Hinduism is Cool. There are 1.

1 million people living in Trinidad and Tobago according to a CIA estimate last year. Almost half of those, that is, 443,300 are of East Indian descent and approximately half of that are Hindus. That means that on this speck of earth in the Atlantic Ocean, there are approximately 261,800 Hindus. That amazing especially when you consider that there are for the most 200 people sitting here today. Where are the rest of the Hindus? It seems that hinduism is therefore faced by the challenge of dying interest. Trinidad and Tobago is a multicultural, cosmopolitan society, highly dependent on oil and natural gas, fighting to find an identity of its own. We are a cultural and religious callaloo consisting of many races and religions, all offering their services to us and allowing what we call harmony. Harmony by our definition is leaving Shiv Ratri celebrations early Carnival Tuesday to catch the last jump up. In other words, because of dying interest and lack of relevance to our lives, Hinduism today in Trinidad and Tobago has become trapped in our mandirs and has not really infiltrated our minds. This problem is especially prevalent amongst our Hindu youths, who are presently tempted away from our Hindu fold by consumerism, easy fix religions, modern technology and other external stimuli. In their perceptions, Hinduism is not cool. Still heavily steeped in rituals and traditional practices and lead by many myopic leaders, Hinduism in T&T has provide a limited media for expression, exploration and discovery, especially for Hindu youths. Sad indeed because Hinduism is one of the few religions of the world that teaches you to be tolerant of others and not prejudice against others. There is no real Hindu word for pagan and so we cannot call anyone that. Hinduism teaches us to appreciate all aspects of nature and not feel that we are better than other animals, that they are our food and slaves. Hinduism is one of the few religions that can boast of producing leaders who have led their people to freedom without violence, like Mahatma Ghandi did for India. But most importantly, Hinduism teaches us that God is within us and not outside of us and that we dont need to pay a pundit or give 10% of our salary to see Him. These are a few examples of the tenets of Hinduism and it is what makes Hinduism one of the coolest religions in the world. It is rad, hip, happening and very few realise it. This problem of lost sheep in Hinduism however is not unique to Trinidad and Tobago. In Singapore, for example, youths are not really interested in Hinduism because they fail to see its relevance to their modern advanced lifestyles. K. Kathirasan, Chairman of the Hindu Centre Education Committee in Singapore explains that the parents themselves are a big obstacle. Some of them discourage their children from attending Hindu classes. They think that their child could better spend their time on professional studies, so as to get a good job and make lots of money. Our new mantra is to forget God, happiness is now measured by the amount of money that we have because money makes the world go around. By 14, youths today want to see every movie and collect music CDs. By 18, they want a well-paying job to buy fancy clothes, a car with a music system so that they could be cool and get a boy-friend or a girl-friend. We give our happiness to the objects of the world with the hope that these objects will give us back does that make sense? This is a delusion because as the Bhagawad Gita states clearly happiness is a natural

part of our being and all the happiness we need is in our own hearts. Hinduism teaches us to find happiness in ourselves - all the time. This, my friends, is cool. Swami Chinmayanada, in his book, Art of Man Making states that the Bhagawad Gita addresses herself to the teenagers. Their mental problems such as their nameless restlessness, unending desires, utter disillusionment, shattering confusion, even their self-deluding materialism are all depicted in Arjuna. Krishnas psychological treatment of Arjuna constitutes the main theme of the Bhagawad Geeta. The study of the Geeta allows one to channelise the power, strength, energy, vitality, thoughts and actions of the heroic youths of today and, to train them to study the problems of life and evaluate each of them correctly. The youth will learn the ability to unbiasly assess himself at all times with a balanced mind and intellect and hence, he will be able to arrive at potentially creative judgements and constructive conclusions. This is what the Bhagawad Gita offers, this is what Hinduism offers. And, what could be cooler than mastering the art of conquering this world of sorrows and miseries? There is no way anyone can tell me that Britney Spears or Lord of the Rings can be cooler than that! Yes, youths, parents, The Bhagawad Geeta contains all the answers that you seek and I challenge each and every one of you today to study the text. Now, this does not mean to go home and start reading the Gita tomorrow, day after, next week Tuesday, two weeks after that and then stop. No! Take up the challenge attend a Gita class like the one Chinmaya Mission has running now and study it under the guidance of a guru so that you can extract the maximum benefit from the Gita. Self- sacrifice brings great reward. I remember being in the same situation as many youths today not understanding Hinduism and its tenets as well as not understanding myself. I recall clearly situations where at school I was constantly bombarded by my Christian friends to convert. Accept Jesus they said and all your prayers and sorrows will be answered. I though hard about converting and told myself that if I were to convert, I should at least know what I was converting from. And, that was when my journey through self-discovery began and I have never turned back. And, as a Hindu, I have accepted and love Jesus, Allah and even Jah too. I challenge each and every one of you to do the same. Hinduism has provided me with a friend myself. It has given me a sense of comfort and peace of mind in my most trying and harrowing times. It is also very comforting because you stop trying to be like everyone else and just try to be yourself. There is nothing more refreshing, more secure that being at peace with oneself and in Love with God. And, in my mind, there is nothing cooler than that. Youths take the plunge. Tyak to tishta Parantapa Rise up, rise up Arjuna. Hinduism is fun, challenging and adventurous. Be brave and begin your journey of self realisation today. Parents you have a responsibility not only to provide secular education but spiritual education as well. The future of our Hindu society depends on it. I challenge you to bring your children to yagna like this one. Let us be proud Hindus. Let us build our numbers away from 200 to 2000 and then 200,000. As Hindus we need to unite show the rest of the country and the world that beyond a doubtHinduism is cool. Thank you and Hari Om.