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Affirming Sanatana Dharma and Recording the Modern History of a Billion-Strong Global Religion in Renaissance

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COVER: A child’s parents are his first guru; (above) Sri Jayendra Puri (to right of throne) just prior to his coronation as succes-
sor to the late Sri Tiruchi Mahaswamigal at ceremonies in Bangalore, India, 12 days after Mahaswamigal’s transition at age 75

april/may/june, 2005 • Hindu Year 5107

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IN T ER NAT IONA L Issues: Did the Nazis Ruin Forever the 5,000-Year-
Feature: Take a Tour of Ujjain, Ancient Sacred City Old Use of the Good-Luck Swastika? 61
of Hinduism and Host to the Kumbha Mela 18 Books: Meet the Extended Family Behind Motilal
Disaster: As Rescue Work Winds Down, We Assess Banarsidass, Premier Publishers of Hindu Books 64
the Hindu Response to the 2004 Tsunami 34 Commentary: Swami Kritarthananda Speaks on the
Commentary: So, Why Did Newsweek Magazine Special Merits of Old Age 68
Disparage the Hindu View of the Tsunami? 36
Transition: Sri Tiruchi Mahaswamigal, Great Saint of OPINION
Our Times, Attained Mahasamadhi January 14 62 In My Opinion: American Hindus Should Claim and
Proudly Teach Religious Identity to Youth 9
LIFEST YLE Publisher’s Desk: A Hindu View of Natural Disasters 10
Letters 12
Money: Strategies for Investing Your Hard-Earned
Money According to the Principles of Dharma 30 From the Vedas: One God, Many Functions 17
Insight: Advice on Raising Children as Good Hindus
From Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami 37 DIGESTS
Medicine: Get throuth the Flu Season with Diaspora 6 Digital Dharma 86
Minimum Downtime by Following Ayurveda 53 Quotes & Quips 14
Education: The Innovative YogaEd Teaching

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 Inside
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p03-4§ GATE Apr04 g1.indd 3 2/5/05 5:10:28 PM p05§ GATE Apr04 g1.indd 5 2/5/05 5:11:32 PM
Welcome
to hinduism today’s digital edition!
am pleased to welcome you to the free digital edition of Hinduism
I Today magazine. It is the fulfillment of a vision held by my Satguru
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An Audio Library
To the Editor Press International, a
Of Inspired Talks
(e-mail) Daily News Summary

India’s premier religious broadcasting station takes flight
india—usa
Hinduism Enters US TV
“A astha, the faith chan-
nel” entered the US in De-
cember, 2004, taken on board
by leading US satellite provider,
DirectTV, alongside DirectTV’s
other South Asian broadcasts,
Vijay (Tamil), and three Star
channels (Hindi). But Aastha
is different. In the words of its
promotional brochure: “Aastha
is America’s first Asian Indian
spiritual and cultural network.
It is the only television channel
to clock 1,000 hours of real-
time live broadcasting of Asian
Indian socio-spiritual-cultural
events and amass a library of
united kingdom
A Spiritual
Revolution?
P aul heelas’ and linda
Woodhead’s new book, The
Spiritual Revolution, Why
Religion is Giving Way to Spiri-
tuality, (Blackwell Publishing,
2005) is the fruit of the six-year
Kendal Project. The authors
analyze the claim that tradition-
al forms of religion, especially
Christianity, are giving way to
New Age, holistic spirituality.
They interviewed hundreds of
people and groups in the town
of Kendal, England, and drew
on prior national research on
the subject for both Britain and
the US. Their thesis points to
a shift away from religion that
6 h i n d u i s m t o d ay a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5
18,000 hours of content in less
than four years.” The Mumbai-
based company began with
a village audience, spread to
Indian cities and now the world
from satellites tuned into by 20
million households in 166 coun-
tries. Aastha avoids use of the
“H” word, but 90% of the con-
tent is rooted in Hindu culture.
With discourses from swamis,
coverage of grand Kumbha Me-
las, bhajanas, classes in Vedanta,
yoga and meditation, there is no
question where Aastha is com-
ing from. It’s a great sign–Sana-
tana Dharma on the air!
is focused on an
external God
and His dogma
to a movement of
people, first into
the realm of “sub-
jective well-being
culture” (health,
fitness, emotional
contentment)
and then into the
“holistic milieu”
where spiritual
growth becomes
a central concern Hindu groups now occupy some of the just under
in both personal twenty UK Christian churches closed each year
and associational
activities (attending “self-trans- and are not making up at all for
formation” workshops instead
of going to Church.) But they
conclude we don’t yet have a
revolution per se. The numbers
of those in the holistic milieu
are too small, just 1.6% of Brits, anity is clearly waning, a “zero
usa
Hindus Speak Out Against
Texas Ten Commandments
O n december 13, 2004, an
amicus curiae brief spear-
headed by the Hindu American
Foundation (HAF) was filed
with the United States Supreme
Court supporting the position
that the 40-year-old permanent
placement of the Ten Com-
mandments on Texas State Cap-
itol grounds violates the First
Amendment guarantee of the
separation of church and state.
Prepared pro bono by Goodwin
Procter LLP attorneys, the
brief includes Hindu, Jain and
Buddhist points of view and
was signed also by leading US
Hindu, Jain and Buddhist orga-
nizations.
The case, originally brought
by Thomas Van Orden against
Rick Perry, the Governor of
Texas, in 2003, asks for the
removal of the religious monu-
ment. The Supreme Court de-
cided to hear the case after the
Fifth Circuit Federal Court of
Appeals ruled that the monu-
ment could remain in place.
the overall decrease in church-
going Christians—now down to
only 7.9% of Brits and 24% of
Americans.
While they conclude Christi-
a a s t h at v ; u n k n o w n , s r h e e s a nata n m a n d i r ,
leicester, uk, liladhar j. bharadia
australia Victoria (NGV) in Australia.
National An audience of hundreds
witnessed a ceremony rarely
seen by non-Hindus. Three
Gallery Hindu priests performed a
Siva Puja
Ganesha puja, a Lakshmi
puja and then the puja to
the stone Lingam which had
L ord siva’s formless form been in NGV storage. NGV
was front and center in an Photography Curator, Dr. A new generation of Hindu leaders gather in Bali to face the future
unusual public venue last year.
On December 5, 2004, Sri Pre-
Isobel Crombie, organized
the event with the help of her bali agenda of speeches on Modern
makantha Kurukal performed
an abhishekam and puja to
Kashmir Saivite guru, Swami
Shankarananda of Shiva Ash- Youth Take a Challenges, Position of Women,
Social Action, etc., was the In-
a Narmada Siva Lingam at ram, Victoria. The Lingam is donesian delegation’s complaint
Melbourne’s National Gallery of now the focal point of the first-
floor South Asian
Stand in Bali that worship is barred in some
Hindu temples in Java, which
Study storage
display where she T he fledgling world
Hindu Youth Organization
have been turned into National
Monuments and tourist atttrac-
and South Asian
Art curator Carol
created last year in Indonesia
got off to a start with a five-day
tions. The youth resolved to
fight the commercialization
Cains perform a summit in Bali, November, of temples and restore them
daily Siva puja.
Dr. Crombie
says, “I feel its
2004. Delegates came from Ma-
laysia, USA and other countries.
Standing out from the usual
as places of worship through
nurturing “spiritual tourism” by
organizing yatras to Indonesia.
Monumental affront in Texas shakti spreading
throughout the
The brief argues, “The lower gallery as more ay u rv e d a
courts completely ignored
the effect of the Ten Com-
people become
aware of our daily Fourteen Medicines Found
mandments monument on puja, people are
non-Judeo-Christians, whose
beliefs regarding the nature Premakantha Kurukal performs abhishekam
joining in and love
the ritual.”
To Have Metal Toxicity
of God and the relationship
between man and God differ
greatly from those enshrined in tibet
A harvard medical school study released in the
Journal of American Medical Association said that 14 of 70
different Ayurvedic off-the-shelf medicines from India, sold in
the monument and for whom
the monument is clearly and
unavoidably ‘sectarian.’ “
Control 30 Boston area stores, had “potentially harmful levels of lead,
mercury and/or arsenic.” North American practitioners, con-
cerned that some people now think all Ayurvedic medicines
Your Brain! are suspect, responded in India West. Dr. Sivakumar Varma of
Vancouver said that “90% of Ayurvedic remedies use no met-
out” appears unlikely.
Indeed, some denomina-
tions are becoming extinct,
B rain scientists recently
discovered that, in respond-
ing to external experience
als and those that do are for serious illnesses like cancer.” He
himself only used Good Manufacturing Seal certified products.
The proper preparation of medicinal mercury “could take
but others remain strong and input, the brain is able to months, even years,” said Wyne Werner, administrator of New
and are growing. Still, the
authors contend that the
expand, or strengthen, circuits
that are used and shrink or
Mexico’s Ayurvedic Institute. It is unknown if the high levels
are due to soil contamination or improper preparation. New
“massive subjective turn
of modern culture has
served to fuel the growth
weaken those that are rarely en-
gaged. To document the effects
of internal experience, scien-
Hampshire based Pandit Ramasamooj said that the JAMA arti-
cle should be taken seriously as “a wakeup call to all Ayurvedic
physicians and the public.”
of subjective life spiritual- tists went to Tibet in November,
ity and undermine exter- 2004, to study Tibetan monks.
nal religion.” They predict Using functional magnetic While novices showed only a
that in 40 years participa- resonance imaging, the scien- slight gamma wave increase, in
tion will equalize to about tists pinpointed regions that older monks, activity in the left
3 or 4% of the UK popula- were active during compassion prefrontal cortex (the seat of
tion in each sector. meditation (generating a feel- positive emotions such as hap-
Of course, many medi- ing of loving kindness towards piness) swamped activity in the
tating Hindus will find this to all beings). Most monks who right prefrontal (site of negative
be a false dichotomy. Hinduism had done more than 10,000 emotions and anxiety), some-
naturally integrates personal hours of meditation showed thing never before seen from
spiritual transformation and extremely large increases in purely mental activity—scientif-
commitment to traditional re- high-frequency gamma waves ic proof, perhaps, of the ancient
ligious, community and family which underlie higher mental Hindu knowledge of vasana Implicated in the study—Baidyanatha’s Vilas Ras and Guggulu
values (dharma). activity, such as consciousness. (thought pattern) metaphysics.
c l o c k w i s e f r o m t o p : nat i o na l g a l l e r y o f v i c t o r i a , au s t r a l i a
W H Y O ; h i n d u i s m t o d ay, r a j i v m a l i k ; c o r e l p h o t o s a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 005 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 7
sports/yoga
Asanas for
Cricketers
T he entry of yoga into
the quintessentially British
sport of cricket is raising eye-
brows—another bastion of West- India, Australian batsman Justin
ern culture has been breached
by Hinduism’s ancient science.
Australia’s team has added a
yoga teacher to their support
group, Kate Turner, alongside
their fitness trainer and physio- out Iyengar is a cricket fan and
therapist. She offers the team 75 he gave them two hours. Langer
England cricketer Marcus Trescothick does yoga grueling five-day
during December, 2004, South African tests
TIRUVANNAMALAI REMAINS A
place of open worship. In the
wake of widespread protests
in Tamil Nadu, on January
20, 2005, the Indian Supreme
Court called for the withdrawal
of the central government’s
attempt to make the Arunach-
aleswarar temple a national
heritage monument under the
jurisdiction of the Archeologi-
cal Survey of India.
HOMESCHOOLING IS ON THE RISE
in the USA. The National
Home Education Research In-
stitute, based in Salem, Oregon,
estimates that 1.7 million to 2.1
million children were home
taught during the 2002-2003
school year, up as much as 13
percent from 2000-2001.
IF YOU WANT TO SPONSOR THE
Udayasthamana Puja at the
8 h i n d u i s m t o d ay a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5
minutes of yoga training daily.
The goals? Flexibility, concen-
tration and a release from the
mental agitations of competition
that leads to insomnia causing
players to lose their edge. The
only other cricket team with a
yoga trainer is India.
In October 2004, while in
Langer, Kate Turner and their
fitness trainer visited the famed
85-year-old B.K.S. Iyengar.
While many of his own students
rarely get an audience, it turns
said, “I was a
bit taken aback...
he put me
through every
yoga pose there
is.” Langer is
convinced yoga
will lengthen his
career. He says
the yoga sessions
help him balance
the “flogging” he
gives his body
during training
and recover from
tests.
well-known Guruvayoor temple
in Kerala, you will have to wait
until 2046. The puja (US$1,100)
is performed 130 days in a year
at the Sree Krishna temple. Paid
bookings have been made for
the next 42 years!
THE LANCET MEDICAL JOURNAL
released the results of a 15-year
survey involving 3,000 young
people. It showed fast-food to
be a definite factor in the key
chronic diseases of Western
civilization—obesity, Type 2 dia-
betes and heart disease.
THE BRITISH MINISTRY OF
Defense will soon appoint Bud-
dhist, Hindu, Muslim and Sikh
chaplains to the British armed
forces. Some 300 Christian
chaplains already minister to
the 210,000 personnel of the
Royal Navy, the army, and the
Russian president and 6th degree black belt Judo expert Vladimir
Puten uses the anjali mudra before crowds during a visit to India
society
Will Namaste
Replace the
Handshake?
“The alternatives might include
T he washington post re-
ported in December that
politicians, religious leaders and
business people are avoiding
the handshake. With height-
ened awareness of health issues,
“Shaking hands is slowly being
transformed from a friendly
icebreaker into a potential vector the palms near the heart.”
Royal Air Force. These chap-
lains are given commissioned
rank as officers. There are also
honorary Jewish chaplains. The
four chaplains to be appointed
will, however, be civilian
employees of the Ministry of
Defense. The four new chap-
lains will minister to about 740
adherents of the minority faiths
in all three services.
WORLD RENOWNED INDIAN
devotional classical singer, M.S.
Subbulakshmi passed away
in Chennai on December 12,
2004, at the age of 88. She was
considered by many to be the
world’s great Carnatic vocalist.
MANY STATES, FROM KASHMIR TO
Bihar, are embracing English as
never before, even if they have
to make political concessions
for it. Education in the Kashmir
valley will never be the same
again, as all government schools
there, from 2004 onward, have
begun teaching English from
l e f t t o r i g h t : pa p h o t o s , m at t h e w f e a r n ;
HINDU RENAISSANCE TEAM
HINDUISM TODAY was founded January 5, 1979,
by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. It is a
nonprofit educational activity of Himalayan
Academy with the following purposes:1. To
of life-imperiling contagion (the foster Hindu solidarity as a unity in diversity
among all sects and lineages; 2. To inform and
flu). Taken to extremes, hand-
shake phobia could prefigure a inspire Hindus worldwide and people interest-
ed in Hinduism; 3. To dispel myths, illusions
revolution in social custom. The
standard American greeting
and misinformation about Hinduism; 4. To pro-
tect, preserve and promote the sacred Vedas
would be forever altered.
“But to what?” asks the Post.
and the Hindu religion; 5. To nurture and mon-
itor the ongoing spiritual Hindu renaissance;
6. To publish a resource for Hindu leaders and
bowing, curtsying, nodding
the head, saluting, patting each
other on the back, or hugging.
educators who promote Sanatana Dharma. Join
this seva by sending letters, clippings, reports
on events and encouraging others. to subscribe.
Other cultures, of course, are al-
ready there. The Hindu namaste Founder: Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
greeting (with anjali mudra), is Publisher: Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami
simple, elegant and touchless: a Editor-in-Chief: Paramacharya Palaniswami
slight bow with hands pressed at Publisher’s Aide: Paramacharya Ceyonswami
Deputy Editor: Acharya Kumarswami
Managing Editor: Sannyasin Arumugaswami
Graphics Director: Sannyasin Natarajnathaswami
the first grade. They are so Production Manager: Sannyasin Sivakatirswami
sure of its success that they are Subscription and Distribution Manager:
considering running all govern- Sannyasin Shanmuganathaswami
ment schools in Kashmir in Contributing Editor: Yogi Japendranatha
English medium. The reason Advertising Manager: Sadhaka Jothinatha
behind such a step is to make Correspondents: Choodamani Sivaram, Bangalore;
up for the damage caused by 15 Rajiv Malik, Prabha Prabhakar Bhardwaj, Madhu
years of militancy. “We realized Kishwar, Delhi; Mangala Prasad Mohanty, Orissa; V. S.
that if we want to do well in Gopalakrishnan, Kerala; Basudeb Dhar, Bangladesh;
this competitive world, we have Archana Dongre, Los Angeles; Lavina Melwani, New
to teach English,” said Harsh York; Dr. Hari Bansh Jha, Nepal; Paras Ramoutar,
Dev Singh, Education Minister, Trinidad; V. G. Julie Rajan, Philadelphia; Rajesh Jan-
Jammu and Kashmir. tilal, South Africa; Iraja Sivadas, California; Tara Katir,
Hawaii. HPI Staff: Janaka Param, Toshadeva Guhan,
Clive Roberts, Easan Katir, Adi Alahan, Chandra
IN EASTERN SRI LANKA’S
Sankara, Shama Vinayaga, Arjana Daswani. Sanskrit-
Muslim stronghold of Katthan-
ist: Dr. P. Jayaraman, New York. Artists: A. Manivelu,
kudy, orthodox Jamiat-ul-
S. Rajam. Cartoonists: M. Arumugam, Bob Thaves,
Ulema, influenced by the Saudi
Ripin Karla. Photo Contributors: Thomas L. Kelly,
Arabian Wahabi sect, protested
Stephen P. Huyler, Dinodia, Dev Raj Agarwal, Gilles
violently in November, 2004,
Flament, Vel Kadressen, Mu Devarayan, Indivar Siva-
against a “Sufi” group. They
nathan. Web Masters: Nitya Nadesan, Sadhunathan
demolished the Rahmaniya and Nadesan. Distribution: USA: Ingram Periodicals,
Ibrahimiya madrasas (theologi- New Leaf, EBSCO Subscription Services, OneSource,
cal schools) alleging that these Ubiquity. Europe: SWETS Subscription Service. Ma-
schools, run by charismatic laysia and Singapore: Sanathana Dharma Publications.
Sufi preacher AJ Abdur Rauf India: Central News Agency Limited, Delhi. Mauritius:
Mowlavi, were spreading Hindu CODIP. Trinidad: Pandit Narendra & Ashwinee Ra-
ideas and rituals among the goonanan. Printer: Banta Publications Group, Kansas
Muslims, especially the young. City, Missouri
a g e n c e f r a n c e p r e s s e , r av e e n d r a n
IN MY OPINION
Claiming Hindu Dignity
Indian Hindus should be able to openly practice
their faith in America, the land of the free
B Y M O N A V I J AY K A R
n 1994, the editors of
Hinduism Today invited
me to share some of the ex-
periences that inspired me
to write and illustrate The Vee
Family children’s books. Back
then, I wanted to define the
m o na v i j ay k a r .
identity of Indian Hindus in
America. I was determined to
help bring out “closet Hindus”
who were unwilling to live their
culture with pride and dignity.
Although I felt very strongly
that Hindus should practice their faith
openly, I also knew why they weren’t. They
did not fully comprehend their cultural
heritage. The American public also lacked
even a basic understanding of Hinduism.
Everyone was in desperate need of educa-
tion. No one knew then that, ten years later,
henna (Indian hand painting), Bollywood
fashions and Indian pop music would gain
popularity in America. Yet, even today the
true Vedic roots of Indian culture remain
a mystery to most Americans and some
Indians as well.
In the 21 years that I have lived in this
country I have met many Americans who
share a good number of the values that
I consider important, including humility,
courtesy, hospitality, respect and compas-
sion. I have known many Indians, on the
other hand, who have embraced a com-
pletely different set of values. Ironically,
these values are commonly referred to as
“American culture.” When Indians coming
to America perceive democracy as the ab-
sence of boundaries and discipline, it’s no
wonder their kids end up confused, uncul-
tured and ashamed of their Indian identity.
Unfortunately, this is not just happening in
America. It’s happening in India as well.
I have been advised on numerous occa-
sions to “assimilate into American culture.”
“Assimilate” in this context means something
like: “In Rome, do as the Romans do.” This
was what early immigrants were intimidat-
ed into doing so as to adopt the existing Eu-
ropean/Judeo-Christian norms. Whatever
happened to freedom and liberty?
a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 20 05
Well, America is the land of
the free, but it is a culture that
is young and growing. It’s like
a prism that is illuminated by
the colors of multiple cultures.
We try to send our children
out into the world armed with
knowledge, hoping this will
give them confidence when
faced with comments like:
“This country was based on
Christian values and yet we
allow you to come and live
here and follow your own traditions.”
We Indian Hindus are as much to blame
for this sort of ignorance as are the Ameri-
cans. Many of us allow ourselves to be
demoralized by such aggression and retreat
into fearful submission rather than face this
ignorance with intelligent response.
One Indian lady on the PTA board of
my children’s school campaigned hard to
stall my efforts to correct misconceptions
being taught in classes on Indian history.
Although that same woman confided to me
that she “admired my guts,” she helped
engineer a smear campaign against me, ac-
cusing me of “religious fanaticism.”
Among the Indian families I approached
for support in promoting academic ac-
curacy in the presentation of Hinduism in
schools, only one in a 100 came forward.
Finally, when I brought a case of “academic
discrimination” to the school superinten-
dent, my program, “India in Classrooms,”
(www.indiainclassrooms.org) was eventu-
ally initiated into the curriculum.
My children have been fortunate enough
to receive love and affection from many of
their teachers and friends. However, they
have also experienced racism and bigotry
as a result of the strong stand I took for
Hindu values. Yet, today there is no doubt
that the pain we have all endured as a fam-
ily is but a small price to pay for the price-
less treasure of our Hindu dignity.
Mona Vijaykar lives in Saratoga, Califor-
nia, with her husband and sons. She can be
contacted at indiainclassrooms@yahoo.com.
h i n d u i s m t o d ay 9
PUBLISHER’S DESK
Waves of Distress
A Practical and Spiritual Response to the
Devastating Asian Tsunami of 2004
B Y S A T G U R U B O D H I N A T H A V E Y L A N S WA M I
ver the last few weeks, i have
been asked by numerous individuals
to share some thoughts on the mas-
sive global death and destruction
caused by the South Asia tsunami
that ravaged such a vast part of the world in
the last days of 2004. The first and foremost
response, of course, is the need to awaken our
compassion and offer our prayerful thoughts
to those who have passed on and give expres-
sion, inwardly and outwardly, to our deep-felt
sympathy for the relatives and friends who
survived. This is our response from the heart.
The natural second response is to provide
practical help as millions face the challenges of the aftermath of
this awesome natural catastrophe, the worst in our lifetime. I have
noticed a remarkable welling up of such support among devotees
of our monastery and the general public in many countries, and
seen people go to extraordinary lengths to collect medical supplies,
raise funds at work and even offer to fly to the affected areas to
provide succor with their own hands. These are life-saving, life-
affirming reactions, for without the generous financial and in-kind
donations that reach the affected areas, many more could die in
the weeks ahead for lack of food, clean water, medical supplies and
temporary shelter. This is how we respond with our hands.
In the medium term, communities need to be rebuilt and
resources provided to individuals to enable them to resume sup-
porting themselves through their chosen occupation. For the lon-
ger term, governments need to ponder the issues of providing
effective warning systems, such as currently exist in the countries
in the Pacific Ocean region, to protect their populations against
future tsunamis, and to better prepare them for any large-scale
disaster, whether from earthquakes, storms, droughts or other
threats to security. On all levels, we need to learn from this experi-
ence so we will face our next massive threat more prepared. This
is our response from the head.
On the philosophical level, major disasters in the world cause
everyone to stop and think—think about ourselves, our family,
friends, community, nation and the world itself. If our faith is not
strong, our thoughts can be of a negative nature. You have heard
people wondering aloud why God would allow such a thing to
happen, why good people are suffering so, how can there even be
a God if such tragedy can occur on Earth? However, if our faith is
strong, then our reflections and our reactions remain positive.
From the Hindu point of view, questions of blame and punish-
ment do not arise. God does not punish, does not visit terrible
things upon the Earth. It is, after all, His creation. He did give the
natural forces on this Earth immense power, yet even these are
forces of change and evolution. For Hindus the most terrific of
disasters is not some cosmic chastisement, but the rightful unfold-
10 h i n d u i s m t o day a p r i l / m ay / j u n e 2 0 0 5
ing of dharma and destiny. For the
devout Hindu, loss and even death,
while difficult, are not beyond our
ability to accept. After all, our soul
is eternal and through its many
lives on Earth undergoes a variety
of experiences, many joyful, others
sorrowful, but it benefits spiritu-
ally from all experience, whether
seemingly good or bad. However,
p h o t o b y pau l a b r o n s t e i n
as Gurudeva, Sivaya Subramuniya-
swami, said, “Because the fear of
death is so much a part of social
consciousness today, as ignorance
prevails in these matters, sorrow rather
than joy is often experienced. In not
understanding life in its fullness, many
cannot help but misunderstand death.
The attitude should be one of joy based
on beliefs that come from the knowledge
of karma and samsara. Experience of joy and a total release of the
loved one would come from a pure understanding of the processes
of life. A better word than death is transition, passing into a new
form of life—life into life.”
My guru’s guru, Siva Yogaswami of Jaffna, Sri Lanka, many
years ago foresaw the difficult times the peoples of his country
have faced for the past two decades of civil war and the loss of
60,000 lives. Now his nation has suffered in one day, December 26,
the loss of over 30,000 lives, with one million, fully five percent of
the nation, left homeless. This great sage counseled how to cope
with such horrific situations in his Natchintanai hymn, “Nalluran
Tiruvadi:” “Even if war and famine come and the world is burnt to
ashes, shall we know any fear, O Parrot? Arumugam is our refuge.”
In other verses Yogaswami stresses that the atma, our soul, is eter-
nal, that Lord Murugan is our protection, and clinging to His holy
feet will cause all distress and anguish to disappear. Yogaswami’s
sagely advice is clear—difficulties are a part of life on this planet
and the sorrow they bring can be overcome through the worship
of God and the Gods.
In these times, we find solace in the words of the illumined sat-
gurus, whose vision is wider and deeper than our own. Pramukh
Swami Maharaj of BAPS counseled his followers in the aftermath
of the 2001 Gujarat earthquake: “Natural calamities like earth-
quakes have been affecting mankind since time immemorial. It is
a natural phenomenon, like rain. It is not the wrath of God. So,
whatever has to happen, happens. The good and the painful all are
a part of life, and we should accept both with equanimity. When
people are facing difficulties and sorrows, our Indian tradition is to
offer them solace. We feel that by serving the human beings we
serve the Lord Himself.”
Those with strong faith, when confronting a major disaster such
as the recent tsunami, have the ability to step back from life’s daily
routine and look more deeply at themselves to see if there are
changes they could make to add deeper meaning to their life. The
physical and psychic power of this tsunami offers such thoughtful
people an opportunity to examine and change their own lives, for
life-changing moments are rare and are often provoked by some-
thing bigger than our day-to-day existence.
Perhaps there are changes we have been considering for years
but always end up putting off. Now is the time to implement them.
Perhaps there are new patterns of life, new habits, new commit-
ments that can take root at this rare moment in our personal and
global history. Perhaps our love for family members needs to be
verbalized more often. Now is the moment to begin. Perhaps we
have plans to improve our community. Now is the time to set these
plans in motion. Perhaps we always wanted to deepen our spiritual
efforts and expand our charitable work. Now is the time to make
such ideals real. In all these ways, we can take the energy sur-
rounding this historic catastrophe and transmute it into something
that benefits our lives and our community, rather than diminishes
them. Adversity, faced with courage and wisdom, can bring us one
step closer to the Source of All. As Gurudeva would often say, “It
matters less what happens to you in life than how you react to all
that happens.”
In the aftermath of the tsunami, the Western media sought to
understand how people of different faiths look upon such disasters.
They were trying to be helpful, and they were fair to the Bud-
dhists, Muslims and Christians, but when it came to explaining the
Hindu response, NEWSWEEK magazine wrote on January 10 that
the Hindu Gods are ambivalent and capricious and that “the ocean
The Aftermath, January 7, 2005: Valliumai,
age 71, a Sri Lankan survivor, weeps next to
the storm-ravaged Hindu temple in Batticaloa
where she regularly worshiped
itself is a terrible god who eats people and
boats...” It is, of course, painful for Hindus to
read such misconstrued supposition in the
international media, especially as we know
how deep is the Vedic perspective on suffer-
ing, death and dying. Hindus need to respond,
to educate the media, and provoke them
toward a truer perception of Hinduism. That
means writing letters, informing them that
Hindus know there is a purpose in all things
in life, not just the good things. We know that
God is not vengeful or capricious but an all-
knowing, all-loving, all-powerful Father-
Mother Creator whose grace is present in our
lives each day and whose blessings are palpa-
bly felt by those of awakened sensitivity. As
my satguru, Sivaya Subramuniyaswami,
wrote: “There is a divine purpose even in the
existence of suffering in the world. Suffering
cannot be totally avoided. It is a natural part
of human life and the impetus for much spiri-
tual growth for the soul. Knowing this, the
wise accept suffering from any source, be it
hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, famine, wars,
disease or inexplicable tragedies. So also does
suffering offer us the important realization
that true happiness and freedom cannot be
found in the world, for earthly joy is inextri-
cably bound to sorrow, and worldly freedom
to bondage.”
The great Hindu saints all teach us that even harsh karma, when
faced in wisdom, can be a catalyst for spiritual advancement. No
one welcomes suffering into their lives, but when it comes we can
choose how to respond. We can allow it to diminish our life or to
strengthen and deepen it. That power lies in each one’s hands. We
see such resolve in the faces of those who lost loved ones, and yet
set about the enormous task of rebuilding their lives. We see it in
the global outpouring of compassion and help, a love and shared
sympathy that brought the world together for a moment in time,
that transcended race and geography, religion and history. While
2004 saw the greatest natural disaster in memory, 2005 is unfolding
history’s greatest outpouring of compassionate help. The world
does seem a little less divided now, as we reach out to one another
in a thousand ways.
A moving story provides a glimpse into the human spirit, and the
possibility of enormous good flooding out from this calamity. On
January 13 National Public Radio reported on the experience of a
Los Angeles fireman who was in Sri Lanka helping in the initial
relief efforts. He was used to human loss, that being part of a fire-
man’s daily experience, but this was different. The fireman shared
that a Sri Lankan man approached him, amid all of the debris and
chaos. He had just lost his entire family, and most of his home. Yet
that victim greeted him with a smile and offered the fireman a
cup of tea. The fireman was deeply struck by this, his first person-
to-person encounter with an Easterner. He wondered how a man
who suddenly had nothing and must certainly have been filled
with sadness and loneliness was offering his rescuers tea, thinking
more of them than of himself. He took it as a sign of the resilience
of the human spirit and of the East’s unique reply to loss and its
special capacity to endure.
a p r i l / m ay / j u n e 2 0 0 5 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 11

Houston Temple Opening
on behalf of his divine holiness pra-
mukh Swami Maharaj of BAPS, I convey my
heartfelt congratulations and appreciation for
producing a wonderful cover story on the in-
auguration of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan
Mandir, Houston. The issue has beautiful
photos describing the divinity of the mandir,
its intricacies, volunteer services and festive
spirit. Your write-up has captured the event
in all its aspects, including a brief intro to
BAPS. Kudos to the hard work put in by
the Hinduism Today team for producing
a wonderful issue. Pramukh Swami Maha-
raj was also pleased to see the issue and has
conveyed a special word of appreciation and
prayers for the encouraging and inspiring
works you are doing in promoting Sanatana
Dharma. The various articles, tidbits of rele-
vant information and news are inspiring and
gladdening. It infuses and strengthens pride
in all Hindus. The glory of Hindu Dharma
and its universal appeal is elegantly dis-
played through Hinduism Today. Thank
you once again and may God bless you
all to continue with your spiritual mission.
Sadhu Ishwarcharandas
Amdavad, India
∫ info@swaminarayan.org
Thanks for Hinduism Today
we are fortunate to have hinduism
Today through an unknown benefactor and
express our grateful thanks for this kind and
benevolent act. As a senior citizen, age 72,
serving as an honorary vice-president of an
educational institution, I find this great mag-
azine informing, educating and enlightening
me on Sanatana Dharma, the eternal values
of life. I am now able to talk to teachers and
students about Hinduism and its eternal and
perennial values, remove many misconcep-
tions they have about our customs and tradi-
tions and clear their doubts regarding the
myriad viewpoints of life—often seemingly
opposed and conflicting—encompassed and
embedded in this vast ocean of knowledge.
Pujya Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami is
guiding us all and showing that we can work
positively with other traditions and faiths
while holding firmly to our own denomina-
tion and spiritual path, uplifting the world
by the power of our own upliftment—the
way of the positive integrated development
of all mankind, of the world and nature.
Bhattu Ganesh Sharma
Bangalore, India
More Hindu Concepts in Movies
i enjoyed reading the article “hindu
Concepts in the Movies” (Jul/Aug/Sep, 2004).
However, I believe the author would see
many more similarities to Hindu concepts
if the scope was broadened beyond reincar-
12 h i n d u i s m t o d ay a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5
LETTERS
nation. For example, the idea of karma and
the battle against maya is thoroughly dem-
onstrated in “The Matrix” films. Beyond the
theme of reincarnation, “The Matrix” films
delve heavily into the topic of control of your
own karmic destiny and discovering the Di-
vine within yourself to battle the hordes of
demons without. Each film goes through a
cycle of confusion, discovery, rebirth, sac-
rifice and then death based on choice, not
nature. The main character, Neo, is set upon
his path via his guru(s), The Oracle and
Morpheus. Through their teachings, he is
able to learn that he is not flesh and blood
but rather a divine creature that has com-
plete creative control over his dream life. I
feel this is just one example among many. I
truly see a great trend in modern movies
that creates an aura of spirituality underly-
ing the basic plot and theme.
Adam Doty
Fort Collins, Colorado
∫ adam.doty@private-escapes.com
Are We Treating Priests Well?
recently while in bali, i had the good
fortune to be invited by a close Balinese
friend to a ceremony at his house. I was
deeply touched by the fatherly attitude of
the priest and the respect, reverence and
high esteem the devotees had for him. At
the end of the ceremony, when the priest
was given a tray full of fruits and some mon-
ey for his services, he took a token few fruits
and part of the money offered and told the
devotee to keep the rest for his family. He
also advised the devotee not to overspend
on ceremonies and to save some money for
his children’s future. This was a refreshing
experience for me, as many Hindu priests in
Malaysia depend on tips left by devotees to
make ends meet, owing to the meager sala-
ries paid to them by the temple committees.
Many of the priests are very knowledge-
able in Hinduism but very few of them give
talks to devotees on Hinduism. They prob-
ably suffer from low self-esteem due to their
poor economic status and do not feel up to
the task of preaching to devotees to whom
they look for tips. The temple committees
should probably spend less on extensive ren-
ovations and beautification of their temples
and raise the self-confidence, image and self-
esteem of our priests by paying them decent
salaries comparable to those paid to priests
of other religions. Such a move will certainly
perk up the flagging spirits of our priests
and help foster a mutually close and caring
bond between our priests and devotees. Per-
haps it is time for some soul-searching. Have
we lost some endearing values of Hinduism
that the Balinese have managed to retain?
Or has our brand of Hinduism always kept
priests at arm’s length from the devotees? If
so, it is time to change with changing times
by integrating them closely with society!
M. Ganeshadeva
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Rishikesh Temple Inauguration
we have received the jan/feb/mar
2005 issue of Hinduism Today with the
article about our Omkarananda Kamakshi-
Devi Mandir at Rishikesh. It is very beauti-
ful! We wish to thank you and your editors
for preparing such a nice report about the
temple’s mahakumbhabhishekam ceremony.
Swami Satchidananda
Rishikesh, India
∫ satchidananda@omkarananda-ashram.org
Cow Dung and Nuclear Radiation
in the oct/nov/dec 2004 issue the
article “Cow Dung’s Many Uses” explains the
role of cow dung and urine in Hindu rituals
and common practice in India. While I have
no qualm with any exposition on its uses, it
ends with the statement that “houses coated
in cow dung are insulated from…and even,
so they say, nuclear radiation.” Statements
of support can be found for many things;
while they may be an indicator of a gen-
eral belief, they are not scientific support
or refutation. You seem to imply that since
you haven’t found anyone who has tested
their claim that negates cow dung’s use as
a protection against nuclear radiation, it is
true. Unless you have a fundamental qualm
with how science and theory work, which
you may, one does not assume truth based
on a single piece of research. Instead, it is
supported by overwhelming experimenta-
tion that can be replicated under standard
conditions. Cow dung does not provide any
protection against nuclear radiation, and
adding something dubious not only detracts
from the real uses, it displays a disregard for
accuracy.
Vivek G. Sahani
New Brunswick, New Jersey
∫ sahani@rutgers.edu
Ending Religious Denigration
the article “the beginning of the
End of Christianity in Australia?” (HPI, De-
cember 23, 2004) is on a very sensitive and
interesting subject: what the religious say
about other faiths. I praise the Australian
law and the judge’s power of discrimination.
It is time, here in America also, for those
who feel strongly about their own chosen
religion to completely abandon vilifying
others’ chosen paths. Whether they are re-
ferred to as infidels, heathens, outcastes or
other disparaging terms, the effect is the
same—divisiveness and discouragement.
Even those who profess agnosticism and
atheism are often people with very fine
value systems that are a benefit to their so-
ciety and whose voices and opinions should
The majority of children in these homes are
Hindu. The poor, innocent Hindu children
a home where her mother was Hindu and
father was Buddhist. All the children were
be honored when offered in the spirit of are taught to despise Hindu Gods. They are strongly discouraged from learning, prac-
uplifting or even correcting their society. told that Hindu Gods are demons and that ticing or appreciating their one-half Hindu
It is time to see the beauty, sacredness and some of them are holding weapons. They are origins—they were, in effect, “raised in the
utility of all approaches that attempt to further told that Hindus are stupid to pray religious life and culture of only one of the
uplift and help each individual while help- to images of stone and metal or to pictures parents,” as Ms. Verwey recommends. The
ing the society as a whole. Chauvinism is a of Gods. Parents are oblivious to this threat, result of this myopia? None of them be-
concept whose time is long, long past. It is as they are happy that the burden of rais- came strong Buddhists, and except for my
time for constructive, rather than destruc- ing their children is in the safe hands that wife, none embraced or learned of the rich-
tive, speech about the world’s religious and promise to turn their children into success- ness of their mother’s tradition. They only
ethical practitioners. ful youth. The little children are not allowed knew half of their heritage and mourned
Martin Wolff to pray to Hindu Gods; instead they attend for the missed opportunity to experience
New Milford, New Jersey Christian religious indoctrination. I know the second of their two ethnic and religious
∫ vedantin@aol.com that what I report is true because I have spo- worlds. I’m happy to see my nephews grow-
ken to these children myself. So, conversion ing up feeling comfortable and knowledge-
Beware of Welfare Homes in Malaysia is raging on under the disguise able whether in a mosque, temple or church.
being an avid reader of hinduism to- of orphanages. The Malaysia Hindu Sangam They don’t feel confused or unbelonging, but
day since its inception in 1979, I am very should take note of this serious situation and comfortably shift between religions as easily
pleased to state that I am now a better Hin- take necessary action to protect our great re- as changing from Tamil to English to Sin-
du. Many, many years ago, when informa- ligion from shadowy Christian organizations hala to Arabic, depending on which family
tion was scarce and there was hardly any that are actually instruments of conversion. member they are addressing. And one won’t
religious education on Hinduism, I used to K. Thuruvan find any religious intolerance in them.
feel very frustrated. But today, with knowl- Seremban, Malaysia Kailash Dhaksinamurthi
edge derived from reading Hinduism To- Minneapolis, Minnesota
day, I stand tall with my head high. I love Growing Up Mixed Up ∫ kailash@searchbeyond.com
reading the “Letters” column where views of jennifer verwey’s experiences of
readers all over the world are expressed. My growing up in an ethnically and religiously Letters with writer’s name, address and day-
humble request is that Hinduism Today al- mixed familiy (“Growing Up Mixed Up,” time phone number, should be sent to:
Letters, Hinduism Today
locate more space for letters, which will mean Jan/Feb/Mar, 2005) may be more endemic 107 Kaholalele Road
that more letters are published. to Western liberalism and an absence of Kapaa, Hawaii, 96746-9304 USA
Your article “Solidarity in Diversity” (Jan/ cultural diversity in her childhood neigh- or faxed to: (808) 822-4351
Feb/Mar, 2005) states that conversion is ef- borhood than a weakness in religious diver- or e-mailed to: letters@hindu.org
fectively contained in Malaysia through soli- sity training. I’ve personally witnessed as Letters may be edited for space and clarity
darity with the help of the Malaysia Hindu many people wounded by sectarianism and and may appear in electronic versions of
Sangam. There are numerous welfare homes parochialism as distressed by pan-religious Hinduism Today.
and orphanages run by Christian bodies. insecurities. My wife grew up Buddhist in ∫ indicates letters received via e-mail
“The Best Gift I Could Give Him”
Offering the Young a Lifetime of Dharma
ecently dr. nigel subramaniam and it soothes and comforts every
Siva, a Principal Engineer at Sparta, Inc., time. I also chose to give him this as a
Maryland, USA, offered his son, Henry way of helping Hinduism Today and
Ragavan Siva, a lifetime subscription to doing good for the world.” Sharing the heritage: Dr. and Mrs.
Hinduism Today. We asked him why he was We encourage all our readers to Subramaniam Siva with their son,
doing it. “It’s the best gift I could give him!” he make such a gift to a young person Henry Ragavan, at the Murugan Temple
said. “Modern life tends to blur and distance who will receive Hinduism Today in Lanham, Maryland, USA
us from our heritage. Hinduism Today recon- wherever in the world he or she may
nects us. And it’s a refuge from the turbulence live for a lifetime. It is a fine financial time Fund of Hindu Heritage Endow-
of karma and life in this world. I reread old is- investment. But it is an even more ment. Grants support the costs of each
sues, especially the editorials; they always have potent investment in the beneficiary’s subscription and further strengthen
wisdom to give. They are powerful, there is education, well-being and happiness. Hinduism Today in other ways. A
prana in them, parampara power in them. And Hinduism Today has published con- donation for a lifetime subscription of-
I just want my son to share in that heritage. It tinuously for 26 years now, and the fered as a gift is fully tax deductible in
helps to see life in a different way, in a way that various Hindu Heritage Endowment the USA.
makes a positive difference rather than sitting funds in its name guarantee its exis- www.hinduismtoday.org
around and worrying. It brings out issues that tence far into the future. The lifetime www.hheonline.org/ht/plannedgiving/
nobody talks about but touch everyone, such subscription donation of US$1,001 is 808-822-3012, ext 244
as anger and child abuse. I share them around, placed into the Hinduism Today Life- hhe@hindu.org
a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 13
 DID YOU KNOW?

“It’s better to see God in everything India Was Once the Richest Country in the World
than to try to figure it all out.” ccording to econo-
mist Angus Maddison in
classes. Consequently, the
economy produced a fabulous
Neem Karoli Baba (ca 1900-1973), North Indian sadhu mystic The World Economy: financial surplus.”
A Millennial Perspective, the From the early eighteenth
region that today comprises until the beginning of the
With the coming of the tsunami, we have ent brings the mid-morning snack for the Sri Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950), the Indian subcontinent held nineteenth century, when
realized the limitations of human effort. In children. Chidambaram soon observes that South Indian mystic the largest share of the world’s India enjoyed a 24.4 percent
the face of something like this, even sci- some of the kids eat things that he and his gross domestic product until share of the world’s gross
ence is rendered helpless. Only God’s grace family do not, such as meat and eggs. Sens- Upon dying, a man is greeted on the other the beginning of the sixteenth domestic product (see table,
can help us. This is a time to invoke love ing the importance of vegetarianism in his side by Lord Yama, who immediately be- century, when it was rivaled right), economic historian
and compassion in our hearts and to work life, he takes it upon himself to find out gins helping him determine his next step by China, and then again Paul Bairoch confirms, the

with our hands. Mata Amritanandamayi
Ma, Kerala-based hugging saint who
pledged us$22 million for relief
“The atman in you is that which
indwells all things.” “Tell me,
Yajnavalkya, about this atman
that indwells all things.” “It is that
which transcends hunger and thirst,
sorrow and delusion, old age and
exactly what’s in the snack each day. One
day, Chidambaram’s mother and grand-
mother take him to lunch at a Mexican res-
in the inner worlds. Lord Yama says, “Your
karmic record is not clear to me. Is there
something exceptional you have done that I
should know about?” The man re-
sponded, “I was walking down the
street with my wife. Several thugs
drove up on mopeds and insulted
her. I walked over to the leader,
reached up, ripped the earring
out of his ear, grabbed him by the
throughout most of the eigh-
teenth century.
At the end of the sixteenth
century, India’s great wealth
sustained a population of
more than one hundred mil-
lion people. In “India, the
Silicon Jewel of the East”
(Digital Journal, May 13,
2004), Paul William Roberts
dinodia
region enjoyed a 25 percent
share of the global trade in
textiles. It was the world’s Opulence: An elephant ambles with attendants in raja-style attire
leading manufacturer of near the Jal Mahal, a pleasure spot of the royal family of Jaipur
handicrafts and handloom
textiles. Bairoch writes, “More Gross Domestic Product in Millions of Dollars
important, there was a large
commercialized sector with YEAR 1000 1500 1600 1700
a highly sophisticated market
India 33.8 60.5 74.3 90.8
and credit structure, manned

angus maddison
death.” Brihadaranyaka Upanishad throat and told him, ‘That’s no way states, “There was an abun- by a skilful and in many China 26.6 61.8 96.0 82.8
III, 5A to speak to a lady!’” “Impressive,” dance of arable land, and the instances very wealthy com-
mercial class.” Paul William
Western Europe 10.2 44.3 66.0 83.4
Yama said. “When did this happen?” state of Indian agriculture
Make sure you work in return for The man replied, “Oh, a couple of compared favorably with any Roberts adds, “Methods of WORLD TOTAL 116.8 247.1 329.4 371.4
the disaster relief you are getting, minutes ago.” of the Western European production and of industrial
for I do not want my countrymen countries. Right down to the and commercial organization brokers and middlemen. Its bling evidence on changes in
to become beggars. Mahatma Gan- Those from a religious background subsistence-oriented peasant, could stand comparison with bills of exchange were hon- population, retaining the 1990
© mike baldwin/cornered

dhi (1869-1948), following a 1934
earthquake in Bihar in which more
than 10,000 people died
To the growing soul, to the spirit
within us, may not difficulties,
obstacles, attacks be a means of
growth, added strength, enlarged
experience, training for spiritual
Let’s try to do this without anyone getting hurt.”
victory? The arrangement of things
may be that, and not a mere question of
the pounds, shillings and pence of a dis-
tribution of rewards and retributory mis-
fortunes! Sri Aurobindo Ghose (1872-1950),
Indian philosopher speaking on karma
and disasters
who believe that “There is only everyone saw a good return those in vogue in any other ored in all the major cities of international dollar as the
one life and when it’s over, it’s over” on land and labor. There was part of the world. India had Asia.” temporal and spatial anchor
generally cry and have a very un- a large and vigorous skilled developed an indigenous Maddison studied numerous in the estimation of move-
happy time over the departure of workforce turning out not just banking system. Merchant sources and derived historical ments in GDP and per capita
a loved one. This is very disturbing cotton but luxury items for capital had emerged with an world gross domestic prod- GDP, and filling holes in the
to the loved one from where they the barons, courts and ruling elaborate network of agents, uct (GDP) totals by assem- evidence with proxy estimates.
are in the inner world wonder-
“I’m your waiter and a vegetarian. ing, “Why the grief?” Because they
are fine. They are happy, and they
are free of a lot of karmas, a lot of Truthfulness 294: One who lives by truth truthfulness alone can
taurant as a special treat. Chidambaram’s worries, a lot of conflict, ready to start a in his own heart truly lives purify the mind.
grandmother reads the menu to him and new life. Those with a pure Asian religious Tirukural 291: What is in the hearts of all people.
suggests, “Perhaps you’d like the Kiddy En- background, who understand reincarnation, truthfulness? It is speak- 299: Not all lamps give
chilada?” Little Chidambaram looks at his dharma, karma and the existence of God ing words which are totally 297: Not lying, and merely light. The lamp of not-lying
mother in horror and exclaims with author- everywhere, will smile contentedly and free from harmful effects. not lying, is beneficial for is the learned man’s light.
ity, “We don’t eat kitties!” By Valli Sendan, say to themselves, “What a wonderful life those who cannot or will
his grandmother the departed had!” and be joyous in the 293: Let one not speak as not practice other virtues. 300: Among all great truths
a. manivel

A three-year-old boy named Chidambaram, new world that the departed loved one is true what he knows to be we have ever beheld, not a
living in the United States, attends a parent Just as a big banyan tree sprouts from a now experiencing. Satguru Sivaya Subra- false, for his conscience will 298: Water is sufficient single one rivals the good-
co-op nursery school several days a week tiny seed, so the wide universe with names muniyaswami (1927-2001), founder of burn him when he has lied. to cleanse the body, but ness of telling the truth.
with his mother. Each day a different par- and forms sprouts forth from the heart. Hinduism Today

14 h i n d u i s m t o d ay a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 15
 FROM THE VEDAS

One God, Many Functions

The Svetasvatara Upanishad elucidates the nature of the Supreme Being
econciling the co-reality of a single The Supreme Godhead, depicted as a three-
Supreme Being and of a multitude of faced, single Being, creating (left), preserving
worshipful Gods continues to be a (right) and destroying (center).
challenge. Imagery of Brahma,
Vishnu and Siva performing the acts of lished in Heaven, by Him, the Person, is
creation, preservation and destruction this whole universe filled.
as three separate beings has wrought That which is beyond this world
confusion for elementary school is without form and without suffer-
children, all the way up to Internet ing. Those who know that become
forums where Western academics immortal, but others go only to
pontificate on Hindu polytheism- sorrow.
monotheisim-henotheism, while He who is in the faces, heads and
missing the point altogether, which necks of all, who dwells in the cave
is: all of the above are true. There is (of the heart) of all beings, who is
only one Supreme Being, Who cre- all-pervading, He is the Lord and
ates preserves and destroys. There therefore the omnipresent Siva.
are also many great Mahadevas who That person indeed is the great
are not mere diverse mental projec- lord, the impeller of the highest be-
tions of the Supreme, but who are real ing. Reaching the purest attainment,
Purushas, Persons, living in the causal the ruler, the imperishable light.

SWE R QUEST ION S ABOU T

plane, as souls, as real as you or I. Let us A person of the measure of a thumb is
T O A N refer to our Vedas on the matter: the inner self, ever dwelling in the heart of

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which thou holdest in thy hand to throw. O Protector of the moun-

tain, injure not man or beast. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan (1888-1975), born in Tamil Nadu, world-
C onquer that shyne ss with the colorf ul, practical bookle ts produced by Higher than this is Brahman, the supreme, the great hidden in
all creatures according to their bodies, the one who envelopes the
renowned philosopher, statesman and President of India, was a
gifted and prolific commentator on Hindu philosophy.
universe, knowing Him, (men) become immortal.
CA
TI O HINDUISM TODAY. They prov ide good answers to just abou t any que stion I know the Supreme Person of sunlike color (luster) beyond the
U darkness. Only by knowing Him does one pass over death. There The Vedas are the divinely revealed and most revered scriptures, sruti, of
N

Hinduism, likened to the Torah (1,200 bce), Bible New Testament (100 ce),
ED

you might encounter. Now available as reprints. To order, v isit

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is no other path for going there. Koran (630 ce) or Zend Avesta (600 bce). Four in number, Rig, Yajur, Sama
Than whom there is naught else higher, than whom there is and Atharva, the Vedas include over 100,000 verses. Oldest portions may date
nought smaller, naught greater, (the) one stands like a tree estab- back as far as 6,000 BCE.
N
w w w.himalayanacademy.com/te achingtools/ or call 1-800-890-1008.
S
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SI T
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a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 17
 S P E C I A L F E AT U R E

Inside
Inside Ujjain,
Ujjain,
Siva’s
Siva’s City
City
U
jjain is one of the seven cities of
India said to grant pilgrims liberation
from rebirth. It is today a bit off the
beaten path—60 kilometers from the nearest
airport, for example. But in ancient times it
sat at the crossroads of India as a key politi-
cal, military, economic, literary and scientific
center. One of our calendars, the Vikram era,
began when the warrior king Vikramaditya
repulsed an invasion of Ujjain. Among the
“nine gems” of his court were Kalidasa, argu-
ably the greatest Sanskrit poet and drama-
tist, and the astrologer and mathematician
Varahamihira. Today, Ujjain remains great in
religious terms, one of the four sites for the
Kumbha Mela, and site of the temple of the
great Lord of Time, Siva, Mahakaleshwara.
Hinduism Today’s team of journalist Rajiv
Malik and photographer Thomas Kelly ex-
plored Ujjain while covering the April, 2004,
Kumbha Mela attended by 30 million pilgrims
over a ten-day period. This is their story.

Mahakal: Ujjain’s famed temple to God Siva

as Lord of Time rises majestically behind
the temple tank; (right) closed-circuit TV
shot of the early morning bath of the Siva
Lingam with sacred ash, a special obser-
vance of the temple; (far right) King Vikra-
maditya ruled from Ujjain in ancient times

a l l p h o t o s t h o m a s k e l ly
18 h i n d u i s m t o d ay a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 19
Rajiv and Thomas spent ten days in Ujjain
during their coverage of the Kumbha Mela,
as recounted in the October, 2004, issue. For
this report, we pick up their narrative as
they set about exploring the city, beginning
with a visit to the place Lord Krishna was
educated as a youth 5,300 years ago. They
proceeded on from there to the temple dedi-
cated to the planet Mars, then to the liquor-
drinking Deity of the Kal Bhairav temple.
Another day’s exploration takes them to the
Gadhkalika Goddess Temple, associated
with Kalidas, and then Bhartrihari’s Caves,
sacred to the Natha Sampradaya tradition.
The high point of their pilgrimage comes
with two visits to the Mahakal Temple, cul-
minating in the unique early morning wor-
ship of the Siva Lingam with sacred ash.

B Y R AJIV M ALIK , D ELHI

e got our first chance to
explore the holy sites of Ujjain
on April 21, 2004, our third
day at the Mela, when we went
to the Maharishi Sandipani Ash-
ram in the Ankpaat area. Here in ancient
times Lord Krishna came to study with his
brother Balaram and friend Sudama. This
is one of the most popular and significant
places in the city, and there was a crush
of pilgrims. Roopam Vyas, a young priest
who manages the temple where the icons GARLAND MAKING
GARLAND IN THE
MAKING IN TEMPLE COURTYARD
THE TEMPLE COURTYARD
of Maharishi Sandipani and the trio, Lord
Krishna, Balaram and Sudama, are kept, Ujjain is known as a city where
told us that fifty thousand to one hundred people take time to prepare for sects. Ujjain was a prominent center Pawan explained, “Kal Bhairav is wor-
thousand people were visiting the place ev- for these two traditions. Even today shiped in three ways—sattvic, rajasic and
ery day during the Mela, while normal daily worship, as are these two devotees, liquor is offered as a part of the ritual tamasic. In the sattvic (pure) worship, flow-
attendance is in the thousands. Roopam weaving garlands for their offering to Kal Bhairava. We came to know ers and fruits are offered. In the rajasic
and his family are descendents of Mahari- baskets outside a temple. that beautiful paintings in the Malwa (passionate), ornaments of gold are offered
shi Sandipani, able to trace their family tree style once decorated the temple walls, to him and in the tamasic (dark or dense),
back 2,000 years. The Mangalnath Temple (left) is a but only traces are visible now. The Bhairava is offered liquor. On normal days
a l l p h o t o s t h o m a s k e l ly

“Lord Krishna,” Roopam said, “came here
at age 11. He learned the 64 arts and 14
streams of knowledge in a disciplined and
humble manner. Today, parents whose chil-
dren are slow learners come here for the
patti puja (worship blessing the slate, patti,
upon which children learn to write). It has
special meaning done at this place where
Lord Krishna studied as a child. Our whole
family is dedicated to the maintenance of
this ashram. Without our help, devotees
and pilgrims would have a lot of problem
worshiping. The vibrations of this place are
so powerful that we remain in the bhava
(ecstatic devotion) of Krishna all the time.
This happens automatically. We do not have
to make any effort to be in such a state of
consciousness. So we keep chanting ‘Radhe
Radhe’ (the name of Krishna’s consort) all
the time.”
From Sandipani Ashram we moved to
Mangalnath Temple where again a large
rush of pilgrims was waiting, despite the
hot weather, in long serpentine queues. Our
Kumbha Mela press passes came in handy
OFFERINGS MADE NEAR MANGALNATH TEMPLE
at all these places. At Mangalnath Temple and the demon Andhkasur. As a result of
we bypassed the long queue of pilgrims and that battle, which involved the planet Man-
spoke to one of the priests, Pandit Diptesh gal (Mars), a Siva Lingam formed at the
Dubey, a young man like Roopam Vyas. place where the temple is now. He said, “All
At most temples in Ujjain I came across a over the world this is the only place where
young generation of priests who were per- Lord Mangal appeared. A special worship
sonable, soft spoken and knowledgeable. It ceremony offering curd and rice is per-
was a pleasant experience to interact with formed here for people who have an inauspi-
them. Diptesh said two to three hundred cious placement of Mars in their birth chart
thousand people were visiting the temple (Mangal dosha, or Mars affliction). Mangal
daily during the Mela. planet is also known for blessing couples
Diptesh recounted the magical origin of with a child. For childless couples we wor-
the temple in a battle between Lord Siva ship a left-handed swastika symbol. When
Siva Lingam temple with a special
connection to Mangal, the planet
Mars. Devotees prepare offerings of
marigolds in baskets as part of their
sacred bath in the Sipra River which
flows past the temple.
the couple is blessed with a child, they
come back and worship the right-handed
swastika symbol.”
Two days later, on the 23rd, we set out
for the ancient Kal Bhairava temple. The
worship of the eight Bhairavas, fearsome
attendants to Lord Siva, is a part of Saivite
tradition, and the chief among them is
Kal Bhairava. Located on the banks of the
Shipra and built by King Bhadrasen, the
temple finds mention in the Skanda Purana.
Worship of Kal Bhairava is believed to have
been integral to the Kapalika and Aghora
village of Bhairagarh, famous for its around two-hundred-fifty bottles are of-
block printing on fabric, takes its fered. During the Mela, the number goes as
name from this temple and is located high as one thousand bottles per day, as up to
nearby. 400,000 pilgrims may come in a day. When
Thousands of pilgrims and devotees the liquor is offered to the ancient stone idol
were there in a long queue waiting of Bhairava, a tantrik mantra is chanted by
their turn for worship of Kal Bhairav. us. The liquor disappears, and no one knows
Here we came across a young priest, where the liquor goes. Pawan said research-
Pawan Chaturvedi, who is attached to ers are amazed at the consumption of thou-
Kal Bhairav Temple. He took us inside sands of bottles of liquor by the Kal Bhairav.
the main chamber where the statue It is only Bhairav Ji who is worshipped in
of Kal Bhairav stands and gave us the all the three ways, most days the worship is
opportunity to shoot pictures from a very done in sattvic and rajasic ways only.”
close distance. Before taking us inside, he Devotees are supposed to come to this
made us wait for some devotee to come with temple first, before going to the Mahakalesh-
a liquor bottle as offering so that we could war temple, according to Pawan. “That is
photograph Kal Bhairav consuming the li- because Mahakaleshwar, Lord Siva, is the
quor. We did see it quickly disappearing as king, and Bhairava is the head of Lord
soon as it was placed near the lips of Kal Siva’s army, whose permission is needed to
Bhairav. The phenomenon defies any scien- meet the king.” As with the Mahakaleshwar
tific or logical explanation. Pawan said liquor Temple, the royal Scindia family helped give
offerings had been made for the past 5,600 the temple its present look and stature. “Our
years—perhaps plausible enough given that family has been serving this temple for the
distillation of liquor can be traced to 2500 last sixteen hundred years, of which we have
bce in India. record of eight generations. Only priests in

20 h i n d u i s m t o d ay a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 21
 The great poet Kalidas was one of
the “nine gems” of the court of King
Vikramaditya over 2,000 years ago.
His poetry and dramas remain widely
admired. The Kalidasa Akademi,
under the direction of Dr. Kamlesh
Datta Tripathi (far left), is intended to
project the genius of the entire classical
tradition, with Kalidas as the apex.

The family of Sri Vijay Guru (left) has

served as priests of Mahakal Temple
since ancient times. They work in
shifts through a busy schedule of
worship that starts at 2:30am and
ends at 11:30 at night in service of
hundreds of thousands of devotees.

HEAD
HEAD
PRIEST
PRIEST
OF UJJAIN’S
OF UJJAIN’S
FAMED
FAMED
MAHAKALESHWARA
MAHAKALESHWARA
TEMPLE
TEMPLE

DR. KAMLESH DATTA TRIPATHI, DIRECTOR, KALIDASA AKADEMI, UJJAIN
this lineage are allowed to perform the wor-
ship here,” stated Pawan.
Gadhkalika Temple: From Kal Bhairav
Temple we moved to Gadhkalika Temple,
situated two miles from the present town.
Though here also there was a constant flow
of pilgrims, there were no long lines. The
Deity at Gadhkalika, a form of Goddess Kali,
was worshipped by Kalidasa in olden times.
Legend states that he was an idiot, but by
his devotion to the Goddess he was trans-
formed into a great literary genius. We were
also told by the priest that Emperor Harsh-
vardhan renovated the temple in the 7th
century. There is further evidence of renova-
tion being done during the Paramara period.
In modern times it was rebuilt by the erst-
while Gwalior State. Here also the temple
priests were accommodating and allowed
Thomas to take the pictures from wherever
he wanted, even from near the Deity where
normally only priests are allowed to go.
According to priest Manohar Nath Pujari,
the temple is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths,
a specific set of temples dedicated to the
Goddess in India. “This is a great center for
tantra. All the tantrics who come to Ujjain
during the Mela worship the Goddess here.
Due to the Mela, fifty to one hundred thou-
sand people visit the temple every day. This
temple has been managed by the Natha
Sampradaya for the past ten generations.
Because it is a huge place, pilgrims have no
problem in having the darshan (sight) of the
Deity. For nine days during the Mela we in-
vite the Nathas to come and manage the wor-
ship. Whatever offering is collected at the
temple during these nine days is also given
to the Sampradaya so that all their saints who
come here during the Mela can be served
food and looked after in a good manner.”
Bhartrihari’s Caves: Just above the bank
of the Shipra near the temple of Gadhka-
lika are the caves of Bhartrihari. Here also
there was a big rush of pilgrims. According
to popular tradition, this is the spot where
Bhartrihari, the step-brother of King Vikra-
maditya, lived and meditated after renounc-
ing worldly life. Everyone in Ujjain narrates
how he became a saint after coming to know
that his extremely beautiful wife, whom he
loved so much, was unfaithful to him. Bhar-
trihari is revered as a great scholar and poet.
His famous works Shringarshatak, Vai-
ragyashatak and Nitishatak are known for
their exquisite use of the Sanskrit language.
Bhartrihari was a disciple of Guru Gorak-
shanatha, a historical figure and a disciple
of Guru Matsyendranatha. His yogic system
is perhaps the most prominent in India. An
innumerable number of yogis constitute the
line of Guru Gorakshanatha, whose impact,
especially on medieval literature and spiri-
tual practices, is impossible to overestimate.
Near the Bhartrihari Caves is the final rest-
ing place of Guru Matsyendranatha.
I saw people running towards the Bhar-
trihari Caves. Even children and old people
were running. I thought this to be something
rather unusual and mysterious. I understood
the secret behind it only when I removed
my shoes and stepped barefoot on the floor.
Then I started running myself, because the
pavement was so hot from the sun that you
just could not walk on it without burning
the soles of your feet!
All around the caves were huge tents in
which Natha sadhus were camping. As we
approached, most were sitting around their
dhunis (ritual fires). These sadhus wear
very heavy earrings as their special trade
mark. They are permanent residents, not
here just for the Mela as most of the other
sadhus. We recounted our experience with
these sadhus in the Kumbha Mela article in
October, 2004, issue. Only the Datta Akhara
order of sadhus has a larger permanent pres-
ence in Ujjain.
Mahakal Temple: It wasn’t until the 26th
that we got our first chance to visit the
Mahakal Temple. A comprehensive website
on the city of Ujjain, www.ujjain.nic.in/mp-
districtsroot.htm, poetically describes the
temple: “The presiding Deity of Time, Siva,
in all His splendor, reigns eternal in Ujjain.
The temple of Mahakaleshwar, its shikhara
(central tower) soaring into the skies, an
imposing façade against the skyline, evokes
primordial awe and reverence with its maj-
esty. The Mahakal dominates the life of the
city and its people, even in the midst of the
busy routine of modern preoccupations,
and provides an unbreakable link with past
traditions. One of the 12 Jyotir Lingams
in India, the Lingam at the Mahakal is
believed to be svayambhu (born of itself),
deriving currents of power (shakti) from
within itself as against the other images
and Lingams which are ritually established
and invested with power through mantras.
The icon of Mahakaleshwar is known to
be Dakshinamurti, facing the South. This
is a unique feature, upheld by tantric tra-
dition, to be found only in Mahakaleshwar
among the 12 Jyotir Lingams. The icon of
Omkareshwar Siva is consecrated in the
sanctum above the Mahakal shrine. The im-
ages of Ganesh, Parvati and Karttikeya are
installed in the west, north and east of the
sanctum sanctorum. To the south is the im-
age of Nandi. On the day of Mahashivaratri,
a huge fair is held near the temple, and wor-
ship goes on through the night.”
Thomas and I very much looked forward
to our visit and the opportunity to attend
the famed Bashma Aarati, worship of the
Siva Lingam with holy ash.
While there were large queues of devo-
tees and pilgrims at the temple, we entered
through a VIP entrance and within min-
utes we were in front of the Mahakal Siva
Lingam. Just the sight of the Siva Lingam
is elevating. While one senior sadhu was al-
lowed to go inside the sanctum sanctorum,
Thomas, myself and a few others, including
two sadhus accompanying us, were only al-
lowed to have the darshan of Mahakal from
a distance of 25 to 30 feet. After darshan
of Mahakal, we proceeded to the small and
compact chamber of priest Vijay Guru and
interviewed him there.
Temple lore: Vijay Guru explained to
us that the history of the worship here
goes back to earlier yugas. There are four
yugas in the Hindu system, each many
thousands of years long. They are the Sat,
Treta, Dwapara and Kali. Presently we are
in the Kali yuga. Vijay Guru said that in
the Sat and Treta yugas, the temple’s Siva
Lingam was worshiped with ashes from
the cremation of God-Realized yogis who
had left their bodies through the power of
mantras. Nowadays there are none who so
left their bodies, so this practice is not fol-
lowed. Today the ash used for the worship
is cow dung burnt in the sacred fire. It is
known as bhasma or vibuthi. Several people
in Ujjain told us that cremation ash is used,

22 h i n d u i s m t o d ay a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 23
 Bhasma Aarati is the most famous
of all rituals at the Mahakal Temple.
a l l p h o t o s t h o m a s k e l ly

It begins at 2:30 am every day with

the ceremonial opening of the
inner sanctum. In addition to the
normal offerings, the Siva Lingam is
bathed in holy ash, then decorated
and worshiped. Thousands of
pilgrims in Ujjain for the Kumbha
Mela streamed through the
THE SIVA
THE SIVA
LINGAM
LINGAM
OF MAHAKAL
OF MAHAKAL
TEMPLE
TEMPLE
IS COVERED
IS COVERED
WITHWITH
HOLYHOLY
ASH ASH
(LEFT),
(LEFT),
THENTHEN
WORSHIPPED
WORSHIPPED
WITHWITH
CAMPHOR
CAMPHOR
LAMPS
LAMPS temple constantly during the early
morning.
but Vijay Guru said this is not so. In fact, he God resides. That portion opens just once Temple and to Vaishnavas because Lord
said, “A clarification on this was finally giv- a year and the worship is done by sadhus Krishna was educated here. In the Surya
en when the people belonging to Congress of the Mahanirvani Akhara. The temple Siddhanta, the oldest scripture on astrol-
Party came to offer the ashes of Mahatma was built originally by King Vikramaditya ogy, Ujjain was the zero meridian for time,
Gandhi, after his death, for the Bhasma but renovated by many kings since. It was as is Greenwich today. “The university Lord
Aarti of Mahakal. To deal with this situation destroyed, along with the rest of Ujjain’s Krishna attended had over ten thousand stu-
a shastrartha [a dialogue] was held among temples, in 1235 ce by the Delhi Sul- dents,” he said. “Ujjain was a center of edu-
the scholar priests. The decision was clearly tan Shamsuddin Iltutmish. In the recent cation more than 5,000 years ago.” He, too,
conveyed that it was not possible to use the past, one of the scions of Gwalior Estate, had magical stories to recount. “We Hindus
ash of any dead body for the worship in the Shri Ram Chander Ji, did the renovation.” believe there are eight people who are im-
present times. It would be a crime to offer After this first visit to the temple, we met a mortal, including Lord Hanuman and Ash-
the ashes of any individual or leader for the prominent personality of Ujjain, the astrolo- wathama, who figures in the Mahabharata A devotee rings the bell at the
purpose of Bhasma Aarti.” ger and Vedic scholar Pandit Anand Shankar War. Our grandfather used to sleep outside Gadhkalika temple. The Deity
“For generations we have been serving Vyas. Pandit lives in a joint family of around the temple so as to attend the Bhasma wor- is a form of Goddess Parvati. It
Mahakal,” said Vijay Guru. “Our record of forty members in their ancestral home a ship. Many times, an hour before the doors is said that the great Sanskrit
service is 5,000 years old. We have letters few feet from Mahakal Temple. Pandit took were to open at 4:00 am, he used to hear poet and dramatist Kalidas
of several kings who wrote that as long as us to the Bade Ganesh Ka Mandir, which the sound of someone walking in wooden
this creation exists, our lineage will keep was built and maintained by his ancestors. sandals. This person would go to the temple achieved his literary genius
doing the service of Mahakal. There are This temple has a huge artistic sculpture tank, collect water in a earthen pot, return by worship of the Goddess.
sixteen brahmin families in the temple’s of Ganesh, the son of Siva. An icon of this to the temple and enter the sanctum. He
service. Around 80 serve on a rotating basis. size and beauty is rarely found. The middle tried to see who it was through the window,
Those who do the Bhashma worship in the of the temple is adorned by an icon of the but all he could see was someone well built,
morning are on duty till noon, and like that five-faced Hanuman. The temple was full of who he took to be Ashwathama offering his
through the day and evening.” pilgrims and devotees when we visited it in prayers to Mahakal.”
“The temple has been built in three parts,” the evening. Continuing, Punditji said, “Lord Siva is
said Vijay Guru. “Below is Mahakalesh- Punditji is quite a repository of informa- the creator of Natya Shastra, the foremost
war. In the middle portion above is Om- tion on Ujjain. He recounted how the city scripture on dance and drama. There was
kareshwar and in the uppermost portion is is sacred to Saivas because of the Mahakal a time when the worship here included mu-
the Nag Chandereshwar where the Snake Temple, to Shaktas because of Siddhi Devi sic and dance. During the rule of Gwalior RINGING THE BELL AT GADHKALIKA TEMPLE
24 h i n d u i s m t o d ay a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 25
 THE SNAKE-ENCIRCLED SIVA LINGAM OF MANGALNATH TEMPLE
State, they had arranged for a dancer when
Mahakal is paraded round the city. A dancer
also used to perform during the worship at
Mahakal in ancient times. In his famous
poem, “Meghadoot” (“Cloud Messenger”),
Kalidasa has given an elaborate description
of Mahakal. Kalidasa tells the cloud, whom
he has implored to take a message to his
wife, to go to Ujjain even though it is off the
route to his home. He asks the cloud to stay
at night at the Mahakal and see the female
dancer performing her dance during the
evening worship and listen to the sound of
various musical instruments.”
Astute observations: Turning to practi-
cal matters, Punditji said, “I am a member
of the managing committee of the Mahakal
Temple and the committee is doing a good
job. From a religious angle if some guidance
a l l p h o t o s t h o m a s k e l ly
The Mangalnath Temple is associated with the planet Mars. Those with
poor placement of Mars in their horoscope do special worship here. Also a
ceremony is done here for childless couples to be blessed with offspring.
Kal Bhairav is considered the leader of Siva’s celestial armies. He is
worshipped in this temple in three fashions, sattvic, rajasic and tamasic. In
the tamasic or lowest form of worship, devotees offer bottles of liquor which
are poured into the Deity’s mouth, and the liquor disappears. The temple has
a powerful spiritual vibration to it and most pilgrims to Ujjain will come here
prior to going to Mahakal Temple.
26 h i n d u i s m t o d ay a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5
is to be sought it is taken from me. One of
the committee members is a professor with
the Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya and another
member is a priest at the temple. History
has it that at one point of time Mahakal was
destroyed by the Muslims. It was the erst-
while Scindia royal family that reestablished
the temple in the 19th century. The Jyotir
Lingam was found inside the Koti Teerth
Kund [reservoir] adjacent to the temple.
“Now there are two schools of thought on
preserving the ancient heritage/temples in
our country. There is a set of people who
are of the view that the ancient archeology
should be preserved as it is and should not
be disturbed. But I and many others feel
that the popular ancient places of worship
need to be expanded in terms of infrastruc-
ture. To that extent their originality may not
be maintained. I think this is a fairly rea-
sonable and practical approach. We must
have a liberal viewpoint in this regard. We
should preserve the principles of the Shilpa
Shastras, scriptures on temple architecture,
upon which the temple was built. At the
same time we should be able to expand it
for the convenience of the pilgrims.”
He also clarified a confusion which comes
up with regard to the Kumbha Mela. The
timing of the Mela is based upon the po-
sition of Jupiter, so is usually held every
twelve years. “But every year, in the circle
of the Sun and Jupiter, there is a difference
of four days, which in 84 years accumulates
to one year. Therefore, once in 84 years, the
gap between the Melas needs to be 11 years
instead of twelve. This effects the Melas at
Haridwar, Nashik and Prayag also.”
PRIESTS
PRIESTS
AT THE
AT THE
KAL BHAIRAV
KAL BHAIRAV
TEMPLE
TEMPLE
PERFORM
PERFORM
Punditji is not happy with the education
of priests today. “Priests are not paying at-
tention to their education. They are not as
scholarly as they should be. This is not just
confined to Ujjain, but is found all over. I pil-
grimaged to Badrinath Temple and engaged
a priest to conduct worship on my behalf.
But I found that his knowledge was not that
good. Even his pronunciation was incorrect.
Ultimately, I had to politely request him to
allow me to do the worship myself.”
Finally, Punditji lamented, “Hinduism, I
regret to say, has become an orphan reli-
gion. There is no one to speak on behalf of
Hinduism. When it comes to Islam, the Ka-
zis preach it. Gurudwaras impart education
about their religion to the Sikhs. Christians
are given education about their religion by
their churches. But where is the education
WORSHIP
WORSHIP
FOR FOR
DEVOTEE
DEVOTEE
 YOUNG
YOUNG
PRIESTS
PRIESTS
ANDAND
SADHUS NEARNEAR
SADHUS THE OPEN
THE OPEN
WATER
WATER
TANKTANK
BESIDE
BESIDE
MAHAKAL
MAHAKAL
TEMPLE
TEMPLE

about Hinduism being given to Hindus? In

the past we had school textbooks which had
a lesson on Pandavas. We had lessons on the
good qualities of Lord Rama. But today, in
the name of secularism, the government is
becoming bereft of dharma. What is hap-
pening under them is that they are removing
the lesson on Ganapati and replacing it with
a lesson on a donkey. Even in ancient times
no Muslim opposed the lesson on Ganapati.
Even those who are anti-religion had never
opposed it. Who are the people opposing
these things? They are all these politicians.
They started shouting, ‘communalism, com-
munalism.’ And they even destroyed the
very basic teachings about Hinduism. The
older generation is still educated and aware
about Hindu dharma. But, tell me, from
where is the new generation of Hindus get-
ting education about their dharma? I think
it is high time that the top sadhus and saints
sit together and have a discussion on the
situation that is prevailing in present times.
Individuals like me are making efforts and
raising their voice, but there is need for a col-
lective thinking and action on these issues.”
After leaving Panditji, we visited the Har-
siddhi Temple of Goddess Parvati, which is
close to Mahakal Temple. Harsiddhi is said
to be the Deity whom King Vikramaditya
used to worship daily, and there are a num-
ber of stories connecting the two.
We took time also to visit the Kalidasa Aka-
demi. We met with its director, Dr. Kamlesh
Datta Tripathi. “The government wanted to
a l l p h o t o s t h o m a s k e l ly

institutionalize the study of Kalidas,” said

Tripathi, “so the Kalidasa Akademi was set
up. To understand Kalidasa, it is essential to
understand the whole past Indian thought
processes and art traditions. Our academy
covers all Indian classical art, folk art, music,
sculpture, painting, architecture, literature
and scripture.”
Bhasma Aarti: We were determined to
attend the following morning’s Bhasma Aar-
ti worship at Mahakal. Normally this would
require no special arrangements, but in the
crush of the Kumbha Mela we had to go
through the Madhya Pradesh government’s
Public Relations department. Through the
good graces of that office, we were included
in the VIP contingent for the very next day.
We were told to be at the temple at 2:30 am
sharp.
One has to take a bath early in the morn-
ing to attend the Bhasma Aarti, and stitched
clothes cannot be worn. Only a dhoti can
be worn, keeping the upper body bare.
Mostly the brahmins enter the chamber and
the sacred thread is their identity. It is said
that, though there are no official restrictions,
members of the scheduled castes do not at-
tend Bhasma Aarti.
We could barely sleep this night, and on
April 28 were at the temple right on sched-
ule. The VIPs included prominent saints,
OBSERVATORY OF RAJA JAI SINGH FROM THE 18TH CENTURY
politicians, senior bureaucrats and judges.
The fifty of us were allowed to sit in the
first couple of rows in front of the sanctum,
while other devotees could only file by and
catch a few minutes glimpse of the worship.
Despite requests, Thomas was not allowed
closer than 25 feet from the sanctum to take
photos. I was lucky enough to get a seat with
a clear view of the priests. The recitation
of the mantras and intermittent loud chant-
ing of “Jai Mahakal” was keeping everyone
focused. The place was full of positive and
energizing vibrations. The fact that I was
witnessing a tradition that has been go-
ing on since times immemorial made me
completely blissful and withdrawn. Every-
thing was happening at a hectic pace. A
dozen priests were running from one end
to the other frantically. They proceeded
through the offerings of the sixteen items
of worship—lamps, incense, food, flowers,
etc. Throughout the worship, the priests
chanted Sri Rudram from the Vedas contin-
uously, and almost everybody was listening
in total awareness with eyes closed. I felt as
if a spell had been cast on us all—that we
were one with the Mahakal and time was
of no significance. And this seems natural
because Mahakal, “Great Time,” rules and
transcends time.
Finally it came time for the head monk of
the Mahanirvani Akahara to offer the sacred
ash, bhashma or vibuthi, over the Lingam.
Soon the whole inner sanctum was filled
The observatory of Raja Jai Singh is still
in use today to track the position of the
stars and planets, as well as tell time.
with bhasma over the Lingam and billowing
in the air. With the continuous loud chanting,
this was the most mesmerizing and uplifting
moment of the unique worship. The devotio-
inal frenzy of was at its peak. I felt that for
a moment I was also a tiny speck of bhasma.
I was up in the air, mingling with the sa-
cred ash that was floating around Mahakal.
At the final peak of the worship, the
priests came forward and accepted the puja
material and cash which those attending the
worship wanted to offer at the feet of the
Lord. Only now I realized there were thou-
sands of people behind us in a big queue.
Ever swelling seemed to be their clan, of-
fering their puja material at one particular
point and being given the blessed prasad
(food offered to the Siva Lingam) in re-
turn. A large number of assistants quickly
removed the abundant offerings so that the
At each temple of Ujjain one meets well-trained and enthusiastic
young priests such as these who are standing with sadhus visiting
for the Kumbha Mela. There are hundreds of priest families in
Ujjain, attached to the various temples for centuries.
place where they were being kept did not loves to walk and see the temples and their
get blocked completely. Finally, we felt abso- tops; he will have a look at their flags. Such
lutely blessed when we got the opportunity a person loves to spend time on the Ram
of praying to the sacred flame brought to us Ghat along the Shipra River and inhale the
by the priest along with the prasad. With- fresh air there. If he spots a gulmohar tree,
out a doubt, this was the high point of our he will spend some time having a look at its
pilgrimage to Ujjain. flowers. Every Sivaratri he will go for wor-
A quaint encounter: As we wound up our ship of the Mahakal. He will see all the sev-
stay in the city, we met Vivek Chaurasia, a en processions of the Deity that long night,
young Ujjain-based journalist for the Dainik though they may all look alike. He will go for
Bhaskar, a leading daily of Madhya Pradesh. this again even though he has been watch-
He offered his evaluation of the city and its ing them for the past twenty-five years. And
residents. “There are many types of people if he does not go, his soul pinches him and
residing in Ujjain. One of them is the typi- tells him that Mahakal is on procession and
cal pure resident of Ujjain. I include myself he did not go to have the sight. This is how
in this category. This typical, pure-at-heart a typical, pure-at-heart resident of Ujjain
resident of Ujjain loves to eat sitting on the would be, like myself. The pace of life here is
floor. He can have food while sitting at the very slow. We are not much bothered about
table also, but he will really enjoy his meal what is happening in the outside world. We
if he is served while sitting on the floor. He live in a blissful world of our own.” ∏π

28 h i n d u i s m t o d ay a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 29
 MONEY

Hindus are discovering how to help themselves by helping others as they

follow Vedic principles to invest hard-earned money responsibly, yet profitably

By Lois Elfman, New York mutual fund is an investment company that

or hindus raised in the warm offers to use your money to buy a diverse
glow of principled, Vedic living, the group of stocks or bonds from other com-
uncertainty of today’s fast changing panies. Also included in your simple Web
times should generate more than search would be a variety of investment ad-
enough impetus to seek a spiritually visers ready and willing to help you direct
and financially secure future within the your money into mutual funds and/or com-
time-tested wisdom of their own religious panies that would meet your standards, be

n
heritage. First-class advice on the digni- they religious, moral or ethical.

art by s. rajam

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fied and profitable investment of money is “Socially responsible investing is an in-

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nestled right within Hindu scripture, espe- vestment process that considers the social

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cially in the teachings of karma and dharma. and environmental consequences of invest-

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The relevant principle here is that one can ments, both positive and negative, within
be honest, wealthy and religious—all at the the context of rigorous financial analysis,”
same time. With this kind of philosophi- reads the 2003 Report on Socially Re-
cal backbone, one might think that Hindus sponsible Investing Trends in the
would be first in line to invest their money United States published by the
in a socially responsible way. Surprisingly, Social Investment Forum (www. (
they are not. socialinvest.org). “It is a process of
socialinvest.org
Catholics, Muslims, Mennonites, Lu- identifying and investing in compa-
therans, Methodists (who have a 200-year -year nies that meet certain standards of
old history of managing money) and other corporate social responsibility and is
Christian denominations all invest in spe- increasingly practiced internationally.”
cially tailored mutual funds organized to Working together: The Social Investment Forum con-
screen out the support and promotion of Steve Schueth and his network ducted its first industry-wide survey in
activities and values that conflict with their refer investors to a group of about 130 1984 and found a total of us$40 billion
religious beliefs. A 2004 survey of 151 Cath- socially conscious advisors across the USA involved in social investing. In 1995, that
olic institutions, including colleges, dioceses, figure rose to $639 billion. By 2003, despite
religious orders and hospitals, shows that the The common sense to invest money con- a market downturn, social investing assets
Roman Catholic Church is being more and scientiously and responsibly is at least as were at $2.16 trillion.
more diligent in assuring that their dollars old as stocks and bonds. About 30 years ago, Some mutual funds have their own social
are not funding media enterprises that pro- however, it was codified as an investment research departments. There are also orga-
mote sex and violence through mainstream strategy and formally named “Socially Re- nizations that specialize in social research.
entertainment industries. sponsible Investing.” Since then, it has be- “We work with investors who want to
Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami, leader come a movement of sorts, with a momen- match their personal values—maybe it’s re-
of Saiva Siddhanta Church, is responsible for tum that has consistently grown. ligious values—with their investments,” says
making investment decisions for the Church “Socially responsible investing is one of Schueth. “Researching actual companies is
and the five-million-dollar funds of Hindu those things that developed organically,” not an inexpensive process. We design cus-
Heritage Endowment. Working closely says Steve Schueth, who is affiliated with tom portfolios of stocks, bonds and mutual
with financial advisors, he maintains a list the First Affirmative Financial Network and funds for investors. We make sure that we’re
of companies whose activities or corporate was the president of the Social Investment meeting their financial goals and doing it in

Investing
Investing
Turning Gold to Good: Like the couple above, Hindus are discovering that moneys invested according policies he feels make them unsuitable for Forum. “It started in the living room of a a way that’s consistent with their personal,
to their values allow the family to do well while also doing good. investment by a Hindu organization. Draw- person’s home in Boston. A bunch of people moral and ethical values.”
ing inspiration and wisdom from ancient were sitting around and talking about the The First Affirmative Financial Network
Hindu scripture, he contends that working need for social change in a variety of areas (www.firstaffirmative.com) is connected
to reap financial benefits from investments of our society. They recognized that mon- to about 130 individual financial advisors
made honestly, ethically and responsibly is ey is kind of the lifeblood of the economy. across the United States, to whom they can
in sync with the Hindu belief structure. Ac- What if you could get money flowing in a refer investors.
cording to the Vedas, the four main goals of different direction? What if you could redi- “I’ve never heard of anyone in the Hindu
life are dharma, artha (wealth), kama and rect the flow of investment capital in ways realm getting involved in socially respon-
moksha. that would make a positive contribution to sible investing,” says Schueth. “That doesn’t
“Love and wealth are goals for all man- the quality of life across all aspects of soci- mean they aren’t out there.”
kind,” he says. “Dharma is not really a sepa- ety? The intent that grew out of that was to Schueth says that if a Hindu were to spec-
rate goal from artha and kama but rather begin to organize and begin to offer choices ify his or her desires, a customized portfo-
governs the way we pursue them. Are we to investors.” lio could be established. Because there are

DHARMICALLY honest or dishonest in the way we acquire A Google search on the words “socially
wealth? If we are honest, then we are fulfill- responsible investing” turns up consider-
ing the goal of dharma.” able resources that include mutual funds. A
no established Hindu mutual funds, the
investment advisor would need to do his
own screening, so there would be additional

30 h i n d u i s m t o d ay a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 31
fees involved. Screening here refers to
analyzing a mutual fund for specific ac-
tivities or affiliations that would not be
acceptable to Hindus.
“The portfolio managers and their
analysts do the financial research like
any mutual fund company would do. The
added thing is we have a social research
department,” says Mariann Murphy, vice
president of marketing for Pax World (www.
paxworld.com), ), in explaining how her com-
pany screens. In 1971,, two Methodist min-
isters, Luther Tyson and Jack Corbett, who
were also economists and lobbyists, launched
the Pax World Fund in response to a letter
they’d received from a woman in Ohio who
said she simply did not want to invest her
money in any company that supported war-
related industries.
Anita Green, vice president of social re-
search for Pax World, screens for subjects
like weapons, tobacco, gambling, liquor, cor-
porate pollution, corporate fair hiring poli-
cies and environmental issues.
“If there are any questions, she will call
the company,” says Murphy.
Pax World also engages in corporate activ-
ism and advocacy. In that area, they some-
times collaborate with other socially respon-
sible investing organizations. Recently, they
got together with the Calvert Group and
the Citizens Fund, and approached Michael
Dell of Dell Computers to talk with him
about “recycling.”
“We spoke about their recycling initiatives,”
Murphy explains. “Computer recycling is a
very dicey endeavor, because there are so
many chemicals in them. A lot of companies
are saying they’re doing recycling while they
are really shipping them off to Third World
countries where the stuff is now seeping
into the land. There are not the same rules
and regulations there that we have in the
USA about how to do it safely. We definitely
did not want to see that happening. Dell has
been very, very receptive. All they needed
was someone to come in.”
Murphy cautions people who expect so-
cially responsible investing to cover all of
their values. She directs people to check out
Pax World’s Web site as well as www.social-
funds.com and www.socialinvest.org and
get a sense of what possibilities exist. Pax
World does have a private account division,
where each specification of an individual in-
vestor can be taken into consideration, but
the minimum investment for that would be
$250,000—quite a bit more than the $250
minimum required to invest in a basic Pax
Fund.
While a Pax Fund investor may not have
the same comprehensive control as with a
private account, there are extensive oppor-
tunities to ask questions, and feedback is
constantly being sought. In 2002, Pax World
did a shareholder survey to gauge share-
32 h i n d u i s m t o d ay a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5
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Selective screening:
Mariann Murphy of Pax
World says her company goes looking for
weapons, tobacco, gambling and more
holder concerns and desires.
“Our shareholder base is both very loyal
and very vocal, which is great,” Murphy
says. “We send out a newsletter three or four
times a year and try to profile different com-
panies in the portfolios. A lot of people don’t
know what good things a company is doing.”
A regular flow of information is available
from www.socialfunds.com, which updates
constantly and puts up news reports three
or four times a week. They also provide a
weekly newsletter.
“There is a wide range of topics we can
cover,” says Mark Thomsen of Social Funds.
“It’s been proven many times over that invest-
ing with your values has a neutral effect on
performance. So you can do it and not lose
money. It seems some people still don’t be-
lieve it, but there is academic evidence. Be-
cause it limits your options for investment,
it can increase the risk, but an investor can
take steps to mitigate that risk.”
Money manager Sekhar Vemparala, who
describes himself as a devout Hindu, says
that—other than people indicating they
don’t want to invest in tobacco companies—
he rarely receives requests for any sort of
socially conscious screening.
“If a client asks or restricts or encourages
me to go after certain markets,” Vemparala
says, “my response is: ‘If you want to be an
absolute purist and you want me to do or not
do certain things, I will follow your requests.’ ”
Although Vemparala is a trustee at a Hin-
du temple, he will not give advice concern-
ing that temple’s investments. “I don’t want
to have a conflict of interest,” he states. “I do
not get involved with other trustees. I don’t
take the temple or any of the board mem-
bers as clients.”
Vemparala says he has not had a single
Hindu client ask him to make faith-based
investments, nor does he make any of his
own personal investments restricted by any
sort of religious conviction. “Your invest-
ments must support you and certainly you
may support causes, but these things should
not go together,” he says. “A lot of people
combine things and the outcome is less
than desirable. If you want to sup-
port a cause, do it independently.”
Easan Katir, a Hindu with more
than 20 years of experience as a
money manager, does make personal
investment decisions within the pe-
rimeters of his religious convictions.
“I personally believe that ahimsa, non-
violence, is the best way to proceed
through life,” he says. “I avoid investing
in companies that promote violence in
the world. That includes manufacturers
that create weapons or inflict harm upon
animals in any way. In making my deci-
sions, I weigh the company in my mind.
If their primary business is meat process-
ing, for example, it’s off my list. But if it’s
a restaurant chain that serves good food
but some non-vegetarian items, I’ll still
consider it. One can get too fanatical.”
In addition to managing money, Katir
works with Ed Seykota, conducting work-
shops that explore the psychological com-
ponents of investing. “Computer technol-
ogy has made investment analysis about 95
percent efficient,” Katir notes. “As far as the
emotional, psychological side of investing is
concerned, I think people are only maybe
20 to 30 percent efficient. There are meth-
ods we share that can bring that from 20
percent to around 50 percent or more. That’s
a quantum leap.”
Bodhinatha agrees with Katir with regard
to maintaining a balanced view in making
investment choices.“We also screen for
meat processing, which is direct involve-
ment,” he says, “but not for restaurants or
supermarkets which sell meat. That would
be too much. But if a company’s activity is
slaughter, it is reasonable not to invest in it.”
Bodhinatha strenuously emphasizes the
necessity of patience in investing. “In our
opinion, the core area of dharmic invest-
ing is to control risk and avoid excessive
speculation in your overall investment port-
folio,” he says. “If this is not done, you are
risking your family’s or institution’s wealth,
and investing becomes a form of gambling.
Gambling is definitely not a part of dharma.
The first thing is understanding and abiding
by the time frame of your investment. For
example, funds that you may need to spend
for emergencies are savings and not invest-
ments. As such, they should not be placed in
an investment program but kept in a savings
vehicle. This is because you do not want to
be forced to withdraw funds for an emer-
gency from an investment when the invest-
ment has lost significant value. No one can by Morning Star, which is a rating agen- In addition to screening out companies
accurately predict the short-term movement cy. That’s rated against all balance funds, engaged in tobacco and gambling or gam-
of financial markets. Investments all need to whether they’re socially responsible or not.” ing, Hindu Heritage Endowment adds the
be long-term to avoid being the nature of Trusting the advice of professionals does concern that Hinduism has for protecting
gambling.” not diminish an individual’s responsibility animals. Thus, they would avoid pharma-
While Bodhinatha does not give specifics for doing research. Bodhinatha has taken ceutical companies that engage in animal
for seeking financial advice, he does advo- the time to familiarize himself with com- testing as well as companies in the food
cate consulting with an investment profes- panies and funds and make informed deci- industry that have a significant amount of
sional to minimize risk. He also suggests sions. This is particularly applicable when business revolving around packaged meat,
diversification in investments and mentions fish or fowl.
mutual funds. It is this approach that he uti- Bodhinatha does not really investigate
Tracking
lizes in overseeing the funds of the Hindu how much a corporation may give in terms
Heritage Endowment (www.hheonline.org, of charitable donations or community in-
founded in 1994), which is handled by 79 volvement.
fund managers. “Charity is a valid consideration, though
Saiva Siddhanta Church maintains its
investments separately. While personal re-
lationships are nice and trust is essential,
Trouble not one to us,” he says. “For one thing, how
does one measure it and against what stan-
dard? It also doesn’t work for global invest-
ing. Nike has companies all over the world,
he maintains that it is usually in one’s best
interest to remain dispassionate.
Socially responsible so which local community do we want to
“Our experience is that it is best to leave investors screen for consider? Similarly with the environment,
manager selection to a professional,” he says. activities that conflict how does one measure it? All industries are
“Otherwise, if we make the choice, it may be involved in pollution to one degree or anoth-
based on our friendship with the manager with their values, er. Our strategy is deliberately simple, us-
rather than his skill, or on our biases for or including: ing screens that are accurately measurable
against certain types of investments rather and not gray. We don’t screen for defense or
than a professional’s objective approach and weaponry because we believe in the value
lack of bias.” of a strong military. It is the nature of where
Bodhinatha also maintains that profession-
als can strengthen resolve when it comes to
Abortion we are. Every country needs a military.
“My overall advice to Hindus is that if you
patience, since they will routinely advise
against rash decisions to sell off investments Gambling feel strongly about certain values, you can
invest accordingly. That’s how other religions
due to market fluctuations. He also asserts
that, while investment decisions should not
be fueled by emotions, they can be fortified
Tobacco look at it. We know a person in Malaysia who
handles investments for Muslims. They have
a number of screens, including no banks
by conviction. Professionals can assist you
in matching your convictions with sound
Pornography and no hotels, which they consider immoral.
“If one is a strong vegetarian, one could
investments.
Schueth says, “The academic research Violent games find a way to implement that in one’s invest-
ments. Vegetarianism is a powerful part of
and real-world interaction with mutual
funds and asset managers that have been Violent films many Hindus’ lives, but there are, to my
knowledge, no mutual funds based on veg-
doing this for a long time essentially have etarianism. If someone created a vegetarian
dispelled the myth that if you’re going to
invest in a socially and environmentally re-
Animal testing fund, it could be popular and find Hindus
participating.”
sponsible way you’re going to have to give
up something. I’m not sure where that myth
Meat packing Fortunately, the world of socially respon-
sible investing is making it more and more
comes from, but somehow we’re wired to
automatically expect that. What we’ve done Cattle ranching possible to combine the values by which you
live your life with your investment strategy.
Fur & leather
over the last 15 years is to prove otherwise. “It’s been a fast growing trend for the last 15
There are now probably a couple of dozen years,” says Schueth. “Socially responsible
academic studies that have been published, investing is typically growing faster than
all of which conclude that there is no reason the market in general, which means that
to expect any kind of give-up.” we’re gaining market share. That is one of
Pax World offers four different funds. investing in companies, rather than mutual the things the trend reports consistently
There is the balance fund, which is a mix funds, which have screening plans in place. show us.”
of stocks and bonds. There is a growth fund, “When individuals or institutions choose Hindus are just learning they can see their
which consists of all stocks. There is a high to hold individual securities in their port- religion’s values strengthened by simply di-
yield fund, which is a bond fund. And there folios, they then have the opportunity to verting their money into dharmic invest-
is a money market fund. screen out companies that are engaged in ments. Its a way of doing well while doing
“We have some investors who are just look- activities they consider to be harmful, such good. ∏π
ing for a good balanced fund. The screening as the manufacture of cigarettes,” he says.
was just a plus. However, most investors are “Though we usually hold only institutional Lois Elfman is a freelance editor and writer
in because of the screening,” says Murphy, mutual funds, whenever we do hold indi- based in New York. She is the former editor-
who estimates that Pax World Funds have vidual securities, we apply social screens by in-chief of Women’s Basketball and Interna-
about 65,000 shareholders. “Our balanced excluding a specific list of companies from tional Figure Skating magazines. She can be
fund is rated five stars (the highest rating) our holdings.” reached at ElfmanEd1@aol.com.
a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 33

DISASTER
What Now? The Long Road to Recovery
Money and manpower pour into tsunami-afflicted areas of India and Sri Lanka
elief efforts commenced im- im
mediately at the Mata Amrita-
nandamayi Ashram on the Kerala
coast—even before the tsunami
water receded from the ashram’s
grounds on December 26, 2004. Though
right on the ocean, the well-built center
easily withstood the waves, and the 10,000
ashramites gathered for a special program
immediately began rescue efforts among
the neighboring villages where many had
been killed or injured. Similarly, across
South India and Sri Lanka, Hindu religious
organizations joined government efforts and
those of secular and religious non-govern-
mental organizations in instant response to
the disaster.
Overseas, nearly every Hindu organiza-
tion commenced fund raising in some form
34 h i n d u i s m t o d ay a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5
Body and soul: Food blessed at a fire ceremony for survivors (inset)
is distributed at Erethur village in Tamil Nadu on January 21
or another. The US-based India Develop-
ment and Relief Fund was approaching
US$1 million by late January. The Amrita-
nandamayi Ashram has pledged the huge
sum of $23 million—more than many na-
tions—to the reconstruction effort. Small
initiatives abounded also. In India itself,
young professionals launched an immediate
campaign via text messaging. In New York,
one Hindu family collected a container load
of supplies from local hospitals. Boy Scouts
went door to door, and employees passed
the hat at work.
Some organizations have well-honed skills
in disasters, particularly the Rashtriya Sway-
amsewak Sangh (RSS), India’s largest volun-
teer social service organization. Trained like
an army to march toward the sound of battle,
their local workers in Tamil Nadu arrived
p h o t o s ; e pa / s t r
in the stricken areas less than two hours af-
ter the tsunami washed ashore at 8:45 am.
Over the coming days they were joined by
volunteers from all over India. Many local
Hindu organizations, including Chinmaya
Mission, the Ramakrishna Mission and Vi-
vekananda Kendra, to name just a few, im-
mediately joined the effort. Chinmaya Mis-
sion focused on providing food for survivors
and relief workers. The RSS, after initial
rescue operations, set about the monumen-
tal and unpleasant task of collecting bodies
and trying to provide dignified last rights.
The RSS was one of the very few organiza-
tions able to operate in the Andaman islands.
More organizations rolled in, such as the
Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam
Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), with their
extensive expertise in relief work gained in
the 2001 Gujarat earthquake and Orissa cy-
clone. Swami Chidanand Saraswati (Muniji)
of Parmarth Niketan in Rishikesh arrived
and immediately adopted the heavily dam-
aged village of Cuddalore. A contingent of
Sikhs arrived from Punjab and set up lan-
gaars, free kitchens.
In Malaysia, the Malaysia Hindu Sangam
brought together many Hindu organizations
for fund raising, material gathering and to
send workers to afflicted areas. P. Wahtha-
moorthy of the Vivekananda Youth Move-
ment, Seremba, arrived in Chennai on Janu-
ary 1 with a team. So great had been the
Indian domestic response that they were
told to go on to Sri Lanka, where the dev-
astation was much greater. Once there they
hooked up with local organizations includ-
ing the Hindu Seva Sangam (the overseas
branch of the RSS) who martialed a thou-
sand volunteers. Meanwhile, temples and
organizations across Malaysia raised money
for the work. On a worldwide basis, Tamils
in many countries sent money through the
Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO),
which was formed to help victims of the
country’s long-running civil war and is able
to operate in rebel-controlled areas.
It was in Sri Lanka where the tsunami hit
closest to home for Hinduism Today. Our
founder, Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami,
was ordained by Siva Yogaswami of Jaffna
Sri Lanka as his successor and has main-
tained close links with the Sri Lankan Hin-
dus ever since. One special project of his
was support of the Thirunavukkarasu Nay-
e pa
Shelter and treatment: (left) medical team from Japan treats a lady in Kalmunai,
eastern Sri Lanka; (right) Volunteer workers set up temporary shelters for families
of fishermen in Nagapattinam village
anar Gurukulam near Thirukovil the plan was quickly abandoned. It didn’t
in Batticaloa province. Just meters help that the organization posted statements
from the ocean, it was directly in the on their web site to the effect that these 300
path of the tsunami. A smaller wave orphans would be trained as missionaries
krt/mbr
came first, and then the second was and sent back to Bandh Aceh as adults to
sighted. The director of the orphan- convert the province to Christianity.
age yelled to the 43 boys to run, and The immediate rescue and relief op-
alerted the nearby villagers as well. Run the erations, though harried and difficult, are
boys did, and all but one, who was handi- relatively straightforward in means and ob-
capped, survived. Four adult staff perished. jective—shelter and feed the victims, treat
Many of their neighbors had stopped to get the wounded and cremate or bury the
belongings at their home and drowned. Ev- dead. Actual restoration of the communi-
erything except one building was destroyed ties is another matter. Take the example of
at the orphanage. Now funds are being col- the Batticaloa orphanage. Construction on
lected to build a new facility further inland. replacement facilities can begin straight-
An interreligious problem surfaced a few away, because they already own land in a
weeks into the relief work—Christian con- suitable location. But the Sri Lanka gov-
version efforts directed at survivors. This is, ernment has decreed no homes within
of course, nothing new. Christian evangeli- 300 meters of the shoreline, meaning the
cal organizations have for decades made use previous site has to be abandoned, or used
of disasters to “spread the Gospel.” The dif- only during the day. Other residents along
ference now is the worldwide attention the the coast now have to acquire new land.
practice has garnered. Critical articles ap- BAPS workers acquired a lot of experi-
peared in the New York Times and other ma- ence with this stage of reconstruction fol-
jor US papers, as well as on the wire servic- lowing the Gujarat earthquake. One of their
es and, surprisingly, even in the Indian press, swamis explained to Hinduism Today that
normally so loathe to denounce Christians. organizations had built new housing, but
Two hundred tsunami victims in the town failed to secure title to the land, making it
of Samanthapettai in Tamil Nadu, accord- impossible for the intended beneficiaries
ing to a report in The Pioneer, “saw the to take possession. Others built unsuitable,
dark side of Christian charity as mission- barracks-style housing that no one wanted
aries stomped out of their village without to live in. Many worked for a while in the
distributing relief after residents refused reconstruction and then simply left. BAPS’
their faith-for-food deal.” Even the Chris- experience is that it requires very close co-
tian organizations which subscribe to the ordination with the local government, and a
Red Cross policy of not using disasters to clear understanding of the needs of the peo-
advance any political or religious agenda ple to accomplish satisfactory reconstruction.
still hoped those helped would later be in- Prayers and spiritual solace from around
terested in changing their faith. the globe are a significant part of the re-
The attempt by one Christian organiza- covery, as families adjust to the devastat-
tion to transport 300 orphaned children out ing change brought into their lives, without
of Bandh Aceh to be raised in a Christian warning, from the normally innocuous and
orphanage in Jakarta enraged Muslims and bountiful ocean. ∏π
a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 35
 OPINION
Next Time, Ask a Hindu
A Newsweek article, inspired by an academic
“expert,” leaves a mess of misconceptions
BY DA R S H A K J E YA NA N DA R AJA
Many Hindus were outraged when they read Kenneth L. Wood-
ward’s article entitled Countless Souls Cry Out to God, published
in Newsweek on January 10, 2005. Referring to the tsunami
of December 26, 2004, as “a cataclysm of Biblical proportions,”
Woodward bemoans the plight of “poor fishing communities whose
inhabitants—mostly Hindus—are untutored in refined theological
speculation on life and death” and believe that “life is controlled by
the play of capricious deities.”
To fathom the mind set of these common Hindu folk, Woodward
consults not a Hindu but “a specialist in South Asian Hinduism”
from Bard College in New York named Richard Davis. Davis says,
“Hindus use the deities to think about and explain happenings like
the tsunami as destructive acts of god. Relating to the local deity
and cooling her anger through propitiation is more important than
thinking about personal or collective guilt for what has happened.”
When Aseem R. Shukla of the Hindu American Foundation in
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, wrote a letter to the editor of News-
week respectfully attempting to clarify some of Hinduism’s more
fundamental concepts like karma and reincarnation—which were
relevant to the article but not mentioned by Woodward or Davis—
Newsweek published a portion of his letter with a rejoiner which
stated, “Newsweek recognizes that in all religious traditions, in-
cluding Hinduism, there are differences between popular piety and
intellectually sophisticated spiritual reflections. Our article specifi-
cally stated that we were describing the outlook and reactions of
the inhabitants of poor fishing communities, mostly Hindus….’”
Although the same article also mentioned the effects of the tsunami
on Buddhists and Muslims, it consulted theologians and did not try
to convey the views of their “untutored” followers.
Shukla was not the only Hindu offended enough to complain
about the work of Woodward and Davis. Darshak Jeyanandarajan,
a Sri Lankan American Hindu, born and raised in America, shares
his thoughts on the Newsweek article:
irst, i wish to thank newsweek for its coverage of
the disaster. It brings some measure of relief to know that
the world is being informed. Yet, I was surprised, disappoint-
ed and offended to see the characterizations of Hindus in
Kenneth Woodward’s article. It is clear that Mr. Woodward has no
comprehension of the philosophy, depth and power of Hinduism.
There are volumes of Hindu philosophical works dedicated to the
issues of life and death, which include thorough discussions of such
d a r s h a k j e ya na n d a r a j a n
basic concepts as karma, reincarnation and samskaras (mental im-
pressions that manifest particular tendencies in an individual), to
name but a few.
I would also like to inquire about the quotation in the article
from Richard Davis. Woodward and Davis both seem to be char-
acterizing the affected Hindus as unsophisticated thinkers that just
blindly go and pray to a woman when they should be thinking of
why it is their personal and collective fault that this happened!
36 h i n d u i s m t o d ay a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 00 5
In response, let me first say that Hindus
have no problem acknowledging the femi-
nine principle of the universe. There are
many archetypes of the feminine, and the
teachings surrounding it are tailored to
TEACHER’S TOOLBOX
every level of aspirant, from the child to the
parents are the
college professor. Unlike in the West, there
is no problem with thinking of God as a first gurus in
woman. God is man, God is woman, God
is man and woman, and God is beyond religion and
both man and woman. Hence, there is con-
sistency in thought regarding the omnipres- character
N ence of God in Hindu philosophy.
Except for Buddhism, there is no religion
building
on Earth that accepts as much responsibility for the content and CA
TI O
U
context of life as Hinduism. It is not a matter of blame, guilt, the
N
ED
AL
dominance of a wrathful God or even the fact that we might be
deserving such a horrible tragedy. Hinduism acknowledges a larger N
S
I
SI T
perspective from which all situations may be understood in the G H
light of the soul’s growth toward a merging back into the Ultimate
Source. From this point of view, adversity may be approached as
the ultimate teacher, rather than as a calamity in which foolish
people are “controlled by the play of capricious deities.” Humanity
should be humbled by the people of any faith who lose everything,
yet in their loss—even if only for a few moments in a broader scale
of time—bring the world together in compassion. What other event
in recent memory has drawn people of all races and religions to-
gether to help one another to such an extent as this?
It is unfortunate that we still live in a time that requires a ca-
tastrophe to awaken empathy and kindness. Countless souls are
crying to God, but perhaps this is God crying to us. Newsweek
is in a unique position to inform and bring people together, but
misinformed articles like Mr. Woodward’s serve only to exacerbate
misunderstanding and create tensions through erroneous charac-
terization. A printed apology by Newsweek and Mr. Woodward
to the Hindus of the world would be appropriate. The people in
South Asia have suffered enough without having to see one of their
great philosophies reduced to superstitious insanity in the interna-
tional press.
dinodia
B Y S ATG U R U B O D H I N AT H A V E Y L A N S WA M I
M
any Hindu families visiting our Hawaii monastery, particularly those with young children,
ask if I have any advice for them. I usually respond with one or two general suggestions. I
always stress the importance of presenting Hinduism to their children in a practical way so that
it influences each child’s life for the better. Hindu practices should, for example, help children
get better grades in school and get along well with others. Of course, there is not enough time
in a short session to present all the many guidelines that a parent would find useful. Therefore, I
decided to write up a full complement of suggestions to be handed to Hindu families in the future
Darshak Jeyanandarajan (33) is a novelist who who want to know ways to present Hinduism to their kids. You hold the results in your hands. It
lives with his parents in California
is based on the teachings of my satguru, Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, founder of HINDUISM TODAY.
a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 h i n d u i s m t o d ay I-1
Table of Contents boring compared to the all-pervasive and ever-more-compelling
secular forms of entertainment that are available. So, parents are
IMPARTING BELIEFS AND ATTITUDES challenged more than ever to answer kids’ puzzling queries—as
Part 1 • Teach and practice Hinduism in your home. grandparents did not have to do—by giving sensible, pragmatic
Part 2 • Teach about the soul and our purpose on Earth. explanations to temple worship and Hinduism’s rich array of cul-
tural and mystical practices. Kids today want answers that make
Part 3 • Teach them about Hinduism’s greatness. sense to them. They are not at all content with “That’s the way we
Part 4 • Teach about Hinduism and other religions. have always done it.” When parents are unable to meet this chal-
kids learn lenge, Hinduism does not become a meaningful and useful part
Part 6 • Teach How Hinduism lets us know God.
primarily of their children’s lives. Many youth today do not view the prac-
Part 5 • Teach how to live positively in the world. through tice of their faith as important to making their life happier, more
religious and more successful. This is the challenge every Hindu
BUILDING GOOD CHARACTER observation. parent faces. But all is not lost. New generations are eager to hear
Part 1 • Cultivate nine key spiritual qualities. the lofty truths, and those truths can be explained in ways that
Part 2 • Guide your children with love, not fear. engage and inspire young seekers, counterbalancing the power-
fully magnetic influences of the modern world.

Establish a shrine in the home.

PART ONE Hinduism is in no way more dynamically strengthened in the lives
teach and practice of children and the family than by establishing a shrine in the
home. The home shrine works best when it is an entire room. That
hinduism in your home your example way it can be strictly reserved for worship and meditation, unsul-

all photos by dinodia

Take responsibility for being the primary
teachers of Hinduism to your children.
It is wonderful that many temples have in place educational pro-
grams for the youth that are both effective and popular. However,
it is important for parents to have the attitude that these pro-
grams supplement but do not replace the need for them to teach
Hinduism to their children in the home. Parents are indeed the
first guru. They teach in many different ways, such as by example,
explanation, and giving advice and direction. The child’s deepest
impressions come from what the parents do and say. Therefore,
if the parents follow a systematic approach to teaching the child
Hinduism as he or she grows up, Sanatana Dharma will be fully
integrated into his or her life, making it less likely to be side-lined
or abandoned in adult years.
Without your help, there is no guarantee that
your children will follow their faith as adults.
Look around at the younger generation of Hindus and you will
find many who have no interest whatsoever in practicing the Hin-
du religion. One hundred years ago, before movies, television and
computers, in the cities and villages of India and Hindu communi-
ties in other countries, the Hindu temple was the most interesting
place in town. Besides the festivals, there were dramas, dances and
as a parent is
what they learn
from the most.
musical concerts. The temple was a social and educational center
as well. In our modern world we do have movies, television and
computers, and many Hindu children would much rather spend
their free time enjoying them with their friends rather than being
at the temple. Why is this? There are many reasons. Families are
not so close and trusting. And it used to be far easier to get chil-
dren to come to the temple, since it was the center of village life.
Times are different, and today’s children often consider the temple
lied by worldly talk or other activities. This is the ideal. However,
when that is not possible, it should at least be a quiet corner of a
room, and more than a simple shelf or closet.
Naturally, as important as having a shrine is worshiping there
daily. In the shrine room offer fruit, flowers or food. Visit your
shrine when leaving the home, and upon returning. Worship in
heartfelt devotion, clearing the inner channels to God and the
Gods, so their grace flows toward you and loved ones. Make the
shrine a refuge for all family members, where they can find peace
and solace, where they can connect with the Gods and offer their
praise, prayers and practical needs. Train your children to wor-
ship in the shrine before any important event in life, such as a
major exam at school, or when faced with a personal challenge
or problem. Following this simple, traditional practice in a sacred
space within the home will do much to make Hinduism relevant
to them on a day-to-day basis.

CHAR ACTER BUILDING, PART ONE

develop a positive self-concept
cultivate nine spiritual qualities A positive self-concept arises when we through verbally running down a child through teasing, jok-
Parents can consciously and systematically develop key qualities in their children that will help think of ourselves as a worthy individual ing or insulting remarks. This, of course, needs to be stopped
them to be happy, religious and successful when they reach adulthood. A wise mother wrote to deserving of a wonderful life. How and replaced with encouragement and praise. When it comes
me once on e-mail saying, “I truly believe we live out part of our karma through our children, and is this accomplished? It is through to correcting misbehavior, it is wise to distinguish between
we grow and improve as they do.” Though parents may think they are just helping their children being generous with your praise the person and the behavior. The behavior was foolish, not
be more happy, successful and religious, in truth parents cannot separate themselves from their and appreciation, making chil- the person. For example, you can tell your children when
children. The child’s growth and spiritual evolution is the parents’ as well. There are nine key quali- dren know they are loved and they misbehave, “What you did was very foolish, but you are
ties we want our children to possess. We will explore each of these to see what children should be valued, that who they are makes a smart, and I’m sure you now know better and won’t do that
taught, or not taught, by parents to develop that quality. The nine qualities are: difference and life is full of prom- again.” Parents should also not allow their children to call
❖ Positive Self-Concept ❖ Pious Character ise. Unfortunately, many children each other names, such as “fat” or “lame.” Having a positive
❖ Perceptive Self-Correction ❖ Proficiency in Conflict Resolution reach adulthood with a negative concept about one’s outer self allows the child to accept the
❖ Powerful Self-Control ❖ Parental Closeness self-concept, feeling that others are Hindu teaching that one’s inner self is a divine being, a radi-
❖ Profound Self-Confidence ❖ Prejudice-Free Consciousness better than they are and life has little to ant soul. My Gurudeva wrote: “Praise your children. Celebrate
❖ Playful Self-Contentment offer. A negative self-concept is developed their Divinity. Enjoy them and enjoy good times with them.”

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 going to the temple regularly. Specifically, some of the religious
atmosphere of the temple can be brought home with you if you
the whole family should simply light an oil lamp in your shrine room when you return from
enjoy at least one formal the temple. This sacred act brings devas who were at the temple
meal together each day. right into the home shrine room, where from the inner world they
can bless all family members and strengthen the religious force
field of the home.
PART TWO
teach about the soul and
our purpose on earth
Teach that life’s purpose is spiritual advancement.
The Hindu view of life is that we are a divine being, a soul, who ex-
periences many lives on Earth, and that the purpose of our being
here is spiritual unfoldment. Over a period of many lives we gradu-
all photos by dinodia
attain an ever-deepening God consciousness. This process of life
eventually culminates in moksha, liberation from the cycle of birth,
death and rebirth.
Teach that, among humans, there are
young souls and old souls.
Each soul is emanated from God, as a spark from a fire, and thus
begins a spiritual journey which eventually leads it back to God.
All human beings are on this journey, whether they realize it or
not, and, of course, the journey spans many lives. One might ask,
if all are on the same journey, why then is there such a disparity
among men? Clearly some act like saints and others act like sin-
ners. Some take delight in helping their fellow man while others
delight in harming him. The Hindu explanation is that each of us
started the journey at a different time, and thus some are young
souls, at the beginning of the spiritual path, while others are old
souls, near the end. Our paramaguru, Jnanaguru Siva Yogaswami,
in speaking to his devotees, described life as a school, with some
in the M.A. class and others in kindergarten. Knowing the differ-

Worship together in the home shrine each morning.
A popular saying in English is “The family that prays together stays
together.” In Hinduism, ideally this refers to all members of the
family participating in the morning worship in the home shrine
before breakfast. The children can be trained to always bring an
offering of a flower or at least a leaf. The exact routine followed
depends on the family’s religious background and lineage. Typical
practices include a simple arati or a longer puja, singing devotion-
al songs, repeating a mantra, reading scripture and then meditat-
ing or performing simple sadhanas and yogas. As the children get
older, they can take on greater responsibilities during the morning
worship. A number of Hindus have told us that what kept them
a staunch, practicing Hindu, despite exposure in their youth to
other religious traditions, at school and elsewhere, was the fact
that the entire family practiced Hinduism together in the home.
Worship together as a family at a
local temple once a week.
Attending a puja at the temple every week allows us to experi-
ence the blessings of God and the Gods on a regular basis. This
helps keep us pure as well as strong in our religious commitments.
The religious vibration of the home shrine is also strengthened by
ally become a more spiritual being and are thus able to experi-
ence spiritual consciousness more deeply. This eventually leads
to a profound experience of God consciousness which brings to
a conclusion our pattern of reincarnation on Earth. This is called
moksha, liberation. A great lady saint of North India, Anandamayi
Ma, stated the goal of God Realization quite beautifully: “Man is a
human being only so much as he aspires to Self Realization. This is
what human birth is meant for. To realize the One is the supreme
duty of every human being.”
Teach the four traditional goals of life.
The four traditional Hindu goals of life are duty (dharma), wealth
(artha), love (kama) and liberation (moksha). The Hindu has the
same ambitions as do others. He or she wants to experience love,
family and children, as well as a profession, wealth and respect.
Dharma enjoins the Hindu to fulfill these ambitions in an hon-
est, virtuous, dutiful way. However, these three are not ends in
themselves, but they do provide the environment and experi-
ences which help the embodied soul mature over many lives and
ences in spiritual maturity, he gave to each accordingly. Hindus
do not condemn some men as evil and extol others as good but
rather see all as divine beings, some young, some old and some in
the intermediary stages. If children are taught this central Hindu
principle, they will be able to understand and accept the other-
wise confoundingly wide range of differences among people as
part of God’s cosmic plan of spiritual evolution.
Teach about man’s three-fold nature.
Man’s nature can be described as three-fold: spiritual, intellec-
tual and instinctive. One or more of these aspects predominate
uniquely in each of us according to our maturity and evolution.
The spiritual nature is the pure, superconscious, intuitive mind
of the soul. The intellect is the thinking, reasoning nature. The
instinctive aspect of our being is the animal-like nature which
governs the physical body and brings forth strong desires and
lower emotions such as anger, jealousy and fear. The goal is to
learn to control these animal instincts as well as the ramifications
of the intellect and the pride of the ego and to manifest one’s

develop perceptive self-correction develop powerful self-control

Perceptive self-correction is evident when we are encouraged to learn to reflect on the possible effects of Powerful self-control is the ability to restrain conduct, patience, steadfastness, compassion, honesty,
are able to quickly learn the lesson from their behavior before acting. Such wisdom can be nurtured destructive emotions, such as anger, when moderate appetite and purity. Self-control is also cultivated
each experience and resolve not to through encouraging self-reflection by asking the child to we are tempted to express them. How is through emphasizing, from an early age, the traditional Hin-
repeat our mistakes. How do parents think about what he did and how he could avoid making that such control cultivated in children? It is du imperative to maintain chastity until marriage. Self-con-
develop this quality in children? By mistake again. Perceptive self-correction enables young ones through parents’ never expressing such trol leads to self-mastery, enabling one to be more successful
teaching them that making mis- to quickly learn from their inevitable mistakes, refine their emotions themselves. Children learn, in achieving outer and inner goals. Gurudeva noted: “Chil-
takes is not bad. Everyone makes still-developing behavior accordingly and thereby make more by observing their parents, whether dren who see their mother and father working out their dif-
mistakes. It is natural and simply rapid progress on the spiritual path. Gurudeva observed: it’s acceptable to behave emotionally ferences in mature discussion or in the shrine room through
shows we do not understand some- “Children are entrusted to their parents to be loved, guided or not. It is by referring often to the prayer and meditation are at that moment given permission
thing. It is important for the parent and protected, for they are the future of the future. However, ten restraints of Hinduism’s Code of to do the same in their own life when they are older. They
to determine what understanding the children can be a challenge to raise up into good citizenship. Conduct, known as the yamas, finding become the elite of society, the pillars of strength to the
child lacks and teach it to him without There are many positive ways to guide them, such as hug- illustrations of these ideals in daily life, community during times of stress and hardship. These chil-
blame. When parents discipline through ging, kindness, time spent explaining, giving wise direction on television and in movies. The yamas are dren, when older, will surely uphold the principles of dharma
natural and logical consequences, children and setting the example of what you want them to become.” noninjury, truthfulness, nonstealing, divine and will not succumb to the temptations of the lower mind.”

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spiritual nature.
It is the instinctive nature in man that contains the tendencies
to harm others, disregard the prudent laws of society and stir up
negativity within the home, the nation and beyond. Those who
are expressing such tendencies are young souls who have yet to
learn why and how to harness the instinctive forces. It may take
such a person many lives to rise to a higher consciousness and
live in his spiritual nature. Thus the Hindu approach to such a
man, which children can be taught from an early age, is not to
label him as evil, but rather to focus on restraining his hurtfulness
and helping him learn to control these instincts and improve his
behavior.
Gurudeva describes this in an insightful way: “People act in evil
ways who are not yet in touch with their soul nature and live to-
tally in the outer, instinctive mind. What the ignorant see as evil,
the enlightened see as the actions of low-minded and immature
individuals.”
PART THREE
teach of hinduism’s greatness
Instill in your children a pride in Hinduism
based upon its wise precepts for living.
Since the middle of the twentieth century, Hindu teachings have
become more widely understood throughout the world. As a re-
photos by dinodia
ence of perfection. There is, in this true Hinduism, a solution to
when parents are every individual, social, national and international problem. True
harmonious, children tend Hinduism is the Sanatana Dharma of the Upanishads.” Children
to get along as well. whose peers do not value Hinduism will take heart in Swami’s
pride-instilling words.
The traditional Hindu vegetarian diet has many
benefits, both personal and planetary.
More and more individuals are switching from the meat-eating
diet of their parents to a vegetarian diet as a matter of conscience
based upon their personal realization of the suffering that animals
undergo when they are fettered and slaughtered. This is, of course,
also the Hindu rationale for a vegetarian diet. It is based on the vir-
tue of ahimsa: refraining from injuring, physically mentally or emo-
tionally, anyone or any living creature. The Hindu who wishes to
strictly follow the path of noninjury naturally adopts a vegetarian
diet. A common saying that conveys this principle to even the small-
est child is, “I won’t eat anything that has eyes, unless it’s a potato.”
A second rationale for vegetarianism has to do with our state of
consciousness. When we eat meat, fish, fowl and eggs, we absorb
the vibration of these instinctive creatures into our nerve system.
This chemically alters our consciousness and amplifies our own
instinctive nature, which is the part of us prone to fear, anger,
jealousy, confusion, resentment and the like. Therefore, being
vegetarian is a great help in attaining and maintaining a spiritual
state of consciousness, and some individuals take up vegetarian-
ism for this reason alone.

sult cardinal aspects of the Hindu approach to living have been A third rationale for vegetarianism is that it uses the planet’s
taken up by many thoughtful individuals of diverse religions and natural resources in a much wiser way. In large measure, the esca-
ethnicities far beyond India. This is because they find them wise lating loss of species, destruction of ancient rain forests to create
and effective ways of living. Hindu precepts that are being univer- pasture lands for livestock, loss of topsoil and the consequent
sally adopted in the 21st century include: increase of water impurities and air pollution have all been traced
to the single fact of meat in the human diet. No one decision that
❖ Following a vegetarian diet ❖ Teaching that the whole world is one family Teach your children how the unique wisdom of their born faith, we can make as individuals or as a race can have such a dramatic
❖ A reverence toward and desire to ❖ The belief in karma as a system of divine justice especially in the principles listed above, is being more appreciated effect on the improvement of our planetary ecology as the deci-
protect the environment ❖ The belief in reincarnation and adopted by spiritual seekers than ever before. Swami Chinma- sion to not eat meat. Many seeking to save the planet for future
❖ Solving conflicts through nonviolent means ❖ The practice of yoga and meditation yananda, in his first public talk in 1951, made a powerful statement generations have become vegetarians for this reason.
❖ Tolerance towards others ❖ Seeking to personally experience Divinity about the effectiveness of Hinduism: “The true Hinduism is a sci- By teaching the value of a vegetarian diet to our youth, we pro-

develop a profound self-confidence %develop a playful self-contentment

Profound self-confidence is exemplified
when a child is confronted with a dif-
ficult task and his first response is the
certainty that he can accomplish it.
Unfortunately, many children reach
adulthood lacking self-confidence
and have as their first response the
feeling that they will be unable to
accomplish the task, as it is too diffi-
cult. How is profound self-confidence
cultivated? Firstly, through being
sure the child possesses a positive self-
concept. Secondly, through helping the
child be repetitively successful at progres-
sively more difficult tasks as he or she grows up. A pattern Playful self-contentment is expressed when
of many successes going into our subconscious mind is what
produces the sense of self-confidence and the feeling that
we will be equal to any task. For example, a father teaches his
son carpentry from age ten through eighteen. Each year the
father helps the son make something that is more complex,
never giving him a project that is too advanced, praising
each achievement. Self-confidence is cultivated by watching
for failures at school or at home and compensating for them.
If the child is shy and has trouble at school with public speak-
ing, work personally or through a tutor to overcome that
shyness so he or she can speak comfortably before groups of
people in any situ tat ion. Self-confidence makes developing
youth magnetic to success in both outer and inner endeavors.
a child’s usual mood is fun-loving, happy
and satisfied. How is this developed?
It is through the parents’ living and
verbalizing the philosophy that life
is meant to be lived joyously. It is by
holding the perspective that happi-
ness does not depend on external
circumstances but is a conscious-
ness we can claim, whether life is
free of or filled with challenges. It is
by teaching the children to be satis-
fied with what they have in the pres-
ent rather than dissatisfied about what
they don’t have. It is nurtured by the family spending time
together filled with play and laughter. The ability to remain
playful, joyful, secure and content enables one to face with
far greater equanimity the ups and downs of life. Gurudeva
described the contentment, santosha, that we should teach
children: “True santosha is seeing all-pervasiveness of the
one divine power everywhere. The light within the eyes of
each person is that divine power. With this in mind, you can
go anywhere and do anything. Contentment is there, inside
you, and needs to be brought out. It is a spiritual power. So,
yes, do what makes you content. But know that contentment
really transcends worrying about the challenges that face
you. Santosha is being peaceful in any situation. The stronger
you are in santosha, the greater the challenges you can face.”

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tect their health, lengthen their lives, elevate their consciousness
and preserve the Earth that is their home. children need to be valued as
part of the family team.
Hindus hold a deep reverence toward planet Earth
and toward all living beings that dwell on it.
Many thoughtful people share the Hindu view that it is not right
for man to kill or harm animals for food or sport. They believe
that animals have a right to enjoy living on this planet as much as
humans do. There is a Vedic verse in this regard that says: “Ahimsa
is not causing pain to any living being at any time through the
actions of one’s mind, speech or body.” Another Vedic verse states,
“You must not use your God-given body for killing God’s creatures,
whether they are human, animal or whatever.”
Hindus regard all living creatures as sacred—mammals, fishes,
birds and more. They are stewards of trees and plants, fish and birds,
bees and reptiles, animals and creatures of every shape and kind.
We acknowledge this reverence for life in our special affection for
the cow. Mahatma Gandhi once said about the cow, “One can mea-
sure the greatness of a nation and its moral progress by the way it
treats its animals. Cow protection to me is not mere protection of
the cow. It means protection of all that lives and is helpless and
weak in the world. The cow means the entire subhuman world.”
Many individuals are concerned about our environment and
properly preserving it for future generations. Hindus share this
concern and honor and revere the world around them as God’s
creation. They work for the protection of the Earth’s diversity and
resources to achieve the goal of a secure, sustainable and last-
ing environment. Children today, as never before, have a native
understanding of the place of mankind as part of the Earth, and
it is our duty to reinforce this in their young minds.
Hinduism is respected for solving conflicts
through nonviolent means.
Mahatma Gandhi’s strong belief in the Hindu principle of ahimsa
and his nonviolent methods for opposing British rule are well
known throughout the world. The nonviolent approach has con-
sciously been used by others as well. Certainly one of the most
well-known exponents of nonviolence was Dr. Martin Luther King.
develop a pious character
Pious character is evident when we naturally
treat others with kindness, generosity and
appreciation. It is fulfilled when we seek
the blessings of God, Gods and guru
throughout life. How can this be cul-
tivated in children? It is through the
parents’ demonstrating these quali-
ties themselves. Children learn that
this behavior is expected of them by
observing their parents’ actions. It is
by referring often to the ten obser-
vances of Hinduism’s Code of Conduct,
known as the niyamas, and pointing out
their relevance in daily life, on TV and in
I-8 h i n d u i s m t o d ay a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5
Dr. King, after decades of careful thought on the Hindus do not believe that some individuals will be saved and
problem of racial discrimination in the United others damned, nor in a chosen people, nor in a starkly divided
States, selected the Hindu principle of ahimsa, as world of good and evil filled only with the faithful and the infidels.
exemplified by Mahatma Gandhi’s tactic of non- Hinduism respects and defends the rights of humans of every
violent resistance, as the most effective method caste, creed, color and sex, and it asks that those same rights be
for overcoming the unjust laws that existed in accorded its billion followers. Hindus think globally and act locally
America at the time. In 1959 Dr. King even spent as interracial, international citizens of the Earth. They honor and
five weeks in India personally discussing with value all human cultures, faiths, languages and peoples, never
Gandhi’s followers the philosophy and techniques offending one to promote another.
of nonviolence to deepen his understanding of This is taken one step further in the ancient verse “The whole
them before putting them into actual use. world is one family.” Everyone is family oriented. All our efforts are
Children learn conflict resolution at an early focused on benefiting the members of our family. We want them
age, establishing patterns that will serve them all to be happy, successful and religiously fulfilled. And when we
throughout life. Some learn that fists, force and define family as the whole world, it is clear that we wish everyone
angry words are the way to work things out. in the world happiness, success and religious fulfillment. The Ve-
Others are taught that diplomacy and kindly dic verse that captures this sentiment is “May all people be happy.”
speech serve the same purpose more effectively By teaching our children this broad acceptance of peoples, even
and yield longer-lasting results. Children pick those who are very different from ourselves, we nurture in them
up these things largely through example in the a love for all and a compassionate tolerance that will serve them
home, by witnessing how mom and dad work well throughout their lives.
out their differences.
Many people throughout the world firmly
Hinduism has great tolerance and believe in karma and reincarnation.
considers the whole world to be a family. In the second half of the twentieth century Hindu concepts be-
In the world of the twenty-first century, a prime came more and more popular and influential in the West. For
concern is the many wars and clashes between example, every year thousands of Westerners take up the belief
peoples of different religions, nationalities and in karma and reincarnation as a logical explanation of what they
ethnicities based on hatred on one or both sides. observe in life. A contemporary expression of the law of karma is
The opposite of hatred is tolerance, and in that “What goes around comes around.” Karma is the universal principle
Hinduism excels. The Hindu belief that gives rise of cause and effect. Our actions, both good and bad, come back to
to tolerance of differences in race and nationality us in the future, helping us to learn from life’s lessons and become
is that all of mankind is good, we are all divine be- better people. Reincarnation is the belief that the soul is immortal
photos by dinodia
ings, souls created by God. Therefore, we respect and takes birth time and time again. Through this process, we
and embrace the entire human race. The Hindu have experiences, learn lessons and evolve spiritually. Finally, we
practice of greeting one another with “namas- graduate from physical birth and continue learning and evolving
kara,” worshiping God within the other person, is on inner planes of consciousness without the need for a physical
a way this philosophical truth is practiced on a body until, ultimately, we merge in God. The belief in karma and
daily basis. reincarnation gives children a logical explanation to what other-
develop proficiency in conflict resolution
movies. The niyamas are remorse, contentment, giving, faith, Proficiency in conflict resolution is exempli- violence. It is through replacing the idea of “I want me to
worship of the Lord, scriptural listening, cognition, sacred fied when we work out disagreements with win and you to lose” with that of “I win when everybody
vows, recitation and austerity. Pious character is nurtured by others by using intelligence and seek- wins.” Kids can learn from parents that it is through taking a
teaching the child to worship and pray in the home shrine or ing for a win-win situation. How is this humble attitude, rather than a dominant position, that con-
at the temple before important events, such as beginning a cultivated in youth? It is through the flicts are resolved smoothly and easily. Illustrations of what
new school year or before final examinations. Pious conduct parents’ demonstrating these quali- to do and what not to do can be drawn from the people
brings into our children’s lives the joys of Divine blessings. ties themselves. Children learn that they see in television and movies. Proficiency in conflict
Gurudeva outlined the ideal: “Hindu children are always this behavior is expected of them by resolution is nurtured by parents’ following the wisdom
treated with great respect and awe, for one does not always observing their parents’ actions. It of resolving their husband-and-wife disagreements before
know who they are. They may be incarnations of a grand- is by sitting down with children any going to sleep, as this teaches by example the importance
mother, grandfather, aunt or uncle, dearly beloved mother, time they use anger, physical force or of facing and solving a conflict rather than fleeing from it.
sister, brother, respected father, a yogi or rishi returned to verbal injury to prevail in a conflict and Mastery of resolving differences keeps our young one’s lives
flesh to help mankind spiritually. We must ask, ‘Who are these discussing with them how it could have sublime and their subconscious minds free of the distur-
souls? What is their destiny in this life? How can I help?’ “ been settled with intelligence rather than bances caused by memories of unresolved disagreements.
a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 h i n d u i s m t o d ay I-9
wise may seem an unjust, indifferent or Godless world. They can
be taught that challenging questions such as the following all
have logical explanations when viewed through the beliefs of
karma and reincarnation.
❖ Why do some innocent children die so young?
❖ Why are some people so much more talented than others?
❖ Why do some people act in evil ways?
❖ Why is it that a mean-spirited person may suc-
ceed and a good-hearted person fail?
Belief in a single life makes it hard to reconcile such things, caus-
ing one to question how a just, benevolent God could allow them
to happen. But an understanding of karma as God’s divine law
which transcends this one incarnation and brings to bear our ac-
tions from many past lives on Earth offers profound insight. That
innocent child may have been a child murderer. That musical ge-
nius may have so perfected his art in a past life that he inherits a
rare talent at birth and becomes a child prodigy.
The beliefs of karma and reincarnation give a spiritual purpose to
our life. We know that the reason we are here on Earth is to mature
spiritually and that this process extends over many lives. We know
that karma is our teacher in this process, teaching us both what to
do and what not to do through the reactions it brings back to us
in the future. So, our current incarnation—the nature of our body,
family, inclinations, talents, strengths and weaknesses—is specifi-
photos by dinodia
taking time to from any one of them until he met Sri Ramakrishna. During his
second meeting with Sri Ramakrishna he asked the great sage,
teach and share “Sir, have you seen God?” Calmly Sri Ramakrishna replied, “Yes, I
builds confidence see Him as clearly as one sees an apple in the palm of the hand;
and closeness. nay, even more intently. And not only this, you can also see Him.”
This deeply impressed the young Vivekananda, who soon after
accepted Sri Ramakrishna as his guru. By teaching children about
Hinduism’s stress on personal Godly experience, we set them on
a path of self-understanding, self-perfection and discovery of the
Divine that does not rely on the beliefs or reports of others. This
gives them an appreciation of each step in life—be it pleasant or
unpleasant—as an integral part of a joyous spiritual journey.
PART FOUR
teach about hinduism and
the other world religions
Teach about the Vedic statement “Truth
is One, sages describe it variously.”
Hinduism is often misunderstood as being polytheistic, wor-
shiping many Gods, none of which is supreme. It is important to
correct this misconception in the minds of children. They can be
taught that Hindus revere the great beings of light, called Ma-

cally designed by us to help us face the fruits of our past actions,
both positive and negative, and thus learn and evolve spiritually.
Hinduism boldly proclaims that
man can experience God.
Throughout the world today, many who are on the mystical path
want to have a personal spiritual experience. They want to see
God. Hinduism not only gives them the hope that they can achieve
their goal in this lifetime, but it gives them the practical tools, such
as the disciplines of yoga and meditation, through which this goal
eventually becomes a reality.
The focus of many religions is on helping those who do not be-
lieve in God to believe in God. Belief in God, in such faiths, is the
beginning and the end of the process. Once you believe in God
there is nothing more to do. However, in Hinduism belief is only
the first step. Hindus want to move beyond believing in God to ex-
periencing God. To the Hindu, belief is but a preparatory step to di-
vine, daily communion and life-transforming personal realization.
There is a classic story from the life of Swami Vivekananda, one
of Hinduism’s most well known modern teachers, that illustrates
the Hindu perspective of experiencing God. When Vivekananda
was still a university student, he asked many of the foremost re-
ligious leaders in the Calcutta area where he lived if they had
seen God. However, he never got a clear and authoritative answer
hadevas, just as the Catholics honor the Archangels of Heaven.
But Hindus all worship the one Supreme Being, known in the
various denominations by different names. Even more than that,
Hindus believe that the immanent-transcendent Lord they wor-
ship is indeed the same God worshiped by all peoples of all faiths
and religions of the world. As a country only has one king, we can
school the young ones, so the universe has only one Supreme
Being. The oneness of God is easily understood when we see that
the different religions use various names to describe the same
Truth. Teaching this to our young ones resolves many misconcep-
tions, both within Hinduism itself and between Hinduism and the
varied faiths of the world.

develop parental closeness develop a prejudice-free consciousness

Parental closeness finds fulfillment when
children reach adulthood and choose to
spend time with their parents because
they really enjoy being with them. A
strong bond of love and understand-
ing exists. Sadly, the opposite is
often the case. How then is parental
closeness developed? It is through
expressing love by hugging and
saying often the three magic words
“I love you.” Distance is developed by
never expressing love. Closeness is nur-
tured by correcting a child’s misbehavior
with positive discipline methods, such as
time-out and appropriate, natural and logical consequences.
The use of physical violence, anger, irrational punishments,
blame and shame cause distance. Closeness comes when
quality time is spent together in activities that all members
of the family enjoy. It is developed by the father’s binding
with his sons and the mother’s binding with her daughters,
through developing common interests in hobbies or games
and working on them together. It is protected when parents
create in the home a nonthreatening atmosphere of love in
which their children feel free to tell them everything they
have done without fear of the consequences. They know
their parents love them, no matter what. A loving parental
closeness is powerfully reflected in all subsequent relation-
ships children develop, even their relationship with God.
Prejudice-free consciousness manifests when
we see God in everyone and embrace dif-
ferences of ethnic background and reli-
gion. Are we born with prejudices?
Absolutely not! These are all learned,
at home, at school and elsewhere.
How is a prejudice-free conscious-
ness developed? It is through teach-
ing our children that the whole
world is our family and all human
beings are divine beings. It is through
complete avoidance of remarks that
are racially or religiously prejudiced. It is
through discussing with our children any
prejudice they hear from others at school and elsewhere
and correcting it. It is by teaching children to avoid gen-
eralizations about people and, instead, to think about spe-
cific individuals and the qualities they have. Television and
movies can provide useful situations to discuss. It is through
having our children meet, interact and learn to feel comfort-
able with children of other ethnicities and religions. Tolerant
individuals help communities function with less friction and
misunderstanding. Gurudeva teaches us: “Every belief cre-
ates certain attitudes. Our attitudes govern all of our actions.
Belief in karma, reincarnation and the existence of an all-per-
vasive Divinity throughout the universe creates an attitude of
reverence, benevolence and compassion for all beings. The
natural consequence of this belief is ahimsa, nonhurtfulness.”

I-10 h i n d u i s m t o d ay a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 h i n d u i s m t o d ay I-11
Teach the correct meaning of the Vedic
statement “Truth is One, paths are many.”
Some Hindus teach their children that all religions are one, think-
ing this is a way to describe Sanatana Dharma’s broad vision.
However, this is a problematic distortion of the Hindu belief that
truth is one, paths are many. Teaching this to children will cause
them to be half-hearted Hindus, never fully committed to their
faith and not inspired to pass it on to their offspring. I have seen
this attitude create indifferent Hindus who passively attend their
non-Hindu spouse’s church, presumably thinking it doesn’t really
matter, and who think it is best to raise their children “in both
religions.”
The correct teaching is that Hindus believe that all religions
worship the same truth, the same Supreme Being. However, this
does not mean that all religions are identical and it doesn’t matter
which religion you follow. The beliefs and practices of the world
religions are, in fact, quite different. The God they worship is one,
but each of the many paths is quite distinct. This knowledge will
help children see the world’s array of faiths in a realistic light while
pursuing their Hindu path with full dedication.
Hindus believe that all of the major world
religions are valid paths and everyone
is well placed in their chosen faith.
Hindus do not proselytize, meaning they do not try to convert
members of other religions to Hinduism. Proselytizing is based
upon the belief that one’s religion is the only true religion and
therefore everyone in another religion should join it. Hindus hold
the opposite point of view, which is that all faiths are good and the
not proselytize, Hinduism does, and always has, accepted new
members into the religion who seek to participate at its deep-
est levels. It is simply not true, as uninformed commentators too
often say, that you have to be born a Hindu to be a Hindu. When
asked by a devotee about this idea, Swami Vivekananda respond-
ed, “Why, born aliens have been converted in the past by crowds,
and the process is still going on.“
Hindus who marry a non-Hindu spouse who is interested in
the Sanatana Dharma wisely encourage him or her to study and
eventually enter the faith so they can together raise their children
as devout Hindus, rather than being torn between two faiths.
PART FIVE
teach how hinduism
grants experience of god
Hinduism has advanced practices within
it that many religions do not have.
If you simply want to live a virtuous, pious life and be part of a
community of fellow believers, you will discover that all religions
are similar at that basic level. But if you have the desire to person-
ally experience God, you will only find the advanced practices that
lead to that divine experience in a few religions. A good example
of this fact has been occurring in Catholic monasteries for decades.
Some of the monks in these monasteries have the desire to per-
sonally experience God. What do they do to pursue this? They
Belief in God is only the first step in Hinduism.
take time for Beyond that, it offers four ways to personally
celebration & experience God. The first two ways involve
appreciation. seeing the Divine in other people.
In some religions the ultimate experience offered is to have a
strong belief in the existence of God. In Hinduism, however, be-
lieving in God is only a preliminary, though important, step to-
ward an ever deepening personal experience of God’s presence.
Perhaps the easiest place to start is to see God in great religious
teachers. We feel a spiritual aura about them that is different, up-
lifting and inspiring. We see a light in their eyes and feel a love in
their presence we do not find in others.
The second way to see God is to look deeply into the eyes of
another person. Look beyond his or her personality, deeper than
the intellect, and see the individual’s pure life energy as God. In
Hindu culture we have an opportunity every time we greet other
people through the traditional gesture of namaskara to practice
looking deeply enough into their eyes to see God within them as
the Life of their life. This practice is an excellent way for children
to learn that all people are divine beings.
The third and fourth ways we can experience God
are through temple worship and meditation.
The third way to see God is through the Deity’s image in the
Hindu temple. This is the devotional, or theistic, approach. Gods
and devas are in the inner, spiritual worlds and are able to bless
us through the image in the temple. The image is like a tempo-
rary physical body they use during temple ceremonies. Though

members of those religions are just fine remaining in the religions
they are in. Each religion has its unique beliefs, practices, goals and
paths of attainment, and the doctrines of one often conflict with
those of another. Even this should never be cause for religious
tension or intolerance. Hindus respect all religious traditions and
the people within them. They know that good citizens and stable
societies are created from groups of religious people in all nations.
However, it is important to teach children that while Hindus do
turn to Hindu scriptures, such as Patanjali’s Yoga Aphorisms, for
guidelines in deep meditation and inner spiritual attainments, as
there are no such teachings in Christianity. More than that, such
teachings are regarded by the Catholic Church as heretical, and
the Vatican has directed monks and nuns to cease all yoga prac-
tices and return to the path of prayer. Applying a modern analogy,
one could say that all religions are computers designed to answer
our questions about life and God. However, some religions are
photos by dinodia
personal computers, some are minicomputers, others are main-
frame computers, but Hinduism is a supercomputer.
occasionally a devotee may have a vision of the God, the more
common way we experience the Gods and devas is as an uplift-
ing, peaceful, divine energy, or shakti, that radiates out from the
image. It is easiest to feel their blessings at the high point of the
puja when the flame is held high. If taught the joys of temple
worship while toddlers, children will develop a devotional rela-
tionship with the Deities which will strengthen and guide them
throughout life.

CHAR ACTER BUILDING, PART TWO ing caused their misbehavior and then providing them with the needed
guidance. This process can be understood in the light of desire, action
guide children with love, not fear and wisdom. We desire that our children behave well, but if our actions
in correcting them create fear, resentment or feelings of inferiority, then
he or she can grasp and remember. This is a far more time-consuming
process than a swift slap on the behind, but leads to far more perma-
nent and positive results.

Children make mistakes not because they are bad,
but because they lack knowledge or training.
For all of mankind, no matter where one is on the path, spiritual advancement
comes from improving one’s behavior. We do this by learning from our failures
as much as from our successes. Unfortunately, this process is often inhibited by
the idea that somehow we are not supposed to err. We grow up being scolded
for our mistakes by our parents. Some teachers ridicule and beat students when
they make mistakes. Supervisors yell at workers when they make a mistake.
No wonder many adults feel terrible when they make a mistake. Therefore, to
spiritually benefit from our mistakes, we need a new attitude toward them
which opens the door for insight, which leads to improvement. We can view
them instead as wonderful opportunities to learn. In disciplining our children, it
is important to focus on finding out what lack of knowledge or necessary train-
they will not improve and we will have subverted our goal. By treat-
ing a child’s errant behavior as described above, we discover our own
wisdom in handling kids, and we help them grow to a healthy maturity,
equipped to guide their own children with love and wisdom.
Focus on solutions instead of punishment.
For some parents, disciplining their children for misbehavior is simply a
matter of punishment. But discipline means “to teach,” so punishment
misses the point if it is not accompanied by taking a moment to gently
teach and kindly help the child, to encourage, uplift and inspire. In
many cases the child who erred simply does not know or understand
something. Otherwise he never would have made the mistake. There
is some knowledge the child is missing, and thoughtful parents need
to figure out what that knowledge is and teach it to the child in a way
There are better forms of discipline than
corporal punishment and verbal abuse.
When children seriously misbehave, punishment, of course, needs to
be part of the response. There are many forms of corporal or physi-
cal punishment and verbal abuse: spanking, hitting, pinching, using
harsh or angry words. These all cause the child to become resentful
and fearful, and in this state of mind he is unable and unwilling to
focus on the lesson the parent intends to provide. Such punishments
inevitably create a distance between parent and child and lower the
child’s sense of self-worth. On the other hand, the alternative forms of
punishment—loving, positive strategies, such as time-out, logical con-
sequences and denial of privileges—are more effective and conducive
to the child’s learning the lesson from the experience, cooperating with
the parents in a wholesome way and not repeating the behavior again.

I-12 h i n d u i s m t o d ay a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 h i n d u i s m t o d ay I-13
 The fourth way to see God is in meditation, which is a form of
internal worship. This is the monistic, or unitive, approach to ex-
periencing God—going deeply enough into our inner conscious-
ness to find the essence of our soul, which is identical with God. In
meditation we first experience God as peaceful, blissful energies
and feelings, later as a brilliant, clear white light and later still as
truth, consciousness and bliss, called Satchidananda, which per-
meates all of existence. Ultimately, under a satguru’s careful guid-
ance, we realize God as the absolute and transcendent reality that
is timeless, formless and spaceless. In Hinduism, this is regarded
as the summit of all knowing, the highest spiritual attainment
which leads to moksha, spiritual liberation.
Children can be taught the basics of meditation at an early age,
including sitting up straight, regulating the breath and perform-
ing hatha yoga to quiet the mental and physical energies. These
practices will help them remain centered, and they will mature
naturally into deeper inner experiences as they grow up.
Hinduism focuses on personal, spiritual
transformation through the regular practice
of disciplines, called sadhana.
Reading spiritual books is certainly part of progressing on the Hin-
du path. However, much more important is the regular practice
of religious disciplines. Our emotional, intellectual and spiritual
natures are all significantly enhanced and developed through per-
forming such disciplines regularly over a period of many years.
The more consistently we practice, the greater the speed of our
progress. Establishing good patterns of spiritual practice, called
sadhana, begins in childhood, in the home. The most successful
pattern in the home is for parents to have their young children
join them in their morning devotionals and, as they mature, invite
them to also participate in the meditations.
Hinduism’s spiritual practices fall into four categories.
It is fair to say that no other religion contains such a vast wealth foundation of all other practices in Hinduism. Good conduct be-
of spiritual practices, from such fundamental virtues as noninjury, gins with overcoming basic instinctive patterns, such as the ten-
truthfulness and honesty to the advanced yoga practices of breath dencies to become angry and hurtful. The ten classical restraints,
I-14 h i n d u i s m t o d ay a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5
enjoying music as a
family brings devotion
into daily life.
control and meditation. Hinduism’s array of spiritual practices can
be divided into four categories: good conduct, service, devotion
and meditation.
❖ Cultivating good conduct is the foundational practice.
Cultivating good conduct, or developing good character, is the
Teach children how they can wisely respond to
their mistakes through a four-step process.
The most common first reaction to making a mistake is to become
upset, get emotional about it or, if it is a serious mistake, to feel ter-
ribly burdened and even depressed. That is a natural first reaction,
but if it is our only reaction, it is not enough. We need to cope with
the emotional reaction to the action and move on to the second step,
which is the learning stage.
A good second step to resolving a mistake is to think clearly about
what happened and why, and find a way to not repeat the same
error in the future. Perhaps we were not being careful enough, and
resolving to be more careful next time will prevent the problem from
recurring. Perhaps we were simply uninformed or we didn’t think
things through. But with the additional knowledge learned from our
blunder we can resolve to do better the next time a similar situation
arises. Perhaps we created unintended negative consequences for
ourselves or others. Now that we are aware of those consequences,
we certainly won’t follow that path again. Recently a group of chil-
photos by dinodia
called yamas, help us overcome such tendencies. These are: non-
injury, truthfulness, nonstealing, divine conduct, patience, stead-
fastness, compassion, honesty, moderate appetite and purity.
Following the yamas naturally leads into ten religious observances,
called the niyamas: remorse, contentment, giving, faith, worship
of the Lord, scriptural listening, cognition, sacred vows, recitation
and austerity. Good conduct includes performing one’s duty to
family and community, honoring holy men, respecting elders and
atoning for misdeeds. By simply memorizing these twenty ideals,
dren in Australia started a fire in a small forest where several inno-
cent people were seriously burned. The children were caught, and as
part of their discipline the judge directed them to visit the victims in
the hospital to see the consequences of their actions. This impressed
them deeply. By evaluating such situations and committing to a new
approach, we are able to teach young ones to move from regretting “I
shouldn’t have done it” to pledging “I won’t do it again.”
A third step may be needed if our mistake directly involved other
people. Perhaps we have hurt their feelings or created a strain between
us. A personal apology can fix this if we know them well. However, in
many situations we are not close enough to the individual to verbally
apologize. In that case, a generous act can adjust the flow of feelings
back into a harmonious condition. For example, children can be taught
to include those they have hurt or offended among a group of friends
invited to a party or with whom they share some cookies or candy.
A fourth step may be needed if the mistake is a major misdeed, for
example, if we did something that was dishonest. In this case, even if
we resolve to not repeat the misdeed and apologize to those involved,
a child learns much about what is expected by his faith.
❖ Service is the second category.
Service, also called karma yoga or seva, refers to religious service
given without the least thought of reward, which has the magical
effect of softening the ego and bringing forth the soul’s innate
devotion. An example of service is performing simple chores at
the temple, such as sweeping the floors or polishing the brass.
Another form of seva is holding religious feedings at a temple
once a month. Children love to be helpful and can be encouraged
to find religious expressions of this urge.
❖ Devotion is the third category.
Devotion, or bhakti yoga, centers around regularly worshiping
the Deity at the temple and inwardly striving to awaken a pro-
found love of God in our hearts, soften our intellect and develop
a deep sense of humility. It includes devotional singing, pilgrim-
age and performing our own puja in the home shrine room. For
children, this can be as simple as bringing a flower to the shrine
each morning before school. Kids love the Gods, especially Lord
Ganesha, and they can, even as toddlers, be taught to hold hands
in namaskara, prostrate at the shrine and learn songs and chants
in praise of their favorite Deity.
❖ Meditation is the fourth category.
Meditation is also called raja yoga, or ashtanga yoga as it consists
of eight limbs. The practice of meditation begins with asana—sit-
ting quietly in yogic posture—and pranayama, breath control.
Pratyahara, sense withdrawal, brings awareness into dharana, con-
centration, then into dhyana, meditation. Dhyana finally leads to
samadhi, God Realization. Jnana yoga is also a type of meditation
that involves philosophical study and discrimination between the
Real and the unreal. Children can follow the first phases of medita-
tion for short periods, learning to sit in lotus posture, to breathe
diaphragmatically and to quiet their mind and emotions through
attention and concentration. When they are more mature, you can
take them to a swami or yoga teacher to learn the deeper aspects.
we may still feel bad about having done it. In this case we need to per-
form some form of penance, prayaschitta, to rid ourself of the sense of
feeling bad about our actions. Typical forms of penance for adults are
fasting, performing 108 prostrations before the Deity or walking pros-
trations up a sacred path or around a temple. These are too severe for
younger children, but they can do simpler penances such as skipping
dessert one meal or renouncing a favorite TV program one night.
Help your children perfect the art of
learning quickly from mistakes.
The spiritual path is a series of experiences, and sometimes those
experiences are mistakes that we make. If we teach our children to be
self-reflective, they can learn from their mistakes quickly, avoid making
them again and progress more quickly on the spiritual path. If children
are constantly making the same mistakes over and over and over again,
they are not making good progress. This is something for parents to
be alert to, for it is parents who can set the patterns for resolution of
karmas in their kid’s lives.
a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 h i n d u i s m t o d ay I-15

PART SIX
teach children how to live
positively in the world.
Train children that the world is a positive
place filled with opportunities for growth.
The world in this sense refers to the arena of life, including where
we interact with people the most, such as the home, school and
our place of work. In Western thought these are not considered
spiritual places. However, in Hinduism they are. There is no sharp
distinction between the sacred and the secular. In the words of
our paramaguru, Siva Yogaswami, “The world is an ashram—a
training ground for the achievement of moksha.”
What is it that transforms the world from a secular place into a
spiritual one? It is the understanding that it is through the process
of experiencing life that we unfold spiritually. It is the knowing
that through fulfilling our natural duties, honestly and to the best
of our ability, we make spiritual progress. Why? Through inter-
acting with others, we learn important lessons and, as a result,
gradually deepen our understanding, improve our behavior and
become more spiritual. In the process, we work through karmas
we created in the past and create new karmas to be faced in the
future. Our daily activities, encounters and emotional reactions
contribute to our spiritual progress just as much as attending pu-
jas in the temple, studying the holy texts, meditating and wor-
dinodia
Teach about the three great powers:
desire, action and wisdom.
Important insights into the soul’s maturing process can be gained
by looking at the three shaktis of God—iccha, the power of desire,
kriya, the power of action and jnana, the power of wisdom—which
are also the three powers of the soul. We first have a desire, and
when the desire becomes strong enough we act. In young souls
the action may be ill-conceived and wrongful, or adharmic, lack-
ing in wisdom. For example, we want a computer, so we simply
steal one. We need money, so we borrow with no intention to
repay. The soul is repeating a cycle of similar experiences, moving
back and forth from desire to action, desire to action.
In the case of the adharmic action of stealing, eventually the
soul will learn the lesson that theft is not the best way to get what
AYURVEDA
Preventing Colds & Flu
A balanced immune system is your best friend in
the quest for health and the conquest of disease
BY DR. VIRENDER SODHI
veryone has respiratory infections. statistics
show that an average adult can expect to get two to three
colds per year. When the body is invaded by disease, the
immune system makes every effort to destroy both the
germs and the infected cells.
Because we are surrounded by bacterium and viruses con-
stantly, even when we are healthy, these impurities can’t be the
sole cause of disease. Otherwise, we would always be sick. We
become ill when there is a breakdown in our immune system
due to some physical imbalance. Ayurvedic medicine is a sci-
ence of balance. Whenever we have a disease, there is an im-
balance inviting that disease to occur.
Ayurvedic medicine believes that the digestive system, es-
pecially the stomach, plays an important role in our overall health.
We create stress on our digestive system when we fail to follow
the laws of nature. Such failure would include the consumption
of unhealthy foods, food taken in improper combinations or food
weaken your immune system. Consider us-
ing electrostatic and charcoal filters in your
house to clean the air.
• Reduce your sugar and dairy intake.
Eat fruits and vegetables instead. Win-
ter is a holiday season when we tend to
consume a lot of sugar. According to pub-
lished studies, seven tablespoons of sugar
a day retards the immune system dramati-
cally. One can of soda pop contains nearly
four tablespoons of sugar. Avoid foods you
are allergic to. You may need to ask your
doctor what these are.
• Take antioxidants! My personal favorite
is Amla Plex, available from my company,
Ayush Herbs Inc. It is a natural source of
anti-oxidants and an excellent immune
builder. Take one teaspoon three times
a day during the winter. Add to this vita-
min C (up to 1,000 mg), vitamin E (400
IU), selenium (200 mcg), and natural ca-
rotenoids (25,000 IU). Ayurvedic herbs
can also be taken, such as trifala (500
mg three times per day), holy basil stan-
dardized extract (250 mg three times
per day) and turmeric extract (250 mg
three times per day). When you have a
cold or an upper respiratory infection,
drink ginger, licorice and holy basil tea. Garlic and green tea also
have immune balancing properties. Drink plenty of warm fluids.
• Wash your hands frequently. At Purdue University, in a study
of 60 day-care centers, researchers found that people who washed

shiping in our home shrine. Paramaguru Yogaswami captured the
essence of this perspective when he said, “All work must be done
with the aim of reaching God.”
Teach that life is a classroom in which
we learn important lessons.
Life is a process of learning through trial and error and thereby
advancing spiritually. Gurudeva has an insightful explanation of
this process: “Life is a series of experiences, one after another. Each
experience can be looked at as a classroom in the big university
of life if we only approach it that way. Who is going to these class-
rooms? Who is the member of this university of life? It’s not your
instinctive mind. It’s not your intellectual mind. It’s the body of
your soul, your superconscious self, that wonderful body of light.
It’s maturing under the stress and strain.”
Children live much of their day learning, often in a classroom,
so the idea that all of life is a school for our soul will come easily
to them, and it will teach them to value lessons wherever they
come from.
Conclusion
o, here we have it: the parent’s work of character-building designed
Working together on projects is an ideal way to pass on your
beliefs, attitudes, values, insights, skills and wisdom.
we need or want. This may come from the difficult experience
of being caught, or by seeing the suffering our actions cause in
others. Such learning is the jnana shakti, soulful wisdom, com-
ing forth and causing one’s behavior to improve. This process
works for virtuous, or dharmic, actions as well. For example, we
volunteer at the temple to teach children’s classes once a month.
We are uplifted by the feeling that helping others gives us and
decide to help out every week and even participate in meetings
to plan out the classes. Selfless action and the reaction it has on
us brings an inner joy. Therefore, jnana guides us to decide to
undertake even more service and thus feel more joyful. We have
again improved our behavior. If children are taught about these
three basic forces at work in their life, they will seek to understand
desire, think about action and strive for wisdom.
them on their way as good Hindus, well-
incorrectly prepared. Excessive use of sugar can also cause prob-
lems. Other factors, such as stress resulting from work, family
discord or environment influences, can also have a negative effect.
These imbalances create ama (the ayurvedic term for a kind of
undigested mucus toxin). Because this mucus is a natural breeding
ground for viruses and bacteria, it can become a cause for upper
respiratory infections. Medical science has recognized several
hundred different types of viruses and bacterium which can cause
these afflictions.
As we’ve seen this year, flu shots are limited. I feel that vaccina-
tions are only important for the elderly, especially if their natural
immunity has been compromised due to cancer, heart disease,
asthma, lung infections, smoking or bronchitis. These patients
have a high mortality rate due to pneumonia.
If a young person who has not been vaccinated contracts an
upper respiratory infection, he or she generally recovers more
quickly than those who have been vaccinated. Similarly, patients
who take antibiotics experience delayed healing as compared with
those who receive herbal medicines. Most upper respiratory infec-
tions are viral and do not need antibiotics. During my twenty-four
years of practice, I have never used influenza vaccinations for my-
self or my family. In spite of exaggerated exposure to these germs,
I have warded off the flu with care and natural remedies only.
Most people recover from a common cold or the flu within a week.
When I am asked how these common illnesses might be avoid-
ed, this is the advice that I give:
their hands frequently got 50 percent fewer colds than those who
didn’t. I do not like antibacterial soaps because they sometimes
force the body to develop drug-resistant bacteria. Avoid frequent
touching of your nose, eyes and ears.
• Get at least seven to eight hours of sleep every night. Stud-
ies have shown that a lack of sleep can increase your chances of
catching a cold.
• For many, the holiday season can be stressful. Mental and
emotional weaknesses have an effect on the physical system and
actually increase the risk of catching cold. Perform yoga or tai chi
and spend quality time with your friends and family. Surround
yourself with people you care about and those who care about you.
A Carnegie Mellon study published in The Journal of American
Medical Association found that people who report three or less
social ties, such as with friends, family, coworkers or community
groups, are more than four times at risk of catching a cold than
those with six or more such ties.
• Do not use antibiotics indiscriminately. Antibiotics have no
benefits and can weaken your immune system. According to a
study published by The Journal of American Medical Association,
50 percent of the patients suffering with colds, upper respiratory
infections and bronchitis demanded antibiotic prescriptions. Most
of the upper respiratory infections are caused by viruses. Antibiot-
ics are effective against bacteria. Overuse of antibiotics may lead
to antibiotic-resistant bacteria which can be life threatening.
The key is to keep a balance in all that you do. It can come

S
guidebook of minimum teach-
ings to convey to children,
based on Gurudeva’s insights gained
from over 40 years of closely working
with hundreds of families in a score of
nations. This booklet presents a grid-
to augment any tradition or denomi-
nation. The key is this: start teaching
early and don’t stop until your children
leave the home. Even if you did nothing
more than what is outlined in these 16
pages, that would be enough to send
equipped to live as happy, effective
citizens of the modern world. Reprints
of this parenting guide are available at:
www.himalayanacademy.
com/teachingtools/
• Perform breathing exercises (outside if possible), and circulate
more fresh air throughout your home. Exercise regularly. Walk-
ing for 45 minutes a day will increase the body’s immune defense
mechanism. However, do not over-exert yourself. Exercising longer
than 90 minutes per day may actually increase your risk of upper
respiratory infections.
• Reduce the “allergenic load” in your house. Carpets, gas heaters,
wood burning fireplaces, fungi, mold and chemicals of any kind can
from a healthy mind and body, with meditation, stress reduction,
exercises and eating nutritious foods. A few exceptions are fine, as
long as they are not in excess. Learn to listen to your body’s needs.
Your body is your best doctor.
dr. virender sodhi holds an M.D. (Ayurveda) from India and a
N.D. from Bastyr College of Nauropathic Medicine, USA. E-mail:
drsodhi@ayurvedicscience.com. Web: www.ayurvedicscience.com.

I-16 h i n d u i s m t o d ay a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 53
 Saint: Sri Sri Sri Tiruchi Devotees adjust: It is true
Mahaswamigal, 1929–2005 that the passing away of a yogi
is not to be mourned, because
rama Mahasamsthana, Sri Sri he continues to live–he attains
Tiruchi Mahaswamigal had at Mahasamadhi and merges
age 75 attained Mahasamadhi, with God. But with the physi-
as is termed the dropping off cal absence of Mahaswamigal
of the physical body of a great hundreds of devotees felt or-
soul. In failing health for some phaned. “Appa” (father), who
years, Swami suffered an ap- had guided them through thick
parent stroke on the morning and thin, was no longer going
of the 14th and died soon after- to hear them, talk to them and
wards, at 1:30 pm. His body was soothe their tormented minds
transported to the ashram from or give them solace. That en-
Mallya Hospital and prepared dearing, comforting presence
for internment beneath the of Appa would be absent for-
massive Sri Chakra (see photo ever.
below) in a chamber built for When I visited the ashram
photos: thuraisingam rajasankara

this purpose at his direction a on the 15th, devotees were

few years ago. Prominent swa- sobbing uncontrollably. The
mis, including Sri Balagangad- seat from where Swamiji gave
haranathaswami and Koviloor darshan (literally, “sight,” in
Swami, and political leaders, this case being in the pres-
including former Indian prime ence of the guru) was adorned
minister, Deve Gowda, and by a photograph instead of

courtesy kailash ashrama

Karnataka state chief minister the person. Never was there
Dharam Singh, rushed to the a time when Swamiji did not
ashram for the ceremonies. give darshan to his devotees–
The body was placed in the despite his ill health. I never
chamber and covered first with heard Swamiji speaking of his
Samadhi: Sri Jayendra Puri (at right, holding tray), Tiruchiswami’s successor, performs last rites inside the Sri Chakra temple sanctum vibhuti (holy ash), lotus flow- health or uneasiness.
ers and herbs, then the cham- Legacy continues: The Raja-
TRANSITION ber was filled with sand and rajeshwari temple, sculptured
the floor stone replaced. Sri in typical Dravidian style, is

Tiruchiswami Attains Mahasamadhi Jayendra Puri performed wor-

Sri Jayendra Puri Swami succeeds great saint who passes away at age 75
By Choodie Shivaram, Bangalore
he temple of rajarajeshwari at
Rajarajeshwarinagar in Bangalore is
known for its spiritual prowess–“When
you pray at this temple, your prayers
are answered, your troubles are alleviated”
is the total belief of devotees. What a great
devotee and what godly powers Jagadguru
ship with lights, and the ceremonies ended diagram. Final worship followed and then
around midnight. the traditional feeding of all devotees.
immaculately built, with every
stone placed to perfection. The greenery
around, the young energetic children of the
By mid-morning of the next day, the Nine days later, on January 23, Sri Jayen- veda patasala school in their dhotis and neatly
temple craftsmen had replaced the Sri dra Puri Swami was officially installed as
Chakra’s pedestal. Gold and gems were head of the ashram as part of the Moksha
tucked tufted hair, the well-maintained cow
shed—everything bears the stamp of the Ti-
placed on the pedestal top by the swamis, Deepa Aradhana ritual (photos next page). ruchi Mahaswamigal’s eye for detail, perfec-
then the craftsmen replaced the heavy pan-
Sri Sri Sri Shivarathnapuri Bhagavat, popu- ashram-temple complex had swelled into chalogam (five metal) Sri Chakra, a three- Consecration: (left to right) The Sri Chakra pedestal has been placed over the chamber; the
larly known as Tiruchi Mahaswamigal, must a sea of devotees. The atmosphere at the dimensional form of the famous mystical Sri Chakra itself returned to its place; then decoration and worship with lights and flowers
have possessed to bring Goddess Rajarajesh- temple and ashram was unusually serious
wari to this place. and solemn. The architect of this spiritual
By evening on January 14, 2005, this sanctuary and pontiff of Sri Kailash Ash-
Internment: (left to right) Tiruchiswami’s body was kept first at the ashram entrance; then
brought to the Sri Chakra temple; then set in a chamber with of holy ash, herbs, flowers and sand

photos: thuraisingam rajasankara

54 h i n d u i s m t o d ay a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 55
 OPINION pare for old age. Maturity develops more
completely as we learn to live with others
and as we learn to live with ourselves. Of

Let Old Be Gold these two challenges, the latter is more

important for the elderly, for there are

photos: thuraisingam rajasankara

Our sunset years should offer a new life in
an inner world where the sky is the only limit
S WA M I K R I TA R T H A NA N DA
t is a common experience of life that a child
makes a hero of his father and dreams of the day when he
himself will grow up so he can be “the boss.” That child does
tion and planning. No devotee leaves with- from our sub-sect who had deeply influ- (left) On January 23, saints and devotees indeed grow up through adolescence and youth to finally
out receiving the hospitality at the ashram. enced Tiruchi Swamiji. We were spellbound. witnessed the installation of Sri Jayendra become a mature adult individual, but life turns out differently
In attaining Mahasamadhi, Tiruchi Ma- From my frequent interactions and vis- Puri as the new head of Kailash Ashrama: than he expects. Little by little, his responsibilities increase and he
haswamigal was not just leaving behind a its to the ashram and temple I have seen (right) Sri Jayendra assumes Tiruchi tastes the bitter-sweet fruits of the world as they are served up in
great institution but a perfectly groomed people of immense faith and belief. They Mahaswamigal’s seat, his guru’s sandals a seemingly never-ending continuum. His childhood dreams are
successor in Sri Sri Jayendra Puri Swamiji. vouch that the powers of this place are re- are placed on his head (now in his hands), shattered, and he begins to wish he had never grown old. Certainly,
Already on the 15th, everything was in sponsible for their well-being. “We were and then he is crowned and blessed by the the challenges of life can inspire a dread of old age. There is that
routine at the ashram. Pujas at the temple, in doldrums after suffering huge losses in priests and swamis burdening sense of responsibility, that fear of insecurity, that seem-
administrative activities, and hospitality to business. We sought the blessings of Devi ingly insatiable desire for worldly enjoyment and that frustrating
every visitor, everything was taken care of. (Goddess) and Swamiji here. We came out “By the grace of the Divine Mother and Lord loss of spiritual inspiration. All of this can render a grim picture of
Swami Jayendra Puri, besides giving darshan of it, and God has kept us well ever since. Subramanya, a glorious son will be born to the reality of living and the inescapable eventuality of dying.
to devotees, was continuously receiving and There is great power in this Goddess, and you. He will be a teacher and benefactor for The difficulties of old age are deceptively shielded and
attending to pontiffs of other monasteries that is because of Swamiji,” said Chaitanya all mankind.” Born in 1929, young Palaniswa- move in slowly. Yet they do most surely come and cannot be
who came to offer their respects and devo- Kumar, an old neighbor and friend of mine. mi was drawn to religious life right from his avoided. The key to facing them positively is learning to live
tees who came from far off places on hear- “Swamiji disliked indulging in worldly af- childhood. While in his 20s, he traveled to in the present. Most of the time we don’t do this. Usually we
ing of the great passage. Conducting himself fairs and refused to comment on matters of Nepal and was initiated as Jagadguru Sri Sri keep ourselves quite busy either remember-
with poise, Jayendra Puri Swami was seen current developments. Yet politicians, bu- Sri Shivarathnapuri Bhagavat. ing the past or planning the future.
consoling devotees while resolutely fighting reaucrats, professionals, and layman alike Tiruchi Swami was instructed by his guru, In order to live in the present we must
back tears from his own welling eyes. had immense faith in him. He was the be- Shivapuri Baba, to return to India, propa- strive to practice mindfulness. To be mind-
Tiruchi Mahaswamigal was a stickler for nign reliever of their troubles. His spiritual gate dharma and build a temple. Before ful, we must dismiss worry about the
principles. His advice to his successor was powers lay hidden deep inside and only a returning, Swamiji went to Mount Kailash. past and concern for the future as we
dharma prachara (propagation of righteous devotee could feel the vibration,” says Mr. There he had a vision of Goddesses Durga, endeavor to accept and deal posi-
living). “This was the word he always used. Krishnan, a regular visitor to the ashram. Lakshmi and Saraswati, who told him, “Pro- tively with the inevitable changes
‘Follow Vedas and be immersed in Bhaga- Since his early days, Swamiji has worked ceed south, and establish an ashram there.” of life. Because this is difficult,
vanthana chintana (thought of God)–do not methodically for the revival of Hinduism. Swamiji had a divine inspiration to start the most of us approach our sunset
deviate from the dharma’ was his advice,” He’s improved temples by raising money for ashram and temple near Bangalore. years with a cumbersome
recounted Jayendra Puri Swamiji. “His way construction and renovation. Kailash Ash- Unlike other renunciates, Swamiji was sense of apprehension.
of looking at things was philosophical—he’d rama has spawned a number of subsidiary always attired in white and not in saffron. Thankfully, the experi-
say, ‘What is the use of discourses? Have spiritual centers in Karnataka and Tamil “He was given permission by his guru not to ences of life naturally
you attended to the personal need of the Nadu. But more importantly, and a reflec- change the color of his attire. Earlier, an el- breed maturity, and
tormented devotee who is seeking your tion of his far-sightedness, his ashram’s pa- derly lady who nurtured Swamiji as a young this maturity yields
darshan?’ Swamiji took personal interest tasala schoot has graduated a steady stream boy and wielded tremendous spiritual influ- a certain security.
in the well being of the devotees. He knew of proficient priests since its founding in ence over him had advised Swamiji to be a Still, much conscious
every devotee’s family tree at least three 1976. Some of the patasal boys, after thor- true sadhu. She had advised him to refrain effort must be made
generations upwards and down to present. ough religious training at the ashram, opted from wearing saffron just for outwardly to properly pre-
times during the last years of life when all
of society seems to turn a cold shoulder,
and solitude is all that exists. Rather than
falling prey to depression during such
trying times, we can strive to discover a
deeper life within ourselves. History is full
of people who have done this successfully
and experienced happiness because of it.
If we wish to seek out this deeper, inner
existence, we must learn to listen to our
inner voice. This requires that we properly identify and evaluate
our emotions, for these are the powerful forces that can get in
our way and obstruct the clarity of our inner perception. Because
reviewing our emotional experiences is generally unpleasant, our
tendency is to suppress them instead. Unfortunately, this is just a
temporary fix, for it is only a matter of time before they boomer-
ang back around, causing havoc among family and friends. This is
why it is important to learn to face our fears as we approach old
age. Fear can best be dispelled by boldly confronting its cause.
This sort of self reflection is most easily accomplished through
deliberate effort. For this reason, it is often suggested that one peri-
odically retire to a solitary place for the purpose of meditation and
introspection. This practice paves the way toward a deep and all-
abiding faith in God. With this faith, we can continue our spiritual
journey with unshakable vigor, easily conquering all obstacles that
arise along the way.
As we get older, the process of making new friends can also help
bring about a contented inner existence in another way. Isn’t it
true that every genuine friendship involves the development of an
interpersonal relationship in which one’s own ego receives second
priority? Clearly, the humility derived from such an endeavor is a
firm ally in the achievement of any spiritual goal.
Old age should be the fulfilment and consummation of life,
bringing peace, wisdom and understanding. From a spiritual
standpoint, man’s best years occur after the age of sixty. This is
when the soul nature shines forth naturally. The first half of life
is dominated by unconscious drives and the delusion that youth,
beauty and virility are meant to be enjoyed selfishly. As we grow
older, we become more clearly aware of the forces acting in and
around us. Although our peak work performance can no longer
be sustained, we can still enjoy good health and our minds can
continue to develop. This is a time when spiritual far-sightedness
begins to manifest and peace of mind is an obvious result. True
love can now be experienced, unconfused with the sexual drives,
and the experience of the unity of all existence is easily obtainable.
And so it is that the last years of life can be spent delving into
the science of inner discovery and the art of graceful living. Truly,
it may be said that “old is gold” for those who choose to take full

am
There was a personal touch he lent. He to become monks. They joined Kailash or opulence of a sannyasi,” explained Jayendra advantage of their potential. However, just as pure gold must be

aj
knew the sampradaya (tradition) to which another ashram, greatly improving the re- Puri. “True to this, Swamiji never wore saf- blended with a modicum of dross—that is, base metal—in order to

s. r
the devotee belonged and spoke to each ligious teaching and leadership. Prominent fron or rudraksha, never wore stitched or make it usable, so also must the vigor and enthusiasm of youth be
devotee in his own language,” says Jayendra among these are Jagadguru Sri Sri Sri Balag- ironed cloth, never used a telephone, never mixed in proper proportion with the wisdom and maturity of old
Puri. Swamiji was a linguist, and was profi- angadharanatha Swami of Adi Chunchanag- took coffee or tea.” age for the maintenance of a harmonious and productive society.
cient in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, iri Mutt in Bellur, Swami Sivananda Bharati, A yogi passing away from the material world Young people and old people have much to offer each other. Let
Marathi and Hindi. Jayendra Puri himself is head of Siddharudanatha Math and Kuma- never leaves a void. But for the multitude of there be no doubt, they are meant to merge, just as thousands of
fluent also in several languages and speaks raswamy, head of the Thiruchi Swami Math. monks, devotees, staffers at the temple and rivers are sure to blend into the sea.
immaculate English. Early life: Sri Tiruchi Mahaswamigal was ashram, young students at Gurukula, and
In fact, Tiruchi Mahaswamigal surprised destined to be a monk. While traveling at particularly for his ardent student-successor Swami Kritarthananda has been a monk in the
me in my very first meeting, by guessing my Kanya Kumari, a place of great religious sig- Sri Jayendra Puri, it will be a long while be- Ramakrishna Order for 27 years. He currently
sub-sect. He spoke glowingly about a promi- nificance in South India, his parents were fore they reconcile to the absence of the silent resides at the Belur Math in West Bengal, India.
nent spiritual savant (Holenarsipur Swamiji) informed by a stranger near the Devi temple, stalwart who was their beacon of light. ∏π

56 h i n d u i s m t o d ay a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 57

New playground action: Tara Guber’s novice group gamely explores a variety of interpretations of the warrior pose during a Yoga Ed. class
E D U C AT I O N
Taking Hatha Yoga to School
The Yoga Ed. curriculum, successfully adapted yoga into the US public
school setting, could augment temple youth teaching programs as well
oga ed.’s curriculum arrives
as a three-inch-thick binder bulging
with a ream of printed paper. It is a
complete course description for 35
classes a year through eight grades in hatha
yoga, with related techniques teaching mind
and emotion control and positive interac-
tion with fellow students. In our April, 2004,
issue we profiled one of its authors, Tara
Guber, long-time school teacher, hatha yoga
enthusiast and wife of Hollywood producer
Peter Guber of “Batman” fame. In that ar-
ticle we described her successful attempt,
along with fellow author Leah Kalish, to
develop and introduce a program of hatha
yoga to The Accelerated School in South
Central Los Angeles.
In the 1990s, this was a depressed, crime-
ridden area, birthing ground of the infamous
Crips and Bloods gangs and flash point for
the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Blacks largely left
the area following the riots, to be replaced
with an influx of Latinos. It remains a tough
neighborhood. The school’s setting is impor-
tant to an evaluation of the course, both to
58 h i n d u i s m t o d ay a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5
appreciate the bold task the authors took on
and to understand why some parts of the
course seem aimed at children “old for their
age.” Then again, perhaps children are all
old for their age these days, and childhood
should no longer be “presumed innocent.”
A curriculum, for those not familiar with
the world of education, is a manual for teach-
ers which lays out everything they need to
teach a particular course. The Yoga Ed.
curriculum is divided into three sections: a
teacher’s guide, lesson plans and resources.
The course’s stated mission is “to inspire,
educate, facilitate and support children in
developing physical health, emotional sta-
bility and self-awareness through informed
and experiential study, self-exploration and
yoga.” The philosophy, methods and goals of
the program are explained. It lists in detail
how Yoga Ed. qualifies to be part of the state
of California’s physical education program—
the niche it occupies in that state’s public
school system. A great deal of good advice
and teaching methods for the professional
teacher are conveyed. After discussing the
sitting back to back on the floor a line and stands side-to-side leav-
with their arms interlocked. They ing about a foot of space between
then try to stand up in unison. Next players. Everyone (with the excep-
comes “rest and visualization” for tion of the end player) gets into the
five minutes. For young students, downward facing dog pose. Make
this might be “beanbag bodies,” in sure players have formed a tunnel
which the students lay on the floor with their bodies. The player at the
and try to completely relax. The end of the line gets into the cobra
teacher moves among the group pose and, using hands and fore-
and tests the “beanbag bodies” by arms, pulls him/herself through the
lifting a foot or hand, which should dog tunnel.” This continues on until
show no resistance, just like a bean- each student has had a chance to
bag. If the child is stiff, then he is crawl through the tunnel.
coached to “breathe into that part Yoga classes are normally volun-
and try to be completely relaxed.” tary. Everyone who comes wants to
The session concludes with a class be there. But when Yoga Ed. is a
project, such as a collage of student required part of a school’s physical
drawings of poses. Simple home- education program, the yoga teach-
work may be assigned, for example, er may encounter something new:
“Do slow breathing for five minutes unwilling students. The curriculum
courtesy yoga ed
courtesy yoga ed
before going to sleep. Record what offers advice on how to engage such
you observed about yourself and students and get them to recognize
how you slept.” the value of the yoga.
The class outlines are just a page When interviewing Tara Guber
apiece, but they reference the for this article, she emphasized the
advice given in the curriculum’s need to present yoga as fun and
first sections and the appendix on playful and to create a special vi-
courtesy yoga ed
games at the end. There are 280 bration around the yoga class. Ide-
lesson plans in all, enough for a full ally, the class should have its own
year of study each through eight permanent space, and a peaceful
grades. atmosphere can be established in
This is a course in hatha yoga this space. Creating the right atmo-
primarily, and the curriculum de- sphere, she explained, was critical
scribes dozens of poses and nine Hands on: The teacher makes adjustments to a decent attempt for dealing with student’s behav-
breathing methods. The pose names at triangle pose. Note the class project posters on the wall. ioral issues.
are in English, corresponding most Teaching qualifications: Yoga Ed. is
of the time to the Sanskrit. There are three The metaphors are quite creative teach- part of the regular State of California cur-
variations on Sun Salutation, triangle poses, ing devices. One is called “Rocks and Feel- riculum at The Accelerated School. As such,
warrior pose, downward dog, tree, etc. The ing.” “Bring in several palm-size rocks to it would be taught by professional teachers.
instructor is expected to be a certified yoga represent negative feelings. Name the feel- Yoga Ed. requires teachers to be a certified
teacher, able to teach the poses while work- ings and give examples of what might have yoga teacher (“or equivalent,” which is not
contents of the curriculum further, we’ll go ing within the student’s abilities. caused the feelings as you place rocks one defined). We searched the Internet for cer-
into the teacher qualifications, then how to Before and after the hatha yoga, classes at a time in someone’s hand or pocket. Dis- tification courses and found they are gov-
apply the program in a Hindu setting. make use of visualizations, games and meta- cuss how it feels to carry those rocks around. erned in the US by the Yoga Alliance (www.
Class structure: A typical 45-minute phors. Several visualizations, a kind of fan- Decide appropriate and loving ways to let go yogaalliance.org/), an organization of yoga
class has an inquiry which provides a theme tasy roll playing, begin with the “Sunbeam of those rocks that don’t involve throwing or teachers. One of the minimal programs
for the day, for example, “How do I breathe? Opening Story.” It goes in part, “Close your dumping them on others.” meeting their requirements is the Basic
Why does yoga focus on breathing?” The eyes, adjust to the dark and then notice the Another metaphor easily adapted to the Hatha Yoga program of the Integral Yoga
students begin with a “time in”—“five min- sunny sky above you. It feels warm and different age levels teaches finesse. “Give Institute founded by Swami Satchidananda.
utes of silence which supports students in inviting. One of the brilliant sunbeams is the students a scarf or string with a knot in The month-long resident program requires
transitioning from outer attention to inner reaching down toward you. The light beam it and then coach them to use finesse to get a minimum of six months prior practice of
awareness.” In other words, the teacher tries fills up your whole body, from the top of it out, especially as they get frustrated! Walk hatha yoga. It costs us$2,600 for the classes,
to get the students to calm down. Time in is your head all the way down your spine and them through slowing down, breathing eas- housing and meals. Courses offered by oth-
followed by a discussion for five to ten min- out through your fingers and toes. You know ily, noticing everything they can about the ers were comparable in price (except the
utes, for example, of the process of breathing and feel that you are safe and that nothing knot and figuring how to work with it in- one done completely by e-mail, a question-
and how it is used as the focus of yoga. Next will ever harm you here. In your imagina- stead of against it.” By varying the thickness able bargain). These minimum programs
is a warm up for five minutes, then 15 to 20 tion, you open your eyes and start down the of string and complexity of knot, students of are called the “200-hour certification,” re-
minutes of yoga postures. “This is the heart beautiful path at your feet. As you reach any age can benefit from this. ferring to the class hours, and are what is
of the class,” the curriculum states, “The your garden gate, reach into your pocket The games are drawn from an appendix required for Yoga Ed.
day’s inquiry or theme should be the focus and put any trouble or worry you may have entitled “Games for Life,” written by Leah Qualified teachers can then take the
during the physical and mental experience on your Trouble Tree. Now open the gate Kalish and Diane Spahn. Beanbag bodies is three-day Yoga Ed. teaching training course,
and exploration demanded by the yoga.” and step into your garden.” From this, the one of the games. Several are based on the which costs $1,200 and includes a copy of
The postures are followed by five minutes of visualization is developed, for example, into hatha yoga poses, for example, “Dogs and the curriculum. In fact, taking the course
games or “partner work.” Partner work con- imagining a magic deer in your garden who Snakes.” “This game is a fun way to com- is the only way to get a copy—it is not sold
sists of poses that require two people, such takes you on a ride into the sky that cleans bine two different yoga poses into a move- separately. To put the cost in perspective, a
as “elevator” which starts with the students and energizes you. ment activity for a group. The group forms common social studies or history curricu-
a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 59

Raising the energies: Tara Guber warms up a class of youngsters in preparation for el-
ementary hatha yoga sequences. Still naturally flexible, children enjoy the various poses.
lum book alone costs $300 to $400, even as
high as $700. The schedule for these teacher
training programs, which are conducted in
several US locations, is available at www.yo-
gaed.com. The training covers how to set up
a program at a school, create lesson plans,
adapt yoga to the children’s developmental
levels and to improve their focus, concentra-
tion and relaxation. It also includes an ambi-
tious goal to “integrate yoga into the school
culture.”
Evaluation: Yoga Ed. works wonders in
The Accelerated School, making a differ-
ence in the lives of children, improving their
physical and emotional health, and making
them better adjusted students. It is, however,
a professional program. It requires an expe-
rienced teacher who is sufficiently trained
in hatha yoga to safely conduct a class of
rank beginners. Someone knowledgeable in
hatha yoga might make a go of it without
any prior experience teaching young chil-
dren. But even Tara said, “At the beginning,
nothing worked. We had to create the room,
get mats, convince everyone to take off the
shoes, etc. When something’s not working,
you have to ask yourself if it is because of
60 h i n d u i s m t o d ay a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5
courtesy yoga ed
you or because of the kids and then make
the necessary changes.”
In a Hindu Setting: How could the pro-
gram be used as part of a Hindu religious
education program? It hasn’t been so used,
so we make a few conjectures. If a temple or
ashram already conducts classes in Hindu
religion, Yoga Ed. could be an excellent ad-
dition. Its physical activity provides a wel-
come break from just sitting in a classroom,
and its introspective and relaxation exercis-
es will increase the students’ attentiveness
during other classes. Temple devotees who
are already trained yoga teachers could be-
come qualified for Yoga Ed., or a local yoga
teacher could be solicited for the job.
Philosophically, with the course taught in
a Hindu context, the Hindu origins of yoga
could be brought forward. The course, for
example, talks about karma, but doesn’t use
the word. It talks about chakras, but doesn’t
really discuss the soul body. Likewise, key
Hindu concepts important for understand-
ing the mind, such as reincarnation and the
existence of higher worlds beyond this phys-
ical world, are absent and would have to be
added. The course is used in the California
public school system. It has to limit itself to
the physical hatha yoga exercises and class
projects and techniques that can be used
to improve social skills, develop insight and
be a better person. It can’t go into overtly
religious concepts. But this limitation disap-
pears when taught in a Hindu context, and
in many ways puts the course’s teachings
and methods into their natural environment.
It’s not necessary to uncritically accept all
the methods given. For example, there are
a number of exercises based on guiding the
children through mental visualizations of a
fantasy world inhabited by wonderful talk-
ing animals. The intent is to get the children
to be in a secure and happy place inside
themselves. We don’t have any experience
with this method, and the teacher would
have to judge for himself or herself how use-
ful it is. Other meditation methods, however,
are quite creative, such as teaching concen-
tration to very young children by having
them just follow the second hand on the
clock for two minutes. A few methods which
may be new to the teacher, such as the use
of affirmations, are also quite acceptable.
Hinduism Today founder, Satguru Sivaya
Subramuniyaswami, highly recommended
affirmations as a means of reprogramming
one’s subconscious mind. Western classical
or New Age music recommended for some
exercises can be replaced with creative se-
lections from traditional Hindu music to the
same effect.
A certain amount of cultural adjustment
would be required. Anyone instituting the
program would have to go through it and
identify activities which are not considered
culturally appropriate in their community.
Some might not be comfortable, for example,
with partner yoga pairing older children
of the opposite sex. A few of the exercises
may be a bit lost on those unfamiliar with
the “New Age”—preparation of an “aroma-
therapy sachet,” for example. There’s also an
identifiable, though not objectionable, cur-
rent of developing acting ability—perhaps a
result of the course’s development in close
proximity to Hollywood.
What we found most inspiring about
the course was its very existence in such
a comprehensive form. A lot of work went
into developing this course for eight grades.
Even more work was required to actually
institute the program at The Accelerated
School, train teachers, organize classrooms,
gain acceptance from the parents and com-
munity and so on—all requiring highly mo-
tivated leadership. Leah Kalish and Tara
Guber have shown it is possible to create
and institute a course containing real spiri-
tual training for young children. Yoga Ed.
can serve as a model to both incorporate
and work from in developing comprehen-
sive curriculums for teaching Hinduism to
Hindu children. ∏π
The East’s right to this millennia-old global mark of good fortune suffers
from decades of abuse as the symbol of the Nazi Party and racial supremacy
By Jane Srivastava naturally want to look away after a second this offensive Nazi symbol displayed on a
South Carolina, USA or two. The pain I feel when looking at the wedding invitation?” I knew that the Nazis
he swastika is as holy to the swastika is as strong as if I had lived through stole the symbol from the ancient cultures,
Hindus, Jains and Buddhists as it is the war myself. particularly India. However, I had assumed
evil to people from the West. When a When I first saw a swastika on an Indian that, after World War II, the evil associated
symbol represents diametrically oppo- greeting card, I was taken aback: “Why is with the symbol prevented the original cul-
site concepts to different groups tures from using it.
of people, a natural conflict arises. As I am learning more about the
Asians who immigrate to the United Indian culture and religion, I am
States encounter obstacles when becoming more curious about the
trying to incorporate the swas- symbolism of the swastika and the
tika into their religious ceremonies. present-day conflict surrounding it.
Here in America, like in the rest Swastika is a Sanskrit word, su
of the Western world, the Hindus’ meaning “good,” asti meaning “to
and Jains’ most cherished and holy be” and ka, a suffix. It is translated
symbol is viewed only as a legacy of as “good being,” “fortune,” literally
the atrocities and murders commit- “it is well” or “conducive to well-be-
ted under the Nazi black swastika. ing.” For Hindus, the swastika is a
a j ay v e r m a
Many Americans do not know the symbol of auspiciousness, prosper-
history or the importance of the ity and good fortune. It also repre-
symbol to Hindus. The results of sents the sun and the cycle of life.
this ignorance are real. Hindu tem- In Loving Ganesha, Satguru Sivaya
ples have been vandalized, religious Subramaniyaswami, founder of
ceremonies displaying swastikas in- Hinduism Today, explains the sig-
terrupted and upright devotees ac- nificance of the swastika to Hindus:
cused of neo-Nazism. The swastika “The swastika’s right-angled arms
is such a ubiquitous symbol of good- reflect the fact that the path toward
ness throughout the East that many our objectives is often not straight,
less-educated Asians are themselves but takes unexpected turns. They
unaware that the swastika could sig- denote also the indirect way in
nify any evil concept. which Divinity is reached—through
My great-grandparents were intuition and not by intellect. Sym-
murdered by the Nazis. As a Jewish bolically, the swastika’s cross is said
person raised in Europe, for most to represent God and creation. The
of my life I have associated the four bent arms stand for the four hu-
swastika with the Nazis and Nazi man aims, called purushartha: righ-
heritage—extermination of millions teousness, dharma; wealth, artha;
of people, destruction of countries Symbol of prosperity: (top) Children light lamps in a swas- love, kama; and liberation, moksha.
and superior racist ideology. The tika pattern on the eve of Deepavali in the Indian city of This is a potent emblem of Sanatana
sight of a swastika alone rouses Chandigarh, November 11, 2004; A 1930s American greet- Dharma, the eternal truth. It also
such strong feelings in me that I ing card bearing swastikas and a horseshoe for “good luck” represents the world wheel, eter-
a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 61
nally changing around a fixed center, God. of good fortune in the United States, appear- The Jews are understandably sensitive to the sign may lose their job, be ostracized or and harmonization. So how do we rec- erance and respect for other cultures’ ways
The swastika is regarded as a symbol of the ing ubiquitously on such items as greeting the swastika. Anti-Semitism was central to threatened, even become victims of hate oncile the importance of the swastika for of life and their religious practices.
muladhara chakra, the center of conscious- cards, magazine covers, book jackets, post- the Nazi movement. In Mein Kampf, Hit- crimes. Hindus, Buddhists and Jains with its nega- The swastika is not the only symbol whose
ness at the base of the spine, and in some ers, playing cards, poker chips, jewelry, fruit ler described the symbolic meaning of the Often when something is written in the tive legacy in the West? How can we re- original godly and favorable significance was
yoga schools with the manipura chakra at wrappers and business logos. Even the Boy Nazi flag: “In red we see the social idea of Western media about the possibility of duce the conflict and promote acceptance? used for evil purposes. Under the Christian
the navel, the center of the microcosmic sun Scouts issued a “Swastika Thanks Badge,” to the movement, in the white the nationalis- bringing back the ancient symbol of the Education is the only thing that might cross, brutal crusades to convert masses to
(Surya). Hindus use the swastika to mark be given to anyone who had done a kind- tic idea, in the swastika the mission of the swastika notwithstanding its Nazi signifi- promote a better understanding between Christianity took place, during the Medi-
the opening pages of account books, thresh- ness to a scout. Before the Nazis, the swasti- struggle for the victory of the Aryan man cance, such words as redemption or reha- the Hindus living in the Western world and eval Inquisition millions of heretics were
olds, doors and offerings. No ceremony or ka sign had never been used to represent an and, by the same token, the victory of the bilitation are used. Even Hindus and Jains their new country- burned in fires, and in the United States,
sacrifice is considered complete without it, evil concept or racist ideology. After World idea of creative work, which as such always use similar words in their appeal to “reha- men. It is impor- black Americans were persecuted and mur-
for it is believed to have the power to ward War II, Western cultures no longer used has been and always will be anti-Semitic.” bilitate” their sacred symbol. Some authors tant that in the dered by the Ku Klux Klan. However, the
off misfortune and negative forces.” the symbol as they had prior to the Third As an ethnic group targeted for systematic discussing the return of the swastika opine cross has not become a forever detested and
For the Jains, the swastika represents four Reich. Most Europeans and Americans still elimination under the mark of the black that once the swastika is used for evil pur- condemned symbol.
types of birth which an embodied soul might perceive any swastika as a Nazi or neo-Nazi slanted swastika, all Jewish people had been poses, it cannot be redeemed. “Certain Because of our differences in geography,
attain. The swastika has been adopted as symbol, despite differences in its color and touched by the Holocaust. It is hard, there- symbols might easily exist ambiguously culture and experience, people from differ-
part of a single symbol to represent the Jain the direction in which it points. fore, for any Jew to see a sign of good fortune or with multiple meanings, but ulti- ent parts of the world will treat symbols dif-
community. In the Buddhist tradition, the In the late nineteenth and early twentieth in a scrawled swastika on a door or wall. mately not the swastika. For what ferently. As an Eastern European immigrant,
swastika symbolizes the feet or footprints of century, the swastika became a common Thus, a conflict arises between the sig- once exemplified good fortune now I don’t believe I can disassociate the swasti-
the Buddha. It is often used to mark the be- symbol of German nationalism, meant to nificance that Hindus assign to the swastika manifests malevolence. What was ka from the meaning I grew up with. But
ginning of texts. Modern Tibetan Buddhists represent a long Germanic/Aryan history. and the treatment of the sign by most West- once innocent is forever guilty… As after learning about Hindu culture, I
use it as a clothing decoration. In China and As well it became a symbol of many anti- erners as a symbol of hatred inherited from long as it embodies even an iota of have become aware of the importance
Japan, the swastika has been used to repre- Semitic organizations. Adolf Hitler adopted the Nazis, intensified as so many people evil, it will never again be redeemed,” of the swastika to Hindus and now
sent abundance, prosperity and long life. the swastika when the German National from India and Asia arrive to work or live declared graphic design guru Steven Heller deeply respect the symbol’s signifi-
Before the Nazis stole the swastika from Socialist Party (Nazi Party) was formed in in Europe and America. Those immigrants in his book The Swastika: Symbol Beyond cance and holiness. With knowledge
the ancient world, various cultures through- 1919-1920. include simple, uneducated people from ru- Redemption? and understanding, people from the
out Asia, Europe and the Americas had been The Nazis regarded themselves a superior ral areas who do not know of the prevalent To redeem something means to extri- Western world, while not forgetting
uniform in assigning some positive and fa- race. Based on information from Hitler’s stigma of the swastika in the West. Just as cate from an undesirable state or make up their countries’ experiences, can em-
vorable meaning to the symbol. For the most pet archaeologist Gustaf Kossinna, Hitler Westerners are unaware of the positive his- for defects. To rehabilitate means to bring brace the swastika as an auspicious sign of
part, these peoples had used the swastika believed and propagated the idea that Ary- tory of this ancient symbol, many less edu- something back to its previous normal con- the Asian world. As education and aware-
sign in their religious practices to symbolize ans (from arya, “superior being” or “noble”) cated Asians do not know that it could be dition, to cure it. None of these words seems United States there ness replace prejudice, intolerance and nar-
life, the sun, good fortune and prosperity. In were a master race of Indo-Europeans liv- anything but auspicious. Because of the dif- appropriate. There was nothing wrong with be more written row-mindedness, there is hope people will
the decades before World War II, the swas- ing in Eurasia, Nordic in appearance and ference in the meaning of the symbol for the the swastika that we now need to make and said about the start to see the historical richness as well as
tika was used as a design motif and symbol directly ancestral to the German people. two cultures, people from India who display up for its defects or cure it. It got into the meaning of the symbol to Asian cultures the present-day significance of the swastika,
wrong hands which used it as a symbol for and religions. Such an education should and not just its Nazi past. ∏π
their hateful deeds and ideology in perhaps start in schools where Hindu, Christian

For Some, a Symbol of what was the world’s most effective, inte- and Jewish kids are taught world religions.
grated propaganda campaign. Thus, more When discussing Hinduism, the swastika
appropriate words to describe what needs and its important place in Hinduism must
Jane Srivastava holds a bachelor’s degree
from Vilnius State University, Lithuania,
and a degree from the Albany Law School,

Hate and Intolerance to be done with the swastika’s image would be taught to children. Learning more about
be acceptance, education, reconciliation Asian cultures and religions will result in tol-
Albany, New York.
h u lt o n g e t t y p h o t o a r c h i v e

christian hartmann

Modern problem: (left) German soldiers gather under giant swastika banners to listen to Hitler’s May Day speech, 1934; (inset) The Nazi
swastika; (right) a member of the Jewish community in Herrlisheim, France, inspects graves vandalized by anti-Semites, May, 2004 Festive design: Rangoli, or kolam, often containing swastikas, are traditional floor decorations made from colored rice powder

62 h i n d u i s m t o d ay a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 63
 BOOKS company has earned the respect of univer- Are you training anyone to take your place dhism is the most popular for us, because
sities, researchers and historians around the as the Managing Director of Motilal Banar- Buddha ventured beyond India. Today, we

Honoring a Century of
world. Its books fill the libraries of virtually
every institute of higher learning where In-
dology is studied. The Motilal trademark is
a unique combination of scholarship, quality
production and moderate costs, something
sidass Publishers? The person who will
take over from me is my youngest brother,
Rajeev. When we sit together, we discuss
what is to be published and how many cop-
ies. Now, he is learning which authors are to
are the largest publisher of Buddhist teach-
ings in the world. If you ask me which of our
books is best, my choice may not have been
our best seller. It may not have sold at all.

Excellence in Publishing
major universities and struggling professors be picked up. How do you feel about New Age literature
worry about. The Motilal book list covers and music? We have been selling
a wide gamut of subjects: Indian languages Do all of the five brothers work New Age publications for about
and linguistics, literature, art, drama, music, harmoniously together? There five years now. While it is true
history, religion, epigraphy, iconography, so- is no power struggle going on that they are currently popu-
cial themes, astronomy, astrology, ayurveda in our organization. If there lar and have an unlimited
Five brothers face the and yoga. The catalog is so extensive—over
2,000 titles—that more branches have come
were, we would be living in
five different houses with
potential for growth, our fi-
nancial stability is already
age of the Internet up in Patna, Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi,
Banares, Mumbai, Kolkata and Pune to han-
five different businesses.
By the blessings of our an-
established. For more than
100 years, Motilal Banarsi-
with an unwavering dle distribution. Now there are sales offices
in London, and the US Library of Congress
cestors and our gurus, we
are united. We all love and
dass has featured books
that are scholarly and aca-
commitment to a has made Motilal their authorized dealers respect each other very demic. Our sales are consis-
for supplying Indological works from India. much. tent in this market.
scholarly readership Sundar Lal Jain passed away in 1978, Shan- Most of these New Age
tilal in 1997. Shantilal’s five sons—and now, In your estimation what are books are also paperback,
two of his grandsons—currently handle dif- the finest books published by which makes them very economi-
By Rajiv Malik, New Delhi ferent aspects of the family business. Motilal Banarsidass? The criterion we cal. Popular books are always reason-
n 1903, a man named moti lal jain currently follow in choosing books to publish ably priced. The people of India will buy
established a small religious bookshop N.P. Jain (below) is the Managing Director is that they should feature the teachings of books only when the price is reasonable.
in a portion of Punjab which is now of Motilal Banarsidass. At 65, he is the Hinduism, Buddhism or Jainism. Of these Now, the youth are turning to these New

N.P. JAIN
part of Pakistan, with his son, Banarsi oldest of the five Jain brothers. Hinduism three main streams of knowledge, Bud- Age publications.
Dass. It was an unusual business ven- Today talked with him about the way it
ture for these two gentlemen from a distin- was and is, good books and bad, spiritual Current king: N.P. Jain is the eldest of the five brothers and is currently in charge of the
guished family of jewelers well established in life, worldly life and the future of Motilal Banarsidass dynasty. (Above) The late Sundar Lal, younger brother of Motilal,
the court of the Sikh king, Maharaja Ranjit publishing in the age of the Internet. was almost single-handedly responsible for building the publishing empire.
Singh. But the store was immediately success-
ful, and the two men were quite happy un-
til Motilal passed away just a few years later.
When Banarsi Dass also died shortly after
that in 1915, the responsibility for running
the bookstore went to his younger brother,
Sundar Lal Jain. Sundar Lal was soon joined
by Shanti Lal, the only son of Banarsi Dass.
It was this uncle-nephew team that built that
small bookshop into the towering empire that
came to be known even beyond the shores
of India as Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.
The first branch of the business was estab-
lished in Patna (Bihar) in 1937. After Parti-
tion in 1948, when the Jain family home and
publishing house were burned to the ground
during the riots, the Jains moved their head-
quarters to their branch office in Patna. Three
years after that, they relocated to Varanasi.
In 1958, they moved one final time to New
Delhi.
Sundar Lal was a scholar of Sanskrit, an
educationist, a philosopher and a philan-
thropist. When he took over the business,
he began publishing serious works authored
by respected scholars and attracted the cul-
amit kumar

tured friendship and assistance of such emi-

nent Indians as Dr. Rajendra Prasad and Dr.
S. Radhakrishnan, both champions of Indian
culture and heritage. In New Delhi under
amit kumar

The four younger Jain brothers: (From left to right) Ravi P., director of finance; J.P., di- Sundar Lal’s distinguished leadership, Mo-
rector of showrooms and press; R.P., director of public relations and special projects; and tilal Banarsidass flourished as never before.
Rajeev P., director of exports and New Age publications—and heir apparent By featuring serious literature, the book

64 h i n d u i s m t o d ay a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 65
Do you get many requests for publication?
We receive so many manuscripts. We try to
select the best ones for publication. Out of
ten submissions, we might publish two. I am
the first one to go through these, but I do
so with the help of specialists on the top-
ics of books submitted. Sometimes when I
think that a book is of an outstanding
nature but needs some work, I will
commission an author, an editor
or a scholar to come in.
What are your views on the
changing world of book pub-
lication? As businessmen
soul into it and take the work very seriously.
Does book publication have a future?
There was a time, not too long ago, when
book publishing all around the world was
suffering. Today things are looking a lot bet-
ter. Trends start overseas. Then India copies
them. When television came into the
world, people stopped reading
books. Then there was the In-
ternet. For a time, it seemed
all but lost. Yet miraculous-
ly, people are now slowly
starting to read books
again. As usual, this start-
sary funds from book sales alone. About
twenty percent of the books that I publish
are by authors who are working on grants.
It is generally understood that your family
approaches publishing almost as if it were
a spiritual mission of sorts. Is this true?
Publishing as a spiritual mission has been
a tradition in this family. Actually, we think
of it more as the dissemination of Indian
culture. We have even been recognized and
honored with awards for this work. We can
maintain this attitude of service because
we keep our personal requirements limited.
This is part of the philosophy of Jainism. We
God, but I am clear in my understanding readers will gradually become interested in
of my soul and my life. I know who I am, our other books.
where I came from and where I am going.
I firmly believe that what we are supposed Where do you make your most money today?
to do is live a selfless life. While good deeds We are surviving today due to the interna-
bring joy and bad deeds bring suffering, self- tional markets. Scholars and institutions
less deeds bring liberation. This is my belief. outside India are supporting us. Thirty per-
I feel that if one goes deeply into the study cent of our sales go to institutions. For them,
of Jainism, one will find the spiritual path. Indian books are cheap. America is one of
Likewise, if one goes deeply into Hinduism the largest buyers. England, Germany and
or Buddhism, one will also find nothing but France are also good. We also have a large
the path of spirit. People generally do not number of people buying from us through
go into this kind of depth. For this reason, the Internet and our online bookstore.
most of us are more religious than spiritual.
Is publishing a commercially viable busi-

amit kumar
we should expand. But we ed in the West and is only follow the path of aparigraha, which means As a respected elder advisor, do you have ness today? Publishing is in our blood. We
like to think of ourselves as just now coming to India. non-possessiveness. Gandhi followed this any advice for the youth? Our youth of to- are not interested in any other business.
publishers who are scholarly Even the youth are com- path. His spiritual guru was a Jain whose day need to get the right type of education. However, I cannot say that publishing is a
and academic. We are more ing back to books. Look at name was Shrimad Raj Chandra. Modern education is not complete. We must commercially viable business. In publishing,
concerned with quality than Harry Potter. seek a type of education that improves the Future boss: Rajeev P. Jain, the youngest your stock has to be at least three times that
quantity. In India, the general Our sale of educational Can you talk a little about the joint family quality of life. This is my message to our of your turnover. When you print, you don’t
emphasis is more on quantity. If books will always be secure, structure? Running a family requires a lot youth. The entire curriculum of our schools fits right in with what we are already do- just print one book, you print a thousand
you go through our catalogue, you but scholarly and academic of sacrifice. Most of the problems that oc- has to be changed so as to include an in- ing, because actually, there is no “New Age.” or more. Whether you are able sell them or
will find that most of our authors are publications have never been lucra- cur in a joint family are not because of the struction from our ancient literature. Unfor- There is ancient wisdom coming to this age. not, your money is already spent on produc-
Western scholars. When Western scholars tive. This is why scholars seek grants for men, but because of the women. This has tunately, I do not see this happening. What is being called the New Age is really tion. Then you need places to store these
start a project, they put their body, mind and publication. They cannot raise the neces- my mother worried. She says that women just a repackaging of ancient wisdom—like books—and more places to sell them. So
under the influence of modern culture want old wine in a new bottle. there is this huge cost for infrastructure. To
The sky is the limit: Eighteen of the 27-member Jain family gather around Leelavati Jain, freedom but no work. I believe that the divi- Rajeev P. Jain is heir apparent to the When we talk of New Age publications, start a publishing house like ours in today’s
75, the grand family matriarch. (Above) The late Shanti Lal is son of Banarsidass, father sion of this family will occur eventually. It Motilal Banarsidass dynasty. At 45, he is we are talking about esoteric material made times would be an act of foolishness.

of the five brothers and husband of Leelavati. He helped Sundar Lal develop the company. might have happened quite some time ago,
if it had not been for my father. He wanted
to keep the family together. When he passed
away eight years ago, my mother and I in-
herited the responsibility for running the
family. Finally, when we thought we could
not wait any longer, we bought five houses
in a colony. But now nobody wants to shift.
Everyone is saying, “We are happy here.”
God is great, you see! We are still together.
There is another reason why we are still
together. Many spiritual people come to our
home as guests. They bring stability and
unity.
Do you have any special interests as you
prepare to retire? I am now only interested
in spiritual life. If I come to know of some
spiritual person traveling through, I try to
meet him. I do not claim to have realized
RAJEEV
currently in charge of exports and the
New Age books division. HINDUISM TODAY
talked with him about ages new and old,
making money and the future of their
family business in the hands of the young.
How has the Internet affected reading hab-
its in India? More and more Indians are get-
ting educated now, and the level of education
is rising. More education is bound to have a
positive affect on the reading habits of peo-
ple. It is interesting to note that this is due
in part to the Internet. Although our whole
catalogue is available on the Internet, I have
no interest in making the books we publish
available on the Web in the shape of E Books.
Do your plans to expand include featuring
New Age publications? New Age books and
music are a part of our expansion plans. It
easily understandable and accessible to the
masses. These books are meant to inspire
the common man and act like a catalyst in
teaching him the art of living.
New Age books have been my passion for
the last 20 years. Now that our children are
joining the business, I am promoting the sale
of New Age books. If I can make this new di-
vision of our operation successful, our next
generation of family members will be able
to eventually handle it independently. I will
then be free to move on to something else.
New Age books have more scope for
growth than our more academic works. Mo-
tilal Banarsidass did 2,000 titles in one hun-
dred years. Now in just five years, our New
Age division has already produced 250 titles.
About 60 to 70 percent of the content of new
age books is based on Hinduism. There is
also the chance that our New Age book
How do you see the future of Motilal
Banarsidass Publishers? My own dream
is that our younger generation should be
groomed so that they are happy, healthy
and wise. Our parents and elder brothers
have worked much harder than we have and
left us a structure which is now profitable
and growing. I would like to do the same for
our next generation.
I would hope that our growth would be
slow and steady, but not extravagant.
Though I am not a very spiritual person, I
go to our Jain temple almost every evening.
This gives me peace. I do not want to be
an aggressive and angry person. Our whole
family is vegetarian and we are teetotalers.
It is my belief that any success we enjoy
is only a reflection of the good and whole-
some life we try to live. ∏π

Here we have 27 people living under one Because of our tradition of living together have put into Motilal Banarsidass through
roof. The five brothers all share a blood and working together, we enjoy the warmth the years, we might be much richer by now.
relationship whereas their wives all come and security that only a family can provide. Our first priority has always been to stay
from different families. So far, everyone If even one of us became overly ambitious, together and get along well with each other.
agrees that the advantages of the joint we might not be able to live together like Contentment and satisfaction are the key
family far outweigh the disadvantages. we do. So we all share the same ambition. principles by which we live. Living this way,
Now my grandchildren are getting mar- This is probably the secret behind the we may move slowly but we move together
ried and the family is expanding even miracle of us remaining united. For us, in mutual support. One of the reasons we
more. I feel that the time has finally come what is most important is working and liv- are more easily able to take this leisurely
for us to start planning to live separately. ing together with one equal mind. To us approach could be that in the field of In-
But this separation should take place this is more important than money. And dology, we don’t have much competition. I
amit kumar

amit kumar

while I am alive. Otherwise, who will because of this we are happy. Our forefa- can proudly say that, so far as the books on
solve the disputes. thers started this company with 27 rupees. Indology are concerned, we are the num-
— Leelavati Jain, 75, wife of the late If we had invested in some other business ber-one publishing house in the world.
Shanti Lal and Jain family matriarch the same amount of time and money we —Ravi P. Jain, 47, Director of Finance

66 h i n d u i s m t o d ay a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 a p r i l / m ay / j u n e , 2 0 0 5 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 67
 OCTOBER TO DECEMBER ENDOWMENT CONTRIBUTIONS
Kauai Aadheenam Rubatharan Sukumaran 13.00 Kumbhalavalai Ganesha Kauai Aadheenam Religious Manjung Hindu Sabha
Monastic Endowment Vayudeva Varadan 250.00 Temple Endowment Art and Artifacts Fund Orphanage Fund
Anonymous $565.00 Samynaden Veerapen 34.00 Manoharan Navaratnarajah 75.00 Anonymous 37.50 Mirta Noemi Cotto 30.00
Rajendra Giri 10.00 Total 3,150.39 Total 75.00 Rajadeva Alahan 153.00 Rajendra Giri 5.00
Vijay, Daksha & Neil Mithal 2.00 Total 190.50 Dayavati Murugan 25.00

NEW HIMALAYAN ACADEMY BOOK DISTRIBUTION FUND Other Donations

Himalayan Academy
21,135.92
2,250.00
Hinduism Today
Lifetime Subscription Fund
Hinduism Today Production Fund
Anonymous 8.33 Thank You Bodhinatha Fund
Niraj Thaker
Total
16.83
76.83
Total 23,962.92 Anil Ananda Badhwar 577.56 Vinay Aggarwal 100.00 Anonymous 108.00
Sanjay Bajekal 240.00 Total 108.33 Amarnath Devarmanai 324.00 Pazhassi Balamandiram
Ten years after their conversion to Hinduism, Shyamadeva and Peshanidevi Dandapani came for- Iraivan Temple Endowment Surinder M. Bhardwaj 100.00 Rajendra Giri 5.00 Orphanage Fund
Anonymous 358.33 Sivarama Dandamudi 240.00 Hindu Orphanage Shama Kumaran 108.00 Rajendra Giri 5.00
ward to open their third endowment (#60) with HHE. The purpose of this fund is to give compli- P.S. Bob & Bharati Gaitonde 50.00 Rajul & Heidi Gandhi 111.99 Endowment Fund Manoharan Navaratnarajah 150.00 Ganesan & Rajalakshmi
R. Logeswaran 50.00 Rajendra Giri 5.00 Anonymous 478.84 Shanta Devi Periasamy 403.42 Ramalingam 100.00
mentary copies of Himalayan Academy books to public libraries, libraries of Hindu institutions and Rathinappilai Logeswaran 50.00 Isanah Kameni 13.15 Lila Shakti Devi 50.00 Jiva Rajasankara 500.00 Niraj Thaker 16.83
Mani & Surya Nallasivan 500.00 Amravadee Kownden 35.85 P.S. Bob & Bharati Gaitonde 50.00 Alex Ruberto 45.00 Total 121.83
worthy individuals who can’t afford to buy them. Titles will include Weaver’s Wisdom, Lemurian Natraj Narayanswami 15.50 Ravi & Sevanthi Kumaran 75.00 Rajendra Giri 10.00 Hitesvara Saravan 309.00
Rajkumar Padmanabhan 50.00 Rushikesh H. Mehta 99.00 Meenal S Khajuria 10.00 Michael Leonard Smith 100.00 Karnataka Temple
Scrolls, Yoga’s Forgotten Foundation, Know Thy Self and more. Here is their life-changing story, which S.V. Ravi Rahavendran 706.00 Dibyajyoti Pandit 800.00 Christian Langers 100.00 Jeremiah Umakanthan 50.00 Development Fund
Bharat Rajpara 101.00 Gassa Patten 100.00 Vijay, Daksha & Neil Mithal 7.00 Vayudeva Varadan 56.00 Anonymous 8.34
inspired the creation of this fund, excerpted from one of these books, How to Become a Hindu. Jnana Sivananda 365.00 Suselah Periasamy 169.42 Mani & Surya Nallasivan 500.00 Total 2,158.42 Total 8.34
S Sivanathan 100.00 Adi Sankara Perumal 161.94 Natraj Narayanswami 25.00
Niraj Thaker 16.83 Anjeeni Devi Perumal 70.34 Alex Ruberto 45.00 Mathavasi Travel Fund Sri Ganesha Hindu Temple
Other Donations 18,439.34 Balgrim Ragoonanan 800.00 Aran Sendan 51.00 Rajendra Giri 5.00 of Utah Fund
“In February of 1994 we decided to take a relaxing vacation somewhere in the warm sunshine Total 20,802.00 Linda Seeley 75.00 Jutikadevi Sivaraja 324.00 Total 5.00 Vijay, Daksha & Neil Mithal 2.00
Jiva Shanmuga 102.00 Rodney & Ilene Standen 30.00 Total 2.00
without a busy sightseeing schedule. Three days into our vacation we went into the Lazarus Used Kauai Aadheenam Annual Vinaya Sharma 240.00 Niraj Thaker 16.84 Udayan Care
Archana Fund Dasa Sivam 77.00 Matthew Wieczork 162.00 Endowment Fund Hindu Literature Fund
Bookstore, where Peshanidevi, my wife, began collecting books. She soon handed me a pile to Kanda Alahan 101.00 Lavanadevi Sivam 51.00 Total 1,859.68 Rajendra Giri 5.00 Munmun Sengupta 7.00
Priya Alahan 96.00 Potriyan Sivanathan 5.23 Christian Langers 100.00 Prabha S. Verma 1,001.00
purchase. On top was a copy of the second edition of Dancing with Siva (published by Himalayan Vinaya Alahan 250.00 Nagaraj Tanguturu 240.00 Suntheram Family Trust Fund Total 105.00 Total 1,008.00
Anil Ananda Badhwar 435.55 Total 4,389.48 Suntheram Family 1,000.00
Academy). I picked it up and looked at it, and on the Sivanathan Batumalai 65.36 Total 1,000.00 Saivite Hindu Scriptural Fund Hinduism Today
Chandran 13.00 Hindu Businessmen’s for the Visually Impaired Subscription Fund
back was a short biography and picture of the author, Chellappa Deva 226.00 Association Trust Hindu Press International Alice R. Anderson 20.00 Other Donations 5,000.00
Toshadeva Guhan 252.12 Paramaseeven Canagasaby 24.62 Fund Rajendra Giri 5.00 Hiranya & Saraswathi
Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. Upon reading it, Suguneswary Gunasegaran 27.36 Vel Mahalingum 21.39 Venkatraman A. Nageswaran 50.00 Mani & Surya Nallasivan 500.00 Gowda 654.00
Kriya Haran 137.00 Manogaran Mardemootoo 53.47 Rajendra Giri 5.00 Alex Ruberto 45.00 Doris G Jorden 50.00
I said to my wife, ‘This author is right here on Kauai, Isanah Kameni 13.15 Janaka Param 25.00 Total 55.00 Hitesvara Saravan 108.00 R.P. & Bharati Lathi 1,001.00
Amooda Koothan 0.71 Vedapragassen Peruman 21.34 Total 678.00 Total 6,705.00
and there is a temple here.’ We bought our books and Egilen Koothan 14.22 Total 145.82 Loving Ganesha
Saravan Koothan 0.71 Distribution Fund Sri Chandra Madhab
went back to the hotel. At this point we both seemed Usharani Kuppusamy 159.47 Boys School for Anonymous 333.33 Debnath Fund Himalayan Academy
Thavamalar Lingam 38.90 Iraivan Priesthood Rajendra Giri 5.00 Shyamal Chandra Debnath 50.00 Book Distribution Fund
to be totally compelled, propelled and impelled to Bhaveshan Moorghen 1.78 Anonymous 8.33 Eric Jautee 110.00 Total 50.00 Shyamadeva & Peshanidevi
Shanda Kumaran Moorghen 1.78 Rajendra Giri 5.00 Christian Langers 100.00 Dandapani 5,001.00
locate Gurudeva and the temple. We found a listing Udeyadeva Moorghen 1.78 Bala Sivaceyon 19.34 Manoharan Navaratnarajah 75.00 Manitha Neyam Trust Fund Douglas Mulford 50.00
Umah Rani Palanisamy 90.53 Niraj Thaker 16.84 Gassa Patten 1,203.00 Bala Sivaceyon 20.92 Janaka & Bhavani Param 201.00
for Subramuniyaswami, Satguru Sivaya, in the local Kirtideva Peruman 10.66 Total 49.51 Total 1,826.33 Total 20.92 Total 5,252.00
Niroshnee Peruman 31.96
phone directory. Peshanidevi was able to talk with Kasturi Raman 5.84 Kauai Aadheenam Swami Agnivesh Mahajana College Fund Kauai Aadheenam Yagam Fund
P. Raman 58.42 Matavasi Medical Fund Endowment Fund Anonymous 8.34 Sivakumar & Lavanya
Yogi Rishinatha. She explained that we had found a Shamala Raman 5.84 Anonymous 10.05 Rajendra Giri 5.00 Total 8.34 Saravan 900.00
Akileiswaran Samuthiran 2.90 Rajendra Giri 5.00 Dayavati Murugan 25.00 Total 900.00
copy of Gurudeva’s book in the bookstore, told him Jayasutha Samuthiran 22.62 Gowri Nadason 120.12 Total 30.00 Kerala Temple Trust
The Dandapanis sign their new endowment Padmini Samuthiran 80.05 Niraj Thaker 16.83 Natraj Narayanswami 15.50 Pooled Income Fund Trust (PIF)
we would like to come to the temple and asked what Loganatha Shivam 200.00 Vayudeva Varadan 54.00 Saiva Agamas Trust Total 15.50 Gowri Nadason 40.00
papers at the HHE headquarters in Hawaii Palaka Shivam 200.00 Total 206.00 Matthew Wieczork 90.00 Satya Palani 50.00
the proper protocols were for visiting. We were both Devaladevi Sivaceyon 5.22 Total 90.00 Taos Hanuman Fund Barathy Sockanathan 30.00
Nutanaya Sivaceyon 5.22 Sri Subramuniya Ashram Anonymous 8.33 Total 120.00
very excited the next morning. With our Safeway flower bouquet in hand, we made our first walk Patudeva Sivaceyon 5.22 Scholarship Fund Mauritius Saiva Dharmasala Mani & Surya Nallasivan 500.00
Hemavalli Sivalingam 2.37 Anonymous 8.33 Endowment Total 508.33 Total Contributions $78,011.80
up the path to the temple. Seeing the 16-ton black granite Nandi and the temple for the very first K. Sivalingam 30.00 Vijay, Daksha & Neil Mithal 2.00 Natraj Narayanswami 15.00
Kantha Ruben Sivalingam 2.37 Total 10.33 Total 15.00 Kapaleeshwara Temple Funds at Market Value,
time was breathtaking. We washed our feet and entered the temple. It was beyond words. It was as Rohini Sivalingam 2.37 Orphanage December 31, 2004
Dasa Sivam 106.00 Sri Subramuniya Kottam Fund HHE Administrative Fund Jayanthi Vasudevan Naiker 300.00 Total Endowment Funds $5,944,208.66
if we had finally arrived back home after a long and arduous journey. We sat down, the only two Lavanadevi Sivam 102.00 Hitesvara Saravan 108.00 Krish Chawla 500.00 Mani & Surya Nallasivan 1,000.00 Total Pooled Income Funds $202,663.97
Potriyan Sivanathan 2.61 Aran Sendan 102.00 Vijay, Daksha & Neil Mithal 2.00 Natraj Narayanswami 15.00
people in the temple that morning, as Ceyonswami began the puja. We did not know Sanskrit but Girish Skanda 20.00 Total 210.00 Rajkumar Padmanabhan 50.00 Ganesan & Rajalakshmi Grand Total $6,146,872.63
Javanya Skanda 6.00 Rakesh Sood 125.00 Ramalingam 100.00
somehow seemed to intuit the deeper beauty and meaning of the puja. Subasene Skanda 19.30 Total 677.00 Total 1,415.00

“After the puja the next day, Swami asked if we would like to meet Gurudeva. ‘Yes, of course!’
When? ‘Wait here.’ We can remember feeling His loving energy before he walked through the cur-
tain. We could feel the love. And then we fully prostrated to our beloved Gurudeva for the very first
time. As he sat down in his chair, he looked at us and said, ‘I see you are dancing with Siva.’ At that
moment we knew we had found our Guru, our Precious Preceptor, our Teacher. At that moment
our lives were forever changed.” Little wonder the Dandapanis want Gurudeva’s books to find their
way into many more hands, as they will through this endowment.
HHE ORPHANAGES IN SRI LANKA HIT HARD BY TSUNAMI
Two HHE beneficiaries were devastated by the Asian Tsunami. The Swami Vipulananta Children’s
Home (fund #57) was spared by the waves, but dozens of children in the area lost parents in the
flood and have taken refuge at the overcrowded home. The orphanage plans to add a second story
to their building to accommodate the new children, who were temporarily joined by 42 boys from
the Tirunavukkarasu Nayanar Gurukulam orphanage (fund #12). Most of this second orphanage
was destroyed by the giant waves, and the boys are now displaced and insecure. One boy died,
along with four staff members. Nevertheless, the Gurukulam plans to rebuild and continue their
religious service in the Batticaloa area. Both orphanages are seeking funds for reconstruction. For
an update on the Gurukulam, visit: www.himalayanacademy.com/ssc/srilanka/tng/
MISSION STATEMENT: Hindu Heritage Endowment is a publicly supported, charitable organization
recognized as tax exempt by the IRS on April 22, 1994. Employer ID 99-0308924. Founded by Satguru
Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, its philanthropic mission is to provide secure, professionally managed
financial support for institutions and religious leaders of all lineages of Sanatana Dharma.
PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS: Halbert, Hargrove/Russell, Investment Counsel; Alvin G. Buchignani,
Esq., Legal Counsel; and Hirose, Kato and Co., CPA. HHE is a member of the Council on Founda-
tions, an association of 1,931 foundations which interprets relevant law and management and invest-
ment principles.
I WANT TO PARTICIPATE. WHERE SHOULD I SEND MY DONATION? You can send your gift to an
existing fund, create a new endowment or request information through the address below. Dona-
tions may be made online at www.hheonline.org or use the HHE tear-out card in this magazine to
join our family of benefactors who are Strengthening Hinduism Worldwide. Thank you.
HINDU HERITAGE ENDOWMENT
KAUAI’S HINDU MONASTERY
107 Kaholalele Road
Kapaa, Hawaii, 96746-9304 USA
Tel: 808-822-3012 Ext 244 • Fax: 808-822-3152
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73
 Chakrapani Ullal, Vedic Astrology Deities Gilded in 24 K. Gold Life Insurance and Estate Planning American Institute of Vedic Studies
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 INNERSEARCH
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