View
116
Download
2
Category
Preview:
DESCRIPTION
Hinduism Today, Apr, 1998
Citation preview
I ~~
Affirming Sanatana Dharma and Recording the Mode:[R History of'a BilliON-Strong Global Religion in Renaissance
o 74470 12134 3
slJ1h,scrinticm and editorial inquiries sbould be sent to Hinduism Today, 107 A.<I~I""'II/- 'J.d''''= Qb7,4b-~1~04 USA. E-mail: letters@bindu.org. HINDUISM TODAY (ISSN#
20, 4. Editorial: 1-808-822-7032 (ext. 241); subscriptions: USA) 1-800-890-1008 (ext. 238); advertising: (in USA) 1-800-850-
1008 or 1-1:SC)1:S-~S23-9b2.q; All-departmlentfax: 1-808-822-435I. HINDUISM TODAY is published month-ly by Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, Publisher; Acbarya Palaniswami, Ed-itor. USA year, $74"2 years, $1Og!3years, $60ollifetime. Internatiomilrntes are an additional $ distributed through major subSCription agencies worldwide. Call 1-808-822-7032 (ext. 230) or permissien to publish a HINDUISM TODAY article (ext. 227) or fax Printed in USA.
107KAHOLALELE ROAD, KAPAA, HAWAll96746-9304 USA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
> .t10I1:nc~ss, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th of Tibet, at a meeting in
Marketing poster for Martin Scorseses hit movie, "Kuhdun," 1aI;~LYaIlS1: KUnga Ter¢n as the five-year-old Dalai Lama. Page 2p . '
, . , '. .:
APRIL, 1998
~-a~.~. INTERNATIONAL Lead Stor¥: Three Movies Focus Global
Attention on Tibetan Buddhism 20 Interviews: What's Buddhism's FUture? 24 Resources: The Best Titles on Tibet 26 Philately: Saintly Stamps Are Cool! 32 Music: Mauritians Make MuSical Magic 34 Tribal Rig~ts: Reclaiming Their Culture 36
LIFESTYLE Insigh't: Exploring BoI1. the Still-Living
Religion of Pre-Btidclhist Tibet Women: I Survived Chinese Prison Pl\rf}l1tingi Why Children Test You taw: Big Tobacco's on the Run in US Boo~s:' Five Texts on Reincarnatioll ....
OPINION Publisher's Desk: The ;Briber and the
28 38 4t. 44 45
-t ~ribed-Partners in Bad Karma 10
Letters 12 My turn: Why I F/}.vo~ the Joint Fa..rnily 13 Editorial: Yogi WillS .Gold Medal at
1998 Wmter Olympics in Nagano 16 Astrology: Pitfalls of Past Life Readings 27 Healing: AIDS-AZT and mv Tests 46 Minister's Message: Parenting for Pros 50
7 News in Brief 49 11 Digital DHarma 56 46
www.HlndulsmToday.kaual.hl.us
Ap Member: AIIoclated Preaa
.. 1997 Editor's Choice website award
participate learn explore
Make a Donation to Hinduism Today
Hinduism TodayHome Page
A Daily Chronicle of Kauai’s Hindu Monastery
Subscribe to the Print Edition of Hinduism Today
Hinduism Today Archives Online
Amazing Publications, Viewable Online
Submit an Article to Hinduism Today
Read the Story of Hinduism Today
Shop at the Himalayan Academy Online Store
Send Comments To the Editor
(e-mail)
Subscribe to Hindu Press International, a Daily News Summary
An Audio Library Of Inspired Talks
WelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcome Click links below to soar over other areas of our vast
ocean of internet resources in your web browser
I am pleased to welcome you to the free digital edition of Hinduism Today magazine. It is the fulfillment of a vision held by my Satguru
Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, founder of Hinduism Today, to bring the magazine’s profound Hindu teachings to the widest possible audience. The text of each issue has long been available on the Web, right back to 1979, but without the photographs and art. Now you have here the entire contents of the printed edition, with all photos and art. Plus, it is interactive—every link is live; click and you go to a web page. You can participate in the magazine in a number of ways, accessed through buttons on the right. And you can help support this free edition in two ways: make an online contribution (even a small one); patronize our specialized advertisers. Explore the resources here, enjoy our latest edition and e-mail us if you are inspired.
to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!to hinduism today’s digital edition!
6
Maharishi University of Management
Founded in 1971 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. • Accreditation: North Central Association of Colleges and Schools • Graduate and undergraduate programs in a broad range of disciplines, including pre-med, computer science, electronic engineering and Maharishi Vedic Medicine • Students learn to engage the managing intelligence of Nature for success in their professional and personal life • Food is allvegetarian • Campus is drug-free, crime-free and alcohol-free • Financial aid is available • For a free video:
Office of Admissions, Maharishi University of Management Fairfield, IA 52557-0001 USA Tel 800-369-6480 • www.mum.edu
Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training
4-weeks intensive in the Sierra foothills of California May 3-31 '98.
Asanas • Pranayama Meditation • Mantras Raja Yoga • Vedanta Bhagavad Gita • Kriyas Anatomy • Physiology
For Free Brochure: Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm 14651 Ballantree Lane, Grass Valley, CA 95949-9731 USA Tel 800-469-9642 or 530-681-2731
(founded by Swami Vishnu-devananda, pictured)
Rudraksha-Sacred Peace and Power Experience the power, peace and purifying influence of the sacred rukrasha seed.
"Even if one holds merely one Rudraksha seed purified and surcharged with Shakti, he uplifts his twenty-one generations, attains to heaven and resides there with respect." -Sri-nuui Devi Bhagavatam
Choose from among a great variety of high quality beads andmalas:
• rudraksha • sandalwood • tulsi • crystal beads, and more .
We guarantee the authenticity and purity of all our products. Send for a free catalog.
Jai Hanuman International Ltd. 808 S. 2nd st. ( PO Box 1764 ) Fairfield, IA 52556-3607 USA Tel: 800-379-6439 or 515-472-2448 E-mail: sales@rudraksha.com http://www.rudraksha.coml
Wholesale opportunities available.
Visit Vai~.nava h01~ pl@ces through this magnificent 800 page volume. This hand-made hard bound 11" x 14" volume with its 249 pages
..... _iiiil ... iiiI __ ~.a of color photos will take you and your family on a wonder of discovery.
SEE OUR ELEVEN PAGE ADVERTISEMENT ON THE INTERNET
http://www.vedic.net OR FAX INQUIRIES To: 310-837-0243 (USA)
Swami Satchidanando. is paraded to the opening ceremonies
EDUOATION
Sw~~mi's Temple of Learning
W ITH A DESIRE TO GIVE BACK TO HIS NATIVE COUNTRY,
Swami Satchitananda of the Integral Yoga Institute in Virginia, USA, opened the Satchidananda Jothi Nikethan in Coimbatore, India, in mid-1997. The school-Swami calls it a "temple of learrring"-is following the traditional gurukulam model where s,tudents and teachers live and learn together. The initial 65 students are doing well. The full capacity is 810 students in 4th to 12th standard. The 45-acre site is at the foothills of the Nilgiri Mountains-wild elephants can be spotted from the campus. Each day at the multi-religious school begins with hatha yoga and meditation. Meals are all vegetarian.
S..p:'O{lDA.NANDA JCYrHI NlXETHAN, XALLAR (po) ME"ITPALAYAM 641305. COJMlIATORE Dl5TRlcr. INDIA
Giant poles support the tent-like a.ome.
320-meter-diameter Millennium Dome, has run into a religiou~ snag. The government minister responsible for the -immense project, essentially a world's fair exhibition, pledged to make Christianity central. Other faiths immediately
UNITED KINGDOM
Millennium Donle
ENGLAND'S GRAND PLAN TO
celebrate the year 2000 with the world's largest enclosed structure, the U5$680 million,
protested, insisting the exhibition's "spirit zone" include all of England's faiths. Christians re-
, torted that it was, after all, the anniversary of Christ's birth bemg celebrated. One Hindu, one Sikh, one Muslim, two Jews and 20 Christians belong to the group advising on the prOject's religious content.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: IYI, ABC, HAWORTH PRESS , MILLENNIUM WEB SITE
HINDUS PERUSING THEIR
local TV schedule may be bemused to encounter a show entitled "Dharma and Greg." They may be more nonplused by the show itself -a situation comedy complete with a '!laugh track," in case you miss when a joke is made. The hit ABC show stars Jenna Elfman as Dharma, the only child of hippie parents, who meets, and marries the same day, Greg, a lawyer from a rich, well-established San Francisco family. Dharma, so named by her father in honor of the Dalai Lama, works as a yoga teacher. Most jokes revolve around the contrast between Dharma's family and Gregs, and between her free-spirited life and his constrained career as a US attorney.
yoga and nonviolence figure strongly in the show, but there is also a heavy dose of sex and an unexpected crudeness. The show has no special underlying "message," beyond entertainment, which it does well. Buddhists in America seem to like it; the Chicago Tribune's reviewer thought it trivialized the concept of dharma; and Hindus will probablj'get some full out of seeing our religious concepts in such an offbeat setting.
Eastern concepts such as karma, reincarnation, vegetarianism, chakras,
Thomas Gibson and Jenna Elfman as Dharma and Greg, Af3C's hit comedy
CROSS-CULTURAL
But Didn't You Say 'Yes'?
THE AMERICAN CHIEF
negotiator. for a multinational company pitches his Prop9sal to his Asian counterparts. "Yes," says their chief man, and the American thinks he has a deal. But wait what did that "yes" mean? The ~kee thinks it meant "I accept your terms." But in Asia, according to the remarkably insightful Handbook of Cross-Cultural Marketing, it could mean, among other possibilities, only "I understand what you are proposing," with not the slightest sense of acquiescence. This book covers the mysteries of dealing with varying cul-
tures from Asia to Argentina and is as entertaining as it is informative about just how different we are from each other.
THE HAWOHTH PRESS, 10 ALICE STREET, BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK, 13904-1580, USA.
Handbook ~ Cross-Cultural
Market without getting cross
APRIL , 1998 HINDUISM TODAY 7
/
/
Happy Chinmaya campers at the 1997 UK youth retreat
UNITED KINGDOM
Chinmaya Youth Retreat
WIN THE WORLD WITH LOVE" WAS THE THEME OF
September's Chinmaya YUlia Kendra (CHYK) Youth Retreat conducted in the English countrys· de under the
@.idance of the Mission's popular Swami Swaroopananda. Reports one camper, "Swami struck a chord with all of us, immediately put us at ease and soon cleared many of my doubts. He taught us that insecurity lies only in attachment, and that confidence and true se-~ curity can be found in prema, unconditioned higher love." Campers arose for 6 AM meditation, then took solitary walks through the sprawling acreage before beginning a day full of discussion groups, cultural entertainment and outdoor act~vities .
THE VEDAS
God's Word, Sages'Voices
The Deity whose name is "Helpful" dwells encompassed by cosmic order. It is by reason of her color that these trees are green, and green their garlands of flowel"s.
ATHARVA VEDA 10.8.31
May the One God who, in accordance with his nature,
covers himself like a spider with threads spun out of matter, grant us union with Brahman!
SVETASHVATARA UPANISHAD 6.10
The man who understands both the impermanent and the permanent, holding the two ill tension together, by the impermanent passes over death and by the permanent attains immortal life.
ISHA UPANISHAD 14
8 HINDUISM TODAY. AP IL, 1998
Hindu Serials •
EscaF-?e the Ax
S.S. GILL, MARXIST HEAD OF
the newly formed Prasar Bharati Board overseeing Doordharshan, India's state-run TV, backed down from a decision to cancel the popular Hanum~ and Aum Namah Shivaya religious series. He came under particularly heavy fIre from Dr. Karan Singh, MP, who called the decisioR an example of "the sort of insensitivity to religious and cultural perception that is, in fact, at the root of many of our current problems." "I personally view the two shows regularly," Dr. Singh wrote to the board, "and am particularly,impressed at the way producer Sanjay Khan has handled a Hindu mythological theme. Surely the whimsical perceptions of a superannuated bureaucrat cannot be allowed to disturb these two excellent serials. Doing so would create widespread resentment in the country"
The beat of different drummers
MUSIC
T HE "MASTER DRUMMERS ·
of Nepal" from Kathmandu University will be on tour in the US from May 15 to June 15. The ensemble includes drums, shawms (double-reed instruments), flutes, trumpets and cymbals and will play music of Nepal's Newar communities. The university's new Department of Music, located in a temple near Bhaktapur, aims to preserve and promote the traditional Nepalese forms, as well as acquaint their students with world musical traditions.
FOR SCHEDULE: GREG GRIEVE, 7.73-702-8635 IN CHICAGO OR SOUTH-ASiA-OUT
REACH.@UCHICAGO.EDU.
Truth alone conquers, not untruth. By truth is laid out the path leading to the Gods by which the rishis who have their desires fulfIlled travel to where is that supreme abode of truth.
MUNDAKA UPANISHAD 3.1.6
SacrifIce has only one sure foundation, only one abode, the heavenly realm.
SHATAPATHA BRAHMANA 8.7.4.6 P
If he who draws near the sacrifIce were to make an improper utterance he would waste the sacrifIce, just as he might waste water by spilling it from a full vessel. Where the priests perform sacrifIce as described with perfect mutual understanding, however, there everything takes place properly and no trouble appears. Therefore, it is in this fashion that sacrifIce should be carefully cherished.
SHATAPATHA BRAHMANA 15.2,15
To you, most brilliant and shining God, we pray now for happiness for our friends. Listen attentively to our call; save us from every evil man.
YAJUR VEDA 3.26
The Vedas are the divinely revealed and most revered scriptures, sruti, of Hinduism, likened to the Torah (z,ooo BCE ), Bible New Testament (zoo CE), Koran (600 CE) or ZendAvesta (600 BCE). They are 0Ill"y four in number, Hie, Ytqur, Sarna and Atharua and include over 100,000 verses. The oldest portions date back as far as 6,000 BOE.
CLOCK\VISE FROM TOP: CHYK, KATHMANDU UNIVERSITY, PAINTING BY S.fA-J AM
---- ------------.------------------~--------------------
Lear'n Kriya Yoga from a Realized Master
The Kriya Yoga Institute welcomes sincere seekers to learn the authentic Kriya Yoga meditation technique. The Godrealized living master of the original Kriya lineage, Paramahamsa Hariharananda teaches at the Institute. Paramahamsaji attained the supreme pulseless and breathless state of nirvikalpa samadhi in 1948.
Kriya Yoga is a direct gift from God, and was taught by Krishna to Arjuna (Gita 4:1-2). The modern revival of Kriya Yoga began in 1861 when Babaji initiated Lahiri Mahasaya. Swami Shriyukteshwar, a realized disciple of Lahiri Baba, initiated Paramahamsa Hariharananda into original Kriya Yoga. Hariharanandaji also received direct teachings from Paramahamsa Yogananda.
Initiation is available at the Institute on Saturdays at 9 am. Monthly ten-day intensives are offered. Direct initiation is also available at more than 25 centers countrywide by monks and yogacharyas of this lineage.
Kriya Yoga Institute - 24757 SW 167th Ave Homestead, FL 33031-1364, USA - Tel.: 305-247-1960 Fax: 305-248-1951- www.kriya.org - institute@kriya.org
GE~O Vision Software P.O.Box 2152, Fairfield, IA 52556
1-800-4JYOTISH (515 472-0855
t,
New Books from Tarthang Tulku
One of the last teachers alive today to be trained inside Tibet by this century's greatest masters, Tarthang Tulku seamlessly bridges the gap between Eastern and Western ways of understanding universal human needs. This new title offers a taste of the beauty and compassion of Buddhist teachings, and of the profound implications of even their most basic elements. 355 pp. US$16.95 DHARMA PUBLISHING (see below)
is a Ghoice
Tarthang Tulku
Books on Buddhism, Jataka Tales
In clear language this new volume (right) integrates timeless Buddhist wisdom into the context of daily life, suggesting fresh ways of envisioning and empowering our lives. US$16.95. Also, childrenS books, Tibetan art prints DHARMA PUBLISHING 2910 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley, CA 94702-2426 USA Tel: 800-873-4276-Fax: 510-548-2230 www.dharmapress.com Ask for our free catalog.
DOS, Windows and Macintosh Only $185 incl. manual, atlas, and technical support. Optional classical texts/yogas module: $99. Demo: $14.50 Payment by check or credit card. FREE OVERNIGHT SHIPPING
,
9
PUBLISHER'S DESK
Bribery.lsDisru.pti'on Of Society 'and Culture The briber and the bribed are equally guilty and bound together in the bad karma of their secret crimes
.... BY SA TGURU SIV A Y A SUBRAMUNI Y A SWAMI
YOUNG MAN IS RIDING HIS
motor scooter in busy 'Kuala Lumpur. His taillight is out, and he knows it. Hearing a siren behind him, he slows and is
pulled over by a motorcycle policeman. In Malay, the officer informs him of the infraction, pulls out his ticket book, then indicates through well-known signs that a small bribe would take care of the matter. Heart pounding, palnis sweating, the boy musters up his courage and says, ''Are you asking me to bribe you? I'm not paying you anything. What is your badge number? Take me to your superior!" Visibly shaken, and seeing the youth is no easy mark, the officer spins around, mounts his bike and speeds away.
There was a bad feeling about this true incident. The cop knew he was committing a crime. The youth was tempted to become the accomplice, but resisted, sidestepping, for the 'moment, one of society's most sinister problems. Yes, briber and bribed are bOlffid together in their dishonest, dark deed. Reluctance, resignation, efficiency, disdain-none of these sentiments relieve a person from the guilt, the ever-aqcumulating kukarma, the bad karma, of the crime.
ten- in whatever of the three ways, in cash or kind-by psychological force, the arousal of greed, or by devious coercion. In many couritries, bribery has become a way of life. Bribes are demanded, and usually paid, for most anything, from getting a contract signed to buying a train ticket. A prominent politician told me he found it impossible, simply impossible, to get anything done without it. Most, but not everyone, would agree. A successful, sophisticated Bangaloie woman, now in her for ties, swears she has never, ever, paid a bribe in her entire life.
Spiritual people and institutions sometime~ feel compelled to accept or pay bribes because the alternative is so frustrating or because their sense of mission is so strong, ·and they want it to go forward at all costs. Still, it must be ~ remembered that it is not only what you ~ do that is important but how you do it. . ~
There are three kinds of bribery. The fir st is the most commonwithholding services one has been paid to perform until that additional, secret compensation is paid. The seco d kind is a little more subtle. Favors- contracts, concessions, legal immUnity, etc.are given to those who pay a bribe in cash or kind. The briber offers money, saying, "I am giving you this money, and this is what I want you to do," and if the p~uty receives it , that is what he must do. It's a purchase of secret, unauthoFized use of influence, position or authority. The third for~of bribery, even more subtle, is to provide a service and then exact a reward. This is, however, the most easily detected of all, because when asked for another ser- . vice, it is denyed-that is if the gift, after the first service was performed, was not given or was 'not large enough.
Bad money cannot be purified by ..: '-__ ....:....:_.....c:....::...... _ _ ---=_ ---''-__ --''-__ ----=--'=-''''''''-''-= --'=-''''''''---'''''--===__
Bribe comes from old French" meaning a morsel of bread given to'll beggar. Says Webster's Dictionary, a bribe is "1) Anything, especially money, given or promised to induce a person to do something illegal or wrong; 2) anything given or promised to induce a person to do something against his or her wishes.'"
Br.ibery money when received is bad money, because it is .... got-
10 HINDUI SM T O DAY AP R"IL, Igg8
spending it on good projects. Rather, bad money sours and fails them.
In our spiritual fellowship, we have a rule that we do not engage in bribery, even when it means gre'at sacrifice. In our efforts to carve a IR-anite temple in Bangalore to be shipped to Hawaii-fo; . which we established a village of a hundred workers and their families-we have been called on time and time again to hand over a br ibe. Yes, a giant project can be hampered by a small brib e. We had to ask ourselves, shall we pay the petty pittance to keep the electricity on or the phones working? It was hard sometimes not to submit, but now it is known that we don't pay and the bribers no longer ,ask. One' previous bribe seeker actually apologized for his earlier demands.
By not accepting or engaging in the opportunities of bribery, my devotees are telling the community that bribery is unacceptable
,
and ultimately unnecessary. If enough people are following this kind of principle in any society, ¢.en bribery will go away. If enough people are not, then bribery becomes the accepted way of doing business, and everyone will ~e bribery as a source of additional income, and a means of getting things done. The acceptance of a bribe is an affirmation of the practice. Every time a family, an individual, a community, a nation disavows or rejects the practice of bribery; then bribery is diminished. To walk away from a bribe, to reject a bribe or to refuse to pay is to fulfi.'ll Hindu Dharma.
Where does bribery begin? The same place as everything elseat home, often at a young age. Mothers bribe their children to behave and earn good grades. Fathers bribe youths to marry according to their race and fmancial position. Those who taI<e bribes and pay bribes raise a corrupt family. Mercy, through per-
, Dharma or disruptionP Three depictions of bribery, for a phone installation, to make a simple purchase and to board a train. Far left: an extraordinary lijesize portrait called "Dharmasimha," lion of dharma, of Gurudeva painted by Sri Indra Sharma, in 1998. To re~eive an 8x10" gift poster of this, write to HINDUISM TODAY, today. ,.,. ... , .... ,.", ............ _.~ ••• "' ................. n .••••••• n.n ..... ,. ............................................................... \ ........... , . .............. , .............. ..
sonal prayaschitta, sincere penance, can help relieve the bad karma but that, too, is all for naught unless the practice is stopped. The power of decision rests on the character of each person in the fanIily. If that power is used rightly, the kukar7has clear. If not, the fanIily and all members go down and down and down, for bribery is stealing and being stolen from. It is similar to walking into someone's,house~te at night, opening their cash box and taking money. Bribery has the same emotional and psychological impact. He who pays a bribe is an accomplice to the person who demands it. He who accepts a bribe, proffered to buy his favors, is likewise bound to his crafty benefactor. 'TIiere are two criminals in each case, he who accepts and he who pays. Inwardly, karmic ally, astrally they are bound together as one. Those who pay bribes for the sake of efficiency or accept gifts without examining the intent may deem themselves innocent, but they are not. Karmic law spares no one.
Bribery breeds an educated criminal generation. It blocks the free flow of business. Bribery disrupts positive projects. Bribery diverts creative energies to worries about who, if not paid, will disrupt the progress, cut the phone lines, turn off the electric power or otherwise cause delay after delay after delay. Bribery is devastating to the economy. No one knows how much anything really costs, and since it is illegal money, black money, the recipients don't pay taxes on it. Two sets of books have to be kept. Honest companies are put out of business by dishonest, bribe-giving competitors.
What can be done about bribery? On the governmental level, there are instructive examples from recent history. Twenty years ago in America, undercover FBI agents approached various politicians and offered them bribes to help a ficticious Arab company gain American business. A few politicians accepted the bribes and quickly "found themselves jailed. Every.politician got the message. Just this year, New Orleans hired a new police chief to reform its notoriously corrupt police force. First he demanded and got the officer's pay doubled. Then he arrested, prosecut~d and fired the next 65 officers caught taking bribes. The rest, it's said, no longer risk their now well-paying careers for bribe money.
Internationally, only the United States has a law preventing its companies from bribing foreign officials. Other countriesincluding all of Europe-have refused to pass similar statutes on the excuse that i t would put their business communities at it disadvantage. In fact, the bribes so paid are even tax-deductable. Yet, the same companies paying a bribe in their own country results in prosecution. One organization, Transparency International (OttoSuhr-Allee 97' 99, D10585, Berlin, Germany), is attempting to end, this global double standard \Yhich makes it so d ifficult for individual countries to roof out the scourge of bribery.
From a psychological point of view, bribery is a criminal consciousness, of deceit, cheating, on the darker side of life. Guilt is always iD.volved, secrecy, and fear of b'eing caught for extorting funds, fear o( what might happen if bribes are not paid, worry over obligations incurred by accepting bribes. Such surreptitious dealings create an erosion of trust in society. A healthy society is based on honesty, openness, love, trust and good will. And correct me if I am wrong, but there is no country that has made bribery legal within its own borders, even where it is tolerated as an accepted way of life. It is at the grass roots level, in the home, in schools, in the marketplace, o'ffice and factory, that bribery should fIrst be stopped. Hindu Dharma is the law enforcer. Simply don't bribe. It really is OK not to bribe. More and more, not bribing is becoming acceptable behavior.
A PRI L, I gg8 HIND UI SM TOD A Y 11
/
,
LETTERS No More Christmas importanc~ to other religions and publish THANK YOU FOR MAKING KNOWN THE such studies. However, I felt that it wotlld tiIJlely and needed practice of Pancha have been better if you had included JainGa:napati [PUBLISHER'S DESK and-EDITORIAL, ism in your comparison as Jainism has Dec., '97] and for the phra!j.e of "Hindus many things in common with Buddhism. honor all religions, we don't practice all reli- Jainism is an independent religion by itself, gions." Both need to be further propagated, since ages. While it is true that Buddhism particularly to the people of Hindu faith has spread in Asia and other parts of the who have adopted other countrtes as their world much more than Jainism, i("would not homeland and to those who are feeling iso- be correct to say that Hinduism and Budlated andlor wanting in the midst of a ma- dhism are the only two religions originated jority of other faiths. We certainly have in India. In fact, Jainism is much, much oldstarted to give it a priority to spread the er than Buddhism. Much can be said about message in our part of the world through Jainism. Suffice it to mention that in the f uvarious means and sources. ' ture you should print details about this im-
DR. ANAND LALCHANDANI portant religion. Sikhism is also another reCARINGBAH, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA ligion of India. ' ..- PRAKASH MODY'
NORTH YORK, ONTARIO, CANADA " Prakash_Mod.f@tvo.org
HT is the Best I HAVE SEEN SO MANY NEWSPAPERS AND magazines on Hinduism and Indian' cuIture. Yours is by far the best. And each issue gets better. Your articles are compelling, educational, inspiring and uplifting. Your artwork, layout and design is truly graceful. HINDUISM TODAY has really mastered the balance between beauty and simplicity:
SWAMI CHIDANAND SARASWATI (MUNIJI) PARMARTH NIKETAN, RISHIKESH, INDIA
Share the Grief THE DEUKI GIRLS :ARTICLE BY DR. HARI Bansh Jha is very upsetting to me [In God's Name, INHUMANITY, Dec., '97]. Tp see Deuki girls treated like concubines by feudals or abandoned by families truly disturbs me. I feel such girls should be provided for. lIhey do serve many temples in Nepal. To treat young girls like things is a moral outrage. I feel such dehumanization is an affront to God. They should be cherished within our hearts and minds. Are there any sanctuaries for women? How can man.kind not be moved by her tears? It must be very painful for the Deuki women to be forced into prostitution due to economic factors. No woman wants such a fate. No woman wants, to use her body as a commodity and be exposed to humiliation, unwanted pregnancies, STDS and AIDS. I feel gratitude toward Dr. Hari Bansh Jha for writing an article about the Deuki and making us aware of the problems they face. Through awareness comes hope! I pray someone will help them. I have enclosed a donation for the Deuki.
'" WENDY SCHULJAN CORAM;' NEW YORK, US
Jainism Needs Comparison, Too! IT WAS INTERESTING TO READ THE EDITOrial and the insight articles on Dharmic differences, a co'mparison between Hinduism and Buddhism [Dharmic Differences, INSIGHT, Feb., '98~ . I am happy that you give
12 mNDuIsM TODAY APRIL, 1998
• THANK YOU FOR A VERY GOOD ARTICLE ON Buddhism. When I was young, I read that Jainism derived from Hinduism. Mahavir was a born Hindu. Can you please throw some light on Jainism, and Mahavir's birth?
,-
MAHENDRA PAREKH " J)ltulsa@webtv.net
Don't Need to Compare Paths AFTER READING SEVERAL ILLUMINATING articles in the February, '98 issue of HINDUISM TODAY, it appears to me that the basic difference between Buddhism and Hinduism is merely one of semantics. How inadequate words such as Suny a, Brahman, cleva, atman, Buddhahood, etc., are to desc ibe essentially the indescribable. And further it appears that there is no need for such terms once the indescribable nature is realized. So let us practice what suits us the most without having to compare with any other paths.
Elpvating Piece
SASH S. SESHADRI " seshadri@sunline.net
MANY THANKS FOR THE BEAUTIFUL ARTIcle by Brahmacharini Maya Tiwari [Reclaiming Sadhana: Nourisher of Health, WOMEN OF VISION, Feb., 'g8]. I fdund it to be inspiring, uplifting and nurturing. To see ' a womanl): perspective about dharma and sadhanlTand the many issues that come up creates a different and deeper understanding fo; me, even if I cannot put my finger on it. I met Bri. Tiwari in San Francisco last year during the ":gody, Mind an,9 Spirit" workshops. She was looking for an assistant, and with my luck, I was chosen,. I feel that Bri'.""Tiwari has reached the highest state of healing. She has become the Mother of Ayurveda. I look up to her as a great teacher, a woman who has used her womanly powers
to heal herself I think this is a wonderful thipg and something to strive for.
MEENAKSHI DEVI PALANI CONCORD, CALIFORNIA, us
" spalani@flash.net
Divorce Awareness DIVORCE AND WIDOWS REMARRYING IS taboo among most Hindus. However, with the passag~ of time, these practices are slowly but surely being accepted by Hindus. In its many scriptures one will find that Hinduism does not object to divorce a.rra Widows remarrying, but traditionally Hindu widows accept the theory of "one wOnlan, only one husband and only one marriage." With changing attitudes, more and more Hindu widows are remarrying, and this is happily matched by an increasing number of educated Hindu men accepting them as brides again. Changes in our society outlook have brought a great deal of benefit to the usually tradition-ridden Hindu society. But at the same time, one cannot lose sight of the present era which Kas made inroads into the Hindu society, resulting in the break-up of families. Where one rarely heard of a divorce among Hindu couples in the good old days, it is now a common thing to read in the newspapers accounts of court Cases involving Hindu couples. As such, I suggest HINDUISM TODAY publish some constructive articles about divorces to stop this sad deterioration in our social structure.
s. SUNDRALINGAM TAIPING, PERAK, MALAYSIA
J " s52614@pc.jaring.my
Sankara's Touch You have covered in a very excellent manner the Ati Rudra Maha Yajna with nice pictures [Vedas, USA, PRIESTHOOD, Dec., '97]. Your mention about the stock index in the article was very interesting, and I showed it to a lot of my American friends who are not Hindus but who believe in Hinduism. The
"'cover page art is one of the rarest we have in the present times of.Sri Adi San~ara with the Shanmatha Murthis in the same picture. I am going to preserve it in my prayer room.
K. GURUVAYURAPPAN NESHANIC STATION, NEW JERSEt,. us
" gvkrupa@msn.com
Letters with writers name, address and daytime phone number, should be sent to:
Letters, HINDUISM TODAY
107 Kaholalele Road KAPAA, HI, 96746-ga04 USA or faxed to: (808) 822-4351 or e-mailed to: letters@hindu.org
Letters may be edited for space and clarity and may appear in electronic versions of HINDUISM TODAY. "INDICATES LETTERS RECENED VIA E-MAIL
HINDU RENAISSANCE TEA.M
HINDUISM TODAY was founded January 5, 1979, by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, for the follOwing purposes: 1. To foster Hindu solidarity as a unity iin diversity among all sects and lineages; 2. To inform and inspire Hindus worldwide and people interested in Hinduism; 3. To dispel myths, illusions and misinformation about Hinduism; 4. To protect, preserve and promote the sacred Vedas and the fIindu religion; 5. To nurture and monitor the ongoing spiritual Hindu renaissance. We invite our readers to share these purposes with us by writing letters, contributing reports and articles on events, sending news clippings and encouraging othe, s to subscribe.
Publisher: 'Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami Admin. Dir;: Paramacharya'IBodhinathaswami Editor-in-Chief Acharya Palaniswami Publisher's Aide: Acharya Ceyonswami Deputy Editor: Aqharya ~marswami Managing Editor: Sannyasi Arumugaswami GraphiCS Director: Sannyasi Natarajaswami Mauritius Editor: Sannyasi Murugaswami Mauritius Staff Writer: Sannyasi Devaswami Prod.!Promotion Manager; Sannyasi Kathirswami Managing Ed. 's Aide: Tyagi Saravananathaswami Dep. Managing Ed.: Tyagi Karttikeyanathaswami Editor-in-Chiefs Aide: Yogi Yuganatha Advertising Manager: Sadhaka Jothinatha SubSCription Manager: Sad,haka Haranandinatha Correspondents: Gowri Shankar & Anandhi Ramachandran, Chennai; Choodamani Shivaram, ~angalore; ~ajiv Malik, Prab~a Prabhakar Bhardwaj, Mangala Pmsad Mohanty, Delhi; V S. Gopalakrishnan, Kerala; Basudeb Dhar, Bangladesh; Archana Dongre, l.os Angeles; Lavina Melwani, New York; Dr. Hari Bansh Jha, Nepal; Parasram Ramoutar, Ani! Mahabir, Trinidad; Dr. Devananda Tandavan, Chicago; V G. Julie Rajan, Philadelphia; Shikha Malaviya, Minnesota; Rajesh Janhlal, South Africa; Tara Katir, Hawaii Artists; A. Manivelu, S. Rajam Cartoonists: Barry Geller, David Lourie, Mario de Miranda, Manick Sorcar, Gary L. Stair,'Bob Thaves Photo Contributors: Thomas L. Kelly, St!lphen P. Huyler, Dev Raj Agrawal, Pha! S. Girota, Tuny Stone Images, Photobank, Art Wolfe Inc., Gordon Wiltsie, Indivar Sivamathan Web Maste1rs: Deva Seyon, Sadhunathan Nadesan Scanning: Vikram Patel, New York ' Distribution: USA: Ingram Periodicals, New Leaf, EBSCO Subscription services, Indo-US Beoks, One Source, Ubiquity, Total Circulation Services. Canada: Gordon and Gotch. Europe: SWETS Subscription Service. Malay~ia and Singapore: Sanathana Dharma Publications. South Africa: Atlas Printers Printer; Banta Publications Group, Kansas City
, • I
joint Family Life Is the Natural Human Way How I convinced {IlY retired parents to join me in America and live as one family again.,:
BY 1)OHINI RAMANATHAN
NORMALLY HIGH YET blood pr~ssure a bit, and the
~symJ)to:ms were not good. Her she had no ap-petite, the mouth felt dry, the body\ weak. She panicked, and remembered how her own mother, who also suffered from hypertension and died of a heart attack, had her first stroke around age 55, now her own age. I took her blood pressure. It was indeed high. I drove her to the doctor. He examined her, prescribing str;onger medication and rest.
A proud woman, my mother, in her moment of anguish, blurted out how grateful she was with her children. She further added, "Who else but with your children can you ask at liberty to take care of you when you get sick?" I, an advocate of the merits of an extended family outweighing the mutual adjustments the members have to make, was elated by this comment.' For a woman who never felt any vulnerability that she could not h~dle herself, fmcling that we all need one another must have been hard.
In the last five ytjars, I had done everything I could to prove that I valued the idea Q[ my parents' living with me after retirement for no other reason but to be together as a family. I expressed this sentiment in • every letter I wrote to them, with strong arguments upholding the logic behind such togetherness. The tribal being ip. me reiterated that families ought to live togetl,ier. This is the way God meant it, I would insist. Modern lifestyles and ways of thinking, I believe, interfere with this yearning to stay together as family.
As part of my attempt to convince my parents that my desire to have them live with me was not for the sake of baby-sitting, I hired a full-time housekeeper who took care of the house, cooked and cared for my boy while I was out working. My
housekeeper tactic dispelled any doubts my parents might have had. Moreover, my children are 8 and 6 now, in school till 3 in the afternoon, and I have started working from home.
Then, as f art of the same process of convincing them how important it was for me to have them with me, I responded to their need to pursue their inter
ests. Dad, a young 58-year-old, a retired comptroller, enjoyed accounting. I took him to job interviews, and now he is on his second career. Mom, with her music education background, needed an outlet, too, and today she is a rr;tusic teacher. I thought, now I had earned the privilege of keeping them With me.
I had the added respon~ibility of making them feel at home in a foreign land, much as they praised this land of QPportunities. I even expanded the house to accommodate their more peculiar needs, and threw in a few details that bore the flavor of thj'!ir native surroundings. . No doubt, all these reminders make them happy, and at home. Yet, the emotional need to be together as an extended family was never admittea. For me, declarations , of loye are important. For all the love and affection they showered on their grandchildren, my children, they refused to admi,t any emotional ties to them.
I often wondered if it was my persuasive powers only that made them stay on. However, I never wanted to find out. But yesterday, Mom said, "Who else do I have the privilege to ask to take care of me when I am sick?" She is right. It is a daughter's pri~lege to take care of her parents, and I was fmally awarded this privilege.
DR. ROHINI RAMANATHAN is a writer, lecturer/speaker, training consultant and singer living in New York with her family.
APRIL, 1998 HINDUISM TODAY 13
/
--- -----~--------------------------~---=~=-----------------~---------=-------------------=-=-=----------~------------~
loVING G.ANESA 800 Lavishly fllustrated Pages on Ganesa
by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. Learn about Ganda's powers, pastimes, mantras, miracles, nature, science, forms, sacred symbols and much more! There
is no book about Ganda that's more complete. The Lord of Dharma comes to life through the pages of
this inspired masterpiece. Loving Ganesa makes
MONK'S COOKBOOK A tasteful arrangement of South Indian and Sri Lankan dishes perfected in homes and temples as offerings to the Lord. Indian ashrams serve the finest cruelty-free meals enjoyed anywhere, and the monks at Kauai's Hindu Monastery carryon that 6,000-year-old tradition. Believing that good food is humankind's best medicine,
they are sharing their secret collection of recipes gathered over the years. Includes a comprehensive introduction to ayurveda as it applies to nutrition and health, including the values of spices and herbs and their effects on the body. Sturdy wire binding, sW' x 11;' 104 pages, $19.95.
approaching Ganda easy and inspiring. '~ copy of Loving Ganesa should be placed in every library
and Hindu home (Sri Om Prakash Sharma)." Softcover, SOO pages, 5~¢ x S~," $2395•
AUM NAMASIVAYA BRACELET
M ........ ~ .. ~ ............
==::'0::--== SMpo.-~ ,
With this handsome piece of Indian jewelry for men or women, you can wear the most sacred Saiva mantra, ''Aum Namasivaya;' all day as a reminder of God's grace at work in your life. Best quality, made in India from silver, copper and brass, with the mantra in Sanskrit Devanagari script. Band is five-eighths inches wide. Excellent for gifts. $32.
THE VEDIC ExPERIENCE Back when we were gathering Vedic verses for Dancing
with Siva, we could hardly believe our eyes when we came upon this thoughtful anthology from the Vedic Samhitas,
Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads and other scriptures. This Vedic epiphany tells the story of the universal rhythms of
nature, history and humanity. The translation and abundant
commentary are the work of renaissance thinker Raimon Panikkar-the fruit of twelve
years of daily sadhana in Varanasi between 1964 and 1976 while he lived above a Siva temple on the Ganges. He considers
Banarsidass, smythe
cloth cover, 5~"x 1,000 pages $41.
IRAIVAN h ~a1 PlIgMIaP IIaIIPIIoIl
MULTIPURPO~E HINDU GREETING CARDS created by the Hindu Students Association. Put your own message on the inside. Proceeds go to the Iraivan Temple construction project. 4"x 6", high quality coated paper. Twelve cards: $12.
• HAPpy PANCHA GANAPATI CARD: joyous Ganesh radiates divine energy in 5 different ways. Artist: A. Manivel, Chennai, India.
• A TEMPLE IN PARADISE CARD: a new pilgrimage place for 21stcentury lovers of Siva-the Iriavan Temple of Kauai, "where heaven touches earth:' Artist: DJ Khamis, Nawiliwili, Hawaii.
DANCING WITH SIVA Special Hard Cover 5th Edition, Limited Quantity (Only 500 Printed)!
This remarkable 1,00S-page sourcebook covers every subject, answers every question and quenches the thirst of the soul for knowledge of God and the Self. Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami has spent over
50 years in deep study, meditation and samadhi to create this masterpiece. Clearly written and lavishly illustrated, expertly woven with 600 verses from the Vedas, Agamas and other holy texts, 165 South Indian
paintings,40 original graphics, a 40-page timeline of India's history and a 190-page lexicon of English, Sanskrit and Tamil. A spiritual gem and great value at twice the price. "The most comprehensive and
sensitive introduction to the living spiritual tradition of Hinduism ... a feast for the heart and the mind (Georg Feuerstein}." Smythe case binding, 5W'x S~;' cloth, gold embossed cover, $56.
Softcover edition (pictured) is $29.95.
HINDU MARRIAGE SAMSKARA Author Dr. Prem Sahai has carefully detailed the procedures, rites, traditions and attitudes that make the Hindu wedding a binding sacrament not only for two individuals but two families. Cloth cover, printed in India, 6"x 9;' 130 pages, $IS.
HAWAIIAN-GROWN RUDRAKSHA BEADS
H ere is a 36 bead strand, packed with Hawaii's sublime life-energy.
The beads, gathered from the Rudraksha forest at Kauai's Hindu
Monastery, are five-faced and roughly 3/4-inch in diameter. $39
GURUDEVKS INSPIRED TEACHINGS ON CD. There are gurus for mathematics, music and medicine, but the most important guru is the one who guides us in our spirituallife. In this CD, Satguru Subramuniyaswami, publisher of HINDUISM TODAY, reveals the deep mystical
dynamics of the teacher-student relationship and unravels the myths of that relationship, telling how the spiritual seeker may nurture it so as to reap the greatest benefits. THE MAHA SrvARATRI UPADESHA, 1997,43 minutes, $IS .
BRASS DEITY MURTIS We commissioned craftsmen in South India to make quality bronze murtis for the home altar, hand forged and etched in the traditional way. Six-inch standing Ganesha, three-inch Sivalinga, and a six-inch Ardhanarishvara. Supplies are limited. Each statue is $45.
SAIVITE HINDU RELIGION What every Hindu parent needs: intelligent, nonviolent, traditional texts for their kids-an authentic, illustrated,
seven-book series called The Master Course, teaching philosophy, culture and family life.
Book One, at the 6-year-old level, is available in an HindiTamil-English edition. Book Two, at the 6- to S-year-old
level, is now available in an English-Tamil-Malay edition.
Softcover, sW' x 11:' Book One: Hindi-Tamil-English.
170 pages. $15.95. Book Two, English-Tamil-Malay,
196 pages. $15.95.
Send your order and payment to: Himalayan Academy Publications, 107 Kaholalele Road, Kapaa, Hawaii, 96746-9304 USA. Or fax your order with credit card number and expiration date to 1-808-822-4351, or phone 1-800-890-1008, ext. 238, or e-mail: books@hindu.org. All prices include shipping to USA and Canada. Overseas, add 10%.
-----------------------------------------------------------------~- ,
EDITORIAL
Tibetpn Yogi Wins at '98 Wi11ter OlympiCS! Despite soul-shaking challenges, the Tibetan . people r~main a cheerful, hopeful community
BY THE EDITOR
ly eroded Konishi's lead. The Tibetan received a 9.6 in the Hatha Yoga "mandatory postures," then topped it with a 9.8 in the free-style finals. The Gold Medal in Breath Control went to Bikram Singh, whose average over the one-hour course was .72 IHCs (Inhalation Cycles) per minute. Gyatso Was second at .85 with Konishi breathing down his neck at .8J. The two tied in Zaz-en, long assumed by insiders to be Konishi's event. But he couldn't, or maybe he just refused to, sit still for Gyatso's guff and Gorilla dust. Afterwards, Gyatso ratcheted up the verbal jostling: ''A tie is as good as a loss (or Konishi. Everyone said he would out-Zazen
...:me, but he failed. Tell the world this: Gyatso would have won, derriere down, if the cushions had not been so preposterously
HEN I WAS FIRST TOLD THAT THE WINTER OLYMPICS soft. They forced us to use zafu Zen pillows. Real yogis don't use Committee had used its "host nation option" to add a pillows. 1 challenge these sissies to meditate on a bare rock abc:>ve
yogic event to the 1998 Games and wanted HINDUISM Lhasa. These city boys couldn't handle it." TODAY to cover the story, 1 was skeptical. Still, they Distraction was Nagano's innovative event. Olympic rules called
convinced our editors to fly to Nagano, a modern, narrow- for each yogi to endure three distinct disturbances: noise, numbing streeted city of 350,000 n~stled in the Zenkoji Plain amid Japan's cold and, the tOl!lghest, insects. Konishi earned a 9.5 in the Decibel largest island, Honshu. Only 120 miles northwes of Tokyo, Nagano Dual, compared to Gyatso's paltry 7.9. No doubt Konishi's access lies in the midst of majestic mountains~a silk producing region during spring training to sound-polluted Japanese cities gave him and vacation spot for city dwellers looking to escape urban .sprawl. the edge. But an undeterred Gyatso brought the astonished crowd
The moment we arrived, our doubts dispersed. The Committee to their feet with back-to-back perfect lOS in the Zoological Diver-ushered the Tibetan team to our quarters along with Bikram sion-where he sat unfazed by mosquitos and even the crawling Singh, India's only entry. With the help of translators, we were in- spiders that ultimately broke Konishi's concentration- and Cold troduced to the newest sport, officially called the YAK Champion- Exercises, something he had always boasted he could achieve but ships, which 1 soon learned stood not for some exotically high-alti- which had eluded him until now. "Cool!" grinned Gyatso, turning tude ox race but for "Yoga and Kundalini." That's right, ,the old up the heat on his gelid adversaries. mystical arts were being showcased for the entire world to see, and Gyatso, 36, gained prominence on the international yoga circuit small nations whose national passions incline toward inner striving, when he captured the prized Bhara,t Padma in New Delhi in 1994, instead of baseball or soccer, would have a chance to excel. • where he introduced his abrasive style. Yoga Federation Commis-
Ten days later, on Friday, February 20th, in the packed White sioner Srila Patel told HINDUISM TODAY that no rules prohibit such Ring where earlier rounds of Figure Skating, Speed Skating and braggadocios behavior, though it is considered,"unBuddhalike." "I Ice Hockey had been held, we watched the finals, won by a don't care what critics say," Gyatso scorned. "I am who 1 am. 1 am diminutive man with. golden skin and rosy cheeks, lithe and liquid also who you are. My mind is as reflective as a IIl!rror. By turning and ever so loquacious. This was Sri ~------';;::;i.iWlii_F"'''''''~''''''''9 your mind's negative energies toward me, Khetsun Gyatso, and he had just won you only hurt yourself That's the first les-Tibet's first ever Olympic Gold Medal. son of the kindergarten karma text. Read His elation was electric. "I am the seren- it and stop whimpering about me. Change est!"<;yatso gloated when his prize was yourself ... if you can. 1 dare you." announced. It was a brazen statement, Before the Delhi meet, Gyatso had nev-clearly meant to intimidate opponents. , er placed better than fifth. Many said he
Gyatso fared poorly in the early YAK had forsaken rigorous training for the I
rounds, which, like the pentathlon, has celebrity status gained from his contro-five distinct events: Hatha Yoga, Breath versial Nike contract, which showcased Control, Zazen (stillness in meditation), him using their new line of Self-Inflating, Distractions and Timed Trans,Pendence, Ego-Deflating Meditation Mats. His which requires each athlete, without. . Nagano p~rformance will rank him Num-aids or implements, to attain SUll¥.a, Absolute Nothingness, for one ber One. th the end, the media found Gyatso's taunting as daunting full minute and return to normal consciousness in the same body. as did his foes: "I am the One. Who can compare with Sri Khetsun
On the first day, Gyatso languished behind Zen Buddhist Roshi' Gyatso? 1 am the greatest monk since time began!" I
Konishi-san in the Double-T, as it is called, which Konishi, a native of Japan and local favorite, wdn in a mind-obliterating 17 minutes and 57 seconds, a full two minutes under the world's record. Gyatso, who took 24 minutes flat to transcend, complained that the altitude hampered his efforts. "This is a travesty. 1 wasn't myself today. 1 wasn't anyboay's Self 1 trained at 19,000 feet. The air here at five thousand feet is too dense for our more refined Tibetan style."
As. the days progressed, Gyatso's youthful will and intensity slow-
16 HINDUISM TODA~ APRIL, 1998 ,
This rrwnth's feature on Tibetan Buddhism is full of pathos, so it may surprise readers to'know that Tibetans remain, after all they have endured, a blithe ancLfun-loving people. As the Dalai Lama once noted: 'We Tibetans ((ive all cererrwnial and elegant dress; and, perhaps even rrwre important, as a national characteristic, we love a joke. I do not know if we always laugh at the same things as Westerners, but we can alrrwst always .find something to laugh about. "
o 0<
, ....
"He who attracts the notic'e of God may be . @ntire~y unknown to the world.JJ
... Paramahamsa Yogananda (1893-1952),founder of Self Realization Fellowship and author of Autobiograpw of a Yogi
,. .... e Birbal smiled, "The answer is simple. After God created fish, birds and animals, He still had many gifts to give away. So He decided to make man. lie wanted to-give n:.ten anything they liked, but they had to collect these gifts from Him. In one part of His court, intelligence was available. In another, beauty. In a third, wealth. 1 went immediately to get intelligence. By the time 1 finished collecting my share, it was too late to collect any beauty. But my friends in this court who are so good-looking were too late to collect intelligence."
Go ahead and be miserable. Whatever makes you happy. Swami Beyondananda
~~------~~=-----------~~~ It is found that people usually remember religion when they run into hard times. Otherwise, they don't even think of it. H.H.,penolr Rinpoche, revered head of the
NyingrruI lineage of Tibetan Buddhism,
now living in exile near Mysore, South In
dia, in his rrwnastery of 1,500 rrwnks.
1 don't need movie stars to point me t(,ilward the path of enlightenment; even if they managed to push me in the right direction, r d probably head the other way out of sheer spite. CNN's Paul Tatara in his re-
view of "Seven Years in Tibet."
Muslim King Akbar had somefoolish, courtiers who said that handsome people are better than unattractive people in every way. Akbar found them tiresome, as did his Hindu chief minister, Birbal. Many were jealous of Birbal's intelligence. They railed, "Birbal is a Hindu. You cannot trust him. He will poison Akbar one day so that he can become King." One day they asked the King, "Why are we so handsome and Birbal so homely?,1 The court was shocked.
THE. HUMAN IS OBLIGEDTO MAKE
DID YOU KNOW?
The Original Doctor
11. UCR OF MODERN MEDICINE CAN
. be traced to the Hindu surgeon, Sushruta, circa 600 BCE. Best
known for plastic surgery, his other notable achievements include cosmetic surgexy, treatises on medical ethics, definitions for 121 surgical implements, control of infection through antiseptics, use of drugs to control bleeding, toxicology, psychiatry, midwifety, cataract operations and classification of burns. And if all this weren't enough, Sushruta was among the first to prescribe surgical anesthesia-which in his day was a healthy dose of strong wine!
APRIL, 1998 HINDUISM TODAY 17
18
Gurani Anjali (Guruvi) Author, poet, songwriter and artist. Hear her message for the body, mind and spirit. Experience the Yogic perspective. Books: Ways of Yoga, Rtu (meditational poems), and the soonto-be released: Think on This . Audio cassettes: Someone is Calling, From the Silent Depth Within Me and other works. Yoga Anand Ashram. Tel 516-691-8475 • Mailing address: 49 Forrest PI, Amityville, NY 11701-3307 USA • http://www.santosha.com
Spiritual Books from Blue Dove • Divine Life Society • Ramanashram • Anandashram • Ramakrishna Order • Anandamayi Ma • Scriptures- Puranas, versions of Srimad Bhagavatam, Ramayana, Mahabharata etc. Free LIGHTS OF GRACE catalog. Blue Dove Press PO Box 261611, San Diego, CA 92196-4109 USA Tel: 619-271-0490 • Fax: 619-271-5695 • bdp@bluedove.com
Sivananda Ashram Yoga Camp
Established by Swami Vishnu-devananda in 1962 and located amidst 250 acres of peaceful forest in the Laurentian mountains, 1 hour north of Montreal. Yearround program includes morning and evening meditations and two yoga classes.
• June 27-July 25: Childrens' Summer Yoga Camp • June 28-July 4: Vedic Architecture, with Dr. V. Ganapati
Sthapati, founder and research director of the Vastu Vedic Research Foundation, Madras, India
• July 5-Aug. 2: Yoga Teacher's Training course • Aug. 2-9: Bhagavata Saptaham w/Sant Venu Gopal Goswami • August 17-23: Vandana Shiva, director of Research
Foundation for Science, Technology & Ecology , Dehradun, India and Andrew Kimbrell, founder National Centerfor Technological Assessment, Washington DC
Sivananda Ashram Yoga Camp • 673 8th Avenue Val Morin, PQ, JOT 2RO Canada. Tel: 800-263-9642 (from Canada), 800-783-9642 (from USA), 819-322-3226 Fax 819-322-5876 • E-mail: HQ@sivananda.org www.sivananda.orglcamp.htm
South Asia Books Your path to India for 28 years. 4,000 titles in active stock.
Newest titles in stock (Prices net and include shipping)
• Abbott. Life of Tukaram. • Griffith. Hymns of the Rigveda. • Alston. Devotional Poems of Mirabai. • Hiriyanna. Essentials of Indian Philosophy.
U8$16.00 28.00
9.00 12.00 40.00
9.00 9.00
24.00
• Monier Williams. Sanskrit-English Dictionary • Singh. Siva Sutras. • MacDonell. Vedic Grammar for Students. • Miller. Hindu Monastic Life. revised edition • Keshavadas. Ramayana at a Glance. • Wade. Music in India, Classical Traditions. • w.J. Wilkins. Hindu Mythology. pa. rep.
Also: 3,000 titles on our new web site.
8.50 16.00 9.00
For the new illustrated Motilal1996 catalogue containing 350 items, or for lists of books on yoga or ayurveda, novels, children's books, write or call:
South Asia Books • PO Box 502 Columbia, MO 65205-0502 USA Tel: 573-474-0116 • Fax 573-474-8124 E-mail: sabooks@juno.com Website: http://members.socketis.netl-sab/sab.htm
Visa, MC, checks accepted.
Mahabharata on tape or CD
."
Enjoy this magnificent epic -~-.--
on audio tape or CD while on Mahabhan1f +;a the road, or relaxing at home. U JI Introduce your children to this immortal classic. Let them absorb its lofty ideals, its unforgetable characters and fabulous stories.
An exquisite reading of C. Rajagopalachari's translation, complete and unabridged.
"The rendering is specially good when it expresses the fear, excitement, anger, as
$ .IHAfilAnYA VIOVA .ti"YAN. IJUM'''1-411O 007.
well as the bravery and heroism which fill the epic." -Upendra Sabat, News India-Times.
"Ethnic Enterprises has done all of us a remarkable service by putting this scholarly piece of work on compact discs."
-Jyotsna Sanzgiri, India Currents.
..
12 CD set: us$89.95 • 6-tape set: $49.95 plus shipping. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery. (For orders from outside the USA: Mastercard, Visa or money orders only, please.)
Ethnic Enterprises Inc. • PO Box 385468 Bloomington, MN 55438-1182 USA Tel: 800-496-4074 or 612-914-9064
AyulI'veda Holistic Center Books by Swami Shankar Purushottam Tirtha:
Yoga Vani Instructions for the attainment of Siddhayoga during sadhana. postpaid: US$13.50 (USA) $16.50 (Canada)
Guru Bani 100 ways to attain inner peace. How to live a spiritual life-for monks and families. postpaid: US$9.50 (USA) $12.50 (Canada)
Spirit of Himalaya
the Story of a Truth Seeker by Swami Amar Jyoti One soul's search for Enlightenment reveals powerful truths about the quest and the Gurus role in attaining the ultimate Realization. A classic of Vedic Wisdom that will '1eave you in awe." 125 p., US$7.95 from your bookseller or directly from: Sacred Mountain Ashram 10668 Gold Hill Road. Boulder CO 80302-9716 USA Tel: 303-447-1637. Free shipping. Ask for our free catalog of spiritual publications and music.
OLD TIBET Imports • Two·-year Ayurveda Certification Programs in person or by correspondence (either by post or via e-mail) Importers of Nepali, Tibetan and
Indian goods, including: Ayurvedic Products Distributors-wholesale or retail Catalog: $1.00 (free via e-mail) • Consultations.
• thanka • incense • jewelry • singing bowls, bells, cymbals
Ayurveda Holistic Center c/o Swami Narayan Tirtha Math 82A-H Bayville Ave. Bayville, NY 11709-1671 USA
Tel/fax: 1-516-628-8200 • Ask for Swami Sada Shiva Tirtha E-mail: mail@ayurvedahc.com
• clothing. books • tapes and CD's A beautiful variety of Hindu and Buddhist statues and other religious items in a calm, spiritual gift shop. 948 Pearl St., Boulder, CO 80302 Tel: 303-440-0323 • 635 Lincoln Ave. Steamboat Springs, CO 80487 USA Tel: 970-870-9401
Web: http://ayurvedahc.com (Free interactive dosha self-test and articles)
What Happells When We Die? Follow the soul'sjourney in ...
From Death to Birth: Understanding Karma and Reincarnation Pandit R~mani Tigunait, Ph.D.
• How do we create our life circumstances? • How does the law of karma ' shape our destiny? • How can we change life's limitations? ~ .
.• What happens betWeen death and birth? ttpandit Rajmani generously reveals little knouJ:nand little understood aspects of spiritualli/e, which makes this book 7t,.verltable treasure. "
-Georg Feuerstein, Director, Yoga Research Center, Yoga World
6 I $15 95/Item'#1l4RT 21. pp. •
"In From Death to Birth Pandit RaJmani Tigunait provides an in depth study of the process of karma and rebirth, With many detailed examples and interesting stories to highliglit the great truths that he has gatheredfrom the Yoga traditio1J, ... It is perhaps the most illuminating study of the subject to come out in recent years. "
Call Today For A Free Catalog
And Special Offer On 'Our From Death To Birth
-David Frawley, Director, American Institute of Vedic Studies, Yoga World
To or.der, Gall: 800·822·4547 F~: 7l7~251·7812 &IiU!ll;, lllbooks@epix.net Web: :www.himalayaninstitute.org
Write: The .m:ima:la~a:n irnsllitute Press, BR 1 Box 405, Honesdale, PA 18431-9706
s&h $4. ODJ{of. lfirst book, $1.0Qjor additional title 80117 Book And Tape Set! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~19
j
CELEBRITIES
Holy Hollywood, Tibetman! , .
The Western world' watches as Tibetan Buddhism takes center stage in the entertainment industry
ONE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT IT, ex- .. ' for those who have taken to ac
For these, speaking out serves cause, and they do so passionOtherwise, the spiritual seekers
ill the of celluloid make-believe want to keep secret ... well, secret. «Ther~ are many, many people interested in Buddhism and Hinduism in Los Angeles," writer and producer Richard Rutowski, who works closely with producer Oliver Stone, told HINDUISM TODAY recently. «But you will never hear anything about it, because it just becomes a subject for discussion in the media. And who wants that? It's a very personal thing."
But the secret is out-for Buddhism, at least.-thanks to three major films and some avid lobbying by Tibetan rights advocates,
20 HINDUISM TODAY A I\RIL, 1998
especially Buddhist actor-turned-activist Richard Cere. Kundun and Seven Years in Tibet (two multi-million dollar productions) focus awareness on the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan struggle [see pages 22-23]. A third movie, Ceres Red Comer, tal:<es a purely political tack, aiming to reproach anQ. expose a corrupt Chinese government, in the process revealing in graphic scenes just what the Tibetan people are struggling against. And reports tell of a forthcoming movie by Steven Seagal and Paul Wagner, The Wind Horse, which portrays modern-day Tibet. Wagner told CNN, «This is a movie that focuses on the value of modern Tibetan culture, and that cultute is being destroyed."
Meanwhile; critical and at times harshly cynical journalists are having a field day. It
will be a true test of endurance to see if the actors-and the Dharma-can s~vive unscathed. After all, this is the type of hype news-hounds howl for, and the hot Holly-wood media spQtlight has made even the boldest blush. Seven Years' star Brad ,;Pitt cQmplained, «You can sit there for an hour, and you can compliment this and feel thld way about this positive thing. But) f one thing is even borderline negative, that's what's ther-e in the final print, no matter what you say." And Rutowski adds, "I' get calls from some of the major ·magazines. But I don't talk to them anymore because they' manipulate and take out of context what you say. You can try to talk about Buddhism to Time magazine, and you can look like an idiot.. There is responsible media out there. But many of them are not responsible."
Major magazines have published articles that question the sincerity and motivation of the actors and the very ability of anyone involved in the movie industry even to recog-
nize and understand a spiritual' truth. It is no wonder Holl~wood is seeking spiritual solace. «Hinduism and Buddhism both contain helpful roadmaps for living a lif~ with some kind of integrity," offers Rutowski. «It seems natural that people,in L.A., and particularly in the film business, WQuld be interested in them. There is semething very practical about Buddhism-and probably Hinduism too, and about meditation. It is very helpf~, if for nothing else, for resolving stress and clarifying who you are relative to the world around you."
Still, those who have been touched and changed by the Dharma also see some discrepancies. Screenwriter Becky Johnston called her experiences learning about' Tibetan Buddhism in the course of working on Seven YeQ~rs «earth shattering." Yet, in an interview with Tricycle magazine, she cautions not to underestimate the power of the ego. «I would never presume to say who is deluded and who isn't. However, I can tell you it looks pretty weird to me to see a big movie star walking around in Chinese satin robes. with a fat cigar in his mouth. A lot -of people here in Hollywood have egos the size of a whale. You can't fail to see the irony of putting practice about diminishing the ego through the Hollywood machine, which is really about making tlle ego more grandiose. The Hollywood machine c~ turn almost anything into a bloated example of ego running amok."
Of monlks and men: For most everyone in the entertainment capital, this is a «non-issue." But surely nd one feels that fhis is old new~ more than Richard Cere. He became a Buddhist 20 years ago. In April, 1997, on the popular CNN talk show, Larry King Live, he told the viewing world, «I was in my early 20S and life wasn't JIlaking sense. I had experimented with a 10t of philosophical and spiritual systems, and I felt a great pffmity for the Buddhist approach. I think mainly becau~e it left responsibility totally on me for the state of my mind, and the state of my experience of myself and the world, and a very systematic approach to changing all of that-changing my mind, my heart, changing, therefore, the outside world as well."
Cere is without question the most forthright in confiding the role of his religion in his life as well as dedicating a gr~at deal of his resources to its benefit. «I met His Holiness in 'Ih or '82 in Dharamsala,,: India," Cere told CNN interviewer Ron Tank in 1996. '1\5 we became closer friends and had an easie; dialogue, the Dalai Lama said, 'We really need the help from yoh Westerners.' And they obviously did."
Cere has met with the Dalai Lama countless times and travels to Dharamsala one to three times a year. He has held rallies, is on the board of the International Campaign for Tibet and has a foundation that supports Tibetan causes, among others. Recently, he has
been promoting his cause through exhibitions of photographs he took while in Tibet as well' as with a new book of these photos, Pilgrim (Bulf'inch Press, New York). The venue for this spring's exhibition, Tai:gei, itself reveals the provocative approach he is taking. And this attitude is echoed among
-others. Rutowski comments, «The chit chat and the C:pinions about it mean nothing. I'm interested in the actions." All this has earned Cf?re-along with Brad Pitt, Harrison Ford, Melissa Mathison, Jean-Jacqu~s Annaud (director of Seven Years) and Martin Scorsese (director of Kundun)-the distinction of being banned from ever entering China.
.. <
Yes, the Harrison Ford on that list is the one ~ho played-among many more significant roles-Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost ArR and Temple of Doom. «I support
I
Black Hat ceremonies all over California. This is not something that's just sprouted in the last two or three years. r mean, the Hindus have been here forever! Paramahansa Yogananda has been here since the '30S or '40S. Back then, it was a more underground relationship, particularly with Hinduism. But iJ: was a strong influence."
And the appearance of monks in the media is not limited to 'movie theaters. An episode of the hour-long TV drama Dangerous Minds featured a group of Buddhists monks who convinced an angry high-school youth about the power of chastity and nonviolence. In that show, the monks created and dissolved a Tibetan sand mandala along with the students, and one of the teachers • revealed that he was a Buddhist and taught the angry student basic meditation.
Fords in the rights ~iver: The Dalai Lama blesses Harrison Ford and his wife in Beverly Hills
Tibet publicly," Ford told George magazine's Josh Young. «I just don't make it a public issue. I have introduced the Dalai Lama on a" couple of occasions, and I have privately supported and am involved in other efforts to redress the inequity of the situatiop., but I don't actively look for opportunities to 1lPvance these issues." His wife, Melissa Mathison Ford, became deeply' involved while researching the script for Kundun. She and her husband met with the Dalai Lama several times to check the accuracy of the story.
But the highly revered Dalai Lama is not this movement's sale support and cauSe. «Lamas have come here from many different lineages,'" Rutowski told HINDUISM ToDAY. «The Karmapa came here in the 70S and did extensive empowerments-major
Shrugging aside -the cynics, Rutowski af; firm~ that Hollywood's adherents are sincere. «It looks like people are just jumping on a trend," he explains. «But anyone yvho goes deeper understands that to really do a Buddhist practice takes much more dedication. I don't think it is that easy a path, myself It takes some serious commitment. It's not just going to church on Sunday. You have to be ready to really take a look at yourself Most of the people I know in L.A. are very gerfuine. Many of them have been into it for a long. time. It has just become known recently. But I'm not sure there is any more of a significant number of people interested here than anywhere else. Still, something has changed. It has ripened. Maybe the fruit is being borne now." .,.t
APRIL, 1998 HINDUISM TODAY 21
'" z o ... ~
~~~f:m The Presence: A young Dalai Lama is revered in Disnetjs unique and controv~rsial Kundun
EPIC S
Disn~y's Lama lJsing Tibetans, not/stars, Hollywood daringly tells a true tale of one nation's loss and its living spirit _
By LAVINA MELWANI, NEW YORK ITH A CINEMATOGRAPHIC HELPING
from noted director Martin Scorsese, Walt Disney and Touch
stone Pictures have attempted to do for Tibet that which, years agQ, Richard Attenborough did for India. Through the latest multi-million dollar Disney-bacl~ed motion picture, Knndun, the tragic and heroic historical account of the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of six million Tibetan Buddhists, has been brought to the attention of America's millions of movie-goers. While Disney's Kundun and Attenborough's Gandhi differ significantly in style and content, the impact of the films in the Western media and populace-spreading awareness of each. nation's struggles and generating compassion for their millions of people and their
22 HINDUISM TODA.Y A RIL, 1998
• leaders-is identical. An important differ-ence, of course, is that the Dalai Lama lives and the Tibetan people are still in the midst of their struggle. •
Kundun, which means "the Presence," is the story of Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, following his diviI).e recognition when he was just two-and-a-hal( years old up to 1959, when his holy homeland was invaded by the communist hordes of chairman Mao Zedong and he was forced to seek exile in India. Told through the young eyes of His Holiness, Kundun charts his extraordinary growth from a giggling child into a figure who raises the world's consciousness about the Buddhist society of the spirit, the plight of Tibet and the sufferings endured by his people. It is the story of a boy imbued with the insight and wisdom of centuries,
whose will proves indomitable, spirit inviolate and compassion inexhaustible. Says author Pico Iyer, "It's an inspiring and remarkably serious film as far from Hollywood as anything I've ever seen. And yet all of us know it is a 28-million-dollar production."
Screenwriter Melissa Mathison Ford, wife of mega action-llCtor Harrison Ford and perhaps most famous for the film E. T, wrote the screenplay after-more than fifteen personal meetings with the Dalai Lama. Intimate details of events which took place when he was a child were confided to Mathison and were incorporated into the film. Initially, Mathison was drawn to the sheer story-telling potential. But soon sh~egan to
-.see deeper dimensions. She explains in an interview with Tricycle magazine, ''Anyone who went to work on this movie to do just another job came out of it with an expanded consciousness. My original intention was to write about a little boy who becomes the Dalai Lama. It's a great story. I didn't know anything about the history of Tibet. But as time went on, I met the Dalai Lama, I became politically active for Tibet and became more aware of Budahism and became conscious of who His Holiness is. That changed the emphasis of the movie. It was no longer about a boy who loses his country, or even just about a people's loss. It became a story about universal loss. The movie became an act of devotion on my part."
The film is already being hyped as an Oscar contender, although there is nothing glitzy about,it. There is not a single Hollywood star in the film! Instead, Kundun uses Tibetan refugees to play the multifarious roles. Not one of them i~ a professional actor. Yet, Mathison and Scorsese were dually impressed. "These people have an incredible passion for sharing their story with the world," said Scorsese. And Mathison stressed, "You could not find actors who could play these parts the way o~ cast did. The emotion that is generated from inside of them is amazing. Everyone who plays a part in the film has played a part in the history of Tibet. It's their- story, and they all ha~e a stake in it."
'The Dalai Lama is played at differeQ.t stages of his life by four actors. Tenzip Thuthob Tsarong, who plays the 24-year-old Dalai Lam&, bears a striking resemblance to His Holiness. Three Tibetans who were part of the Dalai Lama's life in .'Fibet were consulted on the costume design and religious' and ceremonial matters. Since the film could not be shot in Tibet -and India delayed permission to the point of refusal-the land.scapes of this forgotten land were recreatea. in Morocco. The magnificent Potala palace was duplicated from scratch, and everything from the hairstyles to the intricate costumes are faithful to the originals.
The film will certainly inform and influ-
ence those who knew or cared -little about Tibets plight earlier. And, in a way reminiscent of Gandhi, it will impress the wisdom and persistent power of a strictly nonviolent approach to diplomacy. Even as the Chinese armies march into Tibet, ¢.e young Kundun refuses to return violence with violence and holds firm to his dharma. B1,!t as Mathison told Tricycle, "It's very dangerous to use a movie for a political agenda, or even to think that a movie can lead to political action. But in this case, I think that if people are moved by the past, that they will be moved by the present. I would love for people to leave the theater asking themselves, 'Where is the Dalai Lama now? What's happening in Tibet now? And what can I do?' "
Kundu.n is a moving experieri.ce for everyone, bethey Buddhist or not. There is a universality to this story, and viewers come
. away with a sense of sadness and loss, for something glorious has been interred in Tibet. For the Tibetans, of course, this is a film which pulls at their heartstrings, giving them a glimpse of their lost homeland, which many have seen only iIi. their dreams.
Tenzin Lodoe, who acts in the film and grew up in India, reflects, "This will probably be the closest thing I'm ever going to see of the Tibet that my parents knew. It could be the closest thing to Tibet that I'll ever see in my li£e. As I left the,set on my last day, I wondered when I would walk on the real steps of the Potala." ..
Martin allld the monk: Scorsese plays with Kunga Tenzin, who played the young Kundun
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Together in Tibet ' The ~oyhood bond that reached beyond borders
• ONTHS BEFORE KUNDUNINCARNAT
ed into US movie theaters, TriStar Pictures delivered their own dramatized encounter with a young Dalai
Lama-Seven Years in Tibet. Although there is some overlap, the two films do not compete. they focus on separate historical figures and tell two unique tales. Kilndun's main character is the Dalai Lama, and it's story is his life. Seven Years follows famous Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer through his arduous expedition over the Himalayas, finally landing in the court of His Holiness, where he begins a deeper, spiritual and emotional journey.
In the fall of 1939, Harrer and his countryman Peter Aufschnaiter set out to climb Nanga Parbat, one of the highest peaks in the Himalayas. The self-centered Harrer, whose sole pre0ccupation was the achievement of fame and glory, would experience a-pain-induced emotional awakening on his fantastic journey that would take him from the heights of conquest to the depths of internment in a British prisoner-ofwar camp, then from escape and a harrowing two-year trek through the Himalayas to refuge in the mysterious Tibetan city of Lhasa.
mous, with lots of possessions, but very unhappy. He returns with no possessions but himself. And he is very happy. It was important to understand that money and success meant nothing compared to self respect."
The suspense and drama of Harrer's Hi-
As a stranger in a strange land which few Westerners had ever visited, Harrer"':"'who was expertly played by Brad Pitt in a role far
Who tutored whom?: Brad befriends the young rrwnk
from his typical teen heart-throb parts-was befriended by the young Dalai Lama and later was asked to tutor the spiritual leader of millions in English, geography and the ways of the Western world. He would eventually spend seven years in Tibet, during a period of tremendous political _upheaval in that country, graced with the friendsQip and the spiritual enlightenment of the young Dalai Lama. As the deep and abiding bond between these two isolated, lonely people evolved, the selfish and egotistical Harrer experienced selflessness for the first time, allowing him to complete the emotional transformation which began on his way to Lhasa.
To director Jean-Jacques Annaud, that quest for self-esteem and inner peace is the whole story of the film. He explains, "Harrer is a man who leaves his country very fa-
malayan trek is captivating, but the true spiritual heart of the film begins beating when Harrer begins to interact with His Holiness, who is played exceptionally by young Jamyang Wangchuck. Here, in the last half of the film, we feel we are in Lhasa as we witness Harrer struggle to adopt Tibetan religious protocols and to adjust to the entirely religious approach to living. Screen-writer Becky Johnston hopes that, "people will be affected by the power of the place and by the awareness that another culture so antithetical to our own can exist on earth."
Seven Years is a welcome relief from Tinseltown's usually inane offerings. Its spiritual lessons are subtle, yet compelling. They are found in the context of a fascinating tale of true adventure and a one-of-a-kind encounter with a real-life religious legend ...
APRIL, 1998 HINDUISM TODAY 23
Will Tibet's venerable faith again prosper?
N 1997, DON FARBER TRAVELED TO and Nepal on a FUlbright scholto photograph the religious life
refugees. Farber, whose is Tibetan, pas photographed
Buddhist life fbr over twenty years. He was fortunate to gain access to the Dalai Lama and other key leaders. He specifically sought their insights on how religion and Gulture will be perpetuated among Tibetan youth. Some excerpts:
His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, at his ;esidence in Dharainsala, India, July, 1997.
Children: In a typical Tibetan family, the practice of Tibetan Buddhism, is just reciting a few mantras and then offering something. But they do not know mu$ about Buddhism. Recently, I have been telling people that parents should be the guru of their own childre:p.. l'he guru in the ordinary sense, that comes much later. Once parents become the guru of theiF own cliildren, they teach what is Buddha, what is Buddhism, what is Sambogakaya, what is Dharmakaya, Nirmanikaya, Four Noble Truths, and more, so in the whole society there can be genuine Buddhists. That's my main idea.
24 HINDUISM TODAY A, RIL, 1998
.\
Faith: There are two kinds of Buddhist faith: In the scriptures, also, this is mentioned. One faith is faith which is completely relying on someone, for example, someone saying Buddhism is good-just relying on that. That, the scriptures say, is not at all reliable, not genuine faith. The other faith is where in the beginning one remains skeptical. Yop study, investigate, experiment, then gain some understanding. Faith " which comes fr<;lm that understanding is genuine faith. We should have that kind of faith.
Science and religion: I never criticize otner religions. All of them have great potential and benefit. But you see, other religious concepts are difficult to explain through science. The interest, respect, apgreciation or faith in religions among young people is now decreasing. OUr parents consider
- Buddhism to be very important, due to blind faith. But if Tibetan youth think that Buddhism is about blind faith or superstition, then they may think that Buddhism has no relevance in today's world.
Challenge of conflicting belief: In Tibet the people take it for granted that Buddhism is best. So, there is no need for argument. To-
Los Angeles, 1991: The Dalai Lama "cuts the energy" of the Wheel of Time Sand Mandala. By ritually effacing hours of awesomely meticulous work done by teams of Buddhist rrwnks, he releases peace and healing to the planet and all beings.
day, although we are Tibetans, we live in an entirely different environment. Not only are there ancient, non-Buddhist philosophies, but also radical, materialist and atheist ones. In facing so many djfferent ideas and influences, Buddhist study should include learning in the original comparative way taught by the early Indian Buddhist masters, especially in the midst of so many different views. Then. aIpong them, one should know how Buddhism compares, have a deep knowledge of Tibetan Buddhist explanations, and know what is the fault of a particular philosophy's c6ncepts. Without that, you can't survive. .. Impact of Western respect: The younger r Tibetan generation who have turned away from Buddhism and also the Chinese must be finding it very intriguing that in the West, professors and scientists in the most respected educational institutions are showing genuine interest and taking teachings from some stupid, diTty Tibetan lama! (laughs). You can't say all these scholars and scientists are stupid or crazy.
r . i
H.H. Pen~'r Rinpoche, head of the Nyingma lineage, was interviewed at his rrwnastery in Bylakope near Mysore, Karnataka State, South India. This area has the largest number o£Til?etan refugees in India, and his rrwnastm-y, with rrwre than 1,500 rfWnks, is , arrwng the the biggest in the country, and much larger than any Hindu rrw~astic communUy. He fled Tibet in 1959.
Ganden Tri Rinpoohe
Religious survivii l: Buddhism is not only for Tibetans, but for all sentient beings who have the karma to learn and practice it. In recent times, due to the rule and rigid con.! trol of the Chinese in Tibet, religion has almost disappeared. Despite all this, people with faith hung on to their religion and its practice in their hearts and home. We who escaped from Tibet had a lot of hardships in the beginning, but were later able to teach and build monasteries accorditig to our respective capabilities. We used to think that after the persecution of almost all the learned religious teachers the fate of Tibetan Buddhism was sealed. But it was not to be so. Those who survived helped it • flourish with renewed fervor and devotion.
On young Tibetans hot learning Buddhism: FIrst' and foremost it depends on the karma of the people or' an individual. For those who have the karma, they will study aiid become learned. And those who don't work hard and are lazy don't have the karma.
Ganden Tri Rinpoche was interviewed at Drepung rrwnastery, at Mundgod, also near Mysore in South India. He is the head of Tibet's three largest Tibetan rrwnasteries, Sera, Ganden, and Drepung, in:. Lhasa; Tibet. All th-c;ee have remanifested in South India with 'thousands of rrwnks.
• On tradition: The Tibetan culture and way of life is passing through one of its most crucial times. The old Tibetan traditions are facing a slow erosion. If people fmd that this age-old Tibetan tradition is of some use to the world as a whole, then it does h ot matter whether the people who
. are striving for its upkeep are Tibetans or , not. If there is a person who truly feels that this tradition, if lost, will be a great loss to mankind, then that person should help; otherwise, there is no reason for clinging onto it like some kind of wealth or land.
On Tibetan youth: After they finish their school, they should study any of the four sects of Tibetan Buddhism for sollie time. Then they will get the essence of our tradition. It need not necessarily be at a monastery. It can be any of the mafiy religious or cultural institutions. If they study hard, it will be a deterrent to this erosion of our culture:":
. The vend"able Gona Tulku Rinpoche of the Sakya lineage is a respected rrwnk living in Himachal Pradesh. Especially noted for his powers of divination, he provides coufuelingfor Tibetans in India.
.;'
On why Tibetans lost their country: In Buddhism, we have the doctrine of karma, taught br the Buddha. The people of Tibet
, were unable to stick by these virtues preached by the Buddha, even though they have been told or taught about it. So, it was not OI;Jy that the Chinese were too strong, but it was also the karma of the Tibetans which led to losing our country. It is not du~ to one or two person's fault, but is the manifestation of our collective karma. The karma does not have a time period of one life but of many lives. Only a Buddha can understand it, not us.
On Buddhist Resurgence: Those who were devout in the past are still devout now, but those who were not, still aren't. So that will /' be so in the future.
I
200 bee: King Nyatri Tsenpo founds Yarlung Dynasty, first record of Tibet. 700 ce: Buddhism introduced to Tibet under King Songtsen Gampo, tempering the Tibetan warrior spirit. Hfs empire extends into China, Nepal and north India. 800: Buddhist teachers invited from IndJa. Tibetan written script introduced. 1000: Indian Pandit Atisa in Tibet. 1100: Uniquely Tibetan form of Buddhism emerges. 1278: Tibet sends delegation to Genghis Khan, comes under Chinese suzerainty. 1368: Tibet regains independence, first monastic government. 1447: Gendun Drubpa, first Dalai Lama. 1642: Fifth Dalai Lama becomes temporal and spiritual ruler of Tibet. Good relations with China. .1 1876: Birth of 13th Dalai Lama. 1904: British invade Tibet. . 1905: China invades Tibet, 13th Dalai Lama takes refuge in India. 1913: 13th Dalai Lama expels renmants of Chinese army, reasserts independe:q.ce. 1933: 13th Dalai Lama prophecies, "The future holds darkness and misery," dies. 1935: Birth of present 14th Dalai Lama. 1940: 14th Dalai Lama enthroned. 1942: Tibet ejects Chin~s liaison officer. 1949: People's Republic of China foull'ded. 1950: China invades Kham region of Tibet. 1954: Dalai Lama meets Mao Zedong. 1959: People of Lhasa rise up against the Chinese to prevent seizure of Dalai Lama. 100,000 killed; Dalai 4!ma escapes. 1966: "Cultural Revolution" begins in China, all but nine of s~ thousand Tibetan monasteries destroyed. 1983: Systematic inImigration of Chinese settlers into central Tibet. 1989: Dalai Lama wins Nobel Peace Prize. 1995: US Congress passes resolution that Tibet is a nation under foreign occupation. 1996: Photographs of the Dalai Lama are outlawed in Tibet.
APRIL, 1998 HINDUISM TODAY 25
Publications that honor Tibet and her people
S VAST AS ITS ROLLING HIGHLAND plateaus are the mountains of books available on Tibet, and their topics and viewpoints are as divergent as
its flora and fauna. From photos of nature to academic analyses, from historical narratives to gripping autobiographies, the market is awash with lush choices. If you are intrigued by the "Land of Snows" and its people and you hanker to know and see much more than you can imagine, read on. ,
Of the wildlife, real people and raw beauty of this land, My Tibet (162 pages, University of California Press, U5$45) has it. The stUIllling photographs by Galen Rowell and the personal and absolutely disarming commentary by the Dalai Lama'himself make this book rare and captivating. A similar effor t is Tibet (192 pages, Shambllala, U5$55). Its photos, covering the same range of subjects, are by Kazuyoshi Nomachi. Don't worry. Tibet is plenty big enough for more than one photographer, and Nomachis imagery is distinctive. Along with the descriptive text
26 HINDUISM TODAY APRIL, Igg8
and appendices, a forward by His Holiness and an interview with him make this offering a well ro~ded resource.
Arguably the region's most compelling photographer, Thomas L. Kelly of Nepal, presents one of the most objective overviews of Tibetan lifestyle, culture and teligion in Tibet: Reflections From the Wheel of Life (204 pages, Abbeville Press, U5$55). This work includes rare photos of a wide range of modern Tibetans and refugees as well as powerful historical images apd colorful narrative text. Kelly's photos of The Hidden Himalayas (200 pages, Abbeville Press, U5$50) reveal the rich hidden world of the Humla district of northwestern Nepal. It's not Tibet, but the people and the landscape are indistinguishable, and Kelly's images are stunning.
Hopping back across the Himalayas from Humla, we land at the foot of Mt. Kailas. No tome reveals this hallowed destination more beautifully than The Sacred Mountain of Tibet, On Pilgrimage to Kailas (127 pages, Park Street Press,'"tJS$24.95), which documents the
Looking in: A Tibetan nomad girl wears tocha, a buttermilk cosmetic that protect~ her from the sun
ongoing feats of pilgrimage by Buddhists, Hindus, Jains and Bonpos. Tibet: Enduring Spirit, ExplOited Land (192 pages, Heartsfire Books, U5$29.95), just released, includes "color photographs in a sensitive exploration of Tibet's nomads and farmers and the environmental wisdom they have acquired through the centuries.
Studious souls will find solace with Religiilns of Tibet in Practice (560 pages, Princeton University Press, U5$60). Professor Donald S. Lopez is the editor of this landmark, photo-less anthology of Tibetan spiritual practices, prayers and texts. His recent study, Prisoners of Shangri-La, (272 pages, University of Chicago Press, U5$25) is a timely, in-depth cultural history of the West's fascination with Tibetan Buddhism. The Bon Religion of Tibet (155 pages, Shambhala Publications, U5$55), a fully illustrated scholarly work by Norwegian Per Kvrerne, is a rich, detailed study of the Bon tradition [see page 28], focusing on the art and iconography of Bon Deities.
. Following the Tibetan refugees into India is World Peace Ceremony, Bodh Gaya (249 pages, Dhar
ma Publishing, U5$35). peared for Buddhist practitioners, it is a colorful documentation of the yearly massive gathering of Lamas in Bodh Gaya.
Haven't found what you wanted yet? Then curl up and hear His Holiness tell his own life story in his inimitably lovable and humorous way in Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama (288 pages, Harper Collins Publishers, U5$22.95). He'll enchant you, as he does most everyone. But before you buy anything, you must consider the absolutely riveting true-life story ofboqa fide yoga in the Tibetan tradition. You will find this as nowhere else in Tibet's Great Yogi: Milarepa (315 pages, Oxford University Press, U5$9 .95). This release, edited by W.Y. Evans-Wence, is the one to get. .,.J
Publishers OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS , 200 MADISON AVENUE, NEW
YORK, NEW YORK 11016 USA; WISDOM PUBLICATIONS, 361 NEWBURY STREET, BOSTON, :MASSACHUSETTS 02115 USA; ABBEVILLE PRESS, 22 CORTLANDT STREET, 32ND FLOOR,
NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10007 USA; UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS , 2120 BERKELEY WAY, BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA
94720 USA; SHAMBHALA PUBLICATIONS , 300 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE , BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02115 USA; DHARMA
PUBLISHING, 2425 HILLSIDE AVENUE , BERKELEY, CALI FORNIA 94704 USA; HEARTSFIRE BOOKS, 500 NORTH GUADALUPE
STREET, SUITE G-46S , SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO 87501 USA; PARK STREET PRESS, ONE PARK STREET, ROCHESTER,
VERMONT 05767 USA
the ascendant was Libra when Johnston died, which became the ascendant of Kelly. Johnston was born with the Moon in the watery ~gn of Scorpio, in the 12th house, afflicted by Saturn, an indication of his early dellth in water in a distant place, while Neptune was in Cancer, in the 8th house (of death). Kelly was reborn with the Moon in the watery sign of Cancer along with Ketu, an indication of the water phobia from the past-life horror of slowly drowning as the submarine fi~ed with water. Jupiter had traveled once around the zodiac since Johnston left his body at the bottom of the Celebes Sea near Indonesia and arrived .. back again in Taurus when he was reborn, twelve years later, in Glendale, California~ In this case, the intensity of the moment of death, along with its planetary positions,
""""~-=.IVI 'were carried forward to the next life. At .Echoes of' the Past: Fear of water can come from death by droWning in one>s last life , death the Sun, Mercury and Venus were in
ASTHOLOGY ..
In Jlnother Life ... The facts and fallacies of analyzing past lives
ATER TERRIFIED BRUCE KELLY. Even the sight of a swimming pool
caused him to tremble. He did not
... In this life, Kelly's ascendant or rising sign
is Libra, with Mars, Saturn and Neptune. This is already revealing, as Saturn relates strongly to past life characteristics, and with Mars, the planet of violence> and Neptune
Capricorn and at rebirth the Sun, Mercury, Venus and Rahu were all in Capricorn, as if Kelly was picking up right where he left off When the planets came bac'k into a similar vibration as the moment of death, the soul of Johnston was impelled to be reborn.
Actual documented case studies of reincarnation have helped dispel many misunderstandings aDout the process. The first is that if the past life was rather blase or very short, the present life chart may not relate to it at all, but connect to several lives back. Second, not all of the aspects of your present horoscope necessarily relate to a specific past life. The choice of a new birth, along
know why, for he never was in danger while swimming or boating, even as a small child. He avoided ~nclosed spaces and couldn't stand to be in an airplane. Though a natural athlete and a successful sales manage/ of medical supplies, he simply could not shake these deep-rooted fears. Finally he sought professional therapy. By hypnotic regression, a therapist forced Kelly's memories backward in this life, asking him to remember anything related to water in his teens, then his childhood, then as an infant and thE;Il ... Kelly shouted at his startled therapist' "Mayday, Mayday"-Anglicized m>aidez, French for "Help me," the international distress call. "We'r.e hit, we>re sinking," he screamed. Suddenly-his last life and his traumatic death on a World War II submarine had opened to his inner vision, and in that flash, the origin of all his fears was revealed. Finally, water could be his friend.
Undersea Coffin: World War II submarine like Kelly's • .J
with the horoscope that accompanies it, is somewhat like buying a new car with unwanted extras. We may be ~bliged to ~ccept certain anomalies in life in order to acquire the basic birth pattern needed to fulfill our karmic debts. Some aspects of our present life may be simply part of a .package deal. For example, a soul may need to take birth when Mercury is in the 12th house in Pisces, to bring forward a great spiritual . and internaliz~d intellect, but the same combination could '" cause chronic feet problems. We should not presume that this person mis
This fascinating true-life reincarnation case was showcased on the TV program "Unsolved Mysteries." Becaust! Kelly had researched and identified his past life, HINDUISM: TODAY was able td obtain the birth 'charts of both lives, as well as the horoscope for the moment of death. Upon examination we found defInite connections between both birth charts, bur many more between the death chart and the present birth chart. This is often the case when a death is traumatic.
/
the lord of the seas, we start to see a window into his past. In his previous life as James Johnston at Alabama, USA, Rahu (the moon's north node) was in Libra. Rahu is an
. indicator' of one>s dharma, where one is headed or directing energy. The unfulfilled dharma of Johnston relating to LibrJ, became the rising sign of his next life as Kelly. But more significant, Mars and Sat1p'n were in Ari~s when Johnston's submarine was hit by a torpedo and slowly sank, and in the next life both planets reversed to their opposite sign placement in Libra. To top it off,
used his feet in a past life> such as by kicking a cow, and is now paying the price. They have simply accepteg., a minor inconvenience to acquire the greater asset. For this reason it is not possiple to relate every planetary position in a birth chart to a specific past life deed and therefore not possible to indicate precisely who you were in a past life, based purely on a birth chart. But when faced with inexplicable fear? or desires that have long puzzled you in this life, it may be helpful to look further back than this lifetime for the original cause. ..
APRIL, Igg8 HINDUI SM TODAY 27
,
i
INSIGHT
The Forgotten Faith The mysterious and mountainous country of Tibet is !mown worldwide as a sanctuary of Buddhism, but the religion called Bon claims seniority there
N A SEQUESTERED SECTION OF EARTH, PRO
tected and defined by the towering Himalayas, humankinds relationship with Gods and demons remains vibrant and real. Tibet, known as the
"Land of Snows" and the "Rooftop of the World," has borne and continues to nurture the world's most fantastic and other-worldy faiths. The religious landscape of Tibet is as rich and varied as the country's terrain and as intricate as any Tibetan tangka painting. As most inhabitants still do today, early Tibetans regarded the earth, air and waters as home to a specific hierarchy of spirits, both helpful and harmful. In daily life, they sought to appease the wrathful "demons" and to enlist the beneficent deities. These practices were formalized in some cases. In others, they have remained isolated, private traditions or secret knowledge, loosely grouped together today as shamanism or animism. Modern Tibetan Buddhism shares Tibet with a religion that has uncertain links to this past. This religion is Bon. It has a limited traceable history, substantial traditional literature and detailed ritual codes. More and more, Western scholars are studying Bon, as the world slowly learns of yet another ancient way mankind seeks the Truth. The following sympathetic yet academic study is drawn from The Bon Religion of Tibet (1995, Shambhala, Boston) by Per Kvaerne, professor of the History of Religions and Tibetology at the University of Oslo, Norway.
By PER KVAERNE, OSLO
SINCE THE TENTH OR ELEVENTH CENTURY AND UNTIL THE
present day there have been two organized religious traditions in Tibet: Buddhism and a faith that is referred to by its Tibetan name, Bon. An adherent of the Bon religion is called Bonpo. A Bonpo is a 'believer in Bon,"and for him Bon signi
fies Truth, Reality or the eternal, unchanging Doctrine in which Truth and Reality are expressed. Thus, Bon has the same range of connotations for its adherents as the Tibetan word cho (chos, translating the Sanskrit term dharma) has for Buddhists. Although limit-
28 HINDUISM TODAY APRIL, 1998
ed to Tibet, Bon regards itself as a universal religion in the sense that its doctrines are true and valid for all humanity. The Bonpos also believe that in former times Bon was propagated in many parts of the world (as conceived in their traditional cosmology). For this reason, it is called "Eternal Bon," yungdrung bon.
Western scholars have adopted the Tibetan term Bon together with the corresponding adjective Bonpo to refer to ancient pre-Buddhist as well as later non-Buddhist religious beliefs and practices in Tibet. Hence, in the context of Western scholarship, Bon has no less than three significations:
ARTIST S CONCEPTION OF TIBET BY B.B. THAPA. 1989. FROM KY TIBET; COURTE SY. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS
1. The pre-Buddhist religion of Tibet which was gradually suppressed by Buddhism in the eighth and ninth centuries. This religion appears to have focused on the person of the king, who was regarded as sacred and possessing supernatural powers. Elaborate rituals were carried out by professional priests known as Bonpo. Their religious system was essentially different from Buddhism. The rituals performed by the ancient Bonpo priests were, above all, concerned with ensuring that the soul of a dead person was conducted safely to a postmortem land of bliss, to ensure the happiness of the deceased in the land of the dead and to obtain their beneficial in-
Holy land: Artist's rendering of Tibet by B.B. Thapa aptly illustrates its holy cities as well as the mountainous nature of the country
"to.
fluence for the welfare and fertility of the living. 2 . Bon may also refer to a religion that appeared in Tibet in the
tenth and eleventh centuries. This religion, which has continued as an unbroken tradition until the present day, has numerous and obvious points of similarity with Buddhism with regard to doctrine and practice. The fact that the adherents of this religion, the Bonpos-of whom there are many thousands in Tibet and in exile today-maintain that their religion is anterior to Buddhism in Tibet, and, in fact, identical with the pre-Buddhist Bon religion, has tended to be either contradicted or ignored by Western scholars. Tibetan
Buddhists, however, also regard Bon as a distinct religion. I
3. Bon is sometimes used to designate a vast and amorphous body of popular beliefs, including divination, the cult of local deities and conceptions of the soul. Tibetan usage does not, however, traditionally refer to such beliefs as Bon, and they do not form an essential part of Buddhism or of Bon in the sense of the word outlined under point two above. It is only since the mid-1g60s that a more adequate understanding of Bon has emerged.
Subtle Distinctions: To the casual observer, Tibetans who follow the tradition of Bon and those who adhere to the Buddhist faith can hardly be distinguished. They all share a common Tibetan heritage. In particular, there is little distinction with regard to popular religious practices. Traditionally, all Tibetans assiduously follow the same methods of accumulating religious merit, with the ultimate end in view of obtaining rebirth in a future life as a human being once again or as an inhabitant of one of the many paradisiacal worlds of Tibetan (Buddhist, as well as Bonpo) cosmology. Such practices include turning prayer wheels, hand-held or set in motion by the wind or a stream; circumambulating sacred places such as monasteries or holy mountains; hoisting prayer flags; and chanting sacred formulas or engraving them on stones or cliffs. It is only when these practices are scrutinized more closely that differences appear; the ritual movement is always counter-clockwise and the sacred mantra is not the Buddhist "Om mani padme hum," but "Om matri muye sale du." Likewise, the innumerable deities of Tibetan religion, whether Buddhist or Bonpo, may at first appear to be indistinguishable. But again, the deities are, in fact, different (although belonging to the same range of divine categories) with regard to their names, mythological origins, characteristic colors and objects held in their hands or adorning their bodies.
Even a cursory glance at the doctrines of Bon, as expressed in their literature or explained by contemporary masters, reveals that they are in many respects identical with those found in Tibetan Buddhism. It is this fact that until recently led Western scholars to accuse the Bonpos of plagiarism. The view of the world as suffering, belief in the law of moral causality (the law of karma) and the corresponding concept of rebirth in the six states of existence, and the ideal of enlightenment and Buddhahood, are basic doctrinal elements not only of Buddhism, but also of Bon. Bonpos follow the same path of virtue and have recourse to the same meditational practices as Buddhist Tibetans.
One may well ask in what the distinction between the two religions consists. The answer, at least to this author, would seem to depend on which perspective is adopted when describing Bon. Rituals and other religious practices, as well as meditational and metaphysical traditions are, undeniably, to a large extent similar, even identical. Concepts of sacred history and sources of religious authority are, however, radically different and justify the claim of the Bonpos to constitute an entirely distinct religious community.
Hidden Holy Land: According to its own historical perspective, Bon was introduced into Tibet many centuries before Buddhism and enjoyed royal patronage until it was finally supplanted by the "false religion" (i.e. Buddhism) from India and its priests and sages expelled from Tibet by King Trisong Detsen in the eighth century. It did not, however, disappear from Tibet altogether. The tradition of Bon was preserved in certain family lineages, and after a few generations it flourished once more, although it never again enjoyed royal patronage.
It is claimed that before reaching Tibet, Bon prospered in a land known as Zhangzhung and that this country remained the center of Bon until it was conquered by the expanding Tibetan empire in the seventh century. Zhangzhung was subsequently converted to Buddhism and assimilated into Tibetan culture, losing not only its independence but also its language and its Bonpo religious heritage in the process. There is no doubt as to the historical reality of Zhangzhung, although its exact extent and ethnic and cultural identity are far from clear. It seems, however, to have been situated in what today is, roughly speaking, western Tibet, with Mount Kailash
APRIL , 1998 HINDUISM TODAY 29
I
as its center. [See map, page 28.] The ultimate homeland of Bon is, however-so the Bonpos
claim-to be found even farther to the west, beyond the borders of Zhangzhung. The Bonpos believe that Eternal Bon was fIrst proclaimed in a land called Tazik. Although the name suggests the land of the Tajiks in Central Asia, it has so far not been possible to make a more exact identifIcation of this holy land of Bon. Tazik is, however, not merely a geographical country like any other. In Bon tradition, it assumes the character of a "hidden," semi-paradisiacal land which latter-day humans can only reach in visions or by supernatural means after being spiritually purifIed.
For the Bonpos, Tazik is the holy land of religion, being the land in which Tonpa Shenrap (the Teacher Shenrap) was born in the royal family and in due course became enthroned as king. Tonpa Shenrap is believed to be a fully enlightened being, the true Buddha (the word "Buddha" means "the Enlightened One") of our world age. The Bonpos possess a voluminous hagiographicalliterature in which his exploits are extolled. One may note that his biography is not, contrary to what has sometimes been claimed by Western scholars, closely related to that of Sakyamuni. Thus, during the greater part of his career, Tonpa Shenrap was the ruler of Tazik or Wolmo Lungring and hence a layman, and it was as such that he incessantly journeyed from his capital in all directions to propagate Bon. This propagation also included the performance of innumerable rituals. These rituals, which are performed by Bonpos today, thus fmd their justifIcation and legitimation in the exemplary exploits of Tonpa Shenrap. Contrary to Buddhism, where rituals generally have no direct canonical basis, in Bon, as pointed out by Philip Denwood, "We have whole developed rituals and their liturgies specifIed in the minutest detail in the basic canon." It was only late in life that Tonpa Shenrap was ordained, after which he retired to a forest hermitage. It was only at this point in his career that he fInally succeeded in converting his mighty opponent, the Prince of Demons.
The Bonpos have a vast literature which Western scholars are only just beginning to explore. Formerly it was taken for granted in the West that this literature was nothing but an uninspired and shameless plagiarism of Buddhist texts. The last twenty-fIve years have, however, seen a radical change in the view of the Bon religion. This reassessment was initiated by David L. Snellgrove, who in 1967 made the just observation regarding Bonpo literature that "by far the greater part would seem to have been absorbed through learning and then retold, and this is not just plagiarism." Subsequently, other scholars have been able to show conclusively that in the case of
several Bonpo texts which have obvious, even word-by-word Buddhist parallels, it is not, as was formerly taken for granted, the Bonpo text which reproduces a Buddhist original, but in fact the other way round: the Bonpo text has been copied by Buddhist authors. This does not mean that Bon was never at some stage powerfully influenced by Buddhism. But their relationship, it is now realized, was a complicated one of mutual influence.
Those texts which were considered by the Bonpos to be derived, ultimately, from Tonpa Shenrap himself, were collected to form a canon. This vast collection of texts (the only edition available today consists of approximately 190 volumes) constitutes the Bonpo Kanjur, forming an obvious parallel to the Tibetan Buddhist canon, likewise called Kanjur. A reasonable surmise would be that the Bonpo Kanjur was assembled by 1450. The Bonpo Kanjur, which in turn only constitutes a fraction of the total literary output of the Bonpos, covers the full range of Tibetan religious culture. As far as Western scholarship is concerned, it still remains practically unexplored.
It is diffIcult to assess the number of Bonpos in Tibet. Certainly, they are a signifIcant minority. Particularly in eastern Tibet, as for example in the Sharkhog area north of Sungpan in Sichuan, whole districts are populated by Bonpos. Another important center is the region of Gyarong where several small kingdoms, fully independent of the Tibetan government in Lhasa as well as of the Chinese Emperor, provided generous patronage for local Bonpo monasteries until the greater part of the region was conquered in a series of devastating campaigns conducted by the imperial Chinese army in the eighteenth century. Scattered communities of Bonpos are also to be found in central and western Tibet. Of the ancient Zhangzhung kingdom, however, no trace remains, although Mount Kailash is an important place of pilgrimage for Bonpos as well as Buddhists. Another much-frequented place of pilgrimage, exclusively visited by Bonpos, is Mount Bonri, "Mountain of Bon," in the southeastern district of Kongpo. In the north of Nepal there are Bonpo villages, especially in the district of Dolpo. In India, Bonpos belonging to the Tibetan exile community have established (since 1968) a large and well-organized monastery [in Dolanji, Himachal Pradesh] in which traditional scholarship, rituals and sacred dances of Bon have been preserved and are carried out with great vigor.
Left to right: Tantric lamas perform an elaborate funeral ritual in Humla, northwestern Nepal; Galok woman ofTa Ho Pa, Amdo, Tibet; Senge Tenzing Rinpoche, abbot of the Bonpo monastery Tashi Menri Ling in Dolanji, India, instructs disciples in esoteric practice.
Cards for the Dead Bon death rites reveal this livingfaith's practice and profound belief in the role of sacred priests as gUides to liberation. This account by Per KV:Erne is from Religions of Tibet in Practice (1997, Princeton University Press), edited by Donald S. Lopez.
IBETAN DEATH RITUALS, BOTH BUDDHIST AND BONPO, BASI
cally serve to guide the consciousness of the dead person, often through a succession of initiations, out of the cycle of rebirth and toward fmallibera-
tion. The consciousness of the deceased is believed to pass through several stages after death, at each of which the possibility of liberation exists.
Bonpo death rites have three parts. Inlmediately after death occurs, a ritual called "transference of consciousness" is performed in which a Bonpo monk attempts to transfer the consciousness of the deceased directly from the cycle of rebirth to the state of liberation.
Three days after death, a second ritual is per-formed in which the consciousness of the deceased is led progressively along the path to liberation. This ritual, which lasts approximately two hours, involves displaying various cards to a picture of the deceased. This takes place in the home of the deceased and is performed by a chief monk and two assistants. The corpse is present in the room but is kept be-hind a cloth screen. The ritual begins with the chief monk making an effIgy of the deceased out of dough and offering it as a "ransom" to malevolent spirits that might interfere with the ceremony. Next, the consciousness of the deceased is summoned and asked to reside in a picture of the deceased. After cleaning the picture, the chief monk writes two series of seed syllables on it. The fIrst series of six represent the six realms of rebirth, as a god, demigod, human, hungry ghost, animal, or hell being. The second consists of the "fIve heroic syllables," which are antidotes to the rebirth in the six realms.
The next phase of the ritual involves the presentation of various gifts. This is effected through the chief monk showing the picture of the deceased a series of cards on which the gifts are depicted. initially, all the sensory faculties (sight, hearing, taste, etc.) of the de-
ceased are satisfIed symbolically by being invoked in turn, :p1d a series of small, painted cards depicting the object of each faculty are held up in sequence. In this way, whatever craving for material wealth and worldly power that the dead person may have experienced during his or her lifetime is appeased.
With the deceased now ritually provided with satisfaction of all material needs and ritually endowed with the mental qualities necessary for progress toward liberation, it is time for the consciousness of the deceased to be led through the stages of the path to enlightenment. The picture of the deceased is shown cards depicting four
groups of deities, including the teacher, Shenrap. Finally, the deceased is shown a ritual card showing Buddha Kuntu Sangpo, the 'J\ll Good," the essence of all the Buddhas.
The deceased, again through the use of ritual cards, is then given four initiations, after which he or she becomes an "unchanging mind hero," the Bonpo equivalent of a bodhisattva. As such ' the consciousness of the deceased now passes through the thirteen stages of the path, each symbolized with a ritual card painted with a swastika. These are placed in a row on the floor, and the picture of the deceased is moved forward one card as the qualities of that stage are recited. At the end of the row is a card showing Kuntu Sangpo. Before moving to that card, the chief monk takes a lighted stick of incense and
burns the six syllables symbolizing the six realms of rebirth, thus indicating freedom from all future rebirth.
Finally, to bring about the fInal union with Kuntu Sangpo, the chief monk places his robe over his head and enters a state of meditation in which he unites his consciousness with that of the deceased. He then unites his consciousness with Kuntu Sangpo. At this point, the deceased achieves liberation, and when the monk emerges from meditation, the picture of the deceased is burned and the ashes retained to be made into small religious fIgurines called tsatsa. The next morning, the third and fmal part of the death rite, the cremation of the corpse, takes place.
Recommended Resources: The Bon Religion of Tibet, Per Kvrerne, Shambbala Publications, Inc, Horticultural Hall, 300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115 USA. Religions of Tibet in Practice, Donald S. Lopez, Jr., editor, Princeton University Press, 41 William Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08540- 5237 USA.
PHILATELY
India's Sacred Stamps A lesson in Hindu tradition gets delivered with your daily mail
TAMP COLLECTING IS AN IMprobable method of theological
t.. rrlqUliIy'-l~xc.ept in India. Nearly every postage stamp initially issued by the newly independent country in 1948 and 1949 had a
religious theme, carefully inclusive of Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. Most stamps issued since the 1950S have a secular theme, but about 100 are Hindu. They honor ancient sages such as Tiruvalluvar and Valmiki and saints from the medieval period, such as Dnyaneshwar, Chaitanya and Haridas. Many stamps carry modern saints, friends and scholars of Hinduism, including Ramakrishna, Swami Sivananda, Annie Besant and Ananda Coomaraswamy. Also included are temples, sacred dances and arts, scenes from the Ramayana and Indus Valley seals. Among the most striking is the double-size, five-rupee stamp issued in 1996 depicting the Vivekananda Rock Memorial at Kanya 'Kinnari. HINDUISM TODAY was introduced to this heretofore unknown goldmine of devotion by Pradip Jain of Bihar State, one of India's leading philatelists.
Jain started collecting stamps in 1969 with an initial investment of three rupees, soon augmented by a loan of Rs .100 from his grandmother. '1 live by stamps," he told the Hindustan Times in 1994. He has received many awards, especially for his unequaled collection of Indian airmail stamps, and has represented India at various international stamp shows-most recently in San Francisco, California.
of them made into a book would form an excellent reference.
Mail service is an old concept-the earliest references are in Egypt from 2000 BCE. According to Jain, there was an organized postal system during the Mauryan Dynasty in 300 BCE that was mentioned in Kautilya's Arthashastra, a manual on statecraft. Postage stamps are a relatively recent invention, dating only to 1840. They allowed the sender to prepay the postage; previously, the recipient paid the messenger.
Stamp Lover: Pradip Jain with antique mailbox
Assembling a collection of dharma stamps need not be expensive. Save for a few rare ones, like the 1948 ten rupee Gandhi stamp worth US$60, most Indian stamps have a list value of US15¢, though lack of availability may raise the price. Every stamp issued by India (and every other country) is listed in the authoritative Scotts Catalog, available at libraries. Each stamp has a "Scotts number," used by deal
ers to identify it. Especially for What makes the Indian stamps with a
religious theme especially useful are the "information sheets" produced by the Department of Posts when a stamp is released. Each contains a short biography or story about the subject of the stamp, often in both Hindi and English. These synopses are very well done; in fact, a collection
children and teens, India's religious stamps offer an entertaining and educational introduction to Hinduism's impor-tant people and places. _
STAMPS OF INDIA CAN BE PURCHASED FROM PRADIP JAIN, POST BOX 12.8, MITHAI'UR, :rATNA 800 001 INDIA, OR
FROM DOWNTOWN STAMP COMPANY, POST OFFICE BOX 3209 . WHITEHOU SE, NEW JERSEY 08888 USA
CULTURE
Mas.merizing Mauritius India's best music and dance ?Ttistes pilgrimage to paradise island
IR MAURITIUS' WEEKLY MUMBAI
flight #749 touches down at sunny Plaisance Airport on the east coast of this Hindu-majority island/nation 400 riles east of Africa. An excited crowd is waiting. Pop
siNger Baba Seghal struts into view, welcomed by a herd of female fans and flashing cameras. Just behind him appears famous classical singer Shruti Sadolikar followed by five more of India's greatest living cultural artists. A Saiva Siddhanta Church of Mauritius welcome group greets and garlands the classicists. TV cameras turn and capture their arrival, too, for evening news. This portrait of musical culture clash is unforgettable-Indias hottest «pop" prince landing on the same flight as six of Bharafs greatest classical superstars. .
Three months earlier, September, 1997. «This idea is not good. Guaranteed, it will fail," helpful-minded friends respectfully warned Saiva Siddhanta Church-locally kn"own as the Saiva Dharmasala-when they first heard of the plot to bring classical artists from India for a fund-raising gala. «To be honest, nobody really likes this music anymore. You should bring some popular «playback" singers if you really want to make
34 HINDUISM TODA,Y APRIL, Igg8
any money-not to mention losing an awful lot!" With doomsday fears in their ears, a small group of members nevertheless decided to proceed, and began a stomach-churning-at times downright harrowing-three-month ascent. '
Thursday night, December 4-showtime. Overcoming ,an unending series of fmancial crevasses and logistical avalanches, the organizing team reaches the sUlllIDit. Triumph. On opening night, at the grandiose national public arts theater of Mahatma Gandhi Institute, a capacity crowd of 650 enters-women donning a rainbow of elegant gOldthreaded saris and churidhars and men in dinner dress or embroidered kurtas. Six of India's finest talents-with. three superb Mauritian percussionist accompanists-command the stage. For four and one-half hours, they stun an unsuspecting audience with the greatest of India's musical/dance magic.
«I loved them all, but I think Shruti Sadolikar was my favorite," said well-known media personality Sunil Gopal. «Her voice was so amazing, so clear. I don't know how she can sing like that." Young music enthusiast Soopaya gUshed, «For me, I adored the bamboo flutist, Mala Chandrashekar. I could hardly believe it. She seemed so relaxed, but
played such fast, complex rhythms." «I liked Jayanti the byst," said Oomavadee
Pallanee conclusively. «We never hear the veena performed in concert here, only the sitar. It was just so beautiful. I will never forget it." Shweta Beeharee, 19, swooned, «Definitely, it was the dancer I loved the most. I myself am studying dance, and when I heard PaolOIni was coming, I just couldn't miss this chance. She totally thrilled me and inspired me to practice harder." Others were especially impressed by the drum accompanists. On stage were the best of Mauritius-Manik Munde playing the pakawaj, the North Incll.~ an drum, Veylan Armoogum, the Indiatrained super talent on mridangam and accomplished' artist Naden Veerapen on tabla. A first-time experience for all was the· ethereal sounds of the sarangi, a North Indian string instrument that looks like an oversize' violin, played by Santosh Mishra of Banaras. The sarangi's graceful sliding notes offered a welcome contrast to the South Indian fast staocato patterns.
The show was a fund-raising project for a spiritual park on the Church's Dharmasala grounds. The seven-acre site features huge ten-foot granite statues of the Gods-a fivefaced Lord Ganesha, six-faced Lord Muru-
gan and an exquisite Lord Siva as Dakshinamurthi, the Silent Sage beneath a banyan tree. Key organizer S.K. Moorghen recounted: «Over a three-month period, we made proba,9ly 2,000 phone calls, faxes and e-mails solving so many problems." Just fmding and getting six great artists-none personally
India's best: (left) Shruti Sadolikarwith Santosh Mishra (sarangi) and Mauritians Naden Veerapen (tabla), Veylan Armoogum (mridangam). (below) Dancer Paolomi Pundit Ashwinkumar. (Not pictured: Jayanti Kirin, veena, Mala Chandrashekar, bamboo flute, Manik Munde, Pakawaj drum)
known to the otlIer beforeh$d-from different cities (Chennai, Mumbai and Banar~s), representing six different art forms, on the same flight to Mauritius was' in itself a near miracle. Moorghen especially credited Sunil Gopal and Satish Ruehe of Mauritius Broadcasting Company for providing invaluable pre-concert publicity and filming the event for broadcasting on national television, the five-star mega-resort, Sofitel, where the artists stayed in style, Air Mauritius ane: dance teacher Anandhi Ramachandran'who selected the three artists from Chennai.
Nothing they did managed to get the interest of the youth, who were noticeably
mlssmg in the audience. «Most of our friends feel this kind ' of music is boring;" teens bluntly told disappointed ticket sellers. But the few dozen who did sacrifice their weekend snack money for a ticket confessed afterwards that their friends definitely missed an «awesome happening."
The concert profited US$7,200...,-a sizeable Maur. Rs. lso,ooo-which is now funding completion of a Ganesha pavilion at the Dharmasala. This architecturally rare, jewel-like, wooden Kerala-style shrine is the first increment' of a grander park vision seriously unfolclJng on a seven-acre seaside property on the island's".northeast coast. ,-
Opening the show, the senior Minister of Education, Hon. Kadress R. ChedumbaruIll' Pillay, praised the Dharmasala not only for the concert but for its youth programs and its blossoming spiritual park. «I wish to ensure that the government is always ready to support religious organizations whose aims are to promote peace and harmony." Many / of the nation's major companies-including Pepsi Cola, the State Bank ~d Shell Oilpurchased advertisements in the concert's souvenir magazine.
The artists are classic examples of perfection, dedication and long training-fIfteen years or more in every case, beginning at ages five or six. Genes help too. Shruti Sadolikar is the daughter of Marathi classical singer Pandit Wamanrao Sadolikar. Sarangi maestro Santosh Mishra and Jayanti Kirin's musical families go back seven generations each. He teaches at Banaras Hindu University. She, at just 27, is considered one of the finest veena players in India. «The veena sings," she told HINDUISM TODAY, «it calms people with its sweet;' tranquilizing effect, whereas pop music just excites people."
The concert helped stem a waning respect for Hindu classical music. Local artists felt personally revitalized, and a doubting Hindu public proudly witnessed some of their oldest cultural traditions spectacularly and youtlUully represented, as well as supported by the government and private sector.
Were there lessons learned that others might benefit by? «Yes," organizer Moorghen states. «Firstly, everyonershould knoW. that good classical music is sellable, despite all one might hear to the contrary. Select the best artists you can find. Then promote the event well. Most people don't do this, just to save money. But this is demoralizing to the artists and gives events"'like this a «poor attendance" reputation., Regarding selling tickets, there is no easy shortcut. You have sell tickets the old fashioned way-person to person. Of our 1,100 tickets to the two concerts, 95% were sold by friends and Hindu church members. But there is hardly a greater joy than seeing the cultural retmement these events bring to a community." w/
With reports by Anand Mulloo, Mauritius
APRIL, Igg8 HINDUISM TODAY 35
• INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
Tribal" Tribulations ,---------------------------
My personal encounter with the impact of Christian conversion on Meghalaya
FIRST MET THE KHASI PEOPLE OF
in 1995. A delegation of 30 touring the state of Maharashtra
part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's project, Bharat Meret Ghar
("India is My Home"). Previously my concept'of India's Northeastern States-Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Arunachal-was that everyone had converted to Christianity and wanted to separate from Bharat. Now I was delighted to meet this delegation of Khasi Hindus who were patriotic to India ~d proud. of their heritage. I resolved to go to this state when tlie opportunity arose. By good fortune, the following year was my last in medical school and the curric~um allowed time for experience outside the US. t arranged a position at a clinic with Dr. R. S. Thangkhiew, a Khasi Hindu physician in,Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya. As a medical student, I expected to learn a lot about infectious diseases and the consequences of poverty and lack of basic resources on health. I saw those problems, and to some extent could alleviate them through my wOFk as a physician.
As a concerned Hindu, I wanted to experience this state of Bharat that so few people get to experience, l~arn about the unique culture of the people there and see first hand what Christian missionaries were doing. I was truly shocked by the rampant discrimination that Christians meted out to non-.christians (mostly Hindus, including Khasis, Sikhs, Assamese and Bengalis). Christian denominations control almost 100
percent of the state's educational ana health care institutions and resources. Most of them give discounts to those people who identify themselves with the particular Christian sect that runs that iJj.stitution. Adclltionally, in many hospitals if an individual cannot pay his bill at the end of Jiis stay, the hospital will offer to waive the full amount if he converts to Christianity. Most top government jobs are given to Christians, and there are barely any non-Christian members in the state legislature.
'Aprial Mon Thangkhiew, a resident of Shillong, explained how this all happened. "Missionaries got converts because of education," she told me. "Converts got admission . to colleges and hostels outside the Northeast while non-Christians did not.
36 HINDUISM TOD A.Y A RIL, Igg8
Poor Khasis couldn't afford to go outside. Only Chriistians got scholarships. My cousin was a Presidency College Gold Medalist, but he didn't get a scholarship, because he was not a.,-Christian. Conversion was the price for higher education. People conv6 ted be- I
cause of educational and economic reasons initially. So, the poor, bright people converted, and then the other poor followed. If these preferences were not offered, people would not have converted." .,.,
Then other people converted." The 50 percent of Kh~sis who did not
convert are one of the few communities of the Northeast that still maintains their an'cient traditions. They believe in one universal God, U Blei, who is the creator of everything. They do not have a written text or scripture, and the heritage verbally passes from generation to g~neration. The basic principle of Khasi religion is similar to the eternal principles of other tribal faitl}.s. It is
to earn righteousness in the world. The basic precept is that to know God, one must first know, love and respect fellow human beings. Prayer, song and dance are" important aspects of the culture. Throughout the year, there are community dances where villagers get together. In March and April "is the most important, the Shad Suk Mynsiem, (shad means dance, suk means happiness or tranquility and mynsiem ' means soul or heart), a dance of joy, merriment, gratitude and thanksgiving. Khasis follow a matrilineal system. The wife keeps her mother's last name, children keep the mother's last nam~ and;- the J'"Oungest daughter iFlherits the family property.
First Communion: Khasi girls await beginning of Mass , attired in white European cqmmunion outfits
Attempts during British times to resist the Christianization of the people generally failed. Jrin
Mon Thangkhiew recalls, "My grandfather, Babu Jeebon Roy, wanted to start a .school to promote the Khasi culture and religion and
"Christians taught uS' to hate our ciulture and religion,. If . ./
. we sang a Khasi-song, they would laugh at us. They called 'us devil wo~shippers."
.; strengthen ties with the rest of India. He approached the British Government in 1875 and was told to get permission from the Welsh Calvinist Mission, which had been entrusted the task of propagating education. The mlsslonaries
--APRIAL MON THANGKHIEW ; eplied, 'We have only come to educate your people to the extent that
they can read the Bible. Anyway, your people db not have enough brains for higher studies.' " Nevertheless, in 1876, the Shillong High School opened with Roy's own money. But the Christian missionaries coula not tolerate it because they realized'it was a threat to ·their control of education, a main tool for proselytizati"on. The government was forced to give control of the school to the Presby
. terian missionaries, and subsequently, education about Khasi heritage was eliminated.
Thangkhiew went on, "TIie Christians and British tried to. teach ,us to hate our cul~ ture-song, dance, religion, everything. If we sang a Khasi song, they would laugh at us. They called us devil worshipers. They preached in our schools and brainwashed Khasis. The converted Khasis were just like them. They laughed at us when we went to our dances. I went to the Presbyterian school. I had many good fri~nds. However, after some of them were converted to Chris-
. tianity, they told me, 'We'll' go to heaven and you'll go to hell.' They didn't realize that they were dishonoring their apcestors. The British policy of sending missionaries'didn't do anything for lis except weaken our culture. They converted all the SyJems [local rulers] except the Syiem of Nongkrum.
Christianity became the sole religion taught, and the medium of instruction was cKanged from Bengali to English.
I was shocked to discover that the latest method for gaining converts was simple fear. Missionaries were telling the people that the apocalypse-a time predicted in the Christ-
I ,
ian Bible when the world is destrdyed and only' righteous Christians are saved-will occur in the year 2000. I was asked time and again by frightened local people if it was true. "Of C;;urse not," I told them, "hardly any ChJ;istians in the world believe such a prediction." It is a version of the old 'best bet" conversion argument used for centur.ies in the West. Dr. Sam Pamei, a Christian from Nagaland who lives in Shillong, 'gave me the Meghalaya version: "If I have a choice to be a Christian and face no bad outcome from the perspective of'my indigenous religion, or to follow my indigenous religion and face eternal damnation if Christianity is the true way, ... then 'the safe bet is to become a Christian." According to Sunil Deodhar, the missionaries are. resorting to sucn extreme measures because, "Due to the work of Seng Khasi, Sein ·Raj and RSS, they are gaining fewer new converts and are actually losing many old converts back to the indigenous fold. Thi's threat of eternal danmation is their last-ditch attempt to win converts."
Many organizations have-: been dealing with these challenges. Since 1899, Seng Khasi has been working t3 maintain the indj.genous Khasi culture and religion and defend it against attacks from Christian missionaries. Seng' Khasi and its sister group, Sein Raj, organize Khasi religious and cultural programs, hold regular prayers and meetings and publish material to educate people about the Khasi heritage. The Ramakrishna Mission has been active for decades. More recently, the RSS, Seva Bharati and Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram have assisted Seng Khasi and Sein Raj with their programs and set up manx schools, student and youth hostels and medical clinics. However, all these groups encounter constant opposition from Christians.
When I left Meghalaya in 1996, I felt among Khasis a growing sense of pride in their religion, culture and heritage. Two hundred years ago Hindus may have been at a technological, economic and political disadvantage. But today Hindus have all the reso1;trces they need to support our fellow . brothers and sisters. If tjle Northeast goes, then many other tribal communities ru;e susceptible to severing ties with the age-old Hindu society. Today, as tribal communities are strengthening their identities, there is a need to reaffirm to them that they are an integral part of Hindu sO.,9iety and that Hindu society will neither take them away from their traditional beJiefs and culture, nor swallow them. Each time a Hindu community converts, their unique contribution to the religious and cultural melting pot is lost and Hinduism becomes less diverse. wi
By DR. MIHIR MEG,HANI, Michigan MIHIR MEGHANI: E-MAIL: MIHIR@HINDUNET.ORG . POSTAL ADDRESS.: PO BOX 2503 04, WE ST BLOOMFIELD, MI CHIGAN 48325 USA. SEVA BH ARATI MEGHALAYA, D. M . SYIEM COM·
POUND, UPPER NONGTHYMMAI, NEHU ROAD, SHILLONG, MEGHALAYA 7 9 3 019 I NDIA.
APRIL. Igg8 H I'NDUISM TOD AY 37
WOMEN OF VISION
How J'Su"rvived . . Years fn Prison One courageous Tibetan woman's powerfu} tale of faith and suffering
BY ADHE TAP'ONTSANG
HEN ADHE TAPONT8ANG LEFT TIBET
in 1987, she did sO'on the condition of never telling anyone about the atroci
ties of her 27 years in Chinese prisons, of Tibet's subjugation. But she felt
compelled to inform the w.orld of the inhuman conditions in those prisons and the destruction oj t1ie country's Buddhist monasteries. Through nearly. three decades of malnutrition, beatings, physical labor g.nd solitary confinement, Adhe, 65, never wavered in her compassion. Her strength, determination and selflessness during those horrific years was bome of constant adherence to religiOUS perspectives and practices, which is what we focus on in the following excerpts from her new book, Ama Adhe, The Voice That Remembers: The Heroic Story of a Woman's Fight to Free Tibet.
Throughout my imprisonment, 1 always prayed to my tutelary deity-Dolma, the Protectoressbut found it increasiI}.gly difficult to concentrate on the long, 21-vers~'prayer that my father had taught me. Perhaps due to starvation clouding the mental faculties, 1 found that my mind would go blank at certain points in the prayer. 1 simply coulqnt remember, which was very discouraging. It was alsp impossible to pray in my free time without being interrupted either by guards or by other prisoners. One time the opportunity arose to consult an imprisoned lama, Kathong Situ Rinpoche, regarding this problem. H~ seemed quite moved to hear of my predicament, and taking my hand, he looked into my eyes and gently said, "Under this situation we have no time of our own to devote to traditional practices, so 1 will teach you this shorter prayer, and you can recite it with the same devotiQn. 1 am glad to know that your spirihial practice is still of such concern to you." He then taught me an abbreviated prayer of nine verses' to Dolma, which was to become my refuge in all future times of trial and loneliness.
One time, after having worked and weakened for some months; 1 slept for a week and stopped working. 1 decided the system was such that you had to work and then had so little to eat that you'd most probably die of starvation. The only' thought 1 had was, "I am gOing to die here," so 1 tore a stI'lP of cloth from the bottom of my blouse and, making one hundred and eight knots, fashioned it into a rosary. 1 felt 'that to do some religious practice was the only thing left for me. During that period of solitary confinement, 1 recited the Dolma prayer as long as my strength held out. 1 would recite,
38 HINDUISM TODA.Y APRIL, 1998
then fall unconscious. 1 would wake up again and try to walk while reciting the mantra, then 1 would fall down. From that time until 1 decided to try working again, the guards didn't give me any food. Finally, one day, a feeling came over me that 1 should not try to force the end of my own misery, and decided to go back to work.
One time 1 was given some extra food by a family member wbo visited the prison. 1 decided to share it with all the prisoners, one of whom was Kathong Situ Rinpoche, who had taught me the Dolma prayer. He said, "In independent Tibet, we used to have many rich families sponsorin$ meals and teas in the monaSteries. We can under-
... stand that situation because of their wealth. But today, your sharing of this food with everyone has far more meaning. You have done a greatly meritorious work, and you will live. But for us, there will only be death. There will be no way to escape from this atrocity."
As 1 left Gothahg Gyalgo prison for a different camp, we walked slowly through the places where -all the starved prisoners had been buried, and 1 realized that my own remains could easily have been left there. As we passed the graves, 1 silently spoke to my fellow prisoners, saying, "If only you had survived a little longer, you would be walking with us today." 1 prayed to all the deities of Tibet for their departed spirits, that they have a good rebirth, and promised that all through my life 1 would pray for them. It was as if one's own relatives were buried there because we had all endured the same suffering.
In Minyak Ra-nga GlIDg region there is a sacred mountain known as Sha Jera, traditionally a place of pilgriIItage for festivals
and religious occasions. People of the region offered prayer and incense ceremonies. In the early 19708, over 300 prisoners were employed in mining lead from the mountain. At its base is a small lake. During .... the summer of 1975, this lake was the site ~f what was regarded by us l'ibetans as a miraculous event. One day people noticed that an impression of a nomadic tent had manifested beneath the water in the middle of the lake. The Chinese took binoculars .up on the mountain to monitor whether the image w,as moving. They realized thJl.t the image was not a natural occurrence, and it frightened them. Mter a week, the image of the tent... began to disappear and a very large green lotus began to physically grow in its place. The flower continued to spread over the lake. The people said that the flower had great significance because of its size anP color: green is associated with His Holiness, the D~ Lama, who was born in the year of the Wooden Hog. Green is the color of the wooden element. Tibetans came to the shore in great ' numbers. Before long, the Chinese decided to bombard the lake. As a wall of water rose in the lake's center, people rushed to pick up the pieces of the flower that floated to the shore. Those managing to preserve the flower's· fragments said the petals had the consistency of grass. We Tibe ans felt that the apparition and the extraordinarily large lotus held promise of better times to come.
TO READ ABOUT AMA ADHE'S PRISON LIFE IN VIVID DETAIL, ORDER AMA WHE t THE VOICE THAT REMEMBERS, FROM: WISDOM PUBLICATIONS,
199 ELM STREET, SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS 02144 USA
Teaclhings of Paramahansa Yogananda The bliss of God-awareness is not an exclusive possession of saints and yogis, but belongs to you as well. "Self-realization,'" explained Paramahansa Yogananda, "is the knowing-in body, mind, and soul
fo unDED In 19aO BH
pnRnmnHnnsn IIOllnnnnon
that we are one with the omnipresence of God; that we do not have to pray that it come to us, that we are not merely near it at all times, but that God's omnipresence is our omnipresence; that we are just as much a part of Him now as we ever will be. All we have to do is improve our knowing."
Through a series of printed Lessons for home study, you can receive Paramahansa Yogananda's complete and accurate instruction in the Self-Realization techniques of meditation, concentration, and pranayama. This in-depth program explains practical ''how-to-live'' principles for harmonizing body, mind, and soul and is offered on a subscription basis for a nominal fee to help cover printing and handling.
For a free catalog of books and recordings, or further information, please contact our international headquarters at:
Self-Realization Fellowship • 3880 San Rafael • Dept. 7HTG Los Angeles, CA 90065-3298 USA Tel: ,213-225-2471 (9-5 Pacific) • 24-hr fax: 213-225-5088 Visit us on the Web: http://www.yogananda-srf.org
KriYcl Yoga Seminars: US, Can., Europe
Roy Eugene Davis, a disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, will teach in these cities:
• Los Gatos, CA: Mar. 12 • Vancouver, BC: Mar. 17 • Ashland, OR: Mar. 20-22 • Dallas, TX: Apr. 4 • Munich,Germany: Apr. 18, 19 • London, UK: Apr. 25 • Detroit, MI: May 9
Request information and our free book catalog: Center For Spiritual Awareness. PO Box 7-H Lakemont, GA 30552 USA Tel: 706-782-4723. Fax 706-782-4560 E-mail csainc@stc.net • Website http://www.csa-davis.org
Roy Eugene Davis' Books in India: (when ordering by mail add Rs. 15 postage each book) B. Jain Publishers. Post Box 5775 New Delhi 110 055
An Easy Guide to Ayurveda, Rs. 45 Motilal Banarsidass, Publishers 41 u.A., Bungalow Road, Jawahar Nagar, Delhi 110 007
The Book of Life, Rs. 65 A Master Guide to Meditation, Rs. 85 Life Surrendered in God (yoga-sutras), Hardcover, Rs. 295 • Softcover, Rs. 195.
.. Deities Gilded in 24 K. Gold
Ganapati sitting (or danCing), Ram Darbar, Lakshmi, Shiva-Parvati, Durga, Shirdi Sai Baba, Hanuman, Santoshi Ma, Tirupati Balaji, Vishnu, Shiva Nataraj, Krishna, Krishna with Cow. 3 to 5" (7 to 12 cm) high. $19.95 to $39.95. $3.50 shipping. Catalog. Discounts for retailers and temples.
Nirvana Collection 94 Route 416, Campbell Hall, NY 10916 USA • Tel: 800-374-2304 or 914-294-1498. Fax 914-294-3870.
Custom Tours to India
Kali Travel is uniquely qualified to organize custom-made tours to satisfy the needs of any type of group, organization or individual and to structure an itinerary appropriate to their specific needs and interests.
For more information, contact: Kali Travel Ltd. 169-12 Hillside Ave, Jamaica, NY 11432-4498 USA Tel: 1-718-291-9292
Moneesh Resources - Gifts and Books
For the past 18 years, we have developed an extensive collection of gifts, statues and books to support you in your spiritual upliftment.
• A broad collection of spiritual texts of all traditions, esp. Hindu-Vedas, Upanishads, Sutras, Puranas, etc. • The finest rudraksha malas, custom made-gold-filled, 14k gold, with silver etc. • A wide collection of wrist or necklace malas in various stones and styles • Statues of deities: Ganesha, Krishna, Shiva Nataraj, etc. • Posters, calendars and notecards of deities from the finest artists-all sizes • Puja and meditation items: Incense, prayer shawls, wool meditation asanas, cushions and more • Alternative health care remedies and books: ayurvedic and herbal preparations, essential oils and related books • Apparel: hatha yoga T-shirts and mats, meditation clothes, kurtas and dhotis
Call or write for our free catalog!
11oneeshResources 467 Brickman Rd., Hurleyville, NY 12747-5314 USA Tel: 914-434-8990 • Fax: 914-435-0018
39
,
Pragya Yug Literature Center, Chicago American Institute of Vedic Studies
Founded by Gayatri Pariwar YugNirman, Chicago. Featuring the enlightened, inspiring literature of Gurudev Shri Ram Sharma Acharya, which promotes the development of family and society by stimulating genuine awakening in the individual. Contact: PYLC, 2046 W Devon Ave Chicago IL 60659-2128 USA. Tel: 773-465-2533 Or Smt. Kusum Patel at Gayatri Pariwar, Chicago: 847-692-7712
Deja Vu Spiritual Adventure in Nepal
Expand your horizons in Vedic and Hindu Dharma. Practical teachings of Vamadeva Shastri (Dr. David Frawley). Authentic knowledge in a clear modern idiom. Books and courses, conferences and seminars, research information, from the Rig Veda to India Today.
Dr. Frawley's latest books: • Ayurveda and the Mind • Oracle of Rama • Awaken Bharata:
A Gall for India's Rebirth
November 6-26, 1998. Explore the treasures of Kathmandu; trek 12 days through the Mt. Everest region. Experience the spirit of Tibetan Buddhism through Sherpa villages and Buddhist monasteries. 4-day R&R in Kathmandu. Tour led
• Ayurvedic Correspondence Course: six hundred pages of in-depth material.
• Vedic Astrology Correspondence Course: six hundred pages of in-depth material.
• Vedic yoga and the new view of ancient India.
American Institute of Vedic Studies PO Box 8357 Santa Fe, NM 87504-8357 USA
by Susan Hull-Bostwick, director of Berkeley Psychic Institute. Deja Vu Spiritual Adventures, 2210 Harold Way, Berkeley, CA 94704-1425 USA. Tel: 800-204-TOUR or 510-644-1600. Fax: 510-644-1686 • CST #2022133-40.
Tel: 505-983-9385 • Fax: 505-982-5807 Email: Vedicinst@aol.com. Web: www.vedanet.com
Swami Tejomayananda
Dharma-Sevak Course Sponsored by
Chinmaya Mission West Taught by Swami Tejomayananda
Assisted by Swami Chidananda
June 14 - July 11, 1998 at Krishnalaya, Piercy, California Swami Chidananda
Four-week program for serious study of Vedanta. Empowers you to teach Vedanta, conduct study groups and effectively serve others.
For Brochure and Reservation: Call (707) 247-3488 or Fax ( 707) 247-3422
Youth Camp July 12-19, 1998 at Krishnalaya, California, USA Info: 415-969-4389
Vedanta classes. stucly groups. yaJnas. educational. cultural and social service activities.
Chinmaya Mission Main Centers: AUSTRALIA 61-3-9850-7148 Fax: 61-3-9850 6348 FRANCE 33-1-437-33794 Fax: 33-1-42786222 HONGKONG 852-2367-1278 Fax: 852-2367-5167
INDIA 91-22-852-2367 U.K. 44-181-9055453 U.S.A 001-707-247-3488
Fax: 91-22-852-7065 Fax: 44-181-9055656 Fax: 001~707-247-3422
Visit our website http://www.chinmaya.org 40 ~ ________ ~ ________________________________________________________ ~
"Ughh:" This miniature mutineer tells mom she'll only
PARENTING
To t[let What They Want , Why children try to "p1).sh your buttons"
OU DON'T L OVE ME! IF YOU DID,
you'd let me stay up and watch TV! Everyone el.se's mother and father does. They love them and you don't love me!"
So opens Dr. T. Berry Brazelton's chapter on "Emotional Manipulation" in his book, Touchpoints, The Essential Reference. BrazeltoFl expllains how this blatant attempt at manipulation will be familiar to parents. It will be accompanied by a wretched, oppressed expression. The lack of subtlety of such a request indicates 1;hat the child knows she hasn't a chance. BUt it will still impact parents, mlmy of whom will react angrily.
Emotional manipulation is usually thought of as an .attempt to control another person by artfui\ unfair .or insidious means. Within the parent-child relationship, it is normal, and unless parents overreact, not all that insidious. Children are trying out their wings.
In thinldng about emotional manipulation, parents should fIrst remember that they, too, manipulate their children "for their own good." They often try tq influence children's behavior-with rewards, praise, bribes and threats. Children learn tQ model themselves on their parents. Even a toddler soon learns that bringing her favorite book over to her parents is more likely to distract them from their conversation dian simply asking for attention. Looking sad or nestling next to a parent on the couch is e'tfective, too. Manipulation is involved in almost every part of a child's day, commonly through invidious comparisons. He might say, "You are always nicer to him than you are to me. You let him get away with it, but you always get
mad at me." To encourgge cooperation and reduce a child's attempts at manipulation, the following suggestions may help.
1) Before problems arise, discuss the issues. Ope~ly present the choices and the way you'd 'like the child to behave. Use times when the child is in control to di'scuss iSsues, not when she's in the midst of a struggle. 2) Respect' her for her capacity to make the choices you offer. Gear them to her age and ability to maintain control and to remember the choice. she's made. 3) Remember that provocative behavior is the child's way to test herself and her own limits. 4) E~amine your own tolerance for the child's misbehavior. Perhaps cer~ activities make you overreact. 5) Join her in what you want her to do. This not only giveti her a model but also gives you both a sense of communicating ¥.Qth each other. 6) Recognize that escalation of parental pressure and manipulations results in escalation of defIance in children; • offer alternatives. 7) If you defInitely want a child to do something, never ask, "Will you?" Instead, say, "Now it's tim!,)." 8) Praise her after cooperation is achieved.
Manipulative parents undermine trust, detracting from the child's ability to live up to a situation. When parents are direct and honest in their expectations for a child, she has the experience of being entrusted and empowered. Honest communication is the most powerful system parents can establish . • Parents are then modeling for the child an alternative to emotional manipulation. ..,,;
TO ORDER TOUCHPOINTS, THE ESSENTIAL REFERE~CE> WRlTE TO: ADDISON "'WESLEY PUBLISHING co., INC., RTE. 1z8,
REDDING, MASSACHUSETTS 100146, USA
Here it is-the Hindu art CD of the
decade. It contains a wealth of clip
art, Aums, patterns, textures,
sacred symbols, borders, finished
graphics and some rare Rajput
scans. More than J, 500 images
reflecting Indias rich traditions and
spiritual culture. Great graphics for
an ashram bulletin, yoga book,
Web page or multimedia presen-
tation. Mac only. Special offer for
Hinduism Today readers: S J 99.
1-800-890-1008 or
1-808-822-3152 (ext. 238)
Fax: 1-808-822-4531
E-mail: books@hindu.org
DHARMA GRAPHICS CD
HIMAlAYAN ACADEMY PUBUCATIONS
107 KAHOlALELE ROAD
KAPAA. HI 96746-9304 USA
BOOKS YOU CAN TAKE , SERIOUSLY
42
CLASSIFIED
Classified ads are uS$25 for 20 words, $1/word for each additional word, payable in advance • Hinduism Today, 107 Kaholalele Rd, Kapaa, Hawaii, 96746-9304 USA. Tel: 800-850-1008 or 808-823-9620 • Fax: 808-822-4351. E-mail: ads@hindu.org
Ashrams
Ananda Ashram. Sanskrit, meditation, yoga, cultural programs, intensives, retreats. One hour from New York City. Wooded setting. Tel: 914-782-5575. Fax: 914-774-7368 (USA).
Ayurvedic/Health
Discover Homeopathy! Books, tapes, medicines, software, information for laypeople or health profeSSionals. Homeopathic Educational Services, 2124 W Kittredge, Berkeley CA 94704-2604 USA. Tel: 510-649-0294. Website: http://www.homeopathic.com
Home Remedies from India: Herbal and Narural by Dr. Ranvir Pahwa, Ph.D, HerbalistHomeopath. US/Can$15 (includes shipping and handling) check or money order to: Heritage Holistic Health and Environmental Institute, 1527 A, Idylwyld Drive N. , Saskatoon S7L lA9 Canada.
Avoid gum surgery-save your teeth. Natural home-care breakthrough fights advanced gum disease. Proven. Painless. Economical. Call: 800-533-1821. Website: wwwalbrite.com
Meat substitutes: Textured Vegetable Protein and Instant Seitan. Fat-free, quick-cooking. Free catalog: 800-695-2241. PO Box 180-HT, Summertown, TN 38483-0180 USA.
Computer
Best software, Hindi/others. US$109 +$10 s&h. VB.L., PO Box 86065, Oakville, ON L6H 5V6, Canada. Tel: 416-315-3186. Fax 905-896-7500. E-mail: dsharma@worldchat.com.
Devotional Supplies
Ganges clayfired statues for puja, meditation, immersion, other rituals. Sixty intricately hand-painted images, many hard to find. Color catalog includes 200 other deities. Send US$2 to: JBL, Box 163 H, Crozet, VA 22932-0163 USA.
Quality Incense from India. Golden Rose. Neel Kamal Pure Sandalwood cones, and more. Tel: 970-949-6329 USA Email: vel@vailnet
Beautiful wooden puzzles. Krishna, gods and goddesses. Also two games for Hindu children: "Memory" and "Dominoes." Call Lakshmi: 209-337-2477 (USA). vrndavan@hotmail.com
. , Malas, malas, malas! Tulsi, rudraksha, lotus, sandalwood, rosewood and semiprecious. Silver and gold capped in rudraksha, sandalwood and tulsi. Sacred images and more. Call 1-812-323-9768 or write for catalog. Sacred Woods, 1916 Arden Drive, Bloomington, Indiana, 47401-6731, USA.
Education
Accredited Vedic astrology degree program offered by state-recognized Florida Vedic College (FVG) Also: books, workshops. Contact Shyamasundara Dasa, Dean of Astrology (FVC), Jyotish Sastri, member ICAS, fully trained by masters in India, over 20 years experience, author of the pioneer Matrix Jyotish Vedic astrology program that made Vedic astrology accessible to the West. Tel 352-332-3931. E-mail: shyamasundara.acbsp@com.bbt.se
Excellent correspondence course on Vedic Astrology by Jyotish Krishnan, recipient of several awards including the recent award of Jyotish Vachaspathi by ICAS, India. Normal cost for four courses, US$558 (registration through May '98: $200 off). Tel/fax: 972-783-1242 or write: PO Box 852892, Richardson TX 75085-2892 USA.
Vedic Astrology classes, workshops, tapes, books. Offered by Umananda-Stephen Quong, Ph.D., Jyotisha Vachaspati. 17513 Grizzly Den Road, Lake Shastina, CA 96094-9448, USA. Tel: 530-938-2997. Website: www.jyotisha.com E-mail: quongassoc@jyotisha.com
Free Products and Services
Free educational flow charts on all aspects of Hinduism. Write to Viswanath. Am I a Hindu? Box 56697, New Orleans, LA 70156-6697 USA. arvind-4@msn.com
Find God. "What right has a man to say that there is a God ifhe does not see Him?" Contact Dr. Aruna, 183 Jalan Besar, Bukit Tengah, 14000 Bukit Mertajam, Penang, West Malaysia.
Jewelry
Affordable gems/jewelry for ayurveda, astrology, meditation. Satisfaction guaranteed. Mail order. King Enterprises, 1305 N. H St.!A-289-T, Lompoc, CA 93436-4377 USA. Tel: 805-736-0449 (business hours.)
Astrological rings, pendants of gemstones, made to order in 14, 18, 22 karat gold or silver. Call Manju: 914-434-6630 (USA).
Music and Art
Hindu Deity paintings, notecards and prints from India. Website: http://wwwlakshrni.com. Catalog. Lakshmi International, 411 Madison Street, Boonton, NJ 07005-2051
East Indian instruments and gift items. Giant selection of instruments: harmoniums, tabla, daggas, kirtan instruments, audio/video
tapes. Also incense, spiritual books, etc. For a beautiful catalog, send US$l to Encinitas Imports, PO Box 230419-H, Encinitas, CA 92023-0419 USA. Tel: 760-436-9589
Beautiful devotional sculptures and masks. Special new-year offer-33% off classic cast stone murthies for your home, temple or retail shop. Ganesh, Shiva, Laxmi, Sarasvati, Durga, Buddha. Ht: 2 ft. (61 cm) or 4-5 ft. (1.2-1.5 m). Free catalog, tel: 800-608-8632,515-472-8115. Vedic Sculpture Studio, 607 W Broadway #136, Fairfield, IA 52556-3200 USA.
Exquisite Vedic paintings done to order. Art book, Windows to Spiritual World. For free flyer: Pushkar, PO Box 1094, Alachua, FL 32615-1094 USA. Tel: 904-462-0144.
PilgrimagelTravel
Discover the heart and mind of India/Nepal. Journey with Dr. Martin and Carol Noval. Noval TourslTreks. Brochure: 800-486-6825 (USA)
Products/Stores
Purity Farms organic traditional ghee. 100% pure, from cows raised completely free of hormones, chemicals or pesticides. A delight to cook with! Wholesale or retail. Ask about our 89-page book, Making and Using Ghee-theRoyaIOil. Call 303-647-2368, USA.
Elegant, custom-designed Hindu clothing for all occasions-kurtas, punjabs, salwar kameez, etc. Also, western. Free brochure: Palani Sewing, tel: 510-680-7278 (USA). E-mail: spalani@flash.net
Publications
Sri Aurobindo books. Ayurveda. Reiki. Classical spiritual texts. Homeopathy. Aromatherapy. Alternative health. Also over 7,000 health products including ayurveda, homeopathic remedies, herbal remedies, incense, essential oils, massage oils, etc. Wholesale-retail-mail order. Free catalog. Lotus Light, Box 1008HT, Silver Lake, WI 53170-1008 USA.
Auromere: Sri Aurobindo books, classical spiritual texts, ayurveda books, children's books from India, ayurvedic products, incense, and much more. Free catalog: 1-800-735-4691 (USA).
Palani Pan chang 1998. Trivedi's American Panchang available in English or Gujarati. US$9 +$2 sIh. 3 versions for NY, Chicago, San Francisco times. 510-490-1533. Devendra Trivedi, 4831 Piper St, Fremont, CA 94538 USA.
Samvid and Bharatiya Vidya: quarterly research journals on Indian culture. Samvid (Sanskrit): US$10/year. Bharatiya Vidya (English): $60/year (surface mail). Phone (+91-22)-363-4462/3/4. Fax: (+91-22)-363-0058. "Demand Draft" only, payable to BHARATIYA VIDYA BHAVAN do The Editor, Samvid, or Bharatiya Vidya, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Kulapati K.M.
Munshi Marg, Mumbai 400 007, India.
Vacation/Retreat
The Cave. Are you ready for the next step? Is your spirit "climbing the wall" to be free? Do you want to go deeper? Does true stillness evade you? Perhaps you are ready for Samadhi Cave, (NM, USA). Available for sadhana on donation basis, March-November. Tel/fax: 505-473-3~560. http://wwwsamadhihermitage.org E-mail: ananda@samadhiherrnitage.org.
Videos
Acclaimed spiritual videos: Sadhana-
India's holy men, see the Kumbha Mela. 60 min. US$33.95 pstpd (ck). Pal and Catalog available. Penny Price Media. 355C Lake Pleasant Dr. Staatsburg, NY 12580 USA. Tel: 914-876-0239, fax 914-876-0260
Yoga
Yoga in Daily Life Yoga, meditation, guest lecturers, satsang. Books, audio & video tapes and more. Free catalog. 1310 Mt. Vernon, Alexandria, VA 22301-1714 USA. E-mail:yidl@erols.com Tel: 703-299-8946 • Fax: 703-299-9051
Wanted
PRIEST-for Lakshmi-Narayan Mandir, Syracuse, NY. Graduate of Acharia, Shastri or Masters in Sanskrit. Minimum 2 years experience . Good in Hindi and English. Send resume: Anil Verma, Hindu Mandir, Box3114, Liverpool, NY 13090-3114 USA. 315-484-9723. Fax: 315-484-7863. E-mail:BIAVERMA@compuserve.com
Hinduism Todayis looking for news items, quips, quotations, cartoons, professional photographs, etc. HT, 107 Kaholalele Rd, Kapaa, HI 96746-9304 USA. Tel: 808-822-7032, ext. 227. Fax: 808-822-4351. ar@hindu.org
ShiJ_ping and Freight Forwarding Experience •.•
Best choice in shipping between USA and India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
JJAIR -; SEAS PTRANSPORT LOGISTICS, INC.
... one man's quest for the Pure Self within. Relive with him his years with Paramhansa Yogananda, and his inner-dimensional journey, culminating in a face-to-face meeting with the living being of Light call I AM THAT lAM.
SFO • LAX· CHI· NYC
BY AIR OR SEA. H.O: PO Box611117 San Jose, CA 95161 USA
Tel: 800-22-lNDIA or 4018-977-9040
Fax: 1-800-396-6659 or 408-977-9049 E-mail: sales@air7seas.com URL: www.air7seas.com
classes it) your home wid> an adept Yoga Master guidof the way. Whether you are a complete beginner
Yoga. these videos & audios will help Each has calming background music.
Now AVAILABLE. SP!CfAl OfllR .c ____ --, Escalate your practice with a new
2-hour advanced Yoga session with acclaimed Yoga Master, Yogi Han. For a limited time only - just $29.95
OTHER VIDIOS IN THI SIRlES Beginners - Level 2 60 minutes, was $29.95, now $19.95
lntermediate - Level 1 90 minutes, was $34.95, now $24.95
Intermediate - Level 2 90 minutes, was $34.95, now $24.95
SPlOAl Omi! • fREE AUDIO SIT OrdeF the full series of 4 videos at the newly reduced price of just $99.80 & receive the AudlO Set of 4 cassette tapes
--., • ..------' that will help you practice anywhere. A $48.00value is yours FREE!
The Christ Consciousness by Norman Paulsen. US$23 incl. s&h. Solar Logos Fdn. • PO Box 2008-H Buellton, CA 93427-2008 USA
OUR S -----YOGA TEACHERS' CERTIFICATION COURSE
Yogi Hari d Leela Mata
invite you to dtUdy Yoga
... in the comfort of
your own home
or in the quiLt of theird ...
CaLL flOW to or()~r or for infortlUltion.
800.96-L2553
YOGI HA.ru's ~ 2216 NW 8th Terrace
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33311
IN BRAZIL: Jm, 2S IQ fEB 6.1998 Held in a beautifUl. quiet retreat in the mountains.
AT THE ASHRMl IN FoRT LAuDERDALE, FLoRIDA
JUNE 5 IQ JUNE 19. 1998 Asanas • Pranayama • Meditation . Mantras Anatomy· Physiology. Vedanta Philosopby Diet. Kriyas • Introduction to Ayurveda •
Limited to 20 students $1500 covers tuition, materials, lodging & meals.
SADHANA WEEK Be in the company of a Mltster and get established in a balanced daily routine, or take the oppqrtWiity to deepen your own practice of Yoga and Meditation with his guidance.
AT THE ASHRi\M IN FORT LAUPERPALE. FLoRIDA
MG I VISA I AMEX/DISCOVER au~~,.ntic, y"!:a 'praoti,~ with spiritual awareness from th!; heart. H
<';ptdnun.' The lJriIilh Wh,,[ ,fYoga &'~". Shipping d haJ/dling
Jum; 19 TO JUNE 26. 1998 $900 covers tuition, materials, lodging & meals.
for the .... nce.ofa Hath. Yoga practice on tape. look no further." $4.()(} /or J.i:.lgluiiko + .50t la. aJditwflal ,(iJw I N BRUSSELS: JULY 10 TO JULY 12 Yoga in/,ma/ional 1~'rLtl or call for a fm calaloglll.
Hili 19iv ... d.", instructions and encourAges students to work at a comfortable _'I IN G ERMANY JuLy 12 TO Jwx 19 ~ - ~ "ililour we/; Jllt at www.yogif)ari.com.
I
the practice to suit thelt particular needs." y~jl JOUl'luU (}(lit for dalu ilt other plm:u . ~ __ ~~ __________ ~ ____________________________________________________ ~ 43
"One God, One World" will be
chiseled in many languages into
the white gral1ite ceiling of Iraivan
Temple, Americas first all-st€me
traditional Siva temple. In 1991
a small village was created
in Bangalore, India, for 1 00
craftsmen and their families who
are, to this day, hand-carving the
Iraivan temple to be shipped to the
Garden Island of Kauai. Call or visit
our web site for more details.
1-808-639-8886 www.HinduismToday.kauai.
hi.us/ashram/lraivan.html
nONE GOD,
ONE WORLD"
SAN MARGA IRA/VAN TEMPLE
107 KAHOLALELE ROAD,
KAPAA, HI 96746-9304 USA
A TEMPLE BUILT 'FO LAST 1, 000 YEARS
.., '" '" o u
Joe Criminal: Leggl action and n~ laws are putting rrwre and rrwre restraints upon srr:okers. Califorr:ians who light up in a restaurant now face stiff penalties.
Smoke'rs On the Run Secondhand smoke hazard leads to California ban
ITH JEERS AND CATCALLS, MANY
Californians kept right on puffing Thursday as the new year and
a new ban on smoking in ' bars arrived together< "It doesn't make me angry that I can't smoke. What makes me angry is that the government can dictate to a restaurant owner what they can and can't do," said Cathy Cawley, who rang in 1998 wifh a long drag on a cigarette while partying at Barney's Beanery in West Hollywood.
The law prohibiting smoking in bars gives California tqe nation's strictest no-smoking rules. But it got little respect when it went into effect at Ini~ght. As waitresses confiscated ashtrays, many smokers went right on smoking. At San Francisco's Cafe. DuNord, Granger Davis and Peter Rossi were smoking at 1 A.M. Each had a different reason "for breaking the law. "Because I'm drunk," Davis said. "Because addiction doesn't stop at Inidnight," put in Rossi. C~fornia banned smoking in restaurants and most.: other indoor workplaces in 1995. The law is aimed at protecting employees from secondhandsmoke, which has been linked to lung cancer, respiratory problems and other illnesses.
A judge Tuesday refused to block the ban as requested by a group of bar owners and others. Owners could be fined up to US$100 for a fIrst offense and up to $7,000 per violation for a series of offenses. Customers who insist on smoking could also be fmed.
The California law is the latest in a series
of legal actions aimed at reducing the incredible impact of smoking on America's health. The state of Texas settled a lawsuit against the p.ation's major cigarette companies for uS$IS.3 billion. It is the largest legal settlement in American history and will pay to treat smoking-related illnesses. "Our lawsuit asserts that the hi;tory of this industry has been rooted in a concl([ted, decades-long conspiracy to conceal the truth about tobacco," Texas Attorney General Dan Morales said, 'f\s a direct result, Inillions of American-fathers, sons, daughters, mothers- have died horrible, preventable, premature deaths." Thirty-seven other states have law,suits pending agqinst the tobacco industry.
Among the recent r\evelations is that, tob~cco companies deliberately developed marketing plans to hook teenagers as young as 13 on cigarettes, especially throlJgh the "Joe Camel" ad campaign. Anti-tobacco forces responded to this adInission by threatening to thwart a proposed $300' billion plus national settlement of all cases and go after the companies in court. ,
The basic strategy of the American tobacco companies is to weather the storm of law~uits as best they can without getting cigarettes banned altogether, cover their legal expenses by raising prices and in the meantime open new markets for their tobacco products in Asia and Africa where government control is still Ininimal. -.1
from Associated Press reports
,
. REVIEWS
BOlrn-Again Books Five scholars explere the souls, repeated entries and exits into and from the physical form
By TARA KATIR, HAWAII
o REINCARNATION DESK - REPORT
for reassignment," is a signboard in an episode of the popular Frank and Ernest coInic strip. Ernest poses ques-
tions wondering how he will come back this time: As a brilliant scientist? ' A rich businessman? Or maybe "just as I am?" Frank quips, "Oh, I'm sure they'll send you back as a completely different persorr""Nobody makes the same Inistake twice!"
Americans' affection for reincarnation is burgeoning. A 1989 Gallup Poll found that S8 percent either believe completely in rebirth or consideJr it a distinct possibilityand today the fIgure is riding at 72 percent. A peek ~ any large American bookstore reveals a plethora of books on rebirth. This law and its entwinemenit with. the principle of karma is revealed in From Death to Birth, Understanding Karma and Reincarnation (216 pages, Himalayan Institute Press, uS$IS.95) by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait. A disciple of the late Swami Rama, Tigunait offers humorous and original insights into one of life's most intriguing questions-what happens after we die? And how does karma affect"the outcome of our next lifetime? I
Sometimes we get discouraged when "bad" th1ngs happen while we're working so hard ... to do good. Tigunait points out that these are the return of past Inisdeeds (in this or previous lives), and the solution is to create our future with "exceptional karmas"-positive karmas created by intense repetition of mantras, tapas (austerity), selfless service, the grace of God and the company of saints, These help us override our karmic destiny and change our life. "Such loopholes in the law of karma," 1:igunait jokes, release us from its bonds.
Besides resolving to enter our next life a few steps up the human evolutionary ladder, we should equally consider how to best exit this ORe. Sh.ould we be scared of death? Not \ if it's approached with spiritual maturity. Sushila Blackman wanted to know how this is done, so she sought examples of great transitions, compiling and editing the uplifting Graceful Exits, How Great Beings Die, Death Stories of Tibetan, Hindu and Zen Masters
(159 pages, Weatherhill Press, uS$IS.9S). A devotee of Swami Muktananda, BJackman tells 108 soul-elevating true accounts of the remarkable ways ancient and modern spiritual giants departed this world. Especially esotefic is the narrative of the passing of Gyanamata, a nun of the Ramakrishna Order. Just"before death she exclaimed, "What joy! What joy! Too much, too much joy!" Upon her passing, Paramahamsa Yogananda
requested close disciples to feel her feetwhich were very cold. Then he asked them to feel the top of her head, which felt as if it were on fIre. Yogananda explained, "This shows she has left the body in the highest state of samadhi ... the thousand-petaled 10-tus ... she has no need to return to the world. But we'll meet again." Less than four months later Yogananda himself left his body.
While it's not.yet documented where Yogananda reincarnated (if he did at all), much
I
of today's world-thanks to the publicized Free Tibet movement-is fascinated to hear how Tibetan Buddhist monRs track and validate the reappearance of their revered leaders. Vickie Mackenzie documents this process in the death of Lama Thubten Yeshe and his rebirth in Spain as Lama Osel in Reincarnation, the Boy Lama (175 pages, Wisdom Publications, uS$I6.95), You'll follow events from the lives o f Lama Yeshe and Lama Osel through testimonies of the Dalai Lama, fellow monks, devotees and the Spanish parents of Lama Osel. We learn just how common an occurrence it is for advanced souls of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition to be identifIed in their next birth as they retur-n to serve Dharma,
What about other world religions? If you've ever wondered what Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus all have in common, you may be surprised to kllow it is
reincarnation, according to Steven Rosen's The Reincarnation Controversy, Uncovering the Truth in the World Religions (125 pages, Torchlight Publishing, US$1l.95). Guiding 'us through each religion's history, with a large bibliography at the end of each chapter, Rosen points out that mystical sects of Judaism and Islam both hold the belief For Christians, reincarna-
tion as a doctrine of the church was removed more for reasons political than theological in 553 BCE at the Second Council of Constantinople. Perhap" Rosen's evidence explains why today so many Westerners per-sonally feel quite comfortable with rebirth, reinspirecJ. by the age-old question popular in this "new age," "Who am I and wher, am I going?"
Amplifying the rebirth renaissance is Dan S. Wards Reincarnation Is Making A Comeback (219 pages, Vl{hitford Press, uS$I2,95, out of print, but fIndable) in which he objectively explore!> the implicit changing paradigm caused
by more and more peoples' acceptance of reincarnation as a valid law of life. Of cour$e, reincarnation is a vast subject, so Ward shows its interconnectedness with related psychic phenomena ranging from outof-body experiences to spirit possession to numerology. 8'0, to all those who fInd that the advice, "You only go around once in life, so you have to grab all the gusto you can" doesn't seem very sagely, treat yourself to the alternatives wonderfully presented in these handy books. ..,.I ,
Publishers:
T~ HIMALAYAN INSTITUTE PRESS, RR I , BOX 4 05, H ONESDALE, PENNSYLVANIA 18 431 USA; W ISDOM PUBLICATIONS,
361 NEWBURY STREET, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02115 USA; TORCHLIGHT PUBLISHING, INC. , PO BOX 52, BADGER,
CALIFORNIA 93603 USA, EMAIL: TORCHLIGHT@ COMPUSERVE.COM; WEATHERHILL, I NC., 568 BROADWAY
SUITE 705, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10012 U SA, E MAIL: WEATH1212@AOL.COM; WHITFORD P RE SS, 1469 MORSTEIN
ROAD, WEST CHESTER, P E NNSYLVANIA 19380 USA
APRIL, 1998 HINDUISM TOD A Y 45
,
HEALING
-{JIDS, Part Two: Tests '& Treatment ...
HIV tests are flawed, yet used to justify a potentially fatal course of AZT treatment . .
BY DEVANANDA TANDAVAN, M.D.
J;ST MONTH WE EXPLORED
the reasons some doctors and researchers feel the public is being mislead about the
nature and treatment of AIDS. Their position is consider~d heresy to prevailing medical opinion, and despite its potential impact, their point of view is ignored both by the medical profession and policy makers.
Central to the issue is the relationship of HIV (human immunovirus) and the condition called AIDS. Since the development of a test for antibodies to HIV in Ig8S, most doctors assumed an HIV + patient would necessarily develop AIDS. But it has been documented that there are 64 diseases or health conditions that can make an HIV test positive (Continuum Sept/Oct Igg6, compiled by Christine Johnson of HEAL, Los Angeles). This list includes such simple things as flu, flu va~cine, herpes simplex I & II, recent exposure to a viral disease or viral vaccine, rheumatoid arthritis, tetanus vaccipe, organ transplants, alcoholic liver disease, hemophilia, and receptive anal sex. More serious conditions on the list include tuberculosis, malignancy and other virus infections. There are also many cross-reactive results in the performance of the HIV test. It is not understood how clinicians could use the criteria of HIV + to confIrm any condition, since the antibqdies can resillt from any of these diseases. In other words, the HIV test is not a test fQr AIDS. It is not everf specifIc for HIV
As soon as the patient is diagnosed HIV +, doctors who believe "HIV equals death" insist on prescribing tlie toxic drug, AZT, or another DNA terminator. They do tRis despite the fact there is really no disease process or disease symptoms present. We must understand that AZT was in Ig84 used almost universally for the treatment of HIV, to forestall developing the recently
46 HI !'I DUI S M T O DAY A P"RIL , 1998
discovered and yet little understood condition called AIDS. An in~idious fear was cultivated in patients by medical institutions and pharmaceutical companies-"If you don't take k.ZT, you are going to die. Period." Most patients succumbed to the pressure-they took AZT in excessive dosage for years (at a cost ofUs$I,soo/month), pro-
gressed to a condition that resembled fullblown AIDS and died from the effects of this overdose rather than from the disease itself It was supposedly given to prevent replicatoion of HIV, and thus prevent progression of the disease to full-blown AIDS.
There were -some HIV + patients who did not succumb to pressures to take AZT; many are still alive today and live comfortably. Unfortunately, because such a result is contrary to the prevailing medical opinion on AIDS, very little study has been done on these patients. Researchers who sought to explore the true impact of AZT have been denied, funding for their work. As a result, the evidence against AZT and relat- · ed treatments remains largely anecdotal.
AZT now is often combined in lower • dosage with the "protease inhibitor type"
drugs to produce a "cocktail." There is less death with this cocktail therapy-it seems to increase CD4 T-cell counts for awhilebut this improvement is neither consistent nor permanent. The current. slowdown in progression and fewer deaths giv~s the appearance of statistical positive changes, but they are not valid. It seems we are no closer to a "cure" for AIDS when using the HIV / AIDS model. To be continued .. .
DR. TANDAVAN, 77, retired nuclear physician and hospital staff preSident, lives in Chicago, where he specializes in alternative healing arts. Visit his home page at the HINDUISM TODAY website.
EVOLUTIONS CELEBRATED: Jayanti birthday bash for Swami Bua JI Maharlij, attended by ISO devotees at his New York Vedanta Center. Though Swamiji doesn't divulge his age, devotees place it around 106. At his biggest birthday party to date, Indian instrumental and bhajana performances were lively. Swamiji then left for Panama on a lecture tour.
AWARDED: Legendary South Indian carnatic vocalist M.S. Subbulakshml, 8z, with the Bharat Ratna ('1ewel of India"), the country's highest civilian honor, on January 14, Igg8, the only musician so honored. Taught fIrst by her mother and later music guru Shanmugavadivu, she gave her fIrst formal recital of bhajanas at age 13 and later enthralled audiences around the world with her enchanting soul- A bright gem ful voice.
RETIRING: sgt. Mlij. Chaturbhuj N. Gldwan I, 60, from a zs-year military career in the US Army Reserve. An avid supporter of HINDUISM TODAY, Gidwani began as a private at the unusually advanced age of 3S. Enduring boot camp training with a platoon of teenagers, Gidwani quickly found a nitch providing needed guidance to the youngsters and earned the nickname "grandpa." A refugee from India's violent Ig47 partition and now a staunch follower of Military missionary Gandhian phi-losophy, he says, '1 believe my military contributions helped resolve conflicts without bloodshed." His career-long desire to see a Hindu chaplain in the US armed forces has yet to be realized, but he and others have successfully convinced the Department of Defense of the need (see "Call for Military Chaplains," March, 'g8). GidwaniSfamily, members of the Vedanta Society of Portland, Oregon, believe that "upholding the sacred Vedas in the West will bring unity among all faiths."
The J~urvedic Institute
Dr. Vasant Lad, Ayurvedic Physician and Director of the Institute, with visiting faculty, offer the Ayurvedic Studies Program, seminars and private consultations.
Yearly Curriculum: • I: Introduction to philosophy,
theory and systems (Fall). • II: Introduction to Ayurvedic
assessment (Winter). • III: Intro. to management of
imbalances (Spring).
• Correspondence Course by Dr. Robert Svoboda, Ayurvedic Physician
• Weekend and Intensive Seminars: Ayurvedic Cooking, Psy chology, Herbology, Pulse Reading, Sanskrit, Jyotish , etc.
• Panchakarma- purmcation and rejuvenation by licensed staff: oil massage, herbal steam, cleansing diet, herbal therapy, etc.
• Ayur-yoga- integrating Ayurveda and Yoga for the purpose of returning each person to his or her balanced state.
• Ayurvedic and Western herbs, extracts, oils, books, audio and video tapes and a quarterly journal.
Write/call for our mail order catalog and information: The Ayuvedic Institute. PO Box 23445 Albuquerque, NM 87192-1445 USA Tel: 505-291-9698. Fax: 505-294-7572
C ,onscious Living
Writings and Music of Sri Chinmoy ,
We offer a wide selection of Sri Chinmoy's inspirational and instructional written works, including essays, poetry, plays, and extensive answers to questions asked by seekers.
Music includes soul-stirring audio and video performances by Sri Chinmoy on instruments from all over the world.
New this fall-God Is ... , selections from the more than one thousand books Sri Chinmoy has written in over thirty years of teaching meditation and spirituality. His intimate knowledge of God transcend~ religious dogma and scripture, shedding light on each seekers path to the divine. In simple language, he transmits an astonishing depth of knowledge that directly communicates the wisdom of the soul.
For a free catalog with over 70 items, contact:
Heart-Light Distributors P.O. Box 85464-H Seattle, WA 98145-1464 Tel: 800-739-2885 or 1-206-527-2099 Fax: 1-206-527-2099
The Expanding Ligh t retreat center offirs a wide variety of workshops and retreats in yoga and yoga teacher's training, meditation, Ayurveda, alternative healing, chakras and Kriya Yoga. For a free 24-page guide to programs, call 800-346-5350.
Y~oga philosophy, med itation, and "plain living and h igh thinking"are t he fo un d at io ns fo r the Ananda inten
tional communities, which are based on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda (author of Autobiography of a Yogi). . There are seven Ananda communities-in Nevada City, CA (Ananda Village); Assisi, Italy (Ananda Europa); Palo Alto
and Sacramento, CA; Seattle, WA; Portland, OR; and our newest near Brisbane, Australia. T hree of the communities have schools based on the Education for Life philosophy. Ananda's retreat facility, The Expanding Light, offers programs year-round in yoga, meditation, alternative healing, and the spiritual lifestyle. T he Ananda Course in Self-Realization is available for h omestudy in meditation and yoga. Books and music by Yogananda and Ananda's founder, Swami Kriyananda, are available from Crystal Clarity, Publishers. We also offer a healing prayer network and support to 70 Ananda meditation groups in the U.S. and abroad. Visit us at http://www.ananda.org
The Ananda Course in Self-Realizatio n is a Audio Book: Read by Swami Kriyananda, a comprehensive home-study course with instruc- close, direct discip le who lived and studied tion in beginning and advanced meditation, yoga with Paramhansa Yogananda. Th e original postures for higher awareness, breathing exercises, 1946 edition of Autobiography of a Yogi yoga philosophy, diet, nutrition and vegetarian- audio book is $29.95, includes six cassettes ism, deepening your spiritualliJe and Kriya Yoga (approx. 10 hours) of selected chapters. To preparaton. For a brochure, order or for a free catalog, please call 888-535-8160. ~A call 800-424-1055.
II . Ananda, founded in 1968 by Swami Kriyananda, a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, is not affiliated with Se/fRealization Fellowship.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~47
iiZf
A New Incarnation of the Bita's Truths
Paramahansa Yogananda penetrates to the Bhagavad Gita's psychological and metaphysical depths, revealing its innermost essence. Many long-lost truths come to life in his new translation and commentary, illuminating the eternal questions found in every heart. God Talks With Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita 1,224 pgs, two vols. w/slipcase, US$42. Self-Realization Fellowship 213-342-0247 USA (9-5 Pacific)
DHARMAWARE: Gallery of Sacred Arts
Natar~ Books-5,OOO Titles
The Major Distributor of books from India.
A sampling from our catalog: • The Broken Tusk: Stories of Ganesha. Krishnaswami. US$19.95 • Hindu Astrology Lessons: 36 Teachers Share Their Wisdom. Ed. by Richard Houck. $16.95 • Lakshmi Puja, Dipavali Puja: Book with Cassette. $12.95 • Book of Daily Prayer for All: Meditations on Siva-Sakti. Das. $9.95 • Sacred Hindu Symbols. Chatterjee. $23.00 • Vishnu and His Incarnations. Gupta. $16.00 • Vedanta: What Can It Teach? Raina. $18.00 For 22 years, providing the highest
quality Hindu and Buddhist puja supplies to the growing Dharma community. Deity statues, South Indian bronzes, Shiva Lingams, Arati lamps, incense and malas. Send US$3 for 36-page color catalog specializing in Tibetan Buddhist items. 54E Tinker St., Woodstock, NY 12498-1200 USA. 914-679-4900 Orders from USA: 888-679-4900 Website: www.dharmaware.com
• Light of Truth. Dayanand Saraswati. $20.00 • Secret Power of Tantrik Breathing. Swami Sivapriyananda. $10.00 • My Music, My Life. Ravi Shankar. $25.00 • Namanjali: An Identity-Not Just a Name. Usha Kedia $9.95 Visa/MC accepted.
Nataraj Books 7073 Brookfield Plaza • Springfield, VA 22150-2915 USA Tel: 1-703-455-4996 • Fax: 1-703-912-9052 email: nataraj@mail.erols.com • Please ask for our free catalog
.L/"~.L//'~ ~ ~~ ~~ct (ff/W.~~
Kar u nam ayi :,:CI.:,;TY:....-______ ...:.DA::.:T.:,:ES:..... _____ .:,:CO:.::N:.:,;TA::.:C.:,;T ____ ....-l1
770-973-2614 Atlanta April 10-12 Dal las April 14-16 972-866 -6622 Hou ston April 17-19 713-526-5491 San Antonio April 20-22 210-434-1738
Bhagavati Santa Fe April 24-26 505-986-3881 Phoenix Apri l 27-29 602-502-8888 L.A. April 30-May 4 818-955 -7946 Santa Barbara May 5 805-957-4901 San Francisco May 7-9 510-482-8201 Portland May 10-12 503-297 -2181
Sri Sri Sri 425-391-9582 Seattle May 13-14 425-391-9582 West Coast Retreat May 15-17
Boulder May 19-20 303 -786-7437 Chicago May 22-24 708-481-4984
517-522 -8114 Ann Arbor May 25-26 416-598-3331 Toronto May 28-30
ViJ'ayeswari Pittsburgh Junel- 2 Maryland June 3-4 301-977-5666 Philadelphi a June 5-7 610-933-6019 New Jersey June 8 908-479-1037 Boston Jun e 9-11 617-354-0865
Devi East Coast Retreat June 12-14 914-941-36 59 New York June 15-18 718-898-2841 Frankfurt, Germany April 5-6 London, England June 22-24
~er birth, Sri Karunamayi has been revered as an incarnation of the Divine Mother, Sarasvati, Goddess of Knowledge, Music and the Arts. On behalf of humanity, She meditated in a remote forest for ten years. Come. Receive Her guidance in meditation and human values. Experience the fullness of Karunamayi's unconditional love. For more information, http://www.globeworks.com/karunamayi
..
48 ~~==========================================================~
BRIEflY", "WHA];.IS BI~DY CONSCIOUSNESS" and "Utility and dangers of egoism in the armea forces" , were two themes of a three-day workshop conducted for the Indian Army by the Aurobindo Ashram. This latest of five programs in two years was held at the College of Combat in Mhow, Madhya PradeSh, and was iptended to boost motivational levels by imparting spiritual training to thE! officers.
LESS BEEF IS CONSUMED IN INDIA than any other country in the world, according to a 1997 consumer survey by the Roper Starch Worldwide research company. Eighty-two percent of Indians surveyed enjoy a vegetarian main dish daily-compared to just eight percent of Americans and 27 percent of peElple worldwide. Malaysia leads the world in fish consumption.
'" THARU PRIESTS IN NEPALESE villages are renowned for saving people bitten by cobras, which regularly kill several thousand people a year in the Indian subcontinent. The priest and a band of assistants will rush to the house of the stricken person, p~~form prayers and administer treatment until the person revives many hours later. Mukhiya Tharu, priest of Bhakari village, has cured 70 people. Great, but how~any has he lost? Not a single one, he says. The deadly cobra
OVER 75 TRI~STEES AND HEADS of temples gathered in Udupi, Kerala, to protest the proposed "Hindu Religious and Charitable Institutions and Endowments Bill, 1997." The bill 'Would bring every Hindu temple and monastery, including the huge institptions of Mata Amritanandamayi and of Sree Narayana Dharma Sanghom Trust, under tight government control. Institution heads would be required to submit their yearly budget for approval by a government body. Government boards would be set up to assist in the administration of the monasteries, and "to define the powers and duties of the madhai~hipathi (abbot)." ~e proposed bill impacts only Hindu institutions, not those of any other faiths. •
NEW YORK HINDUS PARTIED from noon into the late night during Deepavali celebrations attended by 150,'000 people on October 5. New York Mayor Rudolph Guliani attended
and declared it "India Day." The ten-hour event was held at the South Street Seaport in Manhattan and included singers and dancers-notably the Nrityagram Dance Ensemble of India now on tour in America.
AT LEAST ONE MALAYSIAN HINDU is ups~t with the December cover of the UK 'Communications International. It displays Lord Siva Nataraja, King of Dance, holding various communication icons in His hands, such as a microwave tower and satellite. \ He stands upon a globe and is encircled not by a ring of fire, but a ring of telephone re-ceivers. Irs be- Flattery or sacrilege? come common in recent years to use the multi-armed dancing Siva image to depict complex, interrelated activities, such as high tech issues.
• I "GOD IS D~D" WROTE GERMAN philosopher Friedrich Nietzche in the late 19th century. Today, fElr the fIrst time in history, most Germans believe him. According to a poll by Der Spiegel magazine, only 45 percent believe in God, and just a quarter in Jesus Christ. Both results reflect the strong nonreligious trend in West European nations. In contrast, 96 percent of Americans believe in God or a Divine Spirit.
VINOD PRAKASH'S SON AND BRIDE found a unique way to support their fathers and grandfather's relief program in India. They told their wedding guests to not send presents, but to give money to the India Development and Relief FUnd's orphanages, woman'(.vocational programs and medical services. The fund sends 100 percent of donatiOIl.s to India. Contact: IDRF, 5821 Mossrock Drive, North Bethesda, Maryland, 20852-3238, USA. , NATIONAL CURRY DAY IS NOVEMBER 10 in the UK, home to 8,500 Indian restaurants with annual saleS:of US$4.5 billion. Tops among several unusual items produced for the day,
. which included a one-ton Jalfrezi, a spicy cut vegetable dish, was a curry-flavored ale made by Firkin brewel;)'. There were no re-ports on consumer reaction. ...
WHILE INDIA STRUGGLES with the concept of a national language- anything other than English-in the European Union, reports
CLOCKWISE ~ROM TOP: COMMUNICATIONS INTERNATIONAL, THE WEEVVINU ABRAHAM, COREL
I ,
The Eoonomist, "One in three people now spe~ English well enough to get along in conversation, making it the Union's lingua franca." Forty percent or more of the people in France, Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Holland speak English.
NAIMISARANYA~, a Malayalam-Ianguage magazine promoting Hinduism in Kerala seeks fmancial assistance to continue its publication, local teaching programs, carnatic music concerts and book production. Just US$80 a month is needed. Contact: Sree Hari. KK, Editor, Naimisaranyam Spiritual Magazine, P.o. Etakkad-Nadal, ·Kannur, Kerala, India 670 663.
TWO WOMEN PRIESTS have been been appointed to regular temple duties by Ma Amritanandamayi at temples owned by her ashram in Kerala. Soumyamrifua and Nalini, brahmacharini residents of tJ:e ashram, where they were taught puja ritual, are the first women to officiate at a public tem- Kerala's new lady priests pIe in Ker-ala. It is common for women to be priests within women's ashrams, and women served as priestesses in Vedic times. Other organizations, notably the Ai§a Sarnaj, have also trained women priests. Women are generally complemented as being more attentive to their devotional duties than their male counterparts.
AMONG A LONG STRING OF DIGNITARIES visiting London's ornate Swaminarayan Temple was the president of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. Personally welcomed by Swarninarayan leader Pr~ukh Swami Maharaj, Museveni invited Indians to res~ttle in Uganda, from which they were summarily ejected by Idi Amin in 1972.
THE UK WORLD COUNCIL OF HINDUS proudly announced that their t«;.xt book, Explaining Hindu Dharma: A Guide for Teachers, has sold out. The text Wc\s produced by sixteen authors over three years and is approved for use in UK schools. Hinduism is now an option for the "General Certificate of Education Examination." Thousands of 16-year-olds, many of them non-Hindus, selected this option in 1997- dontact: Dr. Nawal K Prinja, nprinja@aol.com.
APRIL, 1998 HINDUISM TODAY 49
\
. MINISTER'S MESSAGE
Child,ren ""+-Ire D.ivirie, Treat Them Thus
between them; and when the children see this repeatedly, they will also fight. Such a household will be filled With violence.
As kids experience growing pains, rerrtember that parents set the example by. their actions
It is important to seek the root cause of problems. Our bodies show many symptoms of illness before the onset of disease. These early signs are a blessing because they draw our attention to the source of irritation. We become more alert and sensi-' tive. In the same wa}, you should become sensitive to your children's reactions. Observe whether they are indicative of a serious problem or just a normal part of growing up. Avoid sermons-nobody likes to hear sermons. That is why whenever sermons are given, people tend to tall
BY , . .
S W A M I ,T. E J 0 MAY A N .f\. N D A
EFORE WE START OUR JOURNEY OF INQUIRY INTO
topic of parenting, let me tell you that I am not to give you some kind of magical formula that
will provide you with immediate relief. We need to think together to discover how we can arrive at the best solutions to this situation. There are no.black-and-white rules that apply all of the time. A man confessed; "Before marriage, I had six theories on raising chilmen. Now, after marriage, ·1 have six children and no theories!"
The first thing that is required when you face any problem is that you shocld keep cool. Calm down and relax. Remember that the problems you·face as a parent are not unique. They are co~on to all parents. Also, if you look at your situation more closely, you will fmd that your worries are not because all children are misbehaving, but because your cpild is misbehaving. This is possessiveness in relation to "my chih;l." Still subtler is the fact that the action of "my child" has a direct repercussion on me-on my image. If my child misbehaves, people.will ask, "Whose child is that?" and I will be embarrassed. So it is the ''1'' and "my" that is the cause of all this worry.
We think that our children belong to us. But remember, we ourselves belong to tpe Lord. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says, 'l\.ll jivas are my parts." In reality, everyone belongs to God. We all come together for some time, like co-passengers on a train or airplane, then depart, each to go his or her own way. Let us be. objective about our children. To quote Kahil Gibran:., "Your children come through you; but not from you, and though they are with you, they belong not to you." Each of us is an instru-, ment in the hands of the Lord. He is the real doer. Swami Chinmayananda used to say that a parent's role i . like that of a gardener or a farmer. The farmer does not create the seed or the soil. He only provides a conducive environment for the seeds to grow. Similarly, we should do our very best for our children and leave the rest to God. • . Imparting culture to our children is most important, but we
must begin with ourselves. If wt(want our children to be pleasant, intelligent, well-behaved and cultured, we have to develop these qualities in ourselves first. In the Bhagavad Gita it is clearly stat- ' . ed, "Whatever a great man does, others follow the same." Another shastra implores, "In houses where women are honored and respected, the Gods dwell there. Where the women are not respectect-and honored, whatever one dOes is futile .... The husband must see that the wife is happy and the wife must see that the husband is happy. When both are making each other happy, there will be auspiciousness and welfare for all in that house." If this ideal is not held.by both husband and wife, there will only be fighting .
50 HINDUISM TOD A.Y A RIL , 1998
..asleep! Learn to become a facilitator. Dealing
with our children in a friendly manner is as • important as what we convey verbally. Method and approach will differ' from child to child. Take genuine interest in your children's interests. By showing concern and interest in their activities and hobbies, you will fmd that they will be more responsive to your guidance. .
Establish a rappoi t with your child. The best way to do this is by letting your child know that he or she has your full confidence and love. Then alone will your child confide in you. There is a Sanskrit verse that says that you should fondle your child
until he is five, educate and discipline him until his fifteenth year, and, when he reaches sixteen, look upon him as a friend.
In and through the process of parenting, always remember that you and yoUr child belong to God-;we are all His children. Invoke His blessings on yourself, your child and everyone. Since He is the "inner controller," He 'will succeed where your direct control fails. Don't look for magical solutions. Always strive for a broader vision of looking at things. I wish all the best to you and your children.
Youth, Please Just Give This a Thought
HERE ARE ALWAYS TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY. SO
while I'm talking to your parents, I might as well have a word with you. You revolt against parental pressure, but you succumb easily to peer pressure. Are you aware of
this? You talk of independent thinking. How come that inde-pendent spirit doesn't arise in front of your friend? How come you easily become one among the herd? So, please be careful. Think and act. Self-control and discipline will help you achieve your goals. ..
T~ SWAMI TEJOMAYANANDA, 48, was deSignated head of Chinmaya Mission in 1993. Based in Mumbai, India, he frequently tours the globe elaborating on the Upanishads and other Vedantic texts.
1998 Celebrations at Barsana Dham
• Holi-March 14 • Ram Navmi-April5 • Mela/Open House-May 9 • Janmashtmi-August 15 • Radha Ashtmi-August 30 • Rath Yatra-October 3 • Divali-October 17 We invite you to visit Shree Raseshwari Radha Rani Temple at Barsana Dham and receive the Divine blessings of Radha Krishn. Barsana Dham, 400 Barsana Rd, Austin, TX 78737-9075 USA • Tel: 512-288-7180 • Fax: 512-288-0447 • www.isdl.org
WISDOM PUBLICATIONS
A leading publisher of Buddhiist books.
See two of them Ama Adhe: The Voice That Remembers and Reincarnation: The Boy Lama . mentioned in this issue.
Wisdom Publications
Browse our virtual bookstore at: www.wisdompubs.org Or for a free brochure, write to:
Wisdom Publications • 199 Elm Street Somerville, MA 02144-3129 USA
R.V. VEDTM
Ayurveda Workshop wi Dr. R. Svoboda J
March 28 & 29, 1998 Arsha Vidya Gurukulam Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, USA
This 2-day limited-enrollment workshop is open to medical and health care practitioners, students of Ayurveda and Jyotish, and other serious students wishing to deepen their knowledge of Ayurveda. Contact Ellen at:
Tel: 908-995-9109 (NJ, USA) Fax: 908-995-9037 E-mail: eleary@ptd.net
Pooja, Devotional and Wedding Items
Pre-packaged items for all types of puja • Homa pits • Deity statues, devotional pictures • Japa malasrudraksha, tulsi, lotus, sandalwood • Bhojaptra • Ganges River water • Oils· Religious Books
34159 FremontBvd I Fremont, CA 94555 USA • Tel: 510·793-7930 ~ ~ Fax: 510-793·7026
Pooja International
in English, Sanskrit, Gujarati and Hindi • Bhojaptra • Men's, children's kurta, pajamas, sari blouses, sari falls and petticoats • 1998 Jaintri & Panchang • Ask for our free list of items • Prompt delivery • M.Card, Visa, AmEx accepted.
AYURVEDIC NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS
If you are suffering from bum out, want to build muscles, boost immunity, increase strength and stamina, R.D. Vedic Energy for men & women is a blend of herbs that helps to improve physical and mental performance.
BY AYURVEDIC PHYSICIANS BALANCE YOUR DOSHAS
F()R HEALTH AND LONGEVITYTM
- Natural Intestinal Cleanser EXTRA STRENGTHTM - Nutritional
1"~~:UDDOlrt for proper Cholesterol levels • Ayurvedic Liver - Nutritional
A unique blend of Ayurvedic herbs to help nuhitionaUysupport optimum pbysical, mental, and spiritual health & balance. Kamatone TM is a total system tonic and rejuvenating formula for men.
R.U. VEO INC. 2115 • 112th AVE. NE
BELLEVUE, WA 98004-2946 USA
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE CALL US AT
1-800-925-1371/425-637-1400 OR SEND A FAX AT 1 -425-451-2670
WE ACCEPT MASTERCARD, VISA, DISCOVER & AMERICAN EXPRESS CREDIT CARDS
,
51
-
:
MISSION STATEMENT
Hindu Heritage Endowment is a publicly supported, charitable organization'recognized as tax . '
exempt by the IRS on April 22, 1994. Its ~mployer ID Ilumber is 99-0308924. FO.\,!l1deg by Satguru
Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, its philanthropic\mission is to p rovide secure, professionally man-" , .
aged financial support for institutions and" religious leaders of all lineages of Sanatana Dharma.
MA,RCH DO~NOR PROFILE
Santha Devi MUI1landy of Perak, Malaysia, has helped strengthen Hinduism in her area in countless quiet ways. Among these, she serves as secretary of the Manjung Hindu Sabha which runs various local r~ligious programs including hel(ling the poor. Discovering that other religions are taking in Hindu orphanl'.and using this as a means of conversion; Santha Devi is now working to establish a local Hindu orphanage. Hearing of Hindu Heritage Endowment, she made the decision to gift a life illsurance policy which was no longer needed for her family. She explained: "I know I'm leaving something for the future benefit of Hindus and HInduism and that I am leaving it in the
good hands of those who will manage the inoney well."
FUND OF THE MONTH
The largest known Siva lingam made of mercury (Pardeshwar jn Hindi) can be found in NeW Delhi at the modern, marble-covered ashram of Sri Swami Pragyanand. A focal point for devotees from around the world, th~ ashram is the fruition of maI)y years of dedicated work by !his tireless servant of God. Over the past 18-years, Swamiji has circled the globe numerous times, teaching, visiting devotees, performing countless Gayatri Yagnas an~ encouraging all to become vegetarian and follow the path of dharma through repetition of the ancient, Vedic Gayatri Mantra. Anxious that his ashram and mission are well maintained and continue to flourish, he has started the Vishwamata Gayatri Trust Fund which will continue to financially support his ' 'work decades, even centuries, from now. Swami ~ragyanaii.d Maharaj Ki Jai!
" A PROFESSIONAL'S PERSPECI'IVE: The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 phases in over nine years aI1
increase in estate exemption to $1,000,000. Maximizing the use of the estate exemption has been one of the most important estate planning strategies. In order to take full . advantage of this new provision, all taxpayers should review their estatE: documents. Additionally, the new tax law bars the IRS from revaluing a taxpay~r's prior gift for estate tax purposes if the statute of limitations for determining the value of the gift has lapsed. In order to start the running of the statute of limitations, taxpayers must file a timely gift tax return. Nitai H. Pathak, CPA MST, of Kling, ,Lee & Pathak, Artesia, California, (888) 721-5370 and (562) 924-?610.
. As a public service, HHE occasionally will offer the opinions of various financial planners. However, it endorses neither these advisor~ nor their counsel, and recommends that all individuals seek professIOnal adVice from severa! sources before mwg Important long-term deCiSIons .
. \
.:...
----~-...-"'--~~ ... ~-.~~ ..... -- -. - - '--',~-
RECENT DONORS
Hindu Businessmen's Association Fund Iraivan Temple Endowment Total $11.00
VeiAiahan $230.00 Mohana Sundari Gunasegaran $126.47 Mathavasi Travel Fund Easvan Pararn $87.17 Kriya Haran $179.00 Erasenthiran Poonjolai $75.00 Janaka Param $6.00 Edwin Hawk $983.41 Total $75.00 Deva Rajan $908.25 Dinesh & Sneh Jain $11.00
Total $1,231.42 Usha Devi Katir $69.20 Puri Monasteries Fund
Hindu Orphanage Endowment Fund Umah Rani Palanisamy $155.00 Ravi Chandrasekhara $20.00
Aran Sambandar $360.00 R.P. & Bharati Lathi $1,001.00 V Srikanth $100.00
Padmini Samuthiran $1,033.20 Total $1,021.00 Ramakumar & Sailaja Kosuru $20.00
Loganatha Shivam $300.00 Saiva Agamas Trust Matthew Wieczork $21.00
Palaka Shivam $300.00 Matthew Wieczork $10.00 Total $141.00
Saiva Siddhanta Church $8,559.14 Total $10.00 Hinduism Today Endowment Fund Sivaneswaran Sockanathan $78.00 Sri Subramuniya Kottam Fund Anonymous $478.82 Vayudeva Varadan $940.14
Andrew Schoenbaum $10.00 Chaturbhuj N Gidwani $250.00 Total $13,114.36 Total $10.00 Total $728.82
Kauai Aadheenam Annual Archana Fund Sundari Peruman Memorial Scholarship Hinduism Today Distribution Fund Darshani Alahan $8.50
Himalayan Academy $600.00 Rathi Devi Batumallab $110.20 Markandeya Peruman $25.00
Arjunan Ammasi $57.37 Veerasamy Batumallah $110.15 Total $25.00
Balamurali Balasupramaniam $22.65 Womana Skanda $30.60 Thank You Gurudeva Ramachandra S. Bhatt $30.00 Siven Veerasamy $60.00 Vayudeva Varadan $54.50 Ravindra Doorgiat $40.08 Total Small Gifts $51.03 Anonymous $20.00 Chitravelloo Gunasegaran $126.88 Total $370.48 Total $74.50 Kriya Haran $138.00
Kauai Aadheenam Monastic Endowment Tirumular Sannidhi Preservation Fund Renuka Kamalanathan $5.00 Kartikeyen Manick $35.66 Murugesu Kandasamy $14.27 Shyamadeva Dandapani $25.00
Ganesha Mathialagan $182.00 Sivan Murrugappa Naicken $22.29 Total $25.00
Jayaluxmee Moothoo $13.36 Kumaren Nataraja $8.91 Tirunavakkarasu Nayanar Gurukula Fund Kamala Mootoosamy $33.40 Ramsamy Natarajan $17.82 VelAlahan $47.00 Logadasan Murugesu $52.95 Dohadeva Samugam $1,812.00
Kumar Katir $150.00 Nalakini Niranjana $77.88 Sinniah Sivagnanasuntharam $106.60 Meeravadee Koothan $22.27 Chandran Param $214.60 Dhasan Sivananda $42.47 Indivar Sivanathan $10.00 Kanthasamy Pillaiyar $110.00 Total $2,024.36
Peshala Varadan $80.00 Silver Kumar Rajoo $3.10 Loving Ganesha Distribution Fund Total Small Gifts $5.40 Sarasvati Devi Ramanathan $12.12 Eric Mitchell $10.00 Total $314.67 S M Sane $101.00 Total $10.00 VlShwamata Gayatri Trust, Delhi (Reg'd) Govinden Sanjeevee $15.00
Malaysian Hindu Youth Educational Trust Swami Pragyanand $400.00 Guha Skanda $104.00 Saroja Vasudevan $9.10 Jeyasreedharan $40.00 Ram Kumar Singh $101.00
Clarence V. Williamson $100.00 Total $40.00 Total $501.00
Total $2,084.15 Mathavasi Medical Fund Unassigned
Matthew Wieczork $11.00 Anonymous $679.60 Elfriede Paoletti $108.00
Total $787.60 We especially thank those young children who gave a small amount, Total Recent Contrib. us$22,579.56 tithing from their allowance each month, creating positive patterns early in life.
INVESTMENT MANAGERS AND CONSULTANTS: Franklin Management Inc.; First Hawaiian Bank, Trust & Investment Division; Brandes In'Vestment Partners, Inc.; Pacific Century Trust (Bank of Hawaii); Alvin G. Buchignani, Esq., attorney; and Nathan palani, CPA. HPIE is a member of the Council on Foundations, an association of 1,500 foundatiohs which interprets relevant law, inte~
national and domestic, and g.ccounting, management and investment principles.
I WANT TO PARI'ICIPATE. WHERE SHOULD I SEND MY DONATION? You can send your gift to an existing fund, create a new endowment or request information through the address below. Credit car9- gifts may be made directly by E-mail. Or, use th~ HHE tear-out card in this magazine. to join our family of benefactors who are Strengthening Hinduism Worldwide. Thank you. , ,
lIINDu HERITAGE ENDOWMENT , KAUAI'S HINDU MONASTERY
107 Kaholalele Road Kapaa, Hawa.ii, 96746-9304 USA
Tel: (800) 890-1008, Ext. 235 Outside US: (808) 822-31§2, Ext. 235
Fax: (808) 822-4351 E-mail: hhe@l:)indu.org
www.hindu.org/hhe/
~ .~ ~
~ ;::::::
d ;...
~ ~ N
1» .... I» ~ . N 'llIl ~ c~ 6,;..:.13 ..,g § . .!,iJ "-.:! 'llIl i':-2J :::::1 ill " 0 '" I'l c+, """ ....c '-1-1 8 d a ~ 0 e g ~ u c .;:; '" ""'d 8 ~ '" II 0 '" . ~ ;. ~ '" It) ""tl " '" .~ """ ill til 'llIl § . .... .l:l 'llIl ~ ,....Q.-,j I» ~ 'E 0'- (J) ~ ,....Q -:; 0 til ~ .8 '" -= ~ ""'d .s ''ijj, :::!l '" ~ ~ . .., tri ~
"'ii! "j:: ""'d . ~ P ~ :p N'\ '" >1 '" '" " S I'l f-< .." ~ .... ..... ::s .... ~ ",""'d " " ..... - .... id "'ii! ,,~ I'l' " N .;:l ~ ~~ ~i 13.g ~~ ~ g'1l~ g:::l'1.~i'~ '" ~ ~ '" ... '" "'....... '-+< '" ..... ... '" d " '" ill '" ~ c 0 .~ ~ .... " Po< 0 "'.!l 0 "'''"'d'' '" "'....c iJ ::r: " .... id....c lJ)" ~ .:tle ""'d ~ "' ....c",::t:I ;." .. > ""'d~~u a- Po< ~ ""'d -:S 1 a ~ t- .:a ~ 1.:.a ~ ~ ~ ~ t-d ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
;:::1m ~ <u - <U ~j;i~ ' .-!"'!1Citl",,"", · rdl-4rtO ~ "' .... ....c .... ~ C Po< ~ 0 '" ill .!!l "',.,., '" 0'- 22' 1""'1 ~ III ."" ~ <U <U _ +I """"""...-. .
.~ .'" "-.:!"'ii! :.: ~ . ~,....Q Ql t ~ ~,j .§ §.:+< ,,~(1') ::s 19. · ~.:.a"' '' _P ...... ",,....Q " Jl,....Q .... .... " 8 .l9~ . ~ ;:l ~,....Q . 0 -:S 0 '" ::t:I .... ,....e. c 'U II '0 ~ I» '. ~ ~:; ~:::;;lo1 ~ ~ ~ a " ~""Jl'~.", ·"'.:.a.:.c""S0 .~ gj' ..:::. ::s 0 ~ .s ~ . ~ 0 I'l ""'d e ~ ~ 0 c.-6' ~ ~ ~ 2; '.E :::..8i ~ " ~ Po<.,],j §Jl I»::s .... ""'d 00"" 'llIl ~ ~ " ~ 'llIl " 0 .S ... '" " ",,....Q ~ ""'d I»":'S §,....Q . I'l j ~ 8
1) g-s.§~~~-s.g.~ .... ,....8~ ~ 1».s"1t.E . ~8 -tl " o " .. , "' O Po<....c"'''' ... ''' ''"'d ",-" ", _ "-<:j..., i~ C " '" .... '" ... '" 0" r~ ....c . ~ ... 0 ...... z '~ ..,.. '*I: ~ "" c-Ir-'PoIitI~Poc....,aPol o o.....:~ ...... !'O,...QO r-'~- '-..)
·S 1 ~ ..:a ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ g ~ 0 ~ ~ :::::1 0 o4lO'-1l 8 0 ...... 'S ~ ~ "a~~O:;;~
Jj , -cs ..,.,rUt--<N ..-"I>1('f»:t::\[)~
~Oo{'f)8-oo ".ll :P rl o ~O'-~tO
-:S " ~ .. ' "'(J)~ '-'-< .-,j . o.. ...g t: ,,' (1; ""' '
o Q ~ ro ~ ,u ~ ~ ~
~J5 " ~ >£ ~ 6 w] o . -:S " ,~o...s:rl ~ e ·s :P ~ ~ r:/J .:9 g ~Id~~ott ~ ~~ ~ ~.-g~~ --lSUkCl.l k ~ b ~ ~ k ~-a ..£
rS ~ §f::Q >£ SuO
6 ~ ,.. s c).. ~ "'~ o " .1jl....ti gJ ~ ""'d '.E Po<'o " S '" 8 8 1:1 S
...... 0..., o ""'d' a '" " . ~ ~ lJ)
""'d,....Q a-
o~ ~ ",' <Cl ;;;J
~""'d ::S tU <Ll ' .
~ -€c .~ ~ 'til ft
. ~ g' ~ .:.a] ~ ~ I'l =il
....9:§ ~
'1l.:.a~ ""'d " -;::""'d o '" ~. ] .... 0
~ "'ii! . ~
:i~~ ;;'I'l ~ " 0 ... .g ~ ...B 0 0 ...
.... - " .8"'ii! '1 ~ § ~ o :p " ""'d.:.a:o . ~ c ~ ~ 8 ~ I § '1l <:I . !:l~ TIl '" c <:I.s . ~
Q ~ <.+< ;:l 0 0 ;:: ~ """"' ~ """'d
TIl,....Q " e:: OJ' J ;:'~o
-tl ~ .
@ i.~ 1:::;;J ~ .1:: ......
0 I»
!:l:; ; ...... . !:l "'3 ;.. ~ 'llIl ~ " '" ~ "'~ ~ e iii ;:! ," C ~-li v til 8 ~ ~ N ~ ~'~ ~ 0 r:/J E til N
::::: 8 ~ ~ U g. ::::: i1 ~ ~ !l: Ei
(lj ""'d ;3 ~ § ~
CD-ROM
Purifying Postures THE RATRA YOGA OF
I BKS Iyengar is now on CD-ROM. "Yoga For All" guides children and adults through asanM (postures) with interactive instruction from the renowned teacher .and his daughter, Dr. Geeta Iyengar. A classroom
~, ~sting,back bends, fuversions and supine. Many browsers will go right to the 4Q sets of restorative poses for ailments such as diabetes and high blood pressure. The option of customizing your own workout is one more reason to strike a pose in this healthful Hindu discipline. Windows only. 05$20. Write to: Kirloskar Computer Services, 5570 Malles·
Put on your headphones and sample the sounds MUSIC
Ragas, and Then Some
Good preparation for deeper yogas and :meditations
WE ALL LOVE UPLIFTING MUSIC TO
accompany work or relaxation. India's scintillating classical traditions, with vast melodies and rhythms,
were composed by t'ishis to provide a lasting spiritual effect in the listener- as proved by their endurance through millennia. The Gramaphone Company of India offers these sounds on CD at its website (www.saregama.com.) View the latest releases from prodigies like Hari Prasad Chaurasia and S.P. Balasubrahmanyam- and sample a track online before you order. To find hundreds of classical CDs (mixed in with modern), go to the search engine and type in a language, followed by the name of a singer, raga or song title.
video and 1,000 illustrations teach 23 poses in six groups: sitting, for-
PUBLICATIONS
River of Books
NO, IT'S NOT IN
South America. www.amazon.com. "Earths Biggest Bookstore,~ ~an be visited anywher.e you have an Internet connecti0n. Boasting over 2.5 mil-
waram West, ,Bangalore 560055: India. E-mail: mmedia@Kcsgroup.com
specific titles to see the book cover, reviews and excerpts, then drop the
Our CualofMn Rae_lid TV r/HIM Ad,t IJr ll#...JllLb1l#.
"Imtglnt mll.urpr1I1", thtrtll-tomltll'lI9 WO/nIM, 'dlleilldand tntnld .. ,n , ltOrrllU, relS'd In tll. l lllhtrtn
books you want in your "Shopping Cart." Most titles ship the next day .
Oro"," IM' lglon .. Splrl:IoIalltyoy Sub)Kt
t ,vrtGlor"r,rlhhltn(5a_lI,rt)
0"""""" , OjDI.&O!b,cSQmdTu!· 0 "","",", .~g~
(SO _lit .. ) ° <,,,,,,,,u, .. ,.,,,,,, ('1a ..... 'It ... )
• ftdb-n"'aPSIIglso l
0"""" . ~(SO_1ttr')
lion titles, most of them discounted, this expert website has tons of religious and metaphysical books. Key the word "Hindu" into its sophisticated search engine and over 1,200 titles appear. "Yoga" gets 1,200 hits, "meditation" 1,000 and 'mdia" fmds 2,000. Try finding books that quickly at your local Borders store! Click on ~ Check out Amazon's 50 top selling Hindu books
UFE MEMBER .HINDUISM TODAY f<OOISSANCE CIRCLE. ~************** AUTO 3"';DIGlr 959
kiLL & EM Z £; j t= "~"
.~~
PffRADlSE Cft 95969-5969
Vedanta's Vanguard THE LATE SWAMI
I Ohinmayiinanda was never known to lack Wise words- insights such as: "Out of pw;ity and silence come worils of power:" Find more of his potent sayings at the website of Chinmaya Mission (www.chinn).aya .org). Besides basic info about the Mission, you'll learn about dynamic
CHINMAY;
MISSION
THII. ,.UIltfl'O.1E 0 ... C H INM AYA I
,e TO ""OVI DII TO IN DIVI DUA L
swamis, led by Swami Tejomayananda, who lovingly inculcate Vedanta philosophy in today's youth, especially through Chinmaya family camps. Read reports of their efforts in the online newsletter, Smrithi. Or fmd out how to j0in one of over a thousand dynamic Chinmaya study groups that meet weekly to explore Hindu scriptures in satsanga style.
~PRI)FIT ORGANlZATIDN
U.s. POSTFBE PAID UBERTY, 11) PERMIT NO, 275
Recommended