU1SM TODAY MARCH , 1997
in "increased energy and less susceptibility to the rav~es of chronic pain and depression."
DHEA is beneficial, only if a blood test shows a level much lower than expected for one's age. Otherwise DHEA should not be taken because the body can stop producing it naturally resulting in a dependency on the external source. Shliluld
treatment begin, it is important that every six months the blood level be tested and an adjustment made in the dosage if it is excessive. Higher levels can produce a total disruption o(the endocrine balance in the body and res).lIt in many concurrent symp- . tOms as well as an increased incidence of cancer of Hie breast in women or prostrate cancer in men. Fortunately, side effects flom DHEA are relatively few-acne and headaches are among them. Hirsutism may also occur among women, but all of these symptom; gre reversed by decreasing or stopping the dosage.
Qnly top. grade pharmaceutically pure DHEA should be used, and vegetarians shouJd be aware it may come from an animal source. Most brands made from the Squth American yam are not trustworthy, as there is no evidence this precursor source can give a reliable dose or be absorbed and utilized by our bodies.
As aging occurs, most p.eople""'compensate by adjustments in their life.style, making .
. aging the truly natural phenomenon that it is. If one: has a good regimen of hatha yoga, sadhana (including meditation) and an adeqtiate yegetarian diet, he is not likely to suffer from aging symptoms.
.,-DR. TANDAVAN, 76, retired nuclearphysi-cian and hospital staff president~ lives in Crn:cago, where he specializes in alternative healing arts. Visit his home page at the HINDUISM TODAY Webs*.
, \
EVOLUTIONS OLDEST-EVER: Blr Narayan Chaudhary of Nepal is reliably said to be 141 years old, making him the oldest human on Earth. He doesn't make the Guinness Book of Records, though, for he has no birth certificate-nor does anyone else born in 1856, the year before India's First War of Independence. He cares for himself, eats what he wants, smokes five pipes a day and lives surrounded by five generations of his offspring.
ELECTED: Dr. Karan Singh, age 62, to India's Rajya Sabha ("Council of States"), by the legislature of Jammu and Kashmir for a six-year term. The renowned Hindu politician and religious scholar was immediately appoillted as chair of
the critically important Autonomy Panel evaluatillg the status of Jammu and Kashmir, to help settle that long-standirlg dispute and end years of regional
Dr: Karan Singh conflict.
TRANSITION: Astronomer Carl Sagan, age 62, of complications from cancer. Sagan's 1980 TV series, "Cosmos," dramatized the mysteries of the universe for 500 million viewers in 60 countries. He firmly believed life exists throughout the universe-a view putting him at odds with many scientists. He was an outspoken opponent of nuclear weapons. In 1990 he participated with
r. representatives of all religions ill the Global Forum in Moscow to discuss the world environmental crisis.
HONORED: Bharatanatyam exponent Anita Ratnam R;ij with the title of "Nritya Choodamani." In accepting the award, Anita said irmovation and experimentation should be encouraged as long as they are lodged in a spirit of artistic illtegrity and faith. With deer dancers
HIN6ulSJ\1:::=====-':::
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Nothing lends a sense of Indian-ness to a design better than traditional borders and patterns.
There are hundreds to choose from on this creative CD. Fall in love with the visual magic of Bharat and enhance your personal or institutional image.
Macintosh format only. No PC version available.
Here it is the Hindu art CD of the decade. Trek into the heart of mystic India with this spectacular collection of imagery drawn from the treasurehouse of Hindu spirituality. This CD contains a wealth of clip art, Aums, patterns, textures, sacred symbols, borders, fmished graphics and some rare Rajput scans. Great graphics for an ashram bulletin, a yoga book, Web page or multimedia presentation.
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MOVIES
'Deep River'-a da'panese Odyssey fo Holr Ganga Soul-searching cine/rna is somber and' stoic
-J BUS OF JAPANESE TOUR- '
ists bounces east, sightseefrom Delhi toward Ba
and the Ganga. "Oh, so beautiful," one man says,
. "This is the first time I am seeing people and animals living together. In the past; in Japan, they lived like this, too." Another tourist ex€itedly clicks photos out the window of fertile earth, dusty cows and industrious ".villagers. His bride complains they should have gone to Europe. Swiftly the lens of director Kei Kumai focuses in on three unusual souls on the bus quietly engrossed in a
. more introspectiv~ mission-to win peace and blessings from the holy river Ganga. Their stories then start to unfold in the film.
and looking for meaning. I
The fourth is Otsu, a spiritually reflective man whom Kumiko seduced on a dare from her friends and then cruelly dumped. He was a .... Catholic-rare in Japan-who went to a s~minary in France, then to a monastery in Israel. Finally finding no comfortable place in the Western expression of Christianity, he came to Banaras, jOined an ashram, and took up work at the cremation grounds. "Europeans consider God and man to be mutually
oRPosed but, being Japanese, I cannot ignore the great vital energy of nature," Otsu explains to Mitsuko. "I believe God exists -: within man, while embracing man, trees and flowers, the Great Life Force. And the most important thing is love."
By the movie's end, each has found some form of resolution: the veteran, a difficult 'realization of the honor of men within the horrors of war; the businessman, the futility of finding his wife; Mitsuko, absolution for her self-centered life by bathing in the Ganga; and Otsu, death in his chosen service.
The US$ 4. 3 million film is el- . egantly made, every scene is a work of art. But its subtitles and measured pace (read "slow") will not keep everyone's attention. A few scenes are too racy for children. It was seen by 135,000 people in Japan, and has yet to turn a profit. Copies won't be found at the corner vide,o stole, but can be located through film specialists.
"Deep River" won acclaim at New Delhi's International Film Festival and the Ecumenical Award at the Worfd Film'Festival in Montreal. It caught Indian film critics' attention because it is alSout the Japanese' finding their "lost Indian roots." Explains Kumai, "We Japanese are very much influenced by Indian cuI .. ture and, from the point of view of a Japanese, India is our motherland." Many Japanese travel
Absolution: Mitsuko (Kumiko Akiyoshi) prays in the r iver Ganga
Much of the movie was shot in Banaras by a cast and crew of 50 Japanese and 70 Indians. After the production, . director Kumai said, "I think our staff
yearly t.9 India (65,000 in 1996), often to vis-it Buddhist holy sites. Japan is the largest donor nation to India, and, after the eco .. nomic reform, India's fifth! largest investor.
"Deep River" is based upon Shusaku Endo's award-winning novel of the same name. It is an exploration into the meaning
each encountered the Ganga just like the movie's characters. The holy power of the Ganga . revealed He;:self through them. We received awareness 'Of the spiritual world, so forgotten in todays consumerist society of Japan. Since World War II, we have developed materially, but are we happy? My film shows how these ' characters come to find in ;rndia what they could not find at home. They ask, 'What is the most important treasure in one's life-material pleasure or spiritual pleasure and contentment as is found in the Hindu religton?'" ,..J
of India for four individuals. One is a World War II veteran (played by the legendary Toshiro Mifune), desperate to quell horrible war memories experienced on India's Burmese border. The secona is a businessman looking for his wife who died and who, he is told, has been reborn 'near Banaras. He .. is torn by the guilt that all during their marriage, while she loved and served him with extraordinary selflessness, he gave her very little affection. the third and central character is Mitsuko (Kumiko Akiyoshi, Japan's top film actress), a aivorcee, lost at midlife Pensive: Otsu (Eiji Okuda) as a cremation worker
WITH JYOTHI VENIO\.TESH
Mumbai
MARCH , 1997 H I' N DUISM TODAY 47
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Yoga for 'India's Army Breath control and meditation trai1).ing help jawa~s to resist bitter Himalayan cold
Cold chamber experiment: Yoga-trained soldiers can withstand low temperatures longer
HAT DO YOU THINK IS THE LATEST addition to the Indian armed forces'
arsenal? Early warning \systems, Ishapur ass\lult rifles or stealth tech
nology? Wrong. The latest weapon in its armory is yoga. Introducing yoga into the army's training curriculum is not intended to stand the forces on their heads, but rather to brace soldiers for the extremes of weather they have to endure in high altitJde climatic zones. The innovations come from the Defense Institute of Physiological and AI- ' lied Sciences (DIPAS), whose job is to evolve holistic ways to, acclimatize soldiers to adverse operational terrains, such as deserts, high mountains and under water. .
The idea occurred to the director of DIPAS, Dr. W. Selvamurthy, as he wondered how it was possible for lightly-dressed sadhus to roam the Himalayas in sub-zero temperatures, wHile the Indian soldiers sta.tioned in Siachep, Leh and other <,1old places suffer terrible privations even with ample warm clothing. Experiments began in early 1985. One group of soldiers was made to practice fifty minutes of yoga and Bve minutes of pranayama (breath control) and meditation daily for six months, while another group continued the regular army drills and endurance training. Wearing just boxer shorts, both groups were put in chambers at 10° C,(50°F ). Those traiRed in yoga were able to retain their body heat longer
than those who did the routine exercises. Shivering started much later in the yoga group, who. maintained a higher rate of metabolic activity.
The discovery took time to be accepted in army circles. But by 19,95 it was introduced as a part of the regular curriculum, especially for soldiers in th~ Northern Command. The training is also expected to help combat melancholia, a common problem at high attitudes. I
Experiments by Selvamurthy have demonstrated physical health benefits of yoga, such as lowering of blood pressure. In yet tlillother test, he. measured an increase in tranquillity as a result. of performing agnihQtra, a Vedic fire ritual. He's now testing an herbal preparation based on ayurvedic fo( mulas for high-altitude use. J
Selvamurthy, 46, has come far from the days when/people were amused to hear he wanted to make yogis out of the soldiers. "I would give them the example of Arjuna, who was a great yogi and warrior," he remi.l nisces. Now it is his ambition to "spread the message of our traditional systems of yoga Imd medicine because modern medical care in a country of 900 million is too ~xpensive, willIe our indigenous systems are prophylactic. Our people are intellectually very sound, but when it comes to looking after their health, they just don't bother." wi
By DIPANKAR D AS, N EW D ELHI
ECUMENISM
When not in Rome ... India's Catholic prjests worship the Hindu way in their Christian temples and ashrams
I N DAVA NAM S. GOP ALA KRISH N"'-N
ETER JULIA CAME TO INDIA FROM in 1948 as a 23-year-old Jesuit
priest. Today, at 71, he has taken the name Shilananda, built and operates a
church in Nasik, Maharashtra, which resem-bles a Siva temple and is called Sanjivan, "True Life." A small cross sits atop the tower. On the .sanctum walls inside hangs another cross, ana. below that a stone Sivalinga [photo J covered with a metal sheath. An 'i\um" and a cross are engraved in the brass. A second container shaped ljke a Sivalinga holds the consecrated hosts (bread wafers) used in the Catholic celebration of Mass. The W eek magazine quotes Shilananda, "The power of life comes from God. Siva is the mosVancient God of India, and the Sivalin-
pIe. Christ gives a deeper mearting to what is here." He says he has made no converts.
But some Hindus are perplexed and a few are downright incensed with this kind of amalgamation of religions. Mr. Pradeep Mollan, a Siva devotee, told HINDUISM TODAY, "It is ridiculous and rather blasphemous to associate Lord Siva; the Supreme Lord, who had been worshiped even long before the birth of Jesus, WIth the bread of the Catholic Mass." He added, "The Christians have: lost ground in India, especially in Kerala, and all of their superficial tactics of global evangelization using the old methods have failed."
. ga is a symbol of life-giving power. There is no contradiction in having a Christian tem-
Whatever one may think of missionaries in general, Shilananda no doubt lives an exemplary and austere life. He is a vegetarian, well-versed in Hindu scripture and devout in his daily practice. And there ip'e mOIje like him in India, sincere Christians attempting
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Cross, Christ and Sivalinga: Shilananda's Sivalinga has a cross and "Awn" upon it
Christian Temple?: JeSUit Shilananda
\ to create an indigenous form of a faith too Western for most Indians and too Indian for most Catholics. J'
One such place is the Saccidananda Ashram founded by two IFrench priests in 1950. According to the inmates, it is a blending of Christian and Hindu monasticism ·and follows the customs of a Hindu ashram. Their church is built like a Hindu temple, with a high gopuram, and Hindu-like ceremonies are performed. The altar is on a raised stone platform where a silver statue of Jesus is placed. Sandalwood paste is given in the morning, kumkum after the midday prayer and holy ash after the evening prayer. Each prayer is accompanied by arati and chanting of the Gayatri Mantra. To the local people there doesn't appear to be much difference between Hinduism and worshiping Jesus in the Hindu way. The priests claim to be teaching from the Bible, the Gita, the Puranas, Upanishads and the Koran.
Still another is Angelo Beneditt, who came to India from Spain with Shilananda in 1948. He is known to the villagers in Bhavanagar in the state of Gujarat as Swami Shubhananda. He immersed himself in the Hindu scripture.s eveh before he was ordained a Jesuit priest in 1959. He'is fluent in five European languages plus Marathi, Gujarati and Sanskrit, and has a BA in Indian classical music. He said, "I realized the cosmic nature of God from my contact witb Hinduism. I find all religions manifestations of God." According to him, there is no conflict between his abiding Christian faith ana his belief in many Hindu principles. . The church he establisq.ed in his Tapovan Ashram is called a temple. ".
Such attempts at amalgamation are not new. In the 17th century Father Robert de Nobili learned Sanskrit, put on orange robes, became a vegetarian and wrote an apocryphal fifth Veda refery ng to Jesus. He converted tens of thousands in Madurai. Nearly all drifted back ,to Hinduism after his passing.
It's a meditation on unintended consequences-a likely eventual long-term result of these missionaries' continuous adoption of Hindu names, vestments, rituals, architecture and scriptures may Be their own unwitting absorption into the all-embracing arms of Hinduism. __
MAR C H , 1997 HINDUISM TODAY
/
. MINISTER'S MESSAGE mind in order to gain Self-Realization. Self
Realization means the reunion of the indi
yoga in Daily Life: Perfect Way to God
vidual Self, atma, and th~ cosmic Self, Paramatma. In this way, we attain freedom and inner peace. Unless you practice, you will never realize what yoga means.
Yoga takes effect not only in the material world, but also in'the astral worlds. It teaches us to master .ourselves and our lives' in every situation and in every sphere. In fact, it is the perfect way to God. But yoga is not a religion, nor a cult, nor any theory or set of dogmas. Yoga is Reality. It is the ultimate truth. Yoga is older than our planet. It has been guiding the process of life since the very beginnIng of the universe. In ,the last thousands of years, humans developed their intellect, and wise men and seers of India, called rishis, revealed the science and techniques of yoga practice. The Hindus are children of the rishis, who were the greatest seers, the highest thinkers and most civilized personalities of mankind. Hinduism is one of the most ancient spiritual ways with deep insight into the divine and great tolerance and acceptance toward other fruths. It is Sanatana Dharma.
Attaining physical, emotional and m~nt~l balance as we strive for Self Realization
BY pj\.RAMAHANS SWAMI M ,AHESHWARANANDA
IVINE CONSCIOUSNESS THAT IS ETERNAL, OMNISCI
ept and omnipresent and resides in each and every particle of the universe can be realized through the ancient, immortal science of yoga. Yoga stands above
all dogIllas and fanaticism. Yoga itself is love and bliss, pure d divipe. It is the principle of balance and harmony in the
:ntire upiverse, the principle through which Creation took place-the fIrst movement of the divine consciousness as
da soupd. That is the power of yoga. . na Yoga is the p,?wer which brings. together and balances the five elemepts: earth, water, fire, rur and ~ther or akasha. These fIve elements should be balanced m the human organism. WheP they are-unb:uanced, one feels much discomfort
d becorPes weak and Ill. When we fallout of truuh and oneness :0 duality, then we lose the ba,lance anq harmony of 9ur existence. So balance means health, and health means to maintain our
. . al and petfectly balanced condition. °ZFe, the w~ole univers~, is changing every moment. Our body itself is changmg all the tlme: from the state of embryo to that of the infant, to the little child,' to the teenager, to the middle-aged
e son and fInally to old age and death. We are swimming fh;ough the waves o( life. Life sometimes is calm and peaceful for us other times heav'J storms are raging, and sometimes we have to p;ss through fire and flames. Still, day and night, every minute, we are proceeding toward our goal, whether we are aware of it or not. As every raindrop proceeds toward the ocean from which it has eme~ed, SO also everyone of us will sooner or later return to our origin the Cosmic Self. Yoga is the way to make our aim clear, I accel~rate our development and progress toward it.
Yoga copsists .of four branches that corresR?nd to seekers' varia s dispositions. Bhakti yoga is the path of love and devotion for t~ose who seek the Divine through worship and prayer. Karma o a is the path of selfless action and service. Jnana yoga is the
~a~h of kPowledge and wisdorp through philosophy and discrimination between Reality and unreality. And raja yoga is the path of self-discipline and self-mastery tl,irough practice and meditation.
Practicipg yoga requires a great deal of self-discipline and confidence Yoga makes one independent and free. Those who think .' that the life of a ypgi means to withdraw from the world and to
eglect and renounce all material goods misunderstand the very ~dea of yoga. Yoga is a thorough1.y practical way. It means to gain an'd preserve h.e~th in its whole meaning, physically, me~tally, socially and spltltually. It also means to get and preserve mdepende ce and self-reliance in life, physically, mentally, emotionally as we~l as materially. In order to attain genuine insight, the aspirant needs to practice. He should learn to control his body and his -50 HllO'PUISM TODA.Y M.~RCH . 1997
No matter which part of the world a Hindu lives in, it is his or her prime duty to preserve and transmit these elevated thoughts, teachings and values of human life to their children. No matter how hard
external pressures can be, one should never feel hesitant to keep to one's noble traditions and value system and maintaining these in the family and in the community. Each Hindu should be proud of his ancestors, who were open-mind~d, full of love and mercy. They were great believers and devotees of God, through which they achieved the highest knowledge and oneness of the Supreme.
Even Hindus who live in small communities, or single families should not feel any need to, and should not under any circumstances, change their beliefs, their vegetarian lif~tyle or noble ideals of ahimsa, tolerance and love for all living beings. They should observe their cultural festivals and spiritual events, because that is the only way to keep alive that precious heritage. ,
In order to maintain that spiritual way of living and to attain Self-Realization, it is advisable that not only Hindus, but all humans, follow the way of yoga. Yoga should not be lived separately from our daily lives. It should be practiced twenty-four hours a day according to the principles and regulatioRS that were hand~d down to us by the ancient rishis. These universal and divine principles are: understand, forgive, be tolerant, love, serve, believe, worship, meditate and realize. Yoga will surely lead you to achieve the ultimate goal. That is, to become one with God.
I
PARAMAHANS SWAMI MAHESHWARANANDA, 51, based in Vienna, Austria, has spread the teachings of a long line of Rajasthan sannyasin yogis for 20 years in central Europe and now the world.
Like an exceptional diamond, spiritual truths are often at their best in a simple, elegant setting.
This rare gem of a book with childrens' stories for adults is a must for every Hindu home.
Written with gentle warmth, humor and wisdom, Enlightening Tales as Told by Sri Swami Satchidananda presents 47 short fables, each with a deep inner truth and richly illustrated. Available from Himalayan Academy Publications.
Enlightening Tales As Told by Sri Swami Satchidananda
Published by Integral Yoga Publications Available through Himalayan Academy Publications 107 Kaholalele Road, Kapaa, HI 96746-9304 USA Sri Swami Satchidananda
128 PIJIBS, pape"back, 15 full-color, full-page Rlf/put IIluBtl'atiDns. ISBN 0-982040-48-9. P"IDS -'22.95 (IncludBS UN).
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/
I
PHOTOGRAPH.y
Banaras: Ecl.ipsed· by A Camera' The timeless portraits of Marcl!.5 Leatherdale
By l)AVINA MELWANI, NEW YORK
HUINEIRED CHATTERING TEMPLE MON
wake up New York photograph-Marcus Leatherdale from sleep be
dawn. Monkeys in New York, you wonder? Well, no. Leatherdale has the best of both worlds, living in the US for half the year and in the very heartbeat of India for the rest-the holy city of Banaras. Why Banaras? Says Leatherdale, "Since it's one of the holiest cit!es in India, eventually just about everyone comes there. So I just sit back, and all of India passes by."
Leatherdale lives- in a four-story townhouse in the old city, which can only be accessed on narrow footpaths. The monkeys inhabit an ancient tree near his home and march single file to the temples of the city each day to feast on the offerings of pilgrims. "In Banaras yeu're confronted with Hinduism on a daily basis," he observes. "There are clanging bells, pujas and festivities. The devotion lEivel is overwhelming." Leatherdale is not 'll Hindu, but, he says, "You'd have to be brain dead to live,.in India and not be affected by Hinduism. It's not like Qhristianity in America, where you feel it only on Sunday mornings .. . if you go to
52 HINDUISM TOD A.Y MkRCH, 1997
church at all. Hinduism is an on-going daily procedure. You live it, you breathe it."
In New York, Leatherdale is known for his lavish and sophisticated work for trendy Big Apple magazines. He observes~ "In my India pictures, for the first time it was straight portraiture-I didn't try to dramatize it visually or manipulate-except to remove 'watches and glasses." Shot against a black cloth, he let the personalities shine
. through. The result was timeless sepia-tone shots of real people-villagers, maharan~s, actresses, dancers and circus performers. These were shown in "Bharat-India," a critically acclaimed exhibition held in 1996.
Leatherdale is learning Hindi and makes friends with everyone from Brahmins to the beatmen on the ghats. He says, 'Tm becoming closer and closer to understanding India, but I'll never, never get it all. It's one of the most complicated and intriguing places that I know of. Nothing just happens, nothing just is. There is always some reason, some meaning behind everything."
What he particularly likes about Hinduism is that it's very emotional, colorful and joyful. He notes: "Hinduism has a playful aspect which I've not experienced in any other religion. It's not so righteous or sober as is Christianjty, nor is it puritanical. That's one of the reasons I enjoy India. I wake up in the morning, and I'm very content.'; Leatherdale, a vegetarian, had nonviolent h;anings even before he went to Bharat. Rather than use rat poison, for example, he brought humanitarian traps from the US and releases captured rodents on the ghats. Hinduism has also made him enterprising: When local people continued to dump garbage on the streets outside his house, he commissioned a man who creates Bollywood posters to paint life-size images of Durga, Lakshmi, Siva and Ganesh on the house's exterior. Since no one wanted to desecrate his informal home shrine, all the garbage vanished-as if by a miracle! __ .
Film foundry: (clockwise from top) Rarnesh, a Ratwa Adivasi (tribal); Pailo of Chotaud:aipur; Rani Usha Devi 6f Jodphur; Mahout Shekar with Kamach, Kanchipuram; temple beggar, Kanchipuram
NEW From Paramahansa Yogananda, author Of Autobiography of a Yogi ...
Clh'rough the centuries, the sublime ~ ~nd ennobling counsel of the Bhagavad Gita has endeared it to truth· seekers of East and West alike. Yet its deepest meaning, cloaked in allegory, has remained obscure.
In God Talks With Arjana, Paramahansa Yogananda offers a new translation and commentary of
"Paramahansa Yogananda brings to his translation and commentary on the Bhagavad Gila a staggering sweep of psychology, spiritual instruction, linguisti c discernment, esoteric physiology, cosmology, and yoga doctrine to show that every individual soul is a unique and heroic protagonist engaged in an epic battle for spiritual realization. "
-Quincy Howe, Ph.D., RJnner Professor of Comparative Religion and Sanskrit, the Claremont Colleges
unparalleled scope and vision . Exploring the Gita's spiritual, psychological, and metaphysical depths, he reveals the innermost essence of this majestic scriptureand presents an enlightening and deeply encouraging guide to who we are, why we were created, and our place and purpose in the vast cosmic scheme of things.
This beautiful book includes the Sanskrit text of each verse (in transliteration), 12 fullcolor original paintings by contemporary Indian artists, and Paramahansa Yogananda's complete unab ridged co mmentaries.
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ttWherever one is on the way back to God. the Gita will shed its light on that segment of the journey .... It is at once a profound scripture on the science of yoga, union with God. and a textbook for everyday living ...
-Paramahansa Yogananda
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Presenting a new revelation of India's sacred science of Yoga
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or phone 213-342-0247 (9-5 Pacific Time) Price does nOI include 57.00 shipping, or sales lax for CA addresses
INTERFAITH
Test Your Tolerance
O NTARIO CONSULtants on Religious
Tolerance are promoting the understanding of minority religions and providing informatic:m on controversial topics at their Canadian website.
Not only can you read up on 49 religions and ethicaLsystell).s, "hot" religioqs news and official statements on religious freedom, you can even taKe a test to rate
Classical I ndian Dance
DANCE IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF MYSTIcal expression, and "Dance of India" is an excellent place to study that country's traditional, folk and tribal dance forms.
At http://people.unt.edul-sgaOOOlldance.html, you
TEMPLES the "Mandir: Hindu
On Screen Temples Reference Center," a project of the
and VHP of America. Odyssey Hindu Students Council
Minority religion news "Mandir" will point you
PLANNING A PIL- in the right direction,
your own level of reli- grimage and can't with maps, addresses gieus tolerance. Its good decide where to and telephone numbers if you ask new neigh- go? Locate tem- of Hindu, Jain, Sikh and bors to tell you some- pIes around the world at Buddhist temples. thing about their But plan on religion, bad if you staying awhile at try ta convert http://www.hin-them. The OCRT dunet.orgltem-links to resources ple_infol. There on school prayer, are not only tem-hate literature, eu- pIe construction thanasia and a to- and history links pic people are just but scriptures, a beginning to no- panchang, a festi-tice: spanking chil- val calendar and
dren. Visit them at U;=-....::.....l!!!~~!!!!~~ even instructions http://web.canlink ~ on how to be-.comlocrtlocrt_hp.htm. About temples, and more come a Hindu.
LIFE MEMBER HOOUIS/'I TODAY RENAISSANCE CIRCL[
can link to pages about classical dance styles, visit studios of famous performers and their companies and download stage images like the Manipuri scenes above. Other useful links are to the dancing teacher's resource guide and the dance music page. Swarnagowri Addepal1i is the webmaster. Her own home page is innovative and artistic, and her goal is to make "Dance in India" the classical Web resource in its field.
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A customer called Compaq to say his new computer didn't work.
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An AST customer was asked by. a troubleshooter "to send a copy" of her defective diskettes. A few days later a letter arrived along with photocopies of the floppies.
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