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. DEGEMBER, 1996
COLLECTOR'S EDITION

~~:.. CJ"--:-
I N T E.R N AT I ON A L
Recognition: Satya Sai Baba is Honored
as 1996's Hindu of the Year 17
Exhibition: National Exhiqit Teaches
Americans How Hindus Worship 22
Science: Impact of Life on Mars 27
Issues: Lord Ganesha in Disneyland 28
Cl;llture: 'tIK Showcases India's South 29
Society: Panduranga Athavale
Mobilizes India's Middle-Class 34
Crisis: Daring Resc iI at Amarnath 40
Milestones: Balis Cosmic Centennial 48
.photography: 35 MM Mega-Memoir 54
:Ll'FESTYLE
Yoga:' kt Enduring Sri Chinmoy 27
In~ight: Belief, the D"NA of Hinduism 30
.striving: Discovering Our Convictions H
Astrology; Back to the FUture 36
Videos: Three Godly Documentaries 47
Pilgrimage: Remembering My Icy Trek 49
O!pINION
Publisher's Desk .6 Letters 14
Editorial 8 Healing 44
My Turn 10 Minister's Message 50
DIGESTS
.-
Frorm the Vedas , 7 Evolutions 44
Quotes &; QUips 9 Dlaspora 11
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 ,
PUBLISHER'S DESK
Suicide: 'a Case of ' , Let bJa{mony
Pa{ental pressures
Guiding through intimidation, coercion
and abuse doesn't win respect from kids
BY. SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI
EENAGERS ARE SUFFERING
the pangs of sex, desire and
independence and
sOJ.: ts of other emotions.
are as if ill during this
time. In Moscow one cold 1990
winter evening, the astrophysi-
cist Carl Sagan (photo) told me
they are poisoned by their own
hormones. For boys, he called it
"testosterone poisoning." T:his z sons she cited was too much pressure
observation is nothing new. Over iii ' - - - - --'"'"
two thousand years -ago,'the
Greek philosopher Plato lamented, "What is happening to our
young people? They disrespect their elders. They disqbey their
parents. They riot in the street, inflamed with wild l1'6tions. Their
morals are decaying. What is to become of them?" Sound famil-
iar? Parents now, as then, must be the mother, father, nurse and
doctor. I say that because they are as if incapacitated, needing
healing and special care. And not unimportantly, when a patient
is delirious, the nurse does not pay all that much attention to the
ranting and ravings. Similarly, reason does not mean the same
thing to you as it does to your teenager. So, be a friend. Both par-
ents must talk privately together and work out a strategy for the
next seven years, from age 13 to 19. It will be over in only seven
years and all will be well. . sharp edge oj your tongue to keep me on
So-en, they .will be raising their children in the very same way
you raised yours, with deep appreciation for how you had the pa-
tience, the willpower, the forbearance and the love-mainly love-
to raise them and endure their unending str~s. Those of you who
have children in the testosterone and estrogen years, proceed with
confidence. Keep smiling and keep loving. Keep remembering
your teenage years. That may help unstress the stress that is daily
making you both stronger and, stronger.
When you have successfully performed your seven-year tapas
of stressful fire in bearing up un(ler the strain and pain of the
teenager, ttuly you will enjoy great satisfaction and be able to sit
back and smile. Have compassion and give some leniency" for dur-
ing this time they are all mixed up and emotionally frustrated in-
side; they are, truly they are. They are facing an uncertain future
in an unsure world, becoming adult, keeping in with their' peers,
kee ping in with their parents, striving fOJ.; excellence in education,
facing marriage, job, career and community expectations.
No wonder so many become suicidal, because their pru;ents jtlst
don't understand ana are not there for them at a time when they
truly. need them. Don't let this happen in your family. Please don't.
6 HINDUISM TODAY. DE,<;: EMBER , 1996
Be a stern but loving Mom. Be a
strong but understanding Dad. Be a
gentle nurse. Be a wise doctor. And,
most of all, be a good friend-their
friend, their closest friend-during this
tumultuous, turbulent, troublesome
time called teenage.
Here is a suicide letter a Malaysian
Hindu girl wrote before she attempted
to end her life at age ~8. One of the rea-
from her parents. Too much verbal
abuse and, we can assume, physical
abuse, starting with pinching, then slap-
ping, leading to uncontrolled beatings,
as simply a way of life. Is this Hindu
culture? It 'bhreatens to become so. _
Dear Mom and Dad: You'll never un-
derstand why I did vl-iis. Never. In you.r
opinion, you always did what was best
for m.e. You always knew what was best
for me. You always believed I was yowr
naive, irresponsible little girl who al-
ways needed you".- hand to hold onto.
You thought it was necessary to use the
the "right track. "
I never had any say in my own life.
Did you realize that t hat "right track" ,
became a psychological p1"ison fOl- me? That your leading hand,
became a set of chains fo r me? That the sha1''fJ side of your tongue
got to be a barbed wire t hat was continuously lashing out at me?
No, you never did. Di.dn't you ever stop to think that maybe I
should have some say in what I wanted to do witl1 my life? You
decided which college would be t~ ·right one for me to attend and
what acac!.emic field I should go i:nto. The college, of course, had to
be the most prestigious and elite one so you could brag to your
friends about it. You never tlwught that maybe I wanted something
more than school and books, bu.t that was never important to you.
You only wanted me to achieve academically so your friends would
be duly impressed. That was the same reason that you waTJ.ted m.e
to become a doctor. I didn't want anything to do with it.
You n ever realized that ·m aybe I had wanted a social life. To
make rea~ friends for once in m y life. When I told you tli.at, you
s coffed at me and told me that we Indians were so much superior
that we didn't need to deal with "them." There wa$ never anything
in my life that you let me have any control over. When I finally
met som.eone who meant something to me, you two couldn't handle
the fa ct that maybe someday I would learn to control my own life
and rid myself of your manipulations. So, then you decided who it
was that I was going to see and who it wa$ that I didn't. You
forced me to break the first real rplationship that I ever had in my
life. Lwas constantly harassed by you about him. You told me that
I was cltisgracing the family name. ':,:.. what would everyone say?"
You destroyed everything for me. This "relationship" between us is
nothing but a farce. And {here is no reason to conUntte it. I have
searched for some way to escape you, but I have come up empty
handed. Now you must live with' this gUilt. I hope you will never
be able to fOl-give YQurself.
She-lived through this ordeal. In contacting' our editors, she tes-
tified that she now knows suicide is not the way out and allowed
the publishing of this very personal letter with the hope that her
battle with suicide would help others-parents and children~deal
better with problems before they reach hopelessness. ..
FROM THE VEDAS '*' ~ttiF;r I
Reign
Discord among members
of a family is the most
devastating force in the world.
This fact was no secret to wise
ones thousands of years ago,
as the following verses from
the Vedas record.
F ONE HEART AND MIND I MAKE YOU,
devoid of hate. Love one another as a cow
the calf she has borne. Let the son be
courteous to his father, of one mind with his-
mothe~. Let the wife speak words that are gentle
and sweet to her husband. Neyer may brother hate
brother or sister hu.rt sister. United in heart and
purpose, commune sweetly together. I will utter a
prayer for Sllch concord among family' members as
binds together the Gods, among whom is no hatred.
Be courteous, planning and working in harness to-
gether. Approach conversing pleasantly, like-mind-
ed, united.1 ~ 0 man and woman, having acquired
knowledge from the learned, proclaim amongst the
I
wise the fapt of your intentions of entering the
married life. Attain to.fame, observing the noble
virtue of nonviolence, and uplift your soul. Shun
crookedness. Converse together happily. Living in
I
a peaceful home, spoil not your life. Spoil not your
progeny. In this world, pass your life happi-ly, on
.' this wide earth full of enjoyment!2 /
IAtharva Veda Samhita 3.30.1-5. 2S1lll kia Yajur Veda SamMta 5.17.
,
ALL HINDUS ACCEPT THE AUTHORITY O~THE Vedas,
MANKIND'S OLDEST SCRIPTURES, ETER-
NAL TRUTHS TRANSMITTE D BY GOD THROUGH GREAT CLAIRAUDIENT AND CLAIRVOYANT
RISHIS. ONE OF THE BEST AND MOST ARTICULATE E NGLISH ANTHOWGIES, THE I ,OOO-PAGE
Vedic Experience, IS PUBLISHED IN FULL ON THE I NTERNET AT'. httpJ/wvvw.HinduismToday.
kauai. hi. us!ashramlHimalayanAcademy Publications!VedicExperienceIVEIndex.html
DECEMBER , 1996 HINDUISM TODAY?

·
EDITORIAL
Critical 'Coflectiori
Downing D lim-rna is an ancient sport,
but few have amassed all the trading cards
BY THE EDITOR
NEMIES OF HINDUISM DON'T GET MUCH SPACE IN OUR
journal, though we do report when Pat Robertson trashes
our religion (as he dia again recently on his Christian
Broadcasting Network). That doesn't mean Sanatana Dhar-
ma is deprived of adversaries. They are plentiful, and I for
one hope they are strong, not caring much for a wimpy rival. It
seems to be the Law of Things that good rivals make for great
achievements, whether in sport or science, politics or religion.
Consider Galileo, Gandhi, Socrates, Appar and Martin Luther
King, Jr., five men whose ~ncounter.s with fierce opposition made
0\
them better for the experience. I am reminaed the maxim: ''A
tr~ly great man-can be measured by the greatness of his enemies."
Wishing one's enemies strength is somehow strength-inducing. In
that spirit, much gratitude is owed to the antagonists of Hinduism.
I have collected their t riticisms, much like others collect first edi-
tio.n novels, baseball cards ·or exotic stamps. You may smile at this,
but remember that a first-rate book will be gone in 500 years or
so, while even a mediocre criticism will last 1,000, usually more.
One I'm particularly fond of is the slanderous story j\merican
missionaries spread in the press to blunt Swami
Vivekananda's unexpected triumph at the 1893
C~icago Parliament of World Religions. The
tragic truth, reporters wrote 100 years ago, is
that "Hindoos throw their infant children into
the open mouths of river crocodiles." There is a
kind of evil genius in, the sheer simplicity of that
fatuous indictment.
You might think that folks living,.in these en-
lightened times wouldn't peddle such preposter-
ous ~ivel. You would be wrong. Case in point, a
museum-quality derogation crafted recently by
Chick Publications of Cucamonga, California.
Opening their anti-Hindu, comic book style
pamphlet called "The Traitor," one reads, "This
is a true story, lridia-1982." A many-armed Kali
stands ominously in the darkness, as a man
kneeling at her feet sacrifices his son so the
Goddess will answer his prayers. And that's just
pa'ge one! The gruesome stuff comes .later.
No one teaches us in school hQw to cope
with criticism, turning it to our advantage. They
shouldl but they don't. A gifted few will learn- <
then keep both. Smile at it. Better yet,
understand it; best of all, learn from it. And
never, never offer offende'rs qUid pro quo.
End of course. Now that we know how use-
ful criticism can be, here is a short list of
common charges levied against Hinduism:
• Hindus are idol worshippers with far
toa many gods. A trained adept will respond
that Hindus are among the world's most en- .
thusiastic and energetic devotees. By no
means could our worship be judged idle.
Here you can smile innocently, letting the
critic wonder if you even fathom his insult.
• Hindus worship cows. They honor cows,
they worship God. Hindus abhor the killing
of any creature on the Earth and one day will:-be esteemed for this
long-held nonviolent ide3I.
• Hinduism is life-negating and brings poverty to its followers.
One need only visit the slums of New York, Tokyo, Bangkok or
Beirut to know that no religion exists which has eliminated human
suffering, though all make the attempt.
• Hinduism is too r itualistic, complex and contradictory. The
problem here is that an outsider is trying to comprehend Sanatana
Dharma as a single creed, when it is 10,000 independent religions,
each allowed to believe as it chooses. I love ritual, the more elabo-
rate the better. But there are many Hindus who hate the simplest
rites, and no one asks them to betray their' natural inclinations.
• Hinduism has no hell, no understanding of Satan, no real f ear
of God. Nolo contendere. Guilty as charged.
• Hinduism is so fatalistic. Only if your definition of fatalism
includes the belief that all experiences are 9f our own making, that
God is in all things as love, that all of creation is sacred, that all
paths are good and that all beings without exception are destined
to attain oneness with the Divine. If that's fatalism, then Hindus
are incorrigibly fatalistic.
• Hindus sa~rifice animals. I cannot defend
against such a criticism, but can only hope that
whatever few remaining expressions of an ear-
lier time that may still per~ist will pass soon.
• Casteism in India is a terrible i11justice.
No pensive person will deny that. So is crime,
homelessness, job discrimination and social!
racial inequality in other nations. Neither one
has anything to do with the peoples Jeligion.
Those are the classic insults. Sadly, they are
old and worn by use. It is rare to find an inno-
vative invective. Not long ago, to my utter de-
light, I stumbled on an award-winning, fresh-
as-the-morning-dew slur. It came courtesy pf
the J~hovah's Witnesses, in their April, 1989,
magazine, Awake. Each month they print ove.(
11 million of these in 54 languages, so ~e're
talking global character assassination here.
According to the Jehovah Witnesses, the fatal
flaw in Hinduism is-dare I even whisper it-
tolerance. That's right, Hindus are too open-
minded, excessively sympathetic of another
\~_"R~_~"~"A~~~"~_I_~_?
4
"There is more to life than increasing its speed."
Mahatma Gand6i (1869-1948)
"Common men talk bagfuls of religion but act not a grain of it,
while the wise man speaks little, but his whole life is a religion
acted out." Sri Ramak~ishna (1836-1886) to his followers.
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity,
and I'm not sure about the former." Albert Elnst@ln (1879-19$5)
.
What do you call a very rich Madras brahmin? A "Million Iyer."
DID YOU KNOW?
Fingers, Forks or ChopsticksP
HE WORLD CAN BE DIVIDED INTO FINGER-FEEDERS,
fork-feeders and chopstick-feeders. Devotees of one
implement often regard others as uncivilized. Fork-feeders
predominate in Europe and North America. Chopstick-
feeders rule most
"111e goai of life is not to do what makes you happy. Its to be liap-
of Eastern Asia.
py doing what you have to do." Satya Sai Baba
Finger-feeders,
most widespread,
"Whence was it.born? Whence issued this creation? Even the prevail in India, Sri
Gods came after its emergence. Then who can tell from whence it Lanka, Indonesia
and much of
came to be? He who surveys it in the highest heaven, He surely
AJJica.111us,fork-
knows-or maybe He does not!" Rig Veda 1.129
feeders are out-
numbered more
"If we want world peace," Swami Beyondananda qUipped, "we than two to one.
must let go of our attachments and truly live like nomads. That's
where I no mad at you, you no mad at me. That way, there'll surely
be nomadness on the planet." "The turtle lays a thousand eggs and remains silent.The hen lays
just one egg and cackles endlessly. Be like the turtle. Don't behave
"Men' never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do like the hen." S\tge Yoga~wami (1872-1964) to devotees in his
it with religious conviction." Blaise Pascal (-French mathematician, thatched hut in Jaffna, Sri Lanka.
1623-1662)
KaFMl, a Kat-
... _ ...... _ .. .,,4..... __ ..... __
by Barry Gener
IT SEEMS THAT MORE
AND MORE PEOPLE
ARE BELIEVING IN
REINCARNATION.
/

the concert sitarist or aspiring opera singer for whom reproach and
incessant evaluation are a professional imperative. Dancers, actors
and athletes all pay niggling mereenaries 'for the privilege of being
corrected, faulted and verbally assailed. Professionals blossom un-
der it; others wilt and wail.
To rectify tnis, we offer here the world's shortest course on
"Censure Management." Never cringe. before criticism. Take it like
a man, even if you're a woman. Winnow the true from the false,
man's faith, and this tolerance, the article darkly warns, may open
the door to lesser paths, to "bad religions."
This mischief will find a cherished place in my collection.
While the genius of the alligator allegation was its tall (should that
be long?) tale, this one seeRs to hurt Hindus with brute honesty.
Nice try. An intolerant sect calling our faith too tolerant? Ouch! In
a world far too full of hatred, bias and provincial consciousness, let
us pray that we may one day deserve to be called such a name.

8 HINDUISM TODAY, DE ~E MBER , 1996 DECEMBER , 1996 HINDUISM TODAY 9

 . .
We Need the Vedas
M .o(e Than .Eve {
Their holistiC' wQrldview can end the
battle between religion and science
B Y D R. B. V RAM. A N
HAVE TO RECOGNIZE
that all intelligible reali- '
tv--soalce. time and mat-
-IS an aspect of intelli-
gent consciousness. But in the
Western or modern sciences, we ~
sI\ecialize and compartmental- g
practical, teachE~··.!:~x~rt~i?·J!Jc~~~:Y5.~~1 ize, we grasp aspects of reality z
in isolation-,-space, time, matter, ~
mind, morality, art, history. In ~
each sphere we findJorder, but ~
each sphere slJ.ows itself to be incomplete
and to have "ragged edges" that imply oth-
er realities necessary t<;> give meaning to it.
The mil)d begins to look for a total synthe-
sis that'€an make the universe as a whole
meaningful and self-explanafory. As\the
great Aurobindo says, "The Vedas and
Upanishads are not only the sufficient
fountain of the Indian philosophy and reli-
gion, but of all Indian art, poetry and liter-
An BOO-page ature. It was the soul, the temperament, the
ideal mind which later carved out the great
philosophies, built the structure ~f the
dharma which created so many original
institutions ip science, created so rien a
glow of the aesthetic." The spiritual climate·
of the Vedas an<;l Upanishads became the
inspiration of all later developments in In-
dian culture and civilization in all. the
branches of human activity.
In India today, an undue emphasis is
being laid on the so-called "scientific tem-
per," which means denigrating religious
observances, practices and heliefs, all of
which are erroneously dubbed as.,2upersti-
tion. Religious observances, practices and
beliefs are based oli faith. Does science
exclude faith and belief? Is not belief in the
existence of truth i~ Nature a sustainer of
the scientific spirit? While inculcation of a
scientific attitude may be. desirable, its lim-
HIMAlAYAN 4r"nclJN itations must be understood and caution
exercized in its overemphasis. An essential
difference 'between the'approach of the
rishis and the modern Western scientists
BOOKS YOU
/ ,
j
and their Indian counterparts is
that the f@rmer are comprehen-
s,ive, integral, holistic and spiri-
tual, while the latter are mostly
ad /wc, fragmentary, reduction-
ist and mechanistic.
Toda'y" Indian p6liticalleaders
are at sea, hopelessly flounder-
ing in their search for the prin-
ciples and methods of education
and nation or man building.
The'Work of Veda 'Yyasa provides a won-
derfully suggestive object lesson in the task
of national leaders-but not political lead-
ers-if only they can see the vision tnat lies
clearly embodied in his codification. Sage
Vyasa regar<;led the Vedas as containing a
clear vision and scheme of life to preserve
and hand on to later generations through
cultural media-s-utra, darshana, music,
dance, purana, drama, 'temple architecture,
festivals, customs and wax;; of life. ,
One of the greatest gifts of the Vedic
seers is the point of view that envisages
spiritual knowledge along with s9ientific
knowledge as a one organic whole, with no
gu1f or conflict between them. The Vedas
solved the problem of the right relation
between religion,. and science for India and
the world. Henee, we tjnd the lawgiver I
Manu saying that in the beginning people
of all races or quarters of the Earth came .
here for instruction in the arts of life. India
became the World Teacher in the be'gin-
ning of history on account of the inheri-
tance of the Vedas, which were themselves
the crystallization of an ear.lier epoch. This
view of tolerance and understanding to-
ward all the ultimate points of view em-
bodied in different religions became a still
outstanding characteristic of Indi~ culture.
DR. B Y RAMAN of Bangalore, India, is a
world-renowned Vedic asttrologer and edi-
tor of The Astrological MagaZine,
- DISCONTENT
RiSing Suicide~
NDIA, KNOWN FOR STRONG
Itraditions of joint fami1y and
community support of individ-
uals, is experiencing a rising
suicide rate. In 1984 only 6.8
per 100,000 Indians ended
their lives-a low rate com-
pared to Russia (65i100M)}
Japan (33/100M) or USA
(27/100lyf) . By 1994, India's sui~
cides rQ"Se to 9.9 per 100,000,
joining its top ten causes of
death. Most alarming: thos'e be-
low age 30 comprise 55% of
the total. High educational, ca-
reer and marital demands on
youth are cited as causing fatal
. . despair. Housewives under -
marital stress, lonely, discontent
with traditional roles, expecting
more from their husbands, are a
new high-risk group. Sui~ide
crisisj ntervention services are
rare in India. But three.out: of
four suicides give advance dis-
tress signals. Vigilant awareness
can spot an'd stop the terminal
despair which leads to self-
killing and the sufferings it en-
genders in the next life. A few
compassionate souls in Bharat '
have begun centers that offer
needed hot lines and cOllnsel-
ing services.
HAWAII
Laoy's Light
i\ N UNEXPECTED COINCI-
, Rdence brought 'India's star
prison reformer, Kirin Bedi, to
Kauai, Hawaii, home of HIN-
DUISM TODAY, Neal Wagatsuma,
ward~n of the island's jail, is
running an innovative, holistic
program of prison reform simi-
SAN FR A NCISCO
IXTY TOP RELIGIOUS AND
Slay repr~sentives
gathered
the week of June 24 for the
"United Religions Initiative
Conference" in San Francisco.
It was a bold attempt, con-
ceived by Rev. William E.
Swing, Episcb pal Bishop cl' Cal-
ifornia, to create a religious
body parallel to the UN-a kind
of United Religions. Sri Ram
Prime Minister offers juice to break Bahuguna's 73-day fast Swarup of New Delhi submitted
a position paper for Hinduism,
ENVIRONMENT and delegate Ravi Peruman of
San Francisco proposed a "Reli-
Bahuguna Slows Tehri Dam gious Bill of Rights," declaring
each religions protections, in-
XPERTS CONTINUE TO WARN THAT THE TERRI DAM, A cluding freedom from subver-
E new "mega-dam" in the Himalayas, threatens one of
mankind's most sacred river systems near the source of the
Ganges in India. Environmentalist Sundar Lal Bahuguna
sion by others. Input is request-
ed from Hindus.
WRI TE : 406 SKYH ARBOUn L ANE, BAY
POINT, CALI FORNIA 9 4 565 USA.
protested the dam in June with a 73-day "penance" fast, eating
only medicinal bae! fruit, water and honey. Prime Minister
Gowda, fearing the popular watchdogs death, promised a re-
view of the project by a committee of Bahugunas choosing.
Bahuguna broke his fast, and dam construction has halted. The
International Rivers Network claims the dam would displace
100,000 people and submerge 27,000 hectares of Himalayan
land that has been home to sacred Hindu culture and ascetics
for millennia. Built in an earthquake-prone region, if the Tehri
dam failed or caught a landslide from the unstable mountains
above, its flood would destroy the downstream holy towns of
Rishikesh and Hardwar, Idlling tens of thousands.
lar to that begun by Bedi at, ern, 13-year-old city of
Delhi's 8,000-strong Tihar Shenzhen. Scholars
Prison, the largest in Asia. Lik~
Bedi, Wagatsuma believes in
from Shanghai, Chun-
, king and Guandung
rehabilitating- criminals, and participated. This clas,
not letting jails become training sic Hindu ethical tale
grounds for criminal careers. proved its power to in-
Informed of the local pro- spire mutual under-
gram, Bedi included Hawaii in standing and cultural
her Jilly USA tour. She visited Chinese ,bharata natyam dancers bonding, this time be-
Qlree jails in the state. Finding a tween two giant na-
kindred spirit in Wagatsuma, LITERAYURE tions. Its central ideals: dharma,
she declared, "Neal's self-sacrifice and rising above
program incorporates Ramayana personal and political interests.
much I had hoped to Prof. Jin Ding Han of Beijing
achieve at Tihar." The
Kauai jail will be in-
In China University, Chinese translator
of Tulsi's Ramayana, noted that
cluded in her new HE 1996 INTERNATIONAL the epic first appeared in 'China
.
book on prison reform. T Ramayana Conference of
India's Vishwa Sahitya Sanskriti
in the third century C. No Hous-
ton, Texas, will host the 1997
Neal greets Kirin Bedi Sansthan cOLlvened at the mod- conference in May.
CL~WI SE F ROM T OP : RAVI BATRA- INDIA EXPRESS,
UNITED RELIGIONS COMMITTEE, LALLAN PRASAD VYAS,
HINDUISM TODAY
DECEMBER , 1996 HINDUISM TODA Y 11

N EPA L
Where's
the Beef?
T HE SLAUGHTER AND
exportation of cows is a
crime in the Hindu na-
tion of Nepal, with sentences
ranging from a 50,000-rupee
fme to six years imprison-
ment. However, for lack of
First Lady prays in India
THE WHITE HOUSE
Calling Gandhi
N 1995 HILLARY CLINTON
I brainstormed In the White
House for her new book. She
was guided in imagined con-
versations with Eleanor Roo-
sevelt and Mahatma Gandhi by
Jean Houston, psychologist and ' complicity in the
leader in the New Age human
potential movement. The US
media went wild over the FIrst- said, "The body be-
Lady's "psychic" dabblings. I longs to God, and He can do
Sadly, the expose broke the two ' with it as He pleases."
frlends' association, hurting
them both. If Hillary wants
Gandhi in her'inner dramas,
God bless her. We should all
enjoy such good company.
12 HIN.DUISM TODAY ' DE~MBER ,
law enforcement, over 200,000
cows a year are smuggled out
for slaughter in Bangladesh and
India. Bulls, now in short sup-
ply, have doubled in price and
must be imported from India to
meet the demand for ploughing
oxen. Hindus cite their own
lack of organization to fight the
problem and low awareness
among farmers who sell off cat-
tle they cannot maintain. But
last year a government officials
JUSTICE
Swami Jailed
IRTANANANOA BHAKTIPA-
K
da, 58, erstwhile head of
the Hare Krishna New Vrinda-
ban Community in· West Vir-
ginia, was fined $250,000 and
,began a 20-year
prison sentence in
September for rack-
eteering after
pleading guilty to
conspiracy in two
murders and in-
volvement in illegal-
ly raising millions
of dollars for his
commune. Despite
I convicted of both
the plea, he denied
slayings. At senten-
cing he stoically Swami Bhaktipada
Bhaktipada, an early disciple garishi, told HINDUISM TODAY,
of Srila Prabhupada Bhakti-
vedanta, founded the commu-
nity in 1968. At its peak in the 'he is receiving." The communi-
1980s it had 700 membeFs. Its
1996
public statement, "It is a vio-
lation of non-Hindus' human
rights to disallow their beef
eating," stoked animal-rights
fires, demonstrations and at-
tacks on smugglers' trucks. A
leading activist, Ganesh Ba-
hadur has founded the Cow
Welfare Association and set
himself a mission to restore
Nepal as a place where cows
are never killed.
H ARISH BA NSH JHA in Nep al
fabulous "Palace of Gold," built
to hOFl0r his guru, attracted
250,000 viSitors a year. But then
illegal activities that funded its
projects, such as the sale 0f
caps with trademarked logos,
attracted Federal prosecutors.
There were also reports of
abuse and beating of members.
I In 1983, communi-
,ty dissident
Charles St. Denis
was murdered. In
1986, detractor
Stephen Bryant
was fatally shot in
LA. Aformr;r
devotee, Thomas
Dreshcher, was
murders and testi-
fied they were
carried out on
Bhaktipada's
orders. ISKCON
expelled the swami in 1987.
Vrindaban spokesman, Gar-
"He deviated from the stnct
Vedic tenets and deserves what
ty has since rejoined ISrcCON.
CLOCKWISE FROM
SOUTH AFRICA
Baby, Say "Om"
HE HINDI SHIKSHA SANGH
T of South Africa has pub-
lished a booklet called Sanskrit
Suman, Part 1 of a graded se-
ries on learning Sanskrit, by
Dr. B. Rambilass, for use by
children in "the mainstream
school curriculum." Beautifully
printed on glossy, color stock, it
is an unexpectedly modern
teaching tool. Rambilass' pre-
sentation) s simple and targets
English speakers. It is testimo-
ny to the growing worldwide
movement to bring back San-
skrit as a spoken language.
That might seem an· impossible
dream, but in 1995 Sudara-
charlu and his wife began to
successfully market globally
from Madras their 12-cassette
English workbook, Sanskrit for
Children and Beginners.
FOR SANSKRIT SUMAN: HINDU SHIXSHA
SANGH, 30 OAK AVE ., KHARWASTAN
DURBAN, 4092, SOUTH AFRICA
Miniature chariots
MALAYSIA
Tiny Fun Fete
HonINDUS CARRY THEIR GODS
chariots during festivals.
Often gigantic, they are sur,
rounded by a crush of people,
and small children rarely par- '
ticipate. So, for a religio~s class
exercise, the kids in Klang,
I Malaysia, crafted elaborate
miniature chariots. They
pulled them arotlDd a local
temple with devotion and all /
the priestly rituals. The exer-
cise was for a lesson in The
Master Course, Saivite Hindu
Religion published by Himal-
ayan Acade~. Its professional
teacher's guide has a fun flair
that brings religion to life. The
children love it.
~~~;'~~i~~~J,\,=~:
AVINASH PASRICHA-SPAN MAGAZINE
Photo images on Roy Eugene Davis,
smooth-textured a Widely-traveled teacher,
author and direct disciple of
Paramahansa Yogananda,
• contemplative
• inspiring
has taught in the kriya yoga
tradition for more than four
• long-lasting decades.
Presently available: Request information about
Krishna, Satya Sai his books and classes in the
Baba, Shirdi Sai USA, India, Europe and
Baba, Mother other countries.
Meera, Ramana Maharshi,Yogananda (pictured above),
Yogananda (the '1ast smile"), Anandamayi Ma, Ramakrishna, Center for Spiritual Awareness
Aurobindo, Sarada Devi, Vivekananda, Buddha. p.o. Box 7-H
Each: US$20 Lakemont, Georgia 30552
USA
Custom stones may be ordered:
Please send photo or 35 mm negative of your personal Tel: 706-782-4723 • Fax 706-782-4560
teacher, deity, symbol, et'c. (The resulting image will be in http://web.infoave.netl-csainc • E-mail csainc@stc.net
black and white).
In India:
From a photo: $30 • From a negative: $25.
All prices include shipping. For orders of 3 or more, lower
A Master Guide to Meditation (Rs. 55)
The Book of Life (Rs. 65) by Mr. Davis.
pricing applies. Call or write for details. Motilal Banarsidass
41 U.A., Bungalow Road
Joel Singer Jawahar Nagar, Delhi no 007
PO Box 1330 • Offices and stores also in Patna, Bangalore, Madras,
Port Townsend, WA 98368 USA Varanasi, Calcutta and Pune.
Tel: 360-385-3748 If by mail, add Rs. 15 each book for postage.
GURUDEVA INSPIRES MURUGAN DEITY PROJECT IN CINCINNATI
Hindu Society of Greater Cincinnati (HSGC) is in the process of finishing a 15,000 sq. ft. temple as part of a major
Center of Hindu Religion and Culture on 100+ acres of wooded lot. A library, meditation room, visitor's guest house and
retirement homes will also be part of this complex.
To accommodate the diversity of Hinduism, twelve five-foot deities: Shivalingam, Venkateshwar, Pillaiyar, Laxmi,
Saraswathy, Durgaiamrnan, Hanuman, Srinath, Laxmi-Narayan, Mahavir, Radha-Krishna, and Sita-Ram, will be housed in
"Individual Temples" on a single platform. The deities, carved in India, have already been received in Cincinnati.
Kumbhabishekam will take place in 1997.
In addition, we will be housing Palamudir Solai Murugan-Valli-Deivanai, and Ayyappan Swami deities in a special wing.
Gurudeva Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami has already blessed this effort by shipping a Murugan Deity from India. This has
generated a new impetus for the project, and a devotee from Bahrain is donating the Ayyappan Deity. However, we need funds
to complete the wing, which is expected to cost $100,000. Therefore, we ask devotees allover the world to donate generously
and be a part of this holy project. In your family name or in memory of loved ones you can donate any amount, adopt a tree
for $1001, or sponsor a brick for $501. All donations are Tax Deductible (Tax 1.D. #31-1017997).
I am enclosing a $ _ _ _ _ _ _ check for: TREE _ _ _ BRICK _ _ _ DONATION
Please make check payable to: HSGC, PO. BOX 19399, CINCINNATI, OHIO 45219
IN THE NAME/MEMORY OF:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ADDRESS:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ STATE: _ _ _ ZIP: _ _ _ _ PHONE (W/H): _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
For more information please contact: K.R. Anantharaman 1-5.13-753-8556; Ambikaipakan Balasubramaniam 1-513-558-3819 (W),
1-513-794-0141 (H), e-mail: Ambi.bala@uc.edu; Siva Sivaganesan, 1-513-563-2901, e-mail Siva.Sivaganesan@uc.edu;
Laxmi Srivastava 1-513-558-8182 (W), 1-513-474-0533 (H).
 A Comprehensive Approach to Yoga...
LETTERS Books by Swami Shankar .. ,based on the teachings of
Purushottam Tirtha: Paramhansa Yogananda
Indications deities we~e shifted to another place and re- converts' demands create ne.w political (author of Autobiography
WHAT INTERESTS ME ABOUT HINDUISM turned after performing religious yagnas po;:kets in India-carrying transformed val- Yoga Vani ofa Yogi).
TpDAY is the vast enthusiasm shown by and prayers. Hindu religion is very elastic ues animus to Hindu religion and culture. Instructions for the attainment
young Hindus settled in the West. There is and has found solutions for shifting even an Jbe resistance given by Dilip Singh Judev is of Siddhayoga during sadhana. • Yoga and Meditation
evidence in their queries an4 comments of important temple coming in the way of de- a good start, but he alone cannot stop con- postpaid: US$13.50 (USA) Retreat.
an abiding and loving faith in the tradition- velopment. I am of the opinion that such version of the Hindus. He needs his state's $16.50 (Canada) • Yoga teacher training.
al values and the way of life called Hin- dams should be finished as early as possible political backing through legislation and. • Spiritual communities.
duism-values which have stood the test of without any delay. support of all Hindus frgm home and Guru Bani • Catalog of books,
time. The glories of ancient Babyton, Greece SHANKERl'RAsA<D S. BHATT abroad. 100 ways to attain inner peace. music and videos.
llJ).d Rome are now found only in museums CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, USA PRIYA B. MUKHOPADHAY How to live a spiritual life-for • Ananda's home-study
and libraries of the world. Bul Hinduism is MONTREAL,QUEBEC, CANADA monks and families. course in yoga and
still a living faith. HINDUISM TODAY'S unique No Prohibition in Scripture postpaid: US$9.50 (USA) meditation.
role is strengthening the link between Hin- OUR SCRIPTURES, FROM VEDAS TO PU- I WOllLD AGREE WITH ONE FACT, THAT !f $12.50 (Canada)
duism as a faith and the eager-to-be-in- ranas, including the Ramayana, Mahabha- people are converted by force or by any oth-
formed Indian aiaspora. ., rata and Srimad Bhagavatam, have numer- er means of cheating, then Hindus have Ayurvedic Products Distributors-wholesale or retail For a free cassette on Mystical Music and Talks
S. N ARAYANAN ous examples of alcohol consumption, both every right to brIng them back ("WHF Au- catalog: $1.00 (free via e-mail) • Consultations • I-year call or write:
NEW DELHI, INDIA by celestial and mortal beings ("Unaccept- gurs: 21st Century Belongs to Hindus," Aug- Ayurveda Certification Courses in person or by correspon- Ananda
", able," LETTERS, Aug-Nov '96). Ayurveda Nov '96). Otherwise, let everybody enjoy dence (US mail, or e-mail). 14618 Tyler Foote Rd
In Need of Answers prescribes several wines and spirits of their freedom. It is strange that Nepal has Nevada City, CA 95959 USA
THERE ARE SEVERAL UNANSWERED QUES- medicinal value, like draksharistha; asoka- this law, "No one is allowed to convert one's Ayurveda Holistic Center
tions floating in the growing Hindu- popula- rishta, mritasanjivanisudha, drakshasava, faith/ ' This is simply inhuman, anti-Hindu, c/o Swami Narayan Tirtha Math Tel: 916-478-7560 Extension 7025
tion such as, what should I do with Gods' to name a few. ' and too much interference by the state in a 82A-H Bayville Ave • Bayville, NY 11709 USA
pictures when I do not need them? Why is PRASAD BANERJEE persons spirituality. It is. true that a huge TeVfax: 1-516-628-8200 Ananda Home Page: http://www.ananda.org
there worship of stone? Why do we use co- TORONTO KALIBARI, ONTARIO, CANADA amount of money from Western c.ountries is Ask for Swami Sada Shiva Tirtha E-mail: Ananda@oro.net
conuts, turmeric and kumkuma? What is being spent on conversion in countries like E-mail: ayurvedahc@holistic.com
their significance? Why do swamis sit on the Exp~1 the Aryan Theory India and Nepal. This money is as useful for Ananda, founded in 1968 by Swami Kriyananda, a
tiger's skin but preach ahimsa? We need an- I CONGRATUbATE DINESH AGRAWAL WHO the country's economy as the billions of dol- Web: httpllwww.holistic.com/listings/11709acl.html direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, is not
swers but can't.find them in the scriptures. has exposed this baseless treory tilf Aryan lars sent by NRIs to their countries. I see Free interactive dosha self-test and articles. affiliated with Self-Realization Fellowship.
Why ~e mantras powerful, in what context, invasioFl ('/\ryan Invasion , Theory," MY that the only real problem with this conver-
and who proved their power? These fre- TURN, July '96). Let us cremate the theory sion is, if the remote future, Hindus become
quently asked questions need to be answered. of Aryan invasion of India as promoted by a minority and face the consequences of
A . B ALA-SUBRAMANIAM British rulers, because there is no truth in it. ' perishment. I agree that it is a real threat,
AUBURN,ALABAMA, USA DR. S. SHARMA but the solution lies not in reconversion, but
"aum@aub.mindspring.com NOTHINGHAM,ENGLAND, UK in making these people's lives comfortable
with respect and dignity. If ~hat does not
Vedic
Exciting Tool Conversion Right and Wrong
BY PROF~SSION I AM ANENGLISH TEA<1HER, I AM AN ARDENT READER OF HINDUISM prove to be worthl!Jss.
happen, the work of WHF and VHP will
Astrology
and I have been involved in computer as- TbDAY, and I feel a sense of pride in being a
sisted language learning- for 11 years (,'A Hindu after reading and understanding
Cool, Calculating Computer-Educated Gen- Hinduism. I am particularly impressed with
DR. ASHOK K. JAIN
DALLAS, PENNSYLVANIA, USA
" AKJI@PSUVM.PSU.EDU
in Paradise
eration:' PUBLISHER'S DESK, May '96). The the article ~bout Dilip Singh Judev ("Oper-
computer can be used by a teacher to create ation Homecoming," June '96), who is doing Mankind's Origin
March 14-17, 1997
a rich environment for learning, but the re- a fantastic job by reconverting the tribals I WAS HAPPY TO READ THE ARTICLE ON
sponsibility to use the medium effectively is back to their original religion, i.e.: Hinduism. the Origin of Man ("How Did M~ Arrive on
as g]:eat as that of a teacher using a text- By God's grace, I hope there will be more Earth?" July '96), and especially noted the \ for more
book effectively, or perhaps greater, since such people in every country to' perform Vedic references. The declaration by Sage infonnation
huge amounts of informatIon are available, such a great service to our religion, Sanatana / Tirumular in the 2,000-year-old scripture
contact:
and the computer is entrancing and engag- Dharma. 'Tirumantiram [verse ~81-410l which recapit-
ing regardless of whether it is being used ef- ulates the essence of creation is most appro- INSTITUTE OF
R. RAJENDRAN
fectively. SINGAPORE priate, and gives a scientific and logical pre- M.arch 14-11, 1991 VEDIC
.J
SIMON SERGEANT sentation to the subject. KEAUHOU BEACH HOTEL, ASTROLOGY
SINGAPORE WHEN HINDUS IN INDIA 'AND NEPAL FACE SELVA NADARAJAH KaNA, HAWAII P.O. BOX 2149,
"Sergeant@singnet.com.sg , conversions to Christianity through intimi- KUALA LUMPUR, MAL.AJ'SIA (5 miles south of Kona SEDONA,
dation a'n d manipulation by missionaries, on the Big Island)
Forge Ahead they perceive condescension and even dis- Letters, w ith writer's n~e, address ARIZONA 86339
THERE ARE MANY LARCiE DAMS IN THE dain, but cannot stop the act of conversion and daytime phone.rlUmber, should be sent to: (520) 282-6595
world, and they are constructed after taking for die fear of challenging the highly struc- Letters, HINDUISM TODAY to register with Visa
the opinions of experts' ("Religion and Envi- tured mechanics of Christian evangelism. 107 Kaholalele Road 9 SPEAKERS, INCLUDING:
ronment Conspire to Tear Down Tehri Missionaries from tIie rich countries of the Kapaa, HI 96746-9304 USA or Mastercard call
CHAKRAPANI ULLAL, DAVID FRAWLEY, DENNIS HARNESS,
or faxed to: (808) 822-4351 800-900-6595
Dam," July '96). In case it is necessary, a re- West do not accept Hindus' claims that CHRISTINA COLLINS, DENNIS FLAHERTY, JAMES KELLEHER,
or e-mailed to:
ligious site may be shifted to a suitable their human rights are being violated by the letters@HinduismToday.~auai.hi.us
height after raking the confidence of reli- missionaries of the Christian churches. The Letters Il1ay be edited for space and clarity and EDITH HATHAWAY, LINDA JOHNSEN, AND WILLIAM LEVACY
gious leaders of t>he region. When the tem- resuitant affect Hindus face is the religious may appear in electronic versions of HINDUISM BEGINNING AND ADVANCED CLASSES
ple of Jaganath Puri was renovated, the partitioning of India, where the Christian TODAY. " INDICATES LETIERS RECEIVED VIA E-MAIE. REGISTRATION FEES: (FOR MAIN SYMPOSIUM 3/14-3/16)
I
$145 BY JANUARY 10TH, 1997-$195 ArnR 1/10/97
14 ruNDUI.SM TODAY DECEMBER, 1996
 Autobiography of a Yogi Superconsciousness
TRIBUTE Sai Baba firmly advocates vegetarjanism,
by Paramhansa Yogananda by J. Donald Walters
$14.95 (Swami Kriyananda) stating, "Meat furthers the demonic quali-
The verbatim reprinting of
Yogananda's original 1946 unedited
edition, with all its inherent power,
$10.99
A culmination of nearly 50 years of
teaching the science of meditation to
$ai: Hin·du of Year , -
ties in you." Ahead of many in the world, he
is yery clear on the relationship between
poor diet and poor health, and the impact of
• I ~hemical farming methods in reducing the
just as the great master of yoga first thousands of people worldwide, by a
presented it. A treasure for all leading exponent of yoga and medi- Receives 1996 "Hindu Renaissance Award" quality of the food grown. His US$18 million
Puttaparthi heart hospital is just the latest in
truthseekers! tation. FUll of insight for advanced
seekers. a vast spectrum of free medical services-
To order or for a free catalog, call To order or for a free catalog, call which include even major heart
Crystal Clarity Publishers: Crystal Clarity Publishers ITH 1,638 CENTERS IN137 COUN- and brain surgery. He con-
1-800-424-1055 1-800-424-1055 tries, Satya Sai Baba guides the , demns doctors who profit from
largest .Hindu organization in the illness and advocates the princi-
world today. Most Hindus remain un- ples of traditional ayurveda. He
aware of the depth and breadth of his ex- has endeared himself to vi\-
tensive worldwide programs spreading the lagers by offering veterinarian
" ancient Vedic teachings. HINDUISM TODAY facilities which have prevented
Hindu University of America Yoga and Meditation Aids bestowed its 1996 Hindu Renaissance Award crippling diseases among cattle.
upon this remarkable 70-year-old saint for His 1995 project brought safe
-A Unique Dimension of Hindu Heritage in the West- The hand-crafted his 56 years of service. The award carries a drinking water to 800 villages

The University invites nominations and enquiries for resident,
non-resident and Adjoint Faculty for Graduate Programs in
Hinduism, Yoga Philosophy and Meditation, Yoga Education
and Ayurvedic Sciences leading to Masters and Doctoral
degrees. Contact Dr. Khandelwal, 1-813-943-2114, or Prof
K.G Gupta, 1-303-499-1150, for information.
HINDU UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA
8610 Vista Terrace, Orlando, FL 32825-7934 USA
Tel/fax: 1-407-277-5959
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Satya Sai Baba's far-reaching activities en-
compass children's education, temple devel-
opment, support of sadktLs and Vedic sch@l-
ars, medicine and rural development. His
first outreach remains the one for which he
· ·1 '
is best known-bhaJana-begun in 1940
when ·he was 14 years old. Today Sai's fol-
lowers are regarded as masters of devotion-
al music. There is minimal organizational
clutter in the thousands of local Sai groups'.
Followers are of all faiths and propound a
A Spirit of Cooperation Creativity staunch universalism. They collect no mon-
ey and focus on diScipline and purity of pur-
Think of your banking relationship in broad terms: A customized financial package is an essential ingre- pose. Devo~ees come .together weekly to
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(
business. and service.
Aworldwide' impact: Sri Satya Sai Baba
oSai's Education in Human Values chil-
dren's course is taught in schools in , 100
countries. With a strong religious orienta-
tion, it expounds five qualities: truth (satya),
righteousness (dharma), peace (s hanti), love
(pre.ma) and nonviolence (ahimsa). EHV re-
jects the rote learning, so often thought suf-
ficie~t for education, emphasizing Indian
techniques-silent sitting, quotation, story-
telJing, song and group activities.
through pipes and tube wells.
Followers revere Sai Baba as
Avatar, an incarnation of God.
In 1976, he told Blitz magazine,
"The presen( avatar [Sai] has
come invested with the totality
of cosmic power to save dharma
from anti-dharma." Regarding
his powers, he said in the same
interview, "I can cure, save, even
resurrect people, provided they
are in a spiritually receptive
mood. Whatever I will, instantly
materializes." Indeed, millions
profess to seeing him manifest
physical objects. This inspires
intense faith among devotees.
Sai submits, "Miracles belong to
the bOl~ndless power of God."
Perhaps Sai Baba's least appreciated pow-
er lies in his preaching. Twice each day he
lectures articulately in Telegu to ample
crowds, explaining with trenchant insight
every aspect of Hinduism. A devotee said
he understood God to be within ,us all. Baba
corrected, "Not exactly. Think of it this way:
you are like a fish swimming in the divine
ocean that is God. God is above you, below
'You, inside and out." •

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DECEMBER, 1996 HINDUISM TODAY 17
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8RIEftl
TItE BRITISH ARE GONE, but the King's Eng-
lish is still colonizing, with 350 ~illion ,
Asians now speaking the tongue-more
than in the UK and USA combined. Profes-
sor Braj Kachru of the University of Illinois
told a language conference in Manila that
most former British colonies ha~ devel-
oped their own distinctive brand of English
for internal uses. These include the Philip-
pines, Singapore and India.
IN AMASS MARRIAGE, 103 couples tied the
knot at Sawai Madhavsingh Stadium in
Jaipur, India. The toughest part was finding ganizing Never-ending Service, spending
103 white mares for grooms to mount, and
a festive challenge required each to catch
the be st horse he could. It's a good thing
they agreed on
the dowry issue.
Negotiating a
dowry even dur-
ing betrothal dis-
cussions violates
the Dowry Pro-
tection Act of
1961, according Marriage en masse
to a new interpre-
tation by India's Supreme Court. The
Khandelwal Vaishya Samuhik Vivaha
Samaroh Samiti, which specializes in
dowry-free weddings, sponsored the event.
BELIEF IN TRANSMIGRATION is blossoming in
Argentina. Acceptance of reincarnation has 1,000 Hindus in the last decade.
jumped from 24% to 39%, according to a
recent poll of religious beliefs. The increase
is credited to the growing -influence of
Asian religions in general, and popular
gurus, like Satya Sai Baba, in particular.
HINDU WOMEN THREATEN to disr.upt a
planned November Miss World beauty
pag~ant in Bangalore, India, being staged
by Amitabh Bachchan's entertainment
company. The Mahila Jagaina (Forum to
Awaken Women) has threatened to form a
15-member "suicide squad" to disrupt the
contest (by self-immolation, according to
one report). They believe such contests de-
grade women by treating them as sex ob-
jects and are an insult to Indian culture.
Gokarunanidhi, Ocean of Mercy for the
Cow, is now available in E,nglish for US$2
postage. Written in 1881 by S1'i Swami
Dayananda Saraswati, founder of the Arya
Samaj, it focuses on the cow's sacredness
and utility. In a dialog between a Slayer
(meat-eater) and a Protectionist (vegetari-
an), he writeS,' ':Animals would never be
slaughtered if there be none to eat flesh, or
20 ifINDVISM TODAY D E CEMBER , 1996
to preach or advise the eat ing of it." Con-
tact: Madan Lal Gupta, 2912 Freeborn
Street, Duarte, California, 91010, USA.
THE 11TH INTERNATIONAL AIDS Conference
announced that India leads with 2 to 4 mil-
lion of the world's 22-million HIV;:positive
people. India Today reports 20% of high
school students in large cities are sexually
active. of those, 7% have sex with HIV-pos-
itive partners and are at risk. Nine Indo-
American students have formed VISIONS,
'" Volunteering International Students in Or-
four-weeks this year in India presenting
AIDS education and prevention programs.
THIRTY-NIN~ WORSHIPERS celebratin~oma­
vati amavasya, the dawn of the new moon,
were killed in a stampede down a' staircase
to Mahakalishwara Shiva temple in Ujjain.
The disaster occurred when the flow of
devotees was halted so a VIP and his family
could worship. The states chief minister im-
mediately sacked top temple and police offi- no opportunity to learn about the religions
cials. In Hardwar, 21 devote~s were)tram-
pled to..death while crossing a narrow
bridge spanning the holy river Ganga,
whelie nearly two million devotees had
gathered for a festival. Critics blame poor
police control of fervent crowds. Judicial in- firmed the venerable tradition of single-sex
quiries were launched into both incidents.
Festival crowding has killed more than
INITIALLY OFFERING THREE courses, the Sri
Chinmoy Institute of Ayurvedic Sciences
has opened in Bellevue, Washington.
Founder Dr.
Virender Sodhi
writes, "Our main
goal is to provide
high-guality sec-
ond~y education
ar;d eventually to
provide licen-
sure to Ayurve- Dr: Sodhi with students INTERNATIONAL PEACE UNIVERSITY irl'Berlin,
dic physicians~"
A "CENTER FOR INDIA STUDIES" at the State '
. Universi!J of New York at Stony Brook,
Long Island, is flourishing following
U5$100,000 in pledged support by Indo-
American profeSSionals. The center is being highlights: celebr~ting International Peace
hailed as an all-too-rare synergy of student
activism, faculty dedication and c~mmuni­
ty support.
ONCE WHOLLY HINDU, then gutted by commu-
nal vjolence, Bhola town on Bangladesh's
largest island, is heqling and worshiping
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fair. Now rebuilt, Cererrwnial march
its reconsecra-
tion featured 108 sari-clad, married womet).
iIi a mile-long procession tpat carried holy
water for the rituals, attended by many to-
cal Muslims. USA Immigration Attorney A Video Pilgrimage through India
NEW ZEALAND'S NEW ATTITUDES about reli- Y. Krishna Gupta Some 60 sites are covered,
gious education may generate a more bal- USA Attorney at Law places as hard to find as
anced syllabus. Paul Morris, professor of re- they are hard to get per-
ligiolls studies at Victoria University, Representation of clients before USA Immigration Service mission to film. Very per-
recommends a change and says the,facts and USA Consulates worldwide. sonal, affectionate. If you
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MAHESH MAHARISHI'S SCHOOL ofthe Age of
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institution of 600 students, recently reaf-
classes, despite its costing them state book
subsidies. Federal laws also prohibit single-
gender. schools from receiving federal funds.
"We feel single-gender classes are clearly
beneficial for children, and we cannot en-
dorse a policy of compulsory coeducation,"
said school director Ashley Deans. Other
American schools are seeing the advantages,
too. A Manassas, Virginia, middle-school
teacher "knows single-sex classes let hei kids
think with something besides their hor-
mones," reports Newsweek. Teachers are
finding that both test scores and class partic-
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 EXHIBI"TION

Pqia in
Washington
Hindu art shakes off its archaic image /at the
. Gallery of Art's sensitive
Sackler .
display
By VG. JULIE RAJAN, PHILADELPHJA has effectively made Puja an exhibition as
RIOR TO THE CURRENT EXHIBIT AT much about Hindu devotionals as Hindu art.
the prestigious Smithsonian institu- Once in agreement, Huyler and Ridl€y di-
tion's Saclder Gallery of Art, viewing vided the artifacts into three -categ0ries relat-
Hindu art in a museum was boring at ing to the spatial dimensions of Hindu wor-
best. Sure, the aesthetic impact was often ship-temple, household arid outdoor shrines
impressive and, to a few initiates, exciting, [<;I.iagFam, facing page]. "We wanted to give
but it was still "just a muse- the exhibit some organizing
um." To knowing Hindus, the principles that made it seem
art was Olat of context, and less foreign," explains Ridley,
out of touch with the maker's who has been working with
intent. It felt abandoned, cold, the gallery for 11 years. "A ,10t
old and irrelevant. of Westerners just think that
While Washington, D.C.'s, Hinduism has multiple gods
Sackler Gallery is still a mu- with multiple arms, and that
seum, its semi-permanent ex- is it. But when you say that
hibit, Puja, Expressions of worship takes place in the
Hindu Devotion, boldly and ~ temple }illd in the home, most
trimrlphantly places Indian z people, no matter what cul-
art, specifically Hindu art, in ~ ture they are froni, can make
proper context as objects of t: a connection. This was im-
worship. Largely donated ~L-_ _ _==___- . l portant to all of us. In an art
from the private collection of Sundarar and Paravai: museum like ours, many of
Paul Walters with minor Dressed by temple priests the objeots for muc:p. of our
contributions from Georgana audience seem long ago and
Foster and Dr. David R. Nalin, the 125 far away. Although many items here were
pieces iri the exhibit were not originally in- made hundreds of years ago, they still have
tended to exemplify Hindu worship at alL significance today. We wanted to show Hin- .
Whil~ categorizing the objects, co-curators duism toaay, to remind P70ple that these are
Devotional Chambers in D .C. Stephen P. Huyler and Sarah Ridley slowly Americans who are practicing HinduiSm."
realized that the concept of puja, the Hindu This innovative conceptualization devel-
The unique format of the exhibit takes visitors worship rite, was like a sacred thn!ad bind- oped to include on-going free lectures and
through temple, home and outdoor worship arenas ing the collection together. . demonstrations of Hindu art, music, dance
'Rather than displaying the artifacts as ob- and worship, along with professional videos
Bastar solete histotlcal relics, the sociologically sen- of authentic religious J ituals in India and
sitive curators insisted that the exhibit be a the US. "We have been' having a regular se-
. show of Ilving art, art that is as much a part ries called 'Puja Tod,ay,' where various Hin-
of Hindu life today as when it was made. dus in the Washington, D.C., area talk
Huyler, the art historian, ethnologist, writer about being a Hindu in the United States,"
and photographer who masterminde"d the Ridley elucidated. The primary exhibition
show, told Sackler that he "would only be is considered a long-term addition to the
willing to co-curate if they were willing to gallery, not a mere six-month show. Tempo-
show th~ objects as they were meant to be rary exhibits, such as Huyl~r's photographs
seen rather than as art objects." Sackler con- of Indian kolams, Painted Prayers [see cov-
curred, cementing a conceptual shift that er photo J, were scheduled to enhance and

22 HINDUISM TODAY DECEMBER, 1996 DECEMBER, 1996 HI' NDUISM TODAY 23

supplement the main displays.
The cathedral-high glass ceiling and the
wide-apen laQby in which cuJtural events
are .often held connate a sense .of space and
Art's Apt Apostle contemporary Hinduism, its
vitality and its modem value."
Living in and out of India
and America exposed Huyler to
apftn-mindedness. During reg,Ylar haurs,
the truths and discrepancies in
visitars can sit in'a theater and view a vid~a, How an American in love with India and around Hinduism. "My
narrated by Natianal Public 1'ladia's Chitra
Raghavan, detailing Hindu warship in the may change the history of Her art understanding of Hinduism has
been on a day-ta-day basis of ,
United States. They clln: browse through lit-
erature an. Sanatana Dharma in a reading just hausehalders all throughaut
area within the exhibit, or can i;>rawse the COULD STEPHEN p, the country, staying in Indian
gift shap far baaks, phatagraphs and ather (rhymes with homes and watching devatianal I!
.objects relating ta the exhibit.' The exhibit's an American from practices. I watched wamen
educatianal impact is enhanced by well-in- small coastal town of and men painting in their
farmed dacents, whase knawledge .of Indian Camden, Maine, offer the Hin- homes as a part .of daily or
spiritual cancepts gained by rigarous train- du world? To start, he could seasonal ritual, It had a deep
ing and visits ta' temples in the area will as- catalag in exquisite photographs and heart-opening impact on
tanish mast practicing Hindus. Indias long underappreciated me," This ultimately mativated
Ta accamplish all .of this, Sackler saught sacred folk-art. Hes been doing him to use his artful abilities to
the help .of American Hindus, wha eagerly just that, living in Bharat four make a difference. '1 really
taak up the gauntlet. "There was a priest months out of every year for believe that I was given a trust,
fmm the Siva-Vishnu temple in Maryland the past twenty-five years, and this exhibit is a way to live
wha actually came and installed the Siva Open any page of the 1994 up to that trust and give some-
Linga and the SuncJarar and Paravai sculp- Painted Prayers, his current thing back. It is a chance to
tures," details Huyler: "Then we had a mem- apogee, and you know instantly right some of the wrongs that
ber .of that temple, Uma Nagarajan" install the scale and tenderness of his exist in American and Western
the hausehald shrine ta Vishnu. Sackler felt labors with a camera [see this Huyler: With Bidulata Hota .opinion of India. I fully believe
from the very beginni:ng that H wauld be in- months cover and gatefold], that India is going to be a lead-
apprapriate far anyane ather than a tradi- Such photographic feats only think that this is a first of its ing power in the 21st century,
tianal Hindu ta ,place the .objects." laid the foundation for his latest kind for Hindu art in America," and that if Americans continue
A val.unteer far almast five years at the revolution, It is, according to notes Huyler. "It is attempting to to be condescending towards
gallery, Uma Nagarajan was involved in the him, "the culmination of my change attitudes, to change the the culture and the thought
exhibit fram the .outset as a liaisan between heart/spirit experience in In- level of respect towards a belief processes of the Indian subcan-
the lacal Hin'du cammunity and the gallery. dia," namely, the Puja exhibit at system that must be understood tinent, we're gaing to be left
She alsa plays a significant role in the Puja the Saclder Gallery of Art '1 in the West. I think it is about rapidly behind,"
videa [see page 47], demanstrating the sim-
ple and profaund de~atian .of Hindu hame
warship. She described her cammunity's .out- Washingtan' Manument and the CapitaL breathe the air .of life." nary Kashmir crystal Lingams [phata, page wha are nat as familiar with their religian ta by giving their time ta the interactive pra-
reach effqrts, "We really gat invalved thraugh Five .others are scattered elsewhere in Creating Sacred Space: Huyler tried hard 22], ; a waml}Il was-prostrate in front .of it far delve daringly inta their roats. "Nawadays grams, these devatee; have cl~arly can-
d~vatianal programs twice a mQilth. Other Washingtan. This unique geagraphy gives ta bring the .displ{y ta life, ~nd harder ta . , quite a lang time. It was very strong ta many' yaungsters seem ta help in the Hindu tributed ta the quality and gem:Iineness .of
temples in the area alsa cantributed. Same Puja cauntry-wide prominence. Attendance maintain same sanctity, but was stymied by watch," While explaring the exhibit for this ' temples that are in every city," nates Na- the exhibit.
.of the participants gave lectures, demanstra- ta the twa side-by-side galleries, Sackler and red tape-perhaps a kind .of asmasis from article, I was persanally struck by the au- garajan. "This may help them ta get invalved Guard and Vanguard: Will this be the
tians .of devatianal music and things like Freer, between May 12, 1996, when Puja the Capital next daar. "We faught far there thentic display .of a magnificent granite even mare." H)lyler describes this as a pri- coup de grace far the mistreatment .of Hin-
that. We are happy that the Hindu religian, .opened, and August 31, is estimated at ta be deepas lighted; but there are fire :egu- Lingam, dated 17th century Tamil Nadu, mary mativatian. "One .of my cancerns in duism and its sacred art? Huyler thinks it's
which is a living, practicing religian, is get- 200,000-roughly 1,780 art afficianadas per latians, and it just Gauld nat h.appen. We that is situated as it wauld be within a tem- the ver:y beginning was that there wauld be a guard against myths surrounding ~he faith,
ting same natice and attentian." day. Sackler's staff estimate that half t;he at- wanted peaple ta take .off their shaes when ple. Between the pedestal an which the secand aI).d third-generatian Indians-chil- a gaad beginning, but nat the end. He
Giving the Eternal Path such public tend~es are Hindu. they entered the whal~ exhibitian, but there , adarneg Lingam was placed, the ail lamps dren that receive the camman peer pressure saberly tald HINDUISM TODAY, "I wauld like
praminence was an early intent .of Huyler, Puja enchants the press, taa. Enthusiastic was a unian regulatian against that. We had surrounding the Deity and the .offerings .of that laaks at Hinduism as samething biz- ta think that it is a gigantic blackbuster, that
wha praclaimed that, far him, the purpase cayerage heralded the .opening. Mast na- .-temple bells that were gaing ta be hung near fruit and flawers that were placed in fmnt, arre-that they w(!lUld be able ta came with everybady will see it. But thats nat the case. '
.of Puja is "ta reach the /Western public, bath table were a feature in the Washington Post the Lingam that peapJe wauld strike as they I felt a strong impulse ta take .off my shaes irS. a clas's or bring in a friend and say 'Laak, It is in the Smithsanian",and that in and .of
NRI and nan-Indian, in the hapes .of bath and an artful,p'iece by Halland Catter in the circumambulated, but .our antique pair .of reverence befare approaching. this is what we'r~_abaut' and be really excit- itself will gain a lat .of notice. But itS: nat a
readdressing the massive misinterpretatian New York Times. The Times has been typi- bells broke at the last minute. We wanted The significance .of an exhibit an Hin- ed abaut it. I taught at Ohia State Universi- blackbuster .or a hugely advertised shaw.
.of Hinduism in the cantemparary warld and cally critical .of Hinduism, but eatter's stary, the exhibitian ta be mare interactive than it duism in the US capital signals mare than ty, and half .of my students wer~ Hindu. Hapefully, what it will da is suggest passibil-
ta be able ta laak at it as a late-20th-centu- "Indian Icans in All Their Fine Clathes," cauld be, but we were hindered by either just an artistic shaw, Puja is already func- Same .of them were skeptical, and ta watch ities far museums elsewhere."
ry, innavative, progressive, vital religi'an, and . praved a welcame exceptian. The exhibit's museum .or gavernment regulatians." • tianing as a bridge between the Hindu cam- the dawning pride graw in them-there was Far the next few years, Hindu families
nat samething that is archaic, third-warld, intent Was crystal clear ta him: "Thematical- Still, credit is du~, Far a first-af-its-kind munity and the American public, breaking just this excrtement and understanding that and thase wha have 'af~ctian far India's tra-
remate, Ta shaw that it is living in America. ly facused, carefully selected, the spare ex- exhibit, Puja is a trmmph. Uma NagarajaIl dawn barriers and discrimin;3.tian caused by 'Yes. This is samething warthy .of pride,'" ditianal ways have a new place .of pilgrim-
It is vital ta America, andi'ital ta India. It is planatary wall texts wearing schalarship ptavided lacal a,ssessment. "I think they ignarance. T0ur guide Dr. ~arleyse Ken- . Puja's auth~ntic aura is clearly du~ ta the age On the East Ca'lst, .one where learning
nat just half-way araund the warld." lightly, the shaw ill~minates a religiaus art in have dane a gaad study. What is presented is nedy explained, "I think it signifies an apen- dedication .of the Sackler Gallerys staff, am- carnes in an atmasphere .of spirituality. The
Capital Idea: This nable gaal is partly which beauty and functian are ins~parable, in such a way that Hindus cannat find fault ,ing .of/the spirit, a trend foward multi-eth- plified by the canscientiaus help rendered gallery is lacated near the castle-like Smith-
achieved si~ply through the shaw's impres- and in which ritual 'use is warmed by the in it. Americans wha da nat understand .our hicity, and the recagnitian .of the validity .of by the lacal Indian cammunity. Ridley sanian Institutian Building an the Natianal
sive venue. After all, this is the Smithsanian, tauch afhamely affectian. It alsa gently puts religian seem ta be very happy and satisfied ather beliefs, Once yau understand same- warked .overtime ta establish cantacts and Mall at 1050 Independence Avenue Sauth-
an institutian .of the US gavernment and. the art/history in the right persp~ctive. The because they understan~ exactly what it is thing, yau can accept it, and there is le'ss dis- earn t~e eager assistance .of arg~izatians west in Washingtan, D.c. It is .open every
warld's largest museum and research cam- spiritual ideals dacumented are as alive ta- thraugh the explanatians given." Huyler has criminatian." ,- such as the United Hindu Temple and Jain day except December 25. Haurs are from
plex. Nine Smiths ani an museums are clus- day as they were centuries aga, and even re- alsa watched visitors' reactians, He remem- The exhibit alsa serves ta bridge first and Assaciatian. Through the danatian .of vari- 1a:aaAM until 5:30PM. Admissian is free.
tered an the Natianal Mall between the canstituted in a mus~um cantext, they bers during the .opening, near the extraardic secand-generatian. Hindus, allawing thase aus props, the dressing .of the Deities, and Telephane: 202-357-4880. ....I
24 HINDUISM TaDAY DE'CEMBER , 1996 DECEMBER, 1996 HINDUISM TODAY 25
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T WASN'T QUITE WHAT WE HAD ALL Mars, only it may be not in forms visible or
been taught to expect, b!lt indeed, it ap- known to us." Astrologer Chakrapani Ullal
pears the Martians have landed-not in regarded the discovery as "no surprise. This
spaceships swooping menacingly over- whole cosmos is a kind oflife energy." Math-
head, a la this suinmer'~ hit alien-invasion ematician Subhash Kak remarked, "Hindus
thriller "Independence Day," but inside a accept that life' exists in c.ountless solar sys-
4.5-pound mete0l1ite. Scientists speculate tems in the universe and are not surprised
thafhn asteroid collided with Mars about 15 by 1& on Mars. Hindus also believe in evo-
million years ago, launching the potato"Sized -lution as a natural principle of nature, but
rock into orbit. Thirteen thousand years ago not in the same way as Darwinian evolu- Beyond limits: 130 abdominal lifts on stage
it came to rest on our planet, to be found in tion." Some even read in the Vedas refer-
1984 in Antarctica. It is one of 12 meteorites ences to space ships and intergalactic travel tarian Bill Pearl, five-time winner of the "Mr.
discovered which, when heated,.give off a in ancient times. As to religion, Hindus Universe" body-building contest, :was im-
pattern of gases kn0wn to be unique to Mars. would expect the same "eternal truth" to be pressed: "I have been working out for many,
NASi)S evidence for life found in this 4- present everywhere in the cosmos. many years, and I do leg extensions with 120
billion-year-old rock is three-fold: unique or- Theol6gians of most other faiths also pro- pounds with both legs. He is unbelievably
ganic molecules usually associated with life; fess no problem with the discoveries. Bud- streng to do repetitions of 120 pounds with .
tiny mineral grains which look like the ex- dhists, Muslims and Jews feel God could just one leg." Equally-dazzl>d strongman Lee
cretions of Earth-bound bacteria; and mi- as well create life on Mars as anywhere else. Haney said, "His feats 'Of strength '"are a
crofossils similar to the smallest of our bac- Christians are not quite as comfortable with tremendous motivation to people."
teria. Anyone taken alone might not mean the possibility. Indeed, 400 years! ago the Sri Chinmoy lived much of his early life at
much; together they are a compelling case Catholic pope ordered Giordano Bruno Aurobindo Ashram in South India, where he
for life. The announcement was met with burned at the stake for believing in a multi- was a star athlete. S00n he abandoned com-
worldwide 'excitement, one scientist calling plicity of worlds like our own. Modern petitiveness for person~ self-transcendence.
it "the biggest thing that ever happened." Christians focus on the issue of redemption. He is known for prodigious achievements in
Hindus have n,o theologicat problem with .John PolRinghorne, an Anglican clergyman, music, writing and ¥t, most recently com-
finding life elsewhere. Swami Cro.idananda wittily put it: "The theological question is pleting a mind-numbing 5 milliON drawings
. Saraswati (Muniji) said, "We believe there is that if Christ died for humankind, what of peace birds (if he drew ten a minute, this
life in the whole universe." Dr. B.V. Raman, about little green men?" Most conclude that would take 1,041 eight-hour days). In Ben-
India's foremost astrologer, points out that God would have done something to ensure gali-influenced linked words, Sri Chinmoy
"invariably Bhumidevi (Goddess Earth) fig- salvativn, even for little green men. \ summarized the impulse behind his in-
ures in the different stories of the origin of The discovery has made many pause to domitable drive: "The old-age bondage-lim-
Mars, either as giving birth to Mars or nour- consider humanity's place in the grand itations will return to the childhood-free-
ishing Mm. As Earth sustains life, so can scheme of the still mysterious universe. ...I dom-dreams." ...I
DECEMBER , 1996 HI NDU ISM TODAY 27
ISSUES
'Ganesha
Graces
DisneY'la~d
-/
Is the Elephant God
getting due respect?
By AR CHANA DONGRE, Los ANGELES
PUN OUT OF THE SUPREMELY CRE-
S ative imagination of Walt Disney,
Mickey Mouse is the central charac-
ter of the fabled Disneyland. Al-
though endowed w-ith human-like quali-
ties, he is still a mouse, the vehicle of Lord
Ganesha since time immemorial. With
this ironic coincidence, one might won-
der, does the God of abundance and the
anode of all artistic genius lurk some-
where in the ,?prawling 85-acre amuse-
ment gark, casting his benevolent grace
on the more than half-billion' pilgrims of
joy that have passed through the turnstiles
of Disneyland sinee its doors opened in
1@55? He is indeed there-thrice, in fact-
as I discovere~ duri~~ a sweltering summer
day's visit. But not all Hindus have been
pleased with His less than dignified circum-
stances. , and the Naga theme are seen
·f I found Him first along the Jungle Cruise
ride in the form of a giant, well-designea
ten-foot grey stone statue, sitting royally
since 1962 against a backdrop of green trop-
ical forest. A few minutes into the ride, our
guide erupted enthusiastically, "And now to
your left you will see the Hindu deity of ..."
The~ide is replete with rustic, even barbar-
ic themes, like cannibals dancing, a tribal
selling human heads, a safari scene and
sights of wild animals ,including hippos and
a python.
What is a refined Deity like Ganesha do-
ing in such a place? Most Hindus I spoke
with actually liked seeing Him there. It was
a touch of their own culture to this master-
minded: worldclass Mecca of entertainment.
What about non-Hindu ,Americans? Their
. du temple, as offensive as the
response was typically, "e!h, its interesting/'
but nothing offered for or against it.
More controversial is Ganesha's appear-
ance in the breath-taking Indiana Jones ride,
opened in 1995. The theme of the ride is es-
sentially the story of a Hindu temple uncov-
ered in the [ungle by Western archaeolo-
gists, who also discover its secret of wealth
and its curse. The entrance of the ride is a
f
28 :HJ: NDUISM TODAY D E CEMBER , 1996
didn't even notice the third itor~. The Taj Group of hotels-the major
Ganesha stahIe situated outside. sponsor-flew in three of their choicest
Hindus, however, rarely miss it.
The general consensus of those
I spoke with was, '1t may not be
South Indian chefs to give the public a ten-
day s~pling of deliciously varied but little-
known Southern cuisines.
offensive, but the West needs to
be educated. Once they know
the significance of our Deity,
"?acred Lands, Devoted Lives" was a free
Horniman Museum eXihibition focusing on
South Indian village daily life and religious
practices, including bathing, cooking, culti- ,
they will be more careful about
using it in places like this." Oth- vation, prayer, shrines, temples, Hindu
ers, such as Ravi Peruman of Deities, pilgrimages, customs and beliefs.
, California, were incensed at the Other exhibit,.s around town ranged from
disrespectful treatment. She- Tanjore paintings and Chola bronzes dating
khar Ganapathy and Shob~a from the 17th to 19th centuries to artwork
Narayan, a young couple frotP
Mumbai, were distressed by the
with ceremonial and workaday artifacts be- ~
ing produced on site.by contemporary Indi-
overall temple piracy theme~ an painters, sculptms and' craftsmen.
"No comment," was all John Ten thousand persons a day gathered at
McClintock, senior public rela- the open-air stage of Covent Garden Piazza
tions officer for Disney, offered ·for dance and music. "Theatre of Gods" at
Ready for Packing: Lord Ganeshq sits upon a trolley
arrwng supplies and plunder at the Indiana Jones ride
when questioned about Gane-
sha. He did say, however, that
there are no other religious
icons of any faith in the park;
even the par1.('s "Hunchback of
Riverside Studios included Kerala's tradi-
tional theater forms of kathakali alo'ng with
Karnata,ka's dance of the demigods, yaksha-
gana. For the first time the awe-insfliring
they am ("pertaining to the Gods") was per-
temple-like structure, not unlike Maha- Notre Dame" cathedral set is devoid of formed in the UK. Spectators sat enthralled
balipuram, in South India, though old and Christian symbols. Sw8mi Atmarupananda, by the sole performers elaborate makeup in
crumbling. Snaking through the hour-long , head of the Vedanta Society in San Diego, sprrealistic colors, 12-foot high headdress
wait in line, I wound through the outside advised, "Hindus, especially those who are and glitteringly onerous 100-pound cos-
area where Hindu-looking I;>eities ~arved of born into tlie religion, tend to have a let-go tume. In India' the they am dancer enters a
stone (.er cast in concrete) appear to have attitude in such situations. But if we do not state of trance, being possessed by the God-
been removed from the temple and are be- stand up for the sacredness of' our Deities, dess. He dances in and around the-temple, is
ing packed for shipping. Shipping where? who will? If the connotation of where the consulted by village elders and beseeched
One can conjecture they are enroute to mu- Ganesha is situated goes against our beliefs for cures and prophecies. Only recently was
seums or to those art dealers who pirate and and modes of worship, then we have to tell the ritual adapted to stage presentation.
sell fine sculptures from Hindu temples for them about it." ... One Londoner observed, "The festival has
hefty, selfish profits. nighlighted for me the backwardness of the
Tall towers with Naga faces NEHRU IN DISNEYLAND materialist West compared to the cultured
and spiritual East." A Jewish Indophile not-
e~erywhere. Exiting the six- dancer: London got ~ts first look at Kerala>s!zittle-known ritual art ed, "All the programs t saw bro~ght out the
minute action ride, with its , distinct and great element of tolerance in
wild bumping and careening in CULTURE Hinduism." Some lamented that events of-
a jeep-like,vehicle, one is con- fered were too many in too short a time, or
fronted with another statue of
Lor:d Ganesha on a cart [photo
above]. He is surrounded by or- '
UK, Meet South India that they could not attend those held on
weekdays. A few complained that Andhra
Pradesh and Karnataka were slight~a, given
dina;:y paraphernalia of excava- less attention than Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
tion and crates, treated like a
pi~ce of archeological mer-
Brits indulge in dance, art, song and hot curries The festival, proposed in 1991, was orga-
nized by World Circuit Arts (a British char- .
chandise. ·f . ity) with. . . the help of Asian
Views dif(ered according to By VETC HA RAJE SlI , LO NDO N high, thanks to. superb ad- Music Circuit, the Vi<: and
the emotional nature of the on- HEN ANY LONDONER TALKS ABOUT vance write-ups in the The Indian governments, the
looker. To some people, the en!
tire theme is the rape of a Hin-
original':'Indiana Jones and the
Temple of Doom" movie upon
W India," says director Anne Hunt,
"they mention kathak dance, Hin-
dustani music and Mughal paintings.
Times and other major news-
papers. The most popular'
events by far were the free
They don't know anything about South In- _ outdoor pet formances which ~
dia." Now a quarter-million Londoners are came alive with the colors ~
British Museum, the univer-
sities of Cambridge and Lon-
don and major Indian busi-
nesses."As the mela wound
down, Ms. Hunt remarked,
which the ride is based, which initiated in the artful mag(c of kathakali . and rhyt'hm~ of the pOikkal ~ "The.festival was a success in
grossly misrepresented the Hin- dance, carnatic singing and Tanjore bronzes, kudhirai hobby horse dance ~ numbers, in prime time me-
du Goddess Kali, the Hindu cul- ,. . the result of a five-week Festival of India's of Tamil Nadu, music,. street ~ dia attention and in fulfilling
ture, even the Hindu cuisine ~ -South in May and June overseen by Hunt. theater, craft stalls and story- on! Colored powders our 'basic objective of show-
and eating habits. c L -_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~"""'=___ _ ___" The event, with venues all across London, telling. Everyone was given a for, kolam derrwnstration casing South Indian culture."
People I saw coming out of' Jungle Crulsl.ng: Ganesha isn't the 011:..ly distinguished offered art and cultural exhibitions, instru- hands~n opportunity at gar- For UK Indian immigrants
the rjde were engrossed in what visitor to Disneyland from India. Here Walt Disney es-
they saw inside or eager to go corts Indian Prime Minister Nehru as he pilots the Jun-
I
mental and vocalmusical performances, In- land m~ing and kolam, the folk craft of and hundreds of thousands' of Hindus born
dian film screenings, slide lectures, gallery making sacred floor decorations. These the:ce, SUCh events promote much-needed
on to the next attraction. Most gle Cruise boat in 1961. Indira Gandhi was also along. talks and, of course, food. Attendance was were a big hit, attracting large crowds of vis- pluralism and tolerance. .,..;
DECEMBER , 1996 HINDUISM TODAY 29
INSIGHT
lile DNA of Dharma
Though Hindus are doggedly nondogmatic, they do hold common beliefs
which, like a mental molecular structure, determine who they are
EWPEOPLETODAYPONDER THE SIGNIFI-
cance of belief Nevertheless, Gonvictions
constitute the foundation for every ac-
tion. Webster's defines belief as a "confi-
dence in 1ihe truth or existence of some-
thing not immediately susceptible to rigorous
proof" But ask a Hindu what his all-important
beliefs are, and the illlswer may well elude him.
He is not accustomed to thinking of his religion
as a clearly defined system, distinct and differ-
ent from others, for it encompasses all of life.
Hinduism is so vast, so generously tolerant of conflicting concepts
that to condense a brief list of basic beliefs might seem a vain enter-
prise, Some would assert that Hinduism oould never be limited by
such an ideological inventory- and they would be right Still, an an-
swer is required, Inside India, a clear answer prevents the erosion of
''Hindu'' into a mere geographical concept no different from '1ndian;"
elsewhere, it provides the necessary demarcation from other faiths in
a pluralistic setting, The need for a precise list arises with the cogni-
tion that beliefs forge our attitudes, which determine our overall state
of mind and the feelings we are predisposed to, and that these, in
turn, directly determine our actions. Strong religious beliefs induce
actions that weave uplifting patterns of daily conduct, furthering our
unfoldment In India, the definition of who is a Hindu is critical in le-
gal deliberations, and belief is the keystone of such. determinations.
Therefore, it is meaningful to catalog the convictions that all Hindus
hold in cornmon.
In 1926, Dr, S, Radhakrishnan eloquently elaborated the nature
of Hindu belief in a series of lectures in Oxford, later published as
[[he Hinckh View of Life, "Hinduism is more a way oilife than a form
of thought While it gives absolute liberty in the world of thought, it
enjoins a strict code of practice, While fixed intellectual beliefs
mark off one religion from another, Hinduism sets itself no such lim-
its, Intellect is subordinated to intuition, dogma to experience, outer
expression to inward reali-zation, Religion is not the acceptance of
acade1llic abstraotions or the celebration of ceremonies, but a kind
of life or experience of reality." By emphasizing conduct, Radhakr-
ishnan did not deny belief In fact, he provided one of the best ex-
tensive lists [see page 33]. His emphasis is on the absolute freedom
of belief allowed within Hinduism-where the questioning mind is
known as the seeking mind, rather than the errant mind.
The following definitions of Hinduisms shared central beliefs were
garnered from prominent Hindu organizations and individuals of the
20th century-evidence that the imperative to formalize conviction is
a recent phenomenon, Overall, the lists and descriptions are surpris-
ingly similar, echoing certain key concepts-generally, that it is con-
duct, based upon belief in dharma, karma and reincarnation, which
makes one a Hindu. Some of the beliefs listed are not shared by all
Hindus-most prominently the concept of avatar, divine incarnation,
whiCh is a distinctive Vaishnava belief. We shall now cite what has
been collected from distinguished scholars and saints.
8al Ghangadhar Tilak, scholar, mathematician, philosopher and
Indian nationa'list, named "the father of the Indian Revolution" by
Jawaharlal Nehru, summarized Hindu beliefs in his Gitarahasya:
''lI.cceptance of the Vedas with reverence; recognition of the fact that
the means or ways to salvation are diverse; and realization of the
truth that the number of Gods to be worshiped is large, that indeed
is the distinguishing feature of the Hindu religion," This oft-
quoted statement, so compelling concise, is considered au-
thoritative by Eharats €ourts of law,
Sri K. Navarat nam, esteemed Sri Lankan religious
scholar, enumerated a more extensive set afbasic be-
liefs in his book, Studies in Hinduism, reflecting
the Southern Saiva Agamic tradition, 1) A be-
lief in the existence of God, 2) A belief in
the existence of a soul separate from the
body. 3) A belief in the existence of the
finitizing principle known as av idya or
nmya. 4) A belief in the principle. of matter-
prakriti or maya~ 5) A belief in the theory of karma and
reincarnation. 6) A beliefin the indispensable guidanoe of
a guru to guide the spiritual aspirant towards God Real-
ization. 7) A belief in moksha, or liberation, as the goal of
human eJQstence. 8) A belief in the indispensable ne-
cessity of temple worship in religious life. 9) A belief in
graded forms of religiells practices, both internal and
external, until one realizes God, 10) A belief in ahim-
sa as the greatest dharma or virtue, 11) A belief in '"
mental and pbysica'l pmity as imlispeBsable factors l'
f01; spiritual progress. to"
Mahatma Mohandas K. Gandhi: "I call myself a J
Sanatani Hindu because I believe in the Vedas, .,
the Upanishads, the Puranas and all that goes
by the name of Hindu sGriptures, and tnere-
fore in avatars and rebirth, Above all, 1 call
myself a Sanatani Hiimdu, so Jong as the
Hindu society in general accepts me as such, In a concrete manner
he is a Hindu who believes in God, immortality of the soul, transmi-
gration, the law ofkaFma and moksha, and who tries to practice truth
and ahim.sa in daily life, and therefore practices cow protection in its
widest sense and understands and tries to act according to the law of
vamashrama,"
Sri Pramukh Swami Mahar aj of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar
Purushottam Sanstha (Swaminru::ayan Faith) propounds: 1) Para-
brahman, one supreme all-powerful God: He is the Creator, has a di-
vine form, is immanent, transcendent and the giver of moksha,
2) Avataroad, manifestation of God on Earth: God Himself incar-
nates on Earth in various forms to revive dharma and grant libera-
tion, 3) 'Kar mavad, law of action: the soul reaps fruits, good or bad,
according to its past and present actions, which are experienoed ei-
ther in this llie or future lives. 4) Punarjanma, reincarnation: the
mortal soul is continuously born and reborp. in one of the
8,400,000 species until it attains liberation. 5) Mok-
sha., ultimate liberation: the goal of human life. It
is the liberation of the soul from the cycle of births
,../ and deaths to remain eternally in the service of God,
6) Guru-shishya sambandh, master-disciple relationship:
guidance and grace of a spiritually perfect master,
revered as the embodiment of God, is essential for an as-
pirant seeking liberation, 7) Dharma, that which sustains
the universe: an all-encompassing term representing di-
vine law, law of being, path of righteousness, religion,
duty, responsibility, virtue, justice, goodness and truth,
8) Vedpramana, scriptural authority ofthe Vedas: all
Hindu faiths are based on the teachings of the Vedas,
9) Murt'i-puja, sacred image worship: consecrated
images represent the presence of God which is wor-
shiped' The sacred image is a medium to help
devotees offer their devotion to God.
Sri Swami Vivekananda, speaking in America,
said: 'All Vedantists believe in God, Vedantists
also believe the Vedas to be the revealed word of
God-an expression of the knowledge of God-
and as God is eternal, so are the Vedas eternal.
Another common ground of belief is that of
creation in cycles, that the whole of creation
appears and disappears. They postulate the
existence of a material, which they call
akasha, which is something like the ether of
the scientists, and a power which they call prana, "
Sr i Jayendra Sarasvat i: 69th Sbankaracharya of the Kamakoti
Peetham, Kanchipuram, defines in his writings the basic features of
Hinduism as follows. 1) The concept of idol worship and the worship
of God in His nirguna as well as saguna form. 2) The wearing of sa-
Left t o right: Honoring ancestors on the Ganga; students ofVishva-
bharati Universit y celebrate Holi; Vaishnava Sadhu immersed in
japa yoga; puja crt the Siddhi Vinayaka temple in Malaysia
 cred mwks on the forehead. 3) Belief in the theory of past
and future births in aceordance with the theory of karma.

A Contrast of Convictions
4) Cremation of ordinary men and burial of great men.
Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, renowned philosopher and pres-
ident of India from 1962 to 1967, states in The Hindu View
of Life: "The Hindu recognizes one Supreme Spirit, though
different names are given to it. God is in the world, though
HINDUISM TODAY and CHRISTIANITY TODAY craft a point-counterpoint not as the world. He does not merely intervene to create
life or consciousness, but is working continuously. There is
no dualism of the natural and the supernatural. Evil, error
and ugliness are not ultimate. No view is so utterly erro-
":\ ACK IN 1993, OUR EDITORS WERE CONTACTED BY CHRISTIANITY TODAY MAGAZINE TO BE IN- neous, no man is so absolutely evil as to deserve complete
-I J terviewed for a major story called Hindus in America. Thus began a series of dialogs that added castigation. There is no Hell, for that means there is a place
-1 :\ to their article crucial and often corrective insights to dispel common myths and misinforma- where God is not, and there are sins which exceed His love.
The law of karma tells us that the individual life is not a
.J..J tion about the world's oldest religion. Perhaps most significantly, they agreed to publish our own term, but a series. Heaven andRell are higher and lower
nine fundamental Hindu beliefs. The editors of CHRISTIANITY TODAY counter-composed nine parallel -stages in one continuous movement. Every type has its
Christian convictions, written just before press time in a series of grueling sessions by the best theolo- own nature which should be followed. We should do our
duty in that state of life to which we happen to be called.
gians they could assemble. The resulting point-counterpoint-whose brevity is both its strength and its
Hinduism affirms that the theological expressions of reli-
weakness-summarizes the cosmic perspective of two of the world's largest faiths. gious experience are bound to be varied, accepts all forms
of belief and guides each along his path to the common
goal. These are some of the central principles of Hinduism.
HINDUS BELIEVE IN THE DIVINITY OF THE VEDAS , 1 CHRISTIANS BELIEVE THAT THE BIBLE IS THE If Hinduism lives today, it is due to them."
the world's most ancient scripture, and venerate the Agamas as uniquely inspired and fully trustworthy word of God. The Vishva Hindu Parlshad declared its definition in a
equally revealed. These primordial hymns are God's word and It is the final authority for Christians in matters of belief Memorandum of Association. Rules and RegulatiOns in
the bedrock of Sanatana Dharma, the eternal religion which and practice, and though it was written long ago, 1966: "Hindu means a person believrngin, following or re-
has neither beginning nor end. it continues to speak to believers today. specting the eternal values of life, ethical and spirituaT,
which have sprung up in Bharatkhand [India] and in-
HINDUS BELIEVE IN A ONE, ALL-PERVASIVE SUPREME 2 CHRISTIANS BELIEVE IN ONE GOD IN THREE PERSONS. cludes any person calling himself a Hindu."
being who is both immanent and transcendent, He is distinct from his creation, yet intimately involved The Indian Supreme Court, in 1966, formalized a judi-
both Creator and Unmanifest Reality. with it as its sustainer and redeemer. cial definition of Hindu beLiefs to legally distinguish Hin-
du denominations from other religions in India. This list
HINDUS BELIEVE THAT THE UNIVERSE 3 CHRISTIANS BELIEVE THAT THE WORLD WAS CREATED ONCE was affirmed by the Court as recentl}t as 1995 in judging
undergoes endless cycles of creation, by the divine will, was corrupted by sin, yet under God's cases regarding religious identity. 1) Acceptance of the
preservation and dissolution. providence moves toward fmal perfection. Vedas with reverence as the highest authority in religious
and philosophic matters and acceptance with reverence
HINDUS BELIEVE IN KARMA, THE LAW OF CAUSE AND 4 CHRISTIANS BELIEVE THAT, THROUGH GOD'S GRACE AND FAVOR, of Vedas by Hindu thinkers and philosophers as the sole
effect by which each individual creates his own lost sinners are rescued from the guilt, power and eternal foundation of Hindu philosophy 2) Spirit of tolerance and
destiny by his thoughts, words and deeds. consequences of their evil thoughts, words and deeds. willingness to understand and appreciate the opponent's
point of view based on the realization that truth is many-
HINDUS BELIEVE THAT THE SOUL REINCARNATES , 5 CHRISTIANS BELIEVE THAT IT IS APPOINTED FOR HUMAN sided. 3) Acceptance of great world rhythm~vast periods
evolving through many births until all karmas have beings to die once and after that face judgment. In Adam's of cr~ation, maintenance and dissolution follow each oth-
been resolved, and moksha, spiritual knowledge sin, the human race was spiritually alienated from God, and er in endless successioJl- by all six systems of HiIildu phi-
and liberation from the cycle of rebirth, is attained. that those who are called by God and respond to his grace losophy. 4) Acceptance by all systems of Hindu philosophy
Not a single soul will be eternally will have eternal life. Those who persist in of the belief in rebirth and pTe-existence. 5) Recognition
deprived of this destiny. rebellion will be lost eternally. O:E the fact that the means or ways to salvation are many.
6) Realization of the truth that numbers of Gods to be
HINDUS BELIEVE THAT DIVINE BEINGS EXIST IN UNSEEN WORLDS 6 CHRISTIANS BELIEVE THAT SPIRIT BEINGS INHABIT worshiped may be laFge, yet there being Hindus who do
and that temple worship, rituals, sacraments as well as personal the universe, some good and some evil, not believe in the worshiping of idols. 7) Unlike other re-
devotionals create a communion with these deoas and Gods. but worship is due to God alone. ligions, or religious creeds, Hindu religions.Jlotoeing ti~d
down to any defmite set of philosophic concepts, as such.
HINDUS BELIEVE THAT A SPIRITUALLY AWAKENED 7 CHRISTIANS BELIEVE THAT GOD HAS GIVEN US A CLEAR The historic intel1minglihg of myriad races, cultures
master, or satguru, is essential to know the revelation of Himself in Jesus and the sacred Scriptures. and religions has exposed usia a kaleidoscopic array of be-
Transcendent Absolute, as are personal discipline, He has empowered by his Spirit prophets, apostles, evangelists, iiefs and practices; yet threads of sameness and agreement
good conduct, purification, pilgrimage, and pastors who are teachers charged to guide us into faith bind them together. Take;n, as a whole, the definitions
self-inquiry and meditation. and holiness in accordance with his Word. above, emphasizing the Vedas, dharma, karma and re-
birth, can help tlS gain clarity and insight into our mm0st
HINDUS BELIEVE THAT ALL LIFE IS SACRED, 8 CHRISTIANS BELIEVE THAT LIFE IS TO BE HIGHLY ESTEEMED convictions, offering the opportunity to freely and ably
to be loved and revered, and therefore but that it must be subordinated in the service choose the same as our progenitors-or not. That "or not"
practice ahimsa, "noninjury." of Biblical love and justice. may be the greatest freedom a seeker ever had or could ..
ever hope fol'.
HINDUS BELIEVE THAT NO PARTICULAR RELIGION 9 CHRISTIANS BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS GOD INCARNATE
teaches the only way to salvation above all others, but that all and, therefore, the only sure path to salvation. Many religions
genuine religious paths are facets of God's Pure Love and may offer ethical and spiritual insights, but only Jesus is the
Light, deserving tolerance and understanding. Way, the Truth and the Life.
 Sri Athavale won the 1996 Ramon
\ Magsaysay Aw~d-the "Asian Nobel
Prize"-, for "tapping lhe ancient well-
spring of Hindu civilization to inspire
spiritual renewal and social trans- ,
formation" ~nd leading followers "to
acts of devotion and gratitude to God."

"I have come for your darshan:" Panduranga Shastri Athavale on conch-shell stage at Kurukshetra calls crowd to serve one another Aquiet, efficient revolution: Athavale during a reflective moment on stage; volunteers at the community kitchen f ed' 200,000 daily
SOCIAL CHANGE where swadhyaya. holdl sway. The hlm de- As HINDUISM TODAY met swadhyayes at Yamadagni, a scientist working at Stockholm
picts touehing real life situations in which the March 20th rally, the diverse facets of University in Sweden. He explained Atha-

To'B'ui'ld a New India

swadhyayes were able to vigorously convey this unique organization became more clear. vale's unique approach to village medicine.
. . to tKe rural people that God lives in them. Navi6. Shah, 58, an advocate from Baroda, Doctors are not simply allowed to go and
This discovery of the indwelling God em- . explained the movement, "Our ancient tools treat people. They must first establish a re-
powered villagers to transform their lives. of civilization-yagna, padayatra, ekadashi, lationship with the populace. Yamadagni re-
They call these initial encounters bhav brahmin and t~mple-were concepts so nice- counted, "Doctor friends of mine went to a
pheri ("devotional trips"), to be followed by ly conceived by our rishis. We are following village. They decided to fly kites with the
kriti bhakti ("devotional a9tion") .which en- the ris/:l.is' route to a cultural renaissance." young people and have a meal with them.
Athavales amazing grassroots movement stresses God with and within man lists citizens in collective social ventures. It is neither easy nor without peril. Uday Now, these are highly qualified profession-
All t4is is done by an organization that ac- Motipwa, 37, an industrialist from Mumbai, als from the city. You could say it is a waste
----------------------/
cepts neither donations nor government who led the motorscooter rally, related how of their talent. But it is equally essential to
By RAJIV MALIK, NEW DELHI For the previous four days the Parivar's /\Vas colorfully decorated with huge banners grants, charges no membershIp fee, has no they nervously entered the city of Meerut, build the relationship, for that is the spirit of .
HAVE NOT CDME HERE TO TALK TO YOU suJadhyayes ("truth-seekers"), as they are announcing the to~ns the swadhyayes registered trust, no. paid staff and no public know'n for its tension between Hindus and swadhyaya. If you caIlpot understand it,
or deliver a sp·eech. I have come here just known, storrp.ed 5,700 villages and about hailed from-in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, relations office. The swadhyayes, who be- Muslims. They 'ijere told that at the slightest you cannot understand swadhyaya." -:
to meet and be with you. You are all 100 towns in Harayana, Uttar Pradesh, Del- Andhra Pradesh, etc. The kilometers-wide long mostly to India's educated middle class, disturbance the shops would close and riot- According to Gandhian scholar Rajiv Vo-
rishis who have gone from village to vil- hi, Rajasthan and Punjab to me·~ t fellow hu- camp was managed entirely by volunteers; bear all their own expenses and do the work ing begin. "We were scared·," he c6nfessed, tra, the Mahatma observed that the modern
lage and city to city in North India, spend- man beings in a spirit of divine brother- indeed police sent to help found themselves in their free time for two weeks a year. They "but when we did our street play at one scientific, rational, secular civilization was
ing money from your own pockets, to meet . hood. "We went from hut to hut and heart to expendable. The main point was to ~ar don't even impose upon the hospitality of place, the Muslims of the neighboring locali- only built up after God was dethroned .
your brothers and sisters in these villages heart of"fhe people," said Mumbai business- Athavale and gath~ inspiration for their the villagers, but arrange their own lodgings ties invited'U.s to perform for them. That was "The challenge of the times," says Votra, "is
and cities, without any s~lfish interest. I am man Praduman P. Thakkar, 38. Their objec- mission of religious preaching and social de: and cook their own food. The social and not to be expected in a town like Meerut." to get rid of this modern satanic civilization.
here to have your darshan,," proclaimed Shri. tive? to "make each man aware of his divine velopment. \ economic pmgrams they facijitate- such as . The street plays, with audiences of a few To do it you have to enthrone God. And
Panduranga Shastri Athavale to the giant heritage, that the Lord is with and within It was this unique combination of aims community farms, schools, cottage indus- hundred ·to a thousand, are a common intro- Athavale has shown such a fantastic way. I
rally at Jyotisar on Match 20th. The assem- him," instructed Athavale. Once this base of that inspired the popular feature film ''An- . tries, -/ tree plantations, roads, dams and ductory technique of the Swadhyaya Pari- think this is the most unique and epochal
blage near the epic Kurukshetra battlefield devotional awakening has formed:the swa- tarnaad" ("Inner Voice"), which powerfully wells-invoke the initiative and resources of war. The skits raise contemporary soc6J, po- movement, which 'has given thoughts, in-
in North India brought together t30,000 dhyayes proceed to assist in solving the so- reveals how the swadhyayes have to work the villagers themselves. In the,course of the litical and economic problems and show how struments and programs that cut across
well-wishers and 70,000 memberS of'Atha- cial-'and economic problems of the people. facing harm and humiliation at the hands of work, many law-and-order problems are solutions can be discovered through aware- class, caste, nationality and religions. After
vales SwadhYaya Parivar, his "truth-seeking They came in hundreds of buses which dacoits, smugglers and a'nti-social elements solved, for, as AtIlavale teaches, "A spiritual- ness of God and the brotherhood of man. Mahatma Gandhi's, I feel ~his is the only
family" begun fifty years ago by the now 75- jammed the 150-kilometer G.T. Kamal Road while trying to positively transform the lives ly awakened man aware of God with and Amou'g the few hundred non-resident In- movement which has given instruments of
year-old Mumbai brahmin. linking DeIhi and Kurukshetra. Each bus of millions living in the 80,000 villages within us cannot do injustic~ to others." dians p(esent at the rally was Dr. Narendra total recovery for India." ..

34 HiNDUISM TODAY DECEMBER , 1996

,, DE C EMBER , 1996 H l'NDUISM TODAY 35

STRIVfNG Sadh,Cina: Examining Beliefs
·0Study each list of Hineau beliefs on pages
You Are· 30 to 33, writing down what you believe
by comparison
• Discuss beliefs with family' and friends
Your B/eliefs • Consciously discard conflicting views
I
would the young mbnk progress further un-
Clashing convictions der his guru. Even so, it was not until near
can portend problems the end of his life that a vision ofShakti sim-
ilarly convinced him of Ramakrishna's real-
ization of the personal God.
N 1993 HINDUISM TODAY RECEIVED A Yogis report that conflicts can arise when
Rupee Exchange for U.S. Dollars
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The Ayurvedic Institute
Dr. Vasant Lad, Ayurvedic
Physician and Director of the
Institute, with visiting faculty,
offer the Ayurvedic Studies
Program, seminars and pri-
vate consultations.
University Yearly Curriculum:
• I: Introduction to philosophy,
Information theory and systems (Fall).
Bureau • II: Introduction to Ayurvedic
assessment (Winter).
• III: Introduction to manage-
ment of imbalances (Spring).

I most unusualletteF from a Christian: "I

feel that the nine tenet~ of Hindo.isr'n as
presented in a recent Christianity To-
day article dng much truer than their
Christian equivalents [see page 32]' Is it
,Practicing one path w hile believing in an-
other. Resolving such dichotomies requires
self-refleotion, even painful reevaluations.
This process of inner discovery is still
happening. Deva Seyon, a missionary, told
I
necessary for one wh6 believes in Hindu- HINDUISM TODAY, ''.I've been working with
ism to formally become a member and, if " seekers for ten years helping them to' find
so, how is this done?" This was a crisis of :< and understand their spiritual convictions.
faith, for to most Christians belief is para- Hindu minister: The authority on belief The seeds of belief can give a kind of dis-
mount, and questioning dogma can make turbing experience which prevents one from
qne apostate to the faith~ By comparison, n~nda thought Ramakrishna mad to say he fully embracing a !?ure set of Hindu beliefs.
most Indians never bother about their be- saw God everywhere. The young man just Clearly, belief births attitudes which, in
liefs. Emphasis is placed instead on sadha- didn't believe it. One day Sri Ramakrishna turn, cl.etermine one's daily actions. Once
na, religious effort and striving. taught him a lesson: for three days Vivek- someone eliminates psychologically conflict-
. However, when Hindus begin serious ananda literally Sl!,.W God in everything ing beliefs, they become a spiritual dynamo.
striving, beliefs become important. Viveka- around him. Only after gaining this belief Actually, you are w{tat you believe." wi
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ASTROLOGY Society who proved instru-

mental in bringing Hindu

Back to the Future mysticism to the West. In both

CCORDING TO ASTROL-
ogers, similar historical
events tend to repeat
when the same plane-
tary positions are reoccurring.
This December, Jupiter enters
Capricorn and continues its
passage throughout 1997. In
astrology the earthly sign
Capricorn on a global scale re-
lates to politics, democracy,
governments, institutions and
big business. Jupiter's expan-
sive spiritual energy will cause
a focus on these issues. This
might lead astrologers to pre-
dict for 1997 big changes in
governments, religious institu-
tions, political ideologies, busi-
ness, as well as the advance-
ment of scientific and spiritual
knowledge. When Jupiter was
last in Capricorn 12 years ago
(1985), Gorbachev became
president of the USSR, and the
world knows how his term
changed the face of Russia.
36 HINDUISM TODAY D.~ CEMBER ,
A second noteworthy combi-
nation occurring in 1997 is the
conjunction of Uranus and
Jupiter ["conjunction" means
the planets form a straight line
with the earth]. Uranus is re-
lated to erratic energy or un-
expected change, earthquakes,
electricity and modern tech-
nology. Combined with
Jupiter, it is said to bring rebel-
lion, war and new discoveries
in science and technology. The
conjunction ofJupiter and
Uranus happens in Capricorn
only every 83 years. For this
occurrence we go back to the
year 1914, when the Archduke
Ferdinand of Austria was as-
sassinated, catalyzing a chain
reaction that led to World War
I. In South India, Sri Swami
Satchidananda-founder of In-
tegral Yoga Institute and pop-
ularizer of hatha yoga in the
West-was born. Going back
another 83 years to 1831, war
1996
broke out between Poland and
Russia, Sikh forces waged a
holy war in Northwest India,
and in Russia was born
Madame H.P. Blavatsky-
founder of the Theosophical
Jupiter in 19t11 century Rajasthan art
cycles are found serious wars
and the birth of a renaissance
mystic who brought the teach-
ings of Hinduism to the West.
There is a less frequent con-
junction occurring in 1997 of
Jupiter and Neptune, some-
thing that has not happened in
the sign of Capricorn
since 1843. In April of
that year Hong Kong
became a colony of
Great Britain. Take
note: next July, 1997,
Hong Kong is being re-
turned to China.
We find in these ex-
amples the repetition of
similar themes. On a
personal level, if you
can't remember what
you were doing in 1843,
then try going back to
1985 and take note of
the major issues and fo-
cus of your life in that
year for a glimpse of
your future in 1997.
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CRISIS
Where there:S a "will"
there is a way to benefit
Valia~t
your favorite temple or ashram.
Hundreds perish; 9,000 airlifted by helicopters
Find how you can use your will
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1
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kauai.hi.us/ashram/HHE.html
. majority of casualties were among 17,000 annual ceremonies .
ENDOWMENTS
HINDU HERITAGE ENDOWMENT.
107 KAHOlAlELE ROAD
KAPAA. HI 96746-9304 USA
INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF HINDUISM
Fighting cold and altitude: Pilgrims struggle on. the treacherous path back to base camp
Krishna volunteers feed the needy worldwide, including those in war-torn areas of Chechnya.
Hima'layan Rascua ;'
Food for Life Reaching Millions
rom his room at ISKCON'S international head- the Hare Krishna Food for Life project began.
HIS WAS TO BE THE BIG-
GEST year ever for the ap-
nuaJ... pilgrimage to Amar-
By official count, 239 died,
but returning witnesses put
the toll at more than a thou-
sand. Bodies, they said, lay
F quarters in Mayapur, West Bengal,
SrIla Prabhupada, the society's Founder-
Xcarya, suddenly called for his leading disciples.
Today, it's the largest vegetarian relief program
in the world.
"Food for Life each year distributes millions of
nath cave in Jammu. More
than1125,000 ardent pilgrims strew along the entire ·mute. When they entered, he was standing with tears free meals to the needy in more than sixty coun-
were expected to trek to the Many old and infirm pilgrims in his eyes, looking intently out the window at tries;' reported the Vegetarian Times. To date, 75
12,729-foot cave renowned for unab1e to walk anymore
its self-forming ice :tingam of pleaded with passers-by for the scene below. million meals have been served, saving countless
Lord Siva. For the first time help. The latter" struggling to A short distance away were people from malnutrition and, some-
in years, there was no threat save their own lives, paid lit- many small children-and several times, starvation.
to the pilgrims from Muslim tle heed, passing by stoically.
rn'ilitants. Wayfarers expected PAme Minister Deve Gow- dogs- rummaging through piles of November 23,1996, marks the
an arduous journey. Some, da ordered the Indian army rubbish in search of food. inauguration of Hare Krishna Feed
usually among the elderly, die and air force to mount a mas-
each year; it is widely regard- sive rescue effort. Over 9,000 "How hungry they must be;' SrIla the World Day. It's set to become
ed as an exalted death. Prabhupada said softly. "We must the world's largest free food event.
AMARNATH: pilgrims were airlifted from
When the initj'al batch of 46KM higher altitudes . in IS-seat arrange for prasadam (sanctified On this day, volunteers plan to
25,000 departed Pahalgam MI-17 helicopters. Soldiers
base camp on August 16, the Route: 70,000 stranded on foot carried others down. , vegetarian food) . If you want to distribute 4 million meals to those
mood was festive. Five days On the 26th, 20,000 pilgrims make this a temple, a house of Lord in need.
later, torrential freezing. rains and snow be- ;,were still trapped, and 70,000 more were
g~ and continued for 62 hours-an un- 'packed into Pahalg~ (population 10,000), Krishna, you must see that within a Throughout 1996 people of
precedented. weather pattern for August, where local Muslim opened theithomes to lO-mile radius no one goes hungry. many faiths and traditions will
with 70,000 pilgrims stranded along the them. With the trail still hazardous, the God is everyone's father. How can celebrate the centennial of SrIla
path. It was two days before rep'orts reached priests and Chhari Mubarik, the "sacred
the child go hungry in the presence Srfla Prabhupada's compassion set Prabhupada, Founder-Acarya of the
authorities of the calamiiys enormity. The mace," were choppered to the cave for the Food for Life in motion.
of the father?" International Society for Krishna
trappecr:in sub-zero temperatures at the Weather forecastj.ng in the area had l)een
cave itself or at Panchtarni, the highest sta- hampered by the insurgency as meteorolo~ Because of SrIla Prabhupada's compassion, Consciousness and Hare Krishna Food for Life.
tion, 6.5KM away. Most still pushed on until gists could not set up monitoring stations on distribution of hot meals to the region's needy was You are invited to join in saluting the life and
they had darshan of the ice Siva Lingam be- militant-controlled mountaintops. The event
fore trying to get . down. Anothe; 25,000 was not only a natural disaster, but also an
inaugurated the next day. Thus, in March, 1974, work of this great soul.
were huddled at the 'lower stations 0f Shesh- example of collective karma, wherein the in-
nag and Chandanwari. Many died of cold or dividual destinies of a large group coincide
exhaustion, others fell off the muddy, in one great happening impacting them all. Hare Krishna Food for Life is the World's Largest
washed-out path into the chasms below, and Yet nothing will deter riext year's pilgrims
an unknown numQer perished when a glac- from returning in even greater numbers. • Vegetarian Relief Project ... thanks to Srila Prabhupada.
ier broke up along the upper reaches. With VINOD SI NGH RAWAT in Delhi
For more information or to offer assistance, call Food for Life Global at 1-301- 983-6826 (USA).
 South Asia Books
Your path to India for 28 years.
4,000 titles in active stock.
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HEALING
Mitigating
Menop?use
.
Vegetarian diet, proper supplements and
appropriate exercise can ease the transition
BY DR. DEVANANDA TANDAVAN, M.D.
OF THE MOST ALARM-
consequences of meno-
is the loss of calcium
the bones, leading to
weakening of the .skeleton and
possibly an increase'in fractures.
The solution to this is a correct
meat-free diet high in cakium
and other nutrients, 'at least be-
gInning in one's mid-thirties, for
this is when the problem of osteo-
porosis,really begins, accelerated by the lack Sympt@ms can be alleviated by a diet high
of estrogen at menopause. . in vitamin E, grains, nuts and cold-pressed
A high-protein diet is acidic, causing
calcium to oe leached from the bones. A
high-fat diet decreases absorption of calci-
um from ingested food. Smoking, alcohol,
colas containing pho§phates, and chronic
stress 'all add to this condition. Low mag-
nesium l~vels due to too much refined
-,grain (flours)
and lack of ,green, leafy veg- ,
etables contribute to calcium defici:ency.
Thus we see that a well-balanced diet high
in calcium-rich foods such as kale, chard,
turnip gteens, Chinese cabbage and other
green, leafy vegetables.is desirable. The
average woman needs adequate magne-
siuIll' and exposure to sunshine to help me-
tabolize at least 1,500 mg. qf calcium daily.
This may require some supplementation to
the diet, especially if dairy products are
not consumed. Exercise is absolutely essen- and watermelon juices are also very good
tial to maintain bone strength. Weight-
bearing forms of exercise, such as dancing,
walking, golf, swimming, cycling and Tai
Chi are not too strenuous and wililfeip to
maintain strength and decrease chronic
tension. The possible cardiovascular com-
plications-during menopause can be kept at use st~ong, synthetic and dangerous drugs.
a minimum by following an ayurvedic diet
that balances the doshas. Unsettling emo-
tional swings will be lessened by an exer-
cise program of hatha yoga and aerobics
and helped a.great deal by the stress re-
duction of regular meditation.
One of the yommon effects of the de-
I •
44 Il.INDUI.SM TODAY ElECEMBER " 1996
- - - --
fIIN6UISM -----
..
EVOLUTIONS
FAILED COUP: Trinidads first Hindu
Dl1arma Graphics CD $199
prime minister, Basdeo Panday, sur-
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For the Mac. Reg. $249. Special offer for HT re aders, only
Here it is-the Hindu art CD
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Trinidad is the fifth
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and spiritual culture imagery drawn from the
treasurehouse of Hindu spiri-
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after India, Nepal,
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CELEBRATING: Divine Life Society's 60th
crease in production of estro- year. Founded 1936 in a cowshed on graphics and some rare Raj-
gen during the period c~lled the banks of put scans. Great graphics for an ashram bulletin, a
menopause is the thinning of the Ganga at yoga book, Web page or multimedia presentation.
the mucosa of the female or- Rishikesh by
gans and- a decrease ib mucus Sri Swami
and other secretions, leading to Sivananda Aums
dryness. This causes discomfort
and susceptibility to frequent
(1887-1963),
the institu-
& Illustrations
infections. The use of synthetic tion grew to
hormones is not suggested for its current
treatment of this condition. Rishikesh anniversary 500 branches
worldwide,
bringing meditation, Sanatana Dharma
oils from fruit and nuts. Plenty of liquids and yoga to millions.
and fluid foods, such as melons, greens and
other moist vegetables, are recommended. TRANSITION: Balasaheb Deoras, 81, in
The organs Cill be lubricated with cocoa July, third Sarsanghachalak (head) of
bujter, vegetable and fruit oils such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
sesame, coconut, almond and cold-pressed (RSS). A sevak since
castor oil. In spite of this dryness there can 11, he took over the
l:5~ bloating from water retentioR as well as Hindu nationalist or-
tenderness of the tissues and even emo- ganization in 1973 at
tional depression. The necessary diuresis
can be asslJred by the use of the homeo-
the death of Shri
Guruji. Deoras main-
Patterns & Borders
pathic cell salt Natrum Sulphurica taken in tained an effective
four to eight daily doses. Frequent sips of RSS presence in in- othing lends a sense of Indian-ness to a design
warm water throughout the day and teas
mad,\} of green tea, corn silk or dandelion
greens may also naturally stimulate the
dia. He is succeeded
by Rajendra Singh,
a former professor RSS chief
N better than traditional borders and patterns.
There are hundreds to choose from on this creative
dij.lresis so that harsh and mineral-deplet- of physics at CD. Fall in love with the visual magic of Bharat and
ing drugs will not be necessary. Cranberry Banaras Hindu University. any images are or-
and have a tendency to decrease possible
urinary tract infections. • .
Pandlt Pran Nath, 77, Classical singer in
enhance your personal or institutional image.
M ganized in
themes, like nature,
I kirana Hindustani music, died in Cali-
Menopause is a normal, natural event iIi fornia in August, having taught for Deities, people, borders,
. life. It is not a disease and should not be decades at D.C. Berkeley. He gave up
treated -a's a disease with harmful life in India as a wandering sadhu at
symbols, etc. Use the
hormone-replacement treatments which the request of his teacher, a Muslim. Fetch browser to get a
After a successful career, he migrated quick overview, then
to the US in the 1970s, where he won double clic on a page
,. recognition and influenced prominent
for a detailed preview.
DR. TANDAVAN, 76, retired nuclearphysi- Western jazz and "minimalist" com-
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healing arts. Visit his home page at the cian's passing was noted in a lengthy
HINDUISM TODAY Website. retrospective in the New York Times.
Macintosh format only. No PC version available.
Natural Healing Through Ayurveda
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Send $3.00 for full 50-page catalog.
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The Divine Vision of Radha Krishn
This extraordinary phy is Agamic Saivite, with its focus upon
new book is the progressive path to God through service,
authored by worship, yoga and God Realization under
H.D. Swami the ~u 's guidance.
Prakashanand Pilg".;,mage to Sabarimala is a right-on-tar-
Saraswati, founder get presentation of Hindu thought and prac-
of the International tice, though ironically its producer, former
Society of Divine film-actor M.M. Alex, is a Christian. Future
Love, Barsana film projects by the Vedik-India Society in- ,
Dham and Shree clude In Search of Hinduism with 108
Raseshwari Radha episodes covering Hindu history, scriptures
Rani Temple. and traditions~ and Brahmavidya Yatm, a
tour of India's temples. Contact: Vedik-India
The Divine Vision of Radha Krishn is a Divine gift by Shree Society, Sapta Swara, 57, First Avenue,
Swamiji. It is a practical guide for all who sincerely desire to Ashok Nagar, Madras 600043, South India. ",
experience the loving Bliss of Radha Krishn or any other The Cosmic Dance of Siva: Seldom does so
form of God as described in our scriptures. It fulfills the de- much information Gome packaged with such
votional quest of everyone, from a highly educated open- sheer enjoyment. Against a backdrop of fa-
minded aspirant to a simple-hearted devotee of God who is mous Indian Siva temples, producer Deben
longing to receive His love and vision. • It incorporates the 'Saranill!' Ayyappa!': Replica of Sabarimala inner sanctum crea:ed for pilgrimage video ·Bhattacharya deftly conveys the profound
philosophy and theme of more than 400 scriptures and gives mysticism of Siva's dance. His verbal explana-
a crys~al-clear view of the path to Supreme God. • For the VIDEOS
, tions are then delightfully translated mto the
first time in hundreds of years, such a book in the English language of dance by virtuoso bharata
language has been published that reveals, in extensive detail,
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ban and raganuga bhakti. • 464 pg. • $30 • Available from:
Small Screen Sacraments natyann performers Raja and Radha Reddy.
Mudra, hand gesture, is explruned, for exam-
ple, then, as we view nothing but Raja's right
hand, he glides through ddzens of mudras-
The International Society of Divine Love, Barsana Dham, With these three videos, there is no need to hplding viewers rapt with nothing but his
bare fingers! In another, he enacts rapid-fire
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Tel: 1-512-288-7180. .-leave hom~ to have some quality religious timE1 the eight emofions (rasas)-love, heroism,
sadness, wonder, laughter, fear, disgust, anger
and peace. At the film's climax, the narrator
ILGRIMAGE TO SABARIMALA," A RE- rum (pictured) for the filming. switches to physics and mathematics. The
markable ' video procluction released Narrator Ramesh Elaman provides an in- Reddy's dance upon a large fractal, a complex
two years back by the .Madras-based formative commentary on the history of mathematically-generated shape which ap-
Vedik-India Society, is just' circulating in Sabarimala and the worship of Lord Ayyap- proximates forms of nature from snowflakes
--Beautifully done - the seJlsl1t1 the West. It combines dramatic footage of pan, as well as detailed philosophic explana- to the distribution of galaxies in the universe.
the intelligence - the Slnt!CI.t', the yearly pilgrimage to the mountain he>me tions of the practices. For mantra, we are Though new to science, such underlying
- I loved it. ~ of LOld Ayy~ppan in Kerala, with a reenaot- told, "The vibrations set up by chanting aum rhythms are what Hindus have always called
. " meriI of the 72-kilometer jungle trek to the are s6 powerful they arouse and transform "Siva's Cosmic Dance.' Contact: J~ffrey Nor-
--A masterful mix shrine. The result is a professional90-minute .every atom in the body and awaken the ton Publishers, Inc., 96 Broad Street, Guil-
of education and w(.rshllP~ film which begins with a swamiye, as each spiritual power of the mind." The philoso- ford, Connecticut 06437 USA. wi
pilgrim is called, taking vows
and putting"on the sacred chain
Feel to mark his commencement of .
41 days of sadhanas (spiritual Museum-Quality Puja
practic~) which defme the tra-
ditional pilgrimage. The detail of ACKLER GALLERY PRO- she silently utters in prayers
preparations before departure duced Puja, Expressions to Lord Ganesha, "OK, I'm
and obsen:ances ell route; make of Hindu Devotion in going to start this task Please
See this practically a "how to" manu- conjunction with their make sure that I'm able to
al for would-be pilgrims. It re- Washington, D.C., exhibition fmish it properly."
.Authentic Ancient counts faithfully the Southern of the same name [see page This is a useful video for its
tradition, with its emphasis upon 22-25]. Shown as part of their artful photography and crisp
austerity, strict adherence to the tour, the short video is in- and accurate explanations of
WORSHIP OF rules of the yamas and niyamas tended to explain the Hindu contemporary Hindu religious
and the arduous barefoot and way of worship to non-Hindu customs. The main sequence
IN lit.iE FORM OF MOTHER barechested hike through ~re­ exhibition visitors. Scenes is about twelve minutes, mak-
mote hill country to the temple. '. from India and the USA are ing it suitable for short TV
. The idea of driving in and'start- interspersed with fIrst and programming. For the hearing
To order: (in USA) 1-800-816-2242, Visa or Me, ing a few kilometers away-as second-generation American impaired, a second version Roadside: Video vignettes
o\o{ or 1-213-856-0322 or Fax: 1-213-465-9568 most do these days-is not even Hindus explaining worship in with English-language cap-
mentioned as an option. The personal ways. Nitya Nagara- tions and a few additional Contact: Arthur M. Sackler
\/'r\S cor send payment to Vedanta Catalog, 1946 Vedanta Place, Hollywood, CA !,)0068 temple priests ce;operated fully jan, a young international scenes from India fills out the Gallery, Smithsonian Institute,
$29.95 +$4 shipping +$2 tax (in California). To register international delivery add $5. in the production, even setting. trade analyst, shared words half-hour documentary. Washington, D.c., 20560 USA.
up a temporary SaNotum san~to-
r
DECEMBER , <
1 996 HI' NDUISM TODAY 47
 MILES:TONES night in Pahalgam, a sleepy little village and
the base camp. Our ponies were frisky and

. the
Lett
spirits were high in the cool morning air.
ManY,9tl1er pilgrims were also trudging along
. the road. We knew we had reached heaven
when we rounded a bend near 4PM, and
Universe the~e stood a small shack with a large sign-
"TEE STAULL." We greedily drank several
cups-paying 50 times the going rate. Light ,
.Conti·Due ~ was receding. It catches one by: surprise in
mountain country how fast the Sun leaves
the Earth and,. how little can be done with-
out the light. We pitched our camp in
Praying for peace Sheshnag in an old log cabin. It was freezing
cold in spite of ample sweaters, many blan- ~
on paradise island kets, 'gloves and socks.
Morning came, .warm 'Jal1d soft, and w~
By DWIKORA PUTRA, BALI washed in a shockingly brisk clear stream.
ONOROUS SbUNDS OF CHANTING, BElLS Siva's Temple: Center of the Universe Wide awake-minds crystal clear, we pre-

America~ first all-stone traditional

South Indian Siva temple is now

S and prayers of the priests ring out to
glorify God. All day thousands of Hin- needs." It is testimony to the Balinese ability
dus wearing traditional white head- to hold fast to traditional culture, practices
dresses, shirt and yellow sarongs head for and 9ress while mixing with visitors from all
the Temple of Grand· Besakih on Bali's high- corners of the world. Bali is, as Pandit
Holy destination: The ice Lingam forms naturally each August in this high cave
~
-pared for the ascent. Smiling pilgrims
thronged everywhere-all in the same fam-
ily on the way to pay our respects to the
same Father Siva. We walked barefoot over
the Kolahoi Glacier, reaching the 12.,729-
I

est mountain to witness once-in-a-century Nehru put it, "The mornmg of the world." P I L G RIM A G· E foot-high Amarnath cave. Siva was here be-
being hand caNed in Bangalore,
ceremonies for universal welfare. The day after, everyone starts their new fore us-within us, without us, in tl1e high

Iqy Trek to Amar~ath

The complex of 86 temples, the largest year, Nyepi. The island comes to a total halt. peaks of consciousness, reached after stren-
India, to be shipped to the Garden and grandest in Indonesia, is decorated in . All 2.8 million people-93% Hindus-go U9US effort and hardship. The majestic ice

Island. Iraivan Temple will crown
the 5 I-acre botanical paradise
of Kauai~ Hindu Monastery.
Hindus from around the globe
lavish colors and ornaments. These festivi- without lights for 24 hours. They don't go Lingam vibrated with chants of eager devo-
ties, stretching from March.l4 to ¥arch 26, anywhere or engage in any outer activities. .; tees. Could thiS exaltation ever be matched
again in one lifetime? "Hara Hara Ma-
1996, cast a substantial US$212,700. They co- Only hotels and hospitals function. Bali sur-
incide with the final stage of the Karya renders herself to a sacred quietude, peace-
Reminiscing my ascent to Siva's: cave abode hadeo!" How many times did we chant this
Agung Eka Dasa Rudra, a series of unique fully expecting the next year. ...,..; rousing spiritual song? How many bodies,
religious observances. By MEENAKSHI DEW B·HAVANANI, guide Aneez muttered. He himself was 80, minds and emotions vibrated in resonance?
but a veteran ofhundreds of trips to Kash- Even the lofty and austere mountains
The peak day is March 20. PONDICHERRY, SOUTH INI)lA
Sacred arts and dance accom- I TEARFULLY READ ABOUT THE 200 mir's holy cave, which he too held in rever- seemed full of the holy sounds.

are making a yearly pilgrimage to

perform sadhana and enjoy a

unique spiritual experience. Call or
visit our web site for more details.
1-808-639-8886
http://www.HinduismToday.
kauai.hi.us/ashram/lraivan.html
. ite and beautiful architecture,
HAWAIIAN
PILGRIMAGE
SAN MARGA IRAlVAN TEMPLE
I 07 KAHOLAlELE ROAD
KAPAA. HI 96746-9304 USA
A TEMPLE BUILT TO LAST 1.000 YEARS
pany the morning events in
which different animals are,
still and sadly, sacrificed as col-
orful offerings are made. At the
same time, on this exotic island
of temples, 1,300 traditional vil-
lages perform their own rituals.
In the early afternoon the
pri~sts con.duct die main cere-
mony. Its purpose is to purify
and maintain the harmony be-
twe{n the universe and human
b~ings through the wotsliip of
the Almighty Paramasiva.
Besakih Temple, 900 km.
east of Jakarta~ is considered by
Balanese to be the center of thel
universe. An example of exquis-
it reflects the high respect of
the warm-hearted Balinese
people for their Hindu religion.
Twb million visitors a year
bask in Bali's spiritual atmos-
phere. Businessman Charlie
Baker, who imports Balinese ~
crafts tp Hawaii, said, "Through ' ~
Bali'~ unique form of Hinduism ~ .~J~~[{:.L
they make an art .out of life Ii:!!
Q selflessness, tl1e concentrated
which satisfies the people's Priestly magicians: Invoking Gods, dispelling derrwns
I ,
I devotees wno died/tragically in August ence. His entire family made their living "We must go," Aneez said. "The light is
on· their Amarnath pilgrimage [see from these pilgrimages. "I'm happy to leave leaving and we must follow it. Cold comes
page 40], I remembered the earuy my body here. I already wrote my children," soon and paths are n~row. " But he too was
. . modling of August 15, 1969. Sixteen of us, Rukrflani retorted gaily, "Siva, here I come." suffused with awe and wonder ip. the pres-
including a 70-year-old American woman, . Swami Gitananda Ji, my guru-husband ence of this majesty. The road down was
Rukmani Devi, of Portland, Oregon, had set and the head of our troupe, wrapped a much easier; it always is. ..,..;
off on our ponies and pack horses with our bright orange tmban and chanted '~um
Muslim guides. "That old lady will die and it Namah Sivaya{, so loudly the mountains
will be a lot of trouble," our grizzled chief seemed to tremble. We had spent the
Earthly Petitions cially at festival
times, the
streets are a joy
HE SUN HAS NOT YET effort and the artistry of Her to behold. In
risen. A devoted Indian devotee. With a benevolent front of every
wife and mother carefully smile, She enters the house- house, as far as
cleans her doorstep. Witl1 hold and blesses it for yet an- tl1e eye can see,
intense concentration, she dips other day. The occupants rise, stretch lines of
her finger into the rice flour stretch happily, filled witl1 a beautiful, intri-
and makes a series of pullis or
dots upon tl1e ground. With
beautiful sense of well being.
The kolam decorates tl1e
cate designs. Tal Pongal: Elaborate kolam design joyfully
Some women created for the four-day haroest festival
deft fmgers, she draws bold lives and houses of the Soutl1 acquire great ex-
lines, crafting mind-arresting India community. It makes pertise. Like magic, tl1ey make dalas, geometric representa-
patterns, the artform called ones heart happy to walk over a fantastic, meaningful pattern tions of forces and powers
kolam. The Goddess Mahalak- a kolam in entering a house, appear. One could stand and which cannot be perceived
shmi, out for Her morning and tl1us puts one in an elevat- gaze for a long time at these tl1rough tl1e senses. They have
sacred designs, and no won- their own spiritual reality.
__ :~~---=!!!!!~;~~~~~ walk, pauses to admire the ed frame of mind when visit-
der, for tl1ey are indeed man- M.D.B.
ing friends and relatives. Espe-
DECEMBER , 1996 HINDUISM TODA Y 49
The
/

MINISTER'S MESSAGE

~ssence..,
another. We have enough money, enough
land, enough food to feec), clothe and house
everyone. Poverty and hunger are not due
to lack of resources. The reason is that we
are not caring and sharing. We have to
Support-A-Child
open and change the hearts of the people.
That can be done only through religious

Of Hiil'duism understanding- t6 help them see that we

are all children of that One Absolute God,
one global, divine family There is only one
God who is our Lord, who is the life in us.
Like rain in the river going back to the
Perhaps remarkably, Sanatana Dhar~a ocean, every drop of water that wants to go
back to its source is a religious seeker. God
is as bro~d and open-minded as ever above is like completely distilled water.
When-it falls down oIt one side of the river,
BY SRI SWAMI SATCHID A NANDA -it is called Heavenly Father. On the other ·
side, they call it Allah. If it falls in the Hi-
malayas, they call it Siva. We may call this
INDUISM IS A UNIVERSAL RELIGION. IT IS A One God: Brahman, Father, Mother, Ado-
of approaches. Even the name "Hinduism" nai, Cosmic Consciousness, Divibe
late. The original name is Sanatana Dharma, Essence, etc. But we mean the same thIng.
the Eternal Truth. We can pick up and understand God is pleased with any name we give
that Truth in any way we like. In this great religion Him. He doesn't care what we call Him,
we have real freedom of choice in worship, in approaching but rather how we feel about Him.
that one Supreme Entity that we call God. . .\ In the Vedantic part of the Hindu scrip-
In Hindu thought, there is room for everything-not only tures, it'says that G6d has no name or form.
the nice, refined philosophies. Even the simple, ordinary, . So we find it hard to communicate. Due to

~~:ee:~~~~ ~e;i~s~e;~e~~~:!~~dth~~,c~~:eat~:t~;ra~~g ~ ~~~~~~~i:~:h:~ ~fur~~;o~~r:~~~:~i~ I Would you like to make a difference with $250 per year?
with a wooden horse, taking it to the water, putting grass into ~ say ':sweetness," ho\Y would you understand
its mouth an~ saying, "Cbme on, horsey, come and eat." You ~ L-~_ _ _ __ _--LJ sweetness? Immediately, you have to think
don't laugh at the child, because that's the way he begins. of sugar or honey or candy Without a form, you cannot under-
Hinduism never rejects or denies anything or anybo~y It is a big stand sweetness. That is the reason why we try to understand God
ocean. It could be called Sindhuism. "Sindhu" in some-of the Indi- through forms and names. Otherwise God is formless. The Saiva Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America
an languages means "ocean." It never says, "Only Ganga and Go- Saint Manikkavasagar said, "You dop't have a name; You don't have
davari may enter; Missouri and Mississippi must stay out." No, they a form, but we approach You with thousands of names and thou- Supports over 700 children in Bharat!
all flow in. Even the eity gutter water goes in. It's as if the big sands of forms. You accept all our approaches."
ocean mama says, "Come, my child, I know you went around and The beauty and greatness of Hinduism is that it allows real free- You too can join the effort and make a difference,
got dirty Come in, and I will clean you up." Even atheism is ac- dom of choice in worship. There is room for the Vedantin who ap- One Child At A Time!
cepted. The Hindus J<now that the moment you say, "I.don't be- proaches God within as his own Self without any, form: If you wish
lieve in God," you s~em to accept a God. If there is no God, why to approach God through a form, there is Siva, or Vishnu, or -Kllmara
do you want not to believe? You sa)V that there is a God, but you or as the Goddess, Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati and others. If you don't
don't believe in it. A true Hindu will have no problem in accepting believe in a human form of God, you can worship a tree, a snake
all ot~er faiths. He will never say, "Oh, I am only a Hindu. ! am or a stone. You can see God in any form you want, because God
not a-Catholic. I'm not a Buddhist. I'm not a Muslim."·They are all made everything in .His own image; everything is His expression. OBJECTIVES:
based on devotion, the Bhakti Yoga. ~he ocean never denies aI).y It is my heartfelt prayer that we all make this resolution: "From o To unite Hindus with a view to instilling in them a devotion to the principles and practices of
water; it's all embracing. That is why sometimes I like to call my- this day onward, my life will be all-embracing and harmonious.
self an "Undo," because I would like to undo all limitations. Let me learn to accept all the various approa<a):J.es of people, be, Hindu Way of Life.
All of our prqblems today are based on the attitude that, "My cause everyone is looking for the same happiness and joy in life. o To cultivate in them a spirit of self-respect for themselves and their way of life and respect for
way, my approach is the right one. And if you don't follow this, Let me not condemn anybody because he or she looks, thinks or ' all the people of all colors, creeds, races and religions.
you'll be condemned." There is no one way, because each mind is acts a little different. Let me realize the spiritual unity behipd all
different. Each person conceives of God according to his capacity, the .diversities in the creation and remember always that we are o To establish and reinforce contacts with Hindus all over the world.
ta'ste and temperament. You have YOHr way. You have the freedom mem,bers of one divine family Th"Lfs, in my own small, humble
and the. right to follow it, but YOW following your way should not way, may .J; contribute to the peace, joy, and harmony of the world."
caHse problems to others. Just as you have your freedom, others
must also have the freedom to find peace and joy in their own way: For more information, please contact:
It's very painfu~ to see people hurting each. other, even killing
one another, in the name of God and religion. Even in the name of
Support-A-Child Program, 21 Harris Circle, Newark, DE 19711
Hinduism, you find religious quarrels. People who see God as Siva Tel: (302) 369-4131 0(860) 828-4360 0(714) 552-0907 0(713) 561-5988
dOn't want to see God as Vishnu. Saivites and Vaishnavites quarreL E-mail addresses - Support-A-Child: http//www.vhp.org/support_a_child/
It is our lack of understanding; we don't see the underlying spiritu-
ai unity behind all the diversities in the creation. SRI SWAMI SATCHIDANANDA, 81, is a Hindu minister, a master of VHP of America: vhp-a@hindunet.org
Religion has a very important role to play in the world. 'Unfortu- yoga, a global spiritiual teacher and ambassador f-or peace. He lives VHP: http://www.vhp.org/vhp/
nately, it forgets that role, and the different religions fight with one · at Yogaville in Virginia, his main USA center.
Global Hindu Electronics Networks: www: http://www.hindunet.org
50 HINDUISM TOD A.Y D~ CEMBER , 1996
\~.a ••~~.a~••~.eA~.~~••~.a~••~"1
SPELLS
'ITAl .
Cyber
Pagans
, unparalleled scope and vision.
ITCHES ONCE
W cast spells at rites
performed in dense,
dark forests-so the tales
go. Now pagans are join-
ing together electroni-
cally on the Internet,
"casting a circle" to en-
act lituals and benign,
healing magic. S0me
Western relIgions decry
such practices and have,
it is wryly suggested, re-
sorted to a computers
spellchecker to counter
any spells effects. Join
the witches at
http:/www.cascade.netla
rachne.
Pagan 1wme page symbol
RELIGION
Facets
Of Faith
HE BEST GENERAL
T religion site may
well be Facets of Reli-
gion, judged in the top
\'i!!i!"
~.\WdiIIml(6l>III2Allc.l9961
~
~_l!ah;j'i
Facets at http://sunfly.ub.uni-freiburg.de/religionl
52 HINDUISM TODAY
More than 1,500 color and black-and-white images from India's t raditions
C D - ROM
Hindu Art on the Desktop
T REQUIRED SOME PRODDING
I by our friends, but HINDUISM To-
DAY finally assembled the ulti-
mate collection of Hindu clip art.
This CD-ROM contains images
which have graced the pages of this
publication for over 18 years, as well
as those used in our books. Here you
can find dozens of elegantly de-
signed Hindu symbols, 32 forms of
Lord Ganesha, hundreds of creative
'/\urns," pictures for children, a
five percent of all web
sites. It offers a vast ar-
ray of links for :Q.!ajor
modern and ancient
iiil@i4 f... om.:
(I)')112A~' I9961
. (21<)(12 ...~ . 19961
(9k)JO? Sfp. 19961
Fa!!h (BlIJO? Sop. 1996)
D~ CEMBER, 1996
mind-boggling collection of village-
style borders and more. The price,
$249, is consistent with professional
clip art disks, and the collection is
offered with no copyright restric-
tions-you can use and adapt this art
for dharmic purposes. It is available
for the Macintosh. Files are in Adobe
illustrator and Photoshop formats. To
order write: Himalayan Academy
Publications, 107 Kaholalele Road,
Kapaa, Hawaii 96746-9304 USA.
faiths' lcomparative reli- SIGHTED SITES
gions and interfaith
movements. Scholastic .
resources, authentic reli-
4toSee
gious organizations, pho- -UPER AYURVEDA IS
tographs, scriptures and
more can be found here.
S the order of the day
at http://www.theraj.
Am6ng the twenty.Hin- com, TM's ritzy Iowll
du links are some that treatment center.
contain far more com- Alain Danielou fans
prehensive listings of can visit http://www.
Hindu web sites. And imaginet.fr/- jcloared
exploring the other reli- danielou for a compre-
gions is a revealing exer- hensive overview of the
cise in how rapidly each life, works and resources
faith is making its pres- of fhis great'votary of
ence felt in a major way
on the World Wide
Saivite Hinduism.
For general informa-
Web. tion and references on
/ From Paramahansa Yogananda,
author Of Autobiography of a Yogi ...
BEWARE
].\ddicted!
T'S EITHER THE COM-
Iband
puter or me," one hus-
finally threatened.
His wife-wHo had been
a
spending 12 hours day
surfing the Internet and
carrying on typed con-
versations with people
around the planet-di-
'vorced him' rather than
part with her new elec-
tronic world. Psycholo-
gist Kimberly Young of
the University of Pitts-
burgh calls it a case of
"Internet addiction"-and
says it has the same
symptoms and is just as
life-destroying as addic-
tion to drugs or gam-
bling. She found hun-
dregs of people spending
40 hours a week or more
on the Net, some of
whom were serl0usly af-
fecting their careers and
family life.
Bharat, India Connect is'
a good place to start at
http://www.indiacon-
nect.com.
Finally, Spirit-WWW
at http://www.au.
spiritweb.org·is a master
resource for Hindu and
related subjects.
NEW
Exploring the Gita's spiritual,
psychological, and metaphysical
depths, he reveals the innermost
essence of this majestic scripture-
and presents an enlightening and
deeply encouraging guide to who
we are, why we were created, and
our place and purpose in the vast
cosmic scheme of things.
Cl"hrough the centuries, the sublime
~ ~nd ennobling counsel of the
This beautiful book includes
the Sanskrit text of each verse
I
Bhagavad Gita has endeared it to (in transliteration), 12 full-
truth-seekers of East and West alike. color original paintings by
Yet its deepest meaning, cloaked in contemporary Indian art-
allegory, has remained obscure. ists, and Paramahansa
In God Talks With Arjuna, Yogananda's complete
Paramahansa Yogananda offers a new
translation and commentary of
unabridged com -
mentaries.
"Paramahansa Yogananda brings to
his translation and commentary on the
Bhagavad Gita a staggering sweep of
'A masterpiece of spirhual, literary,
and philosophical work .... Clearly
confirms that what was the truth and
psychology, spiritual instruction, lin- wisdom five thousand years back is
guistic discernment , esoteric phys- still meaningful and powerful, and will
iology, cosmology, and yoga doctrine remain so for countless generations
TWO-VOLUME SLIPCASED EDlTION
to show that every individual soul is hereafter." -India Post
1,224 pages $42.00
a unique and heroi c protagonist en-
"Compelling in its personal immediacy."
gaged in an epic battle for spiritual
realization."
-Linda Lam-Easton, Ph.D.,
Department of Religious Studies, Presenting a new revelation
-Quincy Howe, Ph.D.,
Rmner Professor of Comparative Religion
California State University, Northridse
"A n illuminating addition to the vast
of India's sacred science of Yoga
and Sanskrit, the Claremont Colleges
literature on the Gita."
- Amit Goswami, Ph.D., • An in-depth look at the origin and nature of the cosmos-
Professor of Physics, University of Oregon including the planes of existence beyond the physical universe
• Striking correlations between the Vedic view of reality and the
discoveries of modem science
• Karma, reincarnation, and the evolutionary cycles of history
"Wherever one is on the way
• Yoga principles of diet, health, and healing
back to God, the Gila wUl shed. its light
on that segment of the journey.... • Subtle aspects of Kriya Yoga-an ancient science of meditation
It is at once a profound scripture lost in the Dark Ages-and how this sacred science awakens
on the science of yoga, union with the joy of the soul and hastens human spiritual evolution
God, and a textbook for
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-Paramo.hansa Yogananda
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Price does not include $7.00 shipping, or sales tax for CA addresses
Capturing India: Calcutta's flower vendors ready at dawn; mOther and son in Manipur wit~.forehead pmye<rs in sandalwood
I
PHOTOGRAPHY around to Americans in a personal way, it's
no longer intimidating or imposing."

35MM Mega':'Memoir From well-known tourist spots to obscure

outposts, she documents the people, festivals
and color of India. To her, India is not the
city lights of Bombay or Delhi-these are
Uncommon Chronicle of India's Common Style mere starting places to get to the India that
has remained untouched and <unspoiled by

By LAVINA MELWANI, NEW YORK
HETHER IT IS THE POMP OF DUR-
ga puja in Calcutta, the oolor of
Onam in Kerala or the sheer vitality
of Lai Haraoba being celebrated by
the Vaishnav Methis of Manipur, Canadian-
•
its people. The result of
crisscrossing India, from the
desert to the tropics, from
the Ganges River to the Hi-
malayas, is "Cultural Por-
,+~.
traits of India"-a powerful
the passage of time. She
:\ seeks out remote tribal peo-
ple in little exposed places,
: : hoping to capture what no
'W- :
:: 1 ;...
one else has photographed.
I A diehard people watcheL',
she specializes in catching

American photographer Lindsay Hebberd's
camera has recorded it all. Over the years
she 'has shot thousands of images in India.
But don't ask her to shoot pictures of beg-
gars or undernourished children; she is just
not interested in promoting negative stereo-
types. Says she: "Scandal, disaster, plagues,
earthquakes, the sale of child brides to old
men-the American media has done much
damage to India. Their news is always bad
news and overshadows the wonderful cul-
ture, quality oflife and community service."
HeQberd is hoping to bring about a revo-
lution ill people's thinking and change some
misconceptions about India. Her weapon of
choice is the camera. She has created a port-
folio of the cultural diversity and dignity of
.~
.....
exhibition of images which the extraordinary qualities,
will be traveling through In- in her words, "the spirit and
dia and the US. The non- energy," of ordinary people.
profit project is endorsed by Hebberd expresses con-
the government of India and cern that "a lot of traditional
:
is being jointly presented by cultural beauty is being de-
the East-West Center of the stroyed by the embrace of
United States and the Rajiv Seizing the Spirit: Lindsay Western civilization and
Gandhi Foundation of India. Hebberd with image morals. Blue jeans are taking
The exhibition begins in over. And look what they're
late 1997 and will show in US museums, trading it for! Beautiful han~made garments
schools and corporate galleries. Through it and jewelry are being replaoed by commer-
Hebberd hopes to introduce to mainstream cial clothing and jewelry." Using her camera,
Americans all Indians, including the ones Lindsay Hebberd attempts to deep-freeze
who live in the US. She observes, "When time on film, and preserve and promote the
you make friends, it's very hard to have bar- traditions of India which are endangered by
riers of prejudice. When you show India the steady onslaught of modernization . ...

BehQld the universe in the~IQ(Y of CQd:

+-lnd all that lives and moves on !;arth.
LeaVing the tMnsient, -And jQy in the !;te(naL.
SUKLA Y AjUR V EDA, Isa Upanishad 1