<b>A lost Vedic ritual is brought alive </b>
Hyderabad: The ancient ritual of Ashwamedha Yagam, conducted by emperors to extend their domains, will be resurrected in Hyderabad on December 11. In the modern age, however, the ritual is intended to extend the domain of peace and tranquillity across the world. The Hyderabad-based Aananda Aashramam will conduct the Ashwamedha Yagam and will invite people of all religions to take part in it and offer prayers for the well-being of humanity.
It was a popular Vedic ritual in ancient India but became rare in the last 2,000 years. âIt is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,â said Dr P.V. Sesha Sai, the yaga kartha or organiser. Ashwamedha Yagam is of two kinds â Snarta Ashwamedha Yagam and Srouta Ashwamedha Yagam. Kings used to perform Srouta Yagam and would sacrifice a horse at the end of the ritual. The Snarta Yagam was performed by saints without animal sacrifice.
âWe are going to observe the Snarta variety in Hyderabad, reviving a tradition which became extinct long ago,â said Dr Sesha Sai. It is a Vedic ritual which has a deeply secular and political dimensions. The role of the priest is not as prominent as in other rituals. The sankalpa for the yagam took place in the month of Maha Maghi (February). âWe have selected a bright day of Margasira maas coupled with Sunday and Revati Star to hold the yagam,â said Dr Sai. âIt will be on for eight days.â
Jagadguru Sri Ganeshananda Bharathi Maha-swami will bless the yagam which will be performed as per Vedic traditions. Along with Ashwamedha Yagam, priests will also conduct other yagams. Individuals aspiring for âpolitical prosperityâ can take part in Sri Sowra Yagam. Sri Varuna Yagam will bring timely rains and Sri Runa Vimochana Pasupatam will help a person escape from debt traps.
The priests will also conduct Sri Kanya Pasupatam (for marriage), Sri Kubera Pasupatam (for business success), Sri Mrutyunjaya Homam (for long life), and Sri Navagraha Pasupatam (for relief from bad times) along with the main yagam. Dr Sesha Sai said that there was a clear difference between Ashwamedha (horse sacrifice) which is held as an outward rite and the one held as an âinwardâ one.
The external rite was performed by kings.
However, the horse is also the symbol for life-energy inside the human being and in the cosmos. Medha means âofferingâ as well as âintelligenceâ. In the âinward riteâ, Ashwamedha is an offering of the life force to the deity.
As part of the ritual, 108 couples, 108 students, 108 housewives and 108 girls will be honoured. In tune with the times, a Sarva Dharma Sammelan will also be held.
The yagam will be held in about 100 acres of land and 300 Vedic scholars will participate in it. And of course, horses will be very much part of the ritual.
news.webindia123.com/news...&cat=India
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Vedic mantras replace birthday jingles in Jaipur</b>
Jaipur | October 26,
Rahul celebrated his 15th birthday not by blowing candles atop a cake but by lighting 15 earthen lamps - a trend of traditional celebrations is now catching on among people in this Rajasthan capital.
The well-decorated cake with birthday candles over it, festoons and foot tapping music are slowly giving way for some to lighting small mud lamps and prayers and even Vedic rituals.
According to sociologists, this could be attributed to a changing mindset among the city's people - to not blindly follow western culture or could be a sudden desire to respect ones own culture. But, the winds of change have replaced birthday jingles in a few homes with the chanting of Vedic verses.
According to Rahul's father Ram Mahohar: "Blowing of candles is considered ominous, as bringing bad luck in our tradition because it is something associated with death. I therefore persuaded my children not to do it on their birthdays. It's not part of our culture and I am happy my child accepted it."
"I was really happy to light the lamps," said the Class 10 student. "I found it more close to my thoughts."
The trend is catching on among some professionals and students too.
Management student Surbhi Mathur, considered modern by her friends, celebrates her birthday in a similar fashion.
"On my birthday I light lamps at a nearby temple and seek blessings from my parents. Though I do throw a small party for friends, but it never includes blowing of birthday candles. I know it doesn't auger well. Wearing western outfits is a different matter, and we are all Indians at heart," Surbhi said.
"The Indian way of celebrating birthdays involves prayers and rituals. Apart from being a low cost affair it also provides mental peace which increases work efficiency," states Om Sharma, a 40-year-old professional cameraman.
Parvesh, a local businessman, says: "Every birthday in my family is celebrated in a typical Indian manner. We offer prayers for the longevity of the person whose birthday it is. Later, we give free lunch to the needy."
Is the gloss of western culture fading away? <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
HINDU GODS: A deathless fascination
Published on November 13, 2005
Indiaâs pantheon still exercises its old power in Buddhist city. For generations, Hindu gods and goddesses have occupied a special place in the hearts and minds of many Thai Buddhists as well as foreign visitors, especially from other Asian countries.
One unique place in Bangkok where you may observe or worship these deities is the Ratchaprasong intersection, where many of the cityâs upscale shopping and hotel complexes are situated.
Last Wednesday was a special day at the extremely popular Brahma shrine in front of the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel. Hundreds of Thais and foreign faithful flocked to the shrine to pay obeisance and pray for fulfilment of their desires.
Apart from the Brahma shrine, set up in 1956, there are five other prominent shrines in the vicinity of Ratchaprasong intersection.
A statue of the elephant god Ganesh sits in front of Isetan shopping centre, while the Trimurti, a form of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, the Hindu gods symbolising creation, preservation and destruction, adorns the front of Zen department store.
At the Intercontinental Hotel near Gaysorn Plaza, Narayana, another name for Vishnu, is mounted on his celestial vehicle Garuda, while the plaza itself has the Statue of the Goddess Uma Parvati on its fourth floor. Opposite Gaysorn is the Amarin Plaza, where the rain god Indra stands majestically.
The property-owners view Hindu gods and goddesses as helpful for the prosperity of their businesses. For instance, the owners of the original Erawan Hotel decided to build a prominent shrine to the four-faced Brahma back in 1956 after several workers lost their lives in mysterious construction accidents.
Essentially, the shrine was intended to ward off misfortune. Since its consecration, the shrine has become a model for similar ones nationwide.
But the power of Brahma in front of the Erawan Hotel is perceived to be so enormous that when Central Pattana Plc took over the nearby World Trade Centre two years ago it decided to dedicate a shrine to the trinity, which includes Brahma, in front of its new property to ward off any potential business misfortune.
Kitti Wattanamahatma, a well-known theologian, said: âBusinesswise, itâs not good if the powerful Brahma faces the World Trade Centre, so the Trimurti shrine is needed to resist Brahmaâs power. However, the sculpture of the Trimurti in front of the World Trade Centre [now called Central World] does not show them holding weapons. Hence I think they might not be in a position to check the power of the Erawan Brahma shrine.â
Phanuwat Phanwichartkul, an astrologer and expert on Chinese fengshui, observed that the location of Central Worldâs Trimurti shrine was wrong.
âAccording to fengshui theory, the triangular logo of âCentral World Plazaâ seems to be incorrectly placed in front of the shrine,â he said.
Even as theologians debate the positioning of the Trimurti, the shrine is being thronged by Thai teenagers. Many of them view the Trimurti as a loversâ shrine and visit the place to pray for romance and good relationships.
Kitti noted that there might be a misunderstanding among the teens as the Trimurti are not really associated with love or romance.
To ensure that its multibillion-baht property is adequately helped by deities, Central World later decided to erect another shrine to Ganesh, the god of accomplishment, wisdom, and success, on the other side of its shopping complex.
As for the Intercontinental Hotelâs Narayana shrine, Kitti said the image seemed to have been built as if it was part of the hotelâs d?cor, surrounded as it was by fountains, rather than being erected as an idol with a sanctuary.
âAny Hindu shrine needs a sanctuary to have any real power to protect the business,â Kitti said.
However, Phanuwat explained that both the Narayana and the Indra (in front of Amarin Plaza) we4re supposed to protect the properties from evil forces as they were situated next to the Skytrain mass-transit system.
Although some of the oldest Hindu texts dwell on a monotheistic concept of godhead, Hindus have for centuries worshipped deities in various forms.
Besides property-owners, all these shrines of Hindu gods and goddesses are also immensely popular among local and foreign worshippers, especially the Chinese from Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Chen Siek Hui, an Indonesian-Chinese, said she had returned to Bangkok last week after a trip to Vietnam to offer prayers at the Erawan Brahma shrine and thank the deity for answering her prayer.
âI prayed here last year when my business ran into trouble. I believed Brahma would give me the courage and strength to solve the problems. Now my business is running smoothly, so I came back to say thank you, and while I was here I asked for better health for my mother,â she said.
A relative of Hui, who accompanied her to Bangkok, said there were several Brahma shrines in Indonesia but Hui had great faith in the one at the Erawan Hotel.
Besides Indonesian-Chinese, the Erawan Brahma shrine often sees worshippers from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia, including celebrities. Among these is Taiwanese movie star Nicolas Tse, who said that his prayer had been answered after he visited the shrine.
Pathomkanok Barnes
The Nation
Mitra posted this in xtian missionary thread. A very interesting read.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>He made Ram India's cultural icon </b>
Pioneer.com
Saurabh Tankha / New Delhi
It was in 1942 that an astrologer in Kashmir told Ramanand Sagar that he would change the world. At that time, he didn't even have money to buy milk. Change he did, a nation's identity, churning and frothing up a movement with his epic Ramayan, one that made Hindutva a matter of collective pride and social connectivity.
The uninterrupted two-year run of Ramayan marked a turning point in the history of Indian television. He precipitated a "national bandh" Sunday mornings by bringing the gods into every household in India, humanising them and converting our pantheon into a social reference point. Did Ramayan act as a brandwagon to promote Hindutva?
Says Arvind Trivedi, who played Ravana in the TV epic, "Hindus always knew about the epic called Ramayan but it was limited by the oral tradition. And though there were Ramlilas in village India, there was never a visual counterpart for urban India, which was slowly opening up to a rapidly homogenising world. Ramayan, the teleserial, made Ram a sophisticated culture icon, something you could have with Sunday brunch and not feel guilty about.
There was this strange enthusiasm about being a Hindu all over again. Sagar sahab was a pious man who taught us the lesson of humanity before anything else. He would have loved being proud of weaving a collective consciousness, anything that brought people together, from the north to the south, the entire length and breadth of the country."
Author Mridula Sinha, who recently completed a biography on Sita, feels, "Through Ramayan history was created. It laid out the formula for re-establishing sanatan values. Our youth was moving away from our culture and values. Ramayan brought them back." Sagar not only brought awareness and peace among the society through the serial, he also set an example of national integrity. Be it Hindus or Muslims, everyone was in front of the TV at 10 on Sunday mornings."
Agrees music director Ravindra Jain who worked with Sagar on Ramayan. "We got numerous letters from Muslim households that their kids had started massaging the feet of elders. Not this alone, it ushered in a revivalism among the youth, they wanted to get back to their roots."
Jain, who took over from the legendary music director Jayadeva who fell ill during the making of Ramayan, adds, "I completely agree with the fact that the serial got us back to our tradition and values. Logon mein ek nayee jagriti jag gayee thee Ramayan dekhne ke baad."
However, author-writer Manohar Shyam Joshi, who never had a chance to meet the director, is sceptical of Sagar's revivalist streak and feels he was much an unwitting culture crusader. "How could he have thought Hindutva? He had been a Leftist all his life before he planned and made Ramayan. It was only during the making of the serial he started wearing a rudraksh mala. If someone makes an epic or a mythological film, he would have to talk about religion and so did Sagar," he adds.
But Babuji, as he was fondly called by peers and his juniors, certainly enjoyed being patriarch of one big happy family. And its values.
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India to teach Ayurveda in the US
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->In a major step towards promoting Ayurvedic studies in the US and tapping its $40 billion herbal market, India has cleared the proposal to send experts to teach Ayurveda in 10 American medical colleges.
âPrime Minister Manmohan Singh has extended his full support for the proposal and we are in touch with officials of Ayurveda Department in this regard,'' said Navin C Shah, a senior medical representative of Indian doctors in the US.
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Manuscript preservation `a big challenge'
Staff Reporter
India's manuscripts, which are in a bad condition, must be preserved, say experts
# India's manuscript collection oldest, most extensive in the world
# National Mission for Manuscripts hopes to cover all States by 2008
PRESERVING HERITAGE: V.R. Panchamukhi (right), with George Cardona, S.P. Thyagarajan and Sudha Gopalakrishnan in Chennai on Thursday. â Photo : M. Vedhan
CHENNAI: The National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM), set up by the Ministry of Culture, hopes to scan manuscript repositories in all States by 2008.
Addressing the inauguration of a three-day seminar on Krti Rakshana: Manuscripts and Indian Knowledge Systems, jointly organised by the NMM and the Department of Sanskrit, University of Madras, on Thursday, Sudha Gopalakrishnan, Director, NMM, said the knowledge reposed in manuscripts must be preserved.
The manuscripts, among the oldest and most extensive in the world, were spread across the country. However, most of them were in a state of decay and damage.
By the end of 2008, it hoped to cover all the States to scan manuscripts in the public and private domains, she said.
The University of Madras was collaborating with the NMM in digitisation of records.
Releasing the `Catalogus Catalogorum,' CD, S.P. Thyagarajan, Vice-Chancellor, University of Madras, said his interest in manuscripts was connected with his research in jaundice.
The occurrence of liver cancer and cirrhosis was related to Hepatitis B virus, which led him to manuscripts for references to the `keezhanalli' leaf, which is used as a medicine.
V.R. Panchamukhi, Chancellor, Rashtriya Sanskrita Vidyapeeth, (Deemed University), Tirupati, said it would be a huge job to undo the damage to the manuscripts.
George Cardona, Emeritus Professor, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Kutumba Sastri, Vice-Chancellor, Rashtriya Vidya Peetha, New Delhi, and Siniruddha Dash, Head of Department, Samskrit, University of Madras were present at the inauguration
http://www.hinduvoice.co.uk
A new online UK based Hindu e-mag, it might come out in print soon, the 2nd online edition will come out soon.
Hindu Lite
Saffronization of US! <!--emo&  --><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tongue.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--emo& --><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tongue.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--emo& --><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tongue.gif' /><!--endemo-->
http://www.sanatansociety.org/yoga_and_med..._philosophy.htm
Hinduism represents a very broad and diverse philosophy embedded within religion. Too broad really to have any pretentions about explaining what hinduism stands for on a page like this.
In origin Hinduism rests on the vedic traditions and on the tantric traditions. The vedic traditions are best represented in the Veda's, the main and first holy books of hinduism, although they existed as a purely oral tradition long before books were invented and although many later hinduism scriptures became of vital importance. The tantric traditions in hinduism do not have any particular holy books, but much rather combine many ancient sciences such as astronomy, astrology, numerology, physiognomy, physics, chemistry, alchemy, Ayurveda (the traditional medicine of India), psychology, mathematics, geometry, and so on. See also Tantra Yoga.
There are many concepts that are very important in Hinduism philosophy. Hereafter we start with but a few :
Hinduism Is Not a Religion?
Join the Discussion
"I combine beliefs from many religions to form my own belief system... " ~ JOSH
Related Resources
⢠Hinduism Basics
⢠Be an ideal Hindu
⢠Hinduism not a Religion
⢠Hinduism for the West
What is Hinduism? It's a religion. Not quite right. The most obvious misconception about Hinduism is that we tend to see it as a religion, a faith. Hinduism is a way of life, a Dharma. Dharma does not mean religion, it is the law that governs all action. Thus, contrary to popular perception, Hinduism is not a religion. For centuries the world has misinterpreted this, and out of this misinterpretation, has come most of the misconceptions about Hinduism.
Words like Hindu or Hinduism are ananchronisms. They do not exist in the Indian cultural lexicon. People have coined them to suit their needs in different points of history. Nowhere in the scriptures is there any reference to Hinduism.
Hinduism does not have any one founder, and it does not have a Bible or a Koran to which controversies can be referred for resolution. Consequently, it does not require its adherents to accept any one idea. It is thus cultural, not creedal, with a history contemporaneous with the peoples with which it is associated.
Writings we now categorise as Hindu scriptures include not just books relating to spirituality but also secular pursuits like science, medicine and engineering. This is another reason why it defies classification as a religion. Further, it cannot be claimed to be essentially a school of metaphysics. Nor can it be described as 'other worldly'. In fact one can almost identify Hinduism with a civilization that is flourishing even now.
The Aryan Invasion Theory having been completely discredited, it cannot be assumed that Hinduism was the pagan faith of invaders belonging to a race called Aryans. Rather it was the common metafaith of people of various races, including Harappans. The Sanskrit word 'aryan' is a word of honourable address, not the racial reference invented by European scholars and put to perverse use by the Nazis.
Evidence that Hinduism must have existed even circa 10000 B.C. is available: The importance attached to the river Saraswati and the numerous references to it in the Rigveda indicates that the Rigveda was being composed well before 6500 B.C. The first vernal equinox recorded in the Rigveda is that of the star Ashwini, which is now known to have occurred around 10000 B.C. Subhash Kak, a Computer Engineer and a reputed Indologist, 'decoded' the Rigveda and found many advanced astronomical concepts therein. The technological sophistication required to even anticipate such concepts is unlikely to have been acquired by a nomadic people, as the Invasionists would like us to believe. In his book Gods, Sages and Kings, David Frawley provides compelling evidence to substantiate this claim.
Many believe that multiplicity of deities makes Hinduism polytheistic. Such a belief is nothing short of mistaking the wood for the tree. The bewildering diversity of Hindu belief - theistic, atheistic and agnostic - rests on a solid unity. "Ekam sath, Vipraah bahudhaa vadanti", says the Rigveda : The Truth (God, Brahman, etc) is one, scholars call it by various names. What the multipicity of deities does indicate is Hinduism's spiritual hospitality as evidenced by two characteristically Hindu doctrines: The Doctrine of Spiritual Competence (Adhikaara) and The Doctrine of The Chosen Deity (Ishhta Devata). The doctrine of spiritual competence requires that the spiritual practices prescribed to a person should correspond to his or her spiritual competence. The doctrine of the chosen deity gives a person the freedom to choose (or invent) a form of Brahman that satisfies his spiritual cravings and to make it the object of his worship. It is notable that both doctrines are consistent with Hinduism's assertion that the unchanging reality is present in everything, even the transient.
http://hinduism.about.com/library/weekly/aa090199.htm
SWAMI RAMDEV AND HINDU DISUNITY
http://www.francoisgautier.com/Written%2...ramdev.doc
When CPI leader Brinda Karad attacks Swami Ramdev, she is not attacking Ramdev in particular, she is attacking Hinduism in general. This guru or that guru, makes no difference to her, she is against all gurus. Other gurus might think that they are safe, that Ramdev committed some sin, for which he is paying. But one of them will be next in the line of fire! Hindu gurus are all vulnerable in todayâs India: the Shankacharya has already been hit, so has Satya Sai Baba, with accusations of paedophilia, Amrita Anandamayi has to live under the constant shadow of an hostile Kerala communist-dominated government, Dhirendra Brahmachari has been obliterated and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is periodically targeted as the âGuru of the richâ, the âglib Godmanâ etcâ¦
May I be forgiven my arrogance, but what Indian gurus have to understand is that for Indian communists, Hinduism is the N°1 enemy. Mao called religion âthe opium of the peopleâ. But for Indian communists, as for Britishers and Muslim invaders before them, what stands between their ambition for absolute power in India (and eventually a triumphant return of communism in the world â as Indian communists believe) is the hold that Hinduism has in the hearts of the rural people of India, who constitute 80% of this country. And still today, the humble farmer, from Uttar Pradesh to Tamil Nadu, has a natural understanding of the universality of God, who takes many names throughout the ages and can be Buddha, Jesus Christ, Ram or Mohamed and this humble farmer possesses the knowledge that there is something deeper than the skin and the mind, and a life beyond death. This knowledge is inbred, it is not in his head, not even in his heart, but in his or her genes transmitted from generation to generation.
Of course, the English speaking media is too happy to oblige Brinda Karat and come down hard on gurus with all kind of accusations, ranging from superstition to conman ship. There is of course a strong communist streak in most Indian newspapers, whether it is Frontlineâs and the Hinduâs open allegiance to Communist China, or Brinda Karat being the sister of Prannoy Royâs wife (not many people know that). Before Ramdev, they condemned the Shankacharya, before him Osho, before him Dhirendra Brahmachari. You can even go back to Sri Aurobindo, who was accused in the early 1900âs by the moderate Congress-controlled press to be a âfanaticâ, when he was only demanding total independence from the British, long before Gandhi took it up. Accusation against Hinduism of superstition, brainwashing, ritualistic ignorance, date back from British missionaries and have been taken up today by communists. Yet, Hinduism, at least the Hinduism which goes beyond the rituals and becomes universal spirituality, has nothing to do with superstition and conman ship: it is all about science, knowledge and light. Look at pranayama, a science that has known for thousands of years how to harness breath and use it for controlling the mind, for a better, more healthy, more spititualized life. If you read Oshoâs books today, you find a lot of solid common sense and wisdom. Sai Baba cannot have millions of disciples from the most humble to the presidents of India, without âsomethingâ which is beyond superstition. So it goes for Amrita Anandmai, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Ramdev, or Guruma of Ganeshpuri.
And why should Brinda Karat target Ayurveda, the most ancient medical system in the world still in practice, the first medecine to realize 3000 years ago that plants and minerals offer the best cure, that many illnesses have a psychosomatic origin, the first to practice plastic surgery on patients? In India today, every third shop is an allopathic medical shop, whose profits go to western multinationals (hello Mrs Karad!) at a time when ayurvedic medicine is becoming increasingly popular in western countries, disillusioned by antibiotics and other heavy-handed medicines.
We are witnessing an interesting phenomenon in India today. Communists, Christians, Muslims and some of the Congress leadership (notice that Brinda Karat has written to Uttaranchal Chief Minister Narayan Dutt Tiwari to close down Swami Ramdevâs pharmacy), all of whom have nothing in common and often hate each other, are all united against Hinduism and Hindu leaders. Each one of course, have their own reasons for doing so. The Christians, under the leadership of people like John Dayal, want to convert the maximum of âheathensâ Hindus, as Jesus Christ is the only âtrueâ God that can save India; some of the Muslim leadership, here, in Pakistan, or even in todayâs Bangladesh, still dream of 'Dar-ul-Islam', the House of Islam in South Asia; and Sonia Gandhi, maybe in a true spirit of secularism, maybe out of personal conviction, has chosen to ally her party with anti-Hindu forces. <span style='color:red'>Whatever it is, their unity makes them a powerful enemy.</span>
In contrast, look at Hindus: Swami Ramdev himself criticized Sri Sri Ravi Shankar live on TV, advising his followers not to practise the Art of Living breathing techniques. During the Tsunami relief operations in Nagapatinam, disciples of Amrita Anand Mayi and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar nearly came to blows over who would give relief to whom, instead of networking and uniting their efforts. And who came to the rescue Osho when he was maligned to death, or Brahmachari, when the entire press came down on him, of Sai Baba, when he was slandered, of the Shankacharya when he was thrown into jail, or of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, when Javed Akhtar accused him of coming âfrom a cave to live in a palaceâ (and not from a palace to a cave, like the Buddha) ? None of the previously mentioned. Yet, Indian politicians can commit any crime, have any number of court cases against them, and they still end up as Union ministers and get positive press coverage .
The greatest curse of Hinduism throughout the ages has been its disunity - and more than that â its betraying each other. The British did not conquer India, it was given to them by its warring Hindu princes, jealous of each other. The same is true of Islam: the last great Hindu empire, that of Vijaynagar, was betrayed to the Muslims by the Lingayats. Today, if the combined forces of communists, Muslims, Christian fundamentalists and the Congress win, it will not be because of their strength and valour, but rather because of the disunity of Hindu leaders.
I know that there is something mysterious and unfathomable in the manifestation of the Divine upon earth, that each guru has a defined task to fulfil and that the combined task of all the gurus may solve the great puzzle that is this ignorant and suffering earth. Thus it may not be necessary for each guru to communicate with each other. But nevertheless, it is of the greatest urgency today that Hindu leaders unite to save Hinduism, rather than the âeach one for his ownâ that we see today. The Catholics have their Pope - and his word is binding to most catholics, whatever the resistance of some progressive leaders. Muslims have Mohamedâs words written 1400 years ago â and that binds all of Islam together, whatever the relevance of these words in the 21st century; India Communists have Marx and Lenin words, their opium, even if it has become irrelevant in Russia, Germany, and even in China; but the poor Hindus have nobody to refer to, so as to defend themselves.
Yet, if you take the combined people power of Satya Sai Baba, Amrita Ananda Mayi, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Swami Ramdev, Gurumayi of Ganeshpuri, the Shankacharya of Kancheepuram, and so many others I cannot mention here, it runs in hundreds of millions.
Again, in all humility and conscious of the limitation of my small mind, compared to some of these great gurus whom I have met, I propose that a Supreme Spiritual Council, composed of at least seven of the most popular Hindu leaders of India, be constituted, maybe under the leadership of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (with a yearly rotation of leadership), the most travelled of all these, the one who has disciples and teachers of all religions, both from India and the West. It would be a non-political body, and each group would keep its independence but nevertheless, it could meet two or three times a year and issue edicts, which would be binding to 850 millions Hindus in India and one billion over the world.
Then and then only, can this wonderful spirituality which is Hinduism, this eternal knowledge behind the outer forms, the wisdom to understand this mad earth and its sufferings, be preserved for the future of India, and for the future of humanity. I bow down to each of these gurus above-mentioned and to all those not mentioned, to Swami Vivekananda, the initiator of modern Hinduism, to Sri Aurobindo, the great avatar of the supramental and to all the great gurus who have graced over the ages, this wonderful and sacred land which is India and beseech them to hear my prayer: Hindus leaders, unite against the common enemy if you want the eternal Dharma to survive.
François Gautier
Came in a mail.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>CONSCIOUSNESS, CREATIVITY, & THE BRAIN</b>
(David Lynchâs lecture tour to UoW, Seattle)
David Lynch, Film maker
(*) How TM affected his life & film making
(*) New David Lynch Foundation for Conscious-based Education
(*) Develop inner peace for ultimate world peace
(*) Constructive interference patterns can give critical mass
(*) Consciousness flowing is for everything, against nothing
(*) Ocean of Pure Consciousness is in each one of us (dive in)
(*) The Unified Field contains energy, love, bliss, peace, unity, creativity
(*) TMânegativity starts to recede with practice
(*) Vedic science talks about the Atma, Self
John Hagelin, quantum physicists (after 40 minutes of broadcast)
(*) 30 years of recent science can be summarized: âThe universe is superficially complex but fundamentally simple; Superficially, it is diverse but fundamentally it is unified.
(*) Phenomena are all ripples on an ocean or an energy field
(*) Scientific truth of unity is the core experience of all faiths
(*) Meditation delves into subtler mind and subtler nature
(*) Live EEG shows the synchronicity of front and back brain waves giving global EEG coherence and unbounded awareness and expanded creativity
(*) Cacophony turns to music when the conductor is directing; narrowness turns to wholeness; there is integration; similar with TM
(*) We often gain specificity at the expense of the Self
(*) Final goal is enlightenment: Self-Realization; get to know the inner Subjectivity that is Self
Fred Travis, brain researcher (after 55 minutes of broadcast)
(*) Brain functioning affects the contents of daily experiences and vice versa
(*) High stress and fatigue lead to downshifting
(*) TM builds up the frontal portion of the brain, which is the CEO
(*) University training will get obsolete in 5 years but not TMâs clear thinking and planning
To hear more, see:
University of Washington in Seattle:
http://www.uwtv.org/programs/displayevent.asp?rid=2756
Emerson College: http://davidlynchfoundation.org/tour/index.html
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The Videos in the links are a MUST WATCH. This perhaps goes into western indologists (of a different kind?)
<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'><b>I like the colours and rituals of an Indian wedding. I wish I can have one for my daughter.</b></span>
<i>Former US President Bill Clinton </i>
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/7752_16...~an~Indian~idol
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HindustanTimes.com » Web Exclusive » Diary » Atlanta Diary
Looking for a Ramayan prodigy
ATLANTA DIARY | Meeta Chaitanya
March 7, 2006
The search is on for an Indian idol in America. But unlike singing sensations and theatrical amusement, this is a different kind of odyssey, a different kind of treasure hunt.
Balagokulam, a flagship Children's magazine of HSS- USA (a not for profit organisation for preserving and promoting Hindu culture among Hindus in North America) is organising across the states for the very first time in USA the Kaun Banega Ramayan Expert contest for children.
This quiz contest, based on the ancient Indian epic that has inspired generations of mystics and philosophers alike will be harboured in the text as also the context of the Ramayan.
The contest and the well-oiled machinery behind it are meant to be a positive thrust towards trying to teach Hindu culture to young children in a fun way. Children who enter the contest will, for instance, receive access to a Ramayan website especially crafted with rich and comprehensive study material and practice quizzes.
Study material on the website is presented in a catchy capsule format such as; Charitra Ramayan ( for children between 10-15 years of age) that describes the role of the epic protagonists as Lord Ram, Lord Hanuman, Bharat, Lakshman, Angad among many others. Similarly the Katharoop Ramayan showcases the Ramayan as short story to simplify the understanding of the text.
The contest is for children of various age groups. The contest is open to anybody between the ages of 5 to 15. Children are being enrolled in different categories (there are 4 groups based on age) and in their journey towards rediscovering the epic; they will be awarded various prizes and certificates of recognition. The bigger awards for the winners amount to a cumulative of a whopping $10,000. All eligible participants however will win certificates and mementos acknowledging their participation.
The registration fee for the contest is $11.00 per child and if they choose to buy the KBRE game kit ($15 and comprising an interactive CD, flash cards etc) they get a $5 discount instantly. Online registration however does give children 3 chances to take the online qualifying exam.
The competition began on the auspicious Indian New Year day of Makar Sankranti, the 14th of Jan in Denver, CO and the format of the contest entailed an online examination for participating tots beginning on that very day through March 31st.
Contestants are being asked to register online first and qualify to enter the final quiz programme. This will then culminate in the 'In-person contest' in April where hundreds of Balagokulam centres across the United States will be conducting the phase II. The winners will receive their awards finally in May 2006.
Most parents are excited about the contest, which is seen as an extended manifestation of the popular Balagokulam Magazine, a magazine for children with subscription rates as reasonable as $11 for a year. The magazine, which has interesting regular features as - Speak Samskritam, Vedic Math, Science Facts, Crossword, Your Poems & Artwork- has by itself come a long way in igniting the nascent imagination of kids.
Instead of didactic lectures and a forceful rote-routine, contests such as these, where children themselves are accorded the primary prerogative to learn and exhibit their knowledge successfully, are being hailed by NRIs as a laudable step in the direction towards holistic education and value building. Similarly, this initiative could be a hallmark beginning of innovative learning for kids with emphasis not just on religion but on other significant spheres of education.
Only, while Hindu values without a doubt are acknowledged for their innate inspirational and devotional synthesis that goes a long way towards wholesome development, one of the primary tenets of the religion is its embracing of world cultures and values.
Its innate inclusiveness would perhaps have found even better expression had the contest been open to a child, any child instead of just Hindu children. For the Ramayan may be a Hindu epic in form, it is universal in essence. So also, one hopes, would be the Ramayan expert.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
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