Professional Documents
Culture Documents
JULY, 1997
.. ~t . / . . f .~ · ,. ~
~--b7~ ··0-"-
INTE~NATIONAL
Church and State: us Judge Foists Prayer
and Commandments on Courtroom 17
Cults: Heaven's Gate Tragedy Discloses
Media Bias 22
Heritage: Kerala Temples: Magical
Monuments in Wood 27
Religion: K:-enya's Kinetic Service Ethic 34
Sacrilege: SONY Apologizes for
p,..erosrnith's Controversial CD 47
LIFESTYLE,...-
l!1sight: F).fteen Core Hindu Precepts for
Parents to Pass On to Children 30
Astrology: Was Suicide in their Stars? 36
Discipline: Beating the Devil Out of Kids 40
Leisure: Call it a "Nice-Word Puzzle" 48
~rt:' Satish Gupta Paints Indias Soul 52-
OPINION
f Publisher's Desk: Preparing to Pilgrimage
Through the Mind in Meditation 6
Editorial: Hinduism Denied Cult Status 8
My Turn: Heaven's G~te Did Not Open 9
Letters 14
Healing: Tools to Tame Pubescenoe 44
Minister's Message: All About, -HonOring 50
DIGESTS
. , Quotes &Quips 10 Evolutions 44
, Dlaspora 11 Digital Dharma 54
: Briefly 20
Canada ... .... C$3.95 Malaysia ........RM5 Singapore ..... . . .S$4 Trinidad ... . .TDlB.OO •COVER Cotton-clad, young Hindu boys tour the streets of Sanku, near Kathmandu, http://wwW.HlndullmToday.kaual.hl.ul/
Europe .. . ... US$3.50 Mauritius .. .. .. .Rs.30 South Africa . US$2.95 UK . . . . . . . . £2.00 blessing villagers during Magh (January). Our Insight trus month presents parents .
India .... .. ... Rs.50 Nepal .. , .. NRs.175 Sri Lanka .. .. Rs.BO Australia .. .. AUS$5.50 1117 EdIt8r'1 CblJce
with ways to pass on to children dharma's core beliefs and practices. See pag 30: ' .".....nrc!
Welcome
to hinduism today’s digital edition!
am pleased to welcome you to the free digital edition of Hinduism
I Today magazine. It is the fulfillment of a vision held by my Satguru
Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, founder of Hinduism Today, to bring the
magazine’s profound Hindu teachings to the widest possible audience.
The text of each issue has long been available on the Web, right back Click links below to soar over other areas of our vast
to 1979, but without the photographs and art. Now you have here the ocean of internet resources in your web browser
entire contents of the printed edition, with all photos and art. Plus, it
is interactive—every link is live; click and you go to a web page. You participate learn explore
can participate in the magazine in a number of ways, accessed through
buttons on the right. And you can help support this free edition in two
Make a Donation to Hinduism Today A Daily Chronicle of
ways: make an online contribution (even a small one); patronize our
Hinduism Today Home Page Kauai’s Hindu Monastery
specialized advertisers. Explore the resources here, enjoy our latest
edition and e-mail us if you are inspired.
Meditation: the . in rllllIling around the block three times. A powerful meditation
fills and thrills us with an abundance of energy to be used cre-
I(ey Is Preparation
atively in the external world .during the activities of daily life.
Great effort is required to make inner strides; we J;Ilust strive very,
very hard and meet each inner challenge. .
But what to meditate upon? What do we focus on during medi-
tation? Usually the sincere devotee will have a guru or spil7itual
You've heard you are not your mind, boco/ or emotions. guide' and ~llow his instructions. He may have a mantra, or sound,
which he concentrates upon or a particular technique or attitude
Here's a way to experience that reality every day. he is perfecting. If he has no guru or specific instructions, then
here is a raja yoga exercise that can enhance inn'er life, making it
tang]bly real and opening4Jmer doors of the mind. Use it to begin
BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI each meditation for the rest of yoUl' life.
Simply sit, quiet the mind and feel the warmth of the body.
EDITATION IS A LONG strong inner strides. The finest times to Feel the natural warmth in the feet, in the legs, in the head, in the
a pilgrimage into the meditate are just before sunrise and neck, in the'hands and face. Simply sit and be aware of tha:t'
itself Generally, we be- sunset. The period of meditation should , warmth. Feel the glow of the body. This is very easy, because the'
aware that there is such be from ten minutes to one-half hour to physical body is what many of us are most aware of Take five or
thing as meditation after begin with. ten minutes to do this. There's no hurry. Once you can feel this
/
the material world has lost it attraction By sitting up-straight, with the spine warmth that is cre::rted by the life force as it flows in and through
to us, and previous desires-no longer erect, the energies of the physical body the' body's cells, go within to the next step. .
bind us to patterns of fear, greed, at- are transmuted. Posture is important, es- ,The second step is to feel the nerve currerits of the bO'dy. There
tachment and ramification. We then pecially as meditation deepens and are thousands of miles of nerve Cl!lrrents in each of us. Don't try to
seek through philosoRhy and religion lengthens. With the spine erect and the f~el them all at once. Start with the little ones, with the feeling of
to answer the questio~s, "Who am I? head balanced at the top of the spine, ):he hands. Now,Jeel the life force going through these nerves ener-
Where did I come from? Where am I the life force is qui.ckened and intensi- gizing the body. Try to sense t11e subtle nerve~ that extend out and
going?" We ask others. We read books. fied as energies flood freely through the around the body about three or four feet. Tune into the currents of
We ponder and wonder. We pray. We nerve system. In a position such as this, life force as they flow through these nerves. This is a subtle feeling,
even doubt for a while that there is a Truth to be realized or that we cannot become worried, fretful, de- and most likely awareness will wander into some other area of the
we with all our seeming imperfection can realize it if it does exist. pressed or sleepy during our meditation. mind. When this happens, gently bring it back to your point of
Oddly enough this is the beginning of the meditator's journey on But if we slump the shoulders for- concenrration;'to feeling the nerves within the body and the ener-
th"e path, for we must empty ourselves fully before the pure super- ward, we short-circuit the life energies. gy within the nerves.
conscious energies can flow freely through us. In a position such as rhis, it is easy to The third step takes us deeper inside as we become dynamical-
When we try to internalize awareness too quickly through vari- become depressed, to have mental argu- ly aware in the spine. Feel the power within the spine, the power-
ous intense and sometimes fanatical ways, we reap the reaction. ments with oneself or another, or to ex- house of energy that feeds out to the external nerves and muscles.
Meditation goes fine for a brief span, but then externalizes again perience unhappiness. So learn to sit dy- Visualize the spine in your mind's eye. See it as a hoHow tube or
according to the pro'gramming of our family and culture. To per- namically, relaxed and yet poised. The channel through which life energies flow. Feel it with your inner
manently alter these patterns, we hjive to work gently to develop a first obser'vation you may have when feelings. It's there-subtle and silent, yet totally intense. It is a sim-
new lifestyle for the totality of our being: physically, emotionally, thus seated for meditation is that ple feeling. As }'0U feel this hollow spine filled with energy, realize
intellEtctually and spiritually. This we do a little at a time. ~isdom thoughts are racing through the mind that you ru;e more that energy than you are the physical body
tells ~s that it cannot be done all at once. We have to be patient substance. You may become aware of through which it flows, more that pure energy than the emotions,
with ourselves. If we are impatient on the path, failure is in vie;vv. many, many thoughts. Also, the breath than the thought force. Identify yourself with this energy and begin
We are going to fail because instant spiritual unfoldment is a fairy- may be irregular. Therefore, the next to live your true spiritual heritage on this E,arth. As you dive deep-
tale concept. It is far better that we recognize that there will be step is to tr.ansmute the energies from . er into that energy, you will find that this great P9wer, your sense I
difficult challenges as the subconscious looms up with all of its the intellectual area of th~ mind through of awru;eness and your willp9wer are all one and the same thing. '
conflicts and confusions, heavy and strong. If our eventual goal is the breath, in just the same way as the The fourth step c'omes as we plunge awareness into the essence,
clearly in mind and we have a positive step-by-step plan on how to proper attitude, preparation and posture the center of this energy in the head and spine. This requires gJ eat
reach that goal, then we won't,get excited when something goes transmuted the physical-instinctive en- discipline and exacting control to bring awareness to the point of
wr ong, because we view our mental and emotional storms in their ergie? Through regulation of the Ifreath, being a\~are of itself-pure awareness~ not aware of any object,
proper and temporary perspectii('e. thoughts C\!e stilled and awareness moves ..; '-'!..lLlU.lu.u...".........". feeling or thQ!lght. The Yajur Vedas states, "Sublest of the subtle,
In the beginning, it is best to find a suitable room that is dedi- into an area of the mind which does not greatest of of the great, the u.tman is hidden in the cave of the
cated solely to meditation. If you were a carpenter, you would get think, but conceives and intuits. we are counting to the beat of the heart. This exercise allows -heart of all beings." Go into the physical forces that flood day and
a shop for that purpose. You have a room for eating, a room for There ru;e vast and powerful systems of breathing that can stim- awareness to flow int.o an area of the mind that is intensely alive, night through the spine and body. Then go into the energy of that,
sleeping. Now, you need a room just for the purpose of meditation. ulate the mind, sometimes to excess. Deep meditation requires peaceful, blissful and conceives the totality of a concept rather deeper into the vast inner space of that, into the essence of that,
When you find it, wash the walls and ceiling, clean the windows. only that the breath be systematically slowed or lengthened. This than thinking out the various parts. ' into the that of that, ~d into the that of that. As you sit in th!s
Pt~pare a small altar if you like,bringing together the elements of happens naturally as we go within, but can be encouraged by a After you have quieted the body and the breath is flowing reg- state, new energies will flood the body, flowing out through the
earth, air, fire and water and any divine images that inspire you. simple method of breathing, called pranayama, during which the ularly, close your eyes. Close your ears and shut off the external nerve system, out int{) the exWrior world. The nature becomes
Establish a time for your meditations and meet those times breath is counted: nine counts as we inhale, hold one count, nine sense perceptionS. Having thus quieted the outer forces, we are very refined in meditating in this way. Once you are thus C'entered
strictly. There will be days when you just don't feel like meditating. counts as we exhale, hold one count. The length of the beats or the prepared to meditate. Just sitting is not enough. To meditate 'for wifhin yourself, you are ready to pursue a meditation, a mantra or ,I
j
Good. Those are often the best days, the times when we make rhythm of the breath will slow as the meditation is sustained, until even ten or fifteen minutes takes as much energy as one would use a deep philosophical question.
24l&1t&Ta I
a.tUIPS /
"We shoul'd ye~rn for the Divine Spirit with confidence POP C U L T. U R E
~ I •
and with a.feelingof ~Ioseness as to a father and mother." .Rock Star with
Sri Karunamayi Hindu Planets
VULA SHAKER, LONDON'S
. A deeply devout man lived down in a val-. "Now I am become death, the destroyer of NJ.ot band named after an In-
ley. He had absolute faith that C{od would worlds." J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904---1967) dian.empel\.or poet combines Laugh club works out in India
always look alter him. One day a great quoting from the Bhagavad Gita as he Indian rhythms, Sanskrit
mantras and pop melodies. YOGA
storm came. It rained for days, and the . watched the mushroQ..1n cloud of tlW first
Lead singer Crispian Mills, son
vaHey flooded. The waters submerged the
first £loor of his home. As he looked out
'atomic bomb rise in the New Mexico, US4-
desert on July 16, 1945
of actress Haley Mills, says, Laugh Asanas
"We have lost touch with spiri-
from the second floor, a rescue boat came tualism in the West. Kula is ORE THEN 100 LAUGHING
by. "Come. We will save you," t1!e rescuers There once was a salesman who knocked on about spirituality, innocence
and a bright future. " In 1993,
M clubs now provide Indians
with venues for chortlirig exer-
cried. "Thank you," the man replied, "but the door of a Buddhist monk and. tried to
God will save me. You go help the others in sell him a vacuum cleaner. The Buddhist The cover of the USCR's March report on Sri Lankan Refugees he lived in a Hindu temple in cise. The Wall Street Journal
India, and last year returned to reported that Dr. Madan j
need." They tried to convince him to join monk thought about it for a minute and said, SRI LANKA Bharat for his Hindu wedding. Kataria started by organizing a
them, but finally gave up and left. The / "OK, I'll take one-but no attachments." Last September, Mills asked that group of five jokers at his home
flqod continued, submerging the entire War's Ravages Finally Told Columbia Records wait for a in Bombay. The meetings grew
house. The man took ~efuge on the roof A Mahatma Gandhi visited London in 1932. He plantery alignment at exactly , in number and now the good
5:05PM, Sept. 29, to sign on Kula. doctor has "popularized an an-
helicopter flew (wer. "Come. The dam has
broken upstream. ~e will save you," the
toured the city wearing traditional dhoti and
khadi shawl. People who met him were
Finto the war-torn Jaffna areas in the north of the ancient is-
OR YEARS MEDIA OBSERVERS WERE BARRED FROM ENTRY
th~y end their fast: They are fast in getting senses, they practice austerities ~ven while MULTI-NATIONAL
to the refrigerator." Swami ,Satchldananda Life is like photography. You use the nega-
on the need to follow the "middle path" tives to develop. Swami Beyondananda
liv-ing in a crowded home,
Hitopadesha, Chapter 4
S ELF ~ E S S .S E R V ICE Muslims Protest US Statue
I
BUilding Babaji's Hospital '7\ SCULPTURE OF THE PROPHET MOHAMMED HOLDING A
yogi. Babaji passed away William H. Rehnquist said the frieze honors the pmphet and
in 1984. In 14 years he carved will not be altered. Literature describing the £reize, however,
a pristine Hindu path: purity, will be changed to reflect Muslim sentiments on the issue.
simplIcity in living, the perfor- Kashmiri Muslims responded to his decision with demonstra-
mance of the Vedic fire wor- tions and a protest letter to the US. The situation is similar to
ship, chanting of God's name- the Hindu 1996 protests over Muslim artist Maqbool Fida Hus-
Om Nama Sivaya, meditation sain's 20-year-old nude painting of the Goddess Saraswati.
and service. Today Haidakhan Baba Haidakhan Hospital logo
THE VEDAS That which is neither conscious nor unconscious, which is We offer a wide selection of Roy Eugene Davis,
invisible, impalpable, indefinable, unthinkable, unname- Sri Chinmoy's inspirational a widely-traveled teacher,
able, whose very essence consists of the experience of its and instructional written author and direct disciple of
God's Word, own self, which absorbs all diversity, is tranquil and be- works, including essays, Paramahansa Yogananda,
nign, without a second, which is what they call the fourth poetry, plays and extensive " has taught in the kriya yoga
Sages'Voices state-that is the at·man. This it is which shou1d be known. answers to questions asked tradition for more than four
ATHAllVA VEDA, MANDUKYA UPANISHAD 7 by seekers. decades.
Lead me from unreality to
reality. Lead me from dark- He is the Supreme Brahman, the Self of all, the chieffoun- Music includes soul-stirr,ing Request information about
ness to light. Lead me from dation of this world, subtler than the subtle, eternal. That audio and video perform- his books and classes in the
death to immortality. thou art; thou art That. ances by Sri Chinmoy and his USA, India, Europe and
YAJUR VEDA, BHIHADAHANYAKA ATHkRVA VEDA, KAIVALYA UPANISHAD 16 students on instruments from other countries.
UPANISHAD 1.3.28 allover the world.
He should be known as one liberated while alive. He is Center for Spiritual Awareness
Subtlest of the subtle, great- blessed and is of fulfilled duties. After giving up the state Just published- p.o. Box 7-H
est of the great, the atman of being liberated while alive, when the time arrives for his Sri Chinmoy's long-awaited Lakemont, Georgia
is hidden in the cave of the quitting the body, he enters on the state of disembodied trilogy, Commentaries on the Vedas, the Upanishads and the 30552-0007 USA
heart of all beings, He who, liberation, even as the air attains the state of nonmovement. Bhagavad Gita: The Three Branches of India's Life-Tree
free from all urges, beholds Him overC0mes sorrow, seeing SHUKL~ YAJUR VEDA, PAINGALA. UPANISHAD 3.5 and a 4-CD set of selections from Sri Chinmoy's fifty Peace Tel: 706-782~4723 • Fax 706-782-4560
by grace of the Creator the Lord and His glory. Concerts offered in honor of the 50th anniversary of the http://www. csa-davis.org • E-mail csainc@stc.net
KRISHNA YAJUR VEDA, SVETASVATARA UPANISHAD 3.20 The one who has not turned away from wickedness, who has United Nations.
no peace, who is not concentrated, whose mind is restless- In India:
Perishable is matter. Immortal, imperishable the Lord, who, he cannot realize the atman, who is known by wisdom. Call or write for our free catalog! A Master Guide to Meditation (Rs. 55)
the One, controls the perishable and also the soul. Meditat- KRISHNA YAJU1\ VEDA, KATHA UPANISHAD 2.24 The Book of Life (Rs. 65) by Mr. Davis.
ing on Him, uniting with Him, becoming more and more Heart-Light Distributors Motilal Banarsidass
like Him, one is &eed at the last from the world's illusion. Verses are drawn from varjous sources. Those taken from The Vedic PO Box 85464-H 41 U.A. , Bungalow Road
Experience by Prof Raimon Panikkar are available at www.Hin- Seattle, WA 98145-1464 USA Jawahar Nagar, Delhi 110 007
KR ISH NA YAJUR VEDA. SVETilSVATAllil UPANISHAD l.l0
duismToday.kauai.hi. usiashramlDir-New.html#VedExp.html
• Offices and stores also in Patna, Bangalore, Madras,
Tel: 800-739-2885 or 1-206-527-2099 Varanasi, Calcutta and Pune.
Fax: 1-206-527-2099 If by mail, add Rs. 15 each book for postage.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: C. SUNDARAVAQIVEL U
12 HINDUISM TODA'I' JUf- Y , 1997 SRI LANKAN GOVERNMENT STAMP, PAINTING BY S. RAJ A1f
A New Incarnation of the Bita's Truths
LETTERS Books by Swami Shankar Paramahansa Yogananda penetrates to
Impacting India tional orgaruzation. I myself, as a twenty-two There are only a few details of worship Purushottam Tirtha: the Bhagavad Gita's psychological
THE PUBLISHER'S DESK ARTICLES ARE FAN- year member of the society, struggled with an.sJ. practice that we share with Pashupatas, and metaphysical depths, revealing its
taj>tic. Gurudeva is really bringing forward many of ISKCON's shortcomings. Like most Kalamukhas and Lingayats. This influence Yoga Vani innermost essence. Many long-lost
the pure teachings of Saivis£ In India, members, I chose to continue to work with is only upon the external ritual worship. The Instructions for the attain- truths come to life in his new transla-
child beating, child labor and child abuse Prabhupada's society to advance the high original esoteric teachings of this sampra- ment of Siddhayoga during tion and commentary, illuminating the
are so common. Gurudeva is ~ rare soul who ideals he taught us, while overcoming the im- daya, which are obviously more Kaula Shak- sadhana. eternal questions found in every heart.
really upholds dharma. We hope religious pediments we faced. Despite all obstacles, ta than Saivite, remain strong and distinct postpaid: US$13.50 (USA) God Talks With Arjuna:
institutions will read the article "Bad Money, ISKCON continues to grow and have a posi- Unlike Virasaivas, our followers recognize $16.50 (Canada) The Bhagavad Gita
Good Money" (May '97) and cllange their tive impact on the lives of our cdf).gregation the Vedas and other brahmanic Hindu 1,224 pgs, two vols. w/slipcase, US$42.
approach when collecting donations from and society at large. Last year, ISKCON cel- scriptures. , But we recognize the Tantras Guru Bani Self-Realization Fellowship
the public. Such articles will have a good im- ebrated its 30th anniversary with events at [Shakta and SaivaAgamasJ as more author- 100 ways to attain inner 213-342-0247 USA (9-5 PacifIc)
pact on the Hindus in India. 400 temples worldwide. Each Janmastami, itative than Vedic scriptures. Thus, purely peace. How to live a spiritual
TNA RAJASHANKAR millions flock to ISKCON temples for dnr- tantric ideas and practices predominate rp. life-for monks and families.
BANGAWRE, INDIA shan. 1997 will mark the opening of major tills tradition, which is both Shakta (tantric) postpaid: US$9.50 (USA)
" temple complexes in Delhi and Bangalore, and Saivite. ·' , $12.50 (Canada)
and the world's fIrst Hare Krishna Hospital The erroneous statements about Tantra The Divine Vision of Radha Krishn
Jai, Gurumayi! in Mumbai. Our Food for Life project has Sangha were the result of HINDUISM To- Ayurvedic Products Distributors-wholesale or retail
catalog: $1.00 (free via e-mail) • Consultations • 2-year by H.D. Swami Prakashanand
I HAVE BEEN READING YOUR MAGAZINE FOR fed 85 million meals to the needy in 70 coun- DAY'S editors misunderstanding our original
Ayurveda CertifIcation Courses in person or by correspon- Saraswati, is a practical guide to
some time now. It surely has been an en- tries. Reporting from Chechnya about information given to them because of incor-
ric;:hing medium in my life. Often I have felt ISKCON's work during the war, fIle New rect translation and differences in language. dence (either by post or via e-mail). experience the loving Bliss of Radha
Krishn or any other form of God
that HINDUISM TODAY has been a kind of York Times stated, "Here they have a reputa- STANISLAV A.GOROKHOV
Ayurveda Holistic Center explained in our scriptures. It gives a
torch-bearer for me, shedding light on the tion like the one Mother Theresa has in Cal- TANTRA SANGHA, MOSCOW, RUSSIA
aspects of my oym being which I did not cutta." This April in South Africa, ISKCON ": ....tantra@online.ru clo Swami Narayan Tirtha Math crystal-clear view of the path to
82A-H Bayville Ave • Bayville, NY 11709-1671 USA supreme God. (US$30, 462 pgs.)
know existed within me. I have read quite a organized and catered a one-day event for
Tel/fax: 1-516-628-8200 • Ask for Swami Sada Shiva Tirtha International Society of Divine Love
bit of the writings of the great Indian saint 40,000 school children to promote cultural Actively Engaged .
Swami Muktananda. Thereafter I was eager diversity and tolerance. President Nelson , IN YOUR ARTICLE ("MANJUL BHARGAVA: E-mail: mail@ayurvedahc.com Barsana Dham • 400 Barsana Rd
to read and learn more about his successor, Mandela gave-the keynote address. The list Chalks up the Morgan Prize," MATH-A-MA- Austin, TX, 78737-9075 USA
Web: httpllwww.ayurvedahc.com Tel: 512-288-7180, Fax: 512-288-0447
Gurumayi Swami Chidvilasana,nda. The ar- goes on and on. Despite the protests of a few GICIAN, May '97), it was erroneously print-
tide by her ("Ministers Message," April '97) detracters, Srila Prabhupada's movement ed, "His grandfather Dr. Purushottam Lal (Free interactive dosha self-test and articles) http://www.isdLorg
came as a wonderful surprise. Her article should be judged by its honest accomplish- Bhargava was a renowned scholar of San-
turned out to be like a revelation for me. Her ments, and the millions of people whose lives skrit." which gives the impression that he is
message is like a key which unlocked for me it helped change for the better. currently inactive in his fIeld. We would like
the deeper meaning of Swami Muktananda's ANNUTAMA DASA to emphasize the fact that Dr. P.L. Bhargava .
teachings, the most central teaching of NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATION, ISKCON is actively engaged in writing books on In- Chinmaya Family Talks and Camps
which is, "God dwells within You as You." POTOMAC,MARYLAND,USA dology and delivering lectures.
She has so beautifully expounded further on MRs. MIRA BHARGAVA One week of discourses on By Swami Tejomayananda.
the same. I have savored every bit of her ex- Correct Russian Lineage NEW YORK,USA the Shrimad Bhagavat by An optimum blend of spirit-
tremely profound, yet amazingly simple THE ARTICLE ON THE TANTRA SANGHA OF ....matmzb@vaxc.hofstra.edu Swami Tejomayananda of ual, cultural and personal
message. I am so deeply convinced that Russia ("Tantra Worship Catches The in-Rus- Chinmaya Mission. experience. Experienced
even if I were to hold on to a tiny bit of her sia," RUSSIAN REVIVAL, April '97) inaccurately Peace's Prayer August 10-18, 1997 teachers offer the essence of
teachings and ponder over it constantly, her described the Sangha's tradition and prac- I REALLY FELT HURT FOR MY FELLOW TA- San Francisco State University Hindu scripture at all levels:
teachings would open up a whole new per- tices. We are not in any way Pashupatas or milians after reading the article ("Sri Lan- adult, youth, and children.
spective of looking at and living life more Virasaivas, nor Kalamukhas [various Saivite kan Tamils Tell Tales of a Desperate Dias- • Shrimad Bhagavat • Bhagavad Gita
purposefully. I want to thank you most sin- lineages]. Unlike the Virasaivas, we do not pora," COVER STORY, April '97). If all the discourses by Swami .Shrimad Bhagavat
cer~ly for introducing your readers' to Swa- perfgrm pujas to personal Sivalingams. We people are killed and the land destroyed, , Tejomayananda. .Other texts • Meditation
mi <%idvilasananda and look forward to carry them around the neck only as a symbol, what will both parties have to rule? They • The Essentials of • Interactive groups
more in the future. not as an object of worship. We are Tantrikas ; have lost everything. Then there'll be no use Self-Realization-3 talks • Drama; cultural programs
NUTANGUPTA beionging to the Vatulanatha Parampara of of crying over spilled ~. I hope and pray to by Swami Chidananda. • Arts and crafts
MUMBAI, INDIA the Rahasya Kaula Sampradnya, a branch of Lord Ganesha that bo.th parties will sit down • Art, crafts, bhajans, • Recreation, and more...
the Shakta -oriented upasampradaya [sub lin- for peace talks, for the sake of the people. prayers and recreation
Hare Krishna is Alive and Well eage1also known as the Kali Kula Krama sys- MURUGAPPAN for children. Family Camps: .
DESPITE THE INACCURATE CLAIMS OF A tem in Kashmir Tantric Saivism. MALAYSIA • Morning and evening arati. July 18-25 Washington, DC 301-384-5009
paid advertisement in HINDUISM TODAY The Rahasya Sampradnya, (secret tradi- ....u03134@kdupg.edu.my • Interactive group discussions. July 27-Aug 3 Allendale, Michigan 810-732-4255
("Betrayal of the Spirit," page 46, May '97), tion), teaches three ways (fIrst, middle and • Evening Cultural Programs: Stage productions of Sri Aug 4-10 Vancouver, Canada 604-433-3441
the Hare Krishna movement is alive and highest levels of the same Tantric Path) to Letters with writers n~e, address and daytime Rama Janma, Sri Krishna Janma and Krishna-Rukmini Aug 10-17 San Francisco, CA 408-998-2793
well. When our founder-acarya, His Divine God: t he path of Pashu (easy, not esoteric, phone number, should be sent to: Vivaha.
Grace A.G Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupa- Hindu tradition), also known as the "right- Letters, HINDUISM TODAY • Recreational activities. Vedanta for spiritual growth • Values for lasting happiness.
da, passed away in 1977, ISKCON faced se- handed path;" the path ofVira, or heroic es- 107 Kaholalele Road
rious challenges. Most disciples were young oteric tantric '1eft-handed path;' and the KAPAA, HI, 96746-9304 USA Chinmaya Family Spiritual Camps impart the essence of TalkslJnana Yagnas:
or faxed to: (808) 822-4351 Hindu philosophy and heritage to adults, youth, and children. July 7-11 Buffalo, NY 716-633-1633
converts and the institution was barely 11 path of Divya, path of highest level of or e-mailed to:
years old. Mistakes were made, and unfortu- Tantric sadhana. As tantrikas, S\vami Sada- Chinmaya Mission San Jose July 12-18 Toronto, Canada 416-663-6553
letters@HinduismToday_k~uai.hi.us
nately, some leaders went astray and caused shivacharya and his disciples follow and Letters qay be edited for space and clarity and may 1050 Park Avenue, San Jose, CA 95126-3036 USA Chinmaya Mission West • Krishnalaya
the society much pain and embarrassment. teach this tlrree-fold Tantric Path of Kula, appear in electronic versions of HINDUISM TODAY. Tel: 408-998-2793, 415-493-9020, Fax: 408-998-2952 PO Box 129, Piercy, CA 95587-0129 USA
This is not unexpected for a large interna- not the path of Pashu alone. .... INDICATES LEITERS RECEIVED VIA E-MAIL E-mail: bhagavat@Chinmaya.org Tel: 707-247-3488 • Fax: 707-247-3422
http://www.chinmaya.org!events
14 H"'INDUISM TODAY JULY , 1997 15
,
Teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda ,
The bliss of Dr. Vasant Lad, Ayurvedic knowledge the Judeo-Christian
God-awareness is Physician and Director of the God," not the gods of other
not an exclusive Institute, with visiting faculty, faiths, Moore said. "We are not a
possession of offer the Ayurvedic Studies nation founded upon the Hindu
saints and yogis, Program, seminars and pri- god or Buddha." Only Christians
but belongs to you vate consultations. have been invited to lead the
as well. "Self-real- prayers, but the judge's clerk,
ization," explained founDED In mo Yearly Curriculum: Scott Barnett, said he did try to
Paramahansa DH contact a local rabbi but couldn't
• I: Introduction to philosophy,
Yogananda, "is the pnRnmnHnnSn theory and systems (Fall). reach him. While Moore would
knowing-in body, IIOGnnnnOn • II: Introduction to Ayurvedic
not invite representatives of oth-
mind, and soul- assessment (Winter). er (eligions, he would not stop
them. "That's their right," Moore
that we are one with the omnipresence of God; that we do • III: Intra. to management of
imbalances (Spring). said.
not have to pray that it come to us, that we are not merely
Some of the judge's supporters ".
near it at all times, but that God's omnipresence is our
were troubled that Moore was in-
omnipresence; that we are just as much a part of Him now as • Correspondence Course by
sisting on his own religious free~
we ever will be. All we have to do is improve our knowing." Dr. Robert Svoboda, Ayurvedic Physician
dom but limiting its practice to
Through a series of printed Lessons for home study, you • Weekend and Intensive Seminars: Ayurvedic Cooking, Psy-
one faith only. "My personal view
can receive Paramahansa Yogananda's complete and accu- chology, Herbology, Pulse Reading, Sanskrit, Jyotish, etc.
is that our founding fathers
rate instruction in the Self-Realization techniques of medita- • Panchakarma-purification and rejuvenation by licensed staff:
would have permitted prayer
tion, concentration, and pranayama. This in-depth program oil massage, herbal steam, cleansing diet, herbal therapy, etc.
from other denominations," said
explains practical "how-to-live" principles for harmonizing • Ayur-yoga-integrating Ayurveda and Yoga for the purpose
former U.S. Sen. Jeremiah Den-
body, mind, and soul and is offered on a subscription basis of returning each person to his or her balanced state.
ton, who lead the Pledge of Alle-
for a nominal fee to help cover printing and handling. • Ayurvedic and Western herbs, extracts, oils, books, audio
giance at the Aprn 12 rally
For a free catalog of books and recordings, or further and video tapes and a quarterly journal.
information, please contact our international headquarters at: GoY. Fob James, who has
vowed to callout National Guard
Self-Realization Fellowship • 3880 San Rafael. Dept. 7HTG Write/call for our mail order catalog and information:
troops to defend Moore's beliefs if
Los Angeles, CA 90065-3298 USA The Ayuvedic Institute • PO Box 23445
Albuquerque, NM 87192-1445 USA necessary, said he doesn't think
Tel: 213-225-2471 (9-5 Pacific) • 24-hr fax: 213-225-5088
In my God I trust: The Ten Commandments are displayed behind Ju dge Moore.in his j,.labama court Moore is being intolerant of non-
Visit us on t~e Web: http://www.yogananda-srforg Tel: 505-291-9698. Fax: 505-294-7572
Christians by refusing to invite
~~~
? =
. ---" CHURCH AND STATE them to pray in his court. "I think that's his
call," said James, a rally speaker. "You might
o=-.........c~-'"'-'_
.
... based on the teachings of In keeping with
Paramhansa Yogananda the timelessness OF VEDIC STUDIES
(author of Autobiography
ofa Yogi ). ~A of the medium
and the message, Correspondence Courses On:
Third Stone
• Yoga and Meditation is pleased to present Ayurvedic Medicine
Retreat. am Stones,
• Yoga teacher training. carved riverstones Vedic Astrology
• Spiritual communities. with a raised OM,
• Catalog of books, the Universal
music and videos.
• Ananda's home-study
Syllable. , For information
course in yoga and Smooth, pocket-sized (1-2 inches, 2.5-5 cm), am stones are on Vedic Sciences
meditation. intended to be carried and used as a focus for subconscious
meditation in our daily routine. and latest
For a free cassette on Mystical Music and Talks Third Stone also offers other images and symbols that repre- Vedic Research
call or write:
Ananda
sent the highest ideals and lasting values of humankind. •. Send SASE to:
14618 Tyler Foote Rd To order am Stones, send US$4.95 and $1.50 shipping.
The Oracle of Ramo The Tibetan
Nevada City, CA 95959-8599 USA Additional $1.50 shipping for every five stones ordered. David FI'OOey India's Renowned Oracle Book of Healing
(lkrnodello Shastro). DirectOf
Tel: 916-478-7560 Extension 7025
by David Frawley by Dr Lopsang Rapgay
Third Stone,
915 Garden St. $12.95 208 pages, illustrated $12.95208 pages, illustrated
Ananda Home Page: http://www.ananda.org Santa Barbara, CA 93101-1414 USA
American Institute of Vedic Studies ISBN 1-878423-1 9~3 ISBN 1-878423-21-5
E-mail: Ananda@oro.net Tel: 805-963-1168, fax: 805-964-7670. P.O. BOX 8357
Internet: httpllwww.stone3.com To order: add $3.50 shipping and contact:
Ananda, founded in 1968 by Swami Kriyananda, a Saote Fe, NM 847504-8357 PASSAGE PRESS 8188 So. Highland Dr., 0-5, Sandy, UT 84093
direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, is not Write or phone for a brochure of other designs and sizes. USA
affiliated with Self-Realization Fellowship. Wholesale inquiries are welcomed.
(801) 942-1440; FAX (801) 943-7268
To order with Visa, Mastercard, American Express call 1-800-873-0075
~~~~~~,,~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
C
Among Vidyal, I'OOaI are supreme,
In ~, Rudram is supreme.
Sringeri Vtdya Bharati Foundation Inc. USA • Sringeri Sadhana Center invites you to the
I
In Rudram, the Panchakshari
"Nam~vaya" is supreme.
",.
And in i~ the I'Ml syllables
"Siva" are supreme. Athi Rudra Maha yagnam
H.J!. SHANKARACHARYA Jayendra Saraswati, (possibly India, the world's most populous prayer and Hindu chants broadcast over Conducted for the first time outside India
Peethadiswar of the Kanchi Kartiakoti I democracy), Africa and Latin America. loudspeakers to 55-65 decibels, slightly
Peetham, visited Nepal "to offer his bless- The four nonpermanent seats woula be louder than a noisy office. Hindus say they
ings to King Bireridra on the ~ccasion of chosen from those three plus one from can accept the n.oise abatement law if pro-
His Majesty's silver jubilee accession to the Eastern Europe. None of the new seats visions are made for special festivals, such , Sponsorship Schedule
throne and to the people of the only Hindu would have veto power. as the lO-day, all-night Durga Puja. Items 1-4 are both Individual and COIporate Sponso"hips
nation of the world," writes The~thman . U.S.$ Indian Rupees
dy, Post. On the issue of unlawful prosely- CHIDAMBARAM, Lord THE POWER ,OF PRAYER and its effect on heart Grand Patron
Patron: Entire Yagnam
......... 50,001 15lakhs Sringeri Sadhana Center
tizing, the Shankaracharya sard, "If these Siva's glorious ancient patients will be scientifically studied at & Associated Events .... ........ 10,001 3.01akhs RD 8, Box 8116, Stroudsburg, PA 18360 USA · Tel: 717-629-7881, 1-800-45HINDU
people are involved with social services, temple complex three American hospitals thanks to a grant Grand Sponsor: 11 day
Rudra ]apam, Abhishekam Dr. s. Yegna Subramanian 609-530-0299, or Dr. S. S. Iyer 908-238-1119
then they should stick to it and refrain from (whose title deeds are from the John Templeton Foundation, '"
&:Homams .............................. 5,001 1.5lakhs
attempting to convert people's beliefs; there held in the name of which funds the annual Templeton Prize Sponsor: One Priest from Contributions in US dollars may be made
is no room for that in our society." --: Lord Nataraja), re- for contributions to religion. The two-ye'ar India :..,... .. .............. ... ......... 3,001 1.0lakhs
Final Day Rudra Iapam, ,
payable to SVBF - Athi Rudram Account.
mains targeted for .study of 600 people awaiting heart surgery Please mail checks to our registered office:
Abhishekam & Homam ........ 1,001 30,001
NEPAL WANTS MORE TOURISTS-half-a-million takeover by Tamil Golden hall is merely "to find out what happens." Veda Parayanam (all 4 Vedas) Sringeri Vidya Bharati Foundation
in 199B-and to reach its goal it's now mar- Nadu governments & other Parayanams . 501 10,001 Silverline Corp. Plaza, 53 Knightsbridge Rd.
keting itself to Hindus as the world's only Hindu Religfous & Charitable Endowments Vedic Astrology, the new, Delhi-based, bi- Rudra Homam ..................... 251 7,001
Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
Swama (gold) Sambhavana
Hindu kingdom, h0ping its t;housands of Board. The hereditary Podu Dikshithars, or monthly publication, subtitles its~lf "Devot- to One Priest... 151 5,001
Hindu sacred sites, such as Pashupa.tinath temple priests, won a March 12 interim stay ed tq Vedic Concepts of Astrology and Cul- Vastram, Ganapati Homam, Donativns in Indian rupees will be
and its over in Madras High COliFt, temporarily halting ture." "Indian astrology has always been an Navagraha Homam, Avahanti
accepted and usedfor priest expenses and
1,000 Buddhist government appointment of an Executive inseparable limb of --: Homam, Mrityunjaya
Homam, Lalita Homam, sambhavanas and fhepurchase ofpuja
monasteries, will Officer, but the stay was issued on the con- Vedic culture. It has ,---.-----.-------, Sri Sukta Homam .. 51 1,001 items from India. Please mail your checks
lure more than dition that an accounting of temple offerings been labeled as the Contributions to SVBF are tax-deductible or bank drafts, payable to:
just mountain- be submitted with~n 45 days. 'eye' of the Vedas, in the USA. Sri Sharada Peetham, Sringerl
eers to the Hi- the repository of Prasadam will be mailed within two weeks Sri V. R. Gowrishankar,
malayas. IndiaI! AYURVEDA HAS OFFICIALLY ARPIVED i¥ Ameri- knowledge," writes after the conclusion of the yagnam for Administrator, Sringeri SharaiJa Peetbam
sponsors who cannot attend the yagnam.
nationaJs com- ca. The' California College of, Ayurveda editor Dr. K.S. Sringeri - 577 139, Karnataka, INDIA
prised one-third Center for Optimal Health is the first such Charak. Contact:
of the 363,000 college to win state approval to operate in Systems Vision, A- Magazine's logo.
tourists who vis- the United States. "This is a momentous 199 Okhla Ind. Area-
ited in 1995. Nepal sacred sites time in history," says founder Dr. Marc l , New Delhi, 110-020 India. E-mail: rjhan-
I I
Halpern, "It marks fhe beginning of'the ji@giasdlOl.vsnl.net.in.
THE POETIC VOICE ofl5th-century Saivite formation of the profession of ayurveda in \
Saint Arunagirinathar now speaks in both the U.S." Contact: 1117 A East Main Street, BIRTH TIMING IS CRUCIAL in astrology, which
Tamil an!i English in Songs of Divine G-lo- Grass Valley, California, 95945, USA. is why more and more women,are opting
ry. As editor-translator S.M. Ponniah (My , ./
for "elective caesa!ean," consulting as-
Turn, March 1997) prefaces, "This Book of THE POPULATION IMPLOSION is being ignored, trologers for an auspicious moment and
Prayer consists of fifty devotional songs in says Ben Wattenberg, producer of the Pub- then delivering the baby by C-section. "If
adoration of Lord Murugan," and is intend- lic Television production "Think Tank." instead of being born in the morning, a
ed to assist devotees in worship and to Why? "What government chooses to admit child is delivered in the afternoon, the
"rekindle interest in Tamil language, the it's going to, lose half its population in the planetary positions change. His fate alters
root language and source of Tamil Saivism." next hundred years?" New demographic accordingly," says New Delhi astrologer
ferti~ty studies show a downward trend in Ajay Bhambi. Astrologer Chakrapani Ullal
HIS '"PERSONAL ASTROLOGERS uniformly pre- world population, in many cases to below was more 'cautious, "Purposely choosing a
dicted a long term in office' for now ex- the replacement rate (the rate at which .--time ofhirth can, in fact, be a big mistake
Prime Minister .H.D. Iileve Gowda. But 'one p~pulation remains stable). "Birth rates are beca,:!se there are no many really}ood as-
Bangalore astrologer, Ranganatha Desika, declining in f.,sia, South America and in trologers who can take into account all the
made a very contrary and uncannily accu- third-world mitions," says Wattenberg. "I different aspects of astrology to make the
rate prediction published in India Today think this is the biggest news ofthe centu- best decision. Also, there is no really good
(March 31st edition) that the PM would ry. I'm baffled that the story hasn't been . time, because all time has a good part and
exit office on April 27. He was just a few . universally disseminated. Fertility in China a bad part." HINDUISM TODAY columnist Dr.
days off and IndIa is coming down rapidly. At this Devananda Tandav911 says if the C-section
rate, they will be below the replacement is medically required, then "a propitious
INDIA'S FUTURE MAY INCLUQE ASEAT on the rate in an9ther decade or two." time could be elE,cted... " but he otherwise
United Nations Security Council under a decries the use of surgery or drugs simply
new proposal ad.ding five permanent and "RELIGIOUS FERVOR OR NOISE POLLUTION?" So to choose a childs lagna.
four non-petmanent members to the 15- asks the Associated Press over Cal~utta's ef-
seat Council. Economically-thriving Japan forts to curb the often full-blast aural ema- BRIEFLY is compiled from press, TV and
and Germany are considered frontrunners nal'tons from Hindu temples and Muslim UJire-service reports and, edited by RAVI
for permanent seats; the remaining three mosques. Current unenforced federal PERUMAN, award-winning radio journalist
would include one nation each from Asia guidelines limit the azan; or Muslim call to at KGG in San Francisco.
I )
The ·Spaceship Suicide stitution. She left her family behind to join earlier groups who announced exactly when net is a method of communication that PFQ-
Applewhite in a nomadic ex;i~tence, camping and where it would happen have been em- v.ides equal access to the legitimate and the
their way across America. Together they barrassingly stood up as the promised flying far-fetched, to the responsible report and the
concluded they were the two witnesses saucer failed to arrive. -Applewhite initially outright fraud. The website which advocates
mentioned in the Christitm Bible's "Book of believed that a real flying saucer would land the existence of this accompanying object
Revelations." They slowly collected followers to pick them up-armoupcing so in 1975. (and a coverup by world governments) is
Eastern Faiths falsely implicated as 39 members of a radical Christian by holding meetings where they frankly de- That never happened, and he too was derid- just as available on the Internet as is that of
, clareB. that they and whoever choose to fol- ed. Uter his belief change(i to one of shed- NASA or any of the irorlds observatories.
UFO cult die in hopes of joining an alien craft following comet IJale-Bopp low them would be picked up-by spaceships 'ding the "vehicle," the body, to allow tran~ But what was a harmless argument over
and taken to heaven. They went by the port of the soul to a new physical body some photos-all of which were explained or
name "The Two" or "The UFO Two" and by aboard a spacecraft crewed by ET-like dismissed as hoaxes-became something
N MARCH 23, 1997, THE FIRST man" and join him on a, spaceship a variety of nicknames, lastly "Ti and Do," ali~ns. Though'he and his followers clid not very different when Applewhite decided the
members of Heaven's Gate, following Comet Hale-Bopp. after the musical notes in the Western scale. know when thi§ might occur, they were con- object was indeed Ti's spacecraft and initI-
a . self-described "cult of Even as refrigerated coroner's vans "Unidentified Flying Object" (UFO) has tinuously on alert for departure. Apparently ated earnest preparations for the group's sui-
cults," mixed phenobarbital removed decomposing bodies from come to name an entire movement of people they awaited fulfillment of the prophecy of cide. In January, Applewhite posted a four- ,.
sweet pudding, washed the hous~, Eastern faiths, the New who beheve alien spacecraft are visiting the Revelation 11.12: 'f\nd t.hey heard a great page message on the Web and 95
it down with vodka, covered Age and the Jillternet became theI Earth. voice from heaven saying Ul).to them, 'Come newsgroups entitled "Undercover Jesus Sur-
their heads with plastic bags and suffo- scapegoats in a desperate search for Bonnie-Ti-dieQ. of cajlcer in 1985, ~d up hither.' And they ascended up to heaven faces Before Departure." He wrote, "I am
cated to death. Fifteen more took their some kind of rational explanation oJ after that Applewhite-Do-continued the in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them." about to ' return to my 'Father'S Kin-gdom.
own lives the next day in the swank, this bizarre incident-the largest organization, claiming that Ti was now in When Cemet 'Hale-Bopp appeared, Ap- This return requires that I prepare to lay
$1.6 million rented mansion pear San " mass suicide in US history. Parallels heaven waiting for the others. He insisted plewhite-now openly saying he vias Jesus down my berrowed human body ... as I did
DIego, California. On the third day, the were drawn with the People's Temple his followers regard their physical bodies as retumed-took this to be a sign that the end . approximately 2,000 years ago as Jesus."
remaining nine died. When disCQvered suicide of 900 persons in Guyana in "vehicles" and forbade sex among mem- had come. Earth was about to be "recycled, Members went to Mexico to buy the lethal
the next morning by a former member, the 1970s, the Branch Davidians bers-even to the point of castration for sev- , spaded un<ffir." Ti-whom Applewhite said drugs. Those in San I}iego bought a tele-
each body was neatly laid out on a cot deaths in Waco, Texas, in 1993 aneY eral of the men, including Applewhite him- was really the "Holy Father," as in "Our Fa- scope to check on the supposed spaceship
or bed, dressed identically in black ~ the Solar Temple suicides in Europe self. Everyone wore black and kept their .ther WhO art in heaven ... "-was piloting a trailing the comet, but returned it a week
pants and brand new black Nike sneak- Applewhite: Group's leader on their farewell video tape and Canada in '94 and '95. These hair trimmed short. The group s upported spacecraft, follOWing in the wake of :tIale- later when they wer'e unable to locate any
ers, partly covered with a purple I groups' obvious common denomina- .themselves by odd jobs as they wandered Bopp which had come. to transport them- such object. Nevertheless, preparations pro-
shroud, identification in one pocket, a five- turned to Earth. Tragically, this charismatic tor~Christianity-was unwanted knowledge about the United States, and fmally by de- the ascent into heaven, w hich they Veld to ceeded apace, and the day after Hale-Bopps
dollar bill and some coins in another. A former opera singer and son of a Presby.ter- for Americans, and the media was loathe to signing Internet Web pages frSlm their San be a physical place. closest approach to Earth on March 22nd,
packed suitcase sat nearby. ian Christian minister had convinced 21 fe- mention it is as they recounted the strange Diego mansion. They were proficien:t prs- an
These b~liefs were reinforced by inter- the suicides began.
Their leader, Marshall Herff Applewhite, male and '17 male wetl-educated, middle- history and theology of Heaven's Gate. grammers and counted among their clients net-wide debate over whether an unidenti- Searching for Blame: HINDUISM TODAY'S
died.with them, shortly after proclaiming on class Amerioans, ages 26 to 72, to kill Applewhite had been assembling his cho- many local businesses. _ fied object was indeed accompanying Hale- analysis of media reports suggests that bias
the Internet that he was Jesus Christ re- themselves, attain the "Level Beyond Hu- sen group since the 1970s, initially with Heaven's Gate was not the first Ameri'can Bopp, as, three photographs suggested. Such in wording and emphasis repeatedly shifted
I
22 HINDUISM TOD A.Y J LY, 1997 JULY , 1997 HINDUI SM TODAY 23
the blame apd "responsibility as far East as spawned from corrupted truths." A word is already something wrong, something Swamis contacted wanted circumstances is a poor I choice to
possible, and J?!ayed down or covered up the count on the 470-page book published on twisted'about Eastern beliefs. It is a subtle by tIINDmSM TODAY make. The soul is left in a ·state of limbo,
Christian baSIS of Applewhite's pltiloSQphy. thOO website found Jesus 331 times, Bible bias, one which obscufes the very real judged the Heaven's earthbound, aimlessly floating on the astral
A few publications did nor do this. For ex- 41, but guru only 3, and no mention at all of Christian basis of Applewhite's philosophy Gate group misguid-· planey,where it remains untiJ-the time death
ample, The Washington Post, citing experts Vedas, dharma or mqksha. . and tries again to shift the blame to the East. ed, and their goal of would have occurred naturally Then it rapid-
su~h as Jim Lewis (whq had actually known In analyzing Applewhite's pltilosophy, Protest can change detrimental de scrip- reaching a spaceship ly r~incamates into exactly the same unwant-
the group, unlike most other 8!Cperts sound- most publications would cite "Christianity" tions. In a March 28th Reuter's wire service impossible, but were ed karmic situation it sought to escape.
ing forth ·on Heaven's ~te) said, 'l\pple- and "Eastern beliefs," as dual sources. Each report titled "Ma~s suicide shows no sign of sympathetic to their The issue for Hindus is not so much that
white never strayed entirely from hi~ Chris- time Christianity was mentioned, it would shaking U.S. cults," a swiftly-issued correc~ .sincerity and disci- of suicide, but the continuing media slant
tian upbrInging, and to the end his theology be carefully qualified. For example, tion replaced "Church of Scientology, a pline in searching for which attributes the Heaven's Gate incident
was bas~d on the Book of Revelation." Like- . Newsweek called his philosophy a "strange movement that has been accused of driving a higher mea1'iing to to some cornJ.pting Eastern influence. As
wise, the Sacramento Bee quoted University brew of twisted Christian theology." Th~n members to suicide and bankruptcy" with life. From the Hindu was found rec~ntly with an offensive music
of California professor of sociology Dr. John they said it also contailled, "~lements of "Church of Scientology, a U.S.-based inter- point of view, suicide album cover [see page 47] and by the
R. Hall that "all kinds of' Applewhite's views Eastern religions." Not "twisted elements," national religion"-obviously a result of pro- committed as a means change the Scientologists finessed in their
~J:·u:s:t~"~el~e:m:e:n:ts~.':'~T~
h e~im
:p~li~c:a:ti:o~
n ? ~T~
ha:t:th~e:r:e~~t:es:t:s!fr:o:m~th~e::o~ffi:e:n~d~e~d~s~c~ie:n:t:ol~o!g;iS:ts~."_"l:IIIIIIaJ~~~I~~~~~
y of escape from un- case, protests can and do work. ,.1 ,.,
were "long-standing beliefs in Chriss1t:ian
: i:t :::'
Elsewhere, a: single, loaded _
word-guru- was sufficie~t to
skew, the facts. NewsweeK re- and misrepresented. Whereas sires and the intention of the
port~d, "The most . important
cause of death may have been
the cult's guru." Yet, according
Suicide: Upside/Downside Padmani and the others surely
rose to a higher level of being-
because they died to pleserve
person, he may be reborn in a
miserable state in a human
form, or he may enter into low-
to that magazine's own four- their honor, not just to satisfy
page analysis of Applewhite's Flve swamis critique media, spaceships and suicide their cm;iosity. To grasp the j
philosophy, its single, tenuous Truth, one has to let go of one's
connection with Hinduism was own ego and misconceptions.
his "vision of time as cyc1i<;al." Swami Atmarupananda is philosophically free to do. It beliefs or Hinduism. It is pure- One is not enlightened
ti!me magazinel too, wrote, "the (Vedanta Society of Southern was, I think, a mistake to fol- ly a Western or American phe- overnight, nor is one enlight-
future-guru ... " Now, in the West, California, San Diego): I am in low someone with a promise nomenon. Almost all of these ened by chasing after a comet,
guru has come. to be .~ common the area where the suicides that had no verification outside tragedies have occurred in or jumping on the bandwagon
word, used for media guru, stock ' happened. In reporting on the of his own words. That's the Christian groups. It is the re- of some cult. We need to still
mp,rket guru, software ·guru, Heaven's Gate suicide, the me- value of a tradition, it is time- Swami Chetanandanda (Head, case). In these situations sui- our own mind and become
more or less, as in ,India guru dia showed more restraint than tested in the experience of Hltyananda Institute, Oregon): cide leads to a higher reincar- humble, responsible and re-
means any kind of teacher. But usual: with some exceptions, many, and that's the value of From the Hindu perspective, nation. In other cases, such as sourceful human beings. If we
when it comes to religion, guru, they didrit rush to demonize scriptures, which are the the idea that going fwm one attempting to escape difficult want to leave our mark on the
means just one thing: Hinduism. the participants as they often recoJ"ded experiences of oth- place in a physical universe to circumstances, suicide might er species. There is a defInite
There are no Ciitholic gurus, u.o ers. Perhaps the participants another place in a physical uni- be an unfortunate decision. rule in the universe. One can-
PJiotestant gurus, no Muslim gu- had a personality flaw which verse is an advancement is Suicide simply would be an ex- not escape it. Whatever a per-
rus, no Buddhist gurus. Apple- made them susceptible to the ridiculous. Because the soul is tension of the unfortunate cir- sons' mind is before death, agi-
white- wh.o did call himself'Fa- influence of one man's strange eternal and one, suicide is not cumstances-circumstances tated, envious, worldly,
ther John Do- was not labeled promise. But the followers of considered such a terrible thing that one will inevitably face non-Godly, etc., in a similar
minister, priest, imp,m, roshi, Heaven's Gate also showed re- under certain circumstances. It countless times until they are state is he reborn in this very
... is not terrible when suicide surmounted. world. Thinking of going into a
lama, pastor or chaplain in the markable -sincerity, singleness '"
of purpose, discipline, purity, ::; takes place under conditions by spaceship by committing sui-
media, but guru, and not to QL-____________________
"' Swami Bua Mahar~ (lndo-
~
mean "remover of darkness," no matter how mistaken they cide is the product of a sick
the word's real and literal sense, were in their basic premise. sult of failure of the modern American yoga-Vedanta Soci- mind. The public must be
but -Row as . "cause of death." Such good qualities never go to Western culture and religion. ety, Hew York): In the wake of aware of such cults and not fall
The term for Hinduisms highest waste. No genuine sacrifice, The media portrayal of such this' suicide, some persons have for them. There are three main
religious guides, souls often of even if misguided, goes to incidents is very unfair, trying tried to compare this abhorrent indications of such cults: A)
immense personal attainment, do with strange religious phe- waste. To believe that people to "pass the buck" as well as act to Hindu beliefs and pmc- They do not worship an om-
had been su~oned to imply nomena. However there was that are sincerely motivated place the blame "at the door of tices. Some cite Gandhi's will- wor1d, then let it not be written nipresent personal form of God
sinister legdership. . once again this strange and to- and good-hearted but mistak- Eastern beliefs." In principle, I ingness to "fast to death" or the in blood and tears, But in the as prescribed in our main scrip-
Applewhite did not call him- tally unfair association of the en in the obj~ct of their moti- do not support suicide-it is self-im.molation of Padmani sweet sweat of our own unno- tures; B) Their way of worship
self a guru, and he did not fql- Heaven's Gate with Eastern re- vation will, because of that not right-but in practice there (and all women of the Jaipur ticed and unselfish service. is more or less secretive; it is not
low Hindu teachings. In fact, he ligion. Just as Jews, Christians mistake, be in any sense com- are exceptions which can be palace) during the terror of the open to the public, and they
stated, "One of the major tools ' and Muslims have voices to re- pletely lost is a hellish doctrine, acceptable and have their own Moguls in the 16th century. H.D. Swami Praushanand like to remain aloof from the
of Lucifer i:s the New Age move- spond to unfair treatment in and contrary to the Hindu tra- use/need. [The threat to fast to There is no comparison what- Saraswatl (Founder, Barsana general society; C) They be-
ment- Theosophy, Ascended the media, so Hindus need the dition which recognizes good- death] as in the case of Mahat- soever between the Heaven's Dham, Texas, USA): Intention or lieve in the supernatural power
Masters, channeli:Q.g, Eastern re- same: not a fanatical voice that ness-and the triumphant ma Gandhi, whose method which you are preserving your Gate deaths and the countless action of committing suicide is or existence which they may
ligions, mysticism, yoga, Christ imagines insult at every turn, power of goodness-wherever was nonviolent and selfless, own personal integrity or con- Hindus who have embraced sin according to Hindu religion. call as God and talk of joining
cOJ;lsciousness within, and the , but a reasoned and balanced it is found. was alright and even laudable. serving limited resources used death rather than compromise Human life is a gift of God to with that, but they don't believe
'~ are God' concept. All are a. voice that responds to genuine But the same can and has been better by others (self-sacrifice). their honor. The Heavens Gate receive His love and vision; it is in the gracious kindness, love
fantasy and a .trap. " He 'else- prejudicial treatment. I think Prabhushrl Swami Amar Jyotl explOited by some others for It is not terrible to sacrifice members have not risel). to a not for destrOying willfully. The and the vision of Supreme God.
where wrote ''karma is a coun- the act of the Heaven's Gate (Founder, Desert Ashram, Ari- the wrong purposes, stubborn- oneself for the real possibility higher level, but have sunken to consequence is always a down- 4
}o ULL TEXT OF SWAMI'S COMr-.!ENTS AVAlI'..-
terfeit," "reincarnation at birth members was a mistake, but I zona, USA): It is unfair to asso- ly, as brats would do selfishly to of advancing important human- a lower one. Like many other fall of the soul. Depending ABLE AT: 'H1NDUlSMTODAY.KAUAI.HI .'u slRE·
is a completely inaccurate con- also see much good, as a Hindu ciate these things with Eastern get their own way. itarian ideas (as in Gandhi's lost sows, they were misguided upon the non-Godly beliefs, de- SOUROEsis UICIDElLEJillERSVIEWS.liTML
28 HIND U ISM TOD A,Y J l\LY , 1997 JULY , 1997 HINDUISM T O DAY 29
Five Parenting Guidelines
Paneha Kutumba Sadhana
q~q:;e~ ~
"-!N>
34 .\
HINDUISM TOD A.Y Jl\LY , 1997 JULY , 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 35
AS ·TROLOGY rity in relation to the world. Mars and Sat-
urn give malefIc results when they have no Nutrition, Sexual Energy and Sept. 25, 26, and 27, 1998
~t olfeenadewelers
ination and pu.roa punya, merits and demer- mentia. Magnifying this, the mutual aspect Thus the inherent tend~ncies of both men efficacy of the sacred Rudraksha.
its of the last life. Both Jones and Applewhite of Mars and Saturn in inimical constella- c.ould have been anticipated. Would it have
had their 5th heuse i~uenced by Mars. tions.in both charts created fear and insecu- made a difference had we known? .,.;
36 HINDUISM TODAY JULY , 1997 Phone: (773) 973-0505 Fax: (773) 973-0561
Quality Indian clipart software for Mac or PC. Professional Services Palani Pan chang 1997. Trivedi's American Tel: 800 545-9ll8 or 619-471-5ll6. Fax:
KalashKala: more than 100 color and b&w Panchang available in English or Gujarati. 619-471-0337. E-mail: mail@innerdir.tom
Classified ads are US$25 for 20 words, $1/word images for all Indian occasions. Reviewed by Canada Immigration Worldwide construction in masonry and con- US$9 (+US$2 slh). In 3 versions for NY, Chica-
for each additional word, payable in advance Hinduism Today - Feb. 97. us $39.99 plus $4 Complete preparation of application crete. Will travel anywhere. 25 years experi- go, San Francisco times. 510-490-1533. De-
ence. Ref available. For free estimates: Sankara vendra Trivedi, 4831 Piper St, Fremont, CA
AVideo Pilgrimage
• Hinduism Today, 107 Kaholalele Rd, Kapaa, shippingl$8 international shipping. Contact: package for US$l,OOO only. Leading team
Hawaii, 96746-9304 USA. Tel: 800-850-1008 or Prium Graphics, llO Standish Road, Needham, of immigration lawyers and consultants. and Sons, 6136D Kala Kea, Kapaa, HI 96746- 94538-2525 USA. 60 rarely-filmed sites. Lofty,
808-823-9620 • Fax: 808-822-4351, MA 02192-ll18 USA. Tel: 617-444-4103. Contact Surya Consulting, Inc. 8642 USA. Tel/fax: 1-808-823-6698. Mobile inspiring. US$39.95. M. Cian-
E-mail: ads@hinduismtoday.kauai.hi.us E-mail: prium@aol.com Tel: 709-747-4709 • Fax: 800-330-3670. tel: 808-639-2809. E-mail: Sankara@aloha.net AUromere: Sri Aurobindo books, classical spir- ciara, 2000 N. Ivar Ave #7
itual texts, ayurveda books, children's books Hollywood, CA 90068-3960
Appeals Devotional Supplies Jewelry Publications from India, ayurvedic products, incense, and
much more. Free catalog: 1-800-735-4691 (USA).
Swami Balagangadharanatha's Blind School Ganges clayfired statues for puja, meditation. Affordable jyotish gems/jewelry. Vedic Amar Chitra Katha for children. Illustrated Acclaimed spiritual videos: Sadhana-
in Karnataka, India, needs your help (160 Sixty beautiful handpainted images including astrological prescriptions filled. Paramahansa colorful tales on Hindu mythology. Discounts For latest Indian magazines/newspapers- India's holy men, see the Kumbha Mela.
pupils). USA volunteers have already sent hard-to-find Narasimha, Kalki, Jagannatha, Yogananda bangles. Meditation beads. Free to schools and distributors. ACK Agency, subscriptions available. Also available: Hindi, 60 min. US$33.95 pstpd (ck). Pal and Catalog
4,000 braille books, 6,000 audio tapes, various Chaitanya, Shankaracharya, Dhanvantari. Color information. Satisfaction Guaranteed. Order 2653 Grande Vista Ave, Oakland, CA Gujarati magazines and much more. Call available. Penny Price Media. 355C Lake
braille items, clothing and more. Need catalog, US$2. JBL, Box 163 H, Crozet, VA by mail from King Enterprises, 1305 N. 94601-1317 USA. Tel/fax: 510-532-2505. Web: Emkay Advertising. Tel: 281-933-4005. Pleasant Dr. Staatsburg, NY 12580 USA.
US$5,OOO for equipment to produce needed 22932-0163 USA. H StlA-289-T, Lompoc, CA 93436-3335 USA. http://www.ackagency.com Fax: 281-498-6286 (USA). Tel: 914-876-0239, fax 914-876-02.60.
braille lessons in Hinduism. Resources are CalI1-805-693-09ll (business hours).
already strained; please help. (We've also Quality Incense Sri Aurobindo books: Complete works of Sri Vacation/Retreat Yoga
helped blind schools in other countries). Aurobindo, the Mother, Shri Madhav Pandit.
from India. Golden Rose. Music and Art Additional titles on Yoga, Philosophy, Ayurve- Beautiful rooms by the ocean. Ayurvedic
Intn'l agreements make shipments to blind
institutions free, so your gift goes a long way.
Neel Kamal. Pure Sandal- da and Alternate Health. Exclusive distributors meals. One hour north of San Francisco. Yoga in Daily Life
wood cones, and more.
D. Shanmugan. Tel: 1-619-466-9497. Fax: 619- Heart-melting Deity miniatUre paintings for Samata Books Classical Spiritual Texts. Brighton Beach HAUS. Tel: 415-868-9778. Yoga classes, guest lecturers, satsang.
Tel: 970-949-6329 USA Free Catalog: Lotus Light, Box 325HT, Twin
565-1547. E-mail: 0005ll2751@mcimail.com. from India at website: http://www.lakshmi. Yoga related items, books, audio and video
Email: vel@vail.net Lakes, WI 53181-0325 USA.
com. Catalog: Lakshmi International, 4ll Videos tapes and more.
Ayurvedic/Health Madison St, Boonton, NJ 07005-2051 USA. 1310 Mt. Vernon, Alexandria, VA 22301 USA
Education Behold the invisible power like a meteor from Rall1ana Maharshi Video. Just released! Nar- Tel: 703-299-8946 • Fax: 703-299-9051
Panchakarma retreat. Medically supervised Devotional sculptUre: Classic stone-cast heaven. For the first time, you can explore The rated by Ram Dass, Abide As the Self presents
one-week complete detoxification program Hindu University of America summer intensive murthies of Hindu deities for your home or Secrets of Aum and Gayatri, a book by Pandit the essential teachings of Ramana Maharshi.
with Scott Gerson, MD, recognized authority. courses, Florida campus. Hinduism, Sankhya temple. Ganesh, Shiva, Laxmi, Sarasvati, Durga. Tripathi that reveals the mystical principles be- Includes comprehensive live footage, rare Yoga at home video series, alllevels,wlRamesh
Authentic and economical. Tel: 212-505-8971 Yoga, Raja Yoga, Sanskrit, meditation, music, Ht: 2 ft. (61 cm) or 4-5 ft. (1.2-1.5 m ). Com- hind the greatest of mantras. A must for Hin- photographs, and interviews with H .W.L. Yogi, Indian guru, 25 years experience. US$25,
(USA). DrGerson@worldnet.att.net. Hindu psychology, etc. Hindu University of missions available. Catalog, tel: 800-608-8632 , du and non-Hindu homes. 184 pp. Hardcover. Poonja, Douglas Harding, Allan Anderson incl. postage. Yoga Center, PO Box 36-D-67,
America, 8610 Vesta Terrace, Orlando, FL 515-472-8ll5. Vedic Sculpture Studio, 607 W Published USA. US$19.98 p.paid. Panditji, 7206 and others. Inner Directions, PO Box Los Angeles, CA 90036 USA Tel: 213-876-9970.
Recipe of the Sages. Classical ayurvedic 32825-7934 USA. Tel/fax: 407-277-5959. Broadway #144, Fairfield, IA 52556-3200 USA. Burnway Dr., Orlando FL 32819-5051 USA. 231486H, Encinitas, CA 92023-1486 USA. http://www.indolink.comigloballyogaCntr:html
remedies prepared strictly, following ancient E-mail: 103655.2733@compuserve.com
texts (Ashtanga Hydriya, Sahasrayoga, etc.). Exquisite Vedic paintings done to order at very
Just arrived from India: massage oils, head oils, Excellent correspondence course on Vedic reasonable prices. Art book, Windows to the
ashwangadadi, lehyam, agasthyarasayanam, Astrology by Jyotish Krishnan, recipient of Spiritual World , containing over 108 color
chavanaprash, dasamoolaristhan, draksharish- several awards including the recent award of prints (14 double-page) 8.5 x II inches, hard- Sri Chinmoy Ayurvedic Institute
tam, and more. Call/write for catalog & price Jyotish Vachaspathi by leas, India. His book bound, dustjacket: US$45. Contact for free flyer:
list. Tel: 800-455-0770. Tri-health Inc., PO Box entitled Ashtaka Varga Made Simple for the Pushkar, PO Box 1094, Alachua, FL 32615 The Major Distributor of The Sri Chinmoy Institute of Ayurvedic Sciences offers
340, Anahola, HI 96703-0340 USA. Western Astrologer is available for sale by the USA. Tel: 904-462-0144. Fax: 904-462-7893. books from India. authentic training in the ancient traditions of Ayurvedic
author. Tel/fax: 972-783-1242 or write PO Box Medicine. Comprehensive programs taught in all areas:
Meat sUbstitutes: Textured Vegetable Protein 852892, Richardson TX 75085-2892 USA. East Indian instruments and gift items. Giant A sampling from our catalog: nutrition, pulse diagnoses, Ayurvedic skin care, massage,
and Instant Seitan. Fat-free, quick-cooking. selection of instruments: harmoniums, tabla, • Ganesha: The Auspicious ... Panch Karma (cleansing and rejuvenation), and herbal
Free catalog: 800-695-2241. PO Box 180-HT, Free Products and Services daggas, kirtan instruments, audio/video tapes. The Beginning. Shakunthala medicine. Taught by Vrrender Sodhi, MD. (Ayurved), N.D. and
Summertown, TN 38483-0180. Also incense, spiritual books, etc. For a beau- Jagannathan. pap. US$17.00 N.D. staff Now enrolling evening and weekend seminars.
Free educational flow charts on all aspects of tiful catalog, send US$l to Encinitas Imports,
• Hinduism: An Introduction.
Ayurvedic tours in India. Panchakarma, Hinduism. Write to Viswanath. Am I a Hindu ? PO Box 230419-H, Encinitas, CA 92023-0419
Shakunthala Jagannathan. Sri Chinmoy Institute of Ayurvedic Sciences
massage, herb gardens, lectures, secrets. [ISBN 1-879904-06-3] Box 56697, New Or- USA. Tel: 619-436-9589.
Pap. $12.95 2115112th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004-2946 USA.
Also arrange Sanskrit-learning retreats. leans, LA 70156-6697 USA.
Beginners and advanced. Health Tours. • Introduction to the Puranas. Tel: 1-425-453-8022 • Fax: 1-425-451-2670
Products/Stores Pushpendra Shastri. $12.00 e-mail: Ayurveda@Ayush.com. http/www.ayush.com
Tel: 1-505-323-7233 (USA). Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj meditation
blessings. Peace, bliss and Self-Realization at- Jay Store: Houston's oldest Indian grocery • Iswara Darshan. Sri Swami
Free 32-page booklet on ayurvedic gems. Help tained through meditation. Included are pho- store. Over 5,000 items- pooja articles and Tapovan Maharaj. pap. $8.95
overcome your negative karma. Personalized to of Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj, holy ash and much more. UPS daily. lOAM-8PM every day. • Gita Rahasya. B.G. Tilak.
planetary gem analysis, US$20. Specializing in meditation instructions. No charge. Send Tel: 713-783-0032 (USA). $25.00
affordable Navaratnas (nine-gem upper arm name, address and phone number to Dhyana • Meditation. Narayan Dutt Shrimali. $25.00 Learn at Home by Mail
bangles). VA.J., ll06 2nd St #101, Encinitas, Center of Roanoke, 833 Woods End Lane, Purity Farms organic traditional ghee. 100% • What Becomes of the Soul After Death. Sivananda. pap. $8.00
CA 92024-5008 USA. Tel: 619-753-6071. Fax: SW, Roanoke, VA 24014-1423 USA pure, from cows raised completely.free of hor- • Prana Pranaya'fl1A! Prana Vidya . Swami Niranjananda Self study courses:
619-753-3355. mones, chemicals or pesticides. A delight to cook Saraswati. pap. $12.95 • Hindi in 2 months • Sanskrit in 6 months
For inspiration, calI808-822-SIVAI7482 day or with! Wholesale/retail. Call 303-647-2368 • Hatha Yoga Pradipika: Light on Hatha Yoga. Swami • Speak Hindi in 2 weeks
Computer night for a recorded sermonette by Satguru Muktibodhananda Saraswati. pap. $14.95 Other Vedic University Publications:
Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. A total of sixty Evolution'· vegetarian health food for dogs, • Third Ey e & Kundalini. B.S. GoeL $22.00 • How to befriend God • Win the battle of life • Happy
The best software for Hindi, Sanskrit, Gujarati, different upadeshes are changed daily, Each cats and ferrets. No slaughter-house waste • Chanakya's Neeti Scripture. R.K. Sharma. pap. $14.95 Home • Valmiki Ramayana • Unknown facts revealed
Punjabi, Bengali with diacritical marks. one is from 10 to 18 minutes-covering topics as found in all meat-based pet foods. All- Visa/MC accepted.
The Hindi Word Processor for Windows such chakras, handling karma, fear and other vegetarian; contains more essential and extra Call or send us an e-mail for a free catalog:
from Krishna Software. US$109.00 + US$10.00 states of externalized consciousness, affirma- nutrients than any other brand. Five to ten Vedic University of America, 10509 Caminito Basswood
Nataraj Books
shipping. MasterC·ard/M.O. Tel: 416-315-3186. tions, putting teachings into practice, color extra healthy years for your companion San Diego, CA 92131-1704 USA· Tel: 1-619-578-7790
PO Box 86065, Oakville, ON L6H 5V6, meditations, and many more. guaranteed. Brochures and discounts available. 7073 Brookfield Plaza • Springfield, VA 22150-2915 USA
Tel: 1-703-455-4996 • Fax: 1-703-912-9052 Fax: 1-619-578-8293 • E-mail: VedicU@cris.com
Canada. Email: dsharma@worldchat.com. 287 E 6th St #270, St. Paul, MN 55101-1926
Distributorship available. USA. Tel: 612-228-0632, 612-227-2414. email: nataraj@mail.erols.com • Please ask for our free catalog
PARENTING Ayurvedic Massage
. Hari sh Johari • ISBN 0-89281-489-6 • $19 .95 illustrated pb
J2tyurvedic
To Beat or Not to Beat? Trained in India 's ancient healing art, author Harish Johari introduces Ayurvedic massage,
a gentle bodywork therapy that promotes well-being on both the physical and mental levels.
~assage
HINDU HERITAGE ENDOWMENT many other kinds of violence in the world on the idea that parents need support from $245 after June 30, 1997 credit card to the Institute address 1----. Name _______________________________________ I
I
below. Registrations paid by credit I
($25 Discount for ACVA Members) Address ___________________________________ I
107 KAHOLALELE ROAD can. be prevented. ' their relatives, neighbors and friends to card may also be faxed or phoned In. I
I
KAPAA. HI 96746-9304 USA What is most alarming is the near-total re- change hurtful attitudes. S City, State, Zip ______________________________ I
I
: ,41
~f'~~~~~~~"~~~=-,=~" ~~~~~=~ r~
Ayurvedic Herbal Products Custom Tours to India An Ancient God's Visible Grace
Combining 5,000 years of Kali Travel is uniquely qualified to
wisdom with state-of-the-art organize custom-made tours to satis- It began on September 21,1995, when an image of Ganesa in a New Delhi temple be-
technology. fy the needs of any type of group, gan sipping milk. Then, this modern miracle took on global dimensions as, over sever-
organization or individual and to al months, it was witnessed by millions, in temples, shrines and homes worldwide .
• All products grown naturally structure an itinerary appropriate to How timely that, only days before, Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami had finished his
in their pristine Himalayan their specific needs and interests. illustrated resource book, Loving Ganesa-800 pages of insights into this great God!
habitat. Loving Ganesa is at once simple, deep and practical, and teaches ever so many ways
• Free of pesticides, For more information, contact: that Ganesa's grace can be attained through sincere devotion, song, prayer and medita-
, insecticides, heavy metals Kali Travel Ltd. tion, to bring greater harmony, contentment and spirituality into our daily life.
and chemical fertilizers. 169-12 Hillside Ave,
• Standardized to ensure con- Jamaica, NY 11432-4498 USA
sistent high quality & potency. Tel: 1-718-29l-9292 Imagine yourself sitting crosslegged under a shady tree, the hum of insects and a
gentle breeze coloring the background as you absorb the words of an important
Products include: teacher. Only a handful of religious texts have been able to convey such an overwhelm-
• AmlaPlex • AP Mag ing presence; this is one.-Napra Review
• Bio-Gymnema • Carditone It is an important text for English-speaking readers and should remain as an all-
• Tylophora Plus • Macuna Plus God,God,God you-wanted-to-know-but-were afraid-to-ask book about Ganesa, the divine and
• Pippli • Therapeutic Herbal Oils much-loved remover of obstacles.-Publishers Weekly
• Rentone • Trifal • Neem Plus A rare opportunity offered to my brothers and sisters allover
• Specially formulated for women: the world. A majestic book of love, peace and happiness depicting Ganesa as a friend and pro-
Eleg Fern, Young Fern, Shitawari tector, generously accessible to young and old, expressed in intriguing mysticism for
• For liver support: Livit-1, Livit-2 "What right has a man to say he has a soul if he does not feel the world's oldest living religion.-Book Reader
• Herbal anti-arthritic treatments: it, or that there is a God if he does not see Him?"
Anyone with a burning desire to truly and honestly see, feel, 800 pages • $19.95 paper. lavishly illustrated. ISBN 0-945497 -64-4
Ashwagandha, Boswellia Plus
• Cholesterol control: Guggalip hear and talk to God, contact:
Ayush Herbs, Inc. Dr. Aruna • 183 Jalan Besar, Bukit Tengah
2115112th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004-2946 USA.
Tel: 800-925-1371 or 425-637-1400 • Fax: 425-451-2670
154000 Bukit Mertajam
Penang, West Malaysia
Exceptional Answers to
E-mail: Ayurveda@Ayush.com. http/www.ayush.com
Eternal Questions
Every spiritually-inclined human being will be enriched by the path re-vealed in
this 1,008-page volume. India's vision of the Divine is depicted in all of its infinte
variety here: meditative, devotional, philosophical, scriptural and yogic, answering
SrVANANDA ASHRAM the vital questions: What are life's ultimate goals? How can I achieve them? How
~~.a//I~ 7emfde do Hindus view family, sex, sin, worship, death and nonviolence? What are the
foremost schools of Hindu thought, and what do they teach? Dancing with Siva is
the masterful work of Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, a traditional satguru immersed,
673 Eighth Avenue - Val Morin Quebec - Canada JOT 2RO Swami Vishnu-
for half a century, in an ongoing global Hindu renaissance.
devananda
1-8 19 - 32 2 - 32 2 6 1-8 19 - 322 - 13 79 Fax: 1- 8 19 - 3_22 - 5 8 76 . i tL:, ' \ 1927-199)
~ English-speaking Hindus, yoga enthusiasts, and anyone interested in Sanskrit lit-
Sunday JunelOth-29th July 1st-9th Thanks and Appreciation
erature and culture will be overjoyed by this remarkable refere'nce work of Hindu
Chandika Homa We wish to thank all the devotees who helped
Mariamman Temple to make last year's program so successful. We
belief and culture .... Quite simply-the best English overview of Hinduism avail-
1st Anniversary Celebrations I especially thank those who worked so hard to able today.-Napra Review
install the Mariamman and Navagraha statues
The first anniversary of the in their new shrines. Special thanks to those The swami concisely answers 155 key questions, ranging from "What is the ulti-
Mariamman installation will be who built thebeautiful 18 foot tall Chariot for mate goal of earthly life?" to "How are Hindu marriages arranged?"
celebrated with special ten-day the Kaavadi festival. ... a 40-page timeline, a 200-page lexicon of Hindu terms, a comparative guide to
pujas, each sponsored by a different major religious traditions, and a primer for teaching religious principles to chil-
Some of the wonderful projects planned for
family. The tenth day will conclude next Summer include the completion of an dren ... enriched by extensive scriptural quotations and reproductions of Rajput
the series of pujas with a grand outdoor kitchen and dining hall. These will be art.- Yoga Journal
pongala festival. used for feasts and celebrations. We plan to
construct 18 steps for Lord Ayyappa , as at 1,008 p .• $19.95 paper. lavishly illustrated. ISBN 0-945497-47-4
SundaYI June 29th Vars Sabarimalai, and continue the steps to the
HIMALAYAN Shipping: to USA, add 10%, to other countries, add 20%
bottom of the hill.
PONGALA Com ratete ACADEMY
Our 6th annual !bngala celebra- Ofcour;e, theTemple requires funds for the These two titles are also available in:. Australia: Yoga in Daily Life Tel: 02 9518 7788, Fax: 02
SubramanyalAyyappa Temple's PUBLICATIONS 95187799. Canada: Int' Yoga in Daily Life: 604 524 2942 Fax: 604 524 1395. Europe: Om
tions will commence with a special completion of all these works. All donations
third anniversary with the ; in time and/or money are very much Vishwa Guru Deep Hindu Mandir PH/Fax 3611143504 email: ervin@mail.matav.hu • India: Munshiram
Homa for Devi from 6-9am, after Manoharlal Publishers Delhi: PH: 11-777-1668 Fax:11-751-2745 • Bangalore: Jiva Rajasankara Fax:
conclusion of speciaI9-da" appreciated. Checks and money order; 107 Kaholalele Rd
which fire from the Homa pit will should be drawn in favourof ' Sivananda
91-80-839-7119 email: jiva@giasbg01.vsnl.net.in. Malaysia: Hinduism Today / Sanatana Dharma Publi-
Chandika Homa in the momjf1g Kapaa, Hawaii 96746-9304 USA cations: PH: 03 331 9242. Mauritius: Saiva Siddhanta Church PH : 412-7682 Fax: 412-7177. New
be taken to start the cooking fires.
followed by the evening Sa,~§w:a
Ashram Temple: Contact the Temple manager Zealand: India Emporium Tel: 09 3773733 Fax: 09 3733300 • Russia: (Russian Language edition of
Atraditional Tamil festival if you desire a receipt fortax deduction. Be Tel: 1-800-890-1008,ex.238 Dancing with Siva) Centre of Tantra Sangha Tel: 70 95 465 0339 Fax: 70 95 972 0230 email: tantra @
Kalashabhishekam and SaRasia sure to send your full postal address and 1-808-822-3152,ex.238 online.ru • Singapore: Hinduism Today / Sanatana Dharma Publications: Tel: 957 66 012. South Africa:
especially for women for women,
Sankabhishekam. phone number along with your donation. Fax: 1-808-822-4351 Wizard's Warehouse Tel : 021 461 9719 Fax: 021 45 1417 • Trinidad: Aswinee & Narendra Persad
for the well of all. Tel: 809 662 8741 Fax: 809 662 3351 • UK: Hinduism Today Tel: 0171 9379163 Fax: 0171 460 1819
e-mail: letters@HinduismToday.kauai.hi.us E-mail : easan1@aol.com
http//www.HinduismToday.kauai.hi.us/ashram/ • Also available from India Ink on the Internet at: www.pacific-basin.com/indiainklindiaink.html
Hindu Students Council Celebrates
HEALING EVOLUTIONS
AWARDED: Dr. Purushottamlal Bhargava
Freedom Festival 1997!
Ayurvedic Principles by Indian President Shankar Dayal
Sharma, for his eminence in Sanskrit
scholarship and pro-
Freedom Festi~al 1997 Committee Invites you to Participate in and Actively
Support the Activities to Commemorate the Momentous Golden Jubilee of India's Independence.
For Pubescence
ficiency in Shastras.
Formerly Professor Freedom Festival '97 is a series ofl year-long activities to be held throughout the USA and Canada.
of Sanskrit at Ra-
jasthan University, Conferences: Regional coh~ rences will proviCte great opportunities for all of us learn more about the achievements,
India, and Professor
Hatha yoga, exercise and a pitta-reducIng diet: of Religion at Mc- trials and tribulations of tne people of India and define the future role of Indian people the world over. Guest
Master University, speakers and upcoming conferences are shown below (these are subject to change).
prerequisites for boys and girls during puber~y Canada, Dr. Bhar-
gava is the author of
"" numerous research Region Venue Date / Contact
BY DEVANANDA TANDAVAN, M . D. papers and books on Indology. He is
currently engaged in producing new Southeast Georgia Tech, Atlanta May 30-June 1 Dinesh Harursampath dinesh@cad.gatech.edu 404-885-9412
E HAVE EMPHASIZED below as a guide. The emphasis- editions of his celebrated books Midwest Univ. of Michigan ·Sep.19-21 Jwalant Lakhia jlakhia@umich.edu 810-926-15-1'3
that exercise is very during the years of puberty Founders of India's Civilization and New E",glar:lEl.J MIT at Cambridge, MA Sep.26-28 Chandran Bandhopadhya cDall'do@ynx.ne ,.ef u 617-227-3023
should be on bitter, swe~t and India in the Vedic Age. /
important for boys and
girls going throl!gh pu- astringent tasting foods. The
Wasli. DC TBD Oct. 3-5 Vin'Od~Nair-.mnair@welchli J k.W~410-666-0755
berty. Exercise is one of the time of the year, the freshness CONVERTED: From Christianity to Hin- Can a a Univ. of Toronto Oct. 17-19 Paresh Trive i'"Paresh Trivedi@utoronto.ca 905-607-2897
main activities that stimulate the and variety of foods and how duism. Mr. P Paul Edwin, a scientist Southwest Houston Jan. 2-4 '98 Sandeep Gupta san deep @~ndUrfct.org 281-499-9624
body to work normally and stay they are prepared may alter the and researcher, became a Hindu in a
r
West Coast TBD TBD Ajay Shah ajay@mercury.aichcm.a izona.ed 619-484-4564
in good health, and is of tWQ effects of the diet. While simple ceremony by the Arya Samaj in
types. Hatha yoga, an organized preparing food, mothers should . New Delhi. A Tamil, his forefathers be-
form of asanas, or physical pos- also keep in mind the health came Christian under the British Raj.
tures, will maintain healthy requirements of.other :glembers On another occasion, Philip Charles, a
functioping of the muscles through stretch- of the family. This may require making British man who reins as the World TBD: To B8 Decided
ing and contracting. Minimal asanas to separate dishes for the various doshas, or Karate Champion, embraced Hinduism
perform daily are called Surya Namaskar. individual bodily constitutions, and the and now uses the name Chinmaya. Seminars: Day-long seminars on more than 50 campuses throughout North Americ~ wl ~1 explore Indian tlistory and
Done slowly,' they exercise every muscle in different age groups within the home. Few ~e. Prese I tations by scholars and students, discussions, exhibits and shows.; 0 drganize a semirtJr in your
the body and aid in proper respiration. fats or oils should be used for cooking, and REVIVED: From a near-death experi- region, call Jwafant Lakhia Jlkhia@umich.edu 810-926-1513 Study Centers: Re€lt1la s udy centers are being held
The second form of exercise is called should not be reuseCl.. Use heat-producing ence, Shrimati Capideo, 75, was said to
spices and vegetables very sparingly.
thro ghout Nbrt America to learn about subjects ranging from Indian history to ( hilosophy to current society. To start
aerobics. Aerobics will raise the heart and be clinically dead for 17 seconds by
respiratory rates, resulting in an increase in Pitta-aggravating vegetables to avoid doctors following her collapse in a Siva a study center, c II Rashmi Gupta, rgupta@neucom .edu 330-869-2197.
metabolism. Some of the best aerobic exer- include beets, raw carrots, chilies, daikon, temple on the island of Trinidad. A yo-
cises are walking, jogging, swimming, run-
ning, calisthenics and team sports. -T he .
eggplant, olives, onions, peanuts, pumpkins,
radishes, spaghetti squash, spinach and,
gini for the last 36 years, Ma said that
while doctors tried to restore her pulse
India Darshan: rt exhibitions and multimedia presentations on Indian,~y, culture, arts of India.
heart rate should be raised to 60% to 80% tomatoes. All fruits should be ripe and she saw Lord Siva come towards her
of its maximum (270 minus age) and main- , sweet. Avoid apricots, bananas, berries, with His arms open. "I went into the Golbal Freedo Prayer Meet: On August 15, 1997, midnight (India.?time) , prayer meets will be held throughout the
tained for about 15 to 30 minutes. After cranberries, green grapes, grapefruit, kiwi, Lords arms as a child longing for her world to salute Mother India and party for the freedom, peac,..?and prosperity of India and the world. Request your
exercising there should be a cooling-off lemon, lime, papaya, peaches, rhubarb and parent's love." She continues to visit the
period to allow the heart and respiratory strawberries. Grains to avoid are brown temple every day.
city/town to obsenve this event. For details call Arvind Sant,(asant@erols.com 718-979-6144.
rate~ to return to normal. During puberty, rice, buckwheat, corn, millet, dry oats, rye .-.-/
team' sports are beneficial for boys, helping and guinoa. Stay completely away from DISCOVERED: At least on paper, a new Essay & Art Competition: Focus on Indian histor , Hindu culture & heritage. $4,000 in awards for different age
them get through this period without ex- lentils, brown sugar, molasses and old hon- sub-atomic particle by nine-year-old groups. Contact Priy,a Pandit, rpandit@luc.edu 708-386-7826.
cessive wet dreams anel will help them to ey~ Other foods to steer clear of, especially Tathagat Avtar Thlsi of New Delhi. The
harness sexual fantasy and avoid carnal if acne is present, are alcohol, chocolate, boy-genius plans to test his theory of
temptations. coffee, ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, pick- the particle's existence, dubbed the
Acne can be a problem, due to a high les, salt, tea and vinegar.' -I "Thlitron," in a particle accelerator. His For more information or to send your suggestions or to sponsor these programs, please contact our main office
pitta, or a fire humor condition. There are Parents can help guide their growing - mother says she first realized her son
no good creams or other applications that . sons and daughters into a happy, healthy, was special when he corrected her in- at: Freedom Festival 1997, P.O. Box 9185, Boston, MA 02114. Phone: 617-742-7193 Fax: 444-8725
can help, except for very advanced cases in successfYl young adult life by keeping come tax ac- E-mail: ff97@freeindia.org web:www.freeindia.org
which an antibiotic cream can be used. themselves informed and talking regularly counts at age
Keeping the skin very. cleq.n is important, . and ffankJ.y with their youngsters about the three. At age six
and light exposure to sunlight'is acceptable natural, wonderful process called puberty. he calculated This great evenf\wlll not be successful without your support. Please donate
if a screening agent is applied to prevent the value of pi
burning. Still, most creams are nostrums. DR. TANDAVAN, 77, retired nuclea( physi- to seven deci- your time, money or other resources for this once-in-a-lifetime event.
A pitta pacifying diet is necessary to cian and hospital staff president, lives in mal places. His
overcome the excessive pitta influence. Chi'cago, where he specializes in alternative latest ambition FF97 programs are cosponsored\ by: Friends of India Society International (FISI), Hindu Swyamsevak Sangh (HSS), USA & Canada,
Acceptable f~ds are too numerous to men- healiJ1.g arts. Visit his home page at the is to win a India He ritage and Research Foundation (IHRF), India Quality Group (IQG) India Development and Relief Fund (IDRF),
tion but a list of foods to avoid is given HINDUISM TODAY ·Website. Nobel Prize. Math prodigy National Federation of India American Associations (NFIA), the official agent appointed by Indian embassy.
Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America and may other organizations.
44 a JNDUISM TODAY JULY, 1997
Dha7~; Graphics CD For the Mac. Reg. $249. Special offer for HT readers, only $199
SACRILEGE
.
Hindu Protest Fo·rces,
ha."-both unnoticed by the AHADC.
Then there is Aerosmith's unexpected ex-
planation about the image's s1:>urce. The orig-
inal picture was taken without permission
from a book by His Divine Grace A. C.
So~r tQ Re~ake CD
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder
~500+imalesrenec~nl Here it is-the Hindu art CD of ISKCON, and published by the Bhaktive-
danta Book Trust International (BBTI). Ac-
of the decade. Trek into the
cording to Aerosmith, "Upon being informed
India's rich traditions heart of mystic India with
this spectacular collection of
New anti-Hindu defamation coalition gets results 0f the origin of this image, the band went
through all of the pIOper channels to obtain
and spiritual culture imagery drawn from the
treasurehouse of Hindu spiri- EROSMITH'S LATEST CD, "NINE LIVES" 140,000 copies. At that rate, it wquld take
licensing approvals for its use from this Trust.
Having obtained this permission, Aerosmith
went straight to the top of the pop more than 30 weeks to sell out. This is not ac- believed that no further issues existed."
tuality. This CD contains a charts whenjt was released March ceptable, Tanna ·said. "Why should we have The BBTI is the official repositor,l and
wealth of clip art, Aums, pat- 18th. It also' went straight to number to continue to walk into Tower Records and copyright holder of all'Srila Prabhlllpada's
terns, textures, sacred sym- one on the hit-list of the American Hindu see a two by three foot display of this cover?" wr..ttings, as well as paintings done by many .
Anti-Defamation CoalitiOI1 (AHADC) re- The AHADC considers the matter far from ISKCON artists. According to their state-
bols, borders, finished cently ~nvened by the Vishwa Hindu Pari- settled, and intends to pursue the recall of ment of April 28 to HINDUISM TODAY, they
graphics and some rare Raj- shad of America. The reason? The CD's sac- did not learn of the use of the im-
put scans. Great graphics for an ashram bulletin, a rilegious cover. What at first glance looks age until "after the cover was pro-
like the classic image of Lord Krishna danc- duced" (but before it went on
yoga book, Web page or multimedia presentation. ing upon and subduing the multi-headed
serpent Kaliya has been digitally trans-
sale). Determining that they could
not risk losing a copyright in-
/
Aums formed into a creature with a cat's head and
· a women's torS0. According to -Luke Burland,
fringement lawsuit against giant
Sony (wherein the loser might
& Illustrations . spokesperson for Aerosmith, the band was
unaware of the image's source or significance.
have to pay''aIl the winner's legal
fees-perhaps more than a million
But not for long. The AHADC launched dollars), they opted for a financial
an all-out offensive against the CD, mostly settlement. "Our rationale was: If
throllgh a World Wide Web site (hindunet. we couldn't ~top them, at least we
orglanti_defamation/sony/). 'Within weeks it should make it hurt," said BBTI
was visited by 10,000 people, 1,400 of whom president Madhava Puri das.
signed on-line protests to Sony and its sub- Terms of the settlement are a se-
sidiary Columbia (producer and distributor cret, but Tanna was informed it
· of the album), Aerl:lsmith and several major was "well in excess of a hundred
chaiFl, stores. These companies were bom- thou~and dollars." The BBTI says
barded with e-mail, faxes and phone calls, the money will go toward "the
conveying everything from riglfteous indig- building of the, new temple and
nation and threats of boycotts to promises to city project in Mayapur, India,
interfere with Sony's la,rge India business and to fight future infringements."
and even violent retaliation. But Tanna queries>" Do we really
Patterns & Borders Sony and Aerosmith got the message. In want to use this tainted money to
an April 16 call, Joseph Salvo, senior lawyer build a temple?' is the ~uestion
for Sony, told Chetan P Tanna, attorney for Hindus really want to ask. '
othing lends a sense of Indian-ness to a design AHAD~, that an apology would be issued
N better than traditional borders and patterns. Clip~rt
There are hundreds to choose from on this creative
and the offensive cover withdrawn. On
April 18, Aerosmith, through their New York
On April 26, in response to
HINDUISM TODAY'S request for a
statement Annuttama Dasa, Di-
public relations firm, Kathryn Schenker As- rector 0f Communications of
CD. Fall in love with the visual magic of Bharat and sociates, issued an 'apology and stated their ISKCON of North America, is-
any images are or-
enhance your personal or institutional image.
M ganized in
themes, like nature,
"deep concern and dismay at the notion of
having offended any religious group. At no
· point did the band intend to haqn or show
sued a rare rebuke to their affili-
ated organization. "The BJ3TI
made a big mistake to not just
disrespect to the Hindu community, nor.did fight this all the way. Frankly, no
Deities, people, borders, they intend to denigrate any religio~ image. one in ISKCON was consulted
symbols, etc. Use the The image will be replaced in all future runs about the decision. to negotiate
Fetch browser to get a with a completely different image." with Sony. Many members are ex-
quick overview, then And so 'it might have ended, except the is- tremely angry about the album
sue had nines live, too. First, contrary to the already-issued CDs and will continue to and incensed to know the BBTI decided not
double clic on a page for Sony'sJawyers first representation (that they ' protest to Sony, Columbia and individual to fight. Sadly, the BBTI did not consult Sri-
a detailed preview. will a"ttempt to recall CDs on the market al- stores. HINDUISM TODAY has added its com- la Pralilhupada's followers and thus failed to
ready), Aerosmith was only promising to re- plaints about the obscene depiction of Lord upholCl that heritage." .-
make the cover for any new ones. And with Ganesha which appears on the CD itself, ADDRESSES: DON JENNER, PRESIDENT, COLUMBl'A REcoRDS,
550 MADISON AVENUE , NEW YORK, NEW YORK, 10022-3211
four million already produced, that could and the denigfating lyrics Of one song which USA. BHArI'IVEDANATA Boo:.: TRUST, FARBORET 101, S-242
97 HOBBY, SWEDEN. AEROSMTI'H BAND, KSA, 1776 BROAD-
amounUo none, pointed out AHADC attor- say, "I wanna be·a Hare Krishna, I'm gonna WAY, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 1001 9 , USA. ARAnC, P.O. Box
ney Tanna. In the first week, the CD sold tattoo a dot on my forehead, ha ha ha ha 44'505, HOUSTON, TEXAS , 77244- 1505, USA.
107 KAHOlAlELE ROAD words relating to Hindui'sm-forty-percent of Try it. But don't strain your brain! .,..; patible with Hinduism senting form The solution will be published next rrwnth.
PUZZLEMANI A INC ., 6 STERLI NG COURT, EAST BRUNSWICK,
KAPAA. HI 96746-9304 USA the total 80 words. That was only after going NEW J ERSEY 0 8816 USA. E-MAIL: KB ALANI @ASIACONNEC- 40 Unethical acts can ... ... one's karma 3 Formerly Sultanabad, in western Iran
through some 20 trial puzzles!" TION.COM . WEBSITE: WWW.PUZZLE-MAN IA.COM
A TEMPLE BUILT TO LAST 1.000 YEARS
JULY , 1997 H1NDUISM TODAY 49
125th Jayanti Celebrations
MINISTER'S MESSAGE sun, the moon, the air, the water- every-
thing belongs to me. All these stars are and World Tour of the PanchaJoka Murti of His Holiness
mine. The people are mine."? When you
Sri Sri Siva Yogaswaml
Puj8: With Honor, ho~or the creation, you will feel this.
Honor your own body. Remember that
'{'hen you eat, you are offering food to the
Divine that resides inside this body. When
Canada 1997
Offer ~verythin8 , -
people are agitated, they eat more. Take your
food, not in a hurry, not with violence, but ,
with a sense of offering. This also is puja.
Have you ever looked at your breath with
Toronto
August 7- 14
Ottawa
August 16
honor? Hav~ you ever thought, "This breath
Puja worship rites awaken bhakti-intense is so beautitUl, moving in and out; without
Cornwall
August 15
Montreal
August 16-17
it, my body would be thrown away." With
loving devotion that leads to transformation honor, look into your breath. With this --: International Seminar on Saiva Siddhanta, attended by scholars from India, Sri
, depth of worship, all your feverishness will Lanka and the world Children's compet itions in speech , essay, hymns, etc.
BY SRI SRI RAV! SH-ANKAR be transformed ,into love. Publication of a souvenir on Saiva Siddhanta Exhibition of works of His Holiness
Honoring leads to devotion. Surrender SATGURU SIVA Y OGASWAMI, 1872-1964 Sri Siva Yogaswami and more.
happens. Surrender to the Divine brings
ONORING IS A SIGN OF DIVINE LOVE. THAT HONOR- total rest from all anxieties, from all want-
ing is called puja. The ceremony of puja imitates ings. Life has burned down with so many Wodd Tour of the Murtt In celebration of the 125th anniversary year of his birth, a small gold-plated, five-
what nature is already doing for you. The Divine various wants. In every direction,' life is metal stat~e of Sri Lanka's great spiritual leader, Satguru Yogaswami , begins a w orld tour to join devotees at the many Siva-
worships you in so many foFms. In puja, you offer ~ foune! to be weary. Devotion brings that thondan Nllayams and more than 35 Tamil temples and communities. As he travels, celebrations and satsangs will be held in
• everything back to the Divine. ~ total rest- a healing touch to the life which Canada, USA, Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, M alaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, Seychelles and finally Jaffna, Sri Lanka,
Flowers are offered in puja. The flower is a symbol of love. ~ has been moving in so many directions. where the statue will be permanently installed.
The Divine has come .to you in love through so many forms: ~ The mind always looks for charms, mira- Anyone wishing to attend, contribute scholarly m aterial or lend support in any way, please contact:
mother, father, wife, husband, children, friends. The same love " d es, events, excitements. Yet once it goes SRI SRI SIVA YOGASWAMY's SIVATHONDAN C ENTRE, CANA D A PO Box 73008, Westford Plaza RPO, 2131 Lawrence Ave East,
comes to you in the form of the Master to elevate YQU to the ~ , there, the charm ceases to exist. The charm
Scarborough, Ontario M1R-5G5 TORONTO: Sivanesan, 4 16-293-4697' Thirunadarajah, 416-266-435 , fax: 416-499-9382
level of divine love, which is also your own nature. Recogniz-- ::; of the mind is a continuous mirage; it is
ing this floweriI}g of love from all sides of life, we offer flowers. ~ always farther, it is always somewhere else. • Satkunendran, 416-422-5069 • MONTREAL: Murugan Temple, 5 14-683-8044 OrrAWA: P.A. Moorthy: 613- 737-9809
Fruit~ are offered, because the Divine offers you fruits in ~ When the flame of devotion is lit, the crav- Sponsored in Canada by the Sri Sivay ogaswami's Sivathondan Centre Co~sponsored by the Hindu Temples &. Hindu Religious SOCieties of Canada
due season. You offer grain, because nature provides you ""--'""--'----~ ing mind melts away like wax. As the mind
food. A candle light and a cool camphor light are offered; in the melts, the flame of devotion becomes more alive and intense.. ,
same way nature continually revolves the sun and moon around Charm is always an outside influence. Devotion is an inner flow-
you. Incense is offered for.fragrance. All the five senses are used in ering. Devotion starts from where you are, whereas a charm is
puja, and it is performed with deep feeling. Through puja, we say something that pulls you away from your Self The charm never
to God, "Oh, whatevcl- you give to me, I give back to you." Puja is lasts for long. Unless you are lit in devotion to the Divine, your life
honor·and gratefulness. will remain restless. In devotion, in that process of burning, long-
,Have you seen children? They have small little pots and dishes. ing will arise in you. With love, there is bound to be longing. If
They sometimes pretend that they make toast or/tea. They come to there is longing, know that the~e is also lov~. They ar~ two sides of The M aster Course, Level One By Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
the mom and say, "Now, please have some tea." They serve you.
There will be nothing in the cup; it is all in their imagination.
the same coin; they cannot be separated. Usually when longing
arises, we are in a hurry to finish it off But this longing is fortu-
An illu.strated children's course in seven books, teaching love and worship of
God Siva. Based on the holy Vedas, and p resented in the con text of tradi-
Sail1ite Hindu (J(eligifm
<NQI ~ mJIIU~ ~ ~ lUf
1
They play with you. Whatever you do to them, they also do. They nate and very beautiful. It will transform your mind so totally. tional Hindu philosophy, culture, family life and values. Excellent resource
put the doll to sleep. They feed it and bathe it. In the same way, Devotion is your nature. When you rest in your own nature, for parents and teachers. Subjects include God and Gods, our soul, the world,
puja is an expression of what the Divine is doing for you. Puja is a there is no conflict. But usually we feel a conflict. We fEtel bad
mixture of imitation, honor, playfulness and love. It is all these about a negative quality we have or something that we did. A Mas- right conduct, karma, dharma and reincarnation, each presented in simple
things together, made language. The course has been adopted by the Fiji school system, and it is
. into a soup. . , ter is one who lifts these burdens from you that you yourself can-
used extensively in numerous other countries- Malaysia, Singapore and
When you are In deep love, you naturally want to offer some- not carry- and kindles in you devotional love. Offer everything to
thing. Somebody from California sen.t a big parce~ to me. It was the Master: your anger()'our frustration, all your bad feelings and· Mauritius among others. Each book is presented in three or more languages.
filled with candies anc:i' candles. Now, the person who sent it good feelings. Your negativity pulls you doW!). Your positive quali- Prominent swamis, pundits, scholars and lay persons of all sects have given
knows that candies and candles can be got here, too. And th.e cost ties bring pride and arrogance in you. Your whole life beC'Qmes a enthusiastic endorsements.
of the airmail is much more than the candles and candies. But in big weight. When you offer it all, you become free. You become Paperback, beautifully illustrated, 8%'; x 5Y2". Each book, approx. 150 pg.
love, you want to offer something anyway. light like' a flower. You can again smile and rejoice in the moment.
Usually when you love something, you want to possess it. And in What remains in you is pure love. English-Hindi-Tamil version: US$ 15 (USA or Canada), $20 (world) ship- ,..iUuatnllttd~"~t..w.. I_ioftud.
_ofGod$j,.InIfi<_of ..........
ping included. Available from: HIodopll~..k_.,.t...... t.miIyUr.
the process of possessing, you make the beautiful thing ugly. Puja ~ (t •
is contrary to that. Puja means honor and worship, offeting one's ~ rJ f -
self You appreciate, you adore, you recognize beauty. Worship is .~ . '(,J /~ HIMA~AYAN ACADEMY PUB~ICATIONS
107 Kaholalele Rd· Kapaa, Hawaii 96746-9304 USA
just the opposite of wantitig to possess. Usually our relati9nships do ~
not flower 1:0 this extent. Instead we start demanding. Husband and \ Tel: 1-800-890- 1008, ext. 238Fax: 1-808-822-4351
wife, master and servant, there is a demand. "I have done so much. " ~" . E-mail: sadhaka_haranandinatha@hinduismtoday.kauai.hi.us • Web: httpllwww.HinduismToday.kauai.hi.us/ashram/
for you. Now you must do this thing for me." Demanding is con-
trary to honoring. The way to preserve a relationship is to honor. Also available ' ENCUSH-HINDI-TAMIL VERSION: UK: Hinduism Today, tel: 0171 9379163, fax: 0171 460 1819 email:
Honor the ereation. Look at a tree With honor. Feel grateful for SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR, 41, founckd the worldwicf:e Art of Living . easanl @aol.com. Fiji: Then India Sanmarga Ikya Sangam, Mr. N. K. Naidu: tel: 679 660199, fax: 679 660 761 ' ENCUSH-
its being here.It purifies the poison that we breathe out. It makes Foundation, Healing Breath Workshops, and Sanaj Samadhi medi- MALAy-TAMIL VERSION: Malaysia: Uma Publications, tel: 603 441 1617, fax: 603 441 9395 ' Sanatana Dharma Publications
the air fresh. Have you ever thought, "These trees are mine. The tation programs. He shows peoPle how to regain their smile. tel: 0333 1 9242 ' Singapore: Sanatana Dharma Publications, tel: 95766012 • ENGLISH-F RENCH-TAMIL VERSION: Mauri- '
tius: Saiva Siddhanta Church, tel: 230 412-7682, fax: 230-412-7177 • Denmark: Abhirami Amman Temple c/o Mrs. V. Sri
Pal an, tel/fax: (French or Tamil spoken) 45 9718 0192.
50 a rNDursM T ODAY JUL Y, 1997
51
.
LIFESTYLE .
Reborn
"
as
An ,A rtist
After facing his
mortali ty, Satish Gupta
now celebrates life
By LAVINA MELWANI, N.EW YORK
au CAN CALL IT HIS BRUSH WITH
death. Three years ago, noted Delhi \fu;jn V,al~~av,a h0L~ ~aees tfu0 gh
artist Satish Gupta discovered he had a this magnificent 800 page volume.
brain tumor. The chances of survival This hand-made hard bound
were fifty-fifty. He recalls, "Before the 11" x 14" volume with its 249 pages
surgery, I was almost suicidal. I had no will death of his father in a plane crash. He with- been working on a series called Poems to the ......IIiII!""""!~~!!!!_=~...iI' of color photos will take you and
to live." The tumor was removed successful- drew into his own world, creating a perfect Sea, painting as many oceans and seas of the your family on a wonder of discovery.
ly, and his surgeon told him, "It's really a re- world with paints and paper. After attending world as he can. He takes 30-foot-Iong
birth. Don't waste this life~" ' D.,elhi's College of Art, he earned a scholar- scrolls, paints'on them with water-proof inks, SEE OUR ELEVEN PAGE ADVERTISEMENT ON THE INTERNET
. Three years have passed, and Gupta has ship to Paris at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. sometimes writes a poem on them and sub-
remembered those words every day, almost
like a prayer. He affirms, "Now I feel each
day is so precious. We waste so much time,
so much energy over trivial things, but life is
Visitors to Delhi may encounter Gupta's merges them into the water. He's done this in
work as soon as they step onto Indian soil. A the Mediterranean, Pacific, Atlantic, North
massive 260-foot-Io!1g mural of Indian life by Sea, English Channel and the Caribbean
him graces the arrival lounge. Rebirth seems Sea. Once immersed, the work gets worked
http://www.vedic.net
so grand. W~en you come so close to losing to have inspired him to create as much beau- over by the waves and water, but that's part OR FAX INQUIRIES To: 310-837-0243 (USA)
it, life becomes very, very special." ty as he can. Besides his desert and of the process. Later the art is dried, ana the
Gupta's close encounter with death has im- seascap,es, he is working on sculpture. Cur- impressions of the water world remain.
pacted his work. He observes, "It gives you a rently -ae's doing a significant piece for an Gupta is a Hindu but is open to all faiths.
deeper understanding, a deepe.r perspective. atrium in a corporate building in Delhi. The He says, "I think religion can be very beau-
I.can empathize much more with people. I 24-foot-high sculpture depicts the deities of tiful, and it can be very ugly, too. Unfortu-
can almost get into their soul and paint the 'five elements-Agni, Prithivi, Vayu, ' nately, the ugly part of religion-the com-
them." The artist is the son 'of the late free- Vishnu and Brahma-in five columns, each munalism and orthodoJCy-takes over, and it
dom fighter Deshbandu Gupta, and as a child made of a different metal and weighing sev- can be used by a handful of people to really
was profoundly infll\enced by the untimely eral tons. For the past two years, be's also control the masses. It can'be a-power thing.
But if you go deeper into it, it can be so
nourishing." He adds, "What's beautiful
about Hinduism is that it's all-pmbracing.
When I painted the priest at Pushkar, there
were Muslims coming in and praying. They
were fed like all the other worshipers."
I Gupta's first night in Pushkar was unfor-
gettable. He reoalls, "It, was a dark night/and
tl}.e hills were silhouetted against the moon.
There was this white temple which wci.s
bluish-indigo in the moonlight. The y.ntique
door was open and through it I saw the priest
playing his harmonium at midnight. There
was no one else there, and he was singing
bhajans all by himself I stood iliere, outside
in the dark, for about 45 minutes, listening to'
him. He wasn't aware of me at all. I was so
taken up with the id.ea that this man would
just sing to the Gods, not for an audience, not
for,any thing. I've painted him twice, and it
was a wonderful experience." ..,.;