hinduism today, oct/nov/dec, 2002
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Hinduism Today, Oct/Nov/Dec, 2002TRANSCRIPT
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Affirming Sanatana Dharma and Recording the Modern History of a Billion-Strong Global Religion in Renaissance
October/November/December, 2002US
$5.95
INTERNATIONALFeature Story: Mapping Our Future, Ten Megatrends
Assess Modern Hindu Religion and Culture 18Goddesses: Saraswati, Who Came to Japan with Bud-
dhism, is Now that Nation’s Foremost Goddess 28Education: How a Few Schools in India Are Working
to Abolish Corporal Punishment of Students 30Teaching: Teachers Need to Give Respect to Students
if They Want to Get Respect as Teachers 38Bangladesh: One Man Cajoles the Government to
Renovate His Family’s Ancestral Village Temple 39Transition: The First Lady of Yoga, Mataji Indra
Devi, Passes Away at Age 102 52Education: Young Girls from Pune, India, Receive
Their Upanayana, the Sacred Thread Ceremony 59Music: The Story of Murugadas, at 83 Still South
India’s Most Enchanting Devotional Singer 60
LIFESTYLEInsight: The How-To’s of Managing Your Karma,
Conveyed in Ten Practical Principles 41Religion: Young and Old Flock to the Gossai Brothers
in Search of Hinduism 51
People: Harvard Scholar Sarah Caldwell Is Formally
Initiated into Saivism by a High Priest 55Youth: Templeton Prize Winner and Spiritual Leader
Athavale Inspires American Youth 56Books: Check Out the Most Comprehensive,
Big Footprint Coffee-Table Book on Elephants 64Culture: Chewing the Savory Betel Leaf 66
OPINIONIn My Opinion: K. Thuruvan Discloses the Problems
and Concerns of Malaysian Hindus 9Publisher’s Desk: Mystical Reflections on the Aftermath
of Ayodhya and the Creation of Shrines 10From the Vedas: Rishi Yajnavalkya Speaks of God 16America: Vasudha Narayanan Explores How Hindus
Are Creating Sacred Spaces in the US 62Letters 12
DIGESTSDiaspora 6Quotes & Quips 14
Digital Dharma 86
www.hinduismtoday.com
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October/November/December, 2002 • Hindu Year 5104 Chitrabhanu, the Year of Varied Splendors
www.gurudeva.org
COVER: A young man from a Parmath Niketan school in India, where teachers are determined to end corporal punishment;
(above) Hundreds of young women greet Didi, the daughter and succcesor to Sri Pandurang Shastri Athavale, in Los Angeles
de
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aj
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ar
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India Moves TowardNonviolent Schooling
pg 01-2 cover OND02 § 7/29/02 5:35 PM Page 1
About the ArtworkDerek Glaskin has mastered a tropical “primitive” style that powerfully and symbolically conveys
cultural and mystical meanings. He first covers the canvas with sacred words and symbols, then
paints over that using enamels. The paintings include Hindu Gods, Polynesian peoples and the
watchful Hawaiian guardian owl, amakua. The blue and yellow tribal petroglyphs, based on rock
carvings made by ancient Kauaians, depict rainbows, sailing vessels, rivers, birds, flowers, families
and ancestors. Temple founder Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami appears in all three works (one
appears inside). Derek described how Lord Murugan came to him in a vision during the 63-day exe-
cution of this art, inwardly conveying profound insights which he softly included in the art. In the
above work Derek captured the carvers’ intense focus of mind as they work on their stones.
Pg 03-4 Gatefold OND 02 7/29/02 5:36 PM Page 3
de
re
k g
la
skin
Bringing India’s Holiness to the WestIraivan Temple, being built in Hawaii, is depicted by
artist Derek Glaskin. Originally from Australia, Derek
was inspired by the temple’s sacredness and the Indian
stone masters. It’s one example of creating a new sacrali-
ty in America. Our article has more. Page 62
Pg 05 Gatefold OND 02 7/29/02 3:36 PM Page 5
About the ArtworkDerek Glaskin has mastered a tropical “primitive” style that powerfully and symbolically conveys
cultural and mystical meanings. He first covers the canvas with sacred words and symbols, then
paints over that using enamels. The paintings include Hindu Gods, Polynesian peoples and the
watchful Hawaiian guardian owl, amakua. The blue and yellow tribal petroglyphs, based on rock
carvings made by ancient Kauaians, depict rainbows, sailing vessels, rivers, birds, flowers, families
and ancestors. Temple founder Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami appears in all three works (one
appears inside). Derek described how Lord Murugan came to him in a vision during the 63-day exe-
cution of this art, inwardly conveying profound insights which he softly included in the art. In the
above work Derek captured the carvers’ intense focus of mind as they work on their stones.
Pg 03-4 Gatefold OND 02 7/29/02 5:36 PM Page 3
de
re
k g
la
skin
Bringing India’s Holiness to the WestIraivan Temple, being built in Hawaii, is depicted by
artist Derek Glaskin. Originally from Australia, Derek
was inspired by the temple’s sacredness and the Indian
stone masters. It’s one example of creating a new sacrali-
ty in America. Our article has more. Page 62
Pg 05 Gatefold OND 02 7/29/02 3:36 PM Page 5
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W O R L D
It’s a Cow Parade!The first “cow parade” was in zurich, switzerland, in
1998, and featured 800 exquisitely painted, life-size fiberglass
cows. New York followed up with 500 in 2000 (www.cowparade-
newyork.com/) and now London, Montevideo and Sydney are join-
ing in. The brain child of Swiss-born artist Walter Knap to foster
art programs, this unique show features the cows as rendered by
local artists randomly placed throughout a city. Why the cow?
New York’s parade organizer said, “The
cow is an animal we all love.” It’s also an
expressive canvas for the creative artist.
I N D I A
Slavery Still ExistsAstoundingly, india has more modern-day slaves
than any other country in the world—an estimated 22 mil-
lion, nearly ten times more than the runner-up, Pakistan, (3.5million), and 44 times more than the next two countries, Brazil
and China (.5 million each). This is according to a survey com-
piled by Kevin Bales, a professor of sociology, and summarized
in Scientific America, April, 2002, issue. Slavery here refers pri-
marily to bonded labor, a system by which a person is knowingly
or unknowingly committed to often dehumanizing ownership by
a “master” due to debt frequently incurred not by the person but
by someone in his family sometimes going back generations.
Also still common is outright sale, especially of girls to brothels.
America, if you’re wondering, has 100,000 to 150,000 slaves.
clockwise from top left: reuters/jayanta shaw, courtesyworkman publishing, reuters/dadang tri6 hinduism today o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r 2002
In a ceremony symbolizing the vanquishing of evil, “demons” are paraded and burned in ritual
“Holy Cow” by Vincent Longo, in NewYork; (inset) “Picowsso” by Tony Nogueira
A child laborer carries unbaked bricks to a kiln near Calcutta
I N D O N E S I A
UnexpectedCelebrationIndonesian hindus carried giant
effigies symbolizing evil through the
main streets of Jakarta on April 12,2002. The “demons” were later burned
in ceremony during the annual Hindu
ritual called Nyepi (silent day). During
Nyepi, local Hindus retreat from daily
activities and modern technologies. It is
significant that Indonesia’s minority
Hindus so freely celebrate in a Muslim
country.
pg 06 Diaspora OND02 § 7/29/02 3:37 PM Page 6
o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r , 2 0 0 2 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 7three left photos: mayooran selvaraj. right: courtesy body bistro
U S A
Body BlessedBody bistro is trying
hard to make ancient
ayurvedic medicines look new
and modern. Their line in-
cludes cleansers, moisturizers,
facial elixirs, eye care and
handmade soap accompanied
by instructions on what to use
according to one’s dosha, meta-
bolic type, in the ayurvedic sys-
tem. Bistro (www.bodybistro.
com) boasts that its packaging
“adheres to Vastu Shastra—In-
dian feng shui—with coloring
representing each product’s
dosha. The products are blessed
with Hindu chants to provide
clarity of mind and spirit.”
A U S T R A L I A
A CartoonOutrageSome things aren’t funny.
A cartoon printed on May 27,
2002, in the Financial Expressof Sydney, Australia, shows a
caricature of Lord Ganesha
with four arms standing on a
map of India. One hand juggles
an atomic bomb, another holds a
bundle of dynamite sticks, a
third tosses a chicken, and the
fourth gestures obscenely in the
direction of Pakistan. In a for-
mal apology published on June
4, 2002, in the Express, respond-
ing to a letter of complaint from
Dr. A. Balasubramaniam of the
Hindu Council of Australia, the
editor wrote, “An illustration that
depicted Lord Ganesha may
have caused unintended offense.
It was aimed to represent India
and the issues it is trying to jug-
gle with Pakistan. The represen-
tation was not intended to dis-
parage any cultural or religious
beliefs. We apologize for any
misunderstanding.” Additionally,
the editor wrote a personal let-
ter to Balasubramaniam apolo-
gizing again and promising that,
as editor, he would ensure “there
would be no repeat of such an
unfortunate incident.” According
to Balasubramaniam, this is not
the first time that the Fairfax
press has insulted Hindus.
(Below) The parading Ganeshais welcomed back at the templewith flame and food offering
Body Bistro’s recyclable bottleseschew sharp edges for optimumenergy flow
(Above) Devotees carry theGanesha deity in parade aroundthe temple. (Below) Residenthead priest Sri Subramania Iyer.
C A N A D A
The Tamil Peace of Edmonton
As so many tamils unhappily left their homes inwar-torn Sri Lanka over the past 30 years, they naturally won-
dered what the future might bring. Those who settled in Edmonton,
Canada, found peace in Lord Ganesha. In 1978 a small community
of 25 Tamil families began worshiping a small Ganesha icon. In
1985 their numbers grew, and they bought land for a temple. Today,
the Maha Ganapati Temple, which officially opened on July 7, 2000,
is a huge, thriving spiritual center. An eleven-day festival culminat-
ing on June 18, 2002, celebrated its second anniversary in style.
pg 07 Diaspora OND02 § 7/30/02 5:39 PM Page 7
T H A I L A N D
World Council Talks PeaceAnd Tackles PovertyMore than 100 leaders of the world’s religions
gathered in Bangkok, Thailand, from June 12 through 14 for
the World Council of Religious Leaders. The event was a direct out-
come of the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiri-
tual Leaders held in New York at the United Nations in August,
2000. The most notable accomplishment of the gathering was the
formation of a charter emphasizing the role of religious leaders in
thinking globally to mitigate conflict and encourage peace, especial-
ly by working with the United Nations and other international orga-
nizations to help lead the world toward harmony, unity and nonvio-
lence. Additionally, the charter underlined the responsibility of
religious leaders to provide guidance in eradicating poverty, preserv-
ing the environment and breaking down religious and ethnic barri-
ers. Six prominent Hindu leaders were present: Swami Teerth, Swa-
mi Dayananda, Swami Chidanand, Dada Vaswani, the
Shankaracharya of Bhanpura Peeth and Sai Das Baba of Ujjain.
B A L I
Losing Bali’s BeachesThe practice of seaside hinduism in bali was seriously
suppressed when former Bali governor I. B. Oka issued a decree
in the 1990s allowing investors to develop tourist facilities and man-
age the coastal areas in front of their properties. The decree shifted
the function of beaches from the social and religious domain to re-
stricted business facilities. Since then, parts of the coastline have
been closed to the public. This has made Hindu religious and cultur-
al practices that are traditionally performed on the seashore diffi-
cult. For centuries, the Balinese have considered the sea sanctified.
Its very waters are revered as holy and used in purification rituals
for home and temple. During festivals, devotees carrying offerings
parade to the shore and worship the sea as God. Before the 1960s,great stretches of beach in Bali were unknown to outsiders. Now,
outsiders control many of them.
The World Council of Religious Leaders makes plans in Bangkok
This prime ocean-front property could have been a five-star resort ifan ancient Balinese temple on the sea had not gotten there first
clockwise from top left: swami chidanand saraswatiji, corel8 hinduism today o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r , 2002
THE JULY 15 COVER STORY OF TIMEmagazine proclaimed the mer-
its of vegetarianism. Some ten
million Americans today con-
sider themselves to be practic-
ing vegetarians, according to
the Time poll. Twenty million
more have flirted with the
healthier, kinder diet at least
some time in their past. The
story debunks various myths
about the veggie lifestyle and
tells Americans it is the best
choice for a long, healthy and
useful life.
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT STILLfinds proponents among teach-
ers in America. In fact, the offi-
cial policy of the National Edu-
cation Association in the United
States is to pay all legal costs in-
curred, win or lose, whenever a
teacher faces a lawsuit connect-
ed with corporal punishment.
Since in all other legal matters,
teacher’s must pay their own le-
gal fees, it’s clear that this form
of battering is prevalent and in-
stitutionally accepted in US
classrooms.
THE TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTIONof festival chariots in Puri is a
little more difficult this year.
The government has banned
excess tree cutting in Puri due
to a shortage caused by past
chariot building. Although spe-
cial tree planting now will sup-
ply future chariot construction,
40 percent of the wood used
this year must come from recy-
cled sources.
TWENTY HINDU ORGANIZATIONSin Holland received a threaten-
ing letter dated May 5 from
fundamentalist Muslim extrem-
ists. The letter, laced with ob-
scenities, demanded that all
Hindu temples and organiza-
tions close down, cease activity
and deposit their money in lo-
cal Islamic mosques because
the Netherlands has now be-
come a Muslim nation. On May
6, popular right-wing politician
Pim Fortuyn—who had singled
out fundamentalist Muslims as
problematic—was assassinated
by a gunman reportedly linked
to the far left. Just days before,
TV news reports had asserted
that Hindu organizations were
asking their members to vote
for Fortuyn. Nothing has actu-
ally happened to any Hindu or-
ganization as a result of this
threat to date.
pg 08 Diaspora OND02 § 7/29/02 3:37 PM Page 8
IN MY OPINION
� Cry for HelpFacing conversion, poverty and suicide in Malaysia
K . T H U RU VA N
n my country ofMalaysia, the 1.2 million
Hindus that live here com-
prise 7.6 percent of the total
population. Hindu temples out-
number all of the mosques and
Christian churches put together,
even though Malaysia is an Is-
lamic country. Yet, these tem-
ples could be doing much more
in providing service, assistance
and education to the local Hindus.
Very few Malaysian Hindu temples con-
duct religious classes or provide spiritual
discourses by knowledgeable teachers, pun-
dits or swamis. Fewer still provide effective
programs to help the poor, the needy and
the sick. There is absolutely no counselling,
and most of the temple managers know
nothing about any religion, much less Hin-
duism. As a consequence of all this, the
temples are becoming commercial centers
selling ceremony, usually at a high price.
As a volunteer social worker serving on
behalf of a local organization called the
Malaysian Hindu Sangam (MHS), I provide
a number of services around Seremban, the
town where I live. I help in the geriatrics
ward of a local hospital and provide consol-
ing for Hindus. I also seek out and assist
poverty-stricken Hindu families of the
area. I do what I can, but it never seems
enough. In my work I have observed four
main problems facing Hindus here.
The first problem is suicide among the
elderly. In the hospital where I work, sui-
cides occur about once a month, although
suicide attempts take place almost daily.
Even though I serve people of all religions
in the hospital, I cannot help being painful-
ly aware that usually only Hindus attempt
suicide. “Why is this?” I wonder. Certainly,
better religious education in local temples
would help drive this suicide rate among
Hindus down.
The second problem is aggressive Christ-
ian evangelism. These crusaders for Christ
visit Hindu patients in hospitals and offer
prayers for their recovery. The patients are
in no condition, mentally or physically, to
clearly understand what is going on. If their
health improves, they are made to believe
that Christian prayers saved
them. The doctors cure the pa-
tients, but the Christians take
the credit. Again, there is a
need for Hindus helping Hin-
dus through better education in
local temples. I am on the look-
out for these Christian extrem-
ists and counteract their efforts
by explaining the Hindu point
of view to helpless Hindu pa-
tients while offering them vibuthi (holy ash
sanctified in a Hindu temple). It is curious
to note the total absence of these “curing
Christians” in the ward for the terminally ill.
The third problem is conversion to Islam. I
have encountered this first hand in my
counselling sessions with Hindus who con-
vert to Islam to marry a Muslim girl or boy
and cannot get back into Hinduism when
the marriage ends in divorce. Many Hindus
anguish over this, and no one that I know
can properly explain why such a senseless
restriction exists. I simply try to warn them
ahead of time.
The fourth problem is extreme poverty
among Malaysian Hindus due to adharma(unrighteous living). The source of this par-
ticular problem lies almost always with the
husband. He is either an alcoholic, a drug
addict, in prison, or he has left the family
for a younger woman. When such situa-
tions are extreme and the family just can-
not help itself, the MHS takes the initiative
and the responsibility to provide food ra-
tions and see that the children’s education
is continued. Much counselling is needed
here to make a real and lasting difference
in the lives of these families.
With Malaysian Hindus left helpless to
face the challenges of poverty and sickness
as well as the threats of conversion to both
Islam and Christianity, the Hindu popula-
tion in Malaysia is most certainly going to go
down. Now is the time for Malaysian Hindu
temples to fulfill their proper and necessary
function—ministering more deeply to the
needs of the people for whom they exist.
o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r , 2 0 0 2 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 9
k.
th
ur
uva
n
K. Thuruvan, 62, is a retired postalworker who lives in Malaysia and servesthe Malaysian Hindu Sangam full time.
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Wiltsie, Indivar Sivanathan. Web Masters: Nitya Nade-
san, Sadhunathan Nadesan. Distribution: USA: Ingram
Periodicals, New Leaf, EBSCO Subscription Services,
Back Office, OneSource, Ubiquity. Canada: Gordon
and Gotch. Europe: SWETS Subscription Service.
Malaysia and Singapore: Sanathana Dharma Publica-
tions. India: Central News Agency Limited, Delhi.
Printer: Banta Publications Group, Kansas City, MO
pg 09 TURN help OND02 § 8/10/02 11:31 AM Page 9
T H A I L A N D
World Council Talks PeaceAnd Tackles PovertyMore than 100 leaders of the world’s religions
gathered in Bangkok, Thailand, from June 12 through 14 for
the World Council of Religious Leaders. The event was a direct out-
come of the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiri-
tual Leaders held in New York at the United Nations in August,
2000. The most notable accomplishment of the gathering was the
formation of a charter emphasizing the role of religious leaders in
thinking globally to mitigate conflict and encourage peace, especial-
ly by working with the United Nations and other international orga-
nizations to help lead the world toward harmony, unity and nonvio-
lence. Additionally, the charter underlined the responsibility of
religious leaders to provide guidance in eradicating poverty, preserv-
ing the environment and breaking down religious and ethnic barri-
ers. Six prominent Hindu leaders were present: Swami Teerth, Swa-
mi Dayananda, Swami Chidanand, Dada Vaswani, the
Shankaracharya of Bhanpura Peeth and Sai Das Baba of Ujjain.
B A L I
Losing Bali’s BeachesThe practice of seaside hinduism in bali was seriously
suppressed when former Bali governor I. B. Oka issued a decree
in the 1990s allowing investors to develop tourist facilities and man-
age the coastal areas in front of their properties. The decree shifted
the function of beaches from the social and religious domain to re-
stricted business facilities. Since then, parts of the coastline have
been closed to the public. This has made Hindu religious and cultur-
al practices that are traditionally performed on the seashore diffi-
cult. For centuries, the Balinese have considered the sea sanctified.
Its very waters are revered as holy and used in purification rituals
for home and temple. During festivals, devotees carrying offerings
parade to the shore and worship the sea as God. Before the 1960s,great stretches of beach in Bali were unknown to outsiders. Now,
outsiders control many of them.
The World Council of Religious Leaders makes plans in Bangkok
This prime ocean-front property could have been a five-star resort ifan ancient Balinese temple on the sea had not gotten there first
clockwise from top left: swami chidanand saraswatiji, corel8 hinduism today o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r , 2002
THE JULY 15 COVER STORY OF TIMEmagazine proclaimed the mer-
its of vegetarianism. Some ten
million Americans today con-
sider themselves to be practic-
ing vegetarians, according to
the Time poll. Twenty million
more have flirted with the
healthier, kinder diet at least
some time in their past. The
story debunks various myths
about the veggie lifestyle and
tells Americans it is the best
choice for a long, healthy and
useful life.
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT STILLfinds proponents among teach-
ers in America. In fact, the offi-
cial policy of the National Edu-
cation Association in the United
States is to pay all legal costs in-
curred, win or lose, whenever a
teacher faces a lawsuit connect-
ed with corporal punishment.
Since in all other legal matters,
teacher’s must pay their own le-
gal fees, it’s clear that this form
of battering is prevalent and in-
stitutionally accepted in US
classrooms.
THE TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTIONof festival chariots in Puri is a
little more difficult this year.
The government has banned
excess tree cutting in Puri due
to a shortage caused by past
chariot building. Although spe-
cial tree planting now will sup-
ply future chariot construction,
40 percent of the wood used
this year must come from recy-
cled sources.
TWENTY HINDU ORGANIZATIONSin Holland received a threaten-
ing letter dated May 5 from
fundamentalist Muslim extrem-
ists. The letter, laced with ob-
scenities, demanded that all
Hindu temples and organiza-
tions close down, cease activity
and deposit their money in lo-
cal Islamic mosques because
the Netherlands has now be-
come a Muslim nation. On May
6, popular right-wing politician
Pim Fortuyn—who had singled
out fundamentalist Muslims as
problematic—was assassinated
by a gunman reportedly linked
to the far left. Just days before,
TV news reports had asserted
that Hindu organizations were
asking their members to vote
for Fortuyn. Nothing has actu-
ally happened to any Hindu or-
ganization as a result of this
threat to date.
pg 08 Diaspora OND02 § 7/29/02 3:37 PM Page 8
IN MY OPINION
� Cry for HelpFacing conversion, poverty and suicide in Malaysia
K . T H U RU VA N
n my country ofMalaysia, the 1.2 million
Hindus that live here com-
prise 7.6 percent of the total
population. Hindu temples out-
number all of the mosques and
Christian churches put together,
even though Malaysia is an Is-
lamic country. Yet, these tem-
ples could be doing much more
in providing service, assistance
and education to the local Hindus.
Very few Malaysian Hindu temples con-
duct religious classes or provide spiritual
discourses by knowledgeable teachers, pun-
dits or swamis. Fewer still provide effective
programs to help the poor, the needy and
the sick. There is absolutely no counselling,
and most of the temple managers know
nothing about any religion, much less Hin-
duism. As a consequence of all this, the
temples are becoming commercial centers
selling ceremony, usually at a high price.
As a volunteer social worker serving on
behalf of a local organization called the
Malaysian Hindu Sangam (MHS), I provide
a number of services around Seremban, the
town where I live. I help in the geriatrics
ward of a local hospital and provide consol-
ing for Hindus. I also seek out and assist
poverty-stricken Hindu families of the
area. I do what I can, but it never seems
enough. In my work I have observed four
main problems facing Hindus here.
The first problem is suicide among the
elderly. In the hospital where I work, sui-
cides occur about once a month, although
suicide attempts take place almost daily.
Even though I serve people of all religions
in the hospital, I cannot help being painful-
ly aware that usually only Hindus attempt
suicide. “Why is this?” I wonder. Certainly,
better religious education in local temples
would help drive this suicide rate among
Hindus down.
The second problem is aggressive Christ-
ian evangelism. These crusaders for Christ
visit Hindu patients in hospitals and offer
prayers for their recovery. The patients are
in no condition, mentally or physically, to
clearly understand what is going on. If their
health improves, they are made to believe
that Christian prayers saved
them. The doctors cure the pa-
tients, but the Christians take
the credit. Again, there is a
need for Hindus helping Hin-
dus through better education in
local temples. I am on the look-
out for these Christian extrem-
ists and counteract their efforts
by explaining the Hindu point
of view to helpless Hindu pa-
tients while offering them vibuthi (holy ash
sanctified in a Hindu temple). It is curious
to note the total absence of these “curing
Christians” in the ward for the terminally ill.
The third problem is conversion to Islam. I
have encountered this first hand in my
counselling sessions with Hindus who con-
vert to Islam to marry a Muslim girl or boy
and cannot get back into Hinduism when
the marriage ends in divorce. Many Hindus
anguish over this, and no one that I know
can properly explain why such a senseless
restriction exists. I simply try to warn them
ahead of time.
The fourth problem is extreme poverty
among Malaysian Hindus due to adharma(unrighteous living). The source of this par-
ticular problem lies almost always with the
husband. He is either an alcoholic, a drug
addict, in prison, or he has left the family
for a younger woman. When such situa-
tions are extreme and the family just can-
not help itself, the MHS takes the initiative
and the responsibility to provide food ra-
tions and see that the children’s education
is continued. Much counselling is needed
here to make a real and lasting difference
in the lives of these families.
With Malaysian Hindus left helpless to
face the challenges of poverty and sickness
as well as the threats of conversion to both
Islam and Christianity, the Hindu popula-
tion in Malaysia is most certainly going to go
down. Now is the time for Malaysian Hindu
temples to fulfill their proper and necessary
function—ministering more deeply to the
needs of the people for whom they exist.
o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r , 2 0 0 2 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 9
k.
th
ur
uva
n
K. Thuruvan, 62, is a retired postalworker who lives in Malaysia and servesthe Malaysian Hindu Sangam full time.
HINDU RENAISSANCE TEAM
HINDUISM TODAY was founded January 5, 1979,by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. It is a
nonprofit educational activity of Himalayan
Academy with the following purposes: 1.To fos-
ter Hindu solidarity as a unity in diversity
among all sects and lineages; 2. To inform and
inspire Hindus worldwide and people interest-
ed in Hinduism; 3. To dispel myths, illusions
and misinformation about Hinduism; 4. To pro-
tect, preserve and promote the sacred Vedasand the Hindu religion; 5. To nurture and mon-
itor the ongoing spiritual Hindu renaissance;
6. To publish a resource for Hindu leaders and
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Printer: Banta Publications Group, Kansas City, MO
pg 09 TURN help OND02 § 8/10/02 11:31 AM Page 9
10 hinduism today october/november/december, 2002
ith much interest in the hinduworld these days about building a tem-
ple at Ayodhya, the Shree Ram Mandir,
it is timely to also reflect upon building
another temple, one that is closer to
where every person on the planet lives. This is
one’s inner temple, the antar mandir, or the soul
temple, atma mandir. A few years ago in Chen-
nai, at the Kapaleeshvara Temple, I enjoyed a
serene meditation one morning for nearly an
hour inside the cool, granite sanctuary. When I
returned to the conscious mind, a young man
who had just finished darshan at the temple’s
shrines asked me why I had been meditating, as
he had no concept at all about meditation. I explained that there is
an inner temple inside each person in which he can have darshanof God and the Gods through yogic meditation, and this inner
darshan is even more powerful than the outer darshan he had just
experienced in the physical temple of Kapaleeshvara. I continued,
explaining that we worship in the outer temple to cultivate the
devotion and humility that allow us to successfully meditate on
God in our inner temple—one practice naturally leads to the other.
What is this inner temple we are talking about? It is the soul or,
even more specifically, the soul body, called anandamaya kosha or
karana sharira, an immortal body of spiritual light inside each of
us. It is this body of light that reincarnates from life to life. There-
fore, from a deeper perspective, we are this body of light. We are
not our physical body, our mind or our emotions; we are the im-
mortal soul.
Darshan of God in the outer temple is generally dualistic; we are
perceiving the Deity as separate from us. However, in the inner,
soul temple, darshan may be dualistic, but is more often monistic,
where we fully identify with God as all-pervasive consciousness or
as the transcendent Absolute.
Building and worshiping in an outer temple, when done in the
right spirit, also brings us closer to our inner temple, draws us
nearer to our real self. This is because it deepens our devotion and
humility. However, when an outer temple is built amid disagree-
ments, arguments or—worse yet—violence, it creates barriers, dis-
turbing our peace of mind and preventing us from entering our
antar mandir. The stones, brick and mortar of the temple are actu-
ally imbued with the disharmonious conditions, to live on and
negatively effect the nerve system of everyone who worships there
far into the future. Like spiritual DNA, those initial impressions
determine the future impact of the edifice, be it benign or malig-
nant—calling down divine blessings or conjuring up demonic curs-
es. So, the way in which a
temple is built is of vital
importance.
Satguru Sivaya Subramu-
niyaswami took this princi-
ple one step deeper,
teaching that the inner tem-
ple comes first, giving rise
to the external structure. On
many occasions, in speaking
of the construction of his
own San Marga Iraivan
Temple in Hawaii, he ex-
plained how the Iraivan
Temple is being built on a spiritual founda-
tion, the religious unfoldment of his devo-
tees. Their progress in accessing the inner
temple through personal purification, by
additional sadhana and tapas, would mani-
fest as additional construction on the outer
temple. By sadhana and tapas, he meant
religious discipline, inner striving, medita-
tion, scriptural study, austerity and sacri-
fice. In other words, as each new stone is
added to the inner temple, this causes a
new stone to be added to the outer one.
This mystical approach, he assured us,
would result in a pristine, spiritually pro-
found place of pilgrimage. Nothing else
would create such sanctity. One of Gurude-
va’s strictest rules, with this mystical law in
mind, was “zero tolerance for disharmo-
nious conditions” among those working
together to build a Hindu temple.
Our great paramaguru, Siva Yogaswami
of Jaffna, Sri Lanka, of our Kailasa
Parampara, also stressed the importance of inner worship. For
example, when an international conference on the Tamil language
was being held in Colombo and there were banners and excite-
ment everywhere for this Tamil festival—or Utsavam Tamil—he
chided the delegates of the even greater importance of the inner
festival—Utsavam Tamul—“the festival inside of you.”
Let’s now look more closely at the process of gaining access to
our antar mandir, inner temple. To many people, the antar mandiris like a temple for infrequent pilgrimage, annually or even less
often, that sits atop a high mountain in the Himalayas, while to
PUBLISHER’S DESK
Mystical Reflections inThe Wake of AyodhyaStories of India’s past and events of the present offer
guidelines on how to create truly sacred shrines
B Y S A T G U R U B O D H I N A T H A V E Y L A N S W A M I
s. r
aja
m
pg 10-11 PD AntarMand OND 01 7/29/02 5:59 PM Page 10
october/november/december, 2 0 0 2 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 11
others, it is as close as their nose is to their eye, the serene place
they visit every day. Why the difference? It is caused by the
amount of impurity in the subconscious mind as a result of past
adharmic deeds—actions, words and thoughts that conflict with
the soul’s innate, spiritual conscience. To individuals who are fol-
lowing a dharmic, virtuous life and have done serious sadhana and
tapas to purify themselves, the antar mandir is as close as their
nose is to their eye. To individuals who follow dharma but have not
done much sadhana and tapas, it is a remote and distant pilgrim-
age destination. And to those who do not follow dharma and allow
themselves to commit adharmic acts, such as hurtful words or
actions, their inner temple may as well be on the Moon, and the
distance is actually increasing as additional impurities are being
added to their subconscious.
There is a traditional story that illustrates the importance of the
inner, soul temple. It is about Pusalar, a great devotee of Lord Siva
who lived in South India. For many years Pusalar wanted to build
a Siva temple, but he was so poor he had to beg even to eat. So, he
certainly could not get what he needed for a temple. But Pusalar
did not give up. He decided to build a temple for Siva in his mind.
He collected the granite stones, the wood and other supplies, all in
his mind. He looked for a good day to start the project. Steadily,
day after day, he carved the Deity icon and built the temple on
the mental plane. He built the entry towers, the various hallways
and chambers, the chariot and chariot house. Finally, after many
years of meditative work, he finished and declared to himself, “To-
morrow will be the kumbhabhishekam.” He prayed to Lord Siva,
“O Lord, tomorrow you must come for the temple’s dedication. It
will be a grand event.”
At the same time, the king of Kanchipuram was also building a
Siva temple, spending lots of money on a massive edifice. Work
went on day and night. Finally, he fixed the day for the dedica-
tion—the same day, it turned out, that Pusalar had set for his tem-
ple opening. The night before that day, Lord Siva appeared in the
king’s dream. “You must change the day you have chosen for the
dedication. Tomorrow I am going to the temple that Pusalar has
built.” The king woke up with a start. He was shocked. He had
never heard of Pusalar and certainly not of another temple being
built in his kingdom. With royal indignation, the king set off with
his ministers to find Pusalar and his temple. He asked the villagers,
“Where is this man named Pusalar who is building a temple?”
They laughed and said, “Pusalar is practically a beggar and far too
poor to build a temple.” They showed the king where Pusalar
lived. Stunned to see the monarch at his humble abode, Pusalar
rushed forward, bowed and asked how he could be of service.
The king, assuaged by the villager’s genuine respect and kind-
ness, asked Pusalar, “Where is your temple? I have come to wit-
ness the dedication.” Then he told Pusalar of the dream. Pusalar’s
eyes filled with tears of devotion, and he cried out, “Lord Siva
knows of my temple!” He joyfully shared with the king how he
had built the temple in his mind. The king, realizing he was in the
presence of a truly great devotee of God, prostrated at Pusalar’s
feet. Every day thereafter, Pusalar worshiped Siva in the temple he
built in his mind. Conceived and assembled with great devotion,
that temple was even more powerful than the king’s big stone tem-
ple. That is why Siva came to Pusalar’s temple first, before visiting
the king’s.
This story of Pusalar and the temple he built in his mind is in
reality describing the inner temple, the antar mandir, the temple
that is our own soul. This is the most important temple, and to be
able to enter it and experience the ultimate darshan of God that it
offers is the goal for which worship in physical temples prepares
us. These days it is common for crowds in India to chant the Hin-
di slogan, “Ram Lala ham ayenge, mandir wahin banayenge,”
which means, “Dear Lord Rama, we will come and build the tem-
ple there.” There, of course, refers to Ayodha. Hindus who share
the perspective that the inner temple and the outer temple should
both come up together can privately chant their own slogan,
“Ram Lala hum ayenge, mandir man mein banayenge,” which
means, “Dear Lord Rama, we will come and construct the temple
in the heart.”
Atma mandir: Artist S. Rajam depicts Saint Pusalar absorbed indeep meditation, revealing the temple to his beloved Lord Siva hehas created in his intense internalized worship.
pg 10-11 PD AntarMand OND 01 7/29/02 5:59 PM Page 11
LETTERS
12 hinduism today october/november/december, 2002
Exporting Hinduism to Indiathe article written by jay lakhani(Exporting Hinduism To India, HPI, June
30, 2002) about Indian schools needing cur-
riculum materials developed in the UK for
teaching Hinduism didn’t surprise me. As an
Indian Hindu, I have no opportunity to
learn about Hinduism in India. I know it is
a national shame, but unfortunately it is the
truth. Now I am learning Hinduism from
Himalayan Academy through their online
courses. If anybody can take the initiative to
teach Hinduism in India, the Indian Hindus
will be grateful.
Mahendra Prasad∫ [email protected]
Concerned over Anti-Hinduismyour magazine has done much to pro-mote the Hindu cause relative to a general-
ly hostile and misinformed media. Unfortu-
nately, Arun Gandhi’s piece (The WrongWay, Jul/Aug/Sep, 2002) that you published
comes from the anti-Hindu group. It is mis-
informed and prejudicial. It uses unfortu-
nate events in India to attack Hindu groups
and does not mention how much Hindus re-
main the target of both Islamic and Christ-
ian aggression in India. Such unfortunate
Hindu backlashes as occurred in Gujarat
should not be equated with the general ag-
gression of these missionary cults. I have
traveled throughout India and seen how Is-
lamic and Christian groups try to sow dis-
sension in Indian society and routinely den-
igrate the Hindu religion. I remember your
magazine’s long-term association with Ram
Swarup and would urge you to remember
his statements on such issues.
Vamadeva Shastri∫ [email protected]
Well Done!wow! that is the only word i have for the last issue (Jul/Aug/Sep, 2002)! It is so
well done. You must have had help from the
inner worlds. So many controversial issues
addressed, yet all very tactfully done. I loved
Mark Twain especially, but then Virginia
City and Mark Twain are part of my life.
The artwork is exquisite; the new artist is su-
perb! How you will create a better issue next
time I do not know, but you will!
Nilima Srikantha∫ [email protected]
Biased Child Labor Reporting!please try to put the article in betterlight (India Losing Child-Labor Battle, HPI,
May 9, 2002). When kids in Western coun-
tries are employed, they are called self-em-
ployed, but if a child works in India where
its family genuinely needs a hand in income,
it is called child labor. Please try to under-
stand that every human has a right to work
and the society should only guarantee that if
the person is young he or she is not subject-
ed to some life-risking job. People who bring
out such news or write such views are un-
aware of the difficulties and features of In-
dian society. Here we don’t spend fruitful
young age living on doles. Neither does our
government sell killer weapons to other na-
tions to pay these doles. Yes, a lot is needed
to be done before we talk of eliminating
abuses. We must make people understand
that the spread of education, at least through
the tenth standard, is a must. This is the
minimum period between starting school
and ending education upon bearing a child.
If we keep preaching to remove child labor,
it will take 200 years more to make any im-
pact. But if we focus on spreading educa-
tion, this will be brought under control
within 25 years. Thank you for the daily
digital newsletter.
Raghavendra Singh∫ [email protected]
More Souls Come from Where?i most regretfully have to point out your mistake answering the question from
the gentleman (More Souls Come fromWhere, Letters, Jul/Aug/Sep, 2002) about
the origin of souls. The Hindu belief that
originates from the holy Gita is that souls
are eternal. They do not get born or die.
Since there is no census of all the life forms
on Earth and other numerous planets where
life exists, the increase in population of one
species is not a reflection on actual increase
in souls. They simply migrate from one form
to another depending on their deeds
Shashi H. Dave∫ [email protected]
✔ We presented the monistic theology, heldby many Hindus and supported by theVedas and Agamas, that God is the creatorof souls. But it is also held by pluralistic Hin-du theologies that souls are not created byGod, but are pre-existing, eternal entities.Hinduism embraces divergent views onmany such matters.
Practical Teachings Neededlet me thank you for your outstandingwork with HINDUISM TODAY. I always look
forward to it. I wanted to make some sug-
gestions for your excellent magazine and
website, these are: 1) a “Questions and An-
swers” section, as I am struggling to get an-
swers to both complex and trivial questions;
2) How to live according to Vedas instead of
the regional area’s traditions. Dealing with
everyday issues like praying, working, deal-
ing with families, friends and even people
who you do not get along with; 3) What to
do when different occasions arise, e.g., birth,
death, marriage, puberty, separations, look-
ing after parents, kids; and 4) How to deal
with provocations from racists, other reli-
gious atrocities, crime or envies. It would be
nice to get practical advice and answers
dealing with today’s situations. I am sure
many people would benefit around the
world from this. If you can’t do this, could
you get me answers to some questions and
issues or even point to where I can get
these? Thanks. Please let us pray for Hindu
unity regardless of caste and language. Let’s
stop Hindu atrocities and conversions.
Haresh Vyas ∫ [email protected]
✔ Excellent suggestions. In the meantimeyou may send questions to [email protected] and our trained staff will do theirbest to point you to available resources.
Rejoicing in Hindu Revelationi want to express my gratitude for HINDUISM TODAY. It not only imparts the
Vedic knowledge but has also given me the
encouragement that I lack at times to hold
fast and practice its doctrine and teaching.
Dion Scouter Beggs (Conversion /Reconver-sion, Letters, Jan/Feb/Mar, 2002), said, “One
merely has to drop the Christian dogma,
and the dharma reveals itself unsullied. It is
not so much a matter of conversion or re-
conversion, but of reversion to the truth.
How easy is that?” So very true! One sees
the divine refulgence that Hinduism radi-
ates, its love and respect amongst its people,
and the desire to be a part of it becomes al-
most irresistible. But, as is often the case,
past dogmas are so different that unless one
lays these influences aside and seeks the
wisdom imparted by the Vedas, revelation
of truth can be hindered. I rejoice in this
revelation of truth, and I am truly grateful
and proud of being Hindu. Conversion to
Hinduism was only as difficult as my resis-
tance was to the truth, but never, ever has it
been regrettable. Continue the great work!
Alphanso D'Souza∫ [email protected]
Intolerable Dowry Systemwe hindus have to introspect on theprevailing dowry system in Hindu society. I
humbly submit: 1) In a marriage ceremony,
the father of the bride gives his daughter as
daan (charitable present) to the side of the
bridegroom. Whose position is superior—
giver of daan or receiver of daan? Certain-
ly, that of the giver of daan. The parents of
the girl who have brought up their daughter
with care and affection are handing over
their daughter, once and for all, to the bride-
groom and his parents and relatives. On
pg 12-13 letters OND02 § 7/29/02 3:38 PM Page 12
october/november/december, 2 0 0 2 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 13
what religious understanding? That the
boy’s side will take good care of the girl as a
divine gift, as an incarnation of Goddess
Laxmi, who will give prosperity, happiness
and all blessings to the house which she en-
ters at the time of marriage. It is a sacred
moment. All the religious ceremonies per-
formed at the time of marriage have these
implications, whether we understand them
or not. The boy is supposed to earn the
money himself and maintain his family, in-
cluding his wife. He is not to prove to be a
parasite living on the dowry or income of
his wife. This is our Hindu dharma. God in
the form of dharma protects those families
who observe these rules of dharma. 2) To-
day’s situation is almost one of shame. The
boy’s side demands dowry and perpetually
harasses the girl unless she perpetually
manages to get more money from her par-
ents’ side, to feed the husband. We should
feel ashamed to be tolerating this intolerable
situation. 3) From my personal experience,
and as advised by our Hindu dharma, one
can see that God gives plenty to those who
do not accept undeserved money from oth-
ers, particularly from a girl’s parents. Let us
not be beggars; let us refuse to behave like
beggars who not only expect to receive
money from the girl’s side but even harass
the girl and her parents to squeeze out more
and more money. Such goonda-type beggars
will ultimately lose their own prosperity, if
they have any. It is said, “Bhagawan ke pasder hai, andher nahi hai.” (There is justice
in God’s court, though it may appear de-
layed, but it is not blind injustice.) Let us
Hindus mend the ways of the presently dis-
astrous dowry system. Many Hindu girls are
suffering!
Prof. G. C. Asnani, MSc., Ph.D.∫ [email protected]
You Changed My Lifethe new saivite world and its laterincarnation as HINDUISM TODAY changed my
life. I began reading the New Saivite Worldin 1979, which had a great spiritual impact
on me. My hobby at that time was hunting
and fishing. By 1983, I had given up hunting
and fishing. In 1995, I gave up meat eating
but held on to seafood. Suddenly, in March,
2002, a sudden urge to stop seafood sur-
faced. Now, at 63, I am a total vegetarian.
All this was possible by the teachings of our
great spiritual master, the late Gurudeva.
Though he has left us, he is still “all over the
place,” just as he promised us. He lives in my
house prayer room. We see each other daily.
K. ThuruvanSeremban, Malaysia
re you concerned about the fate of dharmain the lives of the next generation of American
born Hindus? Ever wonder why so few teenagers
show up at our US temples? Did you ever ask,
“How can we educate Hindu youth, pass the traditions into
their hands?” We have an answer. Become an eScrip sup-
porter of Himalayan Academy Publications. A percentage
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go to support free subscriptions to HINDUISM TODAY for
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HINDUISM TODAY from childhood grow up proud Hindus.
Now you can promote this educational boon—big time!
What is eScrip? The concept is simple. Thousands of non-profits are
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Signing up is easy. Become a supporter today!• Go to http://www.eScrip.com and click on “Sign Up.”
• Enter “Himalayan Academy” or our ID number: 708335• Click “Search” and choose the “Himalayan Academy” line.
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Dollars for Dharma: Merchants will fund HT subscriptions for youth
US Shopping Dollars Fuel Hindu Dharma! US Youth Can Now Be eScrip HINDUISM TODAY Beneficiaries
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phone number, should be sent to:
Letters, Hinduism Today107 Kaholalele RoadKapaa, Hawaii, 96746-9304 USAor faxed to: (808) 822-4351or 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
pg 12-13 letters OND02 § 7/29/02 3:38 PM Page 13
What is marriage? Falling in love anew
every day—always with the same person.
Dada J.P. Vaswani
I’m sorry, but your karma made me do it.
It is easy to play with a cobra. It is easy to
walk over the fire. It is easy to uproot the
Himalayas. But it is difficult to eradicate
lust. Swami Sivananda Saraswati Maharaj,founder of the Divine Life Society in India
Those who don’t seem to have any willpow-
er, always have plenty of won’t power.
You cannot do wrong without suffering
wrong. The exclusive in fashionable life
does not see that he excludes himself from
enjoyment in the attempt to appropriate it.
The exclusionist in religion does not see
that he shuts the door of heaven on himself
in striving to shut out others. Treat men as
pawns and ninepins, and you shall suffer, as
well as they. If you leave out their heart,
you shall lose your own. The senses would
make things of all persons: of women, of
children, of the poor.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Even as water becomes one with water, fire
with fire, and air with air, so the mind
becomes one with the Infinite Mind and
thus attains final freedom. Krishna YajurVeda, Maitreya Upanishad 6.34.11.
Give thanks for unknown blessings already
on their way. Native American saying
A poor devotee points to the sky and says,
“God is up there.” An average devotee says,
“God dwells in the heart as the Inner Mas-
ter.” The best devotee says, “God alone is
and everything I perceive is a form of
God.” Ramakrishna
Precious gems are profoundly buried in the
earth and can only be extracted at the ex-
pense of great labor. Sri Anandamayi Ma
Our peace of mind increases in spite of
suffering; we become braver and more
enterprising; we understand more clearly
the difference between what is everlasting
and what is not; we learn how to distin-
guish between what is our duty and what is
not. Our pride melts away and we become
humble. Our worldly attachments diminish
and, likewise, the evil within us diminishes
from day to day. Mahatma Gandhi
Remember, when you find yourself arguing
with a fool, he is doing the same thing.
It’s what you learn after you know it all that
counts.
Man’s freedom is not in being saved trou-
bles, but is the freedom to take trouble for
his own good, and make the trouble an
element in his joy. Rabindranath Tagore
Whenever possible, it is always good to be
kind. It is always possible. Dalai Lama
At this supremely dangerous moment in
human history, the only way of salvation is
the ancient Hindu way. Here we have the
attitude and spirit that can make it possible
for the human race to grow together into a
single family. British historian ArnoldJoseph Toynbee (1889-1975)
An English professor announced to the
class, “There are two words I don’t allow in
my class. One is gross and the other is
“Cling to the feet of a master who can introduce you to yourself.”
Swami Veda Bharati
14 hinduism today october/november/december, 2002
very part of the famedillupai tree (Madhuca longifolia,
mahua in Hindi, or “butter tree”)
can be used. It is the only tree
used for the massive temple chariots—
no other wood can withstand the im-
mense weight. The wood is so strong
that, when dried properly, it cannot be
shaped by iron chisels. The wood is also
used for temple doors. The blossoms
taste like pressed figs and ooze sweet
juice which can be used in drinks. The
fruit is eaten as a vegetable, the inner
skin is ground into meal, and oil is ex-
tracted from the seeds. It is said that
Tiruvalluvar, author of the famed South
Indian scripture, the Tirukural, was
born under the shade of a sacred illupai.
D I D Y O U K N O W ?
The Sacred Illupai Tree
th
ur
ais
ing
am
ra
jasa
nk
ar
a
Pg 14-15 Quips OND02 § 7/29/02 3:38 PM Page 14
o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r , 2 0 0 2 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 15
cool.” From the back of the room a voice
called out, “So, what are the words?
The highest form of grace is silence.
Swami Chinmayananda
In the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is
the best teacher. Dalai Lama
If you go on working with the light avail-
able, you will meet your Master, as he him-
self will be seeking you. Ramana Maharshi
Praise can be your most valuable asset, as
long as you don’t aim it at yourself.
O.A. Battista
As clouds are blown away by the wind, the
thirst for material pleasures will be driven
away by the utterance of the Lord’s name.
Sri Sarada Devi
I put a dollar in one of those change
machines. Nothing changed.
There is a startling parallelism between
today’s physics and the world vision of
Eastern mysticism. The increasing contri-
bution of Eastern scientists from India,
China and Japan, among others, reinforces
this conjunction. Physical science has now
become planetary and draws into its fold
an increasing number of non-Easterners
who find in its new vision of the universe
many elements that are quick to note, one
cannot always distinguish between state-
ments made by Eastern metaphysics based
on mystical insight and the pronounce-
ments of modern physics based on obser-
vations, experiments and mathematical
calculations. Werner Karl Heisenberg,(1901-1976) German theoretical physicist
who was one of the leading scientists of the
20th century. He is best known for his Un-
certainty Principle and was awarded the
Nobel Prize in physics.
Why shouldn’t truth be stranger than fic-
tion? Fiction, after all, has to make sense.
Mark Twain
If the chimney is full of smoke, how can
the light be seen? If the mind is full of dirt,
how can the soul shine?
Yogaswami of Jaffna (1872-1964)
The future is the continuing summation of
all our past actions and reactions, for there
is only the moment in which we live. The
eternal now is the only consciousness we
have when living in the higher states of
mind. Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
a.
ma
niv
el
Avoidance of PointlessSpeech
Tirukural 191: Everyone is
disgusted by a man who offends
one and all with meaningless
chatter.
Tirukural 193: A long and point-
less discourse itself declares to
all the speaker’s lack of worth.
Tirukural 199: The wise, faultless
and free from ignorance, never
utter pointless words, even
forgetfully.
Tirukural 200: In your speaking,
say only that which is purpose-
ful. Never utter words that
lack purpose.
Frank and Ernest © 2 0 0 2 T H A V E S , R E P R I N T E D W I T H P E R M I S S I O N
Pg 14-15 Quips OND02 § 7/29/02 3:38 PM Page 15
16 hinduism today o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r , 2002
Pg 16-17 vedas Oct-Dec02 § 7/29/02 3:38 PM Page 16
o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r , 2 0 0 2 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 17
o not turn away anybody who seeksshelter and lodging. This is the vow. Let
one therefore acquire much food by any
means whatsoever. They should say, “Food
is ready.” If the food is prepared in the
best manner, the food is given to him, the
guest, also in the best manner. If food is prepared in the
medium manner, food is also given to him in the medium
manner. If food is prepared in the lowest manner, the
same food is also given to him. He who knows thus, will
obtain all the rewards as mentioned above.”
krishna yajur vedataittiriya upanishad 3.10.1
Commentary by Swami Chinmayananda The upasaka [lay follower], generally a boy returning to
society and who is to live as its pillar in working out the
Hindu culture, is exhorted to live in recognition of the
spiritual oneness with all. The culture of Hinduism is
based mainly upon duty, and the Hindu code of Dharma
is mainly a textbook explaining one’s duties. The duties of
a householder instill into him the idea of charity and the
spirit of hospitality. A duty unavoidable to a householder is
that he should entertain every guest that comes to him
‘without date or invitation’ (atithi). Thus, the householder
student, during his upasana, was told to consider this
atithi seva as his vow. To fulfill this vow the students will
have to entertain and worship the sick, the poor and the
deserving travellers, with shelter and food; which shows
that the householder must have the necessary means.
Therefore, it is said, “Let one acquire much food by any
means whatsoever.” The latter may sound as a declaration
of the modern lusty rich to whom procuring wealth by
“any means” seems to be the ambition and the occupation.
Here it only means that the one who wants to live a
healthy spiritual life in the world must be able to work
hard in whatever field of activity he finds himself, with all
sincerity and perseverence, so that he may get enough
honest profit.
This is not a message prescribing an unethical way of
living or immoral way of procuring wealth. It only insists
that a boy, after education, when he goes back to his vil-
lage, in the arrogance of his undigested knowledge should
not prove himself impotent in life. He is told to act dili-
gently and sincerely in whatever field of life he finds an
opening and through sincere and hard work to earn as
much as he can, and with that earning keep a house warm
with charity and hospitality.
As soon as a guest comes into the house, at a time which
is appropriate, then, a noble Hindu householder must say,
“Food is ready.” The meaning of this passage and the, ar-
dor of love and warmth it indicates, cannot be better ex-
pressed than by a contrast with how we are now behaving
under the influence of our un-Hinduistic education. In
many homes, we rarely hear the ready cry of “Food is
ready.” Instead, we hear suggestive soft hissings, such as, “I
hope you must have come after your meals,” or “Perhaps
you will have to return for your lunch at home.”
To keep a hospitable home today is not very easy, even
for the richest man in the country, because of the dire
poverty and stupendous idleness that have come to curse
the land of the rishis. The main cause for this is certainly
not the foreign rule but the foreign “Way” we live in our
society, divorced from our culture, perpetrating dangerous
experiments with the life and wealth of society. The Hin-
du dharma alone can flourish in Arya Varta. Any other
weed gathered in the jungles of other nations must neces-
sarily die away upon this sacred soil. The modern mad-
ness for a secularism divorced from sacredness, the lunatic
hurry with which we strive to encourage the worship of
gold in this land of Gods, all these are bringing about more
and more confusion and instability into our midst.
Under circumstances of poverty and the consequent pri-
vations, it is absurd to say that a Hindu should try to be as
openly charitable as his forefathers were in the Golden
Era of our civilization. We have to add many buts and
ands to the statement. It would be sufficient for us if we
made our homes charitable enough for the near and dear,
and also for the respected and revered members of the so-
ciety who are the upholders of our sacred culture and are
the champions of our national and religious progress along
the right lines.
To be charitable does not mean to be foolish. To borrow
so that we may give plenty in charity is suicide. In a vul-
gar and misconceived sense of vanity, to overdo charity is
again an ugly mischief which none but fools would appre-
ciate. The sruti here says that if you have prepared the
food in a particular standard, feed your guests with the
same food. If the householder had prepared but medium
quality or the simplest of food, he is not asked to prepare
anything extra for his guests, but the mantra commissions
him only to share his food, whatever it be, with others.
FROM THE VEDAS
Graduates, Feed the World!Swami Chinmayananda expounds Vedic hospitality
The Vedas are the divinely revealed and most revered scriptures,sruti, of Hinduism, likened to the Torah (1,200 bce), Bible New Testament (100 ce), Koran (630 ce) or Zend Avesta (600 bce). Fourin number, Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva, the Vedas include over100,000 verses. Oldest portions may date back as far as 6,000 BCE.
Swami Chinmayananda (1917-1993), Vedantist writer,lecturer, translator, dynamic spiritual leader and Hindurenaissance founder of Chinmaya Mission International
Pg 16-17 vedas Oct-Dec02 § 7/29/02 3:38 PM Page 17
Hindu Mega
fp
F E A T U R E S T O R Y
Temple visit: Britain’s Queen Elizabeth IIgreets the priests at the High Gate Hill Murugan Temple in London on June 6, 2002
18 hinduism today october/november/december, 2002
Pg 18-27 trends ond02 § 7/29/02 3:39 PM Page 18
october/november/december, 2002 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 19
By Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswamiegatrends is a term coinedby futurist John Naisbitt in 1982
to name the major underlying
forces, both positive and nega-
tive, that are transforming soci-
ety and shaping the future. Nais-
bitt’s best-selling book, Megatrends, was
enormously influential at the time in help-
ing individuals, communities and nations
understand and adapt to the changing times.
In 1989 HINDUISM TODAY formulated ten
Hindu megatrends to help Hindus world-
wide understand the complex interaction of
a rapidly advancing world with our ancient
Sanatana Dharma. Our editors, at the be-
hest of the magazine’s founder, Satguru
Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, solicited the in-
sights of prominent Hindu religious leaders,
scholars, priests and business people. The
resulting ten trends proved useful to the
global Hindu community and, in retrospect,
were reasonably accurate.
So much has transpired since our first ex-
position of Hindu megatrends thirteen years
ago that an update is in order. The 1990sand the opening few years of the new mil-
lennium have seen momentous events and
advances, including the development of the
Internet, the fall of communism, the emer-
gence of India as a center for information
technology and the financial boom of the
90s, which increased many a Hindu fortune.
There has been a dramatic increase in mi-
gration of Hindus to America and Europe
not only from India and Sri Lanka, but from
countries of the 19th century diaspora, in-
cluding Trinidad, Suriname, Mauritius and
Fiji. This migration has reached the point
where Hinduism has become a significant
minority faith in many Western countries.
And September 11 brought to the world’s
sympathetic attention the unconscionable
terrorism which India has suffered for more
than a decade, a fact of life that will unfold
in the years ahead as the issues in Kashmir
are addressed.
Our editorial team formulated the original
ten trends using the input of twelve Hindu
leaders and our own knowledge of the Hin-
du world. This update is based on our own
observations, the past 13 years of reports in
Hinduism Today and input from several
globally connected Hindus.
Though Swami Vivekananda began thistrend a hundred years ago, even up to recenttimes Hindus were afraid to identify them-selves as Hindus, or as members of a partic-ular Hindu sect. Through the effort of manypeople and organizations, Hindu pride andself-confidence have replaced the self-doubtand timidness instilled during centuries offoreign rule. Native dress becomes fashion-able.
Update 2002A greater knowledge among Hindus of our
traditions continues to contribute to the
trend of increasing Hindu pride, as does the
building of magnificent Hindu temples,
such as the Shree Swaminarayan Mandir in
Neasden, London, called the eighth wonder
of the world by Reader’s Digest. It attracts
over half-a-million visitors annually and is
described by Bochasanwasi Shree Akshatar
Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha as rep-
1 From Hindu MeeknessTo Hindu Pride
egatrendsWhen the Queen of England visits a London
temple in her stocking feet, we know times have
changed. Getting respectful recognition is just
one of ten major trends in Hinduism today.
Pg 18-27 trends ond02 § 7/29/02 3:39 PM Page 19
20 hinduism today october/november/december, 2002
resenting the sacred faith and beliefs of a
people that date back over 8,500 years. In-
dia has seen a decline in the popularity of
communist doctrine and an unprecedented
rise in Hindu identity and purpose. Sud-
denly in India it is almost faddish to be a
good Hindu, and people who were once
silent about their faith now speak openly
and frequently about it. Easy Internet ac-
cess to clear and unbiased information on
Hinduism is offsetting the generally nega-
tive presentation of our religion common in
Western and Indian media and source-
books. On the other hand, the generation
born to Hindu parents outside of India and
Sri Lanka is not strongly religious. Many of
these children of the diaspora in the West,
like their counterparts in other religions,
are following the prevailing trend away
from religion.
Hindus have lived outside India in countriessuch as South Africa or Fiji for over a centu-ry, but only now are we reaching beyond alimited village worldview, achieving a glob-al consciousness and establishing worldwidecommunication. Among other results of thistrend, Hindus are taking a prominent place
among world religions in every forum.
Update 2002Realizing that significant populations of
Hindus have decided to permanently live in
Europe and North America, organizations
formerly found only in India are establishing
new centers in these countries to be of ser-
vice to a specific lineage or to the general
Hindu community. The 300,000 Tamil Hin-
dus now settled in and around Toronto,
where they have created a traditional com-
munity and added measurably to Canada’s
human resources, is an example of the
trend. A greater global awareness also comes
from families still in India having children
living abroad in Great Britain, the United
States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and
elsewhere and regularly traveling to spend
time with them.
The Internet, and especially e-mail, is al-
lowing Hindus to create a global village of
friendly contacts and information sharing.
A notable example of Hinduism’s finding
its rightful place in the world was the mas-
sive presence of Hindu spiritual leaders at
the Millennium World Peace Summit of Re-
ligious and Spiritual Leaders at the United
Nations in New York in August, 2000. Hin-
du leaders are traveling and lecturing ex-
tensively, something uncommon fifty years
ago.
Not only have our people moved from Eastto West, but our Hindu truths have foundwelcome homes in many corners of Westernlife. The civil rights movement, the health/vegetarian movement, the ecumenical move-ment, the “New Age” movement and theconcern for the environment are all deeplyaffected by Hindu thinking. Subtle Hinduideas find their way into mainstream worldthought.
Update 2002This trend continues as strongly as ever,
seen, for example, in the common and accu-
rate use of the word karma in movies and on
television, both of which are adopting Hin-
du philosophy more and more. Hinduism’s
tolerance for a wide variety of belief is set-
ting a needed example in a world full of in-
tolerance. Twenty-five percent of Americans
believe in reincarnation, and the percentage
increases each year. This trend has also
been enhanced by the ready availability of
clearer and less biased presentations of Hin-
du belief and practice. Ayurveda has be-
come a household word in the past 10 years.
Its sophisticated understanding of the caus-
es and treatment of disease is welcomed by
3 From East Only to Both East and West
2 Village Awareness toGlobal Awareness
hin
du
ism
to
da
y
Global reach: (top) Out of the 1,200 spiritual leaders at the UN Millennium World Peace Summit for Religious and Spiritual Leaders, over100 were Hindu, marking a large shift toward serious representation in the world media and councils
Pg 18-27 trends ond02 § 7/29/02 3:39 PM Page 20
many seeking an alternative to the drugs
and surgery style of Western allopathic
medicine. Hinduism continues to get
stronger in most countries of the old diaspo-
ra—Fiji, Guyana, Trinidad, Mauritius,
Malaysia, whereas one might have thought
fifty years ago that it would decline. The
communities into which they have migrated,
by the hundreds of thousands, such as the
Suriname Hindus to Holland and the Guya-
nese to New York, are maintaining
their unique Hindu identity there.
Another trend is the increase of
bringing Westerners into Hinduism
as well as their receiving diksha,
traditional initiation. One of our
Chennai correspondents recently
reported that in April of this year
the respected elder of the Siva-
chariya priesthood of Chennai gave
samaya diksha to an American lady,
a professor at Harvard University, who
adopted the name “Amba.” In recent times
the scientific community, especially physi-
cists and cosmologists, has looked to Hin-
duism for insights and answers to the most
profound inquiries. There is a broader inter-
est in Hinduism’s teachings of tolerance and
nonviolence after the September 11 terror-
ist attacks including the need for domestic
nonviolence—a home free of spousal and
child abuse. This trend is highlighted by the
presence of scholars like Dr. David Frawley
(Vamadeva Shastri) at major Hindu events,
by the presence of major ashrams in Eu-
rope, by Western pujaris actively perform-
ing regular Hindu rites at the Devi temple
in Rochester, New York, and by our own Sai-
va Siddhanta Yoga Order, which has Hindu
monks from seven nations.
Reflecting a global trend among all nations,Hindu women are rapidly becoming moreinvolved at all levels of Hindu religion. Someare influential religious leaders; others areinstrumental in running large Hindu orga-nizations. Hindu women are joining thework force and confronting “feminist” issuesfrom an Eastern point of view. They nolonger tolerate unfair treatment, such asforced marriages, abuse by their husbandsor economic disadvantage.
4 From Men Only to Men and Women
hu
lt
on
ge
tt
y p
ho
to
ar
ch
ive
o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r , 2 0 0 2 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 21
Nonviolence: Mahatma Gandhileads the salt march protest inJune 1930. His Hindu views ofnonviolence continue to inspirepeople around the world.
he trend for the western world to draw on thespiritual practices of Hinduism such as hatha yoga and
meditation has been significant for many years. However,
since September 11 there is an increased interest in another
aspect of Hinduism—its teachings of nonviolence and tolerance.
One of the consequences of the September 11 terrorist attacks
was media coverage depicting people in a number of countries
who strongly hate the United States, some to the point of wish-
ing violence upon it. Watching these disturbing reports on tele-
vision, we cannot help but be impressed by the extent and seri-
ousness of the problem of prejudice. Attitudes of prejudice
toward those of a different race, nation or religion can start sim-
ply as distrust, can then deepen into dislike and further fester
into hatred, which can turn into a compulsion to inflict injury.
One measure of this strengthened interest in the Hindu
teachings of nonviolence is the work of the M.K. Gandhi Insti-
tute for Nonviolence founded by Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson,
Dr. Arun Gandhi, and his wife Sunanda. Dr. Gandhi and his
wife visited Hawaii in March, 2002, as part of the Season for
Peace and Nonviolence, and we were able to hear them speak.
Dr. Gandhi explained that he and his wife conceived the idea
of a Season for Peace and Nonviolence as a way that every per-
son can move the world in the direction of peace through daily
choice and action based on compassion. The Season was first
held in 1998 to honor the 50th and 30th memorial anni-
versaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. Gandhi indicated that the response was much greater than
anticipated, that in fact 400 major peace organizations,
religious, business, arts and learning institutions became official
co-sponsors of the Season, which drew massive media coverage,
proclamations by half of all U.S. Governors, and spawned more
than 300 ongoing programs in nonviolence in communities
across the nation. What surprised Dr. Gandhi most was that
interest in the Season has continued, and the event has been
held every year since. Another measure of the increased inter-
est in nonviolence is the high attendance at Dr. Gandhi’s lec-
tures, which are not free. Since September 11, invitations to
speak have increased significantly, to the point where he is re-
gretfully unable to fill many of them. He is just one of the hun-
dreds of spokesmen and women spreading the Hindu ideal of
ahimsa, noninjury to others, whether by thought, word or deed.
There is a growing movement in India as well as in Hindu
communities elsewhere against corporal punishment of chil-
dren. A few major institutions in India, including the Rama-
krishna Mission, Parmath Niketan, Omkarananda Ashram
schools and Udayan Care orphanage, have formally adopted
policies banning physical punishment of children under their
care. Enforcement of the policy and education of teachers in
alternative methods is not yet satisfactory, but the momentum
of a trend is there. Udayan Care requires their entire staff to
sign a written statement called the “Peaceful Parenting Pledge.”
This is a good example of nonhurtfulness being taught, by ex-
ample, to the next generation of Hindus. Such initiatives were
encouraged by the landmark judgment from the Delhi High
Court striking down the provision for corporal punishment
provided under the Delhi School Education Act. The judge said
it “violated the constitutional right guaranteeing equality and
protection of life and personal liberty.” This precedent-setting
ruling came in the wake of a petition filed by the Parents Fo-
rum for Meaningful Education, an organization helped and
guided by New Delhi lawyer P.S. Sharda.
Nonviolence andTolerance, Post 9/11Hinduism’s Critical Strengths
Pg 18-27 trends ond02 § 7/29/02 3:39 PM Page 21
Update 2002For many decades it was the male swamis
from India who were the most well-known
exponents of Hinduism touring in the West-
ern countries. However, recently it seems to
be the women’s turn, as Mata Amritanan-
damayi Devi and Karunamayi Bhagavati Sri
Sri Sri Vijayeswari Devi are the ones in the
headlines. Tens of thousands have attended
their gatherings during world tours, and the
media reception has been warm. When our
founder addressed 1,200 world spiritual
leaders at the UN in New York in 2000, Hin-
duism and the other Indian-born religions
were the only ones to have their women
leaders speak from that prestigious podium.
The number of women priests has dramati-
cally increased since 1989, and they’ve
found acceptance from the general popula-
tion. Based on traditions followed in Vedic
times, women are being given the sacred
thread ceremony, especially in and around
Pune. Today it is somewhat easier for
women to get justice when faced with do-
mestic violence or dowry abuse. This is es-
pecially helped by numerous women’s
groups created to protect them from vio-
lence. The media voice of women is also
growing with magazines such as the outspo-
ken Manushi, published by Madhu Kishwar.
On the other side, the advent of working
mothers is leaving children without the sta-
ble home life of past generations, and a
small but telling increase in divorce among
Hindus is adding to the instability.
Ever since the last Hindu kings lost power,Hindu temples and our priesthood have de-teriorated. Right now, we are rediscoveringtheir intrinsic value and religious necessity.Not only are new temples being built inmany places outside of India, old temples inIndia are being renovated and the problemsof the priesthood addressed. Likewise, othertraditional family observances, e.g., samska-ras, are being revitalized.
Update 2002The wealth among Hindu families living in
the West has increased significantly in the
90s. It is even postulated that nonresident
Indians outside of India earn more money
than all the people in India. As a result, gen-
erous donations are being sent to Hindu in-
stitutions in India by Hindus and non-Hin-
dus in the West. The impact of this flow of
money back to India appears to be increas-
ing, and may be one of the most important
happenings of the next few decades. Many
ashrams and temples have been renovated
and are expanding and building new facili-
ties such as the temple in Neasden, England,
Tirupati temple in India and Sabarimala
where 50 million make their pilgrimage
each year. So many temples in Malaysia are
being renovated, often with government
monetary support, that there is kumbhab-hishekam, rededication ceremony, every two
to three months. The renovations in India
are more often in private institutions than in
those overseen by a state government. State
governments in India are tending to invest
money in those temples which are popular,
while neglecting the many smaller ones.
Contrary to our expectations in 1989, the
problems of the Hindu priesthood continue
without resolution (see sidebar page 23).
5 Temple Decline toTemple Renovation
22 hinduism today october/november/december, 2002
af
p
Ma power: Mata Amritanandamayi Ma hugs Tulsi Reynolds in New York. Though women have been spiritual leaders in the past, today theyare even more highly respected and popular. This photo also shows how deeply the East has influenced the people of the West.
Pg 18-27 trends ond02 § 7/29/02 3:39 PM Page 22
october/november/december, 2002 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 23
Responding to internal pressure and outsidethreats, Hindus creatively reach out to helpand serve others. Various forms of institu-tionalization and ministry reflect strongerHindu social consciousness. Our introvertedvillage awareness has extroverted, leading toaggressive (and occasionally violent) solu-tions to our challenges and difficulties.
Update 2002The massive response of Hindu groups to
the January, 2001, earthquake in Gujarat
proved the strength of this trend. In that dis-
aster, Hindu religious organizations were
second only to the Indian army in providing
an immediate and effective response, eclips-
ing the Red Cross and other large relief
groups. Later they were instrumental in
both consoling survivors and rebuilding
towns. In the spring of 2002 we saw shock-
ing Hindu riots in Gujarat State. Though
currently a minority, certain groups crying
“we’ve suffered enough in meekness,” are
aggressively condoning the use of violence
in the name of Hindu pride and protection.
Even the Prime Minister of India said he
was “ashamed” of his fellow Hindus. Some
defend the deadly riots as a justified reac-
tion to the horrific Godhra massacre, while
others question the wisdom of any such re-
taliatory violence. To the dismay of many
peace-loving Hindus, friends and neighbors
are increasingly crying out, “We have taken
enough and will endure no more suffering in
silence.” This vindictive attitude is growing,
as outspoken Hindu aggressors call for re-
venge whenever Hindus are attacked. Hope-
fully, Mahatma Gandhi’s peaceful ways will
not be forgotten.
6 From Introverted to Extroverted
co
ur
te
sy d
ha
ma
sth
al
a
Before and after: The Sri Sangameshwara temple in India is one example of the many Hindu temples being revived to their former grandeur
verall, the hindu priesthood is in decline.
Priests, both in India and in the West, are seriously un-
derpaid. In some temples this motivates priests to aggres-
sively approach devotees for money, often in a demanding
and rude manner. Many brahmins whose fathers or grandfathers
were priests have chosen other professions in which they can
garner respect and earn a reasonable salary to provide their fam-
ily a decent standard of living.
The amount of Sanskrit study and priestly training undergone
is much less now than in the past. In some temples, pujas are be-
ing conducted in local languages, such as Tamil, rather in than
the traditional Sanskrit. In some cases this is at the request of
temple management or devotees and in others because the priest
received only a simple training, and that in the local language.
Not being able to fully support themselves as priests, some are
taking on a second job, such as teaching at a university. The tem-
ples they serve are neglected as a result. Our founder advocated
one solution to this decline, at least in the West: priest-owned
temples. A few priests have, in fact, started their own temples, in-
cluding several in Toronto, Canada. With a far greater say in the
management of the temple, these few priests are receiving the
salary and the respect they deserve. In the West, a minister or
priest is regarded as a professional, receiving a salary equal to a
mid-level manager. Entire clans of priests, such as the Sivachar-
iyas of South India, are exploring ways to open their own temples
in the West. They know that fine temples require skilled, knowl-
edgeable, dedicated priests to run them well and that well-run
temples benefit and uplift entire communities.
The solution is much more complicated in India, where nearly
all the temples are run by the state governments. The temple
manager is a government employee, who may not even be reli-
gious. This unfortunate situation would have to be changed by a
shift in governmental policy. One hopeful trend is the emergence
of new schools, pathasalas, for priests in certain areas and a gen-
eral increase in support for established schools. Another is that
priests at some small local temples in India are actually gaining
respect and being better taken care of by their community. On
the other hand, complaints continue about greedy priests at large
temples and famous pilgrimage sites.
A Decline of Temple PriestsCan We Reverse this Regression?
Pg 18-27 trends ond02 § 7/29/02 3:39 PM Page 23
Increased literacy in India and the need toteach Hinduism in multi-religious environ-ments in other countries all lead to the de-velopment of sophisticated teaching tools—childrens’ courses, Hindu schools anduniversities, academies for art, dance andmusic, Hindu encyclopedias, Sanskrit stud-
ies and more. Talented Western scholarsprovide unexpected resources with unbiasedand in-depth studies of Hinduism.
Update 2002Hinduism is benefitting immensely from
the Internet. Although India’s phone net-
work is still substandard, e-mail allows us to
bypass the phone and fax era and have effi-
cient and quality communications globally.
Many Hindu leaders and institutions in In-
dia have found they are able to communi-
cate easily via e-mail with devotees world-
wide. The Ramakrishna Mission, for exam-
ple, stepped into the information age when
its young monks inspired it to adopt e-mail
communication between its globally distrib-
uted centers. Additionally, Internet websites
provide ease of access to information on
Hinduism, from on-line dictionaries to real-
time videos of temple events, easily located
through the major search engines. Several
Hindu encyclopedias have been published
and there is a burgeoning demand for Indi-
an books, multimedia CDs and websites.
There are better teaching tools, but still not
enough good material for children, for
whom Indian comic books remain a prima-
ry and sorely inadequate source of informa-
tion on Hinduism. A new part of this trend
is the movement for Hindus to claim the
scholarship of Hinduism and Indian history,
rather than allow it to remain in the hands
of Western scholars and universities. Just
one aspect of this trend is the attempt to rid
textbooks of incorrect Eurocentric interpre-
tations of Indian history, including the dis-
credited “Aryan Invasion” theory, which is
the source of dozens, if not hundreds, of er-
roneous explanations and interpretations of
Hindu beliefs and customs. Archeological
discoveries are revealing that Indian
spawned some of the highest cultures of the
ancient world. Recently universities’ and
schools’ have started offering courses in San-
skrit, Vedic astrology and temple ritual. Re-
ligious television channels in India are a new
phenomenon. Some programs are little bet-
ter than the comic books, but others are
7 From Limited Tools toAbundant Resources
24 hinduism today october/november/december, 2002
ra
ma
kr
ish
na
mis
sio
n
ste
ph
en
hu
yl
er
Indian middle class: Group worship like this in temple or home is a favorite of the emergingmiddle class of Indians, signifying a shift from an agricultural era to a technological era
Pg 18-27 trends ond02 § 7/29/02 3:39 PM Page 24
o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r , 2 0 0 2 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 25
bringing India’s living saints and sages right
into the living room. These shows are im-
mensely popular, as the saints are giving
talks on practical Hinduism and how it ap-
plies to daily life. Presentations of gifted,
charismatic preachers, such as Morari Bapu,
are now broadcast all over India. Newspa-
pers and magazines are now running regular
articles on Hindu concepts in simple, easy-
to-understand ways.
India is emerging as the world’s newest su-perpower. This augments Hinduism’s new-found strength and unity, just as the mater-ial success of Western countries lent strengthand authority to Christianity in the past.
Update 2002The world’s view of India, its national
strength and rich heritage, continues to im-
prove. India is now an acknowledged nu-
clear power. The new sensitivity the world
has to terrorism, following recent disclosures
that Pakistan is harboring terrorists while
India is a victim of terrorism, has shifted
world moral support away from Pakistan
and toward India. This has lead to more
sympathetic and frequent Western news
coverage of events in India which used to be
totally ignored by the press. By extension,
the Hindu faith is gaining respect in the
Western press, examples being the support-
ive reports on Mata Amritanandamayi Devi
in the New York Times and respectful arti-
cles about Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswa-
mi’s passing in the New York Times, the LosAngeles Times and the wire services.
Rapid technological advancement in Asiapermanently transforms India and thusHinduism. India’s mastery of nuclear power,space and computers will bring modern con-veniences into even remote areas of Indiawith unprecedented speed, bypassing somestages of development experienced in otherparts of the world. The broadcasting of the
9 Agricultural Era toTechnological Era
8 From Colony to Superpower
On-line: Swami Gautamananda, head ofChennai’s Ramakrishna Mission, checks the Mission’s website, one example of the |enormous wealth of Hindu informationavailable to all
Much needed relief: Hindu volunteers distribute free food packets to victims of the January2001 earthquake in Gujarat, India
af
p
Pg 18-27 trends ond02 § 7/29/02 3:40 PM Page 25
Ramayana throughout India is just one ex-ample of how this affects Hinduism.
Update 2002The continuing increase of India’s informa-
tion technology expertise and the global
recognition of it are improving India’s posi-
tion in the world. The city of Bangalore
alone has 1,000 software firms and 80,000engineers. India exports us$6.2 billion in
software annually. Technology in India is
advancing at an accelerated pace due to a
return of money and talent from abroad.
There is a growing recognition of the need
for appropriate technology, rather than ener-
gy- and resource-wasting methods. Thou-
sands of highly educated Hindus have re-
turned to India, bringing with them their
global technological expertise. For example,
Dr. Anil Rajvanshi, engineer-inventor, left a
successful career in America to return to In-
dia where he focused on appropriate tech-
nology, developing an improved lantern and
cycle rickshaw. The move from agricultural
to technological is also a move out of villages
into cities. Some of the consequences of this
on the family unit are that the extended
family support of the village is no longer
there, leaving husband, wife and children on
their own as a nuclear family. The move into
cities is creating a growing middle class
whose knowledge of Hinduism in some fam-
ilies is greater than their parents’ and who in
general stand apart from Hinduism’s mili-
tant faction.
Sporadic abandonment of Hindu idealscauses localized setbacks, but nothing suchas we’ve suffered in the past. The occasionaladoption of violence to achieve some ends isthe most obvious compromise of our ideals.Other negative trends include: the neglectedreligious education of children in the West(which has possibly caused the loss of an en-tire generation); the failure to encompassthe inevitable intermarriages outside Hin-duism; and the tendency to give up the veg-
etarian ideal. External hazards may contin-ue along the lines of the failed attacks uponus by “anti-cult” movements and the world-wide confusion caused by non-Hindu Ra-jneesh.
Update 2002The Hindu retaliatory attacks upon Muslims
in Gujarat are an alarming development,
which brings into question the wisdom of
provocatively advocating the rebuilding of
the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, which creates
a volatile situation periodically erupting into
significant Hindu-Muslim clashes. For major
setbacks, Kashmir can hardly be equaled—
it has become the biggest challenge of the
last decade from an outside military force,
requiring the presence at the Pakistan bor-
der of nearly half-a-million Indian soldiers
and raising the specter of nuclear confronta-
tion. Its resolution will surely be on our list
of trends for the next decade, unless some-
thing unanticipated comes from the fallout
of September 11.
A consequence of the Hindu diaspora is
an increased number of Hindus marrying
outside their community, as subsequent
generations become more and more identi-
fied with their new country. Cross-cultural
marriages are more common among Hindu
girls than boys. An unverified statistic we
were given for the Houston, Texas, area is
that ninety percent of Hindu girls and fifty
percent of Hindu boys marry a non-Hindu.
The question then is will the non-Hindu
spouse be accepted into the Hindu commu-
nity and be allowed to convert to Hinduism,
or will the Hindu convert to the religion of
the spouse, which leads to the Hindu com-
munity’s disappearance into mainstream
10 Major Blows to Fewer Setbacks
co
ur
te
sy s
hr
ee
sw
am
ina
ra
ya
n m
an
dir
26 hinduism today october/november/december, 2002
Proud temple: (above) The regal ShreeSwaminarayan Mandir in Neasden,London, signifies a growing Hindupride and attracts over 500,000 visitorsa year. The adult and youth supportteams are some of the most dynamicand effective in the world. (left) Dar-shani being blessed by husband Vig-nesh Sukumaran during their wedding.Darshani went through a full conver-sion to Hinduism and they are raisingtheir child as a Hindu.
Pg 18-27 trends ond02 § 7/29/02 3:40 PM Page 26
America?
In England, many parents get brides for
their sons from India, leaving fewer Hindu
boys for the UK-born girls. There is, howev-
er, a trend for matches to be between Hin-
du boys and girls born in the country. As in
Houston, more girls than boys marry outside
the Hindu community.
Religious education of children is improv-
ing in some locales around the world,
Malaysia being a notable example, though in
other places the duty of passing our faith on
to the children remains seriously neglected.
Fortunately, the “cult” issue has declined as
Indian Hindus have established hundreds of
traditional temples in the West. Also, the
general mood of the non-Hindu population
in the West has shifted toward self-help and
health-improvement interests and away
from meditation, which is identified with
Buddhism and Hinduism. The exception is
hatha yoga which, as a stand-alone practice
divorced from religion, has increased in
popularity.
For some communities language is a prob-
lem in educating youth. Hindu leaders in
England noted that most youth can’t under-
stand the lectures given by the priests be-
cause they only speak in high Hindi. This
discourages youth from going to the temple
as well as from listening to lectures and
learning the philosophy. This is less of a
problem in the Tamil community, as most of
their priests speak English.
One measure of how well the youth ab-
sorb Hindu values can be seen in the emer-
gence of old-folks’ homes in England just for
people from Southeast Asia. Aging parents
are sent to such homes instead of living with
their children, a break in tradition.
Malaysian youth are characterized by at
least one religious leader as more interested
in Western entertainment and ideas than in
temples or Hinduism. He blames the trend
on a lack of education on the basics of the
religion. Hindu leaders in England do see a
religious revival among the youth in the last
few years as a result of several major youth
festivals and Hindu youth groups. A very
positive sign is the six UK-born young men
who took sannyas, the lifetime vows of Hin-
du monasticism, in the BAPS Swaminarayan
order of monks.
SummaryFocusing on the megatrends of Hinduism
gives us a good sense of how Hinduism will
develop over the next decade. It also allows
us to influence this development by con-
sciously taking advantage of the positive
trends as well as focusing on finding and im-
plementing solutions to the major problems.
We were told that, as an important part of
each Kumbha Mela gathering, Hindu spiri-
tual leaders, the swamis and sadhus used to
discuss such issues and present a consensus
to guide the populace, but that this tradition
of common agreement, known as vyavastha,
has waned. Perhaps it can be revived, or at
least supplemented, by making such discus-
sion a central part of all Hindu symposiums
and conferences. Your comments and sug-
gestions on any of these trends is welcome.
E-mail them to [email protected]. ∏π
assing on hindu traditions to the younger gen-eration has always been a duty of parents. However, that
duty is more difficult to fulfill in today’s world. Television,
the Internet and computer games fill hours of many chil-
dren’s daily life, significantly influencing their values, beliefs and
attitudes. Some children are growing up in communities where
Hindus are a small minority, and these children tend to take on
the interests of their non-Hindu peers. Parents are also faced
with an unprecedented number of questions about Hinduism.
The younger generation, especially those educated in a Western
style school, are taught to question and challenge, “Why do we do
this?” Many of their parents were raised in the Eastern education
system in which questions are discouraged. Therefore, when
asked why this and why that by their children, parents find
themselves ill-equipped to provide the answers. They never
asked the questions of their parents, so they simply do not know.
Clearly there is a heightened need to not only teach children the
basics of Hinduism but to do so in a practical way, showing how
their religion can benefit their life, bringing greater peace of
mind, harmony, self-control and success.
There is a wide disparity between what various Hindu institu-
tions offer to children. Have you ever visited a Hindu temple and
found the adults inside attending puja while their children are
running around outside playing? In such a situation, the children
are obviously not learning much about Hinduism. They have
been brought to the temple by their parents. When they are
adults, how many will choose to attend? Many temples were built
by devout first-generation Indian immigrants. Will the third gen-
eration, born in America, still be devout Hindus? That is the
question and the challenge. On the positive side, there is a sig-
nificant growth in the number of Hindu summer camps world-
wide, which must be having a good influence. Wise temple man-
agers have even given serious responsibilities, such as festival
organizing, to their youth groups, and youth have responded well
to these grown-up challenges, becoming more interested in Hin-
duism and engaged in the temple as a result. Another positive
sign was seen in March, 2002, when the Tamil Nadu state gov-
ernment began Sunday spiritual classes in 63 Hindu shrines in
which children are being taught sacred songs by the temple
singers, and scriptures by the priests.
Youth Religious EducationHow Kids Carry on the Faith
o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r , 2 0 0 2 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 27
Contributors to the original Ten Hindu Megatrends in 1989: Swami Bhasyananda, Vivekananda
Vedanta Society, Illinois; Swami Daya-
nanda Saraswati, Arsha Vidya Pitham,
Pennsylvania; Swami Parvati Devyash-
ram, Sri Rajarajeshwari Peetham, Penn-
sylvania; H.H. Sri Swami Satchidananda,
Integral Yoga Institute, Virginia; Pundit
R. Ravichandran, priest, California; Mr.
Vidyasagar Anand, chairman, European
Council of Hindu Organizations, UK;
Dr. Mahesh Mehta, president, VHP of
America, Massachusetts; Dr. S.M. Ponni-
ah, advisor, Malaysia Hindu Sangam; Dr.
David Knipe, Professor of South Asian
Studies, Univ. Wisconsin; Dr. Seshagiri
Rao, Professor of Hindu Religion, Univ.
Virginia; Dr. H. Daniel Smith, Professor
of Religion, Syracuse Univ., New York;
Mr. Srikumar Poddar, businessman,
Michigan.
2002 Contributors: Swami Guhabhakta-
nanda, Divine Life Society, Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia; Swami Shuddha-
nanada Brahmachari of Lokenath Divine
Life Mission, Kolkata; Om Prakash Shar-
ma, president of the National Assoc. of
Hindu Temples, UK.; Dr. V. P. Narayan
Rao, trustee of Highgate Murugan Tem-
ple, London; Yogesh Patel of the BAPS
Swaminarayan Temple, Neasden; Rajiv
Malik, Hinduism Today correspon-
dent, New Delhi; Professor M.G. Prasad.
Pg 18-27 trends ond02 § 7/29/02 3:40 PM Page 27
28 hinduism today october/november/december, 2002
he substantial sums of hinduismthat Buddhism carried along on its his-
toric spread across Asia is not always
appreciated. Indian Mahayanist philo-
sophers, such as Nagarjuna, directed Bud-
dhism back towards Hinduism, away from
the rigid atheism of Theravada Buddhism. It
was Mahayana Buddhism that spread to
China, Korea, Japan and Vietnam. As a re-
sult, some of the earlier schools in Japan,
such as Shingon, Kegon and Tendai, had
largely Hindu pantheons. In addition, the
Mahayana scriptures are in Sanskrit, unlike
the earlier Theravadin canon, which is in
Pali, and numerous Sanskrit inscriptions can
therefore be seen in Japanese temples, and
sometimes on rocks in the mountains.
Japanese folk religion is a rich mélange, but
a number of Hindu Gods play an important
role. For example, of the seven Gods of good
fortune whose temples people visit at New
Year, three are Hindu: Daikoku (Mahakali),
Bishamon (Vaishravana) and Benten, Ben-
zaiten or, most formally, Bensaitensama
(Sarasvati). A popular temple at Futako
Tamagawa, Tokyo, displays Ganesha far
more prominently than the Buddha.
Sarasvati is one of the first Deities record-
ed in Hinduism, being mentioned numerous
times in the Rig Veda, as the sacred river on
the banks of which the Veda was inspired,
and as the Goddess who is “inciter of all
pleasant songs, inspirer of all gracious
thought” and “best mother, best of rivers,
best of Goddesses.” Sarasvati is now usually
seen as the shakti of Brahma, and the pa-
tron Goddess of the arts, learning and mu-
sic. She is usually shown playing a vina, and
sometimes with four arms.
In Japan, Benten is usually shown, rather
similarly, as a beautiful woman dressed in
the robes of a Chinese aristocrat, playing a
biwa (a kind of lute) and wearing a jewelled
crown. As such, She is instantly recognizable
from thousands of television and magazine
advertisements, and is perhaps the most
well-known Japanese Deity. More specifi-
cally religious pictures often show Her with
multiple arms. She is the Goddess of music,
cultured learning and the entertainment-re-
lated arts, and also of rivers and water. Most
of Benten’s temples and shrines are on is-
lands, in rivers and streams, ponds and
lakes, or near the sea.
From ancient times, Benten has been
identified with the Shinto Goddess of is-
lands, Itsukushima-Hime or Ichikishima-
Hime, a minor figure in the oldest Shinto
scriptures. In 1870, Shinto and Buddhism
were legally separated, and the Shinto cler-
gy have thus stressed this identification so
as to continue worshipping Benten at jinja(Shinto temples). Just as in the Rig VedaSarasvati is viewed as one of a trinity of
Goddesses, together with Ila and Bharati or
Mahi, in the Shinto classics Itsukushima-
Hime is one of a trinity of water Goddesses,
together with Tagori-Hime and Tagitsu-
Hime, all of whom were formed from the
sword of the Sun Goddess. This trinity is
worshiped at the Munakata Jinja near
Fukuoka, and also at subsidiary jinja.
Although Sarasvati is a river Goddess, It-
sukushima-Hime is identified with the off-
shore island of Miyajima, and Benten is
therefore sometimes considered to be a sea
Goddess. However, all the marine islands
dedicated to Her are close to the land, often
joined by bridges or causeways, and the area
of tidal flow thus seems to have replaced the
flow of the river. She is sometimes associat-
ed with fishing and sea travel.
Benten has from ancient times been
known as Uka-no-Kami in Japan and as the
Dragon God in China. She is worshiped as
the water Goddess, who is the womb of all
things in the universe, and of all reproduc-
tion and development. She is the Goddess of
happiness and good fortune who blesses
business and productivity, controls the fer-
G O D D E S S E S
Sarasvatiin Japan Ancient Buddhist
monks introduced the
Hindu pantheon
ka
na
ga
wa
pr
ef
ec
tu
ra
l t
ou
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t a
sso
cia
tio
n
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o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r , 2 0 0 2 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 29
tile harvests of the five cereals and their
manifold increase, and brings all things to
birth. She is also known as Myoonten (fine
music Deity), Bionten (beautiful music de-
ity) and Gigeiten (fine arts Deity), and is
widely revered as the Goddess who enables
the striving for excellence in arts, crafts,
technology, music, literature and religion. It
all sounds very much like Saraswati.
Benten is associated with dragons and
snakes, especially white snakes. There are
numerous stories of Her taking the form of
a snake, or marrying a giant snake or sea-
dragon, and She is sometimes shown as a
human-headed snake or a coiled snake. In
Japanese myth and folklore the dragon is as-
sociated with rivers and the sea, and in
Taoist thought it represents the forces of na-
ture. It is thus possible to understand Benten
as the immanent aspect of divinity in na-
ture. Then, if one understands Brahma to be
the transcendent aspect of divinity, the per-
ception of Sarasvati as immanent accords
well with Her being His shakti. This makes
it possible to see the East Asian nature-ori-
ented religions of Shinto and Taoism as God-
dess-oriented forms of devotional Hinduism.
Japan’s three most important Benten jinjaare Enoshima, Itsukushima and Chikubu-
shima. The small island of Enoshima, con-
nected by a bridge to the mainland near
Kamakura, is dedicated to the Munakata
trinity. In the jinja there are two statues of
Benten, both more than 600 years old, of
which one is unclothed and the other eight-
armed. The unclothed Benten is milk-white,
plays a biwa, and is carved in great detail.
She is popular with female entertainers,
such as geishas in the past and actresses and
pop singers today. The eight-armed Benten
holds a sword, a dharma wheel and various
other items found in Hindu iconography.
The small island shrine of Itsukushima or
Miyajima is a short ferry ride from Hiroshi-
ma. The torii—ornate jinja entranceway
with sloping sides and flat top, painted red—
on the beach is one of Japan’s most famous
sights. Tame deer roam the island. The sa-
cred island of Chikubushima in Lake Biwa
has both jinja and Buddhist temples to Her.
The lake is sacred to Benten because it is
shaped like and named after Her biwa.There are countless other Buddhist and
Shinto shrines and temples in Japan. Among
the hills above Kamakura, Zeniarai Benten
is in a cave with a stream flowing through it.
“Zeniarai” means “penny-washing,” and
people believe that washing coins there will
make them multiply. Deep in the recesses of
the cave is a statue of Benten in the form of
a snake with a human head.
Other shrines near Tokyo include the
temple at Shinobazu Pond, Ueno, in central
Tokyo and at Inokashira Pond at Kichijoji
(meaning “Lakshmi Temple”), in the west-
ern suburbs. It has a Bentendo on a small is-
land reached by two bridges. At Shakujii, a
couple of miles north of Kichijoji, there is
Sanpoji Pond, with Itsukushima Jinja on a
small island at one end, surrounded by lo-
tuses. The pond is one of the sources of
Shakujii River and used to be a place of an-
nual pilgrimage for the rice-farmers living
along its banks. For centuries it has been
taboo to hunt or collect timber, plants or
fuel in or around the pond, and it is now an
outstanding nature reserve. At a fork in the
road near Shinjuku, Tokyo, there is the tiny
Nuke Benten or Ichikishima Jinja, a tiny is-
land surrounded by goldfish-filled ponds.
Hakone Jinja on Lake Ashi is a favorite
weekend destination for Tokyoites. In the
grounds there is an exquisite pond full of
carp, with a small Benten shrine on a mossy
rock in the middle. There is no bridge, but
the floor of the pond is covered with coins
thrown in as offerings. At all these shrines,
one can sense the continued presence of
this Goddess who came from India to bless
this land of the rising sun. ∏π
Author Richard Thornhill, PhD, lives inTokyo, where he works as a translator. E-mail him at [email protected].
Benten in art and culture: (top) The island of Enoshino, with Mount Fuji in the back-ground, is seen in this 19th century painting by Hokusai. (below) Shortly after the foundingof the Zeniarai Benten temple, a ruler washed coins in the temple spring, with the wish todouble his money. Now thousands of pilgrims wash coins and paper money in bowls in thetemple’s natural spring. It’s a unique form of “money laundering,” joke Japanese writers.
Goddess of Enoshima: Two forms of theGoddess Saraswati in the form of Bensait-ensama, commonly called “Benten,” at thefamed island of Enoshima, near MountFuji, (left) one playing the lute and (right)one eight-armed; (inset left) “Bensaiten-sama” in Kanji script, the respectful form ofGoddess Saraswati’s Japanese counterpart
ka
na
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pr
ef
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tu
ra
l t
ou
ris
t a
sso
cia
tio
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od
an
sha
in
te
rn
at
ion
al
lt
d
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de
vr
aj
ag
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NO FEARIndia’s Struggle to Stop Raising and Schooling
Children with Physical Punishment
A young victim: “At home I am beatenquite frequently,” confesses Kumud
Sharma. “Whenever I do somethingwrong, I am beaten. If the children do notobey their teachers, the teachers beat
them. The teachers, when the studentsdo not listen to them, are compelled tobeat them.”
Pg 30-35 Child Abuse OND02 § 7/29/02 3:41 PM Page 30
o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r , 2002 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 31
BY RAJIV MALIK, NEW DELHI, INDIAhe physical abuse of childrenaround the world has been a way of
life for many more years than most of
us would care to count. Long estab-
lished as habit despite the nagging
condemnation of conscience, it has
been defended in homes and schools alike as
the “only way” to control and train disobedi-
ent youth. However, times are changing. Re-
ligious leaders, social workers, teachers, par-
ents and—most importantly—student youth
are now fearlessly speaking out. “Violence is
not the only way,” they say. And people are
listening.
One might assume that Hindus, as staunch
adherents of ahimsa, nonviolence, might
provide significant leadership toward a more
gentle system of child-rearing and educa-
tion. On assignment from Hinduism Todayto better understand if this indeed might be
the case, I visited some Hindu orphanages
and educational institutions to conduct in-
terviews and assemble some first-hand as-
sessments of the way students were being
treated. These visits were all too revealing.
In New Delhi I called upon Udayan Care, a
small but distinguished orphanage/school
which houses and trains 35 abandoned chil-
dren in three homes and plans to double in
size by the end of the year. In Rishikesh I vis-
ited two extensive Hindu teaching institu-
tions: Parmarth Niketan and Omkarananda
Ashrams. Parmarth Niketan runs 127 schools
spread over seven states throughout North In-
dia, and Omkarananda Ashrams presides
over 74 schools and colleges, also in North In-
dia. Both Parmarth Niketan and Omkara-
nanda Ashrams are run by reputable swamis
and are responsible for the education of liter-
ally thousands of young people. All three of
these institutions are preeminent in the field
of responsible education and are outspoken-
ly keen on abolishing child abuse. They
haven’t succeeded yet, but they’re miles
ahead of nearly every other school in India
where corporal punishment is just the way
things are done.
Investigation revealed that all three insti-
tutions were involved in or knew of contin-
uing child abuse right in their classrooms.
The severity of this startling reality was
magnified by the fact that strict rules had al-
ready been set in place to constrain harsh
The life of children in three of India’s leading Hindu schools reveals that
the ancient tradition of big people hitting little people is slowly dying, yet
we have far to go in raising and teaching children without violence
E D U C A T I O N
am
it k
um
ar
Working toward a hopeful future: Kiran Modi, the brains behind the Udayan Care Home, relaxes with students at her New Delhi school
Pg 30-35 Child Abuse OND02 § 7/29/02 3:41 PM Page 31
punishments—yet it was going on anyway.
The people I spoke to were quite aware of
clear-cut instructions made to their princi-
pals, teachers and staff that children were
not to be beaten, slapped, verbally abused or
forced to assume physically painful posi-
tions for long periods of time.
At Udayan Care, counselor-cum-child
psychologist Sri Vikram Dutt freely admit-
ted he himself had slapped children. He
even went to great lengths in his conversa-
tions with me to justify such action. He said
that slapping a child with full awareness and
consciousness was a very difficult duty but
nevertheless sometimes has to be done.
Udayan Care maintains a register in
which teachers and “mentor mothers” are
supposed to make entries every time they
physically manhandle a child. They are also
supposed to record all details of such acts,
including their reasoning for the use of
force. When asked if maintaining such a
register might actually provide implied li-
cense for teachers to physically abuse chil-
dren, Dutt was unable to give a clear reply.
Just north of New Delhi in Rishikesh at
Parmarth Niketan, where guidelines for
teaching at the gurukulam (school) there
clearly state that beating children is a crime,
students were nonetheless being abused. This
was occurring even though Swami Chi-
danand Saraswati, the gurukulam’s presiding
dean, affectionately known as Muniji, strong-
ly admonished corporal punishment when he
talked with me.
Rishikumars, as students at Parmarth Ni-
ketan are called, told me that they were of-
ten beaten. While this was denied by two of
the ashram’s women managers, Muniji him-
self said that he was not shocked. Apparent-
ly, even though firm rules about the benev-
olent handling of children had been formal-
ly set in place, there were at least some
teachers who just would not or could not fol-
low those rules for one reason or another.
Although Muniji promised to conduct fur-
ther investigations into the matter himself,
the very fact that he was just hearing about
this abuse for the first time from me, indi-
cates another dimension of the problem: a
lack of communication. The law, the spirit of
the law or the inspiration to follow the law
was somehow not filtering throughout the
entire system in the same way (See inter-
views below).
After extensive questioning, some women
teachers at Parmarth Niketan admitted that
although they did not administer corporal
punishment to school children, they did at
home to their own children. This, they said,
ph
ot
os:
de
vr
aj
ag
ar
wa
l
Admissionsoth parmarth niketan andOmkarananda Ashrams opened
their doors wide in welcome
when Hinduism Today came to
call for these interviews. They
were proud to present themselves
as high-profile examples of institutions fea-
turing a new wave of nonviolent educational
programs slowly infiltrating schools and
homes around the world. Risking criticism,
as all trendsetters do, they bravely faced mi-
crophone and camera and clarified in the
process that the challenges of setting new
precedent are not always obvious or simple
and that successful communication is a rare
thing. Hence, the following collection of sur-
prisingly diverse perspectives, which repre-
sent the thoughts of thousands presumably
dedicated to a common ideal, reveal in the
final analysis that, while they officially sup-
port not physically punishing kids, it is an
ideal they have not yet fully realized.
Parmarth Niketan:Swami ChidanandSaraswati (Muniji):Beating a rishikumar(student) is a crime and
should not be done. But
still sometimes my
acharyas (teachers)
come and tell me that they should be al-
lowed to give more severe punishment. But I
put my foot down. If the children are han-
dled with violence, they will learn violence.
If they are handled with care and love, they
will learn care and love.
✸ TEACHERS ✸Pratibha Joshi:A big wall comes
between the child
you beat and your-
self. That child will
not improve. Many
of the children that
come here have
been beaten at
home and at school. Even their parents come
here and tell us to beat them. It is very diffi-
cult to teach them that there is another way.
But we are having marvelous results.
Rekha Rao: I finished my teacher’s training
30 years ago in New Delhi. I have taught in
many schools.
Children are very
sensitive. They
sense you even
when you do not
open yourself up
to them. Your
body language
conveys a lot.
They will either
feel comfortable or
uncomfortable
around you. I do
not believe in beating children. If you re-
strain children by unfair means, you will
ruin their personalities and break their self-
esteem. We do not have to do much. We do
not have to resort to anything. Over time
32 hinduism today o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r, 2002
Pg 30-35 Child Abuse OND02 § 7/29/02 3:41 PM Page 32
was their right, since their children be-
longed to them. “They are my children,” one
teacher defended. “And anyway, how can I
correct them without beating them?”
Just up the road at Omkarananda
Ashrams, the principal of Omkarananda Ni-
layam, one of two schools in Rishikesh run
by the ashram, Col. (rtd.) D. L. Sachdeva,
stated that only after he had joined the
school some three months back were steps
taken to check the practice of corporal pun-
ishment. What happened before his arrival,
he said, was anyone’s guess. Sachdeva admit-
ted that once he was told that someone from
Hinduism Today would be coming to in-
terview them concerning corporal punish-
ment, he immediately opened the issue for
debate among the officials of the school.
According to him, the response was over-
whelmingly in favor of formally stopping the
abuse altogether, even though, apparently, a
concern that this should be done had already
been widely expressed among teachers.
The Vice-President of Omkarananda
Ashrams, Swami Vishveswarananda, said
that although he and the founder of their in-
stitution, the late Swami Omkarananda,
were against corporal punishment and that
most of his teachers would concur with such
a sentiment, he could not assure that the
abuse of children was not currently being
practiced in the chain of schools run by his
ashrams. There are hundreds of teachers
and thousands of students, he lamented, and
it would be impossible to guarantee that
every teacher was behaving properly.
As I reflected on my interviews at these
three honored Hindu institutions where big
people hitting little people was occurring
even under the guidance of spiritual leaders,
I could not help but wonder what it was like
in the public schools of India. In India’s Cen-
tral Schools, as they are called, there is no
desire or plan to curb corporal punish-
ment—nor even the slightest knowledge of
its far-reaching ill effects. I was now coming
to fully cognize the seriousness of India’s
child abuse. It was far worse than I thought.
I already knew that, today, child beating
in India is so commonplace that it has dis-
they will take us as their gurus if we handle
ourselves properly. The parents trust us with
these children, their most valuable posses-
sions. We must not do injustice to that trust.
Amit Upadhyaya: Let me tell you that I have
come out of a guruku-la. I was beaten a lot.
I know what it is like.
The best way to teach
is to live right with
the children like
friends. If their par-
ents instruct them,
they may not obey.
But if a friend tells
them something, they
will understand more
readily.
Joshi Naresh: Like Amit, I was raised in a
gurukulam where I was beaten. Now I am a
teacher, and I have come to the conclusion
that child-beating is just not the correct way
to handle children.
Shashi Gaur: The children here are now
treated with great love. They will obey what
you say. I have never seen anything like this.
✣ STUDENTS ✣Navin Kumar: I do wrong acts and
guruji (teacher) slaps
me. It was day before
yesterday only that I
got a slap. I got it be-
cause I was doing
masti (fun).
Kamlesh Sharma: Although we try to avoid
doing anything wrong, mistakes sometimes
happen. Then our teachers punish us. I have
not yet been slapped. The punishments giv-
en to me include cleaning the gurukulamand standing in the sun. Sometimes I am
sent to recite mantrams on the bank of the
Ganges. All these punishments do have an
impact. We do not repeat the mistakes. I
would like to be treated with love. With
love, even God can be attained. So, with
love we can win over any human being.
Harish Vyas: I am a good boy, but I do some
naughty things when all of the others are
having fun. My teachers do not get angry
with me, and I have not yet been beaten,
because I do not make big mistakes. I am
scolded sometimes and asked to write down
some words many times as punishment. But
this improves my handwriting and helps me
memorize the lessons. Sometimes they ask
me to bow down and touch my foot thumb
as a punishment.
Seeta Yadav: I am the house captain of the
school. I love all of the teachers, and all my
teachers love me. I love
my school. I also inspire
the children to do good
in life. I tell them to re-
spect their elders. If a
child does something
wrong, then we punish
the child. The child may
be asked to stand in one
Lots of Sharing: Correspondent Rajiv Malikconducts interviews at Parmarth Niketanand Omkarananda Ashram: (Left to right)A father of an Omkarananda student;Navin Kumar, a student at Parmarth Nike-tan who identified a teacher who slappedhim just days before; a group of childrenfrom Omkarananda Nilayam and facultymembers at Parmarth Niketan.
o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r , 2002 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 33
Pg 30-35 Child Abuse OND02 § 7/29/02 3:41 PM Page 33
solved into the background of “the way
things are.” Adult men and women who
grew up in this society, where corporal pun-
ishment was commonplace, find it difficult
now to consider that perhaps there is anoth-
er way that children might be raised. These
people live with a deeply ingrained assump-
tion that, in the control of children, there is
just no alternative to child beating.
Every month in New Delhi alone there is
some grim ordeal being showcased by the
media, detailing cruel treatment of a child
student by a teacher. In February, 2002, an
11-year-old student was hospitalized for five
days after her teacher beat her with a stick
for not bringing her notebook to class. In
January of the same year, a teacher pulled
eight-year-old Rachna’s hair out by the roots
when she was unable to properly recite her
Hindi lesson. A few months before that, a
13-year-old student was stripped naked and
paraded down the halls of her school. One
17-year-old student was actually hospital-
ized with a cerebral concussion after being
brutally beaten by his physics teacher for
full five minutes. The list goes on.
Many Indian teachers and parents who
beat their kids contend they are simply fol-
lowing an ancient tradition that is not only
acceptable but honorable. Certainly, it is true
that violence in teaching is a part of Indian
history and folklore. But this does not make
it right. Stories glorifying a teacher’s brutal-
ity as a “blessing” are not even logical. The
youth of today are too bright and intelligent
for this. At the very least, they expect reason.
They hear or read these stories and perceive
in them easy excuses for people bigger and
older than they are to rule them by fear.
Times are changing and so must the disci-
pline of children. The very idea of corporal
punishment is completely out of sync with
the concept of ahimsa. It always was.
Hence, there have always been at least a few
good Hindus who lived, taught and learned
in peace and harmony. The difference now
is that more people are willing and wanting
to practice nonviolence with full under-
standing of all of its implications. This was
exemplified recently when the state govern-
ment of Andhra Pradesh issued an order
banning corporal punishment in schools.
Under this new law, offenders are liable for
prosecution under the Indian Penal Code.
Such notable deeds bode well for the future.
Yet still, old habits die hard. Determined
and persistent effort must be made gradual-
ly over a long period of time. Looking at the
problem of abuse squarely and bringing it
out into the open is a beginning step. ∏π
de
vr
aj
ag
ar
wa
l
place for a long time.
Omkarananda Ashram:Swami Visheswarananda: Beating children
is an act of emotion. An emotional act is
never a controlled act.
Thus, violent child
abuse is a very dan-
gerous thing and
should not occur. I do
agree that some sort
of punishment must
be there. But common
sense must be used.
There are other meth-
ods which will work.
Although possibilities
for alternative meth-
ods are endless, they must be formulated
very carefully. The child’s dignity should
never be hurt. Now, this is not so easy. We
are now running 74 educational institutions.
To control so many schools is a very difficult
task. Anything can happen and not everyone
is honest and moral in following the rules.
We give instructions to all of our teachers
that abuse should not be used. But what
most often happens is a teacher gets angry,
and in that state of anger he acts. I call this
street fighting. Swami Omkarananda would
never have supported any type of child beat-
ing. It may have happened during earlier
times, but we have now entered a new age.
✸ TEACHERS ✸Meenakshi Gupta: I am principal of
Omkarananda Preparatory School in
Rishikesh. When we
ourselves live in a dis-
ciplined way, only then
can we expect disci-
pline from the chil-
dren. We have to set
an example for them
in all of our activities
and through our daily
routine. Sometimes
slapping occurs. The
children love me, but the most important
thing is that they are also afraid of me. Only
in this way can discipline be enforced. One
kind of punishment we give is to make
naughty children feel inferior. We send them
to the playgroup, which is the lower class.
We demoralize them in this way and make
them feel ashamed. Then they improve.
Col. (Rtd.) D. L. Sachdeva: I am principal of
Omkarananda Saraswati Nilayam in
Rishikesh. I cannot say anything about what
happened before my arrival. I joined this
school just three months back. Now I am a
strict follower of this rule about no corporal
punishment whatsoever. When I first ar-
rived, some punishments
were being given. It was
expected. Even the par-
ents themselves would
come and ask why we
were not beating their
children? My method is: a
child misbehaves once,
then a second time. The
third time a note is sent to
his parents.When this is
34 hinduism today o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r, 2002
Another day in class: Young children in class at Omkarananda Preparatory School
Pg 30-35 Child Abuse OND02 § 7/29/02 3:42 PM Page 34
iran modi named udayancare after her son, Udayan,
who cared, loved and lived for
children before his early death at
the age of 21. From its inception this
small orphanage-school has been a labor
of love. Hinduism Today interviewed
Kiran Modi, its founder, and Vikram
Dutt, her right-hand man. Here are
some of their thoughts.
❖ ❖ ❖
Kiran Modi: We started Udayan Care in
1994. I am the managing trustee. From
the very outset my inspiration was the
memory of my son, Udayan, who died
from an accident at the age of 21 in
America where he was going to school.
As we were going through all of the papers that he left behind, we
found that he was doing a lot of work for children. He was spon-
soring kids for a program called “Save A Child.” And he was doing
some other things like this. We did not even know about these ac-
tivities. So we thought the best thing that we could do would be to
continue doing something similar in his memory. This is how
Udayan Care came to be. Udayan means “sunrise.”
One by one, I found more women like me to help—all mothers.
We set up different homes and started caring for the children.
Many of the kids that we care for have behavioral problems. They
are straight from the street and have been abused a lot. We real-
ized that we were going to need some professional help. This was
when Vikram came in. He is a rehabilitation expert. He takes care
of the counseling. To control any further abuse, Vikram devised a
parenting pledge. Everyone has signed it. It makes it clear that no
one is to beat anyone. We also devised a punishment reg-
ister. If a teacher beats a child, even though it is against
the rules, he or she is supposed to record it in this register.
The children love it here. One child, before she came to
live here, was made to steal and beg and do all kinds of
things. Her own father made her do this. At the age of
seven she ran away from home after being beaten with a
burning stick. After living in the streets for four years on
her own, she came to stay with us. She is now one of our
brightest children.❖ ❖ ❖
Vikram Dutt: In disciplining our children at Udayan Care,
we have developed some alternative methods. One is tick-
ling. We have these major tickling sessions. If a child does
something wrong, all of the other children will catch him
and tickle him. Violence as a consequence of wrongdoing
is replaced with a fun activity. We also use something
called creative art therapy. The vocabulary skills of a
young child are minimal. But he or she can draw a pic-
ture and enjoy it, too. And in their drawings, they do not
realize it but their inner thoughts come out, and we can
come to understand them and work with them. We are
working towards an ideal system. The most important
thing is to recognize where we are
now and build a bridge toward
where we want to be. We have all
participated in the nonviolence
workshops, but where are we today?
All of India is in a very violent state.
Violence comes when you do not
think about your action. The mo-
ment you start thinking about your
action, it will be difficult for you to
slap. Then, if you do slap, it will be
for good reason. In seven or eight
months, I have given three slaps, but
each of these was given like a life-
saving injection. ∏π
about to happen some children cry. Even
some girls request us not to send the note to
the parents because they know they will be
beaten at home. Imagine. Then I tell the stu-
dent, “Ok, don’t worry.” On some other pre-
text, I call the parents in and tell them what
they are doing at home is not good. You
know, the major thing happening is that in
many of these schools there is not proper co-
ordination among these three groups: the
teachers, the parents and the students.
Mahavir Singh Negi:Sometimes it is very
much needed for
children to be hit. We
can also give them
punishment, like
making them stand
on a chair, or getting
into the cock posture
(standing on one leg).
There are children
who can be made to
understand things without this kind of pun-
ishment, but others are just very naughty
and need to be tackled differently. Our fore-
fathers and fathers used to say how they
were disciplined by beating. They were even
beaten to the extent that their teachers
would actually haunt them in their dreams.
Today, mostly what you find is that the chil-
dren who are given beatings belong to the
low performance group.
✣ STUDENTS ✣Dimple Singh: In this
school, teachers write
remarks in their di-
aries. There are chil-
dren who will not feel
like coming to the
school after they have
been beaten. But by
the remarks given in
the diaries of the
teachers, the parents
of the children can
get to know about the child’s problems and
the child himself becomes careful about his
behavior. So the remarks given in the diaries
by the teachers are effective. I am naughty
sometimes at home but not in school. At
home sometimes I get a beating.
Kriti Datta: I have never been beaten or
scolded in school, but I have seen other chil-
dren being beaten. Boys and girls both are
beaten without any partiality.
Pawan Arora: Physical punishment is given
to children when they behave beyond a lim-
it. In that case they are sometimes slapped,
and that is ok.
Rahul Sharma: Teachers mostly try to make
us understand. If you
make a child under-
stand with love, he
will learn easily, but
if you beat a child, he
will be difficult to
control and will never
understand.
o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r , 2002 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 35
“In Memory of My Son”
Pg 30-35 Child Abuse OND02 § 7/29/02 3:42 PM Page 35
Fourteen Tips For Teachers
xperts agree that the best wayto deal with childhood misbehavior,
both in class and at home, is to pre-
vent it from occurring in the first
place. This is not always possible, of
course, but schools—and homes too—with
the best discipline not only correct miscon-
duct after the fact but also actually catch it
before it happens by teaching youth appro-
priate behavioral and communication skills
early. Here are some tips for teachers for cop-
ing with kids in class with kindness.
36 hinduism today october/november/december 2002
C A N A D A
U N I T E D S TAT E S O F A M E R I C A
M E X I C O
CUBA
JAMAICA
BELIZE
DOMINICANREPUBLICHAITI
PUERTO RICO
GUATEMALA
COSTA RICA
NICARAGUA
HONDURASEL SALVADOR
PANAMA
COLOMBIA
V E N E Z U E L A
TRINIDAD &TOBAGO
GUYANA
SURINAM
FRENCH GUIA
NA
ECUADOR
B R A Z I L
P E RU
B O L I V I A
PARAGUAY
A R G E N T I N A
URUGUAY
CHILE
FALKLAND/MALVINASISLANDS
G R E E N L A N D
GU
BAHAMAS
= Corporal punishment prohibited in schools
LEGEND:
= Corporal punishment prohibited in schools and homes
= All other colors have no laws to restrict abuse.
mo
un
ta
in h
igh
ma
ps
The Realm of LegalChild-Beating isShrinking ...Slowly
H a w a i
RESOURCESBooks: Positive Discipline in the Classroomby Dr. Jane Nelsen, Raising Self-ReliantChildren in a Self-Indulgent World by H.
Stephen Glenn and Jane Nelsen, TeachersWho Make a Difference Video by H.
Stephen Glenn, Winning Over Your Diffi-cult Students, by Yvette Zgonc.
Web: www.endcorporalpunishment.org
www.stophitting.com
www.nospank.net
❖ Rehearse how you will handle various dif-
ficult situations that might arise in class.
❖ Plan youth activities well enough that stu-
dents just don’t have time to cause trouble.
❖ Try to teach rather than punish.
❖ Find ways to encourage and compliment.
❖ View student’s misbehavior as mistakes in
judgment rather than negative tendencies.
❖ Eliminate “reward” and “punishment.”
❖ Make consequences relate to misbehavior.
For example, if a child makes a mess, he
or she should clean it up.
❖ Point out things kids can do to help each
other foster a team spirit.
❖ Ask “what,” “how” and “why” questions
when challenges come up so students
know you are genuinely interested in their
opinion. Ask for their explanation before
imposing your own.
❖ Promote self-control by teaching calming
techniques like deep breathing, counting to
ten and taking a walk to “chill.”
❖ Make friends with students. Say hello and
smile. Always use a calm tone of voice.
❖ Use good manners when addressing chil-
dren about their behavior. Be sure to say:
“I am sorry,” “May I?” and “Excuse me”
when appropriate. Teach by example.
❖ If a child exhibits many behaviors which
concern you, don’t try to change all of
them at once. Take one at a time.
❖ Set behavioral rules but make sure they
are few in number, reasonable and appro-
priate to the child’s age and development.
Statistics were obtained from www.endcorporalpunishment.org
for the world map and from www.stophitting.com for the US map
Pg 36-37 Abuse Map OND02 § 7/29/02 3:42 PM Page 36
october/november/december 2002 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 37
ICELAND
NORWAY
SWEDENFINLAND
DENMARK
UNITEDKINGDOM
IRELAND
FRANCE
BELGIUM
NETHERLANDS
LUXEMBOURGGERMANY
ESTONIALATVIALITHUANIA
RUSSIA
P O L A N DBELARUS
U K R A I N E
SPAIN
PORTUGAL
CZECHREP.
AUSTRIASWITZERLAND
ITALY
SLOVENIA
CROATIA
SLOVAKIA
HUNGARY
YUGOSLAVIABULGARIA
ROMANIA
MOLDOVA
ALBANIA
GREECET U R K E Y
CYPRUS
MOROCCO
WESTERNSAHARA
A L G E R I AL I B Y A
TUNISIA
MAURITANIA
SENEGAL
GAMBIAGUINEA-BISSAU
GUINEA
SIERRA LEONELIBERIA
M A L I
BURKINAFASO
IVORYCOAST
TOG
OBE
NIN
N I G E R I A
N I G E R C H A D
EGYPT
S U D A N
ERITREA
E T H I O P I ACENTRAL AFRICANREPUBLIC
CAMEROONEQUATORIAL
GUINEAGABON
CONGO Z A I R E
RWANDABURUNDI
UGANDAKENYA
SOMALIA
A N G O L A
NAMIBIA
Z A M B I A
TANZANIA
MALAWI
ZIMBABWE
BOTSWANA
MOZAMBIQUE
MADAGASCAR
SWAZILAND
LESOTHOSOUTH AFRICA
MAURITIUS
RÉUNION
GEORGIA
ARMENIAAZERBAIJAN
SYRIA
LEBANONISRAEL
JORDAN
I R A Q I R A N
S AU D I
A R A B I A QATARUNITED ARAB
EMIRATES
OMAN
Y E M E N
I N D I A
AFGHANISTAN
PAKISTAN
TURKMENISTANUZBEKISTAN
KYRGYZSTAN
TAJIKISTAN
K A Z A K H S T A N
SRILANKA
NEPALBHUTAN
BANGLADESHBURMA
LAOS
THAILAND
CAMBODIA
VIETNAM
M A L A Y S I ABRUNEI
PHILIPPINES
TAIWAN
I N D O N E S I A PAPUANEW
GUINEA SOLOMONISLANDS
FIJIVANUATU
NEW CALEDONIA
A U S T R A L I A
NEWZEALAND
R U S S I A
M O N G O L I A
NORTHKOREA
SOUTH KOREA J A P A N
C H I N A
HONG KONG
ANDORRA
BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA
GHANA
MACEDONIA
Mapping the laws:Education, as well as legisla-tive and legal reform, is crucialto ending corporal punishmentof children in schools world-wide. In 1979, Sweden became
the first country to ban all suchclassroom abuse. Today, as the
above maps show, 90 countrieshave made it illegal for teachers to
hit students. In the United States cor-poral punishment of youth in schools is
now illegal in only 27 states. In homes,the “reasonable” use of force by parent in
handling kids is legal in all countries excepteleven—and in every US state except Minnesota.
F L O R I D A
A L A B A M A
MARYLAND
C A L I F O R N I A
H a w a i i
C O L O R A D O
CONNECTICUT
DELAWARE
A R K A N S A S
G E O R G I A
I D A H O
I O W A
K A N S A S K E N T U C K Y
LOUISIANA
M A I N E
MASSACHUSETTS
M I C H I G A N
M I N N E S O T A
MISSISSIPPI
M I S S O U R I
M O N T A N A
N E B R A S K A
N E V A D A
NEW HAMPSHIRE
NEW JERSEY
N E W Y O R K
N O R T HC A R O L I N A
N O R T H D A K O T A
O H I O
O K L A H O M A
O R E G O N
P E N N S Y L V A N I A
RHODE ISLAND
S O U T H C A R O L I N A
S O U T H D A K O T A
T E N N E S S E E
T E X A S
U T A H
VERMONT
V I R G I N I A
W E S T V I R G I N I A
W A S H I N G T O N
WASHINGTON D.C.
W I S C O N S I N
W Y O M I N G
I N D I A N A
I L L I N O I S
N E W M E X I C OA R I Z O N A
Pg 36-37 Abuse Map OND02 § 8/10/02 11:31 AM Page 37
By Tara Katir, Kauai, Hawaiiast year when i began teaching ata middle school here on the island of
Kauai, the principal suggested that I
might find much had changed since I
last taught in a public school classroom thir-
ty years ago. Most students would present no
disciplinary problems, she assured me, but a
few would be daily challenges. She was right
about those few, except for the fact that they
were more than a “challenge.”
The laws for discipline in schools have also
changed since I last taught. Not so many
years ago corporal punishment was allowed
in class and vigorously practiced. Physical
abuse is now an illegal method of maintain-
ing classroom discipline in 27 of the 50 US
states. Hawaii is one of these.
Although it is true that students are quick
to obey if threatened with a beating or pub-
lic humiliation, most professional educators,
psychologists and physicians agree that such
violent and hurtful management methods
are not effective in actually helping students
learn. Nor do they assist in preparing them
for responsible adulthood. I was never al-
lowed to hit, slap or paddle, and I chose not
to humiliate or verbally abuse my students
to maintain classroom control. But still, it
was up to me to establish rules and set the
learning pace for the children in my classes.
This is one thing that has not changed
through the years.
With time and through experience, I
learned to stop a lot of misbehavior before it
started by giving students plenty of things to
do, thereby simply leaving them little oppor-
tunity to cause trouble. I also tried to win
them over rather than win over them. By
this I mean I did not strive to be in charge,
but rather tried to gain respect by giving re-
spect so that the kids in my classes would
willingly accept my authority.
Since I chose not to demand this power as
my right and wanted to win respect, I had to
develop some practices that would gain the
students’ favor. This was not easy. It took
some trial and error, and I made some mis-
takes. I discovered that, as difficult as it
might be in some situations, it was always
best to be kind and avoid anger. Students
will cooperate with teachers who treat them
with genuine consideration.
Yet, even promising students tested my
limits. Some worked very hard to push the
envelope of acceptable behavior and prove
my resolve. I learned to be patient. One
thing I found never worked was backing a
student into a corner. When I asked my
principal to describe the most common
problem situations she had witnessed, she
said the worst ones were caused by teachers
verbally backing kids into a corner.
Last year I completely lost my temper
with a student. The next day before class I
apologized to him. To my amazement he
apologized back to me, admitting he had not
behaved well. After that our relationship im-
proved one hundred percent.
I also discovered that it was extremely
beneficial to clearly state ahead of time what
the consequences would be for breaking
classroom rules. For instance, I would tell
my students that if they turned in home-
work late, they would receive half credit; or
if they came to class late they would have to
run laps outside. This method worked well.
It made them take responsibility. Accepting
responsibility for one’s actions is difficult for
many students. They try to play the blame
game—the “He made me do it” ploy. How-
ever, once kids realize they have a choice,
and that choices have consequences, they
start following the rules.
I also found that it was important to follow
through when students chose to not obey the
rules. Without this follow-through, any lim-
itations I established were meaningless. To
do all of this and maintain true sympathy
was not at all easy. But it was very necessary.
This is what my students taught me.
I firmly believe that with clearly stated
rules and enforced consequences, as well as
with unremitting kindness and patience,
teachers can be successful without resorting
to physical or emotional abuse. A phrase of-
ten heard in America today is: A teacher is
no longer the “sage on the stage,” but rather
a “guide on the side.” That insight describes
well a most important aspect of these
changing times in the field of education.
With so much diversified knowledge so eas-
ily accessible to kids these days, a teacher’s
most basic impetus to serve must necessari-
ly be different now than it was a generation
ago. First of all, teachers cannot possibly
teach everything, nor should they feel im-
pelled to, especially since in many areas of
life a sharp, young, Web-savvy student
might know more than they do. Today, the
greatest gift a teacher can give is maturity—
maturity in helping students discriminate
what they should learn, maturity in teaching
students the enjoyment of the learning
process itself and maturity in inspiring stu-
dents to successfully coexist while the learn-
ing is going on.
As my husband points out, teaching is a
grueling, challenging job and takes an enor-
mous amount of energy. It’s much more than
going into a classroom and giving informa-
tion to kids that you or a “curriculum spe-
cialist” believe is important. Everything said
and done in class teaches kids something.
There is no simple method that works every-
where and always, but there is a well-sup-
plied toolbox of varied ways to relate to kids.
Multiple tools are necessary because each
child is different and so is each teacher. Both
must learn. In the end, wisdom is the key.
And for wisdom, who is the teacher and who
the student? ∏π
T E A C H I N G
No More “Sage on a Stage”What kids need today is a “guide on the side”
38 hinduism today october/november/december 2002
hin
du
ism
to
da
y
The author’s family: (from left to right) Deva Katir (husband of Tara, also teacher), KumarKatir, Tara (with shaven head for Guru Purnima vow and holding granddaughter Tuhina),son-in-law Sivajnani Nagappan (holding son Yajatadeva), Selvi Katir and Amala Nagappan
Pg 38 Tara OND02 § 7/29/02 3:42 PM Page 38
o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r , 2 0 0 2 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 39
BY SABYASACHI GHOSH DASTIDARNEW YORK
ahilara village is ever sodear to my family. It is located in
a remote, picturesque area in the
Barisal district of Bangladesh.
Mahilara is famous for the histor-
ically important and architec-
turally significant 300-year-old Mahilara
Matha, a Hindu temple and residence for
monks. My parents left their home here
years ago after one of the many anti-Hindu
pogroms, an organized attack or massacre of
an ethnic or religious group. A Muslim
neighbor moved into our house.
In Bangladesh, one form of minority op-
pression has been to attack, desecrate or de-
stroy Hindu temples. Another common form
has been confiscation, without notice or
compensation, of Hindu homes, shops, land,
ponds, farms and businesses using the Ene-
my Property Act. A few Hindu families have
unwillingly changed their names and their
religion. Yet, as I traveled the land, I found
that in many cases what some of the ordi-
nary people, unlettered yet wise and brave,
have done is truly “revolutionary” in my
mind. In Mahilara, the villagers rallied
around the ancient temple and reasserted
their community’s presence.
Mahilara is a typical Bengal village. From
a distance it looks like a small forest, as each
homestead is covered with trees—trees that
give flowers, others that bear fruits and veg-
etables, and still others that provide shelter.
As the villages are located in the coastal
area, they are connected with the rest of the
world by a network of canals built by Hindu
landlords hundreds of years ago. Most now
also have good roads.
Not long ago, Mahilara was an all-Hindu
Baidya-caste [physician] village. Other Hin-
dus, both of privileged and oppressed
castes, also lived there. A number of Indian
luminaries, freedom fighters and women pi-
oneers came from Mahilara. These days it is
difficult to find even one of those families!
Mahilara was famous in pre-partition India
because it used to produce top students in
the all-Bengal school exams. It was also
known for the old matha, temple and resi-
dence for monks, built about three hundred
years ago in Bengali brick sikahr-deoul, nar-
row conical, style. This Radha-Krishna
matha was built by Dayaram Sarkar during
the Muslim era of Bengal. It is a slightly
leaning brick structure about 100 feet high.
Mahilara Matha is also known as Sarkar De-
oul, Sarkar’s Temple, and Helano Matha,
Leaning Temple.
This temple has been attacked many
times by anti-Hindu terrorists. When I visit-
ed, it was being protected by the unlettered
Rakhal Sadhu and his widowed mother. I es-
timated that together they earn less thanus$10.00 a month. Even after the ethnic
cleansing of educated Hindus, a large num-
ber of Hindus continued to live in the area,
almost all of them pious, poor and mostly
belonging to the oppressed castes, although
casteism among Hindus is practically non-
existent. Families routinely intermarry.
My wife and I have been visit-
ing Mahilara regularly for the
past two decades. During my
1994 visit, I thought the temple
was going to disintegrate unless it
was taken care of immediately.
Weeds were everywhere, some
eight feet high. I learned that
when Rakhal and his friends
tried to repair the structure,
those against the preservation of
Hindu temples opposed it. The
reason given was, “The job is to
be done by the government.”
Whenever we visit the village, al-
most everyone comes running to
us to share their tales untold since
our last visit. In 1994, as we were
about to leave the matha, the en-
tire crowd rose to their feet and
urged us, “Please help us save our
matha. If we lose it, our spirit
will be gone.” I said, “How’s it
possible to save the matha from
such a faraway land?” They only
responded, “You belong to us.”
I conveyed Rakhal’s request to
many of the important personali-
ties in the capital, Dhaka, and in
the district town. After my re-
turn to New York, I started writ-
ing to top bureaucrats and politi-
cians. Most of my friends laughed
at me upon hearing about my ef-
fort. Some even asked, “Are you
going insane?” But, I just couldn’t
forget the request of so many of “my peo-
ple.” I kept writing. Between 1994 and 1995I wrote to the district magistrate, the district
police superintendent, the home minister,
the minister in charge of archaeological
sites, the president and more. Finally, in
June, 1996, I received word from the
Bangladesh government, “The historic tem-
ple would be repaired in the fiscal year of
1996-1997.” At first, I could not believe my
eyes. My wife Shefali and I read the letter
over and over. Finally, I called Mr. Kazi, the
letter writer, about its authenticity. One has
to realize that there is no dearth of compas-
sionate and sympathetic people in our soci-
ety! Later, in the summer of 2000, I got a
call from a stranger who was visiting New
York telling me how pleased he was with my
Grateful devotees: (above) Rakhal Sadhu and devoteesgreet the returning Dastidar family to their ancestralvillage; (below) the dual-purpose pilgrim center andstorm shelter protected Hindus during the 2001 riots
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B A N G L A D E S H
The Mahilara MiracleHow we got our ancestral village temple renovated by the government
pg 39-40 Mahilar ond02 § 7/29/02 3:43 PM Page 39
40 hinduism today october/november/december, 2002
repeated letters to rehabilitate the historic
place. He told me that he was one of the gov-
ernment officials who participated in the
decision to save the historic matha.
The temple was repaired as promised, and
it was just a little over three years ago that I
again returned to the village. As I was enter-
ing the dirt path leading to the matha, I en-
countered a sankirtan, a gathering for reli-
gious singing, which had just ended. The
group included some Muslims from the near-
by villages. As we approached Rakhal’s
mother recognized me. She immediately ran
towards me with one of her friends. They
held me tight and started crying in joy.
Rakhal Sadhu joined them, holding my oth-
er hand so tight that it started to hurt, and
said, “Dada [older brother], “with the mathabeing repaired we feel reassured, and we
have started regular sankirtans again.”
As we were talking, the group started
singing in Bengali, “Take God’s name,” rais-
ing their two hands in the typical Vaishnav
style. Two of “my own people” pulled me
and other guests traveling with me over and
began a dance, circling us to the beat of the
Bengali drum, khanjani cymbals, kasarghanta brass gongs. They sang and chanted,
“We have always been here. We’ll always
live here, with our nation, temple, worship,
festivals and Holi celebration. O, our Hindu,
Muslim and Christian brothers and sisters,
raise your hands and chant one and all. Sing
Lord Hari’s name, Sing Lord Hari’s name.”
This great outpouring of appreciation was
not the end of our work with the village. Af-
ter my mother passed away in Calcutta in
December, 1999, I wrote to Rakhal Sadhu to
ask if a memorial could be built at the tem-
ple in honor of my parents and my wife’s, all
of whom originated from this same village of
Mahilara. Both of our parents had offered
worship at the famous matha. In a prompt
reply, Srimat Dayamoy Chaitanya Brahma-
chari, who rose from the local peasantry to
become a brahmachari, gave us the sad
news that Rakhal had passed away. He ex-
plained that an organization, Bhaktabash,
had been set up to manage the temple, es-
pecially now that, after the renovation, thou-
sands of visitors had been coming. He
pleaded with us to help build a pilgrim’s
center to accommodate not only the visitors
but also a school and housing for monks.
I broached the idea to my Bangladesh
friends in New York and New Jersey, who
decided to build not just a pilgrim’s center,
but a sturdy concrete structure that would
also serve as a shelter in typhoons and
floods. Funds were raised rapidly, and the
completed structure was dedicated January
9, 2001.Recently, the shelter provided an unfore-
seen service when it housed a large number
of Hindus during the anti-Hindu pogrom
that began after the October, 2001, elec-
tions. Then all the Hindu Committee Mem-
bers, including the head monk, who is also
the headmaster of the new school, were
evicted. But the Bhaktabash provided the
institutional backdrop to bring back all
those who were victimized. I also wrote to
Bangla and foreign leaders to provide pro-
tection to the local residents.
I, my family and friends first visited the
center in June, 2001. We were greeted at the
bus stop by over a hundred men, women
and children who had waited patiently for
six hours to welcome us with showers of
flower petals, garlands of marigolds, conch
blowing, ululating and slogans. In rural ar-
eas, night comes early, but not on this day.
Festivity, singing and lectures continued
past midnight in that rural darkness, only to
restart before sunrise. Over a thousand peo-
ple attended the ceremony!
The villagers pledged to us, “Now that you
have saved our heritage of 300 years, we
promise that all of your names that have
been engraved in the marble tablet will re-
main with us for another 300 years. We be-
lieve that you are first Bangladeshi Hindu
refugees who have not abandoned us, but
have come back to live with us. You are the
first to create something new in your ances-
tral homeland. We appreciate that the
daughter of our village [my wife], Dr. Shefali
Sengupta Dastidar, is back with us. We have
made you all as our own.”
They sang, “We have always been here.
We’ll always live here, with our nation, tem-
ple, worship, festivals and Holi celebrations.
O our Hindu, Muslim and Christian broth-
ers and sisters, raise your hands and chant
one and all. Sing Lord Hari’s name, Sing
Lord Hari’s name.” ∏π
contact sabyasachi dastidar at:[email protected]
Mahilara Matha: The leaning templeof Mahilara beforeand after (inset) government-spon-sored renovations
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pg 39-40 Mahilar ond02 § 7/29/02 3:43 PM Page 40
Karma is Self-Created: A man’sactions create his future karmasto be experienced, just as if hecarved himself out of a stone withhis own hands
a m
an
ive
l
I N S I G H T
KarmaManagementKarmaManagement
Pg 40-49 karma ond02 § 7/29/02 3:43 PM Page 41
BY SATGURU BODHINATHA VEYLANSWAMIhe concept of karma has spread beyond the confines of the Asian religions that conceived it to become a core concept of
today’s yoga and New Age movements. It is now mentioned reg-
ularly on American mainstream television programs and in
the movies. Last year in discussing the concept with a ju-
nior college class in Hawaii, a student expressed contemporary
culture’s astute definition of karma as “What goes around
comes around.” Unfortunately, most individuals’ under-
standing of karma is at best limited to thinking about it as
an abstract principle without applying it to their own life.
This is equivalent to a student’s learning and under-
standing all the laws of nutrition, being able to get an
“A” on any test on the subject, but following a personal
diet of junk food three times a day. What he learned
is not influencing how he lives. The study of karma is
effectively approached in a three-step process:
1) dispelling common misconceptions about karma;
2) acquiring a correct intellectual understanding of
karma’s key concepts; 3) managing your own karma
by utilizing the correct understanding of karma to
refine your actions and reactions in life.
42 hinduism today october/november/december, 2002
You have do doubt heard the most common false concept about karma
on a number of occasions. It goes something like this: “Nothing but bad
things happen to me. It’s my karma, and even when I strive to do better,
my striving has no effect upon it. So why should I even try to make my
life amount to anything? It’s truly hopeless.”
This misconception must be rejected for two important reasons. The
first is that you can actually change your karma through the principles of
effective karma management. The second is that how you live in this life
creates the karma you will face in your future lives. So, why not con-
sciously use the law of karma to create a future that is filled with pleasant
experiences rather than painful ones?
A second common false concept about karma, which you have proba-
bly also heard, goes like this: “My life is in a state of chaos. Everything is
going wrong, and it all started three months ago when Saturn entered Tau-
rus and my karma changed. I have been advised that if I can successfully
appease Saturn through having a priest do regular Sani puja, my problems
will go away. Therefore, that has become the entire focus of my religious life at
this time.” The fallacy of this attitude is that, yes, karmic difficulties indicated
by your astrology can be mitigated, but not simply by paying a priest to do Sani
puja. If that is all you are doing to work with your situation, that’s not enough. In
working through the trying times of life, your primary powers are willpower, de-
votion and understanding. Such karma can be mitigated through specific actions
performed by the individual, such as those outlined below, but not merely by giving
over such duties to others.
A second reason this misconception must be rejected is that it attributes the cause of
our problems to the planet Saturn rather than to our own actions in the past. It is like plead-
ing with the jailer to release you from your cell simply because being incarcerated is an un-
pleasant experience, having forgotten about the crime you committed that put you in prison in the
first place. Planets don’t determine your karma, and neither do the actions of others. It is self-creat-
ed, and you are the source of it all—good, bad and mixed.
Two Misconceptionsa
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One: Karma means act or deed.Let’s begin with the word karma itself. What does it mean?
Karma means “action” or “deed,” such as in the common
phrase karma yoga, “union through action.”
Two: The law of karma is thelaw of cause and effect.
When we say “the law of karma,” we refer to the
law of action and reaction, also called the law
of cause and effect. This law states that what
we sow we shall reap in this or future lives.
Benevolent actions (punyakarma or sukar-ma) will bring loving reactions. Selfish,
hateful acts (papakarma or kukarma) will
bring suffering. Every action that we
perform in life, every word we speak,
even every thought that we think, has
its reaction.
Three: Karma is just and self-governing.The law of karma is a divine, self-
governing system of justice that auto-
matically creates the appropriate fu-
ture experience in response to the
current action. However, unlike the
justice systems of a country, which
only punish the misdeeds of those
who are caught, tried and found
guilty, karma punishes misdeeds
and rewards good deeds whether
they are known or not. For example,
if a man robs a bank and is never
caught, no punishment is received
through man’s law. However, he will
inevitably face the consequences of
his crime through the law of karma.
Similarly, the good deed of giving
money regularly but anonymously to
a charity will be rewarded, even
though no one knows the giver’s
name.
Four: Karma is our teacher.Through understanding the conse-
quences of their actions, individuals
sooner or later learn to refrain from com-
mitting a particular misdeed. Any good
system of justice does not want repeat of-
fenders. It wants individuals to understand
the error of their ways and reform their be-
havior. You’ve heard Alexander Pope’s famous
phrase that to err is human, to forgive is divine.
Well, we can adapt his adage and say to err is hu-
man but to err only once is divine, meaning those
who are striving to live a religious life are self-re-
flective and learn quickly from their mistakes. This is
what we mean by saying “Karma is our teacher.” It
teaches us to refine our behavior—hopefully sooner rather
than later. One way to tell a young soul from an old soul is to
observe how quickly he learns karma’s lessons in life.
Five: We each have our individual karma.Karma also refers to our individual karma that we carry from life to
life, both the karma to be resolved in this life, and the karma to be
resolved in a future life. To understand this better, let us reflect again
on the criminal justice system. Justice is known for moving slowly. It
can take a number of years before a convicted criminal receives his
punishment. The law of karma is even slower. The consequences, or
fruits of actions, known as karmaphala, may not come for a number
of lifetimes. Thus, the karma we are born with is comprised of re-
wards and punishments from many past lives that have yet to mani-
fest, and are yet to be resolved.
Six: There are three types of individual karma.Our individual karma is of three types: sanchita, prarabdha and
kriyamana. Sanchita is the sum total of past karmas yet to be re-
solved. Prarabdha is that portion of sanchita karma scheduled to be
experienced in the present life, shaping its events and conditions, in-
cluding the nature of our bodies, personal tendencies and associa-
tions. Kriyamana is karma you are presently creating. While some
kriyamana karmas bear fruit in the current life, others are stored for
future births.
Seven: Astrology indicates the patterns of karma.Prarabdha karma determines one’s time of birth, which dictates
one’s astrology, which in turn delineates the individual life pattern by
influencing the release of these karmas. Thus, an individual will ex-
perience certain astrological periods as difficult and other periods as
auspicious and positive. Astrology does not dictate our karma, rather
our karma determines our astrology, so understanding our horo-
scope helps us knowledgeably manage our karma as it arises to be
faced.
Eight: Karmas are either active or inactive. Sanchita, prarabdha and kriyamana karmas can each be divided
into two categories: arabdha, “begun” or “undertaken” karma that is
sprouting; and anarabhda, “not commenced,” “dormant,” or seed
karma. An analogy can be drawn to a garden in which a variety of
seeds have been planted. Some types of plants will sprout in a few
days, others will take weeks and still others lie dormant for months.
Similarly, some of our karmas will manifest in the next few years,
some toward life’s end and others in a future life.
Nine: We create our own future. Our actions in the present are creating what we will experience in
the future, even in future lives. The point here is that when we think
of karma, we tend to think of the past. We reflect upon the rewards
and punishments from the past that are now manifesting and what
we must have done to create them. However, we must also think
about our future in this life and lives to come. Our actions in the pre-
sent are influencing that future, making it pleasant or unpleasant.
Therefore, before acting, a wise person reflects on that action’s
karmic consequences and thereby consciously molds his future.
Ten: Life is all about resolving karma. The ultimate future to consider is liberation from the cycle of birth
and death, samsara. As long as we have karmas to resolve, we will be
reborn on Earth. Thus, individuals who are intent upon spiritual
progress take the creation and resolution of karma quite seriously.
Not only do they strive to act wisely in the present, they perform ex-
tra religious practices to rid themselves in this life of karmas that
would normally only manifest in future lives. This is a profound
practice performed by sagacious sannyasins especially.
o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r , 2 0 0 2 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 43
Ten Correct Concepts
Pg 40-49 karma ond02 § 7/29/02 3:43 PM Page 43
First Principle: Forego RetaliationThere is no need for you to be the instrument to return a karmic re-
action to someone else. For example, an individual is really nasty to
you, so you feel the impulse to retaliate and be nasty to him. If you
follow that tack, you will create a new unseemly karma to face in the
future. Better to let the law of karma take its own course without
your intervention, which will generally happen through some other
person with less self-control who does not understand this law of life.
Let us take another example: a classic cowboy movie plot. Some-
one shoots and kills the hero’s brother during a robbery, and the rest
of the film is devoted to his chasing down the outlaw and shooting
him in revenge. What, then, happens in the next life, the sequel?
There is definitely a karma to be faced for killing in revenge. Perhaps
another robbery will take place and the hero will be killed. Wisdom
tells us that it is better to let the sheriff apprehend the outlaw and
bring him to justice. The sheriff has taken an oath and is authorized
to uphold the law and therefore creates no negative karma in captur-
ing the outlaw, even if he has no choice but to kill him in the process.
Gurudeva said, “Retaliation is a terrible, negative force. When we
retaliate against others, we build up a bank account of negative kar-
44 hinduism today october/november/december, 2002
The Ten Principles forEffective Karma Management
1 Forego retaliation: The protest march led by Gandhi on May 21,1930, is attacked by police as they approach the Dharasana Salt
Factory. The protestors did not retaliate or defend themselves, butallowed the injustice of the attack against them recoil against theadministration that ordered it. In each of the paintings commis-sioned for this article, Lord Ganesha, who governs karma, looks on.
BY SATGURU BODHINATHA VEYLANSWAMI
few years ago, i was one of two speakers at a lecture in perth, australia. ispoke on enlightenment, stressing that it is a gradual process, a deepening of the ability to
experience God, starting with seeing God as the light in the eyes of everyone you look at.
The second speaker, a prominent Malaysian Hindu leader, made the point that a modern
trend of Hindus is to consider the traditional wisdom given by swamis as old-fashioned and not lend
it much weight. Instead, many Hindus are fascinated with the modern, secular self-improvement-
seminar approach, which quite often takes its principles from Hindu thinking but gives them a mod-
ern packaging. So, today we are taking that modern approach to karma. You’ve heard of stress man-
agement workshops? Well, this a karma
management program, designed for workshops,
in which we will learn the ten principles for ef-
fective karma management, drawn from the
teachings of Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
(Gurudeva). This fulfills the third step of learn-
ing about karma, which is to apply our under-
standing of karma to our own life and thus refine
the way we act in and react to life. Gurudeva
taught: “It is easy to study the law of karma and
to appreciate it philosophically, but to realize it,
to apply it to everything that happens to you, to
understand the workings of it as the day goes by,
requires an ability to which you must awaken.”
Pg 40-49 karma ond02 § 7/29/02 3:43 PM Page 44
ma that will come back on us full force when we least expect it.”
Tirukural: “Forget anger toward all who have offended you, for itgives rise to teeming troubles.”
Second Principle: Accept ResponsibilityKarma generally manifests through other people, and thus it is easy
to see the other person as totally responsible for what happens to us.
For example, you are attacked by a mugger who strikes you and steals
your valuables. You are quite upset with the malicious thief. Howev-
er, the mystical perspective is to see yourself as responsible for what-
ever happens to you. You are, through your actions in the past, the
creator of all that you experience in the present. You caused your loss;
the thief is just the instrument for returning your karma to you.
Of course, it is easy to apply this principle when the effect is an
enjoyable one (we know intuitively when we get good things that we
deserve them) and not so easy to apply it when it is not enjoyable,
but in both cases we are equally responsible. In the end, you have no
one to praise but yourself when your life is filled with successes and
no one to blame but yourself when your life is filled with difficulties.
Gurudeva said, “As long as we externalize the source of our suc-
cesses and failures, we perpetuate the cycles of karma, good or bad.
There is no one out there making it all happen. Our actions, thoughts
and attitudes make it all happen. We must accept and bear our kar-
ma cheerfully.”
Tirukural: “Why should those who rejoice when destiny bringsthem good moan when that same destiny decrees misfortune?”
Third Principle: Forgive the OffenderTake as an example a teenage boy on the way home from school.
One day a gang of boys teases him for being different in some way
and beats him up. A common response is for the teenager to feel an-
gry at the boys and harbor ill feelings toward them for years. This is
problematic, however, as it keeps the lower emotions of anger con-
stantly churning in his subconscious mind. Unless he forgives them,
he perpetuates the event in his own mind, long after it is over.
Gurudeva often told the story of when a man attacked Swami
Sivananda, hitting him forcefully in the head with an axe during
evening satsang at his Rishikesh ashram. Swamiji’s followers were
outraged and angrily subdued the man. But Swami Sivananda re-
sponded with the opposite sentiment. He asked that the man not be
punished or turned over to the police. The next day he met with his
attacker and gave him a train ticket home, several spiritual books
and money. Swami said, “Thank you so much for being the instru-
ment to bring this karma back to me. Now I am free of it.” He felt no
o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r , 2 0 0 2 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 45
3 Forgive the Offender: In this true story, Swami Sivananda wasonce attacked by a man wielding an axe. Devotees restrained
the man and locked him in an ashram room. Sivananda came to theman, forgave him for the attack and let him go.
2 Accept Responsibility: The lady is recovering from having herpurse stolen by the fleeing robber. She is remembering a time
when she stole a valuable necklace from another lady’s purse, real-izing that the karma of that theft has now caught up with her.
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anger toward the man whatsoever.
Tirukural: “If you return kindness for injuries received and forgetboth, those who harmed you will be punished by their own shame.”
Fourth Principle: Consider the ConsequencesQuite often our actions are based upon an emotional reaction to
what someone has done or said to us. The consequences of such ac-
tions are often not clearly and carefully thought about. For example,
someone insults you, so you insult them back. If you did reflect, you
would see that the consequence of harming someone else with your
words in the present is for you to be harmed again in the future by
someone else’s words. This behavior creates an endless cycle of being
harmed and harming others, which is only stopped by considering
the consequences before acting and not harming back. Mahatma
Gandhi once said, “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”
So, too, instinctive retaliation ultimately makes the whole world an-
gry. The principle of considering the karmic consequences pertains
equally to positive actions. The wisest approach is to not simply re-
act to things that happen to us, but to take time to consider the
karmic repercussions of all actions before we take them.
The habit of considering the consequences before acting can be
developed at an early age when parents and teachers utilize positive
discipline methods to help children face the natural and logical con-
sequences of their actions. An insightful letter from Lord Ganesha
on consequences in Gurudeva’s book Loving Ganesha reminds us:
“Keep track of your paces, for your walk makes marks. Each mark
is a reward or a stumbling block. Learn to look at the step you have
made and the step you have not made yet. This brings you close to
Me.”
Gurudeva elucidates our fourth principle: “It is our reaction to
karmas through lack of understanding that creates most karmas we
shall experience at a future time.”
Tirukural: “All suffering recoils on the wrongdoer himself. Thus,those desiring not to suffer refrain from causing others pain.”
Fifth Principle: Create No Negative KarmasNow that we have a good grasp of the karmic consequences of vari-
ous kinds of actions, what is needed next to progress even further in
the management of karma is a firm commitment to refrain from ac-
tions that create new negative karma. Perhaps we should all take a
pledge, such as “I promise henceforth to refrain from all actions that
create negative karmas.”
This is actually not as difficult as it sounds. How do we know if
a specific action will create negative karma or not? Scriptures such
as the Tirukural may make mention of it. We can ask a Hindu reli-
gious leader his or her opinion. We can ask our parents or elders.
And once we get the knack of it, our own conscience will be able to
provide the answer most of the time.
Gurudeva advises us: “Wise handling of karma begins with the
decision to carry the karma we now have cheerfully, and not add to
it. A firm decision to live in such a way as to create no new negative
karmas is a sound basis for living a religious life, for following the
precepts of dharma and avoiding that which is adharmic.”
Tirukural: “What good is a man’s knowledge unless it promptshim to prevent the pain of others as if it were his own pain?”
Sixth Principle: Seek Divine Guidance We don’t have to manage our karma totally on our own. Help is
available, divine help, in fact. Such help comes from none other than
Lord Ganesha, who has the duty of helping sincere devotees man-
age their karma in the best way possible.
Once, through sincere worship, an individual develops a person-
al relationship with Ganesha, he naturally drops off any remaining
adharmic patterns of behavior and becomes fully established in a
dharmic life. Not only does Lord Ganesha help you become estab-
lished in dharma, but in the best personal dharmic pattern for this
life, known as svadharma, your natural occupation and duties to
family, friends, relatives, deceased relatives, community, guru and
temple.
When we seek His permission and blessings before every un-
dertaking, Ganesha, as the Lord of Obstacles, guides our karmas
through creating and removing obstacles from our path, similar to a
mother’s watching over her young children at play. He also has an ex-
traordinary knack for unweaving complicated situations and making
them simple. He can unweave His devotees from their karma, clar-
ifying and purifying their lives. How can we invoke this divine guid-
ance when we encounter karmic difficulties? Simply by chanting
His name or a simple mantra, or placing a flower at His feet, visiting
His temples for puja, meditating on Him or just visualizing His holy
form and inviting Him mentally to help in our time of need. He will
respond.
Gurudeva comments on svadharma, “Such a life is the fulfillment
of all previous efforts and thus erases the uncomplimentary deeds
and adds beneficial ones, so a next birth can be most rewardingly
great and useful to the whole of mankind.”
Tirukural: “Draw near the Feet of Him who is free of desire andaversion, and live forever free of suffering.”
46 hinduism today october/november/december, 2002
4 Consider the Consequences: This well-to-do lady didn’t restrainherself from stealing a nice outfit in a department store, even
though she could have afforded to buy it. Spotting her in the act, asecurity guard arrests her and leads her out in handcuffs to thewaiting police van and a day in court.
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5 Create No New Negative Karma: Satguru Subramuniyaswami often said we should “live like writing on water.” He meant that
our actions should be so considered that we pass through life with-out making ripples of bad karma that return to us in the future.
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Seventh Principle: Mitigate Past Karma Once we have stopped acting in ways that create new negative kar-
ma, our life will be sublime enough to focus on ridding ourselves of
karmas of the past, mitigating them, meaning to make less harsh,
painful or severe.
To better understand mitigation, let’s make another comparison
to the judicial system. A man commits armed robbery and receives
a ten- to twenty-year sentence. But due to good behavior in prison,
he is paroled after only five years. He has mitigated his sentence,
made it less severe, through his good behavior.
Let’s now take an example of karma that is mitigated. You are
destined to lose a leg in this life because you caused someone to lose
his in a past life. If you are living a selfish, low-minded kind of life,
the karma would come full force and you would lose your leg. How-
ever, if you are a kindly person who regularly helps others, the kar-
ma would be mitigated and you might read in the morning paper
about someone losing a leg and take on the emotion of that experi-
ence as if it had happened to you. Later on when hiking you stumble
and your leg is injured, but not severely. The full force of the karma
was softened by your kind and helpful actions.
Following Dharma: Living virtuously, in itself, helps modulate
the release of karmic seeds, evening out the ebb and flow of karma
and minimizing “karmic explosions” that might otherwise occur.
Thus negative karmas in one’s individual pattern are naturally avoid-
ed or mollified and positive karmas accentuated and brought into
fruition.
Karma Yoga: Helping others—karma yoga, performing good
deeds—and thus acquiring merit which registers as a new and posi-
tive karma is one way of alleviating the heaviness of some of our past
karma.
Bhakti Yoga: Worship, bhakti yoga, that is intense enough to
cause us to receive the grace of the Gods can change the patterns of
karma dating back many past lives, clearing and clarifying condi-
tions that were created hundreds of years ago and are but seeds now,
waiting to manifest in the future. The key concept here is intensity.
Dropping by the temple for fifteen minutes on the way home from
work is unlikely to accomplish such a transformation.
Pilgrimage: Pilgrimage is an excellent way to generate an inten-
sity of worship. Over the years, Gurudeva’s devotees have pilgrim-
aged to India, visiting major temples such as Chidambaram, Rame-
shvaram and Palani Hills. Many have come back transformed. They
physically look a little different, behave differently and fit back into
48 hinduism today october/november/december, 2002
7 Mitigate Past Karma: In a fit of anger, this man beat his son ear-lier in the day, even though he vowed to his guru that he would
never again strike his child. As he fasts in a self-imposed penancefor his misdeed, he feels regretful and renews his resolve to raisethe boy without violence.
6 Seek Divine Guidance: Seeking to clarify some difficult karmashe is facing, this devotee invokes Lord Ganesha. The Lord of
Obstacles is able to bring simplicity to complex situations. Afterworshipping Him, our duty becomes clear, and the right course ofaction to resolve our situation unfolds to our inner intelligence.
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life in a more positive way than before. Their karma was changed by
the grace of the Gods.
Vows: A vrata, or vow, can also generate an intensity of worship,
such as fasting during the day and attending the temple on each of
the six days of Skanda Shashthi or the 21 days of Vinayaga Viratam.
Penance: Penance, prayashchitta, is a forth way to mitigate kar-
ma. This is like punishing yourself now and getting it over with in-
stead of waiting for your karma to manifest a punishment in the fu-
ture. A typical form of penance is to perform walking prostrations,
such as around a sacred lake or mountain, up a sacred path or
around a temple.
Often it is advised to perform penance that is directly related to
a misdeed. Let’s take the example of a teacher who frequently used
corporal punishment to discipline students but now strongly feels
hitting children for any reason, even for discipline, is wrong. An ap-
propriate penance would be to print and distribute to teachers liter-
ature on alternatives to corporal punishment. This type of penance
should only be undertaken after a certain degree of remorse is
shown and the urgency is felt by the devotee to rid his mind of the
plaguing matter.
Gurudeva said, “When pre-dawn morning pujas, scriptural read-
ing, devotionals to the guru and meditation are performed without
fail, the deeper side of ourselves is cultivated, and that in itself soft-
ens our karmas and prolongs life.”
Tirukural: “Be unremitting in the doing of good deeds; do themwith all your might and by every possible means.”
Eighth Principle: Accelerate KarmaWhy wait twenty more births to achieve spiritual maturity when
you could achieve it in two births? That is the idea behind acceler-
ating karma. When we begin meditating and performing regular
daily sadhana, preferably at the same time each day, our individual
karma is intensified. In our first four or five years of striving on the
path we face the karmic patterns that we would never have faced in
this life had we not consciously intensified our spiritual practices.
Those on the spiritual path resolve much more karma in a lifetime
than others. They could be called professional karma managers.
Of course, family duties in the grihastha ashrama don’t allow
much time for sadhana. Thus, the principle of karma acceleration is
best fulfilled in the stage called sannyasa, both by those following
the path of the monk and by everyone after age seventy-two. Re-
tirement can be more than playing golf. It is an opportunity to in-
tensify our spiritual practices and thus accelerate our karma.
Gurudeva said, “By this conscious process of purification, of in-
ner striving, of refining and maturing, the karmas come more swift-
ly, evolution speeds up and things can and usually do get more in-
tense. Don’t worry though. That is natural and necessary. That
intensity is the way the mind experiences the added cosmic energies
that begin to flow through the nervous system.”
Tirukural: “Not allowing a day to pass without doing some goodis a boulder that will block your passage on the path to rebirth.”
Ninth Principle: Resolve Dream KarmaThough some of our dreams are only the result of thoughts occur-
ring in our own mind, other dreams are astral experiences, of being
conscious in our astral body and interacting with others in their as-
tral body. These astral plane actions create karma, just as do our
physical plane actions. This is the basis of the Hindu ideal that one
would not steal or injure even in a dream. Why? Because such trans-
gressions create negative karma that will come back to you. These
are real karmas that may eventually manifest on the physical plane.
However, this can be avoided if you happen to have further dream
experiences in which appropriate actions are taken to dissolve the
karma. More commonly, though, we can resolve dream or astral-
plane karmas in the same way we would physical-world experiences,
by performing penance for them in our waking state, while remem-
bering the high standards of virtue and good conduct that should al-
ways be maintained, even during sleep. For instance, if in an emo-
tional dream you injured someone intentionally, you could perform
a simple penance the next day to atone, such as fasting one meal.
Gurudeva said, “These kinds of dreams—when a person is in his
astral body and can feel what he touches, emote to his experiences,
think and talk—are not what is known as the dream state. This is an
astral experience, similar to the death experience, but the astral
body is still connected to the physical body.”
Tirukural: “The highest principle is this: never knowingly harmanyone at any time in any way.”
Tenth Principle: Incinerate KarmaIn the practice of yoga, we can burn up negative seed karmas with-
out ever having to live through them. What we have to do is find the
seed and dissolve it in intense inner light. Let’s take the analogy of
growing alfalfa spouts. You place the seeds in a jar and keep them
moist until they sprout. But if you heat the seeds in a frying pan be-
fore putting them into the jar, they will no longer sprout. Similarly,
karmas exposed to intense inner light are destroyed.
A meditation adept, having pinpointed an unmanifested karmic
seed, can either dissolve it in intense light or inwardly live through
o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r , 2 0 0 2 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 49
8 Accelerate Karma: By intensifying our spiritual practices, wecan accelerate our spiritual progress. The difference in rate of
resolution of karma is as great as the difference in speed between aflying carpet and the ponderous bullock cart.
Pg 40-49 karma ond02 § 7/29/02 3:44 PM Page 49
the reaction of his past action. If his meditation is successful, he will
be able to throw out the vibrating experiences or desires which are
consuming the mind. In doing this, in traveling past the world of de-
sire, he breaks the wheel of karma which binds him to the specific
reaction which must follow every action. That experience will nev-
er have to happen on the physical plane, for its vibrating power has
already been absorbed in his nerve system. This incineration of
karmic seeds can also happen during sleep.
Gurudeva explains it in this way, “It is the held-back force of san-chita karma that the yogi seeks to burn out with his kundalini flame,
to disempower it within the karmic reservoir of anandamaya kosa,
the soul body.”
Tirukural: “As the intense fire of the furnace refines gold to bril-liance, so does the burning suffering of austerity purify the soul to re-splendence.”
ConclusionNo matter how deep our understanding of karma may be, actually
applying our understanding of karma to the events in our daily life
can still be a challenge. Why is this? Our humanness gets in the way;
our ego is challenged and we react to preserve our self image; our
emotions are stirred and we respond impulsively, without intellectu-
al reflection; our attitudes are prejudicial against certain religious or
ethnic groups and we feel justified in striking out at them, because
they are not “our people.”
How can such human weaknesses be overcome? It is by perfect-
ing our character, which Gurudeva defined as “the ability to act with
care.” This is done through mastering Hinduism’s Code of Conduct,
the ten yamas, restraints, and the ten niyamas, observances (see HT,
October, 1997, pages 32 to 35 or www.hinduismtoday.com/1997/10/
1997-10-03.html). With a strong character in place, the mastery of
karma becomes natural to us. Gurudeva mystically summarizes this
process as follows:
“Bhakti brings grace, and the sustaining grace melts and blends
the karmas in the heart. In the heart chakra karmas are in a molten
state. The throat chakra molds the karmas through sadhana, regular
religious practices. The third eye chakra sees the karmas past, pre-
sent and future as a singular oneness. And the crown chakra absorbs,
burns clean, enough of the karmas to open the gate, the door of
Brahman, revealing the straight path to merging with Siva.” ∏π
9Resolve Karma in Deep Sleep or Meditation: In her dream, achild is going through a traumatic experience and her de-
ceased grandmother is comforting her. Karma can be experiencedand resolved in such dream states.
10 Incinerate Karma: This yogi is joyously coming out of a deepmeditation in which he has uncovered and “fried” the seeds
of future karma, depicted as the human forms in the flames abovehim. He faced this karma on the subtle plane, before there wouldbe a physical manifestation.
50 hinduism today october/november/december, 2002
a m
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o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r , 2 0 0 2 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 51
By Geeta Maraj, Canadarakash chand gossaiis the youngest of three
brothers, and the most
prominent in the Hindu
community. “Knowledge of
our culture and religion, com-
pounded by a solid education, is
the key to societal success,” says
Prakash. His pragmatic approach
employs concepts from the scrip-
tures and applies them to every-
day life. He also leads devotional
songs and has captured the inter-
est of the young and old alike.
Prakash lives in New York, but
travels to many countries conduct-
ing sermons including Canada, the
West Indies, South America and
almost every state in the US.
Prakash, along with his elder brothers
Bankim and Deo Chand Gossai, all grew up
in Guyana. Bankim, despite a very demand-
ing accounting job, contributes selflessly to
his community in an effort to educate and
preserve Hinduism. In 1999, he founded the
Maha Lakshmi Vidya Bhavan temple in
London, England. “Our children are our fu-
ture investment in our religion and culture.
We must emphasize Hinduism and provide
them with opportunities to learn.”
Bankim also participates in charitable
work, supporting the poor and sick, as well
as giving free music and Hindi classes. He
lectures on religion and music at many uni-
versities and colleges in London. Each year,
he travels to the West Indies, Canada and
the United States conducting sermons and
yajnas, or fire ceremonies. Like Prakash, he
approaches sermons with a practical flair
coupled with a musical talent. He feels it is
through this medium that he attracts the
younger generation. He sees his efforts not
as hard work, but as a form of devotion to
the feet of his Lord. “Let our actions be our
puja,” Bankim says.
Prakash has produced many CDs, cas-
settes and books in an effort to teach philos-
ophy and arouse interest in Hindu culture
and traditions. His ability to trigger your in-
ner cry for spiritual enlightenment is addic-
tive and will keep you forever yearning for
his teachings. “We must always try to see
goodness in all, even our enemies, and to
have faith and trust in the Supreme who
guides our path,” said Prakash. In April
2002, Prakash received three
awards at the Devi Mandir in On-
tario, Canada. The first award was
given on behalf of the Premiere of
Ontario for his contributions to the
Hindu community of Ontario. The
second award was given by the Hin-
du Federation and the third by the
Devi Mandir. “There are many
priests and spiritual leaders who
contribute selflessly to Hinduism,”
said Prakash, “They deserve these
awards more than I do. On their be-
half, I accept these honors you have
given me.”
Deo Chand Gossai, the eldest, of-
fers unflinching support to his
brothers and their quest to spread
the teachings of Hinduism. Both
Prakash and Bankim admire him
for his gentle manner, which they find in-
spiring. They feel that their eldest brother
sets the ultimate example, in that his natur-
al calmness, humility and love are the qual-
ities we seek in all religions. Deo Chand
Gossai is popular among his fellow New
Yorkers for his singing talent, especially on
religious occasions. “Doing my puja (wor-
ship) in the mornings and supporting others
in any way I can is my small contribution to
my religion,” said Deo. ∏πweb: www.prakashgossai.com
ph
ot
os:
ge
et
a m
ar
aj
R E L I G I O N
A Dynamic TrioThe Gossai brothers’ innovative teaching style
inspires young and old to love Hinduism
Brothers and Dad: (l to r) Prakash Chand, Deo Chand andBankim Chand with their father, Bissoon Gossai (front)
Hindu inspirators: With music and inventive sermons, Bankim (left) and Prakash (right) inspire young and old to be better Hindus
pg 51 Gossai Bros OND02 § 7/29/02 3:45 PM Page 51
52 hinduism today o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r , 2 0 0 2
ndra devi was one of the great-est spiritual propagators in the West.
The simplicity of her methods and the
charisma she used to transmit yoga
were keys for reaching thousands of
people. Her life spanned the entire Twenti-
eth Century, and her influence was felt from
India to Europe, from Hollywood to South
America. Mataji, as she was known, passed
away April 25, 2002, in Argentina, her home
for the past 17 years, at the age of 102.
In February, 2002, Mataji suffered a
stroke which paralyzed her right side. Her
health worsened progressively until her
heart stopped beating the twenty-fifth day
of April. Since she taught that the soul need-
ed three days to detach itself from the body,
her devotees performed vigil for exactly that
period of time. Prominent celebrities from
the country came to pay their respects. “She
was like a national treasure,” the New YorkTimes quoted one Argentina writer in its
story on her passing. “It wasn’t just yoga, she
was known by the population at large.” In
accordance with Hindu tradition, her body
was cremated and her ashes scattered in Río
de la Plata, the immense “Silver River” that
flows through Buenos Aires, the capital of
Argentina.
Indra Devi was born in the Russia of the
Czars, on May 12, 1899. She was the daugh-
ter of Alejandra Labunskaia, a member of
the Russian nobility, and Vasili Peterson, of
Swedish origin. Her parents baptized her
Eugene Peterson according to the rites of
the Russian Orthodox Church. She lived
through the bloody Bolshevik Revolution of
1917, which brought the communists into
power. She and her mother were able to
leave the country in 1920. A trained actress
and dancer, she became part of a theatrical
troupe and toured all over Europe.
In 1927, attracted by India’s culture and
spirituality, specifically the teachings of J.
Krishnamurthi, she decided to relocate on
the subcontinent. Under the stage name In-
dra Devi, she became a rising star in Indian
films, marrying the Czechoslovakian diplo-
mat, Jan Strakaty, who was posted to India.
In time, due to a cardiac illness, she started
practicing yoga under the tutelage of Sri Kr-
ishnamacharya at the palace of the Maha-
raja of Mysore in South India. Some of the
great exponents of yoga today were fellow
students, including B. K. S. Iyengar and K.
Pattabi Jois. After experiencing a complete
recovery, she was urged by her guru to teach
yoga—the first Western lady to do so in
India. She befriended many, including Ma-
hatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore and
Jawaharlal Nehru. After some years, she ac-
companied her husband to China and there
opened Shanghai’s first yoga school—during
the Japanese occupation—in the house of
Madame Chiang Kaishek, wife of the na-
tionalist leader.
After the end of World War II, Indra
came back to India, where she wrote her
first book. In 1947, her husband died and
T R A N S I T I O N
Indra Devi’s LegacyThe “First Lady of Yoga,” daughter of Russian nobility, teacher of the stars
and national treasure of Argentina, passes away at age 102
ph
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o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r , 2 0 0 2 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 53
she moved to California and became the
guide and teacher of several big Hollywood
stars. In 1953 she married a renowned doc-
tor and humanitarian from Los Angeles,
Sigfrid Knauer, became an American citi-
zen and changed her name legally to Indra
Devi. Always wearing her trademark sari,
she again set out to teach.
Indra Devi realized it wouldn’t be easy to
promote yoga in America. Fortuitously, she
received the support of Elizabeth Arden, the
well-known cosmetology expert who by then
already had her famous and fabulously suc-
cessful line of beauty products and spas.
Elizabeth, one of America’s wealthiest
women, familiar with the virtues of yoga,
soon became a follower and advocate of In-
dra Devi’s yoga methods, incorporating them
in her upscale health spa programs. This
helped Americans learn about Indra Devi’s
work and open themselves to the ancient
Hindu science. Shortly thereafter, noted and
troubled actress Jennifer Jones arrived at
Mataji’s studio in Los Angeles. Recommend-
ed by her psychotherapist, she was in search
of tranquility and peace. Indra Devi, also
once an actress, felt an immediate empathy
and through asanas and meditation was able
to help her young disciple attain better equi-
librium. That success quickly elevated Indra
to the teacher of great stars of the day, such
as Greta Garbo, Gloria Swanson (one of her
best friends), Ramón Novarro, Linda Chris-
tian and Robert Ryan.
During a visit to Moscow in 1960, Devi
held a conference for Kremlin functionaries
which led to the granting of legal status for
the teaching of yoga in Russia. She traveled
tirelessly around the world giving multiple
conferences, aided by her fluency in five lan-
guages—English, Spanish, Russian, French
and German.
As with most yoga teachers, she did not
directly promote Hinduism. She once said,
“I do not belong to any religion. Everything
is between God and myself.” In 1966 she be-
came a devotee of Satya Sai Baba and began
calling her teachings “Sai Yoga.”
Argentina would be the next chapter in
her life. When Doctor Knauer, her second
husband, passed away in 1984, Mataji was
living in Sri Lanka. Despite being eighty
years old, she felt she should continue her
same intense teaching. Argentina became
her choice, for when she first visited in
1982, in her own words, she “fell in love
with the country and its people.” According
to a New York Times report, “Her populari-
ty snowballed after a single television ap-
pearance.” She settled in Buenos Aires.
As soon as she arrived in her new home-
land, she was showered with invitations to
conduct conferences throughout the coun-
try. She hardly grasped the phenomenon
that was generated around her. Lecture halls
Living in Three Centuries: (left) Indra Deviwith her foremost students in Argentina,David and Iana Lifer; (above) with RobertRyan, Hollywood hunk of the 1950s, a lead-ing “tough guy” actor and kind humanitari-an and yoga student in real life; (right) withpersonal friend Gloria Swanson, one of thehighest paid actors in Hollywood and one offew to successfully transition from silent totalking films
fo
un
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tio
ns
co
ur
te
sy d
av
id l
ifa
r
pg 52-54 Indradevi ond02 § 7/29/02 3:45 PM Page 53
54 hinduism today o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r , 2 0 0 2
had no room for all the people wanting
to hear her words. She soon established
a studio that was crowded with visitors,
not only to attend classes, but also to see
her, seeking comfort, looking for happi-
ness, tenderness and hope.
In 1987, Francesca Baldi, who
helped Mataji during her first days in
Buenos Aires, could no longer continue
as her aide. Indra Devi, who did not en-
joy taking care of the organizational
phase of her work, found a competent
assistant in David Lifar, the husband of
a dear disciple, Iana Lifar. With him by
her side, she established the Fundacion
Indra Devi (www.fundacion-indra-
devi.org/), dedicated to promoting her
teachings in the art of living healthy
and in full. During the 15 years she
lived in Buenos Aires, she continued to trav-
el around the world spreading the wise prin-
ciples of love, enlightenment and peace.
Indra Devi had the singular gift of reach-
ing people’s hearts. Many skeptics of Indra
and her message completely changed their
view shortly after meeting and listening to
her. She respected those who shared her
ideas and those who did not. By not impos-
ing, the warmth of her presence and her
sense of humor disarmed and convinced
even the harshest of critics.
Esther Riskin of Buenos Aires said, “I
don’t know what would have happened to us
without Mataji’s yoga teaching. The various
exercises really saved the life of my hus-
band, who suffered from a serious depres-
sion and was on the verge of suicide. No one
can imagine how lucky I feel after meeting
Mataji and discovering yoga through her
words.”
A devotee from San Pedro said her pres-
ence in the city was so intense that
he defined time as “before the com-
ing of Mataji and after, at which
point it was charged with enlighten-
ment and love.” She had the power to
soften hardened hearts, as for one
student who could never emotionally
accept her daughter because she was
born out of wedlock. After meditat-
ing with Mataji while listening to a
tape of her teachings she opened her
heart to the little girl.
Atencio Carlos Antonio Comodoro
Rivadavia of Chubut said, “Her lega-
cy, which transcended all kinds of
frontiers, will always be present
through the Indra Devi Foundation.
In six major centers they run yoga
courses for adults, children, youth,
pregnant women, elderly, executives. They
teach anti-stress techniques and they certify
teachers. The Foundation helps the commu-
nity by offering free classes, visiting prisons,
and donating clothing and food to disadvan-
taged families. Thus the legacy of Indra
Devi continues into the third century after
her birth. ∏π
By Adriana Aboy, a student of Indra Deviand free-lance journalist writing for healthmagazines in Argentina.
e women must lis-ten to our inner voice.
It is easier for women
to do this as they are
not afraid to say what they
feel. We must keep both our
femininity and our strength.
Men have to descend from
their pedestal and learn how
to be more broadminded and
spiritual.
“A human being’s full free-
dom is to find himself (i.e., be
loyal to himself), with inde-
pendence of judgment, think-
ing and being flexible and
malleable in order to reach
harmonization and mental
peace. Freedom is living with-
out chains. Yoga is a way to
freedom. By its constant prac-
tice, we can free ourselves
from fear, anguish and
loneliness.
“Women must not shout
back when their husbands
come home and shout at them
for any reason. They must
laugh and say, ‘How nice the
way you shout.’ Laughter
drives shouting away. Tell your
husbands any bad news when
everything is calm, not just as
they come through the door.
“Yoga is an art and science
of living. Yoga means union, in
all its significances and di-
mensions. Through a certain
amount of physical and mental
disciplines we can learn how
to stay healthy, alert, receptive
and to improve our perception
of the external world in order
to feel internally harmonized,
with a better life condition
and spiritual balance.
“Movements in yoga are
harmonious, slow, soft, plastic,
relaxed, always conscious, and
require a permanent and ac-
tive mental participation. The
whole work rests on the di-
alectic tension-relaxation. It’s
important to stimulate, turn
elastic, tonify, to make oneself
conscious of limbs, superficial
and deep muscles, joints, and
spine, achieving a gradual and
progressive limb decontrac-
tion, loosening and relaxation.
“Nonviolence is one of the
keys of yoga, and we should
begin it by ourselves. Learn-
ing to recognize and respect
our own peculiar rhythm
and working on that base is
essential.
“Try this visualization: Look
at the sky and at the stars.
Choose one, the one you like
the most. You want that star to
guide you, it’s so pretty! Look-
ing at that star, you would like
it to get down. Then you think
on really getting this star
down as much as possible,
going more and more down
and down, until you feel it on
your chest, disappearing in
your heart, and your entire
being fills with joy because
this is the day in which a star
got into your heart and stayed
to live there. Now you realize
you need to change many
things in your daily life for it
to stay there; otherwise, it will
slowly go away, leaving a huge
empty space. Suddenly you
feel so happy, knowing you’ve
got a light in your heart which
can get bigger and bigger,
shining through our eyes,
deeds, words and thoughts.
We realize we’ll never be
alone anymore. We’ve got our
own daylight to get bad
thoughts away, and we talk
with that light—our star in our
heart. We take away what’s
unimportant. If it’s the divine
will, we ask it to guide us to
what we have divine and eter-
nal in this life and in the next
one. And let the light in the
heart carry us.”
In Her Own Sweet WordsGems from Mataji’s gentle yogic teachings
“
re
ut
er
s
Disarming guide: Indra Devi in Argentina
pg 52-54 Indradevi ond02 § 7/29/02 3:45 PM Page 54
mba caldwell began the studyof yoga in 1978, under the guidance
of Swami Muktananda, and has con-
sidered herself a Hindu ever since.
She lived full time at his ashram in India un-
til 1982, and upon his mahasamadhi that
year returned to the University of California
at Berkeley. She completed her Ph.D. in an-
thropology in 1995, having spent two years
in Kerala on her thesis. During that time,
she formally converted to Hinduism through
the Arya Samaj. She has remained a prac-
titioner of Siddha Yoga under the guidance
of one of Swami Muktananda’s successors,
Swami Nityananda. Last year, Amba
held the post of visiting professor at
Harvard Divinity School.
Her spiritual life has continued to
develop, and in the fall of 2001, just
before Navaratri, she began to attend
the Sri Mahalakshmi Temple in Ash-
land, Massachusetts, where she was
befriended by the temple’s Saiva
priest, Sri Bairava Sundaram, and his
wife, Mangala. “Through their guid-
ance and friendship,” she told Hin-duism Today, “I came to know about
Mangala’s father, Sri Sambamurthy
Sivachariar. I developed a strong de-
sire to meet him and to take formal
diksha, initiation, from him to deepen
my knowledge of Saiva and Sakta worship.”
She sought and received permission from
her guru, and from Sri Sambamurthy him-
self, for the initiation, and then went to
Chennai in March, 2001, for the ceremony.
“I was very warmly welcomed,” she recalls,
“by the families of both Bairava Sundaram
in Madurai and Sri Sambamurthy Sivachari-
ar in Chennai, who hosted me at their
homes with great love and kindness.”
The initiation was set for the Thiruma-
zhissai Siva temple outside Chennai, the
birthplace and ancestral home of Sri Sam-
bamurthy. The March 31 ceremony was
very elaborate, as it coincided
with the temple’s Brahmotsavam
festival, which brought 150priests for the rituals. There
were ten other initiates that day,
mostly young boys and men from
Sivachariar’s family. “I was the
only woman and the only West-
erner included in this ceremony,”
she said, “but I was told it was
done for several Westerners be-
fore.” This was also the day that
Sri Sambamurthy was presented
this magazine’s Hindu Renais-
sance Award honoring him as
Hindu of the Year for 2002. [See
Nov/Dec, 2001]
The rituals preceding the initi-
ation into the mantra were elaborate. At one
point, Amba was asked to throw a handful
of flowers onto a yantra, or sacred diagram,
with five faces corresponding to the five
faces of Lord Siva. The color segment in
which the flowers land indicates the lineage
of Sivachariars that one is joining. Amba’s
landed in the white segment, indicating her
initiation lineage of Satyojata, which is in
the western segment of the yantra. The
shakti, or feminine power, associated with
the Satyojata face of Shiva is Ambika or
Amba, which the priests all felt was fitting
as her name, Amba, already had been given.
They added, “You are white and you are
from the West, so it’s perfect!” The priests
determined that the initiation name should
be “Satyojata Ganashakti Amba.”
Next came the moment of initiation, when
the mantra is spoken in the ear of the initi-
ate by the priest while both are under a dec-
orative cloth. Amba recalls, “I then offered
flowers into the yagna pit and to the presid-
ing priest and was seated under the red silk
cloth. For all the previous initiates the priest
sitting near the yagna had been the
one to give the mantra. But now Sri
Sambamurthy himself had joined us.
He loudly and powerfully bestowed
the mantra in my ear, and then it was
over.”
After the diksha, the priests who
had presided over the ceremony car-
ried two kalasams, water pots, repre-
senting Lord Siva and Parvati, around
the temple, then bathed the Siva Lin-
ga inside the sanctum. “The water
from the kalasam was also doused
over us initiates,” Amba said, “and a
feeling of real ecstasy ensued.” ∏π
Contact Amba Caldwell [email protected]
Receiving the mantra: Sri Samba-murthy Sivachariyar, (standingon right, under cloth) recites theSaivite mantra during initiationof Amba Caldwell (center)
P E O P L E
Leading Priest InitiatesAmerican Scholar into SaivismChennai ceremony fulfills long-term desire
ph
ot
os:
mu
de
iva
ra
ya
n
Blessing: Receiving kumkum from Sri Sambamurthy
o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r , 2 0 0 2 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 55
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56 hinduism today october/november/december, 2002
he whole world heard of pan-durang Shastri Athavale when he was
honored with the Philippine’s coveted
Magsaysay Award in 1996 and the mil-
lion-dollar Templeton Prize in religion in
1997. His organization, Swadhyay Parivar,
has made an impressive impact in America
with Vayashta Sanchalan, “Youth Rallies,” at
classy locations across the country, including
Chicago’s All State Arena (May 11), Los An-
geles’ Arrowhead Pond (May 18) and New
York’s Madison Square Garden (May 26).
Fifteen to twenty thousand people attended
each of the exquisitely organized events.
These expansive functions were put to-
gether at the last minute, thanks to the Pari-
var’s well-honed human machinery of dedi-
cated volunteers of youth as well as adults.
One of the core national volunteers told
Hinduism Today, “We received a call from
Dadaji [“Elder brother,” as Sri Athavale is af-
fectionately addressed] in April asking us to
go ahead with the youth rallies. The dates
and venues were decided in hours following
that phone call.” The chosen venues are nor-
mally booked months in advance, but still
they secured the dates they wanted. “Our
only clout was the divine will and the divine
hand,” he said. As with every volunteer I
spoke with, he did not want his name men-
tioned. So common do they find this divine
hand in their work that the Parivar mem-
bers have a saying for it—“Love letter from
God to us in our work.”
There was not a single paid advertisement
of the events in any of the media. The news
is spread by word of mouth. No invitations
were sent by mail. Rather, every single fam-
ily attending each of the events was invited
in person with a home visit called bhav
pheri, “friendly or loving visit.” In the Los
Angeles area for example, about 700 Parivar
members took it upon themselves to make
visits, mostly unannounced, to the homes of
their friends, acquaintances and neighbors.
They invited each in person with a free
pass, and gave a small brochure containing
the Trikal Sandhya Shlokas. Chanting these
shlokas, or sacred verses, three times a day
is a central practice for followers. Before
they departed, they offered a brief prayer.
In a mobile society with everyone’s over-
scheduled days, this was thoroughly imprac-
tical, both for the visitor and the visited, yet
it was carried on with missionary zeal, re-
peating visits for the not-at-homes. One of
my friends was actually annoyed when two
swadhyayees (members) showed up at her
door one evening, minutes before she had to
leave for a social event. She asked them why
Angelic Greeting: Didi, the daughter and successor to movement founder Sri Pandurang Shastri Athavale, is met by winged youngwomen whose sashes read “Loving Angels” upon arriving at the Arrowhead Pond complex
Y O U T H
A Young Welcome for AthavaleTempleton Prize winning spiritual leader inspires America’s Hindu youth
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o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r , 2 0 0 2 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 57
they had not called her before, and asked
me, “Why do they have to resort to the vis-
iting practices of the Mormon church?” Of
course, she was probably unaware that it is
just this in-person approach that has made
the Mormon church one of the most suc-
cessful in America.
As I approached the expansive and ele-
gant venue of the Arrowhead Pond for the
May 18 event in LA, I could see the flags of
35 countries where the Parivar has active
centers flying high above the parking lot.
Three hundred young girls clad in white
cotton salwar khameez, with black shawls of
the Parivar symbols across their shoulders,
stood joining their hands to form a human
chain, signifying the Parivar’s motto of uni-
fying the whole world as one family. They
shouted Parivar slogans as the car carrying
Jayashree Talwalkar, affectionately known
as Didi, the daughter of Parivar founder
Pandurang Shastri Athavale, entered the
premises.
Inside the arena, more than 15,000 people
had gathered for the four-hour event. The
stage was decorated with a giant torch that
is the symbol of the movement, as well as
three circles signifying Trikal Sandhya, and
a globe of the Earth surrounded by a human
chain, all crafted out of paper. Didi, who is
standing in for her aging and frail father,
was ceremoniously welcomed by the Pari-
var, as well as local dignitaries.
She summarized the teachings of her fa-
ther in her half-hour talk in Hindi. “Dadaji,
you have breathed an elevated sense of hu-
manity in each human being with your
teaching that the same God dwells in the
heart of all, leading them to drop their com-
plexes, and reminding each one of their di-
vine mission in life,” she said. “All matter is
inert. It is the chaitanya or the sentient prin-
ciple that gives momentum to people and
their ideas. You have to pick up the ball of
the movement and run with it.”
Dadaji himself then was brought into the
arena in a wheelchair, and said a few words.
The audience gave him a tremendous wel-
come. Thousands lit the lamp sticks that had
been handed out in advance. The sparkling
lights waving from all four levels of the audi-
torium was a spectacular scene.
Next, 300 young men and 100 women,
ranging in age from 16 to their early 30s,
marched into the arena and moved in for-
mation to finely choreographed steps. They
held in their hands two-foot-tall torches
with live flames, striding proud-
ly in rhythm to the invigorating,
patriotism-charged song “Jalti
Mashal Hathmein Yuvan Chal
Pade” (“With burning torch in
hand, the youth stride forth”),
sung with fervor by the musical
ensemble. The torch is the sym-
bol of their movement, and its
meaning encompasses the ad-
vancement of culture, putting
into practice the noble thoughts
from the scriptures and accom-
plishing great deeds for the
movement and the nation.
The event was grand, and af-
ter I reported back to HinduismToday about it, the editors re-
quested I learn more about this
energetically successful organi-
zation, especially how they are
able to elicit such enthusiastic
youth involvement. The extrava-
gant event was free, and when
asked about this, the coordinator
said, “When you attend a lavish
wedding, do you ask that family
how much money they spent or
where the money came from?”
He refused to give even a ball-
park figure, shrugging it off as a
family matter, and insisting that
there is no fund raising in the
Parivar, no charity; everything is
done on the basis of devotion.
“Ever since the Parivar’s early
days, 60 years ago, Dadaji had
taken an ayachak vrata, the
“not-asking vow,” that he would
never solicit any money, directly
or indirectly, from any individ-
ual, institution or government.
He has not only maintained it for
himself, but his millions of fol-
lowers have kept the same prin-
ciple,” the coordinator explained.
The 16,000 to 20,000 Parivar
members who attend 300 cen-
ters spread across U.S. cities do not pay any
membership, nor is there a formal member-
ship ritual, no membership drive, but an
open-door policy exists for persons of all
creeds or class to attend their hour-long ses-
sion every Sunday morning, mostly compris-
ing prayer, scripture study and discussion.
“We do not believe in any superstition,”
the coordinator explained. “Dadaji has al-
ways said, ‘Understand why we should love
God and then do it fully. God is not just with
you but within you. He does not work for
you but with you.’ ”
The grass roots movement of Swadhyay
Parivar began in 1942, when Sri Athavale,
then only 22 years old, started giving dis-
courses on scriptures at a humble pathasha-la, religious school, in Madhavbaug, Mumbai.
(Above) Pandurang Shastri Athavale, now82, is helped on the stage by his wife;(right) youth march with flaming torches torousing inspirational songs.
Pg 56-58 AtavaleLA ond02 § 7/29/02 3:46 PM Page 57
58 hinduism today october/november/december, 2002
Sri Athavale taught, “God is the source of
all life and He dwells in every human being.
It is a multi-faceted, life-transforming world
view that encourages self-esteem, concern
for dignity of all and a discharge of grati-
tude to God through work-oriented devo-
tion.” The Parivar’s motto is the brotherhood
of all under the fatherhood of God. Today
they claim some three million followers,
coming from diverse religions, in 35 coun-
tries around the world.
One of the national-level coordinators—
who, again, did not want to be named—told
me, “We do not classify ourselves as a reli-
gious organization. The Parivar (literally,
“family”) is based on the concept of an ex-
tended family, and we are bound by a spirit
of selfless love and service to fellow humans,
like a family of millions. It is God-centered
work, and work for others is rendered in the
spirit of service to the God. We have no ti-
tles, no hierarchy, but only responsibility of
coordination.” Although led by principles
culled from Upanishads and the Gita, they
do not restrict themselves to Hindus.
“The God is not only in the sky and not
only in the temple, but He resides in the
hearts of all.” This basic tenet of the Parivar
propels an individual into dynamic action,
transforming religious doctrine into a plan
of action. The way the coordinators describe
it, it is an injunction for karma yoga (seeking
spiritual advancement through doing of
good works) with dedication and action,
with the yogas of jnana (spiritual knowledge
and enlightenment) and bhakti (devotion)
blended into it. To these their leader
Athavale has added his own concept of sad-han yoga, “instrument yoga,” which consists
in one’s being an instrument of divine work
in family and society.
The emphasis in the movement is to incul-
cate the Parivar’s spirit among the youth,
and keep its torch, its resplendent spirit,
burning bright, forming the motivation be-
hind this year’s four youth rallies, including
the one that took place in London June 9.
Speaking with some youth members, I
found the US-raised kids quite fond of their
Sunday sessions at the Swadhyay centers. A
22-year-old recent Berkeley graduate said
that at age six her parents first introduced
her to the movement, when she was thrilled
to make friendship with “Other kids who
looked like me,” referring to the Indian skin
color. Then the weekly hour of stories, dis-
cussions and shlokas grew on her: “In the
eighth grade I visited India. When I saw the
Parivar’s projects with the fishermen com-
munity and the farmers’ tree temples, I
could see a pulsating life that was far be-
yond the life we normally see in the US
here. It was eons away from entities like the
consumerism that is rampant in US,” she
shared with enthusiasm. “Dadaji has always
said that whatever you can do most effi-
ciently, offer that to God.”
She offers her expertise in Bharata
Natyam in helping choreograph dances and
dramas of kids for the Parivar. I asked, “How
does the Swadhyay shape your personality,
dreams and ambitions?” She said, “I devel-
oped a pride, not superficial but deep, about
my culture. Whatever my efficiency is, that
is what God wants from me. I did not just
learn mantras by rote, but understood their
solid application in life. There is an intellec-
tual aspect of Parivar and an emotional one.
Dadaji’s life is not that of a hypocritical
leader; he has dedicated his entire life to the
service of God and humanity.”
Her 15-year-old sister, a 10th grader, is
also one of the 600 avid members who at-
tend one of the five Swadhyay centers in
Northern California. “After our prayers and
scriptural stories, we have interesting, stimu-
lating discussions on topics such as, ‘Is tele-
vision good or bad,’ ‘Does God exist?’ or
‘Reincarnation,’ for which we prepare our
points ahead of time.” Both the girls had
participated in many aspects of the youth
rallies, from participating in the human
chain, to helping fashion the décor and the
torches. “The classes fulfill my emotional as
well as intellectual needs. The two-week an-
nual camp brings together kids from all over
the nation. It is a friendship, a sorority heav-
en that we look forward to. I want to be in-
volved in the Swadhyay Parivar all my life,”
the US-born teenager shared ebulliently
with me.
The Sanchalan event at the Arrowhead
Pond, which I attended, rang with not only
respect, but a strong devotional sentiment
for Dadaji. Coupled with the enthusiastic
comments of the above members, one ques-
tion lingered, “Is there a deification of the
person, of Dadaji, in the Parivar?” The 22-
year-old liked my question, and answered,
“Dadaji is against such an exalted position.
He never wants anything for himself and
has always maintained that whatever he
teaches has been said before and done be-
fore, though maybe in a different form.
What I feel for Dadaji is a profound sense of
gratitude. It is a moving feeling to see him,”
she said. “Dadaji has dedicated his life to
us,” her younger sister chimed in.
The coordinator elaborated on the point
that “Dadaji has always taught us to see God
in ourselves and fellow human beings, and
the divinity in each one of us. We love him
like a cherished elder brother. He has been
the unifying force of the entire Parivar.”
(Left) Hundreds of young men wearingshirts saying “Loving Angels” form a hu-man corridor for Didi’s arrival; (above) theelegant tickets for the free event at the650,000 square-foot Arrowhead complex
Maharashtra-born ArchanaDongre is a journalist livingwith her husband in Los Ange-les. She has a degree in educa-tion and an M.A. in Sanskritlanguage and literature.
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o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r , 2 0 0 2 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 59
By V.L. Manjul, Pune, Indiaen young brahmin girls receivedtheir upanayana, or thread ceremony,
commencing the study of the Vedas, on
April 2, 2000. Normally this rite of pas-
sage is only for boys and not allowed for
girls. This was the first ceremony of its kind
for girls in Pune, India. The followers of
Shankar Seva Samiti organized it with Veda-
murti Karmabalekar Shastri as the officiat-
ing priest. The girls came with their parents
and were initiated into the Gayatri Mantra
by their fathers. Many orthodox Hindus are
against this concept, but the women priests
showed them ample literary references to
women’s thread ceremonies and Vedic study
in the ancient Vedic culture.
It was about 25 years ago, in the Ahmed-
nagar district, that the Shanker Seva Samiti
organization began teaching women the
Vedas as well as training them as priests.
Now around 10,000 women are qualified
priests. Many are even more popular in the
community than their male counterparts
because of their enthusiasm, concentration
and devotion in doing worship.
In all four Vedas, there are references to
women ascetics reciting Vedic hymns and
even creating mantras. The names of Apala,
Ghosha, Shashwati and Indrani are popular
in the Vedas. In the Upanishads, Gargi and
Maitraiyee are famous women ascetics. The
Rig Veda (10.109.4) says, “When a brah-
min’s wife wears the auspicious thread, she
becomes very popular.”
Other scriptures also mention women
wearing the sacred thread. In the HaritSmriti it says, “Brahmin women have the
right to a sacred thread ceremony, a fire cer-
emony, the study of Vedas and a right to sa-
cred begging.” The Yama Smriti says, “Per-
forming the thread ceremony for young
girls, studying Vedas and recitation of Gay-
atri Mantra was allowed in ancient times.”
Paraskar Grihya Sutra (4th-5th century)
states, “Those females who have undergone
the thread ceremony and those who have
not should sleep on their left side with their
heads towards the east.”
P.V. Kane, in the History of Dharmasas-tra, afforded this topic three-and-a-half
pages. Writes Kane: “An interesting question
is whether women ever had upanayana per-
formed, or whether they had to wear the sa-
cred thread. Harita Dharmasutra, as quoted
in the Smriti-candrika, says, ‘There are two
sorts of women. Those who are bramavadi-nis (students of sacred lore) and those that
are sadyovadhus (who marry straightaway).
Out of these, brahmavadinis have to go
through upanayana, keeping fire, Vedicstudy and begging in one’s house (under the
parents’ roof). But in the case of sadyovad-hus, when their marriage is drawing near,
the mere ceremony of upanayana should
somehow be performed and
then their marriage should be
celebrated. Therefore bramava-
dini women had upanayanaperformed in the eighth year
from conception, then studied
Vedic lore and finished student-
hood at the age of puberty.’ ”
Kane continues, “Yama smritisays, ‘In former ages, tying of
the sacred thread was desired in
the case of maidens. They were
taught the Vedas and made to
recite the sacred Gayatri verse.’ ”
Kane also indicates that Manu-smriti, confirmed the perfor-
mance of upanayana for girls
but hinted to its going out of
practice.
Though too many neglect
their duties, this initiation indi-
cates a growing interest and that
a significant number faithfully
follow their disciplines. The fu-
ture sucess of the girls’ as well as
boys’ upanayana depends on
how well they study the Vedasand follow their disciplines. ∏π
v.l. manjul, e-mail: [email protected]
E D U C A T I O N
Starting Vedic StudiesBacked by scripture, girls get their sacred thread
Ceremony complete: A young lady wearing the sacred thread sits with her father
Upanayana: As with all Goddesses in artist S. Rajam’scollection, this Lakshmi wears the sacred thread
s r
aja
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vl
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nju
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pg 59 girls thread OND02 § 7/29/02 3:46 PM Page 59
mu
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60 october/november/december 2002
A music icon: Everyone in South India knows Pitakuli Murugadas.At age 83, after 60 years on stage, he is a living legend.
pg 60-61 Murugadas OND02 § 7/29/02 3:46 PM Page 60
october/november/december 2002 61
urugadas is already on stagegetting ready as we arrive. The spot-
light brightens his yellow bandanna
and reflects a gleam off his black
sunglasses. For an instant, his painted, red-
nailed forefinger catches the light as it
strikes middle C on his old, battered harmo-nium. Finding his pitch, he clears his throat
and begins to chant “Om.” In the shadows
behind him, an exquisitely dressed lady
gracefully positions herself with a tambura(a stringed instrument) and begins strum-
ming a drone. To her right, Saroja, Muru-
gadas’ wife, busily lays out a collection of
percussion instruments, fussing a bit to be
sure she hasn’t forgotten anything. Rao, the
seasoned drummer, unsheathes his mridan-gam (a south Indian drum) from its cloth
case and tunes its upper head, socking its
rawhide binding with a rock to change the
pitch. The restless audience rustles to get as
comfortable as 500 people can in the con-
fined space. Slowly, everyone on stage and
off becomes quiet—except for Murugadas.
Sitting still as stone and calm as a lake, he
looks like a king as he continues chanting
“Om.” Finally, the concert takes wings.
That cool, breezy evening performance in
late December of 1982 at the famed moun-
tain-top temple in Palani Hills, South India,
was recorded and is now famous. Yet it was
not unlike thousands upon thousands of oth-
er concerts during the 60-year musical ca-
reer of Pithukuli Murugadas. Today, the
“singing sage” is still amazing crowds at
Palani Hills and elsewhere around the globe
as his popularity continues to grow.
Murugadas is usually thought of as a bha-jana virtuoso, a great leader of group devo-
tional singing. But, as any musician who has
heard him will testify, he is much more. His
natural voice is vibrantly trumpetic, and his
singing skill is quintessential. Most impor-
tantly, he is a distinguished bhaktar (devo-
tional person). His truly heart-felt piety
shows through in his music and lends it a
touch of magic that his audiences can res-
onate with. Although much has been said
about Murugadas, the comment made most
often is, “He is unforgettable.”
During a characteristic concert, which of-
ten lasts three hours or more, Murugadas
slowly and carefully develops a long, leisure-
ly musical pace toward crescendo. First, he
establishes close rapport with his audience
by leading simple bhajanas that everyone
can easily follow. This may go on for an hour
before he subtly begins to introduce more
complex classical compositions that he sings
solo or with his wife. All along the way, how-
ever, he keeps returning to audience partici-
pation. Occasionally, he will abruptly stop
singing in the middle of a song, and as the
music continues softly in the background,
speak in dramatic monotone, telling stories
and quoting scripture before majestically re-
turning to the music. All of this builds in in-
tensity until, toward the conclusion of the
concert, he lets loose one of his many trade-
mark songs. The audience thunders applause
and the evening’s performance peaks like the
culmination of a temple puja. As a denoue-
ment to all of this, he brings everything back
down to earth with one final hand-clapping,
foot-stomping bhajana. The crowd again
roars. No one wants him to stop. Even India’s
sharpest music critics have highly praised
Murugadas’ great voice, musical versatility,
undeniable spirituality—and, of course, his
enchanting showmanship.
Born in Coimbatore as Balasubramanian,
Murugadas expressed an uncanny love of
God before he could even talk. At the age of
seven he began singing devotional songs and
was schooled in the basic fundamentals of
music by his grandmother.
As he grew a little older, he was taken up
by the revolutionary spirit of the day, leaving
home at 15 to protest British rule as a “free-
dom fighter.” During the famous “freedom
struggle of 1936” in Bangalore, he was seri-
ously beaten by British police and com-
pletely lost the sight in his left eye. Yet, he
held fast to his love of God and remained
ever positive. Today, the sunglasses he wears
to shield his partial blindness have become
his trademark.
During a long pilgrimage when he was
about 20 years of age, Murugadas had a spir-
itual experience that changed his life. Sitting
on the banks of the Sarasvathi river in North
India, he became engrossed in contempla-
tion and heard an inner voice tell him in the
Tamil language, “Go to South India. You
have work to do there.” Cutting short his pil-
grimage, he immediately left for Tamil Nadu
to live the life of a singing saint.
By the age of 30, he had carved a notable
niche as a professional musician. At that time,
he lived in Palani Hills and had the opportu-
nity to internalize his musical skills under the
tutelage of Brahmananda Paradeshiyar, a sid-dhar, or great yogi with special powers. This
teacher named him “Pithukuli,” which means
“a spirited person.” Swami Ramadas, the
head of Aanandashram in Kanjangad, North
Kerala, added the title “Murugadas,” which
means “the servant of Lord Muruga.”
By the age of 70, Murugadas was interna-
tionally famous and still going strong. Even
today, at 83, he adamantly refuses to retire.
He has written more than 3,000 songs and
has released over 30 audio cassettes—all de-
votional songs to Hindu Gods and Goddesses.
Presently, he lives in Chennai, South India,
with his wife, Saroja, whom he married when
he was 58. He performs in seven languages
and is Tamil Nadu’s most popular singing
thespian. He is also much loved and famous
in South Africa, Mauritius, Singapore, Ma-
laysia and Sri Lanka, which he has visited 40times in the last 40 years. He has developed
a charity called Sri Jyothir Maya Devi Trust
in Chennai.
When referring to himself, he never uses
“I.” Instead he says Ivan (this person). Yet
when begged to explain how a life such as
his could leave a man humble, he leans for-
ward and whispers, “Honestly speaking, in-
side me this “I” is very much there.” ∏π
With Kesav Mallia, Chennai
The troup: (from bottom right clockwise)Murugadas and wife Saroja, who also sings;Mathangi, singer and sister of Saroja; Rao,drummer with Murugadas for 50 years,Padmanabhan, business manager.
M U S I C
A Soulful SongsterDevotee first and singer second, Murugadas is one of a kind
mu
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ay
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pg 60-61 Murugadas OND02 § 7/29/02 3:47 PM Page 61
Hindus now have over 1,000 temples inNorth America. How exactly are they trans-mitting spiritual power from India to theWest, to re-bless a sacred land not common-ly thought of as holy by others? In 1999, Dr.Vasudha Narayanan, President of the Amer-ican Academy of Religions and professor atthe University of Florida’s Department ofReligion, presented a paper, condensed be-low, at the AAR National Meeting titled“Victory to Govinda who lives in America:Hindu Ritual to Sacralize the AmericanLandscape.”
indus have made the land ofthe Americas ritually sacred in at
least four ways: composing songs
and pious Sanskrit prayers extolling
the American state where the tem-
ples are located; identifying America as a
specific dvipa or island quoted in the sacred
texts; physically consecrating the land with
waters from sacred Indian and American
rivers; and literally recreating the physical
landscape of certain holy places in India, as
in Pittsburgh or Barsana Dham, Texas.
Songs of the Land: In America, Hindu
places of worship are beginning to use the
land or shrines held sacred by the native in-
habitants. These sacred lands are then reaf-
firmed and reiterated in many ways. For ex-
ample, in 1986 a cassette of devotional songs
was issued by the Sri Venkateswara Temple
in Penn Hills, Pennsylvania. These devotees
praise Lord Venkateswara, a manifestation
of Lord Vishnu, in song, America vasa jayagovinda, Penn Hills nilaya radhe govinda,sri guru jaya guru, vithala govinda, which
means, “Victory to Govinda who lives in
America; Govinda who with Radha resides
in Penn Hills. Victory to Govinda, Vithala,
the sacred Teacher.” Singing about a place
expresses its sacredness and makes it a pal-
pable spot of holiness. Dr. J. Sethuraman,
professor of statistics at the Florida State
University in Tallahassee, composed an ele-
gant poem called Sri Venkatesha America
Vaibhava Stotram, “Praise of the Appear-
ance of Lord Venkatesha in America.” It is
in classical Sanskrit, in the style of a tradi-
tional kavya, or poem, replete with exquis-
ite literary devices and ornate verses, “Such
a Venkatesha, the ocean of nectar of kind-
ness, has come to the hilltop at the well-
known city of Pittsburgh, surrounded by
the three rivers, Allegheny, Monongahela
and the Ohio, to remove the miseries of the
people.”
“Declaration of Intention”: Another ex-
ample of making the West a sacred home is
evident in the sankalpa, the “declaration of
intention,” done at the beginning of every
ritual. The land is usually identified with
one of the dvipas, or “islands” from the Pu-ranas, books of ancient lore composed in the
first millennium CE. Thus, Hindus in India
begin most rituals with a sankalpa which
includes the line, “in this island of the Rose-
Apple, in the fragment of land (country)
called bharata, south of Mount Meru.” In
Canada and America there are new para-
meters. Almost all temples state that Ameri-
ca is located in the Krauncha (“heron”) is-
land, which is west (not south, like India) of
Mount Meru. In the intention recited in Tal-
lahassee, Dr. Sethuraman chanted: “In this
island of Krauncha, in the delightful conti-
nent, in the sacred province of the cows that
is east of the Mississippi River, in the sacred
land called Tallahassee.”
Sacred Rivers: Hindus think of rivers as
sacred and as liquid purifiers, capable of
spiritually cleansing all those who bathe in
them. But why should they mingle the sa-
62 hinduism today october/november/december 2002
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Creating a Sacred WestHow Hindus have honored and blessed the ancient American homelands
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cred waters brought from India’s rivers with
the local waters of the Mississippi and the
Suwannee? On the simplest level, the sa-
credness of the Ganga, the Kaveri and other
rivers will physically attach itself to the local
rivers of America. But there is more going
on here than just spiritually or physically in-
voking the holy Indian rivers into the local
waters. As we saw earlier, during the inten-
tion chant of any ritual, the names of the
rivers of America are mentioned. They
would not be in the worship if they were not
sacred in some intrinsic way, something the
Native American Indians knew for thou-
sands of years.
Creating India in America: Another way
Hindus in America enhance the sacredness
of their temples is to try to either recognize
and rediscover resemblances between
American physical landscape and distinc-
tive sacred spots in India, or to recreate that
similarity. The earliest attempt was at the
Venkateswara Temple in Pittsburgh. Devo-
tees voiced the similarity between the sa-
cred place in India where the rivers Ganga,
Yamuna and the underground Saraswati
meet, and the local confluence of the three
rivers, the Allegheny, the Mongahela and the
subterranean river brought up for the 60-
foot-high fountain in downtown.
Some of the most sustained attempts in
recreating the landscape are in Barsana
Dham, Texas, and at the Iraivan Temple to
Siva, in Kauai, Hawaii. Barsana Dham re-
sembles Barsana in Northern India, said to
be the hometown of Radha, the beloved of
Lord Krishna. Here, all the important land-
marks of Krishna and Radha’s homeland
were recreated. At Iraivan Temple in Ha-
waii, not only are the names reminiscent of
India (Path of the Tamil Saivite Saints, San
Marga Path, San Marga Iraivan Temple,
Rishi Valley, Rudraksha Forest, etc.), but the
similar environment of tropical India mesh-
es with the local Hawaiian land to create a
unique milieu.
Recreating these landscapes is not an end
in itself. Barsana in Texas as well as Iraivan
Temple in Hawaii will become the new pil-
grimage destination for millions of Indians
living in the Western world who cannot go
to India. Dr. Sambamurthy Sivachariyar, an
important priest of a large temple in Madras,
India, who presided as chief priest for the
stone-laying ceremony of Iraivan Temple in
1995 said, “I am too old to go on pilgrimage
to the holy sites in the Indian Himalayan
mountains, where, according to Hinduism,
God Himself resides and gives His grace to
pilgrims. That was a life-long dream of
mine. But now that I have come to the most
beautiful place in the world, Kauai, to this
sacred land, I feel my dream has been ful-
filled. I have come to the home of God.”
Primary Sacrality: While resemblance,
blessed land and waters mark the experi-
ence of sacrality in most places, a few
places, such as those in Virginia and Hawaii,
seem to have primary or immediate sacred-
ness. Some of the sites, such as in Hawaii,
build on the sacredness of the indigenous
traditions. During the ritual to lay the foun-
dation of Iraivan Temple, were rites from
the local Hawaiian traditions. Also added
were precious gems, gold and silver offerings
sand, stones, earth and waters from sacred
sites from nearly every country, notably In-
dia, Europe, Australia, mainland USA, Rus-
sia and ancient Mayan and Incan holy sites
in Central and South America.
San Marga Iraivan Temple is also similar
to the powerful temples in India in that it
was started with a vision of God Siva by Sat-
guru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami in 1975.
The ancient Hawaiians called the holy site,
which is at the foot of Mount Waialeale near
the sacred Wailua River, Pihanakalani,
“where heaven touches Earth.”
While it seems both natural and practical
to recognize and honor the Hawaiian tradi-
tions in the ceremony to start a new Hindu
temple, it must be emphasized that this is
not an interfaith temple, of which there are
many in America. The temple is not only
Hindu, but is sectarian in that it is unam-
biguously dedicated to God Siva. Most tem-
ples in America are the homes of many
Deities—Siva, Vishnu, and His many mani-
festations, Ganesha, various Goddesses, etc.
The Deity to be installed in Iraivan Temple
is a Sivalinga, a conical piece of crystal rock
discovered and brought to Kauai from
Arkansas. It is significant that this crystal is
“American born.” While the manifestation
of Siva as this crystal lingam is American,
and the land, American territory, the temple
is being carved in India and imported to
Hawaii. ∏π
o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r 2 0 0 2 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 63
Scholar: Professor Vasudha Narayananshares her discoveries of how Hindus bringIndia’s holiness to the Americas
erek glaskin, 45, artist for this issue’s gatefold (page 3-5), is
originally from Australia. Derek
moved to Kauai in 1988 where
he is involved in Polynesian culture
and cultural renaissance of the Hawai-
ian people. He has a deep understand-
ing of Aboriginal and Hawaiian tribal
ways. Derek hopes his art will inspire
people to protect the land, honor na-
ture and unlock some part of the com-
mon ancestry of each person who
views it. Recently, Derek learned some
of his ancestors came from India.
Derek is also an adept sculptor and
loves to surf. email: [email protected]
About the Artist
Artist: Derek with his painting gift
hin
du
ism
to
da
y
pg 62-63 Sacred USA OND 02 § 7/29/02 3:47 PM Page 63
al
l p
ho
to
s: c
ou
rt
esy
ko
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64 hinduism today october/november/december, 2002
Elephants Rule!
Full spectrum: (below) A mother elephant cares forher calf; (left) A young girl worships a 15-foot-high16th century Ganesha in Hampi, India; (top) Anelephant takes a swim in open sea in the Bay of Ben-gal. Elephants can easily swim for hours.
Pg 64-65 elephants OND02 § 7/29/02 3:47 PM Page 64
o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r , 2 0 0 2 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 65
By Tara Katir, Hawaii, USAor thousands of years man hasbeen fascinated with elephants. We
revere them for their majesty,
strength and dexterity and for their
humanlike emotions and behavior.
Hindus hold a special reverence for
elephants. Every day elephants bless thou-
sands of Hindu devotees at temples all over
India. And Ganesha, our most popular Hin-
du God, has an elephant head.
Anyone who loves elephants will enjoy a
detailed, picture-packed look at their biolog-
ical and cultural impact on humanity in Ele-phants: A Cultural and Natural History by
Karl Groning and Martin Saller (482 pages,
Konemann publishers, Germany, 1998,us$39.95). Groning and Saller’s encyclope-
dic work covers everything you would ever
want to know about these noble mammoths.
While over 300 proboscidean species have
trod the planet, only two exist today—the
African and Asian elephants—both endan-
gered by human encroachment and poach-
ing for their ivory tusks. Groning and Saller
trace the elephant’s natural history as well as
a detailed discussion of elephant anatomy
and their amazingly versatile body, especial-
ly their hand-nose-radar trunk and their
majestic enlarged incisor teeth, or tusks,
which they use as tools.
Around 3,500 bce in the In-
dus River Civilization, elephants
gained a central place in hu-
man life. “At that time, humans
and animals lived in close part-
nership, and the creatures had
their place in the natural reli-
gions and fertility cults, hon-
ored as sacred beings and mys-
tical symbols,” writes Groning
and Saller. “The same was true
on the Nile and the Euphrates,
and China’s Yellow River. The
gray giant was tamed, trained,
but never domesticated by se-
lective breeding. It remained a
wild animal, even in captivity, even into our
own times.”
An entire chapter is devoted to the ele-
phant’s special place within Hindu and Bud-
dhist life. “In no other country has the ele-
phant been so integrated into everyday life,
the world of work, the splendor of festivities
and myths of religious cults as in India,”
writes Groning and Saller. “Indians con-
sider the elephant to be the
most intelligent of all the ani-
mals, so it was not by chance
that the protector of wisdom,
erudition and well-being
should have the head of a
clever elephant on his shoul-
ders: that of the popular, cor-
pulent Ganesha.”
If you enjoy gazing at these
powerful giants, this marvelous
book with stunning pho-
tographs adorning every page
won’t be disappointing. Ranging
from wildlife photos to beautiful art from
around the world, the photos are a feast for
the eyes. It constitutes hours worth of en-
joyment and weighs in at an elephantine 5.3pounds. ∏π
B O O K S
Check out this lavishly informative coffee-table resource on the cultural,
historical, religious and behavioral life of elephants and their caretakers
rh
en-
Prepped for war: (top) 18th century Indian war elephantarmor made from iron and leather, weighing 260 pounds
Pg 64-65 elephants OND02 § 7/29/02 3:48 PM Page 65
ake some shavings from anareca catechu nut off a palm tree and
wrap it in a leaf of piper chavica betlefrom its famed spindly vine. Sprinkle
on a little burnt lime with some cate-
chu gum of a Malayan acacia tree and
add a touch of nutmeg and cardamom for fla-
vor. Now, chew all that until the red, potent
juices start to flow. No folks, we’re not in West
Texas and this ain’t tobacco. It’s “betel.” Al-
though betel chewing has been one of India’s
favorite culinary indulgences for more than
8,000 years, the betel leaf itself is also used in
Hindu ritual worship, where it is prepared as
an offering to the Deity along with coconuts,
fruits, incense and flowers. Frequently re-
ferred to as paan or tambula, literally millions
of Indians use it daily.
To offer tambula at an Indian social event
is considered a sign of insider hospitality. In
the Hindu ethos, paan is accepted as one of
the bhogas (cardinal pleasures) of graceful
living. During ancient times, being present-
ed this tasty treat by a king implied an infor-
mal pledge of loyalty and friendship. Betel is
not only popular in India. It is also enjoyed
throughout central Asia and China.
In his twelfth-century treatise, the Hito-padesa (“Book of Good Counsels”), Sage
Narayana wrote, “The betel nut is bitter, hot,
sweet, spicy, binding, alkaline. It is a demul-
66 hinduism today october/november/december 2002
din
od
ia
C U L T U R E
Getting to know the sweet,tangy taste of one of India’s mostexhilarating culinary delights
Savory vine: (top) Harvested, cleaned and artistically folded together in stacks and curls,fresh betel leaves are big business in India; (bottom) an elaborate line of elegant accessoriesinclude razor-sharp betel nut crackers which transform areca nuts into paper-thin shavings
co
ur
te
sy i
nd
ia p
er
spe
ct
ive
s
pg 66-67 Betal OND02 g1 § 7/29/02 3:48 PM Page 66
cent, an astringent, a foe to the evils of the
intestine, giving to the mouth a fragrance of
breath, to the lips a crimson red, and for the
heart a kindler of love’s flame. Praise to the
Gods for the good betel!”
Abdul Razzak, a Persian traveller in the
Kingdom of Vijayanagar in 1443 wrote,
“This masticator lightens up the counte-
nance. It relieves hunger, stimulates the or-
gans of digestion and disinfects the breath.”
Vast plantations in India cultivate many
varieties of betel. To the North, the Desi,
Calcutti and Banarasi leaves are most fa-
vored. Prominent among the leaves from the
South are the small and fragile chigurulayeof Karnataka, as well as the thicker, more
popular ambadi and kariyale found in Tamil
Nadu and Kerala.
In India, betel nut crackers and betel box-
es—that is, boxes containing betel leaf, areca
nut and related spices—are a feature among
a rich man’s valuables. With their beautiful-
ly crafted and lacquered animal, bird and
human motifs, these distinctly Indian arti-
facts, along with their matching plates, trays,
cups and lime containers, are sought after
by private collectors and museums. Each
state in India revels in making its own spe-
cial variety of betel boxes—usually brass for
the south and silver for the north.
Although betel chewing is healthy, in that
it aids respiration and decreases the work
load of the heart, the betel leaf itself con-
tains a phenolic compound that has cocaine-
like properties. For this reason it acts as a
stimulant upon the central nervous system
and produces a mild euphoria. Some US
states restrict shipping of the leaves. It also
contains an alkaloid called arecoline, which
can—usually due to excessive or immoder-
ate use over a long period of time—produce
squamous cell carcinoma of the mouth, a
form of skin cancer. Frequent use also stains
the mouth, gums and teeth deep red, caused
by the added catechu gum. ∏π
With T.S. Satyan, India Perspectives
october/november/december 2002 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 67
A sign of culture: (clockwise from left) Betel leaves are harvested from a vine closely related to that of the black pepper plant; a street ven-dor presents betel for sale beautifully displayed with a mouth-watering range of accessories and condiments; an aristocratic housewife pre-pares an elegant after-dinner betel selection
ph
ot
os
co
ur
te
sy i
nd
ia p
er
spe
ct
ive
s
pg 66-67 Betal OND02 g1 § 7/29/02 3:48 PM Page 67
Pg 68 oct-nov-dec02 7/29/02 5:27 PM Page 68
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P O O L E D I N C O M E F U N DThere are a number of options for charitable giving other than an outright gift. These options, often referred to as "deferred" giving plans, usually allow the donor to retain the benefit of the donated funds, with a gift to charity at a later date. The advantage of such plans is that the donorcan receive an immediate income tax deduction for the value of the donor’s gift and can avoid thepayment of any capital gains tax on a gift of appreciated property.
The simplest, and perhaps most common, form of deferred giving is the pooled income fund(PIF). These funds, established by charities to encourage deferred giving, are usually offered byuniversities, churches and other major charitable groups. In return for the donor’s contribution ofcash or property to the PIF, the PIF agrees to provide the donor and/or the donor’s spouse (or anytwo individuals chosen by the donor) with a life income. There is no guarantee of the amount ofincome, as it is based upon the investment return of the PIF. The PIF will provide the donor witha history of its past investment results, as well as its investment philosophy, to give the donorsome idea of the income the donor can expect. At the death of the donor and/or the donor’sspouse, the income interest will terminate, and the donor’s capital account in the PIF will be givento the sponsoring charity.
A PIF has clear tax advantages. The donor will be entitled to an income tax deduction in the yearin which he makes his contribution to the PIF. The amount of the deduction is the value of the in-terest which passes to the charity at the donor’s death or the death of the donor’s spouse. Thisamount will vary, depending upon the donor’s life expectancy and the investment return of thePIF. As an example, if a 60-year old donor transfers $100,000 to a PIF which has a 6.0% return,and retains a life income interest, the amount of his charitable deduction will be $35,033.
There are also advantages to contributing appreciated property, suchas stock, to a PIF. Although the stock will be valued at its fair marketvalue in determining the donor’s charitable deduction, no capitalgains tax will be imposed on the donor or the PIF. A contribution to aPIF will also help to reduce the donor’s estate tax, since the amountpassing to the charity after the donor’s death will be deductible for es-tate tax purposes. Contributed by Nitai H. Pathak, CPA, MST, of Kling, Lee& Pathak, Cerritos, CA 562-402-8610.
P I F T R U S T SHindu Heritage Endowment refers to pooled income funds as PIF trusts and currently offers twoPIF trusts to its donors, each with a different mix of stocks and bonds. PIF Trust #1 has an alloca-tion of 80% bonds and 20% stocks and is appropriate for income beneficiaries who are older. PIFTrust #3 has an allocation of 45% bonds and 55% stocks and is appropriate for income beneficia-
ries who are younger. Both are administrated by First Hawaiian Bankas corporate trustee. HHE has prepared a folder with many examplesof instances in which the use of PIF Trusts are appropriate, such as agift to a new born child or a gift to a newly wed bride or groom. Thefolder includes a fifteen-page booklet, “The Pooled Income Fund,”produced by R&R Newkirk which contains a comprehensive descrip-tion of this deferred giving option. To receive a copy of the HHE fold-er on PIF Trusts, simply check the box on the tear-out card requestinginformation on the pooled income fund and mail it to us or [email protected]
As a public service, HHE occasionally will offer the opinions of financial planners. However, it endorses neither these advisors nor their counsel, and recommends that all individuals seek profes-sional advice from several sources before making important long-term decisions.
Pg 76 77 oct-nov-dec02t 7/29/02 5:30 PM Page 76
M A R C H T O M A Y E N D O W M E N T C O N T R I B U T I O N S
HINDU HERITAGE ENDOWMENTKAUAI’S HINDU MONASTERY
107 Kaholalele RoadKapaa, Hawaii, 96746-9304 USA
Tel: 808-822-3012 Ext 228 • Fax: [email protected] • www.hheonline.org
MISSION STATEMENT: Hindu Heritage Endowment is a publicly supported, charitable organiza-tion recognized as tax exempt by the IRS on April 22, 1994. Employer ID 99-0308924. Founded bySatguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, its philanthropic mission is to provide secure, professionallymanaged financial support for institutions and religious leaders of all lineages of Sanatana Dharma.
PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS: Halbert, Hargrove/Russell, Investment Counsel; Alvin G. Buchi-gnani, Esq., Legal Counsel; and Hirose, Kato and Co., CPA. HHE is a member of the Council onFoundations, an association of 1,931 foundations which interprets relevant law and managementand investment principles.I WANT TO PARTICIPATE. WHERE SHOULD I SEND MY DONATION? You can send your gift to an existing fund, create a new endowment or request information through the address below. Do-nations may be made online at www.hheonline.org or use the HHE tear-out card in this magazineto join our family of benefactors who are Strengthening Hinduism Worldwide. Thank you.
Kauai Aadheenam Monastic Endowment
Arul Karttikeya $112.66
Anshul Mohaan 33.00
Total 145.66
Iraivan Temple Endowment
Total $30,000.00
Kauai Aadheenam Annual Archana Fund
Yoganathan Palani 14.05
Girish Skanda 14.00
Lavanadevi Sivam 51.00
Total 79.05
Hinduism Today Distribution Fund
Anonymous 1,001.00
Uma Devi Arimuthu 10.00
Appamal Athimulam 52.56
Ramaswamy Balakrishnan 751.00
Rathi Devi Batumallah 200.00
Veerasamy Batumallah 165.00
Anita Bhattacharjee 26.00
Rohit & Bisram Deocharan 33.00
Banu Devi Deva 146.00
Chellappa Deva 414.65
Umaiyal Devasegayam Family 52.22
Mary Rose Gallagher 199.00
Carol Guhan 27.00
Mohana Sundari Gunasegaran 13.15
Suguneswary Gunasegaran 109.52
Emmaline Jordan 101.00
Isanah Kameni 26.30
Amravaddee Kownden 45.17
Ravichandran Krishnan 270.00
Thanesh Kumar Kumaravel 163.15
Kody Kunda 896.00
Thavamalar Lingam 78.35
Aaran Mohann 241.50
Vishwanaden Moorooven 48.39
Logadasan Murugesu 175.00
Nalakini Niranjana 360.00
Chandran Param 87.59
A. Paranthaman 10.00
Syam P. Reddy 126.00
Marilyn Reid 189.00
Guha Skanda 168.00
Womana Skanda 24.00
Dasa Sivam 172.00
Lavanadevi Sivam 153.00
Dinesh Sadhwani 198.00
Raghuraman Srinivasan 252.00
Ganesammal Supiah 161.96
K. S. Thamilarasi 44.38
Shivani Vinayaga 237.73
Sudha Vinadharan 157.95
Per Winther 63.00
Total 7,649.57
Hindu Bussinessmen’s Association
Vel Alahan 450.00
Paramaseeven Canagasaby 19.49
Easvan Param 1,696.93
Janaka Param 57.00
Manogaran Mardemootoo 32.27
Sivajnani Nagappan 28.45
Total 2,284.14
Boys School for Iraivan Priesthood
Indra Dhaksinamurthi 45.00
Bala Sivaceyon 39.18
Total 84.18
Mathavasi Medical Fund
Arul Karttikeya 834.97
Anshul Mohaan 34.00
Gowri Nadason 90.00
Vayudeva Varadan 18.00
Matthew Wieczork 60.00
Total 1,036.97
Tirunavukkarasu Nayanar
Aran Sendan 102.00
Kauai Aadheenam Renovation Endowment
Anshul Mohaan 33.00
Sri Subramuniya Kottam
Andrew Schoenbaum 30.00
Kumbhalavalai Ganesha Temple
Indra Dhaksinamurthi 45.00
Manoharan Navaratnarajah 75.00
Total 120.00
Dancing with Siva Endowment
Thomas M. Wazney 10.00
Hindu Orphanage Endowment
Ajit S Adhopia 110.30
Lila Shakti Devi 75.00
Tara Barrie-Hull 56.63
Ramakumar & Sailaja Kosuru 30.00
Christian Langers 100.00
Arun J Mehta 500.00
Natraj Narayanswami 50.00
Claiborne & Marilyn Porter 35.00
Ganesan & Rajalakshmi Ramalingam 210.00
Alex Ruberto 45.00
Wendy Schuljan 20.00
Calvin & Elizabeth Wettstein 50.00
Matthew Wieczork 211.00
Total 1,492.93
Loving Ganesha Distribution
Christian Langers 100.00
Manoharan Navaratnarajah 75.00
Matthew Wieczork 30.00
Total 205.00
Saiva Agama Trust
Matthew Wieczork 105.00
Positive Discipline Education Fund
Vinaya Alahan 255.00
Nepali Kumari Goddess Fund
Christian Langers 100.00
Thank you Gurudeva Fund
Anonymous 295.00
Rita Balachander 50.00
Venkatakrishnan Balaji 10.00
Maria Cristina Berisso 250.00
Stephanie Devi Corgatelli 200.00
Amarnath Devarmanai 324.00
Anne Goodbody 50.00
S Kumarakulasingam 100.00
Thungaveloo Mariappan 19.05
Manoharan Navaratnarajah 150.00
Shanta Devi Periasamy 230.00
Jutikadevi Sivaraja 108.00
Alex Ruberto 45.00
Aran Sambandar 108.00
Chamundi Sabanathan 1,008.00
Sivadas Sivarajah 231.00
Martine Thom 251.00
Vayudeva Varadan 36.00
Total 3,465.05
Udayan Care Endowment Fund
Jutikadevi Sivaraja 108.00
Saivite Hindu Scripture for Visually Impaired
Ganesan & Rajalakshmi Ramalingam 200.00
Manitha Neyam Trust Fund
N. Balasubramaniam 300.00
Bala Sivaceyon 15.69
Total 315.69
Kapaleeshwara Temple
Vasudevan Jayanthi 300.00
Natraj Narayanswami 25.00
Rakesh Sood 50.00
Total 375.00
Manjung Hindu School
Rakesh Sood 50.00
Natraj Narayanswami 26.00
Jutikadevi Sivaraja 108.00
Total 184.00
Pazhassi Bala Endowment
Natraj Narayanswami 52.00
Rakesh Sood 50.00
Total 102.00
PIF Trust
Gowri Nadason 30.00
Satya Palani 75.00
Total 105.00
Total Contributions $63,588.82
Funds at Market Value May 31, 2002
Total Endowment Funds $3,300,178.82
Total Pooled Income Funds $161,231.67
Grand Total $3,461,410.49
Pg 76 77 oct-nov-dec02t 7/29/02 5:30 PM Page 77
Now you can aquire rare rudrakshabeads from Hawaii to wear, to shareor even to grow your own grove of
sacred trees
Two decades ago on the Garden Island
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housands of pilgrims to
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FIVE HOLY BEADS IN A GOLDEN BOX
There are many things you can do with your
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members to wear on the neck in the tradi-
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each bead, with instructions on how to grow
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in maturity, producing thousands of wildly
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Make checks in name of and mail to: Iraivan Hindu Temple, 107 Kaholalele Road, Kapaa, HI 96746 USATel: 808 822-3012, ext. 237; Fax: 808 822-4351; E-mail: [email protected] Net: www.SanMarga.org/
❏ Charge: ❏ Master Card ❏ Visa ❏ Amex ❏ My check is enclosed.
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Please send me one box:_________________________________________________________________________________________
FIRST NAME LAST NAME
_________________________________________________________________________________________MAILING ADDRESS CITY
_________________________________________________________________________________________CITY STATE POSTAL CODE COUNTRY
_________________________________________________________________________________________PHONE FAX E-MAIL
Send a gift to: (Please fill out this section if the beads are a gift for someone else.)
_________________________________________________________________________________________FIRST NAME LAST NAME
_________________________________________________________________________________________MAILING ADDRESS CITY
_________________________________________________________________________________________CITY STATE POSTAL CODE COUNTRY
_________________________________________________________________________________________PHONE FAX E-MAIL
Five Beads: us$20.00(shipping included)
Beads that Bless, Beads that Heal
Pg 78 oct-nov-dec02 7/29/02 5:30 PM Page 79
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82
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This is the first book that details how to choose Yoga asanas (Yogaposes) most appropriate for your unique body type according to thefive thousand year old system of Ayurvedic medicine. These twosystems of healing and energy management have long been regardedas effective methods of relieving stress, creating personal balance,eliminating ailments, and relieving chronic pain. Yoga for Your Typepresents a fundamental understanding of both Yoga and Ayurvedaand provides the information needed for you to balance yourenergy and feel healthy.
ISBN 0-910261-30-X 296 pp os $29.95 (+ $2.50 s/h)
YOGA FOR YOUR TYPE
An Ayurvedic Approach to Your Asana Practice
American Institute of Vedic Studies: 505.983.9385 • [email protected] • www.vedanet.com
by Dr. David Frawley & Sandra Summerfield Kozak, M.S.
"By reading this book, youwill be able to personalizeyour yoga program andgain maximum benefit inintegrating body, mind andspirit as one experience ofconsciousness."Deepak Chopra, MDAuthor, Grow YoungerLive Longer
LOTUS PRESSPO Box 325, Twin Lakes, WI 53181 USA800.824.6396 • www.lotuspress.com • [email protected]
By Roy Eugene Davis, a
disciple of Paramahansa
Yogananda. 48 pages,
pocket size.
• Meditate easily and
naturally for personal
benefits and satisfying
spiritual growth.
• A clear explanation with
techniques and routines.
• For anyone just starting
to practice and for the
experienced meditator.
CSA Press, Publishers
PO Box 7
Lakemont, Georgia 30552-0001 USA
Tel: 706-782-4723 • Fax: 706-782-4560
E-mail [email protected] • Website www.csa-davis.org
Roy Eugene Davis’ Books in India:
Life Surrendered in God (yoga-sutras),
Hardcover, Rs. 295 • Softcover, Rs. 195
A Master Guide to Meditation, Rs. 85
Motilal Banarsidass, 41 U.A., Bungalow Road,
Jawahar Nagar, Delhi 110 007
An Easy Guide to Ayurveda, Rs. 45, B. Jain Publishers
Post Box 5775, New Delhi 110 055
Ask for this Booklet—it’s Free!
In an increasingly complex field of
laws and available financial strate-
gies, it is wise to rely on professional
counsel for retirement and estate
planning. For information, contact
one of the most highly trained
financial advisors in the USA:
Niraj P. Baxi, MSI, CLU, ChFC
19225 Steven’s Creek Blvd
Cupertino, CA 95014
Tel: 800-686-8436/408 725-7117
Life Insurance and Estate Planning
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D E V O T I O N
Murugan’sSupersite
For the murugandevotee, this is a
dream come true! Muru-
gan Bhakti, the Skanda-
Kumaran Super Site
(www.murugan.org), is
the home of nine web-
sites and 1,300 pages
with information devot-
ed to the “Beautiful
One.” Originally scat-
tered over many sites,
this package has been
compliled into a master-
piece containing virtual-
ly everything you could
ever hope to find on the
Web about Murugan,
Skanda, Kumar, Kart-
tikeya, Palani, or any of
the other 108 names of
the God of religious
striving. There are pic-
ture galleries, research
articles, legends, maps
and guides to His many
temples. It is an uplifting
site that truly illustrates
the famous quote from
the Tirumurai, “In the
gloom of fear, His six-
fold face gleams. In per-
ils unbounded, His Vel
betokens, “Fear not.”
Visit www.hindu.org
M A R R I A G E
Wedding!
An indian weddingis one of the most
joyous events in a cou-
ple’s life, but it can prove
to be a major challenge.
In today’s society, where
cross-cultural or cross-
traditional marriages are
common, the big hurdle
is making the rituals ap-
propriate for all con-
cerned. The website,
www.weddingsutra.com,
dedicated exclusively to
Indian weddings, is an
excellent guide with
clear descriptions of rit-
uals for most Indian cul-
tures, designer wedding
fashions, tips ranging
from etiquette and hair
styles to wedding feasts,
marriage hall decora-
tions and much more. Unravel the complex Indian styles of marriage
ww
w.w
ed
din
gsu
tr
a.c
om
Visit the Fortress of the Gods, virtually
C U L T U R E
All About Bhutan
Due to popular demand, the museumexhibition “Bhutan, Mountain Fortress of the
Gods” was converted into a virtual exhibition
(www.ifs.univie.ac.at/~bhutan/) by the Austrian
Government. The original exhibition toured Aus-
tria, Spain, Switzerland and Holland from 1997to 2000. From the site one can sense the friendli-
ness of the people of Bhutan, the beauty of the
countryside, and how both the Buddhist and
Hindu religion permeate the culture of this small
country. There are so many side trips on this site
that it is beneficial to take The Guided Tour or
view the sitemap to help plan your journey.
ww
w.m
ur
ug
an
.or
g
R E S O U R C E
Indian Linguistics
With the digitalexplosion of infor-
mation out of mother In-
dia comes a need to
computerize Her lan-
guages. Fortunately, the
Website for Multilingual
Systems, http://acharya.
iitm.ac.in/ is working
hard to make this easy
and practical. It’s a bold
effort to create a unifor-
mity in the scripts of the
many Indian languages,
so they can be used on a
computer in the every-
day world. The monu-
mental task is still in the
beginning stages. An ex-
tensive site, the project
offers Sanskrit lessons
and numerous scripts, in-
cluding Sanskrit, Tamil,
Bengali and thirteen
others, in a way that can
be used on the Web or
in a word processor.
There is also a text-to-
sound converter de-
signed to help the blind.
A way to digitize Indianlanguages like Sanskrit
hin
du
ism
to
da
y
Find out all about the great Lord Murugan
fo
rt
re
ss o
f t
he
go
ds
pg 86 DigitDh OND02 § 7/29/02 3:48 PM Page 88