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[979, by Satguru Sivnya Subramuniyaswami PUBLISHER: Sat guru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami

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.8EPTEMBE;R, 1997

INTEB,NATIONAL
Sacred Art: Rajasthan's Marble Artists 17
Bali's Music: World Takes Note of the
Sophisticated.Gamelan 22
Cover Story: Thirty-Nine Die in Tragic
rue at Thanjavur's "Big Temple" 28
Italy: ''Who Can Be a Hindu?" 34
Controversy: Rationalists Attack Swami
'Nirmalanda's Death by Fasting 46
Triumph: First Malaysians Reach
the Summit of EV~l.est, Thank God 50

LIFE STYLE
IlJsight: CUes and Clues, Unwritten
Rules -for Everyday Hindu Life 30
Interview: Ravi Shankar's Mantra CD 26
Devotion: One Man's Ganesha Temple 4Q.
•
. OPINION
I
Publisher's Desk: The Self God-
Speaking of the Unspeakable Truth 6
Editorial: Painful Protocols 8
My Turn: Why Icon Should Replace Idol 9
Letters 14
Healing: Natural No-Calorie Sweetener 44
Minister's Message: Discover{;;'g Your
Luljllinous Essence 52
DIGESTS
Quotes & Quips 10 Evolutions 44
Diaspora 11 Digital Dharma 54
.Briefly 20

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PUBLISHER'S DESK
The Self
. God:
life's Ultimate Goal
We are divine souls on a wondrous journey toward
realizati~n of the timeless, formless, spaceless Self
B Y, SAT G U R U S I V A Y A SUB RAM U N I Y A S W A M I
N THE MIDST OF BUSY LIFE, IT
is sometimes difficult to ponder
such lofty ideals as life's ultimate
goal, but the quest for Truth
comes to all eventually, and for
most it awakens for a time during .
,youth and old age. The great ones of
tlie past have explained that our true
nature is divine. We are not our
body, mind or emotions. We are di-
vine souls on a wonmous journey.
We came from God, live in God and
are evolving into oneness with God.
We are, in truth, the Truth we seek.
The name of that truth-the essence
of our being-is the Self, with a capi-
tal S. In Sanskrit, it is called atman, Attaining the Ultimate, like carving '
or paramatma. Today I want to share a temple, requires diligent effort
with you an inspired talk about the
Self that I gave in 1959 just before my first visit to Hawaii:
The Self: you can't explain it. You can sense its existence through
the refined state of ypur senses, but you cannot explain it. To know direct wire connecting it to the realms
it, you have to experience it. And the best you can say about it is
that it is the depth of your Being. It is the core of you. It is you.
If you visualize above you-nothing; below you-nothing; to the
right .of you-nothing; to the left of you-nothing; in front of you-
nothing; in back of you-nothing; and dissolve yourself ~nto that
nothingness, that would be the best way you could explain the
realization of the Self. And yet that nothingness would not be the
absence of something, like the nothingness inside an empty box,
which would be a void. That nothingness is the fullness of every-
thing: the power, the sustaining power, of the existence of what
appears to be everything.
After you realize the Self, YQU see the mind for what it is-a self-
created principle. That is the mind ever creating itself. The mind is pick ~p the subtlety of vibration. If you
form ever creating form, preservoihg form, creating new forms and
destroying old forms. That is the mind, the illusion, the great unre-
ality, the part of you that in your thinking mind you dare to think
is real. What gives the mind that power? Does the mind have pow-
er if it is unreal? What difference whether it has power or hasn't
pow~r, or the very words that I am saying when the Self exists
because of itself? You could livel.n the dream and become
disturbed by it. Or you can seek and desire with a burning desire
to cognize reality and be blissful because of it.
Malls destiny leads him back to himself. Man's destiny reads him
into the cognition of his own Being; leads him further into the
6 HINPUISM TODAY. SEP EMBER, 1997
realization of his True Being.
They say you must step onto the
spiritual path to realize the Self.
You only step on the spiritual
path when you and you alone
are reamy. When what appears
real to you loses its appearance
of reality. Then and only then
are you able to detach yourself
enough to seek; to find a new
and permanent reality.
Have you ever noticed that
something yQU think is perma-
nent, you and you alone give
permanence to, through your
protection of it? Have you ever
stopped to even think and get a
clear intellectual concept that
the Self within you is the only
permanent thing? That everything else
is changing; that everything else has a
of joy and sorrow? That is the mind.
After the realization of the Self, your
effulgent being comes to life as you. Joy
and sorrow oecome a study to you. You
do not have to think. to tell yourself that
each in its own place is unreal. You know
from the innermost depths of your being
that form itself is not real. The subtlety·
of the joys that you experience as you
come into your effulgent being cannot
be described. They can only be project-
ed to you if you are refined enough to
are in haqilony enough, you can sense
the great joy, the subtlety of the bliss that
you will feel as you come closer and closer to your real Self.
If you strive to find the Self by using your mind, you will strive
and strive in vain, because the mind cannot give you the Truth; a
lie cannot give you trutn. A lie can only entangle you in a web of
deceit. But if you sensitize yourself, awaken your true, fine, beauti-
ful qualities that all of you have, then you become a channel, a
chalice in which your effulgent being will begin to shine. You will
first think that a light is shining within you. You will seek to find
that light. You will seek to hold it as you cherish and hold a beauti-
,
The search is within: The Self God must be realized to be known,
does not exist, yet seems to exist; yet existence itself and all states of
mind, being and experiential patterns could not exist but for this
ultimate redlity of God. Such is the great mystery that yogis, rishis,
saints and sage$ have realized through the ages by going within .
.. ... . .......... . ............"" u •••••• uu ............... . ........... . ............ . ........................... . .... . ..... . ..... .
weak muscle is very difficult to make strong, but if you exercise
over a period of time and do what you should do, it will respond.
Your nature will respond too. But you must work at it. You must
try. You must try. You must try very, very harct Very diligently.
How often? Ten minutes a day? No. Two hours a day? No. Twenty-
four hours a day! EveJ;y day! You must try very, very hard.
Preparing you for the realization of the Self is like tuning up a
violin, tightening up each string so it harmonizes with every other
string. The more sensitive you are to tone, the better you can wne
a violin, and the better the violin is tuned, the Detter the music.
The stronger you are in YGur nature, the more you can bring
through your real nature; the more you can enjoy the bliss of your
true being. It is well worth working for. It is well worth craving for.
It is well worth denying yourself many, many things for-to curb
your nature. It is well worth struggling with your mind, to bring
your mind under the dominion of your will.
i
Those of you who have experienced contemplation know the
depth from which I am speaking. You have had a taste of your true
Self. It has tasted like nothing that you have ever come in contact
with before. It has filled and thrilled and permeated yoUr whole
being, even if you have remained in that state of contemplation
only sixty seconds. Out of it you have gained a great knowing, a
knowing that you could refer back to, a knowing that will bear the
fruit of wisdom if you relate future life experiences to that know-
ing, a knowing greater than you could acquire at any university or
institute of higher learning. Can you only try to gain a clear intel-
lectual concept of realizing this Self that you felt permeating
through you and through all form in your state of contemplation?
That is your next step. Those of you who are wrestling with the
mind iIi your many endeavors to try to, concentrate the mind, to
try to meditate, to try to become quiet, to try to relax, keep trying.
Every positive effort that you make is not in vain. Every single
brick added to a temple made of brick brings that temple closer to
completion. So keep trying and one day, all of a s~dden, you will
pierce the inner realms of your mind and enter into contemplation.
Then you will be able to say: "Yes, I know, I have seen. Now I
know fully the path that I am on." Keep trying. You have to start
somewhere.
The Self you cannot speak of. You can only try to think about it,
if you care to, in one way: feel your mind, body, and emotions, and
know that you are the effulgent Being permeating through mind,
which is all form; body, which you inhabit; and emotions that you
either control.or are controlled by. Think 0n that, ponder on that, ,
and you will fmd you are th~ light within your eyes. You are the
feel within your fingers. You are more radiant than the sun, purer
than the snow, more subtle than the ether. Keep trying. Each tiJIle
you try you are one step closer to your, true effulgent Being.
Subt~est ot the subtle, greatest of the great, the atman is hidden
in the cav~ of the heart of all beings. He who, free frQm all
I
~u~ gem. You will later find that the light that you found within you
urges, beholds Him overcomes sorrow, seeing, by grace of the
ISm every pore, every cell of your body. You will later find that Creator, the Lord and His glory.
that light permeates every atom Of the universe. You will later find YAJUR VEDA
that you are that light and what it ~ermeates is the unreal illusion Just as a light shines, diSpelling darkness, so also the Supreme
creatM by the mind. Self shines, dispelling ignor;ance. Just as a lamp spontaneously
How strong you must be to find this Truth. You must become goes out if not fed with oil, so also the ego becomes extinct if one
very, very strong. How do you become strong? Exercise. You must meditates unceasingly and becomes merged in the Self. There is
e~ercise every muscle and sinew of your nature by obeying the no higher gain than the Self.
dictates. of the law, of the spiritual laws. It will be very difficult. A SARVAJNANOTTARA AGAMA
SEPTEMBER , 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 7

EDITORIAL
I.nauspicious or Not?
Anjali was pained and perplexed when her dad
coutd not give her sister~s hand in marriage
BY THE EDITOR
ULTUMLLY C],UELESS AS YOU CATCH A FLIGHT TO
Calcutta for your first visit to India? Doni: despair. This
month our educational insight section focuses on cultural
cues and clues for newcomers and travelers in India. While
our staff originally developed these lists to help pilgrims
avoid those mortifying protocol pratfalls, they have also proven ,
helpful for many Hindus living in other nations and returning to
their roots for the first time. Besides, it's fun reading.
But that doesn't mean it's ail fun stuff In fact, some of the is~;ues
surrounding traditional cultural etiquette are painful and perplex-
i~g to people, old-fashioned and worse. Sure, we ~an all understand
that it's bad form to lick a stamp in India. Common sense tells us
that hygiene is the reason. Not telling a mother how beautiful her
new baby looks is harder to grapple with, but harmless enough.
But what about not allowing women into temples during their peri-
od or the social rule that divorces and widows/widowers cannot
participate in rites of passage, including the weddings of their own
children? Those are hard ones to face. As if the Cosmos wanted us
to know so, our publisher received a heart-
rending electronic letter while we were work-
ing on the feature. It compellingly shows how
painful such rules can be. Here it is:
SWay"" N~! (jreetUrj" fwa.Hdji-:
I pray tJr.dYOlkwi/£ ha.h~to ~~ my
IuMtbreaK. My.fotlu<if ""widower: My m.otner
d.id24 yearf P.j0' ~ tkree-cluid¥}Jf/iIt-~
CM~ ofher YMPOl1£ib~ Jr.u,baJUi,. Like- "" tr~ HUv
~ ~ raUed~ faa~ ~ £u,x wyaJUi,
fOcietat oblijatiol1£ to juid.e, aJUi, ~ 1M, fO
M to ~ 1Mjooti aJUi, ca.ril'fj ci.ti.JZuu of~
wortd. H~~wP.jedlMto par~ilt-ow _
cuLtun aJUi, b~ proud ofit. W~ar~ IWW"~
~ yowtj HiH.d.tv WOI4!el1/ witk fUCCMifrd
ca.reerr aJUi, P..I'(, ~xtrem.ely r~ cuLtund
bac.kjroUJt.d,. W~ owe- ~ we- tJ.{~ today to /Um,.
W~ar~/Um,. • reflected their sPiritual insights into wisdom's
My luM~arifufol1V~fo«tJr.dmyfor .;
tit.u Iw.£ beur.,dut.iedkif r;ijWto j~away kif
fecoitd> ~Itt:er at her marriP.j~ cermwny ~ to kif widower ftatu£. I
~t b~ tIw..t if//tIrJ." day MtiP.j~ tner~ ar~ HiJ.r.du; wIw b~
tIwt widow> aJUi, widowerf ar~ hu.bil'fjerf ofcruet fuck aJUi, tltuefor~
~pi.ciolM at~f.
W~ lw.uefoUJt.d, tJr.d IW wh.er~ iIt- ~ fcriptwU if it fta.i:ed tJr.d ""
~or wo~hdut.ied~ rijWto ~ilt-cermw~
~" becMU~ tIt.ey ar~ fPOlMeiMf. TIt,U if ridic.u,l.b1M furermtiof//) .
8 HINDUISM TODAY - ' SEEf EMBER , 1997
woit!tYOlk fay? ACCOrriiKg to ~
NarayaKP.£hm.rifki,te-xt aJUi, ako to ~ m.oft
revered ShriJeyeitdr"" sarf.wo.iity of~
SIw.;tlcan.u:lJ.ry"" Ma:f:It., iIt- K~aJ4V, ""for
tner Iw.£ every rijW to j~ kif ~Itt:er .
away. SW1U1{iji-wrote- 1M tJr.d ''''"'jri!w.£tov
(lwlMeJwtder) wIw Iw.£ Loft kif faMdJw.,y1f!.i.;ti
(wifo) Iw.£ ~ rijW tp do ~ KtJ.J1.I'!.i.Ica
D~ &~ away'"hM ~Itt:er). " Howev-el'j
~a.utlwriti.M ~ dec.idedeo play (joti
aJUi, dut.ied 1M ~ rijW to perforl1V ~ wed-
riiKg cermwny. They ~~ tkrem.ned
to ftO!,,~~. TItM~~~feepvtO
~~ it UPOf//~ei.ve£ to ~ certai.Jt,traditio~ frlibwUtj
~ bLbuiiy wiilwue 1t4;tiol"0 aJUi, t:Iw.. jWil1.J Hi;uU.d,11V "" bad
~. Doit!t tIt.ey r~ tJr.d OfCb day, tIt.ey too wi/£ h percei.ved M Uv
a,U£pi.ciolM w/wr., tkeir f['<JIMU ~ ~ m.aterid wortd?
Swa.Hdj0 I b~yo~ lteip-I#.b to jeJdiy ~ tIu.~ bLUuifo~werf of
traditiof//. Heip-~ fee- tJr.d (joti if iIt- everytlWtj, e.ve.i'C/ widow> aJUi,
widowerf. lowe- tIrJ." to myjuher. H~ if jOdly to I#.b. You,., fiKcer~
Anja./i [Not her rM.i ~J
e:=:;4Ee:!'I:I"=:==":O:I:I!J::I:""x:o=~e:):=":=:l1e:::CI:IC=::O",::;:::::I::::=:t:X::I:,,=e:,:o=:::c:=:'=1:;::=:1!e:~I:I:=:;
We responded: Namaste, Anjali! Your e-mail touched our hearts.
Sivaya Subramuniyaswami asked me to share some insights with
you. He hopes they help, though he also knows that you may not
find all our thoughts consoling. As you know, we follow a strict and
traditional monastic life here in Hawaii. So in asking our thoughts,
you will naturally get a traditional view. Mqny would disagree.
Firstly, your father is obviously a worthy souL Of that there can
be no doubt. His sacrifice for his daughters is expressive of the-
best virtues of Indian spirituality, and your ma-
turity is but a reflection of the light he has shed
on you and thus .the world. And who could
wonder that he would yearn to give the hand of
his daughter in marriage? Of course he would.
So, our heart must ache a).ong w.ith yours
when we hear the story, especially knowing, as
we do, that Hindu tradition is certain about its
understanding in this matter. Any widow or
widower is disallowed from j?articipation in the
sacred samskaras. It is not that they ¥e impure,
nor lesser beings or any such nonsense. No.
Consider this: I am a sannyas·in. But I am disal-
lowed from attending that same wedding. This
. is fOf esoteric reasons, not personal or supersti-
tious reasons, not dogmatia. or creedal reasoJ}s,
either., There are subtle spiritual laws at work in
such matters. I spoke to the Sivacharya priests
about your questions. They explained th~t the
rishis of yore set certain rules in motion which
way and how humankind can follow it.
. I understand the law which excludes me. I
am a renunciate monk, one who has surrendered the family life, '
thrown down the world and taken refuge in God wholly and irrev-
ocably. My presence at a wedding would be like water mixing with
oiL A young couple about to embark on their wedded life would be
confronted with the other possibility, with the opposite value, in a
sense. The bride might won der, silently, whether her new groom
fucft,M would one day leave her to become a monk. By absenting myself, I
give them their special celebration without thoughts of such
things. They are embracing worldly life more powerfully than ever,
and they don't need my contrary example
to confound their step.
Like me, your "'rather is counted different-
1y. He has wed and lost his wife. It was a
~ ad event for most, a tragedy for a few. His
-loss sti ll registers as samsk{Lras, subtle im-
pressions in his heart of hearts. It vibrates
in his nervous system. It willJive with him
until his Grand Departure. His
bereavement, the sages knew, is a force and
a presence that is not conducive to the
Kannika Dhanam, though he can other-
wise join the celebration of the new
couples vows.
The sages are cOIl,cerned wholly with
• forging the purest and strongest marital
bonds, which are a power binding man-
and wife, guiding the home and, by exten-
sion, th~ whole of the social matrix. So
these bonds, these sacred blending of
forces and energies, must be protected,
fostered and nurtured to the best of our
capability. The sages judged that having
the relationships of all present to sanctify
1
the marriage be exemplary was impOI;tant.
According to Swami Paramananda Bharati
of Snngiri Mutt, India, our sacred texts, ,
shastras, ·say that a man's wife is integral to
the living out of his karmas. She is needed
to make him complete, and in her absence
there are karmas he cannot f.ulfill. This is
one. Proof of this lies in the fact that if
your father remarried, he would be
permitted to give his daughter's hand. To
have a divorced person present, for
instance, would br'ing that vibration (you
. coul~ call it that possibility or potentiality)
of broken dreams and pFomises into the
arena of the rite. People commonly say
that the wedding would be "polluted."
That is such a terrible apd untrue expres-
sion, and it is not spoken of in our
shastras. There is no pollution. Howev,er,
there,is an effect, an impact. Every person
present will add an energy. Wanting the
union t~ begin in a most ideal manner,
they asked sannyasins, divorcees and wid-
owers to stay apart from certain rites.
The priests you approached in the tem-
ples know the rules, but do not always have
an esoteric understanding of the reasons
behind them. They may therefore follow
the principles a bit superstitiously. Still, the
law ftself has merit, remaining part of OUlr
heritage. - that Hindus have been and continue,.to be
Not all follow these ideals. You yourself
have found leaders who feel these customs
are outmoded. We would disagree, but
Hinduism is so broad, so compas'sionate, so
all-embracing, we can have within Gur spir-
itual 'family both views and not fee1'threat-
ened. What other faith can say that?
Gurudeva sends you his love and
blessings for a long, rewarding life guided
by God:s love and light. am shanti.
I
MY TU?RN
DisRense with th~~
Awful Word- Idol .
Hindus can find a better term for Gods
sacred image in our temples and homes
BY :OR. ANANTANAND RAMBACHAN
MONG THE MANY PROBLEMS
faced by Hindus is finding
appropriate English termi-
nology for Sanskrit terms.
This is important 'for those who
seek to understand, practice and
tran~it their tradition outside of
India. This is not always an easy
matter, and appropriate substi-
tutes are often difficult to find.
Sometimes one has to q,e content
with selecting from a number of imperfect
alternatives, and careful thought has to be
exercised when all the choices are inade-
quate. Some English terms are more advan-
tageous than others. They becom.e the
means by which our beliefs are represented
to people outside our tradition as well as to a
new gerteration of English-speaking Hindus.
The term murti is familiar to all Hindus
and is used to indicate the various repre-
sentations of God in our temples and
homes. Perhaps the most widely used Eng-
lish term to translate murti is idol. I Often
shudder when I hear a Hindu guide, giving
a temple tour to, a visitor, describing the
murtjs on the altar or in the sanctum as
idols. The problem) s that this term is com-
monly used today to indicate something
which is false and untrue. In the West, still
deeply influenced by the views of the
Judea-Christian tradition, the term has a
specific religious connotation. An idol is a
false God, and idolatry is a term of rebuke
and moral disapproval. We Call1].ot ignore
condemned by many for so-called "idola-
trous practices." How strange it is for us to
appropriate a term to describe ourselves
which others use to condemn us! Perhaps
there should be a serious and concerted
effort to avoid its use.
DR. R AMBACHAN, 45; is a professor of religion
at St. Olaf College, Minnesota, USA, where
he lives with his wife and three children.
SEPTEMBER , 1997
The word statue is also
frequently u.sed to refer tel a
murti, but this has its own
drawbacks. It describes a
sculptured, cast or molded
figure, human being or an ani-
mal. Usually it approximates to
the original size of the person
or animal it represents.
The term image is also used
in place of murti and is an
accurate indication of the form which it
represents. Murtis are meant to focus our
minds on God. Unlike the word image, the
viewer is not asked to believe thaUhe mur-
ti is actually how God appears.
The search fqr a suitable English render-
ing of murti, however, is not fruitless. I
recommend the adoption of the term icon.
While there is some broad usage, it is em-
ployed primarily to denot~ a religious rep-
resentation or figure. Icons are treated with
respect because they represent that which
is sacred. In the popular culture of the
West, the term does not resonate ne~ative­
Iy. FFom icon is derived the term iconogra-
phy, which literally means "writing with
icons." Iconography describes one of the
central purposes of mums in the Hindu
tradition. Each mlwti is a onverbal state-
ment about the nature of God. Like a
scripture consisting of words, a murti com-
municates knowledge about the Divine,
and the viewer must be equipped with the
necessary skirrs to "read" the meaning of
the murti. For example, the symbolic ges-
tures of the murti, among others, are a
visual text or theology.
As Hindus continue to make the geo-
graphical transition from East to West, we
can'not be indifferent or heedless about the
challeNges of making the linguistic transi-
tion. tt is necessary to be spiritually cre-
ative in finding new words and symbols to
express ourselves confidently in order to
transmit our tradition to new generations.
HINDUISM TODAY 9

.t
"Let your motto be 'Forward, o'nward 8- upward.' Live
'I
lovingly 'and laughingly, leave peacefully and gracefully."
Swami Vlvekananda (1863-19°2)
comb is a God. The bowstring is a God.
The bushel is a God and.the spouted cup is
a God. Gods, Gods, there are so many,
there's no place left for a foot! " Saint
Basavanna, Virasaiva (1105-1167)
"Hinaus are among the most enthusiastic
and energetic devotees. By no means could
our worship be judged idle! " A swami re-
sponding to a charge that Hindus are idol
worshipers with too many Gods.
I HE HISTORY OF MANGO
A farmer brought King Akbar a parrot. He
had taught it to sing and talk. "0 King," he
said, "this parrot can talk excellently. Please
accept it as a gift." Delighted, Akbar or-
dered two servants to "Look after it welL
Whomever brings news of its death will,
From a sacred mountaintop an enthused him~elf, be put to death." In spite of the
spiritual seeker with his arms raised to the servan~' care, the parrot died. They
sky shouted, "I want peace!" Peace echoed thought, "How can we tell the King? He
back from the valley. He was so pleased. will kill us immediately." They remem-
Then he hollered, "I want love!" Love bered Birbal and told him about their
echoed acros~ the valley. Filled and thrilled problem. He felt sorry and said, "Leave it
he screeched "I want enlightenment now!" to me." Birbal approached Akbar, "I have
To his chagrin the response was, Then get sad news. Your parrot does not eat, drink,
back to your spiritual disciplines! I talk. He just lies there with eyes closed. I
think he has become a yogi and is ll1-editat-
"The pot is a God. The winnowing fan is a ing." Akbar was sad. "Let us go look." When
God. The stone in the street is a God. The seeing the bird he exclaimed, "What is this '
I EAT ALL KINDS OF VEGETA- MY FAVORITE FOOD IS
BLES EXCEPT BROCCOLI AND TOFU. IT'S AMAZING WHAT
BRUSSEL SPROUTS. YOU CAN DO WITH IT.
10 HI~DUISM TODNY SEPTEMBER , 1997
nonsense about yogis, Birbal? This parrot is
not meditating. ItS dead!" "Only you can
say such a thing, Your Majesty," said Birbal,
reminding the King of his threat. ':.you said
you would execute the man who brought
you news of the parrot's death."
DID YOU KNOW?
Marvellous Mangoes!
cultivation in India stretches over
6,000 years. With more than 500
varieties in many shapes
and sizes, India is the
world's largest producer
of mangoes, both in
quantity and variety. Its
most prized and fmest
genre, the Alphonso,
with a taste resembling
a combination of necta-
rine, pineapple and rose
flower, is exported to the Middle East,
Singapore and Britain. Regrettably they
are not yet available in the U.S., except
for canned pulp. In the meantime, visit
India to savor the real thing!
WITH A LITTLE SEASONING,
YOU CAN MAKE IT TASTE
IKE ALMOST ANYTHIN
I
Shyamal Chandra Debnath,
"The mutt works for integrated
Mutt's Cosmic yoga for mankind, revealing
cosmic cbnsciousness." The
Gita Push mutt presently has 13 branches
in Banglad~sh and abroad. Swa-
ERVING UP THE BHAGAVAD mi continues to draw new
Gita's lofty message to the young renunciates onto the path
S
estimated one million Hindus of God Realizaton and service,
visiting a famous shrine of "The Mutt will fly its flag forev-
Sitakunda on a hill in south- er. We welcome disciples who
eastern Bangladesh is Swami have an aim to sacrifice tneir
Tapanananda Giri Maharaj's lives for mankind."
mindful mission. The elderly
swami, still robust in health and
speech, is head of the Sankara
Mutt (monastery), built near
Mrs. K Ramasamy, second from /eft, surveys temple construction the holy site. Pilgrims who so-
journ at the mutt can listen to
SINGAPORE "the perpetual recitation of the
Gita" and receive f00d and
Lady Leads Temple Funding medical supplies. Its grounds
extend for many acres, much of
"SINCE THE GODDESS WE ARE WORSHIPING IS A LADY, it wild and untouched. There is
we ladies also have a part to play," Mrs. Kalyani Ramasamy, now a dairy farm, vegetable
48, told a Straits Times reporter, explaining her work in fund gardens and orphanage. Swami
raising for Singapore's new Sree Maha Mariamman Temple in Tapanananda is seeking inter-
Yishun. Her part went from proving to men that women can do national architectural help to
it to captaincy of a nine men and five women committee that develop "the Sankar Mutt and
raised 3.2 million Singapore dollars in just three years. The men Mission, which will take over
on the management committee-on which she was a founding the social activities." The swa-
member-"challenged me to raise funds from prayer events, and mi told HT correspondent Swqmiji initiates a sannyasin
I did. Slowly, I won their confidence." Mr. S. Karuppiah, 59,
says, "We have no problems with her at the helm. She has very TRENDS & TRADITIONS
good ideas, especially when it comes to raising funds."
EDUCATION
MAURITIUS India Studies at Stony, US
Elderly Home on 'Sacred Soil N 1995,700 STUDENTS AT ST0NY BROOK STA'FE UNIVERSITY OF
Spacious rooms house 12 pe'ople
INew York petitioned for more Indian studies. In 1996 the fac-
ulty and Indian community raised over $100,000 for a center
EEiNATCHEE HOME WILL
M be a warm, idyllic refuge
in the winter years for 48 poor
each. A dining hall, recreation-
al!fV room and a large outdoor
which opened in April 1997 under the leadership of Prof S. N.
Sridhar, Director of the Center. University president Shirley
men and women (eventually sitting area each contribute to a Strum Kenny called it an "extraordinary" synergy of student,
96) who have no family. Mainly comfortable lifestyle. Wheel- activism, faculty dedication and community support. In cash-
for Hindus, the home complex chair paths cross to the temple, barren university budget land, SUNY administrators were de-
lies on the 13-acre which is being re- lighted and respond-
grounds of the fitted for the dis- ed, providing teaching
Sockalingum abled. Guest Hin- faculty and a fully
Meenatchee Am- du spiritual equiped facility on the
men Temple in teachers will pro- fifth floor of the li-
Port Louis. With a vide instruction brary. Courses include
backdrop of chis- and inspiration to Indian Civilization,
eled volcanic the residents. A Religions, Languages,
mountains and its building commit- Social Sciences and
architecture lying tee of five men, co- more. Prof Kamal
along a green river, ordinated by Dr. Sridhar says, "Courses
the home is de- GM. Pillay, raised are full, including
signed for peace- US$100,000 tor the half non-Indians."
ful occupation. Welcoming a refUge project.
CLOCKWISE FROM T OP: COURTESY LAU FOOK KONG/THE STRAITS TIMES, SANKAR MUTT
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT STONYBROOK. ELDERLY HOME IN MAURITIUS SEPTEMBER , 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 11

•I
New.UN head Kofi Annan (at left) received by Sri Chinmoy
UNITED NATIONS
Multi-Faiths Bless UN Head
'7\ UNITED FAITH RITE CALL-
Red a "Solemn Interfaith
Service of Commitment to the
Work of the United Nations"
welcomed the new United Na-
tions Secretary-General, Kofi
Annan in April. Hindu, Bud-
dhist, Islamic, Jewish, Christ-
ian, Jain, Sikh and Native
American clergy offering
prayers at st. Bartholomew's
Church in New York. The event
.opened with the empowering
conch shell caJI ofl07-year-old
Swami Bua. Kofi Annan was
given a peace award and said,
'J\s Secretary-General, I look to
religious leaders for help and in-
spiration in my work, to help me
not lose sight of our long-term
goals of peace, development,
justice and human rights."
True, Thomas?
.,..-rIE CHRISTIAN LEGEND OF
I Saint 'F&omas carrying
Christianity to India's south-
western shores and dying there
a martyr is being downsized
and rewritten in the Ency-
clopaedia Britannica. Ishwar
S~aran, author of The Myth of
Saint Tk,omas and the Myla-
pore Shiva Temple, successful-
ly demonstrated to the eaitors
of the illustrious reference that
the st. Thomas-in-IndHi legend
is highly suspect. Sharan point-
ed out that the legend was cre-
ated by three Christian schol-
ars with no historical evidence,
relying solely on "Thomas ro-
mances." Sharan cited another
Christian researcher-Bishop
Stephen Neill-as a prime de-
'bunker of the apocryphal theo-
ry. Agreeing to a future revi-
sion, an EB representative
stated in a letter to Sharan that
the Britannica's entry on st.
Thomas did indeed "place too
much emphasis on the unlikely
scenario of his traveling to, and
being martyred in India."
USA
China's Rama .
HE 14TH INTERNATIONAL
T Ramayana Conference,
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USA. Scholars from five conti-
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Professor Jin Ding Han of Chi-
na has translated Tulsidas' Ra-
machritmanas into Chinese.
Braiding Indian and Chinese
ethicists, Jin compared Confu-
cian teachings to the Ra-
mayana. Many non-Hindu
countries of South East Asia
boast a strong tradition of.Ra-
mayana scholarship.
Ganapati sitting (or dancing), Ram
Darbar, Lakshmi, Shiva-Parvati,
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THE VEDAS
God's Word,
Sages'Voices
There are five great sacri-
fices, namely, the great
ritual services: the saerifice
to al1 beings, sacrifice to
men, sacrifice to the ances-
tors, sacrifice to the Gods,
sacrifice to Brahman.
SHUKLA YAJUR VEDA,
SHATAPATA BRAHMANA liS.6.1
N0nviolence is ail he offerings. Renunciation is the priestly
honorarium. The final purification is death. Thus all the
Divinities are established in this body.
KRISHNA "Y'AJUR VEDA, FRANA UPANISHAD 46--8
Ail that God does shall win em, praise. We magnify His
name with hymns, seeking boons from the Mighty.
RlG VEDA 1.42.10
12 H1l:"DUISM TODA>Y SEP~EMBER, 1997
The rites of oblation, 0 lovers of truth, which the sages In this exceptional new book We offer a wide selection of
divined from the sacred verses, were variously expounded Roy Eugene Davis, a disciple Sri Chinmoy's inspirational
in the threefold Veda. Perform them with eonstant care. of Paramahansa Yogananda, and instructional written
This is your path to the world of holy action. explains lifestyle routines and works, including essays,
ATHARVA VEDA, MANDUKYA UPANISHlID un meditation practices for ful- poetry, plays and extensive
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o Sun, till a long life's end! Lakemont, GA 30552 USA Just published-
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Transformed
I WAS INSPIRED BY YOUR ARTICLE, "SOTH-
by's Caught Smuggling" in the June edition
of HINDUISM TODAY. I have a BUddha statue
that has been in my family for just over 37
years. After reading the article, I began to
search from where and when it came. As it
turns out, the statue is from Tibet, and was
probably looted from there in UJ59. It is a
statue of the Bodhisattva Manjushri, teacher
of wisdom an.d compassion, anti is 600 years
old. My husband and I will be taking him to
the Tibetan Government in exile in Dhar-
masala, India.
TAMARA LEA BAKER
"mermaid@poi.net
Why Call Our Scriptures Myth?
I HAVE READ THE BHAGAVAD GTTA AND
parts of the Bhagavata Purana. I am won-
dering why these stories are referred to as
myths nowadays. I looked up the word myth
in the dictionary. One of the many defini-
tions in the Webster's Encyclopedic Un-
abridged Dictionary of the English Lan-
guage is "a traditional or legendary story
that is concerned with deities or demigods
and the creation of the world and its inhab-
itants." In Sanskrit the word purana is de-
fined as history or myth. I have read in the
Uddhava Cita of the Bhagavata Purana
about the curse of the sages on the Yadavas
and the submerging of the city of Dwaraka
as a result. I have heard about recent exca-
vations in Dwaraka which revealed the rem-
nants 0f a submerged city. In other contem-
porary world religions the scriptural stories
are not referred to as myths. For example, in
Christianity the Biblical story of the virgin
birth of Jesus Christ is considered true even
today. I do not understand this glaring
anomaly in Hinduism referring to the Pu-
ranas as myths.
HAIMAVATHI BHAT
NEWARK, DELAWARE, USA
Tell It to the Judge
I THINK JUDGE MOORE SHOULD ENROLL IN
a comparative religious studies course be-
fore he makes comments about the beliefs of
others (That Old-time Religion, CHURCH
AND STATE, July '97). The main historical fig-
ure we think about when discussing the for-
mation of the United States is a man named
Thomas Jefferson. In one of Jefferson's let-
ters, which are detailed irt'a book, he corre-
sponded with a Unitarian Universalist.
Thomas Jefferson, wheh hearing the tenets
of the Unitarian Universalist path, was de-
lighted, that he (Jefferson) had finally been
able to apply a label to his own personal be-
liefs. ,.
SHAKTI G ANAPA1TI SUBRAMANIAM
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, USA
14 H W DUISM TODAY SEPTEMBER , 1997
WORLD MUSIC INSTITUTE an d ASIA SOCIETY pres en t .
LETTERS
IT IS A SHAME THAT SO MANY PEOPLE ARE
prejudiced against other peoples' beliefs
contribution. I believe that the Varanasi
Ghjtts should be recognized as a world her-
.(:
when they haven't even studied the others'
scriptures. And if Judge Roy Moore would
itage site by the United Nations. Hinduism
J;1as nurtured many the world over, and I
THE MUSIC fESTIVAL OF INDIA
speak the truth, this country wasn't founded think it would be appropriate for the "out- Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of India's Independence
by Christians, because Native Americans side" world to contribute toward this good
were here long before Christians were. By work.
Father-Son duo
the constitution everyone has equal rights, OLIVER HOCKE NHULL
so it is obvious this judge is arbitrarily inter- VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
preting the laws for his own purposes. "oliverh@intergate.bc.ca
PHILIPS T AYLOR
MINERAL POINT, MISSOURI, USA Ananda Marga: No Doomsday Cult
I APP:(I.ECIATED YOUR ARTICLE ON MASS
Addresses Are Helpful! suicide (The Spaceship Suicide, CULTS, July
I ENJOY RECEIVING AND READING HIN- '97) and the false connections drawn ' re-
VILAYAT KHAN*
DUISM TODAY. After each issue, I want to garding the influence of Eastern spiritual
contact different people and Hindu organi- traditions upon the Heaven's Gate cult. The ZAKIR HUSSAIN* SHUJAAT KHAN*
zations. However, the articles almost never- article correctly referred to the flimsy con-
provide the addresses and as a result it is nections drawn in a prominent Newsweek Gala Evening at
impossible to send any contributioii' or ex- article. I am surprised, though, that an even
tend help. more overt allegation in the very same arti- CARNEGIE HALL
GREESH C. SHARMA cle was overlooked. Newsweek gave a "top 154 West 57th Street at Sev.enth Avenue, New York City
YARDLEY, PENNSYLVANIA, USA ten doomsday cult" list, In which Ananda
Marga was cited as one such cult. Ananda Saturday
Educating the Kids Margiis are the followers of Sri Sri Anan- September 13, 1997
SEX EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT FOR CHIL- damurti, and are sincere practitioners of
dren not only at school but also at home. morality (yama and niyama), tantra yoga, 8pm
The first phase is teaching it at school and and the intuitional science of the Vedas. Nu-
the sec0nd is one-on-one question and an- merous Ananda Margiis in the USA wrote The most highly acclaimed performers of classical Indian
swer sessions at home. As a father, I myself letters of protest to Newsweek for their gross music to appear on one stage for the first time
didn't know how to handle the situation at inaccuracy in this matter. However, News-
home when my children were young. I ap- week failed to print any of the articulate and
proached my pediatrician who is an Indian respectful letters presented to them. Not
and the local school physician. He said it is only did they offer a slander upon Ananda
important that the parents should be aware Marga and hence all tantric and yogic tradi-
of this two-step approach. He asked me to tions, but they failed to correct themselves
attend the session at their school on how to when presented with compelling evidence
tackle this subject at home. Most Indians of the inaccuracy of their rep<?rt.
feel that our children need not learn f-rom SHRAVAN KUMAR
us, and it is enough what they have been ex- WASHINGTON D.C. USA AMJAD ALI KHAN AJOY CHAKRABORTY
posed to at the schooL But the reality is that "proutwdc@prout.org
children are inadequately exposed about PI. lASRAJ
their body differences early on in their life. THERE WAS AN ERROR IN THE ARTICLE ON
Their inquisitiveness increases as they ma- the Heaven's Gate Group. It says, ''There are
For tickets, please call 212.545.7536
ture. Children need early preparation and no Catholic gurus, no Protestant gurus, no TICKET PRICES fOR CARNEGIE HALL ONLY
adeqt;.ate training because we live in the Muslim gurus, no Buddhist gurus." But of Balcony $20, $30; Dress Circle $50; Parquet $75, $100; Special Golden Circle $200
electronic world and unwanted, harmful in- -course there are Buddhist gurus. The teacher
for'mation abounds in the media. in a Vajrayana Buddhi~t context is considered Exclusive Tier II Boxes for 8 available
BALA SUBRAMANIAN to be a guru. Other words also usea for such
NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY OUTREACH PROGRAM
ALABAMA, USA a person are lama and vajra master.
"aum@mindspring.cdm (Free Arts-in- Education Concerts featuring promising upcoming artists)
ROBERT WALKER
BIG RAPIDS , MICHIGAN, USA September 4, 1997 through September 12, 1997
Time to Pay Back 'Ilctd@thenewage.com
I JUST M.TURNED FROM THREE MONTHS OF
travel in India, on a pilgrimage to Her most Letters with writers nam'e, address and daytime
Holy sites, including Arunachala, Kanchi phone number, should be sent to:
and Bhubahaneswar. I also went to Banaras, Letter.s, HINDUISM TODAY SEATTLE
the city of Siva, and. though. the spiritual vi- 107 Kaholalele Road Morton M. Symphony Ctr. The Paramount Theatre
bration of the centre is still palatable-the KAPAA, HI, 96746-9304 USA
or faxed to: (808) 822-4351
September 27 November 1 November
pollution and garbage around the ghats is
or e-mailed to: CALCUTTA BOMBAY NEW DELHI
disgraceful. We should find some money letters@HinduismToday.ka~ai.hi.us
here in the West to contribute to a fund that Letters may be edited for space and clarity and may
D ecember 6 December 13 December 19
would be directed to clean up the garbage. It appear in electronic versions of HINDUISM TODAY.
could provide jobs while making a positive " INDICATES LETTERS RECEIVED VIA E-MAIL For further information, call: WORLD MUSIC INSTITUTE
49 West 27th Street, Suite 930, New York, NY 10001 Tel 212 .545.1425 Fax 212.545.0362
A PRODUCTION Of VISION INTERNATION iu PICTURES, LTD.
 Marriage Rites and Rituals of Hindus \~aJ"• •HRi."__• • •
, )
SAC-RED ARTS dye textiles, and lac items can be found in
Books by Swami Shankar Hindu Marriage Samskara by
Maniharon ka Rasta. .
«INl9ll
Hunting for God'
Purushottam Tirtha: Dr. Prem Sahai.
Marble craft drives the economy of Kha-
Yoga Vani This book is a guide and MARRH\GiE zanewalon ka Rasta. Here are hundreds of
show['00ms and workshops spread like a
Instructions for the attain-
ment of Siddhayoga during
practical manual for under-
standing, conducting and
SiAMSiKARA pat~hwork quilt along the narrow lane.

sadhana. recortling the marriage

MA.RRIAGE RITIZS AND ruTUALS 01 HINDUS
Rajasthan's Jaipur ,artisans bring the Gods and Every showroom is bursting with hundreds
postpaid: US$13.50 (USA) experience. Dr. Sahai gives of Gods. Next to them, the humans look
$16.50 (Canada) step-by-step procedure in a
angels of heaven to Earth in exquisite marble small and puny as they chisel on the gigantic
clear and organized but not statues, coaxing Godly graces out of the
Guru Bani overly complicated manner. white stone. The marble comes
A MELWANI , NEW YORK fro~ the mines of Markana
100 ways to attain inner By studying this book, a
peace. How to live a spiritual couple can deeply appreciate --"'" HERE WOULD YOU FIND ' which also provided the materi-
life-for monks and families. the profound step they are Siva lost in samadhi, Kr- al for the Taj Mahal.
postpaid: US$9.50 (USA) , ishna playing His' flute In the back rooms one can see -"
taking in their lives, and PREMSAHAI
$12.50 (Canada) consciously embrace with joy and Ganesha feasting on packing materials and boxes, for
the fullnes of this noble rite of passage. It is designed not sweets? In Jaipur's Khajanewalon a great many of these icons are
• Two-year Ayurveda Certification Programs in person or merely to inform, but also to become a lifelong part of the ka Rasta-The Lane of Treasures. part of a-thriving export trade to
by correspondence (either by post or via e-mail) family archives. It is the alternative Vaikunta foreign lands. As the immigrant
(heaven-), the ' Gods' earthly population with Indian roots has
Ayurvedic Products Distributors-wholesale or retail "Highly recommended. A must to go back to our ancient tra- abode. This winding lane of grown in many parts of the
Catalog: $1.00 (free via e-mail) • Consultations. ditions" - Hinduism Today. 150 pg. Hard bound. US$15.00 thousands of marble shops has world, a demand has been creat-
every deity from the Hindu pan- ed for marble deities in the tem-
Ayurveda Holistic Center Available through theon and more Gods gIld God- ples which are opening in many
clo Swami Narayan Tirtha Math Himalayan Academy Publications desses per square meter than parts of the Far/ East, the u.s.
82A-H Bayville Ave. Bayville, NY 11709-1671 USA 107 Kaholalele Road any place in the world. and Europe.
TeVfax: 1-516-628-8200 • Ask for Swami Sada Shiva Tirtha Kapaa, Hawaii 96746-9304 USA I got a chance to visit this sur- As the hour's ticked away in
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and articles) Fax: 1-808-822-4351- 24 hours setting up a temple,in the garden God we were hunting for. We
of her Delhi home and on earli- had to take off our shoes every
er visits to Jaipur had scoured time we entered a shop with
the lanes and bylanes of Kha- Gods, Goddesses and holy men;
janewalon ka Rasta for ·the most every shop had Ganeshas, Krish-
loving images of her favorite nas and even Guru Nanak-but
Printworld Services Pte. Ltd. Gods. As she was leaving, she no Ardhanariswara. Toward day's
came across a rare st~tue of end we reached one of the last
The complete, unabridged Specialists in English language books from around the world Ardhanariswara-half Siva, half shops with very little hope.
edition of Paramahansa focussing (with more than 1,000 titles) on Hinduism, Indian Shakti, which combines the po- There sat the Ardhanarishwara
Yogananda's extraordinary civilization and culture. • . tent ~nergies of both. This mar- in a corne~. Partially.painted, it
life story is available now • Ma, Who is a Hindu? By N.T Nair. Provides a common ble idol has both male and Te- was waiting for my sister. The
for the first time in the platform for all sects and classes of Hinduism. Not dry or male aspects- Sivas matted locks, shopkeepers smiled. They knew
immediacy of the spoken technical. Suitable for enhancing life's everyday. serpent necklace and hermit's my sister would find them- or
word. • Yoga Philosophy by N.T Nair. Insights into the philosophy clothing merging with the sari Ardhanariswara would find her.
and practices of Yoga, as well as its goal: the unraveling of and jewels on the female side. The tourist guide book advises
Yoganandaji was a master the mind's mysteries, leading to the Self and emancipation. Since the statue had not yet one "to bargain every step and
storyteller, and his profound • The Worship of Lord Ayyappan by N. T Nair. The Pilgrim- been p¢nted, my sister had de- not to put on a defeatist atti-
and eloquent autobiography age to Holy Sabrimala and the worship of Lord Ayyappan. cided she would buy it on a later tude." But my sister, an avid ne-
readily lends itself to an audio • Journeys to The Lands of the Gods by Rajalingam Rajathurai. visit. The only problem now was gotiator, just could not bring her- .
presentation. The remarkable The author induces in the reader a desire to realize-self- that she had misplaced the ad- self to hagglt in this hallowed
saints and sages he intro- realization and God-realization-through pilgrimage. dress. How could she find it in Marble marvel: Ratan Chand paints statues which become Gods store. She asked, "How carll bar-
duces ... the colorful scenes • Understanding Hinduism by P.N. Unni and TP. Paran. The gain for God?"
the maze of thousands of shops?
and rich spiritual heritage of harmonious synthesis of theory and practice of Hinduism She was, however, confident that she would orately decorated. The Govind Dev'ji temple My sister was delighted, immediately
India ... his unforgettable integrates the temporal and spiritual life. Hinduism is man- find Him- or He would find her. was built in such a fashion that the king bonding with the figurine. The shop's icons
experiences in higher states of God-communion ... the centered. From the vast body of speculative and rationaJ: . Rajasthan is studded with cities, towns CQuid see the God from the Chandra Mahal painter, former muncipal worker Ratan
founding of his worldwide work in America ... the wisdom, literature on Hinduism, this book extracts the essence of and villages excelling in arts and crafts, and (Moon Hall). which is exactly opposite to it. Chand, a lean man witJ;!. a white beard, is to-
subtle humor, and divine insight of a master of yoga ... all are Hinduism. Supported by appropriate graphics. The talents of the traditional marble day court artist to the Gods. As is the cus-
Jaipur is certainly its crown jewel. Rajasthan
brought to vivid life in a sensitive and compelling reading by • The Worship of Shakti in Hinduism by N. T Nair (release: end has had skilled artisans wo king in brass, -carvers dill be seen in the newly-built Lax- tom here, the face are not painted until the
Academy Award®-winning actor Ben Kingsley. of August)
stone, clay, wood, ivory, silver, gold, marble, mi Naraih temple just outside the Pink City piece is sold. He immediately started the fin-
• The Non-Resident Indian- From Non-Being to Being by leather and textiles for hundreds of years. in Moodi Doongri. Having seen m~y of ishing touches asking, us to return after some
12 Audiocassettes, 18 hours Chandrashekhar Sastry. ''A verbal panavision of the Indian The kings and noblemen of Rajasthan these marvels, we returned to the Lane of time. When we came back, he put the tradi-
Handsomely boxed, with notes and photos US$48.00 immigrant the world over." were avid patrons of the arts and had always Treasures to find our own marble treasure. tional final touch on the eyes and there be-
(does not include shipping, or sales tax in California) Printworld Services Pte. Ltd. • 80 Genting Lane, Genting Blk encouraged their craftspeople, and the pe0- We ~ollowed Jaipur's bustling tributary of fore us Ardhanariswara's stony face was
.#04-02 Ruby Industrial Complex, Singapore 349 565 pIe of this dusty,CIesert kingdom seemed to lanes, each specializing in a certain craft. In transformed into mystic, be'atific glow. The
Self-Realization Fellowship. Visa/MC Orders (Dept.7HTA) . Tel: 65-744-2166 Fax: 65-746-0845. thirst for art. Everything from their homes Ramganj Bazaar, one can see workers creat- peerless He/She was ready to return with us
Tel: 213-342-0247 (9-5 Pac) • 24-hour fax: 800-801-1952 (USA) E-mail: printw@mbox2.singnet.com.sg to the howdahs of their elephants were elab- ing leather shoes. Kishanpol Bazar has tie to our garden temple ho~e. :~,
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SEPTEMBER , 1997 HINDUISM TOD AY 17
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AI!STRALlA'S PRIME MINISTER, Mr. John
Howard, opened consecration cE;remonies
'"
at the Mandir Society of Australia's Maha
Kumbhabhishekain for the Sri Vishnu Siva
Mandir on June first. Foundation stones for
the mandir in Canberra had been laid four
years earlier. An estimated 10,000
Hindus attended the event.
SRI VIDYANANDAGIRI SWAMIJI, Peethadhipati
of Sri Vyasasramam in Andhra Pradesh, is
on a USA tour until
September. He IS the
successor of Sri
Malayalaswami, who
founaed Sri Vyasas-
ramam in 1926. The
progressive ashram's
schools teach San-
skrit to women and ...-
members of all
castes. It has 45 celi-
bate men and
women in separate Sri Vidyanandagiri
residences and runs
medical facilities and orphanages for pver
400. USA contact: Mahipal Karkaralal,
phone 810-879-4685.
SIVA IS NOW WORSHIP.PED IN OMAN, in what is
reportedly the first temple of its kind in
any Islamic country. Hindus have also been
given cremation grouhds. Omans Sultan,
Al-Khubus, has even granted citizenship to
a Mr. Khimji, a Hindu businessman.
Oman's first non-Muslim citizen. He was
also honored with the Arab honorific title .
for headman or senior clan leader and is
now "Sheik Bhairamji Khimji."
SCORES OF SACRED TEMPLE TANKS have fall-
en into disuse and are now dry or dilapidat-
ed wesores at too many Hindu temples in
Chennai. "While some of them lost their
scenic appeal years ago, a few are on the
verge of losing their ground, too, due to
rapid urbanization and encroachments," re-
ports The Hindu. Multi-story buildings now
hide many lovely tanks from view and have
even cut off the flow of natural rainfall that
keeps them full and clean.
THE TAMIL EXODUS from Sri Lanka continues
unabated. Over 1,500 refugees have settled·
in or near Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram
district. In Europe, Lithuanian officials re-
port unrest at a camp housing over 600 ille-
gal immigrants, including Sri Lankans. Italy
continues to intercept refugee-laden boats
off its Calabnan Coast. Paris, with its long-
established Tamil community, is now home
20 HINDUISM TODAY SEPTEMBER , 1997
to over 60,000 Sri Lankan Tamils. "Because
Pondicherry was a French protectorate, the
earlier arriving Indian Tamils didn't need
visas to travel to France," sources told HIN-
DUISM TODAY. The Refugee Council in Lon-
don is urging a United Nations review of
the Sri Lankan situation. ,/
FIJI'S CONSTITUTION will be "altered to re-
move discriminatory provisions that bar In-
dians from political power," reports The
Economist. With hundreds of amendments
recommended to Parliament and approved
by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, Fiji
could one day h'ave an Indian PM. By Octo-
ber, Rabuka hopes Fiji will return to mem- .
bership in tlie Commonwealth, from which
it was barred pending the return of'F>olitical
freedoms.
THE OZONE HOLE over the North Pole is
growing-or more accurately, thinning. The
World Meteorological Organization report-
ed Earth's protective ozone layer was 15 to
25% thinner in March of 1997 than in 1996.
It predicts that internationa!.ly-agr~ed-upon
cutbacks could mean the ozone loss will
peak between 2001 and 2005. Chemical
propellants and refrigerants such as chlo-
rine and bromine are blamed.
BROTHER MARVIN IS WORLD MUSIC incarnate.
The Trinidadian of African descent wears
akurta and
Nehru hat, speaks
of "Mother India"
and sings Hindi
and English lyrics
in a hit song
called "Jahaagi
Bhai," or "brother-
hood of the boat." Trinidadian "loves India
It's about
,,- the
common experience of African slaves and
indentured East Indian workers with "mu-
si~ of distinctly Indian origin," writes Anil
Mahabir, who says Brother Marvin's follow-
ing in Trinidad and Tobago is "massive."
MEDIA'S FOCUS ON BRIDE BURNING paints In-
dia as a dangerous place. But if statistics
can be u;usted, a study by Hindus Against
the Abuse of Women presented at the Sec-
ond International Conference on Bride
Burning and Dowry Deaths in India puts
USA in the lead of familial femicide. It says
USA murders of women committeCl by "in-
timate relations" are 15 per year per million
population. The rate in Pakistan'is 6.44 per
million. India's is 6.25 per million. The
study says excessive need for control and
Hinduism Today Subs.lAd Offices
For all your HINDUISM TODAY acquisition, subscription Hitherto unpublished material
or advertising requirements, kindly contact: by distinguished folklorist
,,-
greed may be the underlying causes, not
~ultural or religious factors. India recently
In India:
Sri Jiva Rajasankara
Bhattacharya, featuring music,
dance, religion, social
customs, arts and crafts of
Mahesa Exports, 17 Income Tax Layout many countries of Asia. Each
passed a law making husbands and in-laws
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guilty until proven otherwise if a bride dies
within the first year of marriage. Since , Tel: 91-80-839-7118 • Fax: 91-80-839-7119 • The Cosmic Dance of Shiva.
E-mail: jiva@giasbg01.vsnLnetin A classical, formal interpreta-
then, the rate of women killed by intimate
In Malaysia: tion by Raja and Radha
relations dropped by more than 50%.
Ms. Chudikadevi Saravan Reddy. Order #V72409
CHINA IS POISED to impose its own rules on Sanathana Dharma Publications Sdn Bhd. (391870K) • The Chanting Lama.
No: 15, Lintang Besi, off Jalan Melawi Tibetan monks chanting
the "search for and selection of young chil- VIDE:C·f:ClWm
41000 Klang, Selangor. • Tel: 60 3 331 9242 sacred texts in Dharamsala
dren considered to be the reincarnated ...- Our 25th year.
or: (seat of the Dalai Lama).
souls of the 'living Buddhas' who reside in
Sri Ramesh Sivanathan Ritual music,dance in rich
Tibet's temples and menasteries," report's
No: 14 Jalan Rawa, of.f Jalan Imbi cultural and artistic setting.
Reuters. Attributed to a religious affairs of-
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ficial in Beijing, the report stated "such
In Singapore: • Raga. Yehudi Menuhin explains the masculine or feminine
rules would help to combat the influence of
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the Dalai Lama, Beijing's greatest rival for
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Tibetan loyalties."
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HIRE A PUJARI ... or press the "play" button?
E-mail: dohadeva@singnet.com.sg mony in Anatolia. 65 devotess whirl and enter into religious
Temple priests in Madhya Pradesh say
In USA: ecstasy. Order #V72335
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the electronic media. Their services are in-
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creasingly replaced by tape recorders,
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videos and televisions," reports the Times of
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India. Lamenting that their children are
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choosing other professions, pujaris are now
asking the government to help preserve
their priestly training and job security at
the 12,000 state-managed temples.
SUBJECTS OF THE WORLD'S ONLY HINDU king-
dom are well served by Diyalo, North
America's Nepalese Community News
Magazine. The quarterly publication from
Toronto has news, ~ssays, trekking, enter-
tainment and children's features. Contact:
Mr. Sharad Subba, 3-9251, 15 Avenue, St.
Michel, Montreal, PQ HIZ 3P4, Canada.
AUSPICIOUS TIMING ISN'T JUST FOR HINDUS ...
France's best-known astrologer, Elisabeth
Teissier, reveals in her book, Under the
Sign of Mitterrand,
....how the late French
president (just like ,,-
Ronald Reagan) "... re-
alised astrology was a
useful instrument of
power," and relied on
her for the timing of
referendums, ad- ,,-
dresses to the na- ' Teissier tells the time
tibn, even readings
on when Saddam Hussein would pull back
his troops during the Gulf War.
BRIEFLY is compiled from press, TV and
wire-service reports and, edited by RAVI
PERUMAN, award-winning radio journalist
at KGO in San Francisco.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: SRI VYASASRAM, ANIL MAHABIR, NO CREDIT

ious er ussionis
N ALMOST ANY EVENING IN BALI,
one can hear the bell-like tones of
the gamelan-from the high,
shimmering melodies of the met-
Hi:tJlIU~I11Ullt:O to the deep, resonant
tones of the gongs and drums-
drifting across the rice fields as vil-
lagers prepare for yet another temRle cere-
mony. I firs~ encountered gamelan not in
The complex rhythmic Bali but in California when I sat in on a re-
hearsal of Gam~lan Sekar Jaya, the Ameri-
orchestral music of can music group I later jOined and now di-
rect. Their Balinese teacher, Wayan Suweca,
Bali rivals the best of requested I play the kajar, the beat-keeping
classical traditions East instrument. At the time, I was a music stu-
dent at the University of California and fan-
or West. Played jn tem- cied myself a pretty sophisticated musician.
I thought keeping the beat ~hould be easy.
ples for the Gods or at Everything went well until the npddle of a
complex composition when the whole piece
concerts for people, it turned on its head metrically, as if the
downbeats were suddenly upbeats. I had no
is enjoying a sudden idea what was going on around me-this
worldwide apprecia- was something outside my musical experi-
ence. At that moment I was captured.
tion. A special report The first real Balinese gamelan (pro-
nounced gha-meh-Ion ) I saw was in the vil-
by Wayne Vitale. lage of Pe1iatan. From the first note they
started to pla¥ the stage exploded with ener-
gy, made all the more amazing by the fact
22 HINDUISM TOD A Y SE;PTEMBER, 199 7
that the lead metallophone player was close to
70 years old. It was in great contrast with the
other music which had ~egun to fascinate me
at that time, Indian classical where there is a
gradual build-up of tempo and complexity.
Even the structure of Balinese music
seems unique. Over the centuries, Balinese
musicians have developed a musical lan-
guage in which layers of melody and com-
plex figurations are interwoven to produce a
dense tapestry of sound. The music is re-
hearsed to perfect synchrony by musicians
in a typical village gamelan percussion, or-
chestra. No religious or secular celebration is
complete without music and dance.
Organizationally, music and dance troupes
in Bali are rooted in the banjar-the funda-
mental unit of community within the Bali-
nese village or town. Its guiding principle
and philosophy is that any group must strive
to exist as a coherent unit rather than as a!
collection of individuals. Unlike in Western
or classical Indian music, a single part or
musician cannot stand alone, but is integral to
the whole. For this reason, solo performance
is essentially nonexistent in Bali.
Gamelan music is interlocking, meaning
that the faster layers of melodic rhythmic
elaboration are divided into two comple-
mentary parts, which are played in close
synchrony so that they fit together like two
pieces of a puzzle. But this is much more
than a technical exercise. I once saw two
players in rehearsal working out their parts
so that every physical gesture-from the
way they raised their mallets to their body
language and facial expressions-were com-
pletely matched. It was like a dance.
Because of the constant demand for musi-
cal performances, there is a very large num-
ber of 1}ctive music and dance troupes on
the island (one recent estimate put the total
at well over 2,500). However, 'with the ex-
ception oflarge hot~1 or other tourist perfor-
mances, little money is made.
The most common kind of gamelan con-
sists of bronze keys suspended over bamboo
resonators in carved wooden frames, togeth-
er with a number of bronze gongs, drums,
cymbals and flutes. But there are bamboo
ensembles as well-entire orchestras of
bamboo marimbas or flutes. All gamelan in-
struments, no matter how or where they are
played, are believed to contain spiritual po-
wer which must be respected with proper
offerings and rituals, depending on the oc-
casion and the date in the Balinese calendar
on which the gamelan was originally made.
There is an amazing diversity of musical
ensembles and genres. Some 25 different
kind of gamelan ensembles have been docu-
mented, and the list grows as a younger gen-
eration of composers experiments with new
combinations and types of instruments. The
ensembles range in size from the small gerk(
der wayang, a quartet of musicians who play
the demanding accompaniment for the
wayang kulit shadow play, all the way up to
the massive gamelan gong, whose 35 or 40
members perform the ancient and stately
ceremonial pieces required for village rituals.
This as tonishing degree of musical activi-
ty is not intended only to maintain the tradi-
tion, out to extend it. New works are con-
stantly being created and premiered. If
deemed worthy by the players and the audi-
ence, such pieces are added to the existing
repertoire and may even gain island-wide
popularity. The Balinese view this as a
"grafting o~new flowers onto the old tree"
rather than a break with tradition-an atti-
tude that insures the vitality of the arts here.
These ideals find clear expression today in
the National Institute of the Arts in Denpa-
sar, where many of the country's besf per-
formers, composers and choreographers
work tG develop and transmit their arts to a
new generation. The Institute also serves as
the focal point for an international commu-
nity of artists and scholars interested in the
SEPTEMBER , 1997
Gamelan: (left ) Gamelan groap at a house
ceremony in Blangsinga Village. (center)
Forging a metallophone key. (right) The sa-
cred Gamelan Semar Pegulingan ("Game-
Ian of the Love God") at Ketewel Village is
played only for religiOUS ceremonies and
has not left the temple in four centuries.
Balinese performing arts. Although the
academy is giving birth to a new generation
of professionals, music remains by and large
a nonprofessional, village endeavor.
People participate in these groups from a
very young age, and one is often surprised to
hear intricate pieces being performed by
children\; groups in which the average age is
only 12 years. I once attended a rehearsal of
the famed gamelan orchestra from the vil-
lage of Pinda. As I scanned the players,
mostly in the 30s or 40s at the time, I no-
ticed that one of the two jublag players was
almost invisible. All I could see were his
hands coming up from behind the instru-
ment. It dawned on me that this was a small
child, probably no more than eight years old,
yet he pla,yed his part perfectly. He and oth-
er children in Pinda late! formed theit own
group, which played at an adult level of vir-
tuosity. People do not lower their expecta-
tions for child performers, with the result
that they rise to the occasion and play with
remarkable skill and concentration. But they
still manage to remain' children, and have
fun in the process.
The gamelan selur'tding is a rare and sa-
cred ensemble, with keys made of iron with
simple trough resonators. The one at Asak
village, for example, is so sacred it is kept in
its own pavilion, which is not entered by
anyone except the priests 'and musicians.
On those rare occasions on which this
gamelan is carried in a procession, all elec-
HINDUISM TODAY 23
 trical cables above the street must be sev-
ered, so that no man-made object is above
the sacred iron keys.
The bronze instruments are all hand-
forged in Bali by using centuries-old tech-
niques. Each orchestra. is tuned to match a
pentatonic, or five-tone, scale that is unique
to that particular set of instruments. While
all !IDsembles of a similar type will be tuned
to approximately the same scale: there is no
uniform standard of reference. Each thus
presents a unique sonic universe.
Each tone in this Balinese tuning system
has a corresponding tone tuned slightly MASTER MUSICIAN through them and tell them whats going
higher or lower, so that ~hen struck togeth- on. Trance happens by building up the at-
er the two notes produce a pulsating, tremo-
lo effect. This "paired tuning" is responsible
for the shimmering quality so characteristic
.1 'We Play to Entertain the mosphere around them with incense, offer-
ings 1l9d certain kinds of music.

of the Balinese gamelan.

.orchestras play at dazzling tempos- Gods-And the People' Philosophy of the notes
Ev~ry note in the gamelan has a partner
note detuned from it slightly to create pul-
The Gong Kebyar Orchestra enough to keep up with even the most nim:'
ble-fingered classical pianist. Western musi- sation when they are hit together. It is a re-
Most common in Bali is the full-scale gong kebyar gamelan of 30 musicians cians are amazed by the speed of these An interview with! Wayan Sinti of Bali flection of the Hindu concept of dualism
[in the sense of male/female, Siva/Shakti].
interlocking parts, by the pure unity of the
ensemble and the fact that all the music is -/ If you play one of those notes
Low-pitched metallo- learned completely by heart. One baffled Performer; teacher; scholar and • without its partner, it is not
phones The five-key Suspended Gongs composer for both gamelan or- complete. They are always nIt
Western sy mphony .orchestra conductor
all except bende
jegogans and octave
high, jublags
~ Set of 10 tuned gongs: one are for cyclic
90mmented upon his first gamelan perfor- chestra and dance, I Wayan Sin-
ti has w on abundant awards in
together. In gongs you have a
female gong and a male gong
person on the temmpong, ....mance, "Well, I don't know what they are do-
punctuation

~
~~g
one octave lower than ing, but they are certainly doing it together." Bali's annual Festival of Arts played.together. They are even '
the1'eyong This sophisticated music attracted the at- and is a recognized expert in married' in a ceremony. The
classical music and vocal styles.
c::l ~/ tention of composer Claude Debussy in drums as well. You can't have

~
1889, and later of Colin McPhee in 1931 who With the help of translators one drum. The male and fe-
moved to Bali for eight years. McPhee espe- Wayn e Vitale, Seka1' Jaya's di- male play different parts which
Bamboo Drums
~/ Flute two-h e a d V cially was responsible for spreading knowl- 1'ectow, and Rajakumar Manick- interlock. The composite of i
~ ruling, wood drums edge of gamelan in the West. Today there am of MalaYSia, he shared the what they play is important.
one or kendang are more than 200 gamelan in America traditional attitudes ana. belief s
~ more wadon (fe- ~ of the Balinese gamelan 'musi- Women playing glimelan
~
alone, of which Sekar Jaya (below) is one of
\::p male) and / ~ 0 kempu1' the most widely known. Gamelan has be- cians with HINDUISM TODAY. Earlier it was the tradition that
try
Strings kendang
""" 1'ebab
kajar:
lanang (male) keep~ beat ~ ~ come far more than an exotic import, today
influencing an entire generation of Western God and gamelan
only the men played gamelan. -
Recently, especially in a contest
composers and spreading its magic amon.z Thisvform of art is God's cre- of the yearly gamelan festival,
Gangsa section: Ten-key metallophones. The cen- \ /?\ kemong ~ ation. Every time t.h ere is a cere- there are female groups. There
ter ugal is the section leader, four perruu1es play ~ thousands of new devotees. ..
mony in Bali, it is accompanied are no mixed groups. The only
melody and four kantil follo~ octave~gher ~ CONTACTS: INDONESIA-I NYOMAN W INDHA, S. S.KAR, ST SI

••:!:••
DE NPA.SA.R, JALAN NUSA INDAH , DENPASAR, BALI, (361 )
2 2 7 3 16. STSIDPS@DE NPII.SA.RWASANTARA.NET.ID; I WAYAN by gamelan music. One of the time you ever see male and fe-
SINTI, MA, SMKI DENPA.SAR, BATUBULAN, GI ANY:AR 8 0582,
BALI, (36 l ) 298 163. USA- WAYNE VITALE, GAMELAN SEKAR
fundamental goals is to entertain male together would be at the

••
>< bende }A.YA, 6485 CONLON AVENUE, EL CERRITO, CALIFORNIA the Gods, to make the Cods feel two academies in a learning sit-
<

\
9 4 530 USA, WAYNE@GSJ .ORG; RACH E L COOPER, ASIA SOCI-
"...o ETY, 725 P{illK AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 1002 1. CANADA - welcome and for them to enjoy uation.
PROF. MIC H AE L TENZER, SCHOOL OF MUSIC, UNIVERSITY OF us at the ceremony We invite

~~~
~ Set of 12 tuned gongs: four
BRITI SH COLUMBIA, 6 361 MEMORIAL ROAD, VANCOUVER,
BRITISH COL UMBIA V6 T 1Z2 CANADA . GBlUlANY -PROF. them. Through gamelan 'a. feel- Men and women playing
"" musicians on the 1'eyong DIETER MACK, MUSIKHOCHSCHULE FREIBURC,
14 ~lg~:M~~:~~~:=::
ing of gratitude for the Gods can together in concert in Ball
~ SCH WARZWALDSTR .
be expressed-gratitude that we Maybe... ..
~ ~==========================================================~ exist, that we eat, that we live,
that we have art and that we - The new gamelan
In today's era of identity pol- have a way to create beauty In 1914 a new kind of music
·A Western Rendition ' itics, Sekar Jaya's mu~ical ex-
plorations may raise some eye- Proper timing
was invented based on the pre-
existing styles. The older game-
brows. These people were not The music supports the atmos- Different drummer's beat: I Wayan Sinti playing in San Francisco Ian changed. They actu,ally
California's Gamelan Sekar Jaya wins acclaim in Bali born to Balinese music; they phere of what's happening in a
ceremopy You can't do a certain part of a group will pray in the temple for success
melted their keys down and
made this new kind of instrument to play
are I).ot returning to their
'roots'. Sekar Jaya's compose~s ritual until it becomes apparent to every- and unity of the ensemble before they do this new music, called Gong K.ebyar. In the
EKAR JAYA (" FLOWERING are border-crossers. As a result one together that this is the right moment the cqmpetition. Nothing is purely secular. last 80 years, this kind of gamelan has be-
Success") is an indepen- their work is potentially con- to do the next step.. Part of that whole feel- Even in rehearsals, there are offerings. come more widespread l}I1d popular. The
dent gamelan ensemble troversial; it can be interpreted ing is the music. The music is acting as a old style was much plainer and less -:
that has surpassed . all as either homage or plunder. medium for people to connect to one an- Ancestors adorned. The new style ranges from hard-
other American groups in en- they have themselves strug- other and to connect with the Gods who My father and my grandfather were musi- hitting and fast to sweet and mellow.
durance, sense of purpose anq: gled with the issue of musical are visiting the temple. cians. I do not know, but I hope they watch
acclaim. The group is based in exploitation, refusing at first to me from the heavens. Whenever we have Gamelan outside Ball
northern California, and has "meddle" with Balinese tradi- Religious and secular music ceremonieS-or cremation rites we offer, be- We have no problem w).th gamelan being
been performing since 1980. tion. But the Balinese them- The line between religious and secular in sides food, music and dance. We hope that played in other countries. Some gamelan do
The Indonesia press hailed it selves have proved to be the Balinese music and dance is rtot clear. In a . the ance~tors will enjoy these. Even though haveTa special spiritqal power. In consider-
as "clearly the finest Balinese most enthusiastic supporters of music festival you have two competing they are uead, they will wake up from the ation of that, those instruments should not
g amelan outside of Indonesia: Sekar Jaya's innovative, cross- gamelan playing on opposite sides of the heavens. play in certain situations, for example) in a
Unlike in Bali, few temples in cultural musical experiments. stage. On the surface that's a very secular pornographic film. From a cultural or artis-
America need the services of a By M ARC PERLMAN, Tufts kind of situation. People come and sit in the Trance compOSitions tic point of view, the people of Bali feel
gamelan, and Sekar Jaya must University, Massachus etts, USA audience, and th;y scream and yell. Even At times the priest will request certain very strongly there should not only be tra-
fund-raise to pay its way On stage in San Francisco: The 35-member American group so, there are many religious aspects. Before songs to bring someone into a trance state. dition, but there should also'be innovation
they do the performance each group does An ancestor or a particular God will actu- and new music. Things that come from out-
offerings. All the members of the gamelan ally come and inhabit someone and speak side could be adapted to Balinese tradition.
24 HINDUISM TOD A-Y s PTEMBER , 1997
SEPTEMBER , 1 9 97 H I'N DUISM TODAY 25
MUSIC
Shankar's New GD-
Mantras by a Maestro'
A rare rap with Ravi on his projects and future
Pandit Ravi Shankar's new CD,
"Chants of India," produced by
long-time friend and student,
George Harrison, and €onduct-
ed by Shankar's daughter and
sitarproteg¢e, Anoushka, 16, is
a del'ightful collection of bene-
dictory Sanskrit slokas and
mantras. In an exclusive inter-·
view, now rare for the 77-year-
old musician, Ram Shankar spoke
with HINDUISM TODAY'S correspon-
dent Archana Dongre in Los jinge-
/es, California. Excerpts:
HINDUISM TODAY: Is this CD specifi-
cally for Western audiencesP
SHANKAR: No. I absolutely deny
that. But, I did not do it only for
the Indian audiences. This has
been one of the most difficult
challenges in my life. There are
hundreds of CDs floating in the
market of various mantras and
stotras, which fall into three
grades-the traditional shastris'
chantings, mantras in beautiful
ragas along with musical instru-
ments, and the cOIIlD,).ercial film
tune version. I did no t want to
follow any of the above patterns,
neither did I want to give it a
West~rn garb, with full orches- Pundit Ravi Shankar: In.dia's almost mythical musical minstrel
tration and big chorus. I took a
long time to decide my method in order to
keep the purity of the sound. I kept the
Vedic three-note tune and arranged some
ragas in the background, in flute, or violin,
or cello, harp or some such instrument, to
create celestial sounds. There is lots of reli-
gious singing with a very univ~rsal appeal.
You'll hear vina, bamboo flute and tambura SHANKAR: His love for the In~ian culture
but no sitar or sarod. From the vast Vedas,
after six months of research, I chose a few
mantras that denote peace and love. I grew
up in a brahmin family listening to many of considers me as a guru, who has initiated
these slokas and Upanishadic'excerpts and
became aware of their profound ~piritual
anti calming effect. All this effort is not just also Raja Yoga by Swami Vivekananda,
for Westerners or for Indians, but for uni-
versal appeal.
How has George Harrison contributedP
SHANKAR: His contribution in the vocal or
26 HINDUISM TOD A.Y SEPTEMBER , 1997
instrumental background is very subtle. He
is not a featured artist in it, nor did he
compose any music. His role was great as a
producer, in balancing, editing and mixing
which he did with love and expertise.
Does he respect Sanskrit as you doP
and Vedic culture is so great tha~you will
not believe it. He has studied it, resulting
in knowledge and a deep appreciation. He
him in all this. Thirty-one years ag0 I gave
him a book, Autobiography of a Yogi, and
which changed him so much. Then through
the music, he traveled so far, questing after ested in it. Not only in the 1960s, but even
Maharshi Mahesh Yogi and Srila Prabhupa- today my audience comprises young people.
das movement. We meet quite often.
Some of the pronunciations on the CD are
not in accord with Sanskrit grammar.
SHANKAR: The variation tn pronunciation is
due to regional differences. People from
North India, South India, or from eastern
or western parts of India tend to pronounce
the same word differently. People from al-
most every state ih India have their own
peculiarities of pronunciations. It was also
difficult to find people with superb voices
who also have precise pronunciations. I did
consult with scholars during
the project.
What are your plans for the
Ravi Shallkar Foundation in
New Delhi and CaliforniaP
SHANKAR: That foundation will
be a nonprofit organization de-
voted to music, the performing
arts and literature. The centers
will also house archives of my
works and those of other fine
musicians. The purpose will be
to establish peace and harmony
through. music. Eventually, I
will be spending more of the
year in India and less time
here in California. The centers
will also delve into more cre-
ative projects, like my ghana-
shyam or ballet productions.
When you had come back from
India in 1992 to make your
flome near San Diego you were
unhappy with the government.
SHANKAR: I did have some
problems \\iith the Indian bu-
reaucracy at that time, but all
that has been..,solved now. Our
government is now doing more
than any other government in
the world as far as arts and mu-
sic are concerned.
What is your advice to young musicians of
America-either Indians or Americans-
wishing to learn Indian musicP , Dr. S. Yegna Subramanian: 609-530-0299, or S.S. Iyer 908-238-1119
SI;lANKAR: Young people do not like advice.
You should give them something, and then
find out if they are interested. If they are,
by their own choice, that will be a great
service to them. My daughter and her •.
friends, George Harrison's children, and
several of my friends' young children have
been favorably impressed with the new CD.'
Many years ago, when the Gandhi film was
released, I found young people were im-
pressed with it. There is something in these
that moves them. All my music has spiritual
unClertones, and the young people are inter-
CD available from: Angel Records, P. O.
Box 1592, New York, New York 10028 USA.
Shri Anandi Ma-Master Dr. Vasant Lad, Ayurvedic
in the tradition of Kimdalini
Maha Yoga-will be offering
public meditation programs
Physician and Director of the
Institute, with visiting faculty,
offer the Ayurvedic Studies
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Program, seminars and pri-
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August 1 & 2 Yearly Curriculum:
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• III: Intra. to management of
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the student is saturated with Divine Energy. After Dr. Robert Svoboda, Ayurvedic Physician
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One may be of any religion, caste, or creed to benefit; for • Panchakarma-purification and rejuvenation by licensed staff:
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pat, the Shakti will take the student to the ultimate goal, • Ayur-yoga-integrating Ayurveda and Yoga for the purpose
without doubt." of returning each person to his or her balanced state.
• Ayurvedic and Western herbs, extracts, oils, books, audio
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Write/call for our mail order catalog and information:
The Ayuvedic Institute • PO Box 23445
Albuquerque, NM 87192-1445 USA
Tel: 505-291-9698. Fax: 505-294-7572
Sri Curubhyo Namaha
Sringeri Vidya Bharati Foundation Inc. USA • Sringeri Sadhana Center invites you to the
Athi Rudra Maha Yagnam.
Conducted for the first time outside India
His Holi/Iess jagadguru
Z2-Septembrer 1~ Among Vldyas, l'ed. lS are supreme.
fn \~ Rudram ~ supreme.
Sankaracbor)'o Sri Bborali In Rudram, the Paochakshari
7frlba MabasulQmiji, of
smlgerl Sborada Peelbam,
Sringeri Sadhana Center "ijamas;lvaya" ~ supreme.
:indIn I~ the tll'O syllables
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RD 8, Box 8116, Stroudsburg, PA 18360 USA ' Tel: 717-629-7881, 1-800-45HINDU "Sil'a" are supreme.
CoincidiBg with the 50th Anniversary of India's Independence in August this year, Indians living in the US will have an unprecedented opportunity to
witness and participate in a spectacular Yagnam which will reverberate the powerful Vedic chant on Lord Siva - successively for 11 days.
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majority of whomare coming fromIndia for this purpose. They will scriptures, theoasis of our Dharma.
chant the most powerful prayer of Hindu scripture, called "Sri We appeal to all devotees to ayall of this unique oppoI:tunity to
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Conducted for the flrst time on a magnitude unheard oL outside Sponsor at least one priest from India at US $3,000, or anyone
India, the homas will take place in specially built altars at the day's Rudra japa and homa at US $501, or any other prescribed
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~~-,~~,-~~~~~~~~~-'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~l~7 -
.1:r~' ~ ,~~ ~~; ~~
 ,

• Only one of five fire

Critics Cite Various Oversights trucks contained water;
siphoning water from a
Thirty thousand people were gathered in the "Big temple," nearby canal was disal-
as it is also known; but safety precautions were fatally inadequate. lowed
• The blaze was fueled
Fire began In the huge yagasala, a tempo- by tons of clarified but-
rary wood and nylon pavilion for fire rites. ter and a synthetic car-
pet in the yagasala

400' • Electric transformers \

were overloaded with
thousands of lighting
9 decorations
• Only one narrow pas-

""
Empty
fire truck
sage provided escape
• Dozens of women
and a few children
Fireworks outside sleeping in the yagasala
temple wall: Drifting were victims in the
embers a possible cause stampede and fire

Devasted: Police inspect remains of the large tented area constructed for the rituals

TRAGEDY

Temple Ablaze!
Thirty-nine perish at reconsecration ceremonies
for Thanjavur Siva Temple in South India

While pilgrimaging to the temples of South pIe's interior was filled with thousands of
India, HINDUISM TODAY Deputy Managing people. All lights were turned off after the
Editor, Yogi Kashinatha, was present June 7, fire began-making it more dominating and
1997, when a tragic fire broke out during ominous. It burned strong for an hour, con-
massive ceremonies. His eyewitness account: suming the temporary wood-and-nylon pavil-
ion where special rites and homas are held.
lREWORKS BURST ABOVE U$-, THEIR A single fire truck parked next to the ya-
. glowing embers drifting effortlessly gasala contained no water to fight the blaze. chanting blared while colorful lights flashed. successfully seized all the primary kumb- This tragedy is not alone. Just a few days foot gold kalasa on top of the temple. He
across the temple courtyards. From Thirty-nine 9.evotees died and 250 were in- Inside the yagasala, fifty homa fires were has, and only two priests suffered burns. later 60 perished in a New Delhi theater, and consoled, "The dead are punyavan ,(merito-
the main temple, we first no- jured in the stampede to escape. They were. tended by 120 Sivacharya priests. Though Had the main kumbhas been lost, 1,000 last February, 204 died in Orissa. POliticians rious), for they would have uttered God's
ticed flames reach over the far corner mostly elderly women already tired and un- there was no visible outlet for the consider- years oj accumulated energy would have flung ch3Y"ges and countercharges. The Tamil name at the time of death. I am convinced
wall. One leapt and subsided, then another. able to cope with the crowd. A priest heard able heat and smoke, there was never any been dispersed, a major disaster. Nadu state government said it could not insist of their auspicious departure since they left
Our focus was riveted. We said, as if hoping , cries of "Siva, Siva!" from the dying. sense of danger. • The priests sought advice from H.H. S;wa- on preventative measures in this temple's their mortal coil at the holy temple. Karma's •
it were not true, but knowing in an instant Earlier in the evening, we mingled with This was only the fourth reconsecration of mi Jayendra Saraswati, Sn.ankaracharya of case, because it is controlled by the Central law is subtle but clear-~elfare ensues from
that it was, "That's the yagasala!" The flames the 30,000 pilgrims gathered to celebrate in Brihadeeswara in 1,000 years. For the event, the venerable Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham Government as !l UNESCO world heritage good deeds and misery from bad aeeds.
paused momentarily, then flared in unmis- this temple town of Thanjavur. Music and a giant yagasala structure, 400 by 300 feet, (monastery), who was at the moment in monument-at 216 feet, its main tower is The afflicted have to recollect their past
takable fury. Sparks, embers apd smoke bil- was constructed of synthetic material and Shimla, North India. He advised they pro- Asia's tallest. HH Swami Gautamananda of deeds and atone piously as they are able."
lowed up forcefully from the intense heat covered with. a low, thatched palm leaf.roof ceed with the ceremonies, and two days lat- the Ramakrishna Mission, t hennai, said Another saint offered, "It is said that what-
below. We prayed the fire woule;! somehow Preceding days of ceremonies had parched er the ritual was completed. Afterwards, devotees should take an active role at events. soever one has on his mind at the time of the
be put out before going too far, but knew this roof to tinder dryness. The days-long H.H. Arunagirinatha Sri Gnanasambanda 'i\t least 1,0(J0 volunteers to ensure safety and great departure is the d,.estination within the
this was the farthest point from the fire ceremony involving more than one hundred' Desika Paramachar.iya Swamigal, head of comfort of devotees should be trained. Fire inner lokas, and sets the pattern for the next
truck. A sea of terrified people were hud- priests "recharges" the temple. As part of Madurai Aadheenam, the olcJ:est monastery .fighters, emergency exits, and restraining of life on Earth. Those ,blessed souls, who had
dled in between. The flames leapt higher this process, all the power of the temple in South India, disagreed with this timing. all causes of fire should be arranged. In this Supreme God Siva on their mind and in their
and with more force. At their n.eight tHey Deities is temporarily transferred by the He sa~d, "Immediately pffi"forming it after case almost none were there to help." hearts at this most auspicious occasion, who
eq1J.alled one of the temple towers. We heard Sivacharyas into brass kumbhas (water ves- the fire was wrong. Since there were multi- Asked for a mystical explanation at this were taken up by His fire of grace are thrice
no screams from the other side; it was an selS). These are placed in the yagasala while ple deaths, it should have been postponed for event, H.H. Sri Sri Sri Trichy Mahaswamigal blessed. Some attained moksha, freedom
eerie sight. We were awestruck, in shock, to- the main sanctum is cleaned and renovated. at least a year. OF$ anizers should have' asked of KaM:asa Ashram, Bangalore, sald there from rebirth, others a place in the Brahma
tally helpless. We knew the yagasala was be- ~ These kumbhas became the main concern the Saiva Aadheenams' advice rather than were "drawbacks in the performance ofthe Loka at His feet and the ass~rance of an ex-
ing consumed and lives were being lost. We ~ after the fire was put out and victims had the Shankaracharya, because the temple is temple rituals." He discounted such expla- cellent birtli having, through His fire of grace,
had been there just minutes earlier. The tem- been cared for. We were that told the priests of the Saivite traditi<m, not the Smarta." nations as the removal for cleaning of the 12- cooked the seeds of past karmas." ~

28 HINDUISM TODA~ S E,PTEMBER , 1997 SEPTEMBER , 1997 HI N DUISM TODAY 29


Keys to Hindu protocol for novices and W@stern pilgrims to the holy lands
EARLY EVERY INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ON z the pristine embodiment of a profound
Earth is reevaluating, rediscoy.ering and g philosophy. It is an Eastern culture that
reappreciating its ancient ways, the tra- ~ gives freedom within the bounds of duty
o£ 1:he forefathers. Tradition is .., to elders, spouse and children. Western
best of the past that has Deen car- culture gives freedom to the individual,
ried fonyard for tne future. Among Hin- irrespective of the !1Urts he may inflict
dus, too-a peop~e of many nationalities com- on othe11s. The sense of duty is the foun-
prlsing one sixth ef tthe huWan race-'tihe old, dation of HiIfd1!l culture, and in perform-
refined cultme o£ simple, wholesome living is ing duty one finds freedom within one-
being recognized as a way Qf wisdom. As the age self through yoga. Culture arises out of
of infermation gathers speed at the dawn oflthe the attitudes, which are the outgrowth of
milleniur;n, efforts are being made in every com- U L -_ _ _ _ _ __ _ ~_ _ _ _ ____I the belief structure, of an individual or
munity to preserve and pass this knowledge on to future genera- collective group. To be cultured !!leans to exemplify the highest
tions. This movement rides on a new pride, a renaissance of inspi- qualities of one's society, religion or philosophy. There are countless
;ration, a r:ec.uperation £rom centuries of British domination of India ways the Hindu attitudes of compassion, respect and self-efface-
in which mndu dignity was systematically undermined through the ment are expressed. The keys below were developed by travelers to
Macaulay education system. 'ifoday, as well, there is a burgeoning in- India who learned the hard way how to get along in a different cul-
terest among Westerners Ito understand and adopt Hindu ways. ture. We summarize their cues and clues as a simple @ide for
Those seeking to fully live the Hindu culture who have been raised novices and to assist Western seekers pilgrimaging in the holy lands
in non-Hindu environments face many challenges. Hindu culture is to fit in as smoothly and unobtrusively as possible.
Hindu culturre.is an-expres~ion 5flove, respe~t, honoring others and humbling
ones pwn ego so iliat the-inner nature, which is naturally pure and !podest, will
shipe forth. 11his is exemplifi.ed-in tne Hindu greeting in which we honor"the Di-
vinitry' within: eaCh person, knowing that God is everywhere and in all things. By
this and ether gcts of mverence, such as the following, Sanatana Dharma's truths
are brought to the forefrent.of tne mind many times each day.
• RespecJ for Elders: Respectl or elders is a !keystone of Hindu culture. This ac-
knowledgment of seniority ~~ dYJl}..onstrated -through endeaFing customs such as:
_. sitting to the left of elders, bringing gifts on special occaSIons, :not sitt;ing while
they are stan'Eling, net ,sgeaking exeessively, net yawning or stretching, not
putting ones opinions f9rward strongly, not Gontradicting or ru;guing, seeking
their. advice anm blessings; giving them first choice of seats, inviting dIem to
take ,their .food first or serving them :first.
• Honoring Parents: CUltured Hindus serve b'heir parents and close relatives all
through life, honoring them fhrough obedience and affection, and by proyiding
support and c0mfort during old llge. · .
• Name Protocol: Youngers never use the proper name of their elders. A Tamil
yeuBger bFother, for example, refers to his elder brether a~ annai (brother), or
periafJ-nai (elder brother). \fthe elder may IUse the name of the younger. Children
tefer te acl.ults as auntie 0;r uncle. ;Adults .refer: to each other as, elder or younger
brother Qr'Simply brQther lli,kewise fer·women}. Only INyB the same age occa-
sionally use the frrst;name. A Hindu 'wife speaking of heF husband, rathell than
using his given name, uses terms such as "my husband: "him" or, for example,
"10thi's father." When addressing yogis, swamis or sadhakas, one uses the title,
not personal pronounslhor the name alone). For example, one would not ask,
"What do you want[" Instead, ene ~oulcl. inq,uire, "What does swami want?"
• Touching Feet:'One touches ilie feet of holy persons in recognition of their Di-
\Cinity. and attainment. A dancer touches the teacher's feet before lessons. Chil-
dren prostrate on,the £loor and touch the feet of their mother and {ather at spe-
cial times, such: as New Year's day, Pirthdays and before parting for a journE!y.
30 HINE>,U~SM 'f O ElAY SEP T>EMB.ER , 1997
~ * ~
GUests In tile Home
Hindu tradition lays great stress on the respect·due to guests. All guests are GoQ,
Who comes in many forms. The greatesrhurt is the thought that the host or
~ hostess does not enjoy one's presence in their home. Therefore, Hindus go out
of their way to malCe each guest feel welcome. It is propel' p;rotocol to drop w.hat-
eve11 one is doing, no matter how important, to entertain a visitor. One o£ the
!pri'7~leges of friendship in the East is being able to drop by any time without
advance nofice. V'i.siters may ruseleav.e in the same casual way, saying ''I'll be go-
ing now," without necessarily even saying g00dbye. .
• Refreshments: It is customary to always offer your visitor something to eat
and drink. Usually tea ili served, but at least a glass ef water should be offered
(with a smile and apology). Likewise it is an insult for the guest to refuse short
eats or drinks, or to not even sip a glass of water, even when time is short.
• Hosting: Children generally leave the room, with a smile, when guests enter.
The mother remains close by to serve as needs arise. TIle father, if present, w ill
speak-with the guest. If not present, the mother ana a son will fulfill this role,
and if no son is present, the mother may act as hostess, but only with the ac-
companiment of someone close to the family.
• Wife Home Alone: If the lady of the house is home alone and a male visitQr
comes to see her husband, it is not proper for her to invite him in, nor for him
to expect to enter. Rather, he will leave a mess-age and take his leave.
• Punctuality: Eastern life is generally more relaxed than in the West. A good
guideline is do not be surprised or offended if your guest arrives late or eayly.
But be punctual in your own engagements, as this is appreciated:
• Giving Gifts: Gifts are always given when one stays over night as a guest in
someone's home. The value of the gift varies greatly, del'>ending upon circum-
stance. It is proper to give a separate gift for the wife and t he husband. The wife
;receives the nicest item.
• DUl1atlon of Stay: It is quite imf,>0lite to ask a guest hQw long he intends to stay,
but it is good protocol for guests to make their plans and itinerary known from
the outset.
Exchange Of Prana
Prana is the -ilife principle, the subtle energy that emanates from the psychic'
''force centers called chakras. Religious people, being sensitive to1:he various ex-
pressions of prana, are careful;in how they manage their own energies and dis-
~ criminating about the pranas they receiv.e from the wo;rld 'around them. Pre-
vailing pranas create a forcefield, positive or negative. The ideal Hindu home is
a positive forcefield, kept strong through right !hought, word and deed.
• .Homecomlng: Upon arriving home from work, it is customary to imrhediately
bathe and enter the shrine mom for special blessings to disp-el worldly force~
,quiet the mind and regain a centered, spiFitual consciousness.
- • Giving and Receiving: Giving and accepting things, prese9ting offe11ings to the
Deity, etc., is pl'Operly done with both nands, to endow more energy to the ob-
ject This exchange of energies is vital' for friendship and harmony through
wholehearted release by the giver and conscious acceptanG~ by the reGipient.
• Throwing Things: Throwing an object to another person, even to a close friend,
is improper. Cultured Hindus conside~ this crude, even mildly violent.
~ Greetings: Hindu men traditionally greet one another with hands in anjali
mudra (prayerful pose), then, witn palms still held together, extend their hands
to one ,another, in a two-handed handshake. This is a deliberate transfer of
prana. The hands of one man, usually tlie less senior, are .g~ntly clasped be-
tween the others. Each looks smilingly into the otner's face while bowing slight-
'ly in hUNlility.
• Doorways: It is inauspieious to converse inside or thr0ugh doorways. Similar-
ly, to exchange or give or lend an objeot, one fi;rst steps inside the re0m, 0r the
rEfcipient. steps out of the room, so that both parties are in the same space.
• AuspiCiousness: To ensure optimum timing for imp0l;t ant events, Hindus
guide their life by the map of auspiciousness, deten;nined by astrology and in-
dicated in the annual almanac, called panchanga. It provides vital information
about the subtle but powerful affect of the planets and stars, indicating the pre-
vailing forces of each day, the best times for innovations, travel, planting crops,
routine work, personal retreat, seminars, marriages and othe11 sacraments.
HINDUISM TODAY 31
 rlodaaty -' _ ...
Interactions in public oetv.,een lIIlen and women are geneFally more r.estrained"'"
in Asian culture than in Westel';Il oulture. For the most part, men socialize with
men and women with women. Men never touen women in gublic-such ,as
helping a wo~an 01:1t of-a- car, unless the lady is very elderly or infiFrn. .In the
temple (see art)', womert wQrsH'p on the left, andrp.en on th!}righJ:.
, • Hlnllu Clothlng:.Traditional Hindu attire is modest and dignified, elegaL).t yet
never enticing-; worn by staunch Hindus always at ,aome, ilil the teml"le arid at re-
ligiQUS or cultural evelilts. Women wear rieR cmstumes and jewelry for religious
and cultural events. They never expose breasts, navel or thighs.
~ • ChastllY: £exuall"urity is a cardinal virtue, controlling lusj; by remaining celi-
bate when single and faithful in marriage. Boys and girls are taught to value and
protect their chastity as a sacred treasure, and to save the special gift mf inti-
macyfol;' their future spouse.
• Chaperoning: Parent~ chaperone and monitor friendships of sons and daugh-
ters, closely guiding the private and social life of their children and teaching
them the dmpor.tance of wh@lesome companionship. Dating is traditionally mot
f>ermitted, and marFiages are arranged to ensure the m@st auspicious match.
• ~Idellty: Sexual/psychic enetgies are carefully directed and contained in the
close-knit family,. The wife's duty is to give her energy to her husoand and make
hIm strong. The hwband proteets and provide's fOF the family. Children give their
- energy to their parents, ;their first gurus, obey and heed their good example.
• Displaying Affection: MiFried couples in Asia db not hug, hold hands or kiss in
public. Even emoracihg at airports and train stations is out of the question.
• Propriety: It is improper to praise the beauty of another man's wife (or daugh-
ter) lest on.ejnadvertently suggest an improper interest in her. All older women
are,viewed as one's mother and younger women as a sister. A!lso, one does not
praise the beauty of a child 01; infant, protecting young ones from jealousies.
• Garlanding: Women do not garland men, and men do not garland women.
Such exchanges are restricted to the marriage ceremony. However, a woman can
garland her husbane or aer satguru.
Womanly Protocol
Women in !Hindu society. are hela in the highest regard, far more resp~cted and
}Dxotected, in truth, than in the West. This does not imply. the kind of equality er
participation in puOlic interactions that are common in the West. A woman will
often be given preferential treatment in India at such places as ticket counters.
At meals, though, the men are usually expected to go first, Feminine refinements
are expressed and protected through numerous customs, including the following.
• Modesty: The qualities traditi@lilallymestradmiredion Eastern w@men.areshy-.
ness, self-effacement and modesty of dress and deportment. Self-assertive @r
bold tendencies are regafded willi circumspection.
• Mixed Company: In mixee compamy, Hindu women wm keep in the back-
ground and net participate freely in conversation. This, of course, differs among
family and clese fFiends. When male guests are in the home, the women will ap-
pear when it is proper. Visitors do not expect or ask to meet them.
• Walking with Husband: The wife walks a step or two behind her husband, or,
if walking by his side, a step or two sack, always giving him the lead. (In the
West, the oppesite is often true'1
• Serving Meals: At mealtime, women traditionally follow the ancient custem of
serving the meni irst befQTe eating.
• Chaperoning: It is customar¥ for a woman leaving the !home fa always 1he ac-
eefuJilanied, 'generally Eiy her husband, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, m0fher,
daug~ter, sister or another lady close to the family, or among a group of bmth
men and women. Women in traditional areas rarely eye,n walk across the street
alolile, UNless they are QldeJ', Living alone, too, is unusual.
• Moving In Public: Generally, it is Iconsidered iimproIJer for women to spea\<
with strangers on the street much less strike up a casual cOnversation. Drinking
or smoking in publiClis viewed as a sign of moral laxity.
• Shelter and Care: w:lien away from home, hl:lSbands contact their wife each
day to express their love ana inq,uire about her day.
• Monthly Retreat: D1:1ring their monthly period, Asian women do not pre12are
food, attend social gatherings or attend the temple or home shrine.
HIND~nsM TOEJA¥
Body Language
Hindus know that C;od is everywhere and in all things. This realization brings
dynamic contentment ana appreciation for tne fact that life is to be lived joy-
_' ously. This understanding is expressed in Hindl!l pe:£!>Qrtment, or ''hedy: lan-
guage." Every movement'of the body; the face, hands, eyes, mouth, head, etc.,
r
has,!li meaning. Children and .r;tewcomers te the culture are taugnt ito aeept re-
;fined 9@eylanguage and to be.Qome sensitive to the thoughts anciifeelings o~ oth-
ers, who may Iie.<'ta'lking" even when not sf>eaking.
• Kindly Words and Co.untl!nance: Hindus strive to keep a :£!>leasant expressipn
_ 'qn theiI:[ ace, a gentle smi1e and a kind word for everyone they meet through the
~:i:::1I:t'~;'r!L:; ~ .uay..;'I1hey J(now in their hem;t of nearts that everything iFl tile universe is in a
;perfe,ct state of evolution at every point in time.
• Car.e In Sitting: it is a grave l!J.sult to sit w ith one's legs outstretched toward a
~ temple, a shrine or altar, OF another person. Qne never sits higher tIlan elqers
or holy perSONS. Worshiping in the kneeling pose is not acceptable among iHln-
dus. Youths follow the example of traditional elders.
~ '~ 'Gestures of Humility: As stated in scripture, humility is 'strength not a weak-
::ness, pride is a weakness, not a strength. For example, orthodox Hindus will
., place <the ir hand in front ef their meuth w.nen speaking to aNother, especially
in
, an elder, in a gesture of respect. ' Humility is expFessed ways Qf standing, sit-
ting, listening, greeting others and more.
I. Pl1ideful Postures: Prideful postures are to be avoided, sUl!:h as sit'ting with
one foot placed on tlhe opposite thigh, or with arms [aIded or chin held ex-
8eerungly high, or with hands on the hips with head cocked to the side. 11hese
gestUres are signs of arrogance and a superiority complex.
~ POinting: Pointing with the forefinger of the right hand (or shaking tne fore-
finger in emphasis) is never done. This is because the right hand possesses a
powerft!!, aggressive pranic force. PointiNg the index finger channels that force
into a single stream. The harshness of this energy woule be felt in. the '\ilerve sys-
,tern of the recipient. To show direction or emphaSiS, the entire' hand is <used as
a :\?ointer, wjth the palm up and the tlhumb held alongside the forefinger.
;" FuFitY 'and its opposite, pollution, are a fundamental paJ7t of Asian culture.
. While they ,imply a strong sense of physical cleanliness, their more U'nportant
~mEl.anings extend to 'social, cerem0I\ial, mental, emotional, pSYGHic and spinitual
~ ·contamination. Here are several ways purity is preserved.
• Cleanliness: Hindus keep their' neme enyirenment clean and unclvtte(ea to
~ ct eate a str.,ong spwitual vibra,tion and not attract negativ~ f0J7ces. They seek
. ~ fresh aiIi and sunshine ana surround themselves with beauty;
~ 'Personal Health: Hindus' keep strong and healthy through a baJancetl ayur-
vedic 'giet" mQdeJ;ate daily exyrcis~, hatha yqga and vigorous work. !"
.:r . Well-b~lng: Mehtal anOl spjriJual purity is maintained tihrough daily mediotation
.- and worship, scriptural study,.right living and right thinking.
1. ~' Pul1lty-and Food: In a ma'rKet, one does not touch food one doesn't interld to '
~ ·buy. Qne cObkingJo.od for others would: never taste of a dish an,d then put_the
spoon back in the pot, nor touch the lips to a water vessel used by others, nor lick
~ 120stage 2 tamps ,or offer to another food one lhas partaken '0£
~ ' Sanctified ~ood Leavings: The opposite is lirue jn the Gase of the satgum's fQod
-' le~vings. Food that the gur1:1 has tasted of is revered as sacred. This, and the wa-
ter from the washing of the,holy feet,is sought after and imbibed fuy devotees for
tIle great spiritual blessings that it contains toware moksha.
:- • Offerings: One does"not sniff flowers picked for offerfng-even the smell is for
.thr..e God,S, not for us. F)ow~rs that fail to the ground sllould not be offered. Of-
- --ferings are carried with both hands on the lTigat side of the bo0.y, so as to not 1::>e
" "'breathed mi ..All items are wasnedin preparation, then wraFlp.ed or co\(er~d.
- • The Left Hand: The left hand is considered impme because it is used for per-
.j sonal hygiene by washing after answering the call of nature: Handing another
~ person anything with ,the left hand is considered a subtle insult.
• Footwear: ShoesJ being impure, are not worn inside the temple or home. Car-
rying shoes is also avoided. One apoLogizes immediately if @nes footwear -touch-
e~ another. This is done by touching the right hand to where the foot touched the
oili.er'person, then touching the hand lightly to the left eye and tlhen the fight.
NEW FRONTIERS Fire ceremony: Visiting swamis joi"n Swami
Yoganandagiri for yagna in the Sri Chakra
temple at his Gitananda Ashram in Italy

Italy's Hindu not born in India. He was unanimously

countered by all the Hindu delegates, who
cited Indian Supreme Court decisions and
statements by Swam1 Vivekananda and Dr.

Controversy
Swami YoganandagiJi seeks official status for
Italian-born Hindus in the le-nd of the Vatican
E HAVE TO OVERCOME A MISUN-
derstanding asserted by Italian
scholars that one has to be born in
India to be a Hindu. Our Sangha
also hopes to spread the authentic
Hindu culture among Italians who take yoga
as just a sweet gymnastic," stated Swami
Yoganandagiri. His December invitation to
HINDUISM TODAY outlined plans for a June
international conference in Milan on the
controversial subject of conversion to Hin-
duism, among other subjects. The problem
is serious in Italy, for Hinduism is not offi-
cially recognized by the government. An in-
dividual's conversion and name change can-
not be legalized. Tax-deductable status is not
gr.anted to Hindu organizations. HINDUISM
TODAYaccepted the invitation and sent rep-
resentatives Acharya Ceyonswami and
Tyagi Skandanathaswami to the meeting.
Twelve years ago, Italian-born Swami
Yogananandagiri established the Gita-
nanda Ashram in Savona, perched in the
hills a few miles from the sparkling blue
Mediterranean Ligurian Sea above Corsi-
ca. He became a yogi in his teens and was
trained in India by Swami Gitananda,
among others. He learned Sanskrit, ab-
sorbed the South Indian Agamic tradition,
received sacraments making him a Hindu
and was initiated as a renunciate monk.
Skanaanathaswami reported later, "I could-
n't believe my eyes when we"reached Savon-
na. Swami Yogananandagiri and a small band
of dedicated Italian Hindus have established
full traditional Hinduism at his ashram.
Stepping into his Sri Chakra temple was like
being in India. Other swamis teach yoga but
often remain at distance from Hinduism.
But YoganaIJdagiri boldly declares his Hin-
du heritage, and that-in Italy!"
The conference is the first organized by
Swami's newly created Unione Induista Ital-
iana, (Italian Hindu Union), an attempt to
unify under a Hindu banner those Italians
already immersed in Indian culture. The
three days included workshops on Indian
dance, yoga, ayurveda and astrology pre-
sented by leading Hindus. But the pivotal
debate was taking place at meetings that pit-
ted Italian professors of religion against Hin-
du swamis and delegates on the issue of con-
verting t(9 Hinduism. Chief adversary,
Professor Mario Pianatelli, opin'ed that con-
version to Hinduism is impossible for those
S. Radhakrishnan, former president of In-
dia. That might have b~en the end of the is-
sue, but the day after the conference ended,
a national Italian daily, L'Unita of Rome
published Piantelli's opinions in a major arti-
cle. Swami Yoganandagiri flew to Rome to
issue a rebuttal [see below]' and the debate
entered the national forum.
Swami had many allies. Dr. R. Gopalakr-
ishnan, Director, Radhakrishnan Institute
for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Universi-
ty of Madras said, "As an Indian and as C!
Hindu, I find there is no truth in tliis state-
ment that those who are born in India alone
are eligible to become Hindus." Dr. At-
ulchandra S. Thombare from Pune, India
says, 'J\. man can change his nationality, and
even his sex, why not religion?" Indian Am-
bassador to Italy, Mr. Fabian, a Catholic, said:
"Faith is a matter of the heart and personal
choice. If someone practises Hinduism and
is accepted by Hindus, then he is one."
Swami is allying himself with the Bud-
dhists, who are also pressing for official
recognition in Italy. They are, according. to
Swami, two years ahead of the Hindus in the
decade-long process of changing the com-
plex Italian law~ relating to conversion. _
CHECK THE HT WEBSITE FOR F ULL UNEDITE D STATEMENTS

Impossible for Non-Ind.ians
, the world generally belong to
~'L'Induismo, scelta impossihile pe,r chi non nato in India" groups,
Marlo Plantelll, Professor of
Indian Religions and Phlloso-
hlas, University of Torino, Italy ferent experiences sprouted on
In an Interview with l'Unlta:
ALL SCHOLARS AGREE THAT
the cate.,gory 'Hinduism' is
something created by Oriental- category born by adoptipg the
ists. This obviously does not
exclude the existence of an
Indian spiritual experience.
But at a certain point it was
decided to use this label,
which during Colonialism be-
came a flag for independence,
and after that an attempt was
made by the people of India to
recognize themselves in a com- Buddhists, Sikhs or Pafsis,
mon religion. In my opinion,
this common religion is noth-
ing but a ghost. So many dif-
the Indian soil that it is ·diffi- ously not admitted into tem-
e experiences or schools
cult to place them in a unitary
phenomenon. Hinduism is a
term Hindu , a Persian expres-
sion used by Muslims to quali-
fy all those that in India who
are p.ot Muslims, Jews or Chris- , so-called Hindu radicalism
tians; th~ is, "the others."
There are legal pronounce-
ments that Hindus are Indian
citizens belonging to a religion
born in India. This means
even those who did not recog-
nize themselves as Hindus, are
to be considered Hindus. After
Independence, outcastes previ-
pIes were ~so suddenly raised
to the rank of Hindus.
Non-Indian Hindus around
which are irrelevant compared
to the Indian experience. They
live far from India, trying to
get in touch with its reality.
Buj; they suffer from identif}.ca-
tion problems. Indian are ques-
tioning whether or not such
so-called Western converts can
be admitted to temples. While
finds its strength in [Hindlil
ethnic identity,. the more tradi-
tionalist stratum of Indian soci./
ety identifies with universal
laws which indicate behavior
models and the specific varna
dharma, or caste rules, which
apply only to Indians. Out-
siders are "barbarians." ... Hin-
duism is an impossible choice
for those not born in India.
PiantelJi, Hindus Do Exist•
«PHmtelli, gli indu esistono!"
CONTRARY TO PROFESSOR
Piantelli's statements, the Ital-
ian Hindu Union comprises
people who not only love India,
but have received a religious
formation in India with all
sacraments and who identify
$emselves deeply and serious-
ly with the Hindu faith. The
statement that "Hinduism" is a
neologism referring only to
• those born in India, is a wrong
interpretation. The word Hin-
auhas evolved. Today in mod-
ern India Hindus are those fol-
italian-born Swami lowing the principles of
Yoganandaglrl, Italy's founder Sanatana Dharma. Its main
of 8ltananda Ashram, Italy: characteristic is its universality.
There are no decrees or SCIJip-
tures which say only those
born in India can be Hindu.
What about the children of the
Hindus born in America,
Africa, Sri Lanka, Malaysia,
Mauritiul' and Europe? They
call themselv~s Hindu just like
we Italian Hindus. So, how can
it be an exclusive religion only
for those born in India? On the
contrary, the Supreme Indian
Court in 1966 codified the Clef-
inition of Hinduism and in
1995 confirmed that: "Hindus
are those who accept the Vedas
(sacred text) as the highest reli-
gious and philosqphical author-
,
ity and are tolerant and accept
that truth can have many
facets, who believe in cosmic
cycles, rebirth and pre-exis-
tence and recognize that many-
paths lead to salvation." '
Finally, referring to Piantelli's
statement "Does the phrase
'Italian Hindu' have any mean-
ing?" Italian Hindus, among
which there are also Indian cit-
izens living in Italy, already ex-
ist and are recognized by IndJ-
an Hindus and Buddhists.
Ma:6.y governments have legally
recognized Hinduism. Maybe
in Italy, the missionary
Catholic heritage, which makes
the possibility of conversion
difficult, still predominates.
Someone has stated that it is
possible to leave Hinduism and
become a Christian, a Bud-
dhist, etc. There is nothing in
the universe which, if you can
abondon, you cannot adopt.

------------------------------------------------------------------~ ---------------------------------------------------------------------
34 HINDUISM TODAY SEPTEMBER , 1997 SEPTEMBER , 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 35
 ..Deja Vu" Spiritual Adventure Tours Teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda Glimpses of a Mystical Affair Kumbha Mela Yatra-April 10-24, '98
A first step to spiri- The bliss of Spiritual experiences of Swami Join us on this rare Yatra and enjoy
tual awakening. God-awareness is Sivananda Radha India's life-transforming power and
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visiting sacred sites ization," explained fOUnDED In 19&0 love affair with the Divine. By
BU
soul and higher realms. Contact:
around the world Paramahansa bringing these two realities Kali T~ Ltd • 169-12 Hillside Ave
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HEALING
Stevia Rebaudiana:
How Sweet It Is!
A little-known South American medicInal
plant is 300 times sweeter than sugar
BY DEVANANDA TANDAVAN, M.D.
:rEVIA REBAUDIANA HAS
S has been growing wild in
\ upper South America for
centuries and is now culti-
vated in China, Jap~, South Ko-
rea, Israel, Malaysia, ,Brazil,
Paraguay, Mexico and USA. A
member of the chrysanthemum
family, it has been used by the
Paraguay Guarani Indians since
ancient times, primarily as a
sweetener but also as a medicinal herb. It
may seem too good to be true, but stevia is
a noncaloric, nontoxic, natural sweetener
that even has health benefits. The natural
leaf is 200-300 times sweeter than sugar in
the concentrated white powder form.
This plant's active ingredients are two
glucosides, steviosides and rebaudiosides,
the latter being somewhat better tasting. As in many pharmacies and most health food
a whole leaf, or liquid extraction, stevia has
three major uses: flavor enhancer, herbal
tea and medicinal. The common use is as
sweetener and flavor enhancer. In Japan,
where artificial sweeteners are banned by
law, stevia has 41% of the sweetening mar-
ket. Its use as an herbal tea, alone or with
other herbals, is popular. Medicinally it has
a beautifying effect on the skin, and bene-
fits glucose levels in diabetics' blood-;-a sta- effect that sugar has, so adjustment in de-
bilizing effect that can lower their blood
sugar levels (but not in nondiabetic users).
It never elevates blood sugar, allowing a di-
abetic to have sweets without adverse ef-
fects on his condition. Stevia also has mild
antibacterial action, making it suitable for
use in mouthwashes, tooth paste and cold
or flu remedies-common traditional us-
ages of the Guarini Indians. It is further
used (in tea form) as an appetite stimulant,
digestive aid and in weight management.
Combined with ginseng and other herbs,
the tea is thought to prolong a good life.
Some reports say stevia could be used as a
contraceptive';' however, this has not been
proved. It is generally accept~d that the
44 HJNDU ISM TODAY SEPTEMBER, 1997
EVOLUTIONS
,
THE QUEEN BEE: is 13-year-old vegetari-
an Rebecca Sealfon of New York who,
besides setting an on-stage winners
jump record, correct-
ly spelled the word
eu.onym (a good
name for a person,
place or thing) to be-
come the first home-
schooled U.S. Na-
tional Spelling Bee
winner. It wasn't
easy-after the 14th T-r-i-u-m-p-hl
round Rebecca was
left with runner-up Prem Murthy
Trivedi of New Jersey, out of 245 en-
mutagenic studies (to detect for. trants. Laboring through the words 8uf-
cancerous properties) done so
far were not based on valid or
proven assumptions; thus there
is slight question of a 'possible
mutagenicity, as is true of the
flamvnate, deliquesce, bourgade, an-
glophilia and coterie, she finally ousted
Prem after eight rounds when he
missed cortile. Remarkably, Prem and
four others of the final nine contestants
artificial sweeteners Saccharine were Indian-Ameri-
SEE OUR ELEVEN PAGE ADVERTISEMENT ON THE INTERNET
http://www.vedic.net
and Aspartame. With many can students: Sud-
years of use and no evidence of heer Potru, Hirsh
toxicity or side effects, scien- Sande sara, Shivani
tists do not seem to think it is R. Kadakia and
necesssrry to do further studies. ./ Nivedita Gunturi.
Machinations of the US Federal Drug Rebecca's victory
OR FAX INQUIRIES To: 310-837-0243 (USA)
agency have not approved stevia for use brought to the fore a
other than as a nutritional supplement. It growing trend to-
cannot be labeled as a sweetening agent, Runner-up blues ward home school-
yet it is approved in most other countries ing. Because of
as a safe, noncaloric sweetener. If labeled some American schools' poor quality-
as a food supplement, it can be purchased not to mention outright dangers-many
parents have pondered home schooling
stores in the US ($9/0z. in one shop) and is for their children, but feared they'd not
generally available in the Eastern coun~ries advance as well as their peers. Rebecca
and Europe. For some years, importation of doesn't recommend home sohooling for
the plant to the US in any form was not al- everyone, but told HINDUISM TODAY it
lowed. But this was changed recently. helped her succeed. "I had more flexi-
Stevia is also stable in heat, allowing its bility, academically
use in cooking to replace sugar (one Tsp of and to pursue my
stevia equals one cup of sugar). When used own interests, for ex-
in cookies and cakes, it lacks a browning ample spelling. You
".. can go at your own
termining doneness must be made. There is pace and level. In
a slightly bitter aftertaste if refined leaves practically every sub-
are used in excess-less true with less re- ject I'm grades ahead
fined leaves-and a hint of a licorice flavor of my peers. My
(also a natural sweetener) that many desire. mother stays home Jubilant family
It seems that personal use of stevia will full-time and my dad
be permitted in the USA; but generalized also helps. I think more people should
use in the food industry to replace the less consider home schooling who are dis-
than innocuous Aspartame and Saccharin satisfied with the public school envi-
seems unlikely in the foreseeable future. ronment." As to being a vegetarian, Re-
.
DR. TANDAVAN, 77, retired nuclea( physi-
becca said, "It's not absolutely required
in our Jewish faith, but I want to be, for
cian and hospital staff president! lives in ethical reasons. I don't like to think
Chicago, where he specializes in alternative about animals getting killed." For more
healing arts. Visit his home page at the Bee statistics and photos, visit their
HINDUISM TODAY Website. web site at www:spellingbee.coml
CONTR~VERSY
A Saint~s Self-Willed Death
Rationalists call aged and afflicted swami's fast to death "puQlicity stunf'
By CHQODIE SHIVARAM, BAN GALORE
EAR FRIENDS," BEGAN SWAMI NIR-
malananda's short missive of Decem-
ber 23, 1996, "It is with tearful feel-
ings that I bid you farewelL My
so-called end is really endless, as there is no
end and beginning for life." Similar letters
sent worldwide to 8,000 friends-he called
no o~e his "disciple"-calmly announced the
73-year-old swamis intent to undergo prayo-
pavesha, self-willed death by fasting. Also
called rnahaprasthana, "the great depar-
ture," scriptures allow the practice for a ter-
minally-ill ascetic. "My body has become
weak," he explained to Swami Brahmadeva,
his designated successor -as head bf Viswa
Shanti Nikethana ashram. "I do not want to
be a burden and die in raga (disease), I
want to die in yoga. I have discharged all my
duties and liv€1d a fJdl life. Now time has
come for me to leave." He planned to ac-
complish this on January 15, 1997, the auspi-
cious first day of Uttarayana Punyakala in
the Hindu calendar.
Swami's intent had been known for some
time, and the local authorities had even
posted police at the ashram located in the
Bhlliligiri Rangana Hills ("BR Hills," 250 km
from Bangalore) to prevent what they re-
garded as an unlawful act of suicide. The
police were withdrawn on December 18,
and from that day Swami gave up his normal
austere diet of hand-pounded wheat bread
and jungle greens to take only watet. By Jan-
mIry 1 he was taking one glass daily On the
7th, he stopped even that, intending to attain
Mahasamadhi on the 15th.
From mid-December a steady stream of
visitors came to dissuade Swami. In nearby
Mysore and Bangalore, vociferous critics
called it all a publicity stunt. On January 10,
amidst mounting pressure, the Additional
Commissioner of Police, Panduranga Rane,
p omised action would be taken within two
days and Swami Nirmalananda's J;endezvous
with prayopavesha would be fotIed by hos-
pitalizing and force-feeding him. But Swami
was not to be thwarted and breathed his last
at 11:45 AM that same morning, departing
five days earlier than intended.
arrived at BR Hills on January 11, in
time to witness the final stages of the sama-
dhi (burial) c~remony amidst sonorous Ve-
dic hymns. I felt a strange stillness. The at-
mosphere was neither gloomy nor sad.
Thousands of disciples who had rushed to
46 HINDl.[ISM TODAY SEPTEMBER , 1997
the inaccessible ashram since the news of "I did not receiv€1 his letter, but I could hear suicide, as a yogi can enter prayopavesha.
the death had spread, filed past and silently him calling me. I'd not seen him for nearly 3 His mind was alert."
>
offered their respects. Most touching was years. Feeling uneasy, I rushed here only to
the plight of the Soliga tribals of this hill re- learn that he was on his final journey"
gion for whom Swami was friend, teacher
Ramdas countered, "I respect one's right
to live, But there's no provision to kill oneself
Dissed by disbelievers: Unsympathetic in our constitution, whether its spiritual or
and protector. They sat huddled in' the cor- "rationalists" termed prayopavesha "an act religious. Why have we banned sati [burning
ner, confused, bursting into tears as I spoke of madness" and labeled Swami a "spiritual of a widow on her husbands funeral pyre]?
to them. They related to me their shock pervert." "A swami who had isolated himself It's nothing but suicide. It's the business of
when Swami's intentions had become clear from public life, all of a sudden announces the state to safeguard every citizen."
to them, even though he had con- The controversy raged right
soled each, distributed amongst up to Swami's last day The ra-
them clothes and all the money tiC(nalists charged the adminis-
he had and pleaded, "Do not cry ' tration of being soft on the is-
when I die-it will be difficult for sue. The District Collector, Shri
me in the next world. If you peo- Ajith Seth, called on Swami on ...
pie keep smiling at all times, it January 6 with his father. "He
will help me reach God, and there tried to dissuade Swamiji, but in
I can be here amidst you all." vain. Swami had stopped talk-
Thirty-year-old Jayalaxmi, a ing by then and only gave me a
Soliga woman, was unconsolable. written reply in which he said,
"I grew up in the ashram since I 'I've given enough to this world
was a. child of five. When I came and now my body cannot sus-
here last week, Swami gave me tain anymore. The call has come
clothes to last a whole yftar and a from God, and it's time for me to
thousand rupees. He advised me leave.'" Some of The foreign dis-
to take care of my home and chil- ciples of Swami had camped at
dren, to keep smiling and be al- the ashram ahd stayed by his
ways happy," she sobbed to me. side day and night till the end
Another said, "We don't under- came. Their implorations for
stand all this. We loved and re- Swami to eat were in vain.
spected Swami. He was our doc- I visited several colleges in
tor, our guru, our father. We ran Mysore to ascertain the general
to him with any of our problems. reaction to Swami's actions.
We feel orphaned. Bu.t we re- Many students and teachers
spect his decision." knew Swami, and most objected
Six priests from the historic to his chosen means of death.
Srirangapatna temple 100 km Among his defenders were Pro-
away undertook rites for the in- fessor Immadi Shiva Basappa,
ternment of yogis. The body was ~ head of the Sanskrit depart-
bath~d in tumeric and sandal- ~ ment at the University of My-
wood paste, covered by vibliuti ~ sore who said, "Prayopavesha is
(holy ash) and placed in yogic Z not suicide. Suicide is the result
posture. Then it was lowered into § of dejection or disappointment
a small cavern which was then ~ in life. In prayopavesha one
filled with 200 kilograms of salt, ~ gives up his life willi~gly and
15 kilos of camphor and 45 gal- ~ happily It arises out of life ful-
Ions of floly ash. Coincidentally, > fillment." Common was the
the sky which was clear all along Entombment: The body was placed in a cavern which was ceremo- comment of Vinutha, a final de-
suddenly clouded and drizzled at niously packed ~ith salt, holy ash and camp hOI; as is tradition gree student, who said, "Swami
the time of final sealing l of the Nirmalananga should not have
sam.adhi (saint's tomb). One side of the his death, makes it an all-important event died. It was a kind of selfishness on hiS part.
marker over it had an inscription explaining and grabs media attention," accused acade- He should have lived longer. Society today
the meaning of prayopavesha, the other had mician Shri Ramdas. They appealed to the needs more people like him. He was doing
Swami's name, date of birth and month and government "to preempt a mentally de- so much to protect our forests."
year of attaining Nirvana. The year read ranged person." On the other hand, Swami ChOOSing death: Swami Nirmalananda
1999. It dawned on me that Nirmalananda, Paramanan8a Bharati of Sringeri Mutt af- suffered severely from"chronic asthma, ac-
who had decided to live till end of the cen- firmed to HINDUISM TODAY that such a death cording to Dr. Sudarshan, and was depen-
tury, had changed his mind. ". is allowed by scripture for aged ascetics. dent 'upon inhalers {ind medication-a de-
A year earlier a Calcutta journalist wrote Dr. Sudarshan, of Vivekananda Girijana pendence Swami did not like. His asthma
about- Swamiji's intent. That report did not Kendra, the Swami's n€1ighbor and personal was expected to worsen, but was not life-
even cause a flutter. But when Nirmalanan- physician, took exception to the rationalists' threatening. But we don't know what other
da's missive reached his disciples and they outburst, "One might dispute the way Swa- health problems Swami might have had.
thronged to his ashram, the seriousness of his mi ch@se to leave this world, but i't is cer- Prayopavesha, ending one's life by fasting,
Hellos and.Goodbyes: Swami Nirmalananda (right) and Swami Brahmadeva, his designated resolve became clear. Many disciples tried tainly not an act of madness. He was an in- is mentioned in ancient scriptures including
successor as head of the ashram, greet visitors at remote Viswa Shanti Nikethana in BR dissuading him. Maria Zilioli from Ireland tensely spiritual person, and we have to the Gautama (verse 14.7.12) and Manu
Hills.Devotees (below ) place garlands upon the closed samadhi shrine in a final farewell. had arrived on a telepathic call from Swami. respect his decision. It cannot be termed a Dharma Shastras (verse 6.30). It has been
SEPTEMBER , 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 47

cautiously allowed for ascetics,
brahrnins and kings. The practice
was subject to debate even within ,
the Hindu tradition-Sri Adi
Shankara (788-820 eEl, for exam-
ple, opposed it-but it was out-
lawed only upon the institutiOl~ of
the British Penal Code in-lndia in
the 19th century.
Histo~ical examples abound.
The Pandava brothers and their
wife at the end of the Mahabha- ~
rata turn over their kingdom to
their heirs and walk off to the Hi-
malayas, all except the eldest dying along progresses in stages."
the way. Other kings have retired to the for-
est and fasted to death after installing their therine Young of McGill University, Quebec, "<8yes, in today's situation, the saffron-clad
sons.on the throne. "In recent times, Vinod Canada, have extensively studied the Hindu swamis are viewed with 1,000 prying eyes
Bha~e , Gandhi's close associate and one-
time mentor of Swami Nirmalananda, so ing for useful ethical and legal guidelines to walking on the edge of a sword. We tread
passed on. Finding himself in failing health, resolve the difficult modern issue of care for this path carefully."
he stopped taking both food
and water and died within a
week in November, 1982. Even
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi,
who came to his bedside~ was
unable to change his mind. The
Maharastrian freedom fighter
Savarkar similarly died in 1966
at the age of 83. Bhagawan Nit-
yananda, the formidable siddha
guru of SWiillli Muktrulanda,
ceased eating in 1961 and en-
tered Mahasamadhi two.
months later.
The practice 'is found among
Jain ascetics, who consider it a
meritorious passing. In 1987,
Jain ascetic Badri Prasad died
after fasting more than fifty
days. His death, too, was called
a suicide, but High'Court Jus-
tice N.L. Jain told the press that
no laws were being broken. "It
is in accordance with our reli-
gion. 'There is no pain involved,
as the body is in tune with God."
An aged Aparakarma priest
at Nirmalananda's samadhi cer-
emonies said, "There's a world
of difference between prayopa-
vesha and suicide. Suicide is a
violent form of voluntary suddep.
d~ath, inflicting pain to the
body. It's born out of dejection
and disorientation of mind. It's
escapist in nature. Prayopave-
sha is a nonvio~ent , spiritual
form of voluntary, slow dissolu-
tion of the bodJr. It's done in .
qllest of communion with Him
after fulfilling one's responsibil-
ities in full. The extinction of
life progresses very slowly. To
ensure slow, painless and con-
scious dissolution, the fasting
48 HINDUISM TOD AoY S E\.PTEMBER ,
Western scholars, notably Professor Ka- While ordinary peopre are viewed with two
practice of prayopavesha. They are search- from every angle. An ascetic's life is like
Service, Silence, Salvation
One Swami's'journey from World War II to ashram life
WAMINIRMALANANDA
hailed from the Malabar
region in Kerala. Born on
December 2; 1924, he
discontinued his studies at 14
and left home to join the
postal service ih the British
army. He traveled extensively
in Europe while serving in
World War II as a noncombat-
ant. Later he visited the USA,
I Europe, Russia and Japan and
seriously pursued philosophy
and religion. He came !lnder
the spell of Ramakrishna
Paramahamsa, Swami Viv~­
kananda, Mahatma Gandhi,
Henry ~oreau , Leo Tolstoy
and Albert Schweitzer. He vis- smile, take a smil~, " he adpised
ited over 200 ashrams spread
over India. He found, however, within, he will be able to see
that his studies resulted only
in mental turmoil and not the
Realization he sought. The
awakening which finally
stilled his turbulent II1ind oc' - of all such conflicts that
curred not in India, but in
Amsterdam, Holland.
S,*ami had the misfortune
to be a mute witness to three
major tragedies-World War
II, Partition and the Indo-Pak- where he had secured a piece
istan conflict. He observed,
"If a man turns his attention
199 7
Sealed ~amadhi crlpt: This simple stone
marks Swami's internment chamber
"
the terminally ill. The same wisdom which
allows an aged and infirm Hindu ascetic to
fast to death is being applied to the removal
of life support for a patient who will never
recover from an' incapacitating illness, as
well as to the issue of not force feeding an el-
derly patient who h1l:s stopped taking food.
The future of Viswa Shanthi Nikethana is
now in the hands of Swami Bramhadeva. He
told me,. "I have given my word to SWamiji
that I shall continue the tradition of rishis
and munis and their message to the world.
' '''';
whom he educated and en-
lightened on various subjects,
while they did whatever work
they could at the ashram.
\Yhenever there was a power
or water supply problem, delay
in postal or transport service
to the remot~ region, Swami
set it right for the Soligas with
the concerne~authQrities.
Swami observed mauna, si-
lence, for 11 years. He would
not use milk or milk pr oducts,
tea, coffee, fried or processed
food, vegetables and fruits. He
lived on the edible wild
green~ of the forest and bread.
Swami Nlrmalananda: "Give a He would pound and bake hi:;
own whole wheat bread. He
always personally cooked and
served food to his guests.
that a constant warfare is go-
ing Qn within his own mind
Swami Nirmalananda did
not believe in rituals. However,
between QIlPosing ideas, urges he never came in the way of
and desires. It is the sum t0tal his devotees' per-forming pujas
at the small temple in the
erupts as open war between premises of his Vishwa Shanti
nations." Nikethana ashram.
After taking sannyas: Swami
Nirmalananda settled in the
Once he said, "The universe
needs no correction. God's
serene forests of BR Hills, world is not mismanaged by
Him. First change yourself,
of land in 1964. He became then the world around would
close to the Soliga tribals have already changed for you."
The fifth
International
Symposium
..,...,~IASTROLO(jY
fEATURW SPEAKERS fROM INDIA
l .....
BEPIN BEHARI, author, lecturer, from Deihl, India,
is acknowleded as one of the foremost Vedic astrologers.
NIRANJAN BABU, Vedic scholar from Bangalore, India, is an expert
Vedic Astrology was developed by the ancient FACULTY in the field of Vastu Shastra (similar to Feng Shu!).
sages of India over 5,000 years ago. Called Jyotlsha,
the Science of Light, It Is renowned for Its splrttual depth Jeffrey Armstrong Andrew Foss William Levacy
and accuracy In predicting future events. Keven Barrett Dr. David Frawley Ann Muldoon
Marc Boney Hank Friedman Alex Nagel
This Symposium will Introduce Vedic Astrology Kenneth Bowser Dennis M. Harness, PhD T.R. Raghunath, PhD
to the general public and provide a forum for: Kathleen Burt Edith Hathaway Barbara Roberts
Jame.s Butler Richard Houck George Roman
* The education of the general public In the
prtnclples of VedIc Astrology
The free eXChange and discussion of Ideas
Rob Calef
Dr. K.S. Charak
Linda Johnsen
James Kelleher
Dr. Dlnesh Sharma
Prince Hlrlndra Singh
* and techniques in Vedic Astrology
The presentation of modern research findings
Christina Colllns~HIII
Hart de Fouw
Sat Sirl Kaur Khalsa
Robert Koch
Atreya Smith
Dr. B. Sureshwara
* validating ancient astrological principles Ronnie Gale Dreyer
BrendanFlaherty
Dennis Feeley
R.G. Krishnan
Drew Lawrence
Dr. Robert Svoboda
Chakrapanl Ullal
_______________________________________________
* The promotion of professional standards In the . _.J,.!.'..
',\'C5;~'i:
training and practice of Vedic Astrology o Please register me for attendance at the International Symposium
on Vedic Astrology. October 2-7. 1997, at the Del Mar Hilton Hotel,
Del Mar. CA. [ndosed Is payment of $_ _ for _ _ Registration feels)
Substantial Savings for early registration!
o Send more Information on the Symposium and hotel accommodatIons
Registration fees
for main symposium: Pleas< man this registration form with
* Optional pre-conference Introductory classes and post-conference
Intensives will also be offered.
payment by check. money order or
$220 by Sept. 15, 1997
$245 after Sept. 15, 1997
($25 Discount for ACVA Members)
credit card to the Institute address
below. Roglstratlons paid by credit
card may also be faxed or phoned In.
City, State. Zip, _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __
INsmun OF VEDIC ASTROLOGY
P.O. BOX 2149' SEDONA, AZ 86339
Phone (520) 282-6595 • FAX (520) 282-6097
Telephone (day/ night) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Exp.Date~_
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• 165 all-new illustrations-paintings (including cover) by S. Rajam, 78, of Chennai, South -"""""Ia __
India-a remarkable collection . countless refinements, data and clarifications suggested by
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SaI8UrtfSiI'llY. SubramuniJ>Uwami
sages and scholars worldwide . "Timeline" (a 40-page chronology of 200,000 years of human ~~• • • • • • •~• • iI
totally reshaping concepts of Indian history and pushing back the dates of its origins . an expanded bibliography . a new, spec-
tacular, especially commissioned portrait of Satguru Siva Yogaswami.
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 "Goddess Mother of the World"
View of Mt. Everest from the South Face (ridge behind): Two
Tibetan side. The Malaysian team Malaysians and five Sherpas
summited from the Southern, reach summit on May 23 via
Nepalese side. Southern Route

HANK GOD! THANK GOD!' WAS THE sian team, who on May 5 fell into a 600-me- The Malaysian climbers' arrival in Kath- were chastised for taking completely inexpe- dom interspersed with moments of sheer climbers from other teams reached the sum-
first thing I said when I set my foot ter crevasse high on the South Face. One mandu fell auspiciously on the night of Ma- rienced climbers to the top-some of whom terror. The team sat at Everest Base Camp mit that day-auspiciously Vaikasi Visha-
on the top of the world," gushed M. German and two Kazak climbers were hasivaratri-one of Hinduism's holiest days. died there. There was nothing reckless for three months acclimatizing to the alti- kam, sacred to Hindus as the birthday 0f
Magendran. On May 23, he and N. blown off the North Face when 140-mph jet-Both Magendran and Mohandass observep. about the Malaysian strategy or ascent un- tude and waiting for the rare break in Lord Muruga and to Buddhists as the day of
J "V.,UU.ct.uUct:,~ became the first Malay- stream winds dipped down onto the moun- the festival at Kathmandu's Pasupathinath der the watchful eye of expedition leader weather which would allow an ascent. Nor Buddha's enlightenment.
sians (and likely the first Tamils) to tain as tkey descended from the top. More Temple. "Team member R.G Ramakrishna, Nor Ramlle Sulaiman and Captain M.S. Koh- Ramlle described it as depressirig. "You have The returniIJg Magendran was ecstatic
reach the summit of Mt. Everest, 8,848 me- than 710 climbers from 42 countries have who has vast experience in climbing," recalls li, leader of Indias first trek to the summit in to sleep on ice, barren rock and snow. There over their success. "For all Malaysians it
ters high. "Aum Narnasivaya was in my scaled Chomolungma, "Goddess Mother of Magendran, "tord me to treat Everest as a sa- 1965. Half of the 25 teams, most led by pro- is no life there, no birds, no trees. We had to snows racial unity, teamwork, that we could
mind all throughout my ascent," Magendran the Werld," as Everest is known in Tibetan,
cred mountain and to do my prayers and fessional guides, never made it to the summit. resort to playing scrabble and dominoes, do anything if we work ai a team and be-
told HINDUISM TODAY. "Once on mantras while climbing." The Malaysians had originally hoped to beat reading books and climbing nearby peaks." lieve in what we are doing. People are very
top, I prayed to all the Deities. I The devout Buddhist Sherpas the Indonesian team to b.e the first Southeast Four team members were selected for the proud. There have been so ~any calls day
thought of our Prime Minister, brought in a lama from a nearby Asian nation on the sutnmit. But under the final attempt: Magendran, Mohandass, Mohd. and night. Many temples still ring me up to
our Everest team, my. friends and monastery to ble'!;s everyone at legendary Russian Everest guide Anatoli Fauzan Hj Hassan, 29, and Gary Choong Kin ask me to come to their temple because they
the people of Malaysia who were ~ Base Camp. "Some climbers Boukreev, the Indonesians arrived earlier. Wah, 39. Their first chance was May 9~ but had prayed for my successful climb." A total
praying for our success." Magen- ~ just hung around.," narrated Ma- Back home in Malaysia, wives and moth- bad weather-and ''bad weather" on Everest ofUS$240,000 was awarded to the team; Ma-
dr~, Mohandass and their five :;:~ gendran, ''but I was sitting a few ers were taking no chances with the is really bad-fa"rced a return to base camp. gendran and Mohandass got $20,000 each.
ShertJa guides planted the z feet from the lama and praying." climbers' safety. In normal times, Mohan- Time was running out, since the govern- Malaysia had planned the climb for ten
Malaysian flag, "shouted into the ~ Mohandass said, "When I was dass' wife Manimegalai, does puja twice ment would close the route on May 24. The years. The team trained intensively for the
wind" and celebrated their vic- ~ staying at Base Camp, I had a weekly for her husband's health, safety and team left again on the 18th and after further last three. Telekom Malaysia and other
tory-for ten frozen-in-time min- ~ dream of Lord Ganesha who longevity. "Then I 'heard in May that they weather delays reached Camp Four at Malaysian corporations were the main spon-
utes. The news was radioed ~ told me to do a lot of prayers." • might have to abort the climb because of 1:30 PM on May 22. "There we rested," re- sors for the program, which is part of the
<
down to the Malaysian base camp z Prayer was definitely in order, bad weather. This was sad news to me. I ports Mohandass, "then left at llPM for the government's "Malaysia Boleh!"- "Malaysia
and relayed on live TV to a jubi- ~ for many expected a repeat of thought there is no glory in my hllsband re- summit. It was very cold, -30°C (-22°F) and Can!" campaign. The Everest 97 project was
lant country. But the climbers ~ last year's disaster. One-hun- turning home without conquering Mt. Ever- the wind was at 80 kmlhour (5Q mph). Has- a follow-up to' the "Malaysia Cergas" cam-
knew the task was not over yet. j dr1d-eighty climbers tn 13 est. So on Friday the 16th, I went to .the Kot- san and Choong Kin Wah succumb~ to al- paign launched in the 1980s with the aim of
Nearly everyone who perishes on ~ teams were gathered for the tamalai Ganesha Temple and prayed that titude sickness and turned back after reach- encouraging the general public to partici-
Everest dies on the way down, On top of the world: Malaysian climbers and team sherpas, llAM, dangerous Southern Route, and everything should be alright for my husband ing 8,400 meters. pate in recreational and noncompetitive '
not up. So they scrambled off the May 23, 1997 on the summit of Mount Everest. another 150 climb'ers in 12 to climb the mountain and return safely. The "It took thirteen hours to reach the sum- sports, with the hope of producing a healthy
mountain to safety and within teams were prepared for the next Friday I heard the news. Lord Siva was mit. The terrain was very steep, and the society. There are plans to scale Mt. Kili-
days were heros at a tumultuous welcome at since it was first climbed by Sir Edmund safer but more expensive-to-climb North up there and let him return safely." .Magen- path was littered with bodies. The Sherpa mailjaro in South Africa, Puncak Irian Jaya
Kuala Lumpur's International Airport. Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay on May Face. Eighteen countries were present. The dran I S unmarried, and his mother, uncle was showing me each of the corpses and ex- in Indonesia, Mt. McKinley in the US and
Mt. Everest has been in a deadly mood 29, 1953. One hundred and fifty others have Malaysian team was unjustly singled out by and friends similarly prayed for his success plaining to me how they died and who they Mt. Ei'ger in Europe. "Such expeditions are
th~ last few years. In 1996 eight died during lost their lives. The odds of dying are one in two professional guides for criticism as "in- and safety, arranging special Murugan wor- were. Flnally, I told him not to point out the to showcase the Malaysia Boleh spirit," said
summit attempts, the worst year ever. By six. At the highest elevations, the route is expenenced" and "under tremendous politi- ship on May 23, the day of the ascent. bodies to me, 'and that I just wanted to reach team leader Nor Ramlle. ~
May of this year seven more had perished, "littered" with bodies impossible to retrieve cal pressure to summit." It was strange crit- Reports of the climb sound like a soldier's the summit. We had to crawl the last section Interviews by R AMESH SIVANATHAN
including Nima Rinje Sherpa of the Malay- out of the ice or to carry down. icism coming from the group who last year descriptions of war: long periods of bore- to the top because of the wind." Twenty-five and RAJAKU MAR M AN ICKAM , Malaysia

50 HINDUISM TODAY SEPTEMBER , 1997 SEPTEMBER, 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 51


I
. MINISTER'S MESSAGE
Perfection Is in Your
. .
luminous 'Es's ence
The worlds within are immeasurably vaster,
superior and more blessed thaFl the outside
BY SWAMI SASTRANANDA
• I
(WOMAN INCLUDED) SEEKS AND STRIVES TO BE
have the best, the perfect, consciously or uncon-
JSCllOUS!Y. each in one's own way. The quest is com-
but the means adopted are innumerable. Man
to become better, to have more power, knowl-
edge, joy, peace and freedom. When he does succeed in his
~est, he finds that the key to perfection is withi oneself,
and that the worlds "within" are immeasurably vaster, supe-
rior and more blessed than the worlds "outside." Perfection is
found to be one's own true and abiding essence, luminous
and blissful Satchitananda, as Vedanta terms it. It is all-per-
vading and not different from "Divinity." It is this "Divine"
which common people or various religions designate as
"God," yet which most people futilely seek for outside, until they
are happily forced to turn within.
All noble or human quests for perfection have the same end, but
each seeks or sfrives for it in one's own limited and imperfect
ways. But without realizing that each one's way is unique and.in-
dispensable for that person, many unfortunately stress and even
impose particular views and ways on all. That only makes for more
confusion and strife among humans. On the other hand, those who
have been blessed enough to experience the Truth rejQice not only
in their own realization, but in the similar experiences of others,
too. They genuinely hold all such quests as worthy of respect, sup-
port and needed succor. That makes a real and solid contribution
for peace, harmony and progress. Such rare beings are the t.rue
sages, saints and gurus. Such an all-inclusive approach to the "Di-
vine," its actual experience and the consequent spontaneous ex;-
pressing, constitute the true "religion." All limited denominational
religions are but imperfect facets of this one "religion," and can
never arrogate to themselves any sole and superior status as the
one representative of God. Dogmatism or arrogance in this regard
are hollow and ridiculous.
If, among the extant religion,s today, any approximates most to the
place of honor, it can only be genuine Hinduism. It has a word of
goodwill for all fellow seekers an.{! never seeks to convert others to
its own views and ways, to impose itself on others, be it by force or
propaganda. Its very foundation rests on the great principle of
unity In diversity, expressed in the millennia-old mantra, "Truth is
one; wise people designate it variously," and its modern version as
voiced by Sri Ramakrishna, ''As many faiths, so many paths."
Yhus for the true Hindu the holy task and duty, his core dharma,
is somehow to experience the Divine Truth in oneself, and then
a:llow it to function in its own way, even as the fragrance of a
flower spreads beneficently in various directions. When fhis expe-
rience is very clear or powerful, it mayan its own attract many
52 HINDUISM TOD A Y S 1\PTEMBER , 1997
------------~~- -
others, too. Man can, at best, be a faithful
and reverent channel for this omnipotent
divine power, or shakti, t6 work out its own I,
blessed purpose. One who has realized this
Divine in oneself may witness it in others,
too-nay in all creation. That results in
leading a god-like life and serving fellow
beings, as expressi ons of the same Divine,
lovingly and reverently. This only serves to NDIAN AShiRAr:v1S RVE ;rHE FINEST
purify and bless thew orld, never to pollute
it.
Swami Vivekananda, the modern-era
spokesman of timeless Hinduism, disclosed,
"Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is
I cruelty-free m enj0y,e0 arw-
where, and Ka i's Hindu
monastery carries the 6,OOO-year-
MONKS'
to manifest this Divinity withjn bx' control-
ling nature, external and internal. Do this
by work or worship, or psychic control or •
philosophy-by one or more, or all of these
old tradit ion. T:h believe 8ood:food
rmedlcine, and
COOKBOOK
and be free. This is the whole of religion. their oljlinary I
Doctrines or dogmas, or rituals or books, or 1I~0 J3>r.ana, that
temples, or forms are but secondary details." , I
Thus, the most vital, holy duty of the true sol!J1 al~ ke Now
Hindu-nay, any worthy human-is to man-
ifest this Divinity within in some way or red thek secret
another. It is for this that it is essential to gath~red ov.e~
control his inner and outer nature, viz.,
propensities of body, mind and ego, which yo,..,r,,,,'.., in the Islands
distract him from his blessed, divine IdnJt; yoliJ know,
essence. The effort at self-control for a di-
vine end is the Hindu's real self discipline,
I I
or sadhana. It makes for real character- '/
building, man-making and making of true,
noble and godly humans. The greatest service that we can renaer
to others thus becomes helping others, if possible, to manifest their
own innate Divinity. The rest will take care of itself.
In'the wdrds of Swami Vivekana:qda, "First let us become gods
and then help others to become gods. 'Be and make.' Let this be
our motto." That is dliarma, morality or virtue, and whatever is
opposed to it is adharma or vice. The virtues to be cultivated thus
become dama, dana and daya, self~control, generosity and com-
I
passion-and satya, ahimsa, brahmacharya and f!:parigraha. Satya
is truthfulness and integrity, which follows from the Divine being,
!
Sat-the tr ue and good. Ahitnsa is nonharming of others, which
follows from looking upon others as oneself. Brahmachar;yq or rev-
erence for tIle Divine in others-especially in the opposite sex-
never looking at them as only objects of sensual enjoyment or
instruments for one's own pleasure. Aparigraha is a simple, nonex- II
ploitive and nongrabbing life which enal;>les a man to be truly hon- I
orable and.nondependent.
Crowning all this, whet! the inner Divinity manifests, all the
I
today and bring @
glory of Satchitananda, viz., strength and fearlessness, goodness,
luminous wisdom, joy anq love, radiates spontaneously. Such a
blessed Hindu reveals a life full of gentleness, generosity, purity,
ur family's taq\e I '
calmpess, introspection and spirituality. To lead earnestly such a rope I
life is a b~ssing to oneself and others, too.
That is the core message of Hinduism. .. €:a, Asia, Pacific Rim j\
"
Pr:iees
,
inaludie air
I
ighl~.
Calls takenI b~twe n ~ DAM and 8PM Pacific
I
SWAMI SASTRANANDA, 80, a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order, \ \' r
'has served and taught Vedantic Hinduism for half a century in vari- N l\G ~DEMY PUBLICATI<ONS
ous centers. He is now retired at Vivekananda Ashram, Bangalore. l)IPW''''FI"IRd· Kapaa, Hawaii 96746-9304 USA
, uvv-o!7v-1008, ext. 238 OIl 808-822-3152, ext. 238 1-808-822-4351 I
r:;.-~l)~ltYi!!~'9Q1~(I!PHlhdu:·lsEl1Today.kauai.hi.us . 'febsite: !www.HinduismToday.kauai.hi.us!ashram!
MEDIA
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HINDUISM TODAY
j01 KAHOLALELE ROAD
KftPAA. HAIrIAIl 9S1iS-93Di
AOORESS CORRECTION
REQUESTED
DIGNITY
Unleash Your Hinduness
AMASKARAM .... SAY WITH PRIDE THAT YOU ARE
N a Hindu!" opens a website founded by Jagan Mo-
han, a seriously enthused Moscow medical student
from India. Exploration
of this site (www.geoci-
ties.com!AthensIFo-
rum!1432/new.htm)
will leave you sharing
Jagan's obvious pride in
his heritage. Rather
than complaining about
other religions, conver-
sion, etc., he focuses on z
Hindu empowerment iii
with pages like "What The Vedas briefly explained
Every' Hindu Ought to
Compassionate Amma at Amritapuri Ashram Do!," and advice for Hindus to acquire a more solid
identity of themselves. The site's special treasure is
PRECEPTOR 200-plus links (grouped by topics) to quality pages.
Those given five stars are "must see" sites. Links are
Follow Her Lead to scriptural texts, temples, institutes, student organi-
zations and more. Enjoy!
ERE'S A CD THAT SETS NEW STANDARDS
H for Hindu organizations: a supremely
professional combination of photos, spir-
itual songs, Sanskrit chants, video clips,
computer-generated art and discourses that takes
at least three hours to explore and leaves you
WOMEN
South Asia
living outside the sub-
continent. We found es-
pecially useful the lists
of domestic abuse agen-
with a broad overview of Mata Amritanan-
darnayis spiritual mission. The CD flashes first
Bonding cies (USA hotline: 1-800-
799-7233), children's
through pictures of Ma while the gum mantra is AvE YOUR CHILD books, current news and
chanted in the background. From the CD's main Htake a long nap
while perusing the South
directory of organiza-
tions. Bond with your
directory you view her arduous early years and
subsequent enlightenment-accompanied by nar- Asia Women's
ration and Krishna bhajanas. You can navigate Network. It
the Amritapuri ashram's several floors and see takes time to
daily life (a cute scene is a video of Amma wak- tour articles
ing a snoozing meditator). Your kids will love the such as "Liv-
''lI.mma Comics" animated cartoons. This Win- ing Identities
dows CD (Mac soon) produced by her Kerala vs. Acquired ~<
devotees is a delight (U5$39.00; 510-537-9417 or Ones" by z<
e-mail: macenter@ammachi.org). Visit Amma on Madhu Kish- ~~~~ __~~~~~u.~~L- __ ~
the Web (www.ammachi.orgl) to hear bhajana war or view the Sharing experiences electronically
while ordering a puja, shopping in the bookstore "Whos Who" of popu-
or following Amma's world tours, and occasionally lar female achievers. The "sisters" at umiacs.umd.
even viewing a live image of her giving darshan. . site is aimed at South edu:80/userslsawweb/sa
Asia women of all faiths wnetlindex.htrnl
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