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January, 1997 "$2.95 0'-
c:=J.
Affirming Sanatana Dharma and Recording the Modern History of a Billion-Strong Global Religion in Renaissance
MITA (P) No: 245/04190
PPS 120J/4I96
Canada . ... . C$3.95 Fiji ... . .... FJD2.00 Germany .. .. DM4.5
India .... .... Rs.50 Malaysia .... .. RM5 Mauritius .. .. . Rs.30
Sri Lanka .. . Rs.BO Trinidad . ... TDB.OO UK . ...... £2.90
HINDUISM TODAY wns founded on January 5, 1979; by Satguru Sivayn Subrumunl· ynswnmi to strengthen all Hindu lineages. Published by.Himalaynn Academy, 107 Kaholalele Road, Kapaa, Hawaii 96746-9304 USA. Edilorial Office Ph: 1·8()8.822-7032. Subscriptions: 1·80S-822-3152 or 1-S0()'89().IOOS: advertising: 1-8()8.823-9620 or 1-800-850-100s. AU·department fax: 1·8()8.82.2-4351 USA subscriptions: " $3511 year, 565/2 years, S9513 years, S500/lifetime. Fbreign rates on request. Q 1996 Himalayan Academy. AU rights reserved. lSSN# 0896-0801. CORRESPONDENTS: Cowri Shankar & Anandhi Ramachandran, Madras: Chooda· mani Shivaram, Bangalore: Rajiv Malik & Mangala Prasad Mohanty, Delhi: VTin· davanam S. Copalakrishnan, Kemla: ShynmaJ Chandra Debnath, Bangladesh: Archana Dongre, LOs Angeles; Lavina Melwan~ New York: Prabha Bhardwaj, Kenyn: Dr. Hari 80nsh Jha, Kathmandu: Parasram Ramoutar, Trinidad: Vetcha Rajesh, London; Ravi Peruman, San Francisco; Dr. Devananda Tandavan, Chicago; v.c. Julie Rajan, Philadelphia. Web Masters: Dew Seyon: Sadhunathan Nadesan.
PUBLISHER: Satguru Sivayn Subramuniynswnml ADMINISTRATIVE OIRECTOR: Acharyn Veylanswami EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Acharya Palaniswaml PUBLISHER'S ASSISTANT: Achnrya Ceyonswami DEPUTY EDITOR: Acharya Kumarswaml MANAGING EDITOR: Tyngi Arumugaswami GRAPHIGS DIRECTOR: 'I)lagi Natarajaswami PROMOTION/PRODUCTION: Tyngi Kathirswami MANAOING EDITOR'S AID: Tyngi Shanmuganathaswami ADVERTISING MANAGER: Sadhaka Jothinatha SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER: Sadhaka Haranandinatha EDITGR-IN-CHIEF'S ASSISTANT: Sadhaka Yuganatha DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR: Yogi Kasinatha SUMMER INTERN: Brahmachari Jothi Sendan
I JANUARY, 1997' . '1 I .. "7 '.
~~""d'-. .
. COVER: A father lifts his daughter to the heavens. This family of priests, with four generations under one roof, lives between Cochin and Kerala's capital, Jliruvananthapuram. Such large joint families are now threatened. See pages 22-26. • '
, .
INTE.RN Nfl ON'AL Politics: Muslims Are Politicking to
Get Heard in America 17 Special Report: Joint Families, a Venerable
Tradition in Jeopardy 22 Literature: A Survey of Books by
'and about Hindu Women 28 , . Mpvemen'ts: Struggle Over a
Powerful Kerala Ashram 34 Liturgy: Women as Vedic Priests 40 Art: 'Crace Flows f~Hl His Fingertips 48 Refugees: Bhutan and Kashmir Camps 49 -Worship:'" A City of Ten Million Icons 52
tfFESTYLE Insight: IDndus View Death Differently 30 Str,iving: 72-Hour Marathon Dance 36
.Astrology: Hagpy Roman New Year 36 People: Peace Pilgrim's Worthy Walk 47
. ( O;PINION Publisher's Desk: My MOJ;lastic Order's
!Mission Is HINnUISM TODAY 6 Editorial: Great Drarture, Death '
8 Is Not the End .. My Turn: Being a Hnndu in Ireland 10 Q Letters 14 ~ , -.. Healing: Are Hospitals Healthy? 44 0
'" Minister's fIlessage: Personal Peace .,50 '" ... DIGESTS :sz . "
'" l-
Quotes &. Quips !g Evolutions 44 ~ ,. Dlaspora 11 Digital Dharma 54 .. Q Brlef!y 20 ..
"
bttp:! ' ... .HlnlulamTtdQ.kauaLhLusl
. PUBLISHER'S DESK
Chronicling Hinduism's Modern Experience How 25 penniless monks living on the world's most remote land mass are making history by forging the future
BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI
JUST DAYS BEFORE WE WENT TO PRESS, THE ANCIENT RAJPUT
painting to the right was completed, greeting 1997 and preserving HINDUISM TODAY'S quantum leap far into the future of futures and beyond. The mathavasis in the painting are not from some distant yuga; they are the stalwart sevaks that produce
this magazine each month. Many reader's queries have come on my e-mail, and even through what they call snai\ mail, asking how and why HINDUISM TODAY appears in so many nations. Here it is. Everyone of my 25 monks is involved in its production, in ,ways small and large. Yes, they look and dress exactly like that, living simply, meditating and serving with me here in a tropical jungle on our planet's most remote land mass, the Island of Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands. And, yes, the giant banyan tree, sacred river and natural waterfall are really here, too, along with par("ots and cows. When you visit some day, we hope not too long from now, you can meet and talk with some of my swamis, yogis and sadliakas.
A thousand years or more ago a great book was written, the M.ahabharata, recording the history of Bharat. Now revered as a religious scripture, it speaks of the glories as well as' the problems of that era and the wise solutions that dharma provides. Today in Bharat, India's official name in its constitution, this great religion still flourishes and h~s recently moved explosively into. nearly every country of the world with its temples, ministers, priests and holy men and women. HINDUISM T\t>DAY has for the past 18 years re€orded the history of this billion-strong religion in renaissance. It has b~en acclaimed by some, perhaps generously, as a mod~rn-day Mahabharata, once again recording the Hindu experience in a new era. The small multi-national team pictured here have beEJn the scribes and editors for a much larger group in the many nations where live Indian Hindus, Sri Lankan Hindus, Malaysian Hindus, Mauritian Hindus, Singaporian Hindus, South African Hindus, South American Hindus, Fijian Hindus and, yes, North American and European Hindus, too. The result is the living epic you hold in your hands. •
HINDUISM TODAY is just entering its 19th year of publication since its founding on January 5, lB79. My three successors, the acharyas seated just to my right in the painting, will carry it all on into the future of futures. Every Hindu order has its public service, be it a hospital, eye clinic, orphanage, school, ashram, feeding hall or priestly training center. This magazine is the primary public .service desigr:tated by me for our order-along with teaching children's classes, building and supporting temples and giving away money to worthy institutions. It was during a world tour years ago through Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius, Reunion, South Africa, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Europe that I realized Sanatana Dharma had no global voice and no network of communication.
6 HINDUISM TODAY. JA UARY , 1997
Hindus in Durban had no idea what was happening with Hindus in Canada. Those in London had no connection with their brothers and sisters in Kathmandu. Hindus in India thought there were none elsewhere. Thus, I was divinely directed by inner orders from our Yogaswami Kailasa Parampara, by my Satguru in this life, to create a means to interconnect Hindus worldwiae.
The editorial policies I have laid down for the mathavasis are: to show both sides of every story; to put forward religious leaders of all Hindu sects equally, acknowledging their central role in the future of Dharma; to bring into the consciousness bf Hindus and onlookers the glories of this most ancient religion ~n the planet; to support tradition and its maturity into contemporary times; to maintain a strict nonpolitical point of view, meaning not taking sides; to give a voice to cultural, artistic and spiritual leaders as well as to 'the common woman, man and youth. In summary, our monastic order has committed itself to foster Hindu solidarity as a "unity in. diversity" among all sects and lineages; to inform and inspire Hindus worldwide and people interested in Hinduism; to dispel myths, illusions and misinformation about Hinduism; to protect, preserve and promote the Hindu religion and to nUl;ture a truly spiritual Hindu renaissance.
It is the duty of my monastics to continue maintaining HINDUIS~ TODAY as our way of giving back an infinitesimal part of what this profound heritage has given us, to be a reliable voice, to speak to the ~any needs of all Hindus, to defend ahimsa, noninjury, to persist as a global presence, a resource of Indian spirituality, to bring forth the ancient Vedic arts and sciences and. promote the Vedas as the number-one scripture of Hinduism. By all this we may empower the next generation to come up strong in the richness of theiF heritage, with well-defined metaphysics applicable to modern life, giving them security and faith in their work place, in the corporate office, factory, field, or as a small businessman, entrepreneur, politidan or scientist. These are ambitious goals, but we have found and trained, as of 1997, over 100 skilled and articulate lay people around the globe to help make it all happen month after month. Jai Vasara Hindutva, jai, jai, jai. ..
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Satguru Sivaya Subramunlyaswaml at his Ha:*aii Ashram: to his right are Acharyas Veylanswami, Palaniswami, Ceyonswami, Kumarswami; then (clockwise) Tyagis Kathirswal11i, S/Ian1~uga-1Ia~lwswanu, Ska~clanatllQswa~nt,. DetJasw~l~t, ~atara)aswar/l1 , ~1.unL~aswa.mt Arumugaswami and Muruganatlwsu;ami. Standing behind (left to right, in yellow) arc Yogis Rishinatlw, Tapodluma, Vatraganat~la, Ekanatha and Kasina t/w. S'tting m front (left to n glIt, til w/"te~Sadhakos Yuganat/lO, Tyaganat/lO, T/lOndunatha, Hotranatha, Adinat/lO, Haranandinatha and Jothinatiia
TraCing an Evolution After 18 years as a newspaper, we've reincarnated as a magazine
1979: HINDUISM To- to new quarters; DAY, a quarterly, is adopts newspaper founded in Hawaii size, international as "a bridge between character. East and West."
, Monks trained in typesetting and the graphic arts.
1981, Oct: The in;;house journal moves
I'
1985, Sept: Spot color added, and we start publishing every two motJ.ths.
1986, July: HT goes completelY digital
with i'nnovative Macintosh computers, tossing out o15solete photo-imaging technology.
1987, July: ,,-- MacConnection
honors H.T for its 'innovativ:e Desktop Publishing. Big Bucks Award; well, $500 was a lot back then. ~ple Computer, impressed with HT's use of Mac
"empowerment tools," flies team to Kauai to capture first-ever pl1blications network for a worldwide Apple training video.
1987: HT goes monthly, adds new features, more color.
1988, Oct: Nine1ustinvented Mac lIs added to enHance Hawaii's largest publishing network.
, 1989, August: Unique franchise system developed to print paper in South
. Africa, Mauritius, UK, Holland, India and Malaysia.
1992: Wow! Full color explodes on the desktop.
1994: HT (and the Vedas) published electronically on the Web, hailed by Publisher's Weekly and
Yopa Journal as content-rich site viSited by thousands v.:eekly.
1995: HT acquires blazing-fast 9500 Macintoshes. Every monk has robes,japa mala and Power Mac.
1996, Dec: Newspaper transforms into magazine. New journalists and photographers appear. Lots of gain, so where's the pain?
JANUARY , 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 7
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EDITORIAL
Great:" Departure .'
age of 32. Sankara, having conquered the mind, also died at 32. In Europe in the
Exiting life, so frequently fraught with fear and,trembling, can be an ex~lted experience
Middle Ages, life expectancy increased to 36 by the 18th century. By 1841 it was 40 for an Englishman, 42 for his wife. Today it is 70 for men, 75 for women. Hindu tradition says a natural human life is 120 years; some hold this was once the norm in India.
Death may seem st§ltic, but it is changing. ' In modern times life-and death have both been extended. Life has gone from a few decades of vitality to many decades ending
BY THE EDITOR
fiENERAL. GEOR_\?E PATTON OF WORLD WAR II FAME, NO
stranger to personal reincarnational remembrances (he claimed to recall previous battlefield experiepces as Napoleon), once observed, "For Hindus deaclt is the most exalted experience of life." This idea is naturally hard for
nOI1-Hindus to grasp-all the more so for atheists facing Eternal Oblivion and those of Abrahamic faiths which define death as a punishment for man's sinful disobedience. To them, death is the ultimate sign of man's spiritual failure, a belief which arouses instincts of denial and injustice. One may feel penitent and guilty, not to mention uncertain about the 'destination ahead.
No such thoughts attend the dying days of a Hindu. Of course, there is much sadness surrounding the passing of friends and family, but that is honest acknowledgement of our loving attachments. Inside we know death is OK, natural, that the soul, even if it was less than perfect in this lift?, is continuing its appointed journey across life's oceanic I1hep.omena toward Liberation and will, in time and without fail, reach the other shore. The Hip.du's presumption of numerous births mitigates the tragedy of death, whether the passage is his own or another's. So, Hind~ call death by lofty names-,-Maha Samadhi, "Great Superconscious State" and Maha Prasthana, "Great Departure." To be near an awakened soul at the time he or she gives up the body is considered among the most blessed of opportunities. While ordinary people are remembered on ijleir day of birth, Hindus honor enlightened souls on the day of their departure, translated in' English as "liberation day."
If we view death as the opposite of life, life is good and death is bad. But :.: death is the opposite of birth, not of life. ~ Seeing life and death as collaborative : parts of a greater whole called samsara 0
(the cosmic evolutionary cycle of birthdeath-rebirth), life is good and death is equally good, though the Vedas are clear that certain deaths, especially premature ones, are grievous.
The pious Hindu approaches death' ~s a meditation and a spiritual discipline. The body's impendmg demise compels him to practice detachment, which is difficult to achieve amid life's tumult. Lord Yama's nearness compels new urgency to strive. No longer can he put it off No more excuses. No more distractions. Death's knock at the door reminds him of what is. transient and what is etffi-nal, and he knows instinctive'ly which to embrace.
Impermanent though life is, we are getting more of it these days. It is estimated that the average life span for prehistoric man was only 18 years. In ancient Greece and Rome it was 20-22. Alexander t~e Great, having conquered the world, died at the ripe 91d .
8 HINDUISM TODA); JA UARY 1997
with diminished health; death has changed from nature's swift reprieve to a man-made, slow-motion decline which ever mo.re fre-
quently exhausts the em~tions and resources~f families. Death's victims have changed, ~o, going from the very young a few cen- . turies back (when most died as children) to the elderly (over 80% of deaths in the US occur over 65).
Technological systems of life-support have introduced moral, legal and medical questions about what constitutes death; and people are struggling, literally at any cost, to stay alive. Our choice' for Most Bizarre: Americans having their heads removed and frozen (at great expense) in hopes future medical advances will conquer presently incura,ble diseases. Psychedelic guru Timothy Leary shocked many this summer by arranging after his death to have his head surgically removed as part of a filln shown at the Cannes Film Festival (some think it a hoax).
Where, how and with whom we die is also changing. Academic Geoffrey Gorer describes how death, once a socially recognized inevitability, has become an.embarrassing private trauma in which almost all outside solace, except from intimates, is deemed an intrusion. Death, once the familys duty, has become the work 0'£ paid strangers. Today in North America 75-80% of all ~eaths occur in hospitals, and 80% of those are "negotiated," shortened or extended ffi1tificially. Many terminal patients are under sedation, so
instead Of the conscious death Hindus esteem, there is a dim and drugged insensibility at the end.
In response to the exorbitant and mechanical end-game played in hospitals, groups are organizing 'to regain control. People want to die at home, near nature's soothing presence, with friends having tea in the next room or listening to the bells from a nearby temple. They don't want to experience a social minideath first, followed years later by the physical one. ,
Death is personified in most cultures. THe Greeks called him Thanatos, and ' to the Romans he was Mors. In India he is Yama, riding on a black wafer
buffalo, dressed in red. The pigeoIY and owl are his messengers. His weapon is a mace. He carries a noose, called kala-sutra, 0
"black thread," with which he snares the life force,,prana, and draws it from the body. He is also called Mrityu, "death," Kritanta, I "the finisher," Bhimasasana, "he of terrific decrees," Pretaraja, "king of ghosts," Kala, "time" and Dharma Raja, ''king of justice."
Hindu insights on death (see pages 30 to 33) include the hopeful message of awakened sage~ who conquered it by conquering life and knew the bogy's dissoiution as liberation into the Light, as a flowing of the finite into the Infinite. , For those surfing the Web for death resources, here's a good place to start: http://www.trinity.edul-mkearlldeath.html
IIJOTES A IIJIPS I
"As you would not bark back at a dog, do not waste your t~me arguing with foolis,h people."
Sage Yogaswami (1872-1964) to devotees in Sri Lanka
"Mind absorbed in God, no place to go." Poondyswami when asked by a HINDUlSM TODAY staffer why he sat for 10 years at a roadside shrine in South India without 17Wvingfrom his seat '
World-weary, a man took refuge at an ashram. The swami told him, "You can stay here, but you must observe a vow of mauna, . silence. You will be allowed to speak two words every six months." He practiced hatha asanas, pranayama, meditation and karma yoga for six months. Then, brought before the abbot and invited to speak, he said, "Bed haid." After another six months, he spoke again, "Food cold." Six more months w;mt by, and he informed the swami, ''I'm leaving." The swami replied, ''I'm not surprised. You've done nothing but complain since the day you arrived." ,
"Nonviolence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living:beings, we are
TO BE MY PERFECT I'V\STER> A P£R.50N MUST FilL 1V\f() QUALIFICATIONS.
J
HE MUST NEVE!? &ET /w&RY,
f
still savages." Thoma~ A. Edison (1847-1931), American inventor
"I think it would be a good idea." Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) when asked what he thought of Western civiliza~on '
Even the ignorant will be reckoned wise, if they refrain from speaking in the presence of the learned. Tirukural, Verse 403
DID YOU KNOW?
Check, Mate!
1 HE EARLY WAR GAME OF CHESS WAS INVENTED BY THE
Hindus of India. In the BlJaisya Purana (550 BCE) it is described as a four-handed dice game. Originally called Chaturanga ("four parts" ), its strategies are based on the
four branches of the Indian army-elephant (now bishop), horse (knight), chariot
(rook) and infantry (pawns). Ponder the tactical minds of early India when your miniature army prevails over the enemy and you triumphantly call "Mate."
"In India from the beginning, in time of war, breastworks have been built of hQ!:el pillows. It was found that a cannon ball pould go thro' earth or sandbag, but when it hit a pillow it hit it with a dull thud and dropped to the ground." Mark Twain (1835-1910) commenting after his fou,r-month lecture tour and hotel stays in India and .Sri Lanka in 1896
AND HE MIJ5T L.OV£ f)lfRYONE ALL THE SAME,
!
WHAT I WANT }S AN EQlJAL O?PORTUNITY GURU·
f
JANUARY , 1997 HINDUISM T0DAY 9
/
I
Loving Ganesa by Satguru
Sivaya Subramuniyaswami,
at once simple, deep and
practical. teaches ever so many
ways that Ganesas grace can be
attained by sincere devotion, song,
prayer and meditation to bring
greater harmony. contentment
and spirituality into ones daily life.
An BOO-page illustrated resource.
$ 19.95 plus shipping (US $2,
Foreign $4). Also in bookstores.
1-800-890-1008
http://www.HinduismToday. kauai.hi.us/ashram/
LOVING GANESA
HIMAlAYAN ACADEMY PUBUCATIONS
I 07 KAHOIAlELE ROAD
KAPAA. HI 96746-9304 USA
BOOKS YOU CAN TAKE. SERIOUSLY
MY TURN , • I
It's Easier to be Hindu in .Ireland than l'ndia Years of self~depigration have created a crisis of religious confidence for NRIs
BY JAY KESHAVAPPA SHANKAR
IT IS EASIER FOR ME TO BRING
up my children to be Hindus in the West than it is in India. My children here in Ire
land have the freedom to express their Hindu values and hJ~,ritage in a non-Hindu society wllere people are tolerant and eager to understand us. The local Irish people take part in programs of Bhajans. yoga, yajna and the like. Lately, vegetarianism is becoming popular among them-while Hindus arriving here are taking to meat eating. yve are fortunate to have contact with tIre present Avataras like Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba and Mata Ainritan'anda Mayi and the many Hindu saints who come to the West to propagate Sanatana Dharma. Many of these saints are ridiculed and laughed at in India by "rationalists," whereas in the West they receive enormous respect.
I find the opposite situation in india in the midst of Hindu society. Everyth~ng there is colOI:ed by Western glamor.1>eople belittle long-held sacred values which not . only India need;;, but the whole world. In the fast-moving Indian society it is very difficult to bring up children as Hindus in a Vedic way. It is "uncool" tp have a Hindu, identity. Traditional culture is dying in -many big cities. Even in villages, a Hindu who openly displays his lifestyle or goes to the temple is laughed at. . . I was born in post-independen(India in a small village in Tumkur District of Karnataka to ~ Virasaiva (Lingayat) family. My parents never taught me abo~t our glorious Sanatana Dharma and, despite the fact that they did pujas and practiced rituals, they had no idea of the significance of these ancient practices. To them it was simply .a custom handed down without explanation. By the time it came to my generation, these practices were no longer handed
down. We were never encouraged to read the holy books, scriptures, Vedas, Puranas or to perform pujas and rituals. The occasion to visit the temple only came on certain holy days. As a boy, I was told that religion was the affa1'r of old people. Nothing was explained to us about our glorious heritage. We were even actively discouraged from Hin
du observances. My love for Hindu heritage, if openly displayed, was ridiculed. I had to study holy books and other scriptures in secret because this attitude to denigrate Hinduism in India is very wide spread.,
Nehru and the Congress Party's idea of pseudo-secularism allowed the education system to give Muslims, and Christians free voice to practice and teach their religions freely even in state-fund~ schools. The indigenous religions-Sanatana Dharma and its branches-were prohibited from teaching religion in state-funded ,schools. In India, secularism became something for Hindus, but not for Muslims and Christians. Hindu identity was scorned and made a mockery. of
The waves of-Hindu shame of our owp. h~ritage swept through even tiny villages. These deep-planted seeds of self-shame ru;e being reaped in present India, especjally among our youth, who ·haye no direction in life and are fast succumbing to Western influences. The indigenous and eternal religious heritage of India was neglected and misunderstood by its own practition- I
ers. The result is that it is easier today to be a Hindu in the West than it is in India. ! hope and pray Hindu Indians wiH realize their folly and regain their lost identity.
DR. JAY KESHAVAPPA SHANKAR, 47: is a consultant anaesthetist living with his wife and three children in Cork, Ireland.
DIASPORA
Dalai Lama at the Hindu Center: a blessed spiritual presence
SOUTH AFRICA
Buddha, Most Merciful
SOUTH AFRICANS WERE BLESSED WHEN THE DALAI LAMA paid them a rare visit in August. Guest of the World Conference on Religion and Peace, the political head of the Ti
betan government in exile and spiritual head of millions of Buddhists addressed capacity audiences in Durban, Cape Town, Pretoria and Johannesburg. Young Africans were enthused. One 20-year-old Christian, David Pascolo, said, "I find Eastern influences very interesting and am sure to be spiritually enriched by the Dalai Lamas talk." Representatives from the Hindu, Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Parsee faiths jOined the Dalai Lama at the University of Durban-Westville's Hindu Center. He emphasized the nonviolence of the Gandhian philosophy and voiced his aversion to conversion. "To me Buddhism is best, but that does not mean that Buddhism is best for everyone. It is better to follow your own religion rather than changing to a new one. No one has the right to impose a religion on another."
REI N'C A RNA T ION
Riding a Jaguar Journal was designed by bgilvy and Mather, one of the world's six top advertising agencies, I
with annual,sales of over 7.6 \ V fRAT VALUE DOES WEST- billion dollars. Targeting the W ern civilization place on a millions in America and others
Hindu theological concept? the world over who are aware Well, on October 3, Jaguar Cor- • of reincarnation, their creative poration spent us$300,000 for a design team followed an old single day's advertisement with Hindu tradition. Gods and the-this lead line: "Reincarnation ological concepts often "ride" occurs when an old soul enters symbolically on animals. In this a new - - ~ • case, rebirth "rode" mans most body." , ~ ... ~ elegant piece of hot rod engi-Their neering, the revolution-eigh;'page ary new $70,000 pitch in the Wall Street Jaguar XK8
J ~-G U.A r' JoguM'::~'I:g, CLOCk "WISE FROM TOP: RAJESH KANTILAL-HINDUISM TODAY, MARY DEAL, THE HINDU, RADHlKA SRINIVASAN, J~CUAR CORPORATION.
VEGETAR, IA N ISM
Holy Goat In Hawaii
IN HAWAII, MY NEIGHBORS
raise goats for food. I once ate goat, thirtx-five years ago. I've long since become a vegetarian and asked forgiveness. That conversion brought spiritual renewal. I wear a golden O(n around my neck, proud to never again eat animals. I feed the goats with leftovers. They love me now. I was stunned to find one female marked with a reverse white image of the same Om I wear. In my source book of names I found-rMahesvari, Great Lady, and Viveka and named her Mahesvari Viveka.
MARY DEAL, HAWAlI
DANCE
Sacred Paths
SINGAPORE'S MARCH DANCE
production, "Sacred Jour
I
Can plants produce petrol?
MODERN ALCHE!vIY
Herbal Hoax? nAMAR PILLAI, CLAIMS TO NJ.ave discovered a "petrol" producing herb. In September demonstrations in Tamil Nadu, he produced and burned the fuel for government officials. Other hydro-carbon producing plants have not yet been commercially 'viable, so when Ramar projected 10,000 litres a day at 5 rupees each, Indian officials prepared to fund a plant. But, to their chagrin he failed to produce fuel under controlled conditions in October. One ~xperiment revealed a rp.ass increase from 1138 grams to 1422 grams as well as sulphur, lead and. oleofins in the final product-proof, said some scientists, that Ramar had surrepitiously introduced petrochemicals.
Malaysia:" Odissi dancer, Ajit B. Dasa, and renowned new Delhi-based vocalist and composer O.S. Arun on a uniquely Singaporean set designed as a HindulBuddhist mandala.
ney," hit a highwater mark in the new Hindu classical dance trend to "break out of overworked legends and jaded routines" such as Krishna and the cowherd girls. Producer Mrs. Radhika Srini
Modern ; multilingual
With English narration, even non-Hindus were entranced by the portrayal of a dance student's fall from purity into the egoistic entanglements of performing arts and back to the spiritual path at the
vasan brought together Singapore's talented Bharata Natyam dancer, Priya Arun, I
center of the mandala, "strong enough to be humble and wise enough to surrender."
JANUARY , 1997 HINDUISM TODAY~1
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ARTS
A Raj put Jewel , IVING SHORT OF THE DIS
Uinction he deserves, talented Rajput artist, Mah~veer Swami, perpetuates the precious, fading tradition of Rajasthani miniature painting. Several of his exquisite works grace Naveen Patnaik's (and Jackie Onassis') delightful book on Ayurvedic plants, The Garden of Life. Since 1988 Mahaveer has taught a handful of aspiring artists at his 250-year-old Bik;mer studio on the edge of the Thar Desert. "I can't keep my secret inside," he explains.
WRITE: JAMES J. WRITE, HUNT INSTIT.uTE, CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY, PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA 15213-3890, USA
Mahaveer with student Harish
NEW AGE
Hot NewZine "7\ 1996 ENTRY IN-TO THE J=\.New Age scene is touted as 'Jndias First Body-Mind-Spirit Magazine." Life Positive, Your Gtbi'de to Po.sitive Growth may well take a lead over similar magazines from the USA and Europe. The new "zine" has it all-outstanding design and a rich mix of articles. Its power heralds India's burgeoning New Age movement, deriving frotp a local5,000-year-old metaphysical culture.
Similar zines often struggle with unresolved editorial conflicts of interest between existentialism, Asian roots and attempts to paste a New l\.ge lifestyle onto a Christian -Judeo
COOL
Head South?
O N JULY 27, DR. LARRY Payne, a California yoga
teacher, completed a twelveminute headstand at the North Pole. 'J\.fter 5,000 years, yoga ' finall}"made it to the top of the world," says Larry, who prayed for world peace during his
This 1987 Mumbai march did little to slow selective abortion
SOCIAL PROBLEMS
"Femicide" "7\ SEPTEMBER ARTICLE IN
J=\.The Hindu by R.P Ravindra explains the use of amniocentesis and ultrasound for sexselective abortion of gtrls. Despite new laws regulating prenatal diagnostics, he reports, not one Indian medical association stands against the practice. The sex ratio in some Indian states has dropped to 890 females per 1,000 males. Ravindra
philosophy. Secure in Indias ancient wisdom and tolerance, Life Positive bdngs together Aurobindo, Rajnesh, Reiki, Silva mind control, Hazbat Imayat
, Khan and Paramahansa Yogananda. In an typical issue, we find a one-page an article on a Tamil tribal mid-wife followed by a feature on a US guru of positive thinking, Wayne W. Dyer, and the "new rishis on the block," like Guru Rishi Prabhakar. Alongside ever-popular cancer-cure stories, ads on how to quit smoking and modern techniques on
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warns, "China, leading India in sex-selective abortions, faces a catastrophe. By the year 2000, 70 million Chinese men will be single. The result? Atrocities, forced marriages, prostitution and social turmoil." A deeper tragedy is the psychic damage to women and children. After one mother aborted two of their would-be sisters, three daughters committed suicide in despair when their "wanted" brother was later born. Law enforcement is accruing a foreboding karma. Beware.
HEALTH
Mad Cow Karma
THE "MAD COW DISEASE,"
wreakeCl. on the bovine species who were fed ground sheep and cattle carcasses, continues to provoke global concern. In October the Swiss government declined the World Hindu Federation's .
Dr. Payne's headstand at the pole
asana. He had b"een invited by the World President's Organization to teach yoga aboard the Russian nuclear icebreaker, Yamal. Because of the lurching movements ofthe boat as it crashed through heavy pack ice, several new poses w~.e invented for stability, such as the "Walrus Wall Hang."
of concealing the figures for infected animals entering the food chain. Dr. Dealler, who has been studying the disease since 1988, says that on average every British adult has eaten 50 meals made from infected cat - . tle tissue. In the US an alert is on, as the practice of feeding dead cows and sheep to cows continues. The USDA says 7,500 US shee~have scrapie, the,likely source of mad cow disease.
offer to shelter in Nepal 230,000 Swiss cows due to be slaughtered. The Swiss cited the impossibility of airlifting so many cows and the need to contain the disease. Also in October, independent UK scientists accused their government Fifty meals per Englishman of mad-cow meat
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13
Media Kinships HINDUISM IS LIKE THE CENTER-OF-GRAVI
ty..,doll which regains its equilibrium howsoever it be disturbed. Wave after wave, of alien invasions have come and gone upon this sacred tenet, but none of t hem has really succeeded in uprooting it. The Vedas, the wisdom of.God, revealed to four rishis in the beginning of re-creation, were fJJ.e basis of cljrily life and culture. As a community, we are facing problems everyday.' We continue to grow large in number, but our people continue to grow farther apart. If we did not have ethnic media, we would probably be cut off from each other. "
/'
, RAMESH KALICHARAN
JAMAICA, NEW YORK, USA
Is Sai Baba Beyond Hinduism? YGlU MAY PROBABLY WELL RECEIVE OTH
er, more eloquent and complete, responses to the Sai Baba artide ("Sai: Hindu of Year," AWARDS, December '96), but I believe that the article does a great disservice to the community of Sai devotees. Sai Baba does not guide a Hindu organization. He was born and lives in South India, and must lead and follow in t,he Hindu traditions of that area, b1ft his teachings and organization are beyond culture and religion. Indians find it very difficult to avoid making foreign Sai Centers into extensions of the Hindu religion, making it difficult for non-Indian, non-Hindu followers of Sai Baba. The centers are not to ' be extensions of Hindu culture. Sai Baba repeats over and over and o er agai]l that, he does not preach one religion, and that he is not creating a religion. He often exhorts his folfowers to' become stronger in their own beliefs and practices. He has told the Western centers to sing bhajans in their own languages. Many of us love to sing bhajans in Indian dialects, but this creates separation rather than inclusion whe)J. it comes to encompassing new followers of Sai-as does this article telling Hindus that Sai Baba leads a Hindu organization! Sai Baba is the Avatar-flf our age for all people of all religion.
TIM WRIGHT \o,[email protected]
V Hmmm! Let's see. Sai Baba was 'born to Hindu parents, raised in a Hindu community, took a Hindu name, wears the saffroncolored ve,stments of a H i1'(du sannyasin, and when he leaves this Earth will be honored by/Hindu funeni.l rites' He teaches the highest form of FJ.indu philosophy, quotes from Hindu scriptures, urges mankind to follow Sanatana Dharma and directs an ' Clverwhelmingly Hindu follOWing to sing traditional Hindu devotional songs. You say lie is an avatar, which is an exclUSively Hindu the-
~
14 HJNDUISM TODAY JANUARY , 1997
LETTERS ological c~ncept found nowhere else. Other than that, I have to agree he is beyond Hinduism entirely. Signed, the Editor:
Mr: Wright replies: THANKS FOR YOUR THOUGHTFUL RE
sponse to my diatribe. How can I possibly disagree with your points-they are all com
'pletely accurate. I suppose wKat I took (take) issue w~th is the fact that Sai Baba is all that you say in terms of Hindu culture and religion, and yet much more beyond that. The Sarva Dharma symbol is placed conspicuously on entrance gates, buildings, publications, etc. that Sai Baba presides over. That Sarva Dharma symbol is a symbol of the unity of faiths, showing symbols of Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Christianity and Zoroastrianism around its perimeter. This may be an indication that Baba is-beyond Hinduism alone.
Shedding Light on a Light Festival WHAT MAKES DEEPAVALI A UNIQUE NA
tional event and perhaps the greatest socio- . religious festival of India? The popular interpretation that it marks the tUJiIl of the season,.-the advent of winter and the beginning ofa commercial year, etc., is far too superficial to justify the majestic solemnity of the Deepavali day. It is something far more sublime and profound than just a day of light. It is actually the story of the eternal conflict between darkness (which stands for ignorance, hate: falsehood and confusion) and light (which embotlies knowledge, love, trt.Jth and clarity-more of a cleanliness of heart than of house ). One of its many messages is clearing away the cobwebs of confusion and purging out the inward dross with a rekindled light of ?ope and understanding.
M OHAN LAL GUPTA CAMBRIDGE, ONTARIO, CANADA
An Kiding Technology YOUR WORLDWIDE WEB SITE PROVIDES , exciting and vital information about my identity as a, !:Iindu. Hindus are a very intimidated lot when it comes to verbal dialogue or protest with the Muslims and Christians. Hindus can't match' the aggression of
. these people while discussing facts about our precariOUs existence, or why these people ought to at least apologize to us for their misdeeds'. B~t then, why would a winner concede to a loser who is ill-informed, mentally colonized and lacks the courage to talk about his identity ' with confid~nce and pride? Ironically, internet bodes well for Hindus, if they are willing to organize and unitt; themselves.
VIKASMOHAN "'mohan@-;-re.com
Quashing Conversion in Malaysia CI}RISTIAN MISSIONARIES ARE LURING
unsuspecting poor Malaysian Hindus into p hristianity. Alarming numbers of Hindus are converted, and I·am (as a Hindu) so concerned. Unfortunately, there is nothing concrete that I can do. A small group of us here. managed to save some families from being converted. We go in and help these poor families bX giving monthly rations of food and some money for their expenses. Even the Hindu Sangam of Malaysia is quite up.able to check this erosion. Hlndus here woui{! spend any amount of money on ceremonial affairs, but normally tUrn a blind eye toward ,the poor, unfortUnate and helpless Hindus.
In Equal Measure
K. THURUVAN SEREMBAN, MALAYSIA
MY HEARTIEST CONGRATULA:rIONS ON THE
eme~gence of HINDUISM TODAY magazine. I hope that it will attain even gFeater heights and become a valuable resource to Hindus of all persuasions. Wliile I deeply respect· the bent of its founder toward Saivism, it is critical that the new magazine maintain ap- '. propriate balance by devoting proper attention to Vaishnavism, Saktism and other facets of our great faith, as in fact, millions of rank and file Hindus do.
DR. MUKUNDA RAO BUCKHANNON, WEST VIRGINIA, USA
V Agreed. That is our policy, !o give a proportioned voice to every Hindu lineage.
They Got it All Wrong . RECENTLY WE BOUGHT A 26-ACRE PARCEL
of land in Syracuse for our temple. We had a big article in the local newspaper. One reporter came to see me regarding our project. I did some research from my big collection of HINDUISM TODAY and Grolier Encyclopedia. I was not happy about the information , in the encyclopedia about our religion. They
" start with caste system, women being inferi'or to men, sati practjce, etc. I want you to publish an article about these British authors' distorted image of our religion.
ANIL K. VERMA, MD CAMILLUS, NEW YORK, USA \o,[email protected]
Letters with writers n~e, address and daytime phone number, should be sent to:
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Letters may be emted for space and clarity and may appear in electronic versions of HINDUISM TODAY.
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: lim extremists use it to mean ''holy war." Kennedy used the word to describe some Republicans as overzealous and extremist.
Even Warner Bros. will edit its movie, "Executive Decision," hefore its release in some countries in the Middle East and the Far East after the company met with Muslim and Arab organizations that complained the movie contained imagery offensive to)slam.
Hooper said most political progress is made from the bottom' up, however. So he's teaching Muslims ", new to this country to shed their fear of standing up for their rights which could lead to persecution in their native countries.
Taking a stand: Muslims'gather to publicly voice worldwide concerns in New York City
He encourages Muslim!) to participate in local radio and TV talk shows to explain their relfgion to .Americans and dispel S0me of the stereotypes and prejudices they face. He also encourages the com-
POLITICS munity to open up its mosques and centers to the larger community.
Ctetting Heard · ,n . America "When we get a call that a
mosque has' been firebombed, very often we find that the community was very isolated-which breeds suspicion on the part of the larger
Hindus can learn from Muslims' political activism , . community," Hooper said.
American Muslims are a diverse community-in addition to African-Americans, they include immi
grants or descendants of immigrants from Asia and the Middle East. They don't vote as a homogeneous block. But Khaled Saffuri of the American Muslim "'Council said Muslims tend to vote overwhelmingly Republican be
By DONNA ABU-NASR, WASHINGT~N (AP )
IBRAHIM HOOPER TRAVELS AROUND
the country to teach Muslims how to . . rhake th~ir voices heard, ~erican style.
For example, writing a letter to the editor to criticize a government policy won't land them in jaiL Long-winded rhetoric will not help get their message across. ¥en who appear on TV talk shows ~ill have to wear make-up, and no, it's not a feminine thing.
Hoo!ier's work as national communications director at the Council on American Islamic Relations is part of a nationwide drive by American Muslims to become more assertive socially and politically as an ethnic and religious group. "Muslim political activism is still in its infancy. We have a lot of work to do," Hooper said. "It's not something thats going to happen overnight."
Yet, already, the efforts are paying off The community, which American. Muslim groups say numbers about 6 million;'v.as gained visibility and recognition from top leaders that
. it didn't have just a few years ago. Building on that progress will be a topic of discussion as the Islamic Society of NQrth America holds its 33rd annual convention in Columbus, Ohio, beginhing Friday under the banner of "Muslims for peace and justice."
The Muslim community i,s beginning to
emerge now because of the influx of immigrants in the '6Ds that brought Muslims not only from the Middle East but also from the Far East, said James Zogby, who heads the Washington-based Arab-American Institute.
U.S. Rep. Tom Davis, RVa. , said, "They're getting a little bit more organized and we're starting to pay attention, and I think in America that's the pathway to power throughthe ballot box."
In Ips speech at the Republican convention, House Speak
cause they support conservative stands on abortion, homosexuality and the death penalty.
er Newt Gingri<;h, at the request of MusliIns, added g "mosque" when he mentioneci ~ "churches and synagogues.'" ; Calling Islam the falitest-grow- ",< L-___ =.c.... ___ .!=:,;,oJ
ing religion"1n America, Hill- New York: Street prayers
Yet, he expects a "big shift" this year because the Clinton administration has shown "lots of respect" for . the Muslim community, including a visit by Vice-President Al Gore to a mosque in Washington, D.G Davis said if the Muslim population "is smart they're going to have to play 'poth parties because you don1t want to get taken for gJ;anted by one party."
ary ,Rodham Clinton held a during a demonstration . celebration iI} February-the first of its kind at the White House-to mark Eid el-Fitr, the Muslim feast that en~s the fasting month of Ramadan. '
And Rep. JoseRh Kennedy apologized to the ~erican Muslim Council in February for his use of the word "jihad." This central Islamic conceRt means the personal struggle to make. oneself a better Muslim, but Mus-
He said politicians will pay more attention to Muslims in the future "the more they become givers and become involved." •
This article is reprinted with permission of the Associate Press and is included here to inform and educate US Hindus on how they, too, can work effectively in the American political arena.
J ANUAR Y, 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 17
\
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An Ancient God's Visible Grace It began on September 21,1995, when an image of Ganesa in a New Delhi temple began sipping milk. Then, this modern miracle took on global dimensions as, over several months, it was witnessed by millions, in temples, shrines and homes worldwide. How timely that, only days before, Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami had finished his illustrated resource book, Loving Ganesa---800 pages of insights into this great God! Loving Ganesa is at once simple, deep and practical, and teaches ever so many ways that Ganesa's grace can be attained through sincere devotion, song, prayer and meditation, to bring greater harmony, contentment and spirituality into our daily life.
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G~APATI PUJA IS NEITHER misc0.9duct nor grounds for discipline. So ruled a Kerala court in the case of a government employee who sought Lord Ganesha's blessings when his office was shifted to a new building. The court ruled that since the puja was paid for by the devotee, and no op.e was regpired to attend, the religious service did not violate the Government's secular status. "We have no doubt that secularism is not an anti-religious doctrine," the Court ruled.
LONDON'S ARCHWAY Murugan Temple glowed"; with devotion while six-flamed lamps were waved by six chanting pujaris as the Jaffna Tamil community observed the Nallur Charlot Festival from half a world away. In sympathy for Sri Lanka's ongoing bloodshed, devotees observed a 25-day Vew of strict vegetarianisrn..culminating with puja, Devaram singing and parading the Deity around the temple. "There was even a moment of madness that marks a potent Muruga festival, when an amma cried out in anguish for the plight of Jaffna's people, and Skanda's Vel di~solved her suffering. All was holy thts night," writes devotee Easan Katir.
THIRTY SACRED SIMIAN residents of Kathmandu's Pashupatinath Temple were buried with full Vedic honors aJter btfing electrocuted by a new hjgh-voltage barrier. Fifty-one chanting Brahmins lay the shroud-wrapped monkeys, Nepal temple revered as incarnations of Hanuman, in a mass grave at Nepal's holiest shrine. Temple devotees watched in helpless horror as monkeys who rushed to the fence to rescue those just electrocuted were' themselves killed.
HINDU HUSBANDS seeking divorce in India must go through the civil courts, and are often ordered to pay alimony and child support, but not Muslim men. India's highest court recently acceded to sharia, Islamic law, ill matters of Muslim divorce, which states that a man's obligation to his ex-wife and children lasts only three months. Hindu wives daim many hus~ands are converting to Islam to bypass divorce'court.
HUNDREDS OF MONASTERIES ill India are ill turmoil. In response, leaders have formed an ll-member board for the "control, 'maintenance and all-around development of Hindu religious places," reports The Hindu. . ) 20 tlINDU~SM TODAY JANUARY , 1997
The board is headed by Puri's Shankaracharya, Swami Adhoksbjanand, and only dharmacharyas, Shankaracharyas and saints can serve on it. "Of India's 50,000 monasteries, 30,00Q are reportedly financially sound, but 720 are involved in internal disputes. We intend to ask the~ to resolve their disputes within two months; otherwise the board shall intervene and install the right person there," the Shankaracharya resolved.
SPIRITUALITY ISN'T USUALLY part of a Western doctor's curriculum, but North Carolina's Wake Fores't University is now one of six US medical schools to receive a $10,000· grant to teach tomorrow's physicians how to incorporate spirituality into patientc are. "It's as important as good nutrition and exercise. Contemplative meditation IS like a good drug; the body was made for prayer," said one instructor, an ordained minister.
MORE TEMPLES MAY MEAN fewer youth stray- . ing from their· religion. That!> how Hindus in Toronto are approaching the dil~mma of kids' growing away from-not into-their heritage. While the community supports five temples, "there are not enough temples in consonance with the growing number of Hindus," said'Dr. Bhudendra Doobay, President of the Vishnu Hindu Temple. Ontario recently granted $750,000 toward a new $2.5-million Gujarati Community Centre.
MADRAS IS NO MORE-at. least not officially. Following the lead of Mumbai, once Bombay, the Tamil Nadu government obliterat-ed 300 years of Christian colonial influence by renaming India's fourth-largest city Chennai. The name is believed to be short for Chennapatnam and traceable to the 16th-century regional ruler Chennappa Naic'ker. Ironically, it was he who, in 1693, sold the village to the British. The government plans to establish Tamil as the official language of ¢is southern state, all of which was known as Madras until 1967 .
A BACKROAD TO . Godhead-par
don the! lUn-was inaugurated on Janmashtami at Bhaktivedanta Manor just north of London.
. ,
Amid Vedic Bhaktivedanta Manor chanting and ' with help from cinema star Rishi Kapoor, the opening of the new driveway ended a
,-ten~year legal battle with the local Hertsmere Council over ISKCON'i; use of t he land for a publio Krishna temple. The alternate access road, which now bypasses the village of Letchmore Heath, was com- , pleted in just four weeks. Villagers had complained that the crowds would spoil the environme~t of the local green-belt.
THE FEARED AND REVERED tiger is quickly approaching extinction, reports the World -: Wide Fund for Nature. Two-thirds of the world's estimated 4,600 wild tigers live ill ,India, the rest in a dozen other Asian countries, but not even governments can stop the decline caused by habitat destruction and poaching. And the demand for tiger parts, used in certain Asian tradltional medtcines, is on the rise.
THERE GOES THE timeline .. . again. Archaeologists say rock art engraved on stone monoliths iIi Australia's tropical Northwest is be-lieved to be Aborigine rock painting 75,000 years old, while artifacts found at the base of the stones date back to 176,000 years. One theory holds that an Ice Age land bridge might have allowed migration between Australia and Indonesia 140,000 years ago-far earlier than previous theories allowed.
FIJI'S CONSIDERATION of a settlement abolishing constitutionally guaranteed political advantages for indigenous Fijians may win that nation's readmittance to the British Commonwealth. Ethnic Indians comprise about 45% of Fiji!> population. A raciallybiased system ensuring ethnic Fijian politi-
..... cal dominance was adopted in 1990, result'ing in the islands' exg,ulsion from the Commonwealth. The proposal wiTI.require approval by two-thirds of Fiji's parliament.
INDIA'S HISTORY includes a venerable tradition of higher education, and from Taksnashila to Valabhi to Q.dantapuri to Benares much of its scholarly past is outlined in a new text, World famous Universit·ies of Hindus by Arjan Lal Sharma, 41 Bowrons Ave., Wembley, Middlesex, HAO 4QS, u.K.
BRIEFLY is compiled from press, TV and wire-service reports and edited by RAVI
PERUMAN, award-winning radio journalist at KGO in San Francisco.
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Filial unity can bring prosperity: Four happy generations of Harilelas at their Hong Kong mansion; (inset ) George Harilela,family elder - ./
SPECIAL REPORT
Joint" Family 'at Risk Individualism has brought In{lia's traditional f~ily to the brink of extinction
. ./ By CHOODIE SHIVARAM, BANGALORE
CURRENT TRENDS CONTINUE, THE
of the 21st century may witness "A'.H~'_U"'H of one of society's most
and influential establishments, joint family. In India, the joint
family is a sacred institution deeply rooted in Hindu h~itage. It has been
heralded as the cultural stronghold that has berne Sanatana Dharma intact through India's inimical dominations. Lately, its prestige has plummeted. Though extended families exist in most parts of rural India and some cities, Joint families are harder and harder to fhid. _
A joint family consists of many relatives
22 H'JNDUISM TODAY JANUARY , 1997
living under: one roof and sharing one kitchen and often a single bank account. Extended families include ·memMrs who live in other dwellings or locales, near or far.
. With the nuclear age's nurturance of nuclear families-;:most joint families have completely disintegrated. Many that have stayed together haye independent kitchens, checkbooks and lifestyles, conditions contrary to the oldest customs .•
Few people welcome this trend t6ward dissolution. But they don't lament, either. Most simply call it inevitable. However, religious lead~rs, elders and members of functioning joint families are apprehensive, knowing that this family structure, better than any, pre-
,,-serves Hindu values and attitudes.irrespec-tive of the moral turbulence that may rage outside the home's walls. To lose this safe haven of Vedic culture, they feel, would be a body blow to dharma.
The joint family f9Jms a veritable domestic fortress, aptly symbolized in India by the gi~ ant banyan tree, .whose every branch grows roots which in turn support and feed the main trunk. Joint families insure not only the biological continuity of the human race, but also the cultural continuity of society. They successfully transmit ideologies, customs, traditions, beliefs and val1es from generation tp generation. Individuals may come and go, but the family stands as a unit. Members are
Fami,ly Matters
R. PREM SARAl OF IOWA,
USA, is an authority on the Hindu joint family. His years of study were '
largely motivated by the desire to keep his own family together. Below, he succinctly summarizes for HINDUISM TODAY the basic structure and duties.
Membership: Father and mother; sons and wives; daughters until married; grandsons and wives; granddaughters until married; great grandsons and wives; great grandda~hters until married.
Head of the family: Father with support of mother. In the abs'ence of the father, the most capable elder SOil with guid-
I i Mar;r[ed sons 00 and spouses MMar;ried grandsons
and spouses MMarried great-grandsons
and sp0uses
Staying Together: A fully developed
1 0int family comprises at least four generations
I t§nmwried
~sons
ft Unmarried
~~ Unmarried ~tl~ Um:: rried grandsons gr
grands0ns
Q daughters ~nmarried ft~ft Un.married
granddaughters Q 9 grreat
! granddaughters
ance of his mother and support of spouse. Ifi the absence of the elder brother, a competent younger brother takes over. '
Distribution of duties: The. head of the family assigns ml(mbers according to their abilities and availability. The mother is responsible for nurturance, clothing, household activities, gift giving and acceptance of gifts. She consults her daughtersoin-law and wives of younger brothers arid
L-__ ~=-________ ~
educates them fer proper decision-making in her absence.
Religious ceremonies: The eldest son is to perform all these duties. His spouse joins' him. Others share and cooperate as they are able. •
Basic principles: 1. Every member sees that others get the best and most of resources. Each person himself asks for the least, and last. 2. All are willing to endure to relieve t.he oth~rs' burdens.
3. No one owns anything. Each. is a trustee for-t he joint family, • extended-family, society and the nation. 4. Everyone\; voice and opinion has value and importance. 5. Everyone\; conduct is stIch that intentions can never be questioned. This includes henoring the traditions and fulfilling spoken and unspoken expectations of'the extended family, society at large and the venerable principles of Sana1ana Dharma.
publicly known more by family name than individual identity. The socipl security, both material and psychological, that a joint family provides is unique and inestimable. Shared responsibilities result in minimal concern ever the basics of lifemoney, food,. shelter and clothing.
with each other and be prepared to sacrifice- the essential principles of every lasting commmunity. .
Failing families: I grew up in a joint fami-
miss those evenings after dinner when grandfather would collect all the "grandies," tell us a story and show us the various con- ' stellations in the sky. As I recall it now, it
, _ SucE' concerns typically become all-consuming in a nuclear family; a single husband, wife and their children living together.
The Harilelas of Hong Kong (left) are living proof of the joint . family 's value. Naroomal and Devibai Ijarilela came to China from Sindh in the early part of this century. In the 1930s, their family was penniless. The six brothers sold newspapers on the street to make a living. Continu- ~ ously encouraged by their mother ~ to stick together, they advanced i in their profession to eventually : join Hong Kong\; most successful " businessmen. Their Harilela g
'" Group today owns hotels, res(au- " 1:.-.._= rants, travel agencies, real estate ', Helping hand:
. and stores. They have always lived as a joint family- now numbering 50-and have for many years occupied a palatial mansion in Hong Kong, defined by separate quarters, and common dining, puja and gathering space's. Their mother taught them to pool their resources, work ~ard, be patient
ly in Karnataka, surrounded by 13 U'ncles, four aunts, grandparents and other live-in relatives. The joys and pleasures of'growing up in suS;h environs are unbounded. I carry with me most wonderful memories of childhood, filled with fun, affection and care. I
, ,
\ seems like a bygone dream. Our family disintegrated for all the reaso~s that a socjology text would enumerate. It's s~d, but breaking up was ine~itable.
Many joint families in cities have fragmented. Even the Pnibhat family, featured in HINDUISM l'ODAY [May, 1995], has decided to part. The reasons are many. Glaringly evident are disagreements over property and assets. After the -head of the j amily expires, the brothers dispute their Shares. "This is because the elders have not inculcated the right values in the family. Growing materialism drives them te crave for more. It is;.as if they were waiting for the head of the family to die. It's , disgusting when you hear of such instan€es, which are common now," laments Mr.
Raman, a retired engineer. "Most joint families disintegrate when the
elders lose moral authorit~~' says Mr. A.V Subba Rao, an advocate. ''Also, there is a common tendency for the head of thefami-ly to be "partial to certain children and '
J AN UARY , 1997 H I'N DUISM TOD AY 23
"
/
instances are common. grandchildrE)n. Often, a glaring favoritism is shown towards the daughters and daughtersin-law. Secondly, some children ar~ ellploited, while others are coddle'd. This differential treatment breaks down the relationships rather than bringing aQout unity."
Often it is the eldest son who selflessly supports a large family, scicrificing many of his own ambitions. Sadly, however, his sovereigntY, may be rescinded by younger members once they settle down independently. They fail to acknowledge his service. My father suffered immensely, both emotionally and monetarily, because of this trend. Such
Geetha, a young lecturer, moved out of a small joint family simply because she could not get along with her sister-tn-Iaw. "My mother-in-law favor,s her kids," she complained, while the' employed sister-in-law said, :'She would never lend a helping hand in the kitchen." These petty differences event~ally led them to part.
two sons live separately with their wives, but visit their widowed mother frequently.
Even functional joint 'families are being transformed. One distinct trend in liberal families is the mother's use of the joint family as a day-care center to look after her children while she pursues studies or a career. The Nanis are a well-known family of theatre artists in Bangalore. After marriage, Bhargavi jOined the Nani joirl:t family of four generations living together. "They were traditional, and there was discipline we had to abide by. For instance, a daughter-in-law had to wake up early and dress in a sari with kumkum on
"With education and employment, women . have become more independent, and growing individualism attracts them towards nuclear families," opines Mrs. Sh~karan, who lives alone in ~er Bangalore bungalow. Her
One Dynasty Thrives Many helping hands make for light work
EFYING ALL NOTIONS
of disintegration, the Narasinganavar family
demonstrated to the world that the undivided family is still viable. Abdut 25 km from the city of Dharwad, Karnataka" in the .small village of Lokur, 170 kinfolk have lived harmoniously for seven generations. They are bound together by their Jain religion. "Why
. should we fight," exclaims 72-year-old Lokappa, punctuating his point with a perky fist. "God has given us everything, and we are happy. ,Togetherness is our strength, and cooperation is our support." I Their mansion, Jaina Bhakta Nivas, is the nerve center for . all..activity" It is where the women and children are housed and where food for all is prepared and served. They have another house for married couples, a granary and their own Jaina temple.
This fantastic family's so- I
-'journ began when Narasingappa migrated to Lokur from Hathangalada, Maharashtra, 400 years ago, with hIS brothers and children. There have been no fights ~r disputes over property in their history. Now,' l'arasanna, Lokappa and Bheemanna, the three brothers, live with their uncles, cousins, cliildren and grandchildren. The oldest is their maternal uncle,
gO-year-old Annappa. The youngest is Bheemanna's yearling grandson.
Being educated, the responsibilities of finance and decision-making were entrusted to Bheemanna by his elders from early on. Now, at age 68, all . directives are issued by him. The elders may collectively decitle on issues, but Bheemanna's word is faithfully followed by all, including elder Annappa. This solemn discipline and mutual respect is the secret of their unity. "Mutual
24 HINDUI S M TOD A.Y J ,\NUARY , 1997
Agrarian kindred: (Left and clockwise) 1,000 Tons are pre- . pared daily in the Narasingavar kitchen; gathering in the fields fo r: tomato harvest; family portrait in mid-October
love and affection is . what has kept us
going," avers Bheemannp.. FUll control over the finances
remains in the hands of Bheemanna, who makes the necessary' purchases and investments. Clothes ~e bought for the entire family at Diwali and new year. "Money is a corrupting force and the root cause of all trouble," avowed Lokappa. "Everyone in our family is content because all needs are provided for. No one has an individual savings. No one is rich or poor. All are equal. There is.no greed, selfishness or
jealousy." Agricult.ure is their occup,a
tion and source of income. The family owns 200 acres of cul- ' tivable land, a dairy of 69 cows and buffalos, a flour mill and a fertilizer and pesticide shop. All requirements of food, grains; vegetables, milk; edible oils, etc., are produced from their / own efforts. All that they purchase from outside are clothes, soap and tea. "We had a mere 60 acres 40 years ago," certifies Lokappa. "Every year the profits are invested on purchasing land or equipment for our agriculture. We do not distribute
her forehead. None of the elders objected to my being employed. They took care of my children. I had no worries on the home front. They would even allow me to act in plays," says go-year old Bhargavi. "I enjoyed living in this family immensely. It did call fm; a lot of I adjustments, but the advantages outweighed the disadvantages," she affirmed. '
too individualisfic. You cannot impose your views on them. You have to be broad-minded and make a lot of compromises."
joint families," asserts Mr. Venkatesl"i Murthy, a professor of mathematics. "But we cannot say we did not .want industrializatio]J.. People are now more concerned with their rights than auties. The personal self has become all imp,ortant. No wonder joint families are on their way out!"
Today the Nanis continue to live as a joint family with their two sons, daughter-in-law and their children, but a basic shifrhas oc
. currfjd in family protocol. "Those days we , adjusted to our elders. Now we adjust to the youngsters," Bhargavi revealed. "They are
Why won't you stay? As the sun of modernization has risen, the inconveniences of a joint family now seem to eclipse its merits. The head of the family, with absolute power, may disallow an individual the liberty to express opinions or pursue creative desires. Members with such aspirations can feel constricted. If their desires exceed the cQmmitment to family duty or the will to resolve differences, their departure is assured. "Industrialization shattered the very foundation of
Joint families all-too-often treat women as non-entities, relegating them to the four walls of the kitchen. My mother would rarely step out of the kitchen or socialize with family members apd relatives. My aunts, on the other hand, had freedom to socialize. When my mother had an opportunity to talk, she
Bheemana: Respected leader
the profit among ourselves or buy fancy items. WhateveMve buy benefits the entire family." .
Being Jaina, they are strictly vegetarian. The women prepare over 1,000 rotis a day, with 40 ladies taking turns four to five at a tirn~ They begin at 5AM and continue till late after;
/
noon, only to begin again by evening. They use no modern mixers, grinders, cookers or gas stoves. This to me seemed like the most strenuous aspect of their chores, but they seemed perfectly cheery. They sing while working, chat when free and share each others! saris and jewelry. There is no bossingaround.
In fact, fear and punishment are not found in this family. . "Mistakes are very rare. No one oversteps their limits"each one
, knows his duties and abides by the codes of the house. If someone errs, we stop talking to him for a while and shun him. With that, he realizes his fault and makes amends," explains Thimmappa.
This family is an efficient example of division of labor. Each member is entrusted with a definite responsibility, such as operating the flour mill, maintaining the edible oil extracting unit, textile shQP, fertilizer shop or repair of vehicles and implements. The family is totally seItreliant and self~sufficient. Not once during my visit did I come across someone lazing around. All,the women were continuously engaged in household chores. I could see that every member contributes his or her might. These are tireless wor](ers.
The Narasinganavars' life is peaceful and simple~ Traditions continue. Elders serve the family selflessly and lead an austere life, setting fine standards for the others, as Bheemanna veriRed, '1\11 that we know is to worK hard, be sincere and live an honest life."
Another Breaks Up How one-:congenial clan called it quits
Chandrasekar: "No ill f eelings"
I HE REDDY FAMILY HAD
lived as one unit for four generations in a. village near Kaiwara, about 80KM
from Bangalore. The men worked in the fields. Some women assisted, but most handled the household chores and took turns in cooking-a substantial task at 50 kgs of rice . and 100 ragi balls each day! The family lived comfortab1y. Why, then, did they divide?
Mr. Narayanaswamy Reddy\; young daughter, Susheela, confided: "Out of the 50 men, only 10 or 15 worked. The others simply lazed around, taking life for granted. This inequality led to the breakup."
Distraught by the split is . Narayanaswamy's mother, 70-year-old Chok'kamma. She was working in the fields when I met her. She related that, at barely eight years old, she entered this huge house of 60
members and grew fond of the family. "I advised them not to break up, but who listens nowa-days? They have fought and parted," she said dejectedly.
It was gO-year-old Sonappa, the eldest male, who had managed all family affairs. 8radually, as he started losing hold on the men, his responsibilities were transferred to Chandrasekar and Narayanaswamy.
Womenfolk are commonly blamed for the breaking up of a family, but this family attrib-. ., utes c.ollapse of their dream to the men's conscious decision "to make lazy men responsible." "The women never brought in differences. In fact, they wanted the system to go on. Even now they get along famously," says Chandrasekar.
Upon break-up, their land holdings of 80 acres fragmented. Each got 9Ply 3/4 of an acre. "But everyone is doing very well now, even with this small piece of land. Those men who never worked are now hard workers and are reaping go09 harvests from their fields," says Susheela.
"We had no differences, and we wanted to continue as one unit. Even to this day we feel like one big family. There are no ill feelings," maintains Chandrasekar. But Susheela laments, "We visi~ each other, but it can never be the same."
J A NU A R Y, 1 997 HI N D U ISM TODAY 25
,
/
" would do so ~hylY'from behind the door. Education and women's liberation have beckoned women to break free of such ~hackles.
As the rural class finds new avenues to explore, enticed toward urbanization, the urban fan;J.ilies give way to grpwing individualism and self-reliance. Want of privacy and consumerism induce a cert~h selfishness that leads towards a nuclear family syst~m. The accelerated growth of metropolitan cities and Wester~ influences fuel this trend. .
yearn for togetherness. Usually, these are individuals have no family of their own or whQ live far from their birth family. Their common desire for a safe neighb'orhood and secure home environment with .friendly, caring faces binds them together as a new family. The elders adopt the younger members and Decome their grandparents, while they i~ turn are looked after and given special care -as they grow old.
ily, they have had to face the pain o£ death of family members, divorce between some couples and the loss of severhl who have left the group. Yet, some say they like their foster family better than their birth family.
Reforming family: Ironically, the West may be approaching the other end of that materialistic road. Members of an "intentional family" essentially adopt each other and live together as a j<'lint or extended fiffilily. They may have been to~al strangers before .their merger, but they instinctively
It began in tile early 1970s, a time when many felt that families we!"e breaking dowp, a time of loneliness and isolation The idea of forming new families with people who barely knew each other was a risky proposition. But many of these families survive today. Cliildren who have grown up within these kinships are now parents. Like a nOFmal fam-
Wherever we look, the continuance of the joint family seems precariously perched on the aspirations arid allegiance of each of us. Are we out to fulfill our own interests? Or, are we willing to sacrifi~e a little of ourselves for the greater whole? Tradition tells us such sacrifice reaps rewards in excess of that which was forgone. It also confirms that we each learn in our own time, at our own pace. "To keep a joint family, a spirit of selfless service, tolerance and broad-rmndedness is a must. In
-modern living, to find these virtues is ex-tremely rare," concludes Murthy. ...,.;
.I
One City's Successful Family . Sagacity and self-sacrifice "~pell affluence in Bangalore
H aDERN STRESSES, CITY strains-and nilTlpant I
materialism conspire to make urban joint fami
lies irrelevant or even extinct. Many city-dwellers feel that the Narasinganavars (see page 24) have achieved their rare
" uccess only because fhey live in a village, with agriculture as their occupation. But the family of M.M. Krishnamurthy has been living jOintly for four generations in the 'midst of bustling Bangalore. They even run a family business.
Krishnamurthys 40-member fanrily is known as the "MM Industries family," MM industry being the family business. Septuagenarian Krishnamurthy, second. of four brothers, is the head. He rejoices in joint living, he told me, "I cannot explain the joys of living t
"'together. One has to live and experience it. It requires so much adjustment and patience. It teaches you so many things."
KTishnamurthys father, Munivenkatappa, and uncle Mallappa, who live.d together alon&,: With their parents, started the business in South Bangalore. Their children still live together and continue the family enterprise which today is a local
Garden City: ,Where the MM Industries family blossomoo together I
landmark. "We prosper only ~because of our unity. Everyone in the family is expected to do their own job," Krishrramurthy told me.
The men were educated at Ramakrishna Vidyasala of the Ramakrishna Mission in Mysore, where their culture and discipline have their roots: At home, upon rising, every member first goes to the puja room and only after praying comes for breakfast. They celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi and Janmashtami on a grand scale, and host a spiritual retreat at . their house, preSided over by
the RK swamis. The family maintains aston
ishil)g harmony and togetherness. The ladies share housework equally and get along well. "No one is jealous of the other. Everyone has what they want,) find that the ladies often exchange their saris' and jewelry. They take a rare joy in this," reveals Krishnamurthy.
Girls in the MM family are allowed to study as much as they want, but they are not permitted to work. "It's agffinst the family tradition," states Krishnamurthy. The women visit their relatives and attend
26 HINDUISM TODA.Y J ,\NUARY , 1997
family functions. Viewing movies is very rare.
How does the family adjust to the inevitable problems? "The secret of staying together is a lot of sacrifice and compronlise. Ori'e magic tha1 works here is to overlook and ignore petty nlistakes. We turn a blind eye. But if a member continues to err, I correct them once and' recall ten nlistakes of theirs in a row. There is no . ' scolding or punishment. Silence is our secret agent. Soon, tlJey realize their mistake and fall in line," Krishnamurthy explained. Talking back to elders and disobedience are absent here. 'The elders by their exemplarx concluct have paved the way for unity.
''All the earning members contribute a portion of their income to a common finance pool. All family expenses are met by this account. A perfect recorq of all expenses is kept with .vouch~rs," says Krishna, murthy. Youngsters are not given pocket money-Only the earning members handle .I money. All requirements are filet by the elders. '(outh cannot go out without the permission of their parents or elders.
To me, Krishnamurthy divulged two secrets of a successful joint family, "To live together like this, every~)lle must contribute to the family, not just money, but also sharing the work equally. .lAnd there must be a strong leader, a kind of benevolent dictator."
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-Bringing India a Step Closer-
Women of Power and Grace Nine Astonishing, Inspiring Luminaries of Our Time.
• In this landmark book, meet 9 of the greatest holy women of the modern era, five from Mother India.
.Enjoy their awesome miracles of Love and 120 pages of powerful wisdomsayirlgs revealing the deepest secrets of God-Realization.
"I love Women of Power and Grace. I was completely enthralled. The quality of your work is outstanding." Linda Johnsen, author: Daughters of the Goddess.
"Your beautiful book is a delight -a feast for the soul. The great Mother-heart of God can be experienced on every page." Richard Schiffman, author: Mother of All.
Women of Power and Grace by Timothy Conway, Ph.D. 352 pages 1 35 photos 1 Softcover $16.951 Hardcover $20. Available from fine bookstores or from:
The Wake Up Press 222 Meigs Rd., Suite #8, Santa Barbara, CA 93109 USA Tel: toll-free 888-818-3010 or 805-564-2125 (free shipping)
L I ·T ERA T U R E
Books pouy Up' Hindu Women ,
Delving into the domain of dharma's daring women, past and present
By V G. JULIE !\AJAN, PHIL~ELPHIA F A SUDDEN, A BURGEONING IN'.rEREST
in the status of Hindu w'omen has produced a multiplicity of books. The resultant field of study is vast, with works
of fiction, nonfiction, poetry and prose by both Hindus and non-Hindus. Fresh titles fo-/ cus on the inspiring lives of women saints conveying the pinnacle of feminine potential-to be the '1iving Goddess." Others garble Hinduness and Indianness, or leave religion out all together. But virtually all present the traumas and triumphs of Hindu women in some fashion, whether they be crises of the past or advancements of the present.
To understan.d the struggles and progress of the Hindu woman, you need a feel for her historical relationships with society, religion, politics and economics. India's being a multi-religious, multi-lingual, multi-ethnic country, its women often share the same concerns as her compatriots of other religiOJils. Even in the IndoPakistani region, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh the concerns -of women are oftentimes the same, only slightly altered by religion. Thus, readers often must study the status of Hindu women indirectly, through the "Indian" or «South Asian" woman.
M;my nonfiction books delineate the general 'Concepts. However, A.S. Altekar's The Position of Women in Hindu'Civilizatil;m (378 pages, Motilal13anarsiaass, Delhi) is a wellrounded text, targeted towards the relationships between Hindu women and society. This interesting and informative work spans almost four-thousand years of experience.
Position of Women is superbly organized according to the principle divisions of a woman's life, taking one through discussions of issues such as "The P0Sition of the Wid-ow," "Dress and Ornaments," "Marriage and Divorce" and "Proprietary Rights." Although the author's study relies on surveys, his own voice and opinions lie latent in the text. Not all women will share his viewpoint. With this in mind, however, Position of Women offers thorough, clear and thoughtprovoking infoI'mation.
28 HJNDUISM TODAY JA NUARY, 1997
To be frank, an analytical app1;oach such as Altekar's can be tedious reading. The antidote for this pedantry is Timothy Conway's Wonien of Power and Grace (351 pages, Wake Up Press, $16.95). With lucid and lilting diction, Conway reveals the nature of
the heroically spiritual woman by de
tailing the ex-
periences of nine souls who gave up their lives to serve God through charity or mysticism.· Out of the nine, four are Hindu, and five are saints of Christianity and Islam. The author not only contrasts ideas of sainthood, but also compares the stature of woman saints of various faiths. '
C'onway is generous in his unbiased praise. The love emanating from Hinduisms Amma Mata Amritanandamayi is as carefully told
,
as the passions experienced by Christianitys Saint Ther@se Neuman, offering readers an inspirational study into the lives of profound-ly religious women. '
Should your concerns center. more on tl1:e political and economic forces that have affected the Hindu woman, try Recasting ,Women: Essays in Colonial History, edited by Kumkum Sangari and Sudesh Vaid (372 pages, Kali for Women Press, $14.00). This
study offers a rainbow of readable essays covering the cultural, social, re
ligious and economic challenges faced by Indi
an women during British Christian rule, when pa
triarchy strongly imposed its precepts on all women in
India. As each essay is written by a different author, Re-
casting Women gives a composite view of the struggles
and changes in status of fudian women during the Raj.
The essays range from broad topics such as "Marginalization of
Women's Popular Culture in Nineteenth Century Bengal" to the
more case/specific issues in "Rural Women in Oudh 1917-1947: Bab
Ram Chandra and ' the Women's Question. " Such studies provide a de
tailed accounting of actual confrontations of Hindu women who found their
rights and respeG:t repressed,. Fiction is an even richer world, discussing
woman's emotional and thought processes, a level that carmot be plumbed by even the
..-deepest historical or sociological study. Fictional works disclose ~ocietys perceptions of her, as well as her picture of herself, in sometimes blushing blatancy.
A brazenly contemporary approach to literature is voiced in Our Feet Walk the Sky (372 pages, Aunt Lute Books, $12.95), offering South Asian wO!Jlen a release from modern social restricti'Ons, allowing them tc;> forge spiritual qonnections within themselves and with each other. This international collection of short stories, poems and analytical studies from female authors attempts to blend both the conventional and individual experiences of all South Asian women. The first collec?ion of its kind, the editors and writers should be commended for their boldness in printing in black and
white the controversial ideas of sexuality and revolution that are often forbidden.
As a second generation Indian woman in the US, I could relate to most of the offerings, 'put a few simply disturbed me, being a raw collection of raunchy ideas echoing lit- , tle of my life or the lives of of my friends. The crude nature of these entries make this book strictly for adults. Just when the book seems to be street -smart, we are assailed by long, cerebral essays equally out "9f sync
. With/the common South Asian experience. . That being said, Ou.r Feet Walk the Sky will allow you a glimpse into what it is like to be a worldly-wise Hindu woman today.
Arranged Marriage by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (307 pages, Anchor, $21.00) focuses on the challenges of women in arranged marriages. These fictional stories for adults offer a glimpse into the relationships of Hindu women struggling to reconcile the transposition of tradition into modern life.
Although fiction, the images, characters and their reactions evoJr;e a strong chord of reality. Rather than harp on the cliche topic of arranged marriage versus love marriage, the author has created elev~n plausible
.5
women's lives 'which evade stereotypes. We not only observe the wife's feelings against her cheating husb81).d, but we also see how these feelings af-fect her relationships with oth-er females and males of her world. These are the bonds that constitute so significantly a part of the identity and soul. Qf the Hindu female's life.
Banerjee opens with challengeS-: faced by women, framed in ' the more traditional situations of India, and towards the end depicts women struggling in the fantasies of the modern and traditional makeup of their very soul. I like this book.
Buyers be Wary~ Before you rush'out to buy your next book on Hindu women, examine the wide-ranging options. You'll discover devotional offerings and dane ~d sometimes egregiously irreligious renderings. But that, avid readers, is Hinduism today. . ~
Donnish Delights /
\
Winnowing the world of words on women .J
"Women and Religion in India," by Nancy Auer Falk (New Issues Press, Michigan) . An impressively comprehensive armotated bibliograppy of 1,015 English liter
-ary wprks from 1975-1992. Approximately 650 are by long-term residents of India: Topics range from legal,provisions of Hindu law codes, to ritual, to the transformative experiences that have inspired some women to renounce all ties with family and world. Subjects range from wealthy women to the poorest poor, from women considered living Goddesses to housewives, and young girls caught up in prost;itution. A must-have in alllililraries.
! )
/
"Women's Struggle: A History of the All India Women's Conference
from Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism,
1927-1990;"' by Aparna K. Basu and Bharati Ray (Manohar Publications, New Delhi). This fact-filled book details the instigation,
i WOMEN'S i STRUGGLE
ChristiaNity, Judaism and Sufism. This work is unique in its discussion of the position of
i :~: so ...... , ,:n,,< .. t .::~"
, development and achievements of tKe AIWC and its efforts, through 63 years of service, to make the voices and powe~s of
women in India -known. Extensive appendices make the book a rare reference on the subje6t, including short biographies of 46 eminent women . .
"Women Saints of East and West" (Ra
makrishna Vedarlta Centre, " London). A collection of bi
ographies of women saints
women in each of the religions.
"Women in the Vedic Age," by Shakuntala Rao Shastri (Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay). An intriguing and rev~aling study of the status and obsetvances of women as indicated, and in some cases stipulated, in Vedic literature. The relationship of wife to
. husband and the rites bf family and ~arriage constitute the primary focus, but you'll discover fascinating detail and verses you are not likely to have heard before.
Publishers I
MOTILAL BANARSIDASS, 41 U.A. BUNGA· LOW ROAD, JAWAHAR NAGAR, llO 007, NEW DELHI, INDIA
THE WAKE UP PRESS, 222 MEIGS ROAD, SUITE #8, P.o. BOX 24156, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93121-4146 USA
KALI FOR WOMEN PRESS, A 36 GULMOHAR PARK, NEW DELHI, llO 049, INDIA
AUNT LUTE BOOKS, P.O. BOX 410687, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94141 USA
DOUBLEDAY (ANCHOR BOOKS), 1540 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10036 USA
NEW ISSUES PRESS, COLL'EGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES , WESTERN MICH. UNIV., KALAMAZOO, MI 49008 USA,
MA'NOHAR PUBLICATIONS, zl6 ANSARI ROAD, DARYAGANJ llO 002, NEW DELHI, INDIA
RAMAKRlSHNA VEDANTA CENTRE, UNITY HOUSE, BLIND LANE, SL8 5LG BOURNE END, BUCKS, UK
SOUT~ ASIA B9>OKS (BHARATIYA VIDYA .BHAVAN), P.O. BOX 502, CO·
LUMBIA, MO 65205 USA
ADVAITA ASHRAMA, P.O. MAYAVATI VIA LOHAGHAT, 262 524,
PITHORAGARH, U.P. INDIA
Julie Rajan, a Madurai'-bom Hindu living in Philadelphia,
strengthens the distaff staff at HT, joining Lavina, Archa~ Choodie, Prabha and Madhu. She broke our Pat Robertson story in 1 ~93.
"Great Women of India," by Swami Madhavananda and Ramesh Chandra Majumdar, editors (Advaita Ashrama, Almora). A scholarly and in.;!epth look .at women and their
contributions to Indian culture, religion and history through essays written by Indian female scholars. This book is more expansive tpan Women Saints of East and West, being thoughtfully divided into large sections, such as "Women in Sanskrit Literature," "Wome!} in Buddhism and Jainism" and "Women'ln
the Modern Period." There is a welcome reliance on the wealth of Ij.indu scriptures. And chapters such as "Great Indian Women of the Nineteenth Century" provide ample
chronicles of women's lives and balance out the historical themes. Buy the~ all and enjoy.
J ANUAR Y, 1997 HI'NDUISM TODAY 29
/
.1
INS LG H T " .
:'Death' "and, ',Dying" QUI' faith .guid~s o~r transiti0n from this ' world,. offerinK solace to ~he suffering and those facing th~ foreboding c-ertainty' of de.atl)
EAD .ME FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT, FROM
death to ,immortality," This famed "vedic prayer proclc;rims the hurrian urge to survive,
to conquer death and to know the joys of ........ _ . illu'minated consch:>usness, People oftEin pilgrimage to an isolated place in expectation of a vision, be ita jungle of'faun,a .an<;l. foHage' or ce-. m€nt and glass,. Every per$on is on a vision quest. But for all 'souls, at the time of the great depar.ture, m.ahap~asthana, a vision comes' as a tunnel of light at the 'en? of which: are beings . of aivine
nature. Many having had th€ near-death experience have sworn their testimony of such transforming encounters. An American W0man who "died" durip.g o~ildbirth, but wa~.bro1.lght ~aGk'to'life by quick medical action, recounted: "It was.an incredible energy-a light y.ou
. wouldn't believe. I almost floated in it. It was feeding my consciousness feelings of unconditional love, complete safety and complete, total perfection. And then, and then, a piece of knowledge came init was that ·I was immortal, indestructible, I cannot be hurt, cannot be lost, and that the worlei'is perfect." Hundreds of people'repor~ similar experiences, affirming what Hinduism has ·always taught-. that death is a blissful, light-filled transition from one state to another, as simple and natural as changing clothes, far from the mor- . bid, even hellish alternatives some dread. A Vedic fvneral hymn .intones: "Where eternallu'ster glows, the realm in which the light di; vine is set, place ,me, Puritler; in that deathless, imperishable world. ;;: Make me immortal in that realm where movement is accordant to ~ :vish, ih the third region, the third heaven of heavens, where the ~ worlds are resplendent" (Rig Veda, Aitareya Amnyaka 6-11). , ~ . Most often, before our own death, we encounter its reality in the Z
passing of friend~ or- family. OUl: thoughts during the rites, termed an- ~ tyesti samskam in Sanskrit, rum to God. We witpess the end of an- ~ others life and ask, "What am I going to do with the remaining years of my own life?" All that is said during thes~ timesTeminds ps that life qn earth is temporary. All our possessions, power, ego and learni,ng will end. Seeing this truth. we turn the mind toward God, toward lifes ultimate goal, moksha, liberation, and toward the path Of dharma that will take us tnere. We do this not in tn,!pidation, but in assurance, faith and gratitude for the opportunity to progress spiritually in this physicai incarnation. .
Death is defined differently according to wnat people believe ' • themselves to be. If they are only the body and brain (as with hu
manists or atheists), then death is the end of sensory experience, of self. If we live once, death ends our only ?ojourn on Earth and is naturally dreaded. If we are born again and again, it loses its dread in ,light of the souls pilgrimage to eternity. NO'matter how ill, how in.-
30 HINDUISM TODAY JANUARY, 1997
firm our condition, there is'a serene afld consoling center of our being to which we can adjourn, the SOHrce within, It is more us than our body, more us than our mind and emotion. It will not die: It does not hurt or fear. As physical debility and death draw near, we seek this center, whether we eall it Paramatnia, God, Self or Divin~ Con- ' sciousness. In the Krishna Yajur Veda, Katha Upanishad" Yama, Lord of Death, explaiI}$: "Death is a mere illusi~:m whi~h appears to those who cannot grasp Absolute Reality, The SOUllS immortal, self-existent, self-luminous and never dies," •
It is the soul's subtle bogy,.linga sharira., that stores the "thoughtenergy" experiential impressions oflife, called samskaras. When the
• body dies, this nonphysical sheath continues 'g.s a constellation of subtle elements-dispositions, memories,.desi'res, etc. It is within this.
subtle body that the soul, if. needed, reincarnates, as described in fhe Shukla Yajur Vep,g., Brihadamnyaka Upanishad (4.4.5-6): "A man acts according to t4e-de,sires to which he clings. Aft~r death he goes t6 ilie riext world bearing in his mind the subtle impressions of his de~ds; and after reaping there tilie harvest of his deeds; he fe.turns. again to this w@rld of ~otion, Thus, he. who' has tlesires continues sun-ject to rebirth," Death"according to Hinduism, is not the contradiction bf life. Death' and birth are two si~es 'of life's ,cosmic cycle. The culmination of that cycle is liber:ation .. As the venerable S~tguru YogaswaII,li 0'£ Sri. Lanka taught: ":By getting rid @f desire, man cli? put
, an end to birth altogether." . Resorvlng the Karmas: Many who have lHid a near-death experi
ence-speak ofha~g com~,ba.ckto complete unfinished obligations to children, parents or friends. It is a great blessing to know of one's im-
pending transition. A Hindu approaching deg.th works diligently to finis):! all his "business" of this lifetime, the alloted portion of his total . karma carried into this birth to face and ~s01ve. If death comes while loose ends remain (misunderstandings unres@lved, misd.eeds unatoned for or ooligations U1lfulfilled), another lifetime may be reqUired .to expire that karma. Thus; an aging or ailing HiRdu will be seen going around' to' friends and enemies, .giving love, help and blessings, working to resolve (:;onflicts and differences, offering apologies and fulfllling all known obligations. Ideally, he executes his own will, distI;ibuting his preperties and duties to heirs, charities and endow-ments, n.ot leaving such t~ks to oiliers. .
Th~t done, he turns to God, reads scriptures, attends temple and amplifies meditation and devotion . .He may pjJgrimage to sacre'd spots
or' retire to ' a seoluded place to practice japa'and yoga sddhanas, The faJ:TIily takes c;rre not to disturb these efforts, !lor his retirement from social obligation or interaction, realizing h,e has entered life's final stagej that of ilie renunciate, or sannyasin. . . Maldng, the Transitiun Conscious!y: Knowing -that a conscious
death is the ideal, the Hill(;\u avoids excessive drugs or mind-numbing medical: measures. He- cultivates detachment as death aRProaches, knowing that loss is not sufferea. wh~n something is given up voluntarily, only when it is'taken from us by force. He is grateful for life, but not angry with or fearf'ur of.death. Dyin~ is not u~like falling asleep. We have all experienced death many tirpes in past lives. The astral body separates from the physical body, just a~ jn sleep. The difference is that the silver cord connecting the two breaks at the moment 'Of transitio'n, signaling the pt>int of no re!urn~ _
Scriptures speak of leaving the bQ(;\y through one chakra or another, departing in a level of c~:msciousness of a particular chakra, which then determines where in the' inner worlds a person wiil find himself after death. Those who depart full ofhatred·aiJ.d resentment go to the world of those who also died in lower consciousness. Those with lov.e ill their heart enter a world where abide others with similar attainment. Therefore, during,transition a person must strive to be in the highest pbssible state of consciousness, cO{l@entrating on the t013 of th~ head and holding'to lofty thoughts as he succumbs. A wt;lman in California narrated: "Shortly before my husband died, he held my hands and asked me to recite the Lalitha Sahasranama and to say, the mantra we were initiated into. He repeated after me in a loud voice' when suddenly his face began to shine with a luster, and
. he became overjoyed and beaming. He started almost shouting in joy that he was seeing the temple and the Deities-;-Siva, Ganesha and- Muruga-smiling at him. In t4is glowing way he passed away shortly thereafter whpe I recited the mantra in his ear."
Those who die suddenly, through accident or murder, have no time to prepare. Tracl.itionally, full death rites are not performed af- . ter such deaths, because rebirili is expected almost immediately. For • the same reason, rites are not accorded children who die youn~, before adolescence .. In India, bodie's of accidental-death victims and -children. are buried in ~ cpmmon grave or put in a river. Since neither is possible ,in Westernized countries, cremation is accepted.
-Funeral and Memorial Rites: Hindus traditionally cremate their dead, for swift~r, more complete release of the soul. Burial, which ,Preserves the bond, is generally forbidden. Death's anni3iersary is c'alled Liberation Day. For saints, if is celebrat'ed rather than the day of birth. To some extent, the funeral rites serve to nofify the departed soul that he has, in fact, died. It is possible for a disoriented soul, not understanding that he is on the other side, to linger close fo the physical plane. Be can still see this material world, and even observe his own funeral. Some of ilie ritual ch~ts address the deceased, urging him to relinquish attachments ana. continue the journey. The rites are also for the living, allowing the family to say a respectable and dignined "farewe~," to express grief, loss and the mosaic of emotions they 'J;laturally encounter. The d~epest significance of the funeral rites lies in their yoKi.ng the inner and outer worlds, Bhuloka and Devaloka, and their recognition that a family consists not just of its living generations, but its anoestors as well, Often a group of souls will sequentially incarnate into the same extended family, so that, for example, a grandson may be the returned soul of the father. In this
, way collective karma and dharma are. worked through, Those in the inner worlds help relatives living in the outer world. When their turn comes in the outer world, they strive to attain spiritual progf~SS that is only possible in physical incarnation. Ceremsnial uniting of the deceased with his for~fathers and yearly honoring of.ancestGrs keep open the inner communication which makes the family prosperous and preserves its longevity .
The Vedas proclaim, "When ~ person comes to \Yeakness, be it through old age or disease, he frees himself frsm ~ese limbs just as 'a mango, a fig or a berry releases itselffrom its stl!lk" (Sukla' Yajur Veda, Brihadharanyaka Upanishad: 4.3.36), ..
.R·ites of Transition body to tJ:1e b~ck porch, remove the clothes and drape it with.a w~te clGth .. (If there is no potch, the hody can be sponge bathed ' , and prepared where it is.) Each applies sesame 'oil to the head,
INOU OE~IfH RITUALS in all traditions f0110w a '
uniform patter.n from theVeqas,
'Variations according to sect, regioP, caste ahd family traclitio~. Most. rit~s are fulfilled by the familY., all.of whom participate, ipcluding·the children, who need not be shielded from the death. Oertain dies are traditionally performed
.' by' a; priest but may also b~ per- . formed by the family if no priest . is available. Here is a simple outline of rites that CaJIJ be performed by Hindus.in any locality'Yariations are no.ted and suggestions made for Hindus i,n Western countries.
1. As Death Approaches Tra<ditionally, a Itndu.dies at home. Nowadays the dying are increasiRgly kept lin hospitals, even when recovery is dearly not p0ssible. Knowing the merit~ of <dying.at home among loved' ones, l;Iinqus bring the ill home. When death is imminent,
, kindred are.notified. The person is placed in his room or in the entrYWay of the house, with the bead facing east. A lamp.'is . .
. • lit near' his head and he is urged l0 conc.entr;:1te on his mantra.
· Kindred keep vigil until the • great depwture. singing hymns: praying and reading scripture. If he 'calmot corne home: this hap-
, pens at the hospital, regardless '. of institutional objections; ~
• 2. The Moment of D'eath If the dying persop. is U:-nco.nscious at eiepartiUfe, a fariJily member chants the mantra sottly in the right ear. If ll(me is known, '~um Nqrno Narayana" or '~um Nama Sivaya" is intoned. (This is 8lso done for sudden-death victims, suGh as on a battll'lfreld 9f. in a s:ar accident.) Holy ash or sandal paste is ap- . plied to the forehead, Vedic verses are chanted, and a few·
· drops o£ftnilk, Ganga or other boly ~ater are' trickled irlto the mouth. After death, the body is
. laid in the homes entryway, with the head facing sOl}lh, on a
· 09t or the ground-:reflectihg a rElturn,to t~e lap of Mother; Earth. 1lle lamp is kept lit n~ar . the head and incense burned. A doth is tied undeu the chin and over the top of the head. The thun;lbs are tied together, as pre . ,
Kasi, the Holiest Place to Die: A man awaits f1,is.gr..eat·deparliure; at . the moment of d:eath Ganga water is trickled into the mouth at the Mukti Bhavan free hospice; oremamo1t grounds; women in mourning.
th~ big t0es. In a hospital, the family has the death pertiTicate . signed immediately and trans-
· po~fs the bady home. lJnder no circumstances shouIU the body he embalmed or 0rgans re-' move<;l for use by others. Religious pictures are turnlfd·to the wall, and in. some traditiops nllrr . roES are covered. Relatiye:;'are
· beckoned to bid farewell and sing sacred sonw at the side' of
· the body •
and the bodY'is "bathed with wa-ter £.rom the nine kutnbhas, dressed, placed in a coffip (or on a pal~quin) and carried to:.
. the homa shelter. The young children, holding small lighted stick~, encirde the body, singing hymns. The women 'then walk rarouno the body and offer puffed rice into the mouth to nourish the deceased for the journey ahead. A widow will plac'~ her tali (wedding pendant) wound her husbands
3. The Homa Fire Ritual / If available, a &'pecial funeral priest'is .calied. In a shelter- built by the.family, a fIre ritual (homa)
, is performed to bless nine brass 1Wonbhas (water-pots) and..onl'l clay pot. Lacking the shelter, an appropriate fire is<IDade-in 'the ~ home. The "Gruef mourner" , leads fhe rites. He is the eldest son iLl the,case of the father's death and the y~ungest son in
• neck, signifying her enduring tie to him. The coffin is then closed. If u~able to bring the 'body home, the family arranges ' to clean and dress 'it at the mortum;y rather than leave these
the case of the mother's. In · some tradihlons, the eldest son
serves for_ both, or .the wife, SOLlin-law or near~st male relati..;-e. •
.4. Preparing the Body The chief mourner now performs arati~ passing an oil lamp over the remains, ·then offering flowers. The male (or female, ' . Clepending on the gender of the deceas~d) relatives cm;rY,the
duties to strangers. The ritual homa fire· can be made at home or kindled !it the crematorium.
5. Cremation Only men go to the cremation site, led by the chief mourI!-er. T\,'Io pots are carried: the cl!l-y kumbha and another'containing burning.embers from the homa. The body is carried three times counterclockwise around the pyre, then placecd upon it. All circumambulating, and some arati, in the rites is counterclockwise. If a coffIn is 1!lsed, the cover is now removed. The men offer puffed rice as the
. women did ear.lier, cover the te~ples, visit swamis, nor ' take . body with wood and offer 'in- part in marriage arrangements. cense and ghee. With the clay Some observe this period up to. pot on his left shoulder; the . one year. For the death of chief mOUFner'cirGles the pyre friel'lp's, teachers or students, ob-while holding a fire brand' be- servanc~s.are optional. While . : li,i.nd his back. At each turn mourning is neve~ supp'resseq. or aroU1)d the pyre, ~ relative ,detljea, scriptures admonish , knocl$s a hole in the pot with. a against excessive lamentation
8. FIrst Mjlmorial On the 3rd, 5th, 7th or 9th day, . relatives gather for a meal of the deceaJied's favorite foods. A portiar/ is offered.beforehl.s photo 'and htter.ceremonially left at an
, abaml.Qned pla~e-, alOI]g with some lit camphor. Customs fo];
. this period are varied. Sdme of-knife, letting water ('Jut, signify- . alxd encourage joyous·re-
. rng.lifes leaving its vessel. At the lease. The departed'soul end of three turnS, the chief . ' is acut~ly conscious of
, fer pinpa (rice ~alls ) .daily for ~=___ nine days. Otbers corribine all
these offerings with tfue fol- ' lowing sapindikarana rituals
for ·a few days or one qay of ceremonies: ,
next world. The pindas are fed to' the crows, -to a cow or ·thrp'wn in a river for the fish. Some perform't;his rite on the nth day af- ' ·ter cremation. Others perfo.rm it ·twice: on the' 31st day or (11th, 15th, etc.) and af~ei one year. Once the 'first sapindikarana is 'completed, the ritual impurity enps. Monthly repetition is"also common for' one year.
mourner drbPS fue pot. Then, ' emotional forces direct-without turning to ·.f;:1ce the ' ed. at him. Prolonged body, he lights the pyre and ' grieving can bold ' leaves the cremation grounds. hi~ in earthly con- ~ The others folloW: At a gas-fu- . sciousness, inhibit-
. ele@ crematorium, sacreej. wood .. ' ing full transition . and ghee are placed inside the to the heaven
.' . coffin with the body. Where ' worlds. In Hindu 1?ermittecl., the body is car.ried Bali ,' it is sharne- ~
". around the 'chamber, and a ful to cry for ~ .small pre. is H.t in the coffin be- the dead. z,
fore it.i;:; consigned to the ~ flames. 'The cl,"emation switch 7,lIone-Gathjlr- ~
9. 31st-Day Memorial On the JIst day, a memorial service is helcl.. In some traditions it is a repetition of the funeral htes.'At.home·, all thoroughly clean"
the house. A
10. One-Year Memorial At die yearly anniversary of the death (according to the moon
.. cruendar ), a' priest conducts the shraddharites in' the home, of-
then is engaged 'by the chief ing Ceremony " About 12 hours
Yama: Lor~ of Doot.h · priest purifies . • '. the home, and .
, fering pi,{da to the' ancestors. ' This ceremony. is done. yearly as long as the sons of the deceased are alive (or'fm a ~pecified peri- . od). It is now common in India to observe shrail1J.ha for ancestors just prior to the yearly Navaratri festival. This time is also appropriate for cases where the day of death is unknown. mourner.
. . 6. Return Home; Ritual Impurity Returning home, all bathe' and share i~ cleaning the Muse. A lamp and wat~( pot are set ~here the body lay in state. TI,le water is changed. daily, and, pictures ' remain turned to the wall. The shrine room is closed, \:V1th white cloth draping all icons. .
,During these days of ritual impurity, family and close relatives do not visit othel's' homes, though neighbors and relatives, .bring daily meals to relieve the
. burdens during mourning. Nei'ther. do they attend festivals ~d
. aft~r cremation, family men re- , turn to colleft the remains. Water is sprinkled on the ash; t1].e remains,we collected on 'I- large tray . .At crematoriums the family can arrange to personally gather. the l'emains: ashes and small pieces 'of white bon~ «?iled "flowers." In crematoriums these are ground to dust, and. arrangements must be made to preserve them. Ashes are car~. ried or sent to India for deposi- . .tiOlJ.in fhe Ganges or placed,. them in an auspicious river or the ocean, along'with gm:lands and flo"Yers. ·
performs the sapindikaranq;, making on~ large pinna (representing the deceased) and three small, representing the father, grandfather and greatgrandfa- . ther. The large ball is cut in tnr;ee' pieces and JOIned with' the small pimdas to ritually unite the soul with the' ance.sfors in the
ffindu funeral rites. cap be sim; pIe or exceecli.ngly complex. These ten steps, devotedly completed' according to the customs, means, and abi'lity of the family, ' will properly conclude one. earthly sojoum of any Hindu soul.
·Rec,ommended.ResGurces·: Caring for Your o~n Dead, Lisa Carlson. Upper Access Publi~her.;, PO Box 457, Hinesburg. Vermont 05461. Dialogue with Death, Eknath !';aswaran. 1>Iilgiri Press, Box 477, Petaluma, California 94953. Funeral and othe~ Sacramenis After Death, Jnana Prabodhiili. 510 Sadoshiv Petha. Pune 411.030; India. Qrihya Sutras, Sacred Books of the East Series. Motilal Ban=idilss. Bungalow Road, Jawaharnagru; N,,,,. De!hi 7, India. Hindu Samskaras, pro Raj Bali Pandy,.Motilal Banarsidass. Life After Life, Raymond A. Moody, B.mtam Books, 1540 Broadway. New York. New York 10036. Medl'tatlon and
. the Art of Dying, Pruidit Usharbudh Aryo. Himalayan Institute, Honesdale. Pennsylvania 18431. The Transit ion Caned Death, Charles Hampton, Theosophical Publishing House. 306 WesfGeneva Rd. Wheaton, illi· nois 60187. Dilemmas of Life and Death, S. Crorn,well Crowley. SUNY Press, Albany; New York 12246.
<-'" " ;; . < ~~ ______ ~2-~~~ ____ ~~~~~
Sarada Temple: Mountaintop center of Sree Narayanct-Guro movement that changed all of India's Southwest state of Kerala ., .
MOVEMENTS
Kera~aControve~sy ...
Narayana Guru's ashram stabilizes after violent power transfer By VRINDAVANAM S. GOPALAKRISHNAN
I HE KERALA POLICE ANTICIPATED RE
sistence when they made their move to enforce a court -ordered transfer of administration at the Sree Narayana Guru
ashram at Sivagiri in SepteIllber, 1995. So tRey came in plain clothes, surrounded the main buildings and took the supporters of Swami Saswatheekananda by surprise at the six-acre ashram. But a handful of renegade monks backed, iIJ.credibly enough, by 500 members of the radical Muslir'n People's Democratic Party, refused to relinquish the SB:arada Madam, the ashram's main temple, and pelted officers with stones. The police in turn charged with upraised 'canes. When it was over an hour later, 66 police and 75 demonstrators, including some monks, were injured, and windows of the temple broken.
34 HINDUISM TODA.Y J NUARY, 1997
Devotees of Sree Narayana Gur.u, virtual patron saint of Kerala, were shocked. The great swami had worked from 1870 to nis mahasamadhi in 1928 to uplift the low-caste Ezhavas, 50% of Kerala's people. The 52 monks of his ashram contr9lled dozens of temples, schools, monasteries and".a hospital. It was an outrage and contrary to expectations that some monastic descendants, in whom he entrusted the movement, would, in 1995, do pitched battle with police.
"A monk who held the reins of power for two terms and became heavily involved in politics and malpractice is responsible ,for the predicament," stated Swami Prakashananda, the newly and' duly-elected president of the governing trust. The monk in question is Swami Saswatheekananda. Dur-
ing his ten-year- term as pontiff, he wa~ acclJ.sed of autocratic rule, misappropriation of funds (leaving many of the trust's instit\{tions bankrupt) and unseemly involvement in local politics, especially through exploitation of caste prejudice, the very curse Narayana Guru fought against. Swami Prakashananda told HINDUISM TOD;.\Y that fear of exposure forced Saswatheekananda to op"pose a proper transfer of power when his term ended. • Complaints of mismanagement led to numerous court cases in efforts to wrest contro1 of the extensive spiritual institution from Saswatheekananda. On repeated orders from the court, Swami Prakashananda climbed the flight of steps of Sivagiri thirteen times to take over the reigns of the Sree
Narayana Dharma Sangham Trust. All these efforts were thwarted by Saswatheekananda. His followers claimed the coUrt 9rders did not apply to them .
. They even enlisted the PQP (the Muslim People's Democratic Par-.. ty) on their side, whose cQ:airman, Abdul Nazar Madani, said, "There should not be another Ayodhya in Kerala, so the PDP intervened in the Sivagiri issue." The PDP was banned by the Kerala government after the incident.
Swami Saswatheekananda denies wrongdoing and complains, "Even the British police refrained from attacking such protesters during the independence ~ Narayana Guru [1856-1928] str:uggles." He says the board ~ '--________________________________ ---' cannot assemble, as such a meet - . ing must be called by the out-going president, who is-himself "They have come to power violating the bylaws and rules," he
. . argues. -Tile cominunity is generally
relieved . . The trust's oversight State Body is firm!>, in sUfPort of the new administration. An Ezhave elder said, "The change of power is aPl?reciated by the people." Prof M.K. Sanu, a follower of Narayana Guru, told HINDUISM TODAY, "Had the police not intervened in time, Siva-
, giri ,,"ould have become a land of sin. It is the blessing of the Lord
"The goal of qIl religions is the same. Once'riv.ers reach the ocean, is there difference like shallow and deep? Religion has the role of creating in humans the trend to ascend."
that they came in." The great reformer: During
his lifetime, Sree Narayqna Guru
- SREE NARAYANA GURU
was responsible for the-social and religious transformation of the Ezhava commvnity, who today constitute 50% of Kerala's 20 million Hindus. In his day, the "untouchable" Ezhava -Caste was barred entry to the temples, and could not approach the outer walls closer than fourteen feet. Narayana Guru plotted a strategic response. He chose not to agitate for temple' entry, given the area's abysmal caste relations (Swami Vivekananda had characterized Kerala as a "lunatic
. asylum"). Rather, he quietly installed a Sivalinga at Arupuran and then at other places around the state. The brahmin el"te challenged his right to encroach upon their prerogative. He merely responded, "What is the concern? I have only installed an Ezhava Siva." He also saw to the training of an Ezhav.a priesthood for the temples by establishing a Brahma Vidyalayam at Sivagiri. He eventually founded more than a hundred Ezhava temples with non-brahmin priestsbypassing upper-caste social controls.
Nararyana Guru frequently proclaimed, "One caste, one religion and one God for
man." Asked to explain what he meant by one religion, he replied, "If this war 'ofreligions should end', with self control all have to learn about afl religions. Then it will bec.ome clear that, as far as basic tenets are concerned, there qre no substantial differences. The religion which thus evolves is the 'one religion' that we advocate." He did not believe in conversion and countered the extensive Christian and Muslim influence in the area by direct action and preaching.
Philosophically, Narayana Guru was an advaitan, but he denied the illl!sory nature of the world as taught by Adi Shank!!ra. He emphasized the presence of God everywhere: "What's known as this man or that, when probed, is in this world, a Primal Self Form." He was a devotee of Siva (as are most of Kerala's Hindus), influenced by Saiva Siddhanta, but did not propound that philosophy's intricacies. .
Later in life he stopped the construction of new temples and focused on social action, coining aphorisms such as, "Educate to be free; organize to be strong; thrive through
industry." He implemented these ideals through establishing centers of education in each of his temples. He reformed the marriage rituals to make them simpler and less .costly, dictating, for example, a maximum of ten guests. In a famous incident, Narayana Guru arrived at a follower'S home just in time to summarily terminate an overly elaboratt; family celebration. Through his efforts, the Ezhavas are today a respected community.
Swami Dharmatheerth, a direct discple, summed up, "Narayana Guru created a revolution before/ anybody knew its exact nature or consequences, without antagonizing anyone or demolishing any doetrine or attacking any sect or creed. No other teacher ever accomplished his mission so peacefully."
Swami Saswatheekananda has virtually exh'austed his legal options, and Swami Prakashananda anticipates no serious threat to hisnew administration. Already several of the monks who supported Saswatheekananda have rejoined the governing board. So, perhaps once again the mission of this great saint will proceed peacefully. _
JANUARY , 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 35
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Roman calendar: Early breakthrough; pegs mark month (left), day (top ), year (right)
TIME-KEEPING
Happy Roman New Year flail to Janus; the Cod of January!
I
,
ODAY'S WORLDWIDE CIVIL CALENDAR
was actualiy the making of 'the Roman Emperor, Julius Caesar, derived from Egyptian, Greek and Roman culture
and calculations in 46 BCE. Under the ad-
Janus is listed first in prayers and invoked when beginning new activities. His blessings were sought at the beginning of every day, month and year. The main temple of Janus at the Forum in Rome has two doors, one facing !he rising sun, the other the setting sun. Inside, the statue of Janus has one face looking out each door. Wlien the Sabines captured Rome, they were kept out of the Forum by fountains of boiling water that miraculously gushed from the temple's statue of Janus.
vice of an Egyptian astronomer, Caesar reengineered the calendar, instigated the leap year and 'added 90 days to bring the year back in step with the seasons. In addition, he ordered the New Year moved from March to the first day of J anuarius. The new first month was named after the Roman God Janus, whose t\'iO faces look both backward and forward in-time. As God of beginnings, gates and doorways, He is strikingly similar to Lord Ganesha. Just like Ganesha,
STRIVING
The following month, Februarius, came from Februa-the period of purification, and a time to make offerings to the 'dead. The original first month of the year, Martius
72-Hour Marathon Dance HAT DRIVES A MARAthoner to go the extra
mile? When Vidya Chandra Sekhar set a
new world record for dancing
father, Sankarnarayan Chandra Sekhar, who died of heart disease in 1992. With blistered feet and pure exhaustion setting in, Sekhar, 27, held onto that love to see her through her three-day sadhana.
(March) , was dedicated to Mars, the God of war, also identified with the Hindu God, Muruga. The following m'onth, Aprilis, was in celebration of the Goddess Venus, or Aphrodite, Goddess of love and beauty. Next was Maius, from Maia, "the great one," Goddess of spring. Then came Junius from the principle Goddess of the Pantheon, Juno, Goddess of marriage and the well-being of women. The remaIhing months kept their Latin numbers from the fifth to tenth: Quintilis, Sextilis, Septembris, Octobris , Novembris and Decembris. The count began with the original first month: March. Hence Decembris means the tenth month. After Caesar's assassination, tl1e fifth month was re'named Julius; the sixth month was renamed after his grandnephew and heir, Augustus.
Christian nations would not accept the 1
New Year change from March ~o January until 1582, when Pope Gregory XIII declared it official and made a few minor adjustments in the leap-year calculations to compensate for an error of 12 seconds per year. This error had caused the calendar to gradually fall 10 days behirid the seasons again, so Pope Gregory simply deleted the extra days. Thereafter, the Julian Calendar became known as the Gregorian. But apart from that, the calendar was and is RomanPagan, not Christiap.. While most of Europe adopted the changes, Protestant nations rejected them and kept to March 25th as -their New Year for some time. Great Britain and her colonies held out until 1752. By then they were II days behind the rest of Europe. When the American colonies finally made the switch from Julian to Gregorian, Ben . Franklin wrote: "It i~ pleasant for an old man to be able to go to bed on September 2, and not have to get up ~til September 14."
It is interesting to reflect that since our present civil calendar began with Caesar, 1997 is really the year 2041! 1 ..
Fortitude: Sekhar, a danCing dynamo
The American Heart Association was "a great help" to Sekhar during her fathers illness. With tears of joy running down her face, exhausted after the event, she pleaded with the audience, "My tears are for my father, I can't bring him back But you can love your fami
in May, 1996, she was guided by the strength of her late fathers love. She danced 72 hours and 10 minutes of nonstop Bharata Natyam for the American Heart Association and the Bharatiya Temple of Troy, Michigan. The program raised $25,000 in honor of her
Approximately 600 people watched this iron-willed daughter perform the fmal dance. She had injured her left knee the previous Sunday night and was finding it difficult even to stand between
dances. "Talk about stamina," said J.P. Cartmill, Sekhars coworker from Syntel, Inc, "I can't believe she's standing, let alone dancing!"
lies. Stay close, love them and please, exercise and watch your health. Take time for the little moments, that is all I ask"
BY JENNIFER M. FLAKER
36 HINDUISM TODAY JANUARY , 1997
Peace Ycijna in Puttaparthi, India
A Yajna will be held in Puttaparthi from January 16 to Feb 2, 1997. The focus is national integration and the general wellbeing of the Indian people through peaceful social change. 108 Pandits will participate. We seek generous contributions for this worthy cause. Make checks payable to: Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, 1449 Abers Creek Rd., Monroeville, PA 15146-3603 USA. • Tel: 1-412-374-9244 • Fax: 1-412-374-0940 .
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Catalog: Moneesh • 467 Brickman Rd., Hurleyville, NY 12747 USA. Tel: 9l4-434-8990 • Fax 914-436-5878.
Commentary by Swami Chinmayananda. A handbook on daily living for everyone. Chinmayananda's interpretation makes Lord Krishna's message of dharma and moksha relevant to modern man • $20 plus $3.75 postage. (888)-CMW-READ or (215)-396-0390 http://www.chinmaya.orglpublications Chinmaya Publications 560 Bridgetown Pike Langhorne, PA 19053 USA
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INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF HINDUISM
Fiery prayers: The late Shri Shan~arrao Thatte, who began training program in 1975
LIT.URGY ,.
Women Priestesses A shortage of male! celebrants prompts the training of women to pe.rform the priestly ' arts .
By VL. MA1"JUL, 'PUNE • Not unexpectedly, orthodox male priests
I HE CITY OF PUNE, IN WESTERN INdia, and s~stris of Pune have criticised and ophas not only been a prominent cultural posed the trend, claiming it is against Vedic ~enter, but has also been swift to assim- ~aw. Ac~ord~?g t~ tQem, this is. the first time llate modern trends. It was here in Ma- m the VedIc Hmau religion that women
harashtra state, for example, that many_first have assumed the priesthood: came forward and called for the education Dr. T. H. Dharmadhikari, a well-known of women and for widow remarriage. shrauta pandit, told HINDUISM TODAY
In 1975, one ranking harbinger of social there is no precise mention disallowing change, Shri Shankarrao Thatte, began the women to recite Vedic mantras. There is training of ladies in priestly duties. At his certain evidence of womens pe;forming the r~si~ence he initially established two mar- thread ceremony, but there is no clear Vedic nage,halls where he tutored a small group of sanctioI?- one way or the other. 1q to 20 ladies in various stotras and pujas. ,. These ladies are said to be more honest He also trained them in the intricate and 'and pious than thejr male counterparts. mystical kno:.vledge of Sanskrit mantras, Sri While male priests today may oot underRudram, Mahima, sacrificial tantra, mar- stand the meaning of the mantras they reriage rituals and thread cere:monies. The cite, the ladies are trained to offer explanadistaff priests began to perform yajnas 'to tions. Day. by day there is a growing
. the various Deities. After a few years, hav- shortage of priests in our society, while peoing grac!'uated 8 to 10 groups, Shri Thatte pIe are becoming wore and more religious. arranged a trip for them to demonstrate Some have begun to "depend on modern their liturgical prowess to Indian and Hindu technol~gy suc~ \is tape recordings of pujas·. residents in England and Germany. The ladles are taking responsibility for these
Since his death .in 1987, his wife, Mrs. religious families, who express satisfaction Pushpabai Thatte, has advanced"'-his work with their sacred duties. under the name of Shankar Seva Samiti. It Communities outside India are also dishas:now spread to all parts of Maharashtra. qovering the value of competent priestesses. The .idea of Hindu priestesses has been ac- In South Africa and Tri1idad, for example, cepted by I?ost educated people, welcomed the Arya Samaj panditas are much in deas a revolutionary step in Indian society. mand for ceremonies and ministry. fI
Young people find friendship and spiritual answers at an ISKCON retreat.
Giving the Best to Our Kids ost of us spare no means to provide the best
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homes and the mall. We work hard to buy them what they need, and push them to gain entrance into the finest universities.
Preparing one's kids for the world has been important throughout history. The great sages of India admonished us to fulfil our parental duties, but they also challenged us with a broader vision of the task.
"One should not become a father, mother, teacher, or king;' the Vedas say, "unless one can deliver his dependants from the cycle of birth and death."
In other words, we shouldn't just give our kids the best that money can buy. We must offer them the best that life has to offer.
Young people need a world view that focuses not just on earthly success, but spiritual fulfillment. Without a deeper understanding of one's self, God, and the purpose oflife, it's tough to avoid peer pressure and the allurements of drugs, casual sex, and selfish materialism. Today kids don't just do things because their elders say so- they
want to know WHY. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
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the ancient wisdom available in 90 modern languages for people young and old.
He opened temples, now numbering 400, where young people can visit,
have darshan, eat sumptuous prasada, have their philosophical questions answered, and dance and chant happily with their family and peers.
In London, for example, members of ISKCON'S Manor Youth Forum hold regular weekend
get-togethers, spiritual retreats, and discussion sessions to help them bal
ance the pressures of growing upwithout forgetting God. Throughout 1996 people of many faiths
and traditions will celebrate the centennial of Srtla Prabhupada, Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. You are invited to join in saluting the life and work of this great soul.
Thanks to Srila Prabhupada ... Vedic culture is preserved for generations to come
For more information please call ISKCON Communications at (301) 299-9707.
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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.
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Just published-Sri Chinmoy's long-awaited trilogy, Commentaries on the Vedas , the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita: The Three Branches of India's Life-Tree and a 4-CD set of selections from Sri Chinmoy's fifty Peace Concerts offered in honor of the 50th anniversary of the United Nations.
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Books by K. N. Rao We carry a complete collection of books by K.N. Rao as well as many books on Vedic Astrology, Ayurveda and Vedic texts in general. Call or write for our free catalog or visit our web site on the Internet: http://www.hway.netiwebcity/Default.htm
21st Century Books. PO Box 702 HT • Fairfield, IA 52556 USA Tel: 515-472-5105 • E-mail: [email protected]
The true story of one man's quest for the pure Self within. Relive with him his years with Paramhansa Yogananda in the monastic order of Self Realization Fellowship. Experience with him incredible visions and encounters with extraterrestrials and beings of other dimensions, culminating in a meeting with a living Being of Light called I am that I am.
"Here is one of the most important documents of our time" -John Michell, Author of The ':iew ~ver A~lantis . "Norman Paulsen is a man whose bemg shines WIth the hght of cosmic consciousness. He is an articulate spokesman for the role of near death experiences in human evolution and planetary regeneration"-Kenneth Ring, Ph.D., author of Heading Toward Omega and Life at Death "To Norman, dear one: May your birth bring happiness to many spiritually, may your birthdays be filled with GodConsciousness. With unceasing blessing."-February 3, 1951 Paramhansa Yogananda, author, Autobiography of a Yogi
Soft cover. ISBN #0-941848-05-1· 496 pg'/illustrated, 8 color plates. US$25 including postage. Builders Publishing Company 1305 North H StlA-289-T • Lompoc, CA 93436 USA
HEALING
Hospital ,Hopes And kJ8ZMds Patients face inadequate insurance, hospital diseases, poor food and excessive tests
BY DR. DEVANANDA: TANDAVAN, M.D.
I ISTORICALLY THE HOSpital has been an institution created as a central place to give nursing care,
expert medical trea~ment and to study and treat acute and chronic illnesses. Today every hospital also has a teaching and mon~toring responsibility for the health aild wellness of its community. The larger teac}ling hospitals harbor specialists in various disease categories and are elaborate structures for teaching every phase of the medical profession. Hospitals now 'range from the barely adequate to the best there is to offer.
Commonly, the cost of running the hospital continues whetlier or not there are empty beds. Hospitals are the most conhp lled illdustry in the USA by federal} state and local regulatory agencies. These agencies, as well as the hospital commit- . tees, put constraints upon the quality of medical care, mortality, morbidity and medical 'ethics. The most recent invasion is by insurance companies, which pay most of the patient's bills, but deny certain ch~es, often without any good clinical reason-all in order to keep their payouts as low as possible. They dictate the maximum length of hospital stay, regardless of the clinical condition of the patient.
The hospital's stated mission is the preservation of life. This often means that in spite of "living wills" (orders to not resuscitate) the patient may be put on life-support machines, contrary to his wishes or those of the family. Once on the machine, removal is alm~t impossible, even though costs are mounting and no benefit is derived by the patient.
The greatest hazard is nosocomial (hospital acquired) infections from the many germs, viruses, toxins and allergens that do not exist at home. The patient is susceptible to massive new infections since he has
I
44 Bj NDUISM TODAY JANUARY , 1997
no natural immunity. Indiscriminate and often unneccesary antibioticS' are given-often with serious consequences and without the desired testing and matching of the antibiotic and the offending organism. Frequently this is without patient consent and considered part of the blanket permit signed at admis;;ion.
TheEutritionists do not understand the concept of vegetarianism, and a patient cannot get a good vegetarian meal. Other food is also often inadequate, and it has been said that malnutrition is very common in the modern hospital without supplemental and very expensive feeding.
The current litigious nature of our society encourages excessive testing-merely to satisfy medical and hospital protocolsespecially the latest and most expensive techniques.
The patient can control many of these "errors" by insisting that he be an active participant in every decision that his physician makes and demanding that some thin~s be treated on an outpatient or hospice basis. He has the right of a second and third opinion and to know his disease and th~ options of treatment. Most hospitals do not allow alternative methods of treatment and deny to patients the options of allopathy, homeopathy, ayurveda, hert)al medicines, acupuncture, laying on of hands,
. Reiki or even chiropractic adjustments. Many ..... other issues are contrary to the
patient's interest in the modern hospital, but we must admit that we have the most sophisticated treatment in the world today.
DR. TANDAVAN, 76, retired nuclea( <physician and hospital staff preSident, lives in Clvi'cago, where he specializes in alternative healing arts. Visit his home page at the HINDUISM TODAY Website.
. ,
EVOLUTIONS BORN: Medicine Wheel, a silvery-white buffalo calf on a South Dakota, USA, ranch, May 9, 1996. Native American Indians regard the one-in-ten million birth as a good omen equivalent to weeping statues or Lord Ganeshas drinking milk. Medicine men say the white calf is a sign "to begin to mend life's sacred hoop."
DIVA TO DEVI: VIrtuoso European opera singer Astrid Van Heiden, initiated as Kaalikamaba Swami by Sri Ganapathi
Sachchidananda, recorded an audio-cassette of healing Sanskrit bhajans. She has dedicated her life and prodigious voice to healing people
Sop ranD with guru through song.
VINDICATED: The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled that Bruce Anderson, a vegetarian bus driver fired in June for refusing to hand out coupons for free hamburgers, was discriminated against by his California employer. He may return to his job as well as receive attorney's fees and back pay. Yea, dharma prevails.
LIBERATED: Swami Bhashyanandiijl, 79, on October 4th, former head of the Vivekananda Vedanta Society of Chicago, of heart failure after a long illness. He was born in India in 1917 and earned degrees in English and Sanskrit before joining the Ramakrishna Mission Order at age 20. He served in various capacities at Indian RK centers and was sent to the US in 1964. A dynamic religious leader, he was instrumental in developing the Chicago Society and the Vivekan.anda Monastery and Retreat in Ganges, Michigan, as well as founding many Vedanta groups in the US and Canada. We at HINDUISM TODAY fondly remember his visits with us in Hawaii. Bhashyananda
ffiN6UISM=-~ ~'="
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Here it is-the Hindu art CD of the decade. Trek into the heart of mystic India with this spectacular collection of imagery drawn from the treasurehouse of Hindu spirituality. This CD contains a wealth of clip art, Aums, patterns, textures,sacredsymboIs, borders, fmished graphics and some rare Rajput scans. Great graphics for an ashram bulletin, a yoga book, Web page or multimedia presentation.
~ums & Illustrations
M any images are organized in
themes, like nature, Deities, people, borders, symbols, etc. Use the Fetch browser to get a quick overview, then double clic on a page for a detailed preview.
Pictured is our featured product-of-the-month from our assortment of aromatherapy massage oils. These are rare Indian fragrances from ingredients carefully selected for their therapeutic value and for being natural and non-animal in origin.
"Male Skin Toner" A blend of hardy oils and fragrances needed to penetrate rough or dry skin. Sesame seed oil, ashwagandha, turmeric, geranium and other natural flower essenses and essential oils.
This extraordinary new book is authored by H.D. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati, founder of the International Society of Divine Love, Barsana Dham and Shree Raseshwari Radha Rani Temple.
This is but one from our over 225 Ayurvedic products imported directly from India. Buy directly from the USA's largest bulk importers of Ayurvedic products. For the past 25 years, our buyers have been traveling to India 3 or 4 times a year to insure our herbs are up to import regulatory standards.
The Divine Vision of Radha Krishn is a Divine gift by Shree Swamiji. It is a practical guide for all who sincerely desire to experience the loving Bliss of Radha Krishn or any other form of God as described in our scriptures. It fulfills the devotional quest of everyone, from a highly educated openminded aspirant to a simple-hearted devotee of God who is longing to receive His love and vision. • It incorporates the philosophy and theme of more than 400 scriptures and gives a crystal-clear view of the path to Supreme God. • For the first time in hundreds of years, such a book in the English language has been published that reveals, in extensive detail, the true Divine form of Radha, Radha Krishn, Divine Vrindaban and raganuga bhakti. • 464 pg. • $30 • Available from:
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The International Society of Divine Love, Barsana Dham, 400 Barsana Rd., Austin, TX 78737 USA. Tel: 1-512-288-7180.
Aotbology oftbc Vedas fo~ Modern Mall aod COD temporary Celebration
SACRED ANTHOLOGY
HIMALAYAN ACADEMY PUBLICATIONS
107 KAHOLAlELE ROAD
KAPAA HI 96746-9304 USA
BOOKS YOU CAN TAKE, SER I OUSLY
For centuries, the West has enjoyed beautiful translations of
the Upanishad, known as the Vedanta, "end:' or "oulmination"
of the Vedas. But, alas, the other three major parts of the
world's oldest scripture have, as a rule, been pOQ)l'ly rendered.
We at Himalayan Academy c0wld hardly lDelieve our eyes when we stumbled on this thoughtful aPithology of tfie
Samhitas, Brahmanas, AranY<ilkas, Upanishads an61 01iher ma
jor scriptures. This Vedic epiphany tells the :St0ry of the
rhythms of nature, history and man. Translation and com
mentary are the work of the brilliant renaissance thinker, Rai
mon Panikkar. It is the fruit of twelve years of sadhana on the
banks of the Ganga in Varanasi, living in a Siva temJ5lle; I:le-
tween 1964 and 1976. Scholars consid€r it perhaps bis most
significant contribution to the liter-ary wor.ld.
Chapters on: 1. Dawn and Birth 2. Germination and Growth 3. Blossoming and Fullness
4. /rail and Decay 5 . Death and Dissolution 6. New Life and FreedoliYl 7, Twilight
Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1977, smythe sewn, e/oth bound, 5 112" x 8 1/2", 1 ,.000 pages. US$35.00. + slh $3.50 in US; $7.00 outside US. Tel: 1-800-890-1008 ext. 238, Outside US: 1-808-822-3012 ext. 238; Fax~ 1-808-822-4351
With this knowledge firmly in her heart and mind, she walked as a prayer and a chance to inspire others to pray and work for p~ace, averaging 25 miles a day. She wore navy blue shirts and slacks, and a short tunIc with pockets all around the bottom in which she carried her only worldly possessions: a comb, a folding toothbrush, a ballpoint pen, copies of her message and her current correspondence. She carried no money and would walk until offered lodging or food. At times she would miss a few meals, but generously complained, "My real problem is everyone wants to overfeed me!"
Her travel was not without danger. On -one occasion a disturbed youth started to beat her. "I bathed ,his hatred with love even while he hit me," she said. 'l\s a result, the hitting stopped, and this boy was never vio·lent again." Another time she accepted a ride from an unseemly character. She woke after a short nap to find the man crying and confessing he meant her harm, but simply could not touch her. Such incidents were rare. "No one walks so safely as those who walk humbly and harmlessly with great love and great faith," she said.' She did spend a few nights in jail, but was always released when the police understood her mission.
Perfect peace: Th1s self-proclaimed American renunciate lived like a Hindu sannyasini
After walking 25,000 miles, which took 11 years up to 1964, she stopped counting miles, and speaking became her first priority, though she continued her daily trek. She met with people on city streets and dusty roads, in ghettos, suburbs, deserts and trucks tops. She became a popular and revered figure often interviewed by the TV, radio and press, invited to talk at schools and churches across the country. LIFESTYLE
-J I
'USA's "Peace Pilgrim" Peace Pilgrim believed we hav~ entered a
, crisis period in human history, "walking the brink between a nuclear war of annihilation and a golden age of peace." She felt it was her calling to arouse people from apathy and get them thinking and actively working fOr peace. She encouraged people to seek the Her life's march was both medium and message
--
IENUNCIATION IN INDIA IS ARDUOUS
enough, even though there it has been the most esteemed spiritual path since before recorded history. In America,
it is even harder, where striving to live a homeless renunciate's life could well result in ridicule and arrest for vagrancy. Yet, from 1953 until her great departure in 1981, an extraordinary silver-haired American woman lived this life to perfection. She gave herself the name "Peace "-Pilgrim" and vowed: "I shall remain a wanderer until man-
. kind -has learned the way bf peace, walking until I am given shelter, and fasting until I am given food." Walk she did, criss-crossing the United States many times. She refused to reveal her preVious name, or be identified in any way other than "Peace Pilgrim."
What she taught will strike the Hindu as
real source of peace within. pure Veaanta, but her spiri- Once relentlessly ques-tual awakening was com- tioned by a reporter about . pletely spontaneous, tied to her "tru~ identity," she re-no organized religion, East sponded, "This clay garment or West. She was not a is one of a penniless pilgrim Christian, never even en~ journeying in the name of tered a Christian church un- peace. It is what you cannot til" she was 16, and then only see that is so very important. to attend a friend's wedding. I am on,e who is propelled by
"It came to me that God is the power of faith. I bathe in . a creative force," she re- the light of eternal wisdom. I vealed, "a motivating power, am sustained by the unend-an over-all intelligem:e, an ing energy of the universe . ever-present, all-pervading the Road: Her This is who I really am!" spirit-which binds every- ho1[W wandered with her Friends of Peace Pilgrim thing in the universe togeth- will send a free book on her er and gives life to everything. That brought I life anywhere in the world.' Write to Peace God close. I could not be where God is not. Pilgrim, 43480 Cedar Avenue, Hemet, CaliYou are within God. God is within you." fornia 92544 USA. __
J ANUARY , 1997 HINDUISM TODAY 47
"One God, One World" will be
chiseled in many languages into
the white granite ceiling of Ira ivan
Temple, Americas first all-stone
traditional Siva temple. In 1991
a small village was created
in Bangalore. India, for I 00
craftsmen and their families who
are hand-caNing 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 http://www.HinduismToday.
Kauai.hi.us/ashram/lraivan.html
"ONE GOD, ONE WORLD"
SAN MARGA IRAIVAN TEMPLE
107 KAHOlAlELE ROAD.
KAPAA. HI 96746-9304 USA
A TEMPLE BUILT TO LAST 1. 000 YEARS
ART
Dexterity. to the Max One grown-up artist's take orr fingc;r painting
Fing~rnail Creations: Tavkar in front of etche~ egrets and a dancing Ganesha
By LAVINA MELWANI, NEW YORK
IF GANESHA IS EVERYWHERE - EVEN IN
a grain of rice-He is surely in the tip of the fingernail-especially Suhas Tavkars fingernail. How else to explain the mag
ic that this New York-based artist cern create with his bar~ hands? Take away his paints, paint brushes and pencils, and he can stin give you exquisjte art. For many years, he has been creating elaborate Lord Sivas, Ganeshas and Hanumans, ballerinas and Grecian sculptures. All he requires is a piece of paper, a keen eye and his low-tech but highly skillful fmgernails.
Tavkar, who hails from Gujarat in India, is the third generation in his. family to practice this unusual art. He draws ~s inspiration from ancient temple sculpture. He can trace his family name back to the 14th century, but doesn't know how this unusual art came about. He recalls: "My father was an engineer and did this for fun. I wanted to turn this hobby into commercial art."
Currently, Tavkar works at the Grey .Advertising Agency in New York, and this unique skI'll often come's in handy. He's hoping his daughter, an art student at the prestigious New York Fashion Institute of Tech-
nology, will eventually,continue in the family tradition.
A graduate ofBombay'~J.J. School of Art, he uses blind embossing even at work to make mock-ups of clients' logos. Employing the carefully filed nails of his right thumb and index fingertip, he embosses a design on paper or foil by painstakingly etching the pattern into the paper to the appropri,ate depth. The r:esult is an intricate sculptural rendering· made. without tools. Ju~t as other artists keep their pencils sharpened and paint brushes clean, he does the s~ with his nails.
Says Tavkar: "It's a demanding technique. If a line or/impression fails to satisfy me, it can't be undone." Recently his ballet-related artwork was exhibited at the New York City Ballet Gallery. He also uses his fingernail' art to produce special braille cards which are sold at the Lighthouse for the Blind. Others may praise Ganesha with words and song, but Suhas Tavkar does it through his wOhderful fingernail ar.t. He etches not only Hindu Gods, but images of other religions. He says art is universal, and, being a Hindu, he is open to all faiths and sees the good in all religions. ..'
Will They Ever See the Valley? I
Pandits' persistent plight
OF PANDITS RETURNED TO Kashmir Valley in early October
from the bleak camps of Jammu in which they have languished for six
years. It was a largely symbolic event in a situation which, for the Hindu pandits, has changed little since 1990 when 700,000 fled the Valley in fear for their lives. This elite group is.thought·to have lived in Kashmir for the last 5,000 years. HINDUISM TODAY reported on their plight in 1994, and staffers took an opportunity in early 1996 to visit the Purkhoo and Geologi<;al Survey of India (GSI) camps a short distance from Jammu. The situation at the camps is unchanged. There are below minimal living facilities, no schools and zero birthrate. Families live in political limbo, classified by the government
. as "voluntary migrants," not refugees, and ignored internationally. Each family receives US$42 a month plus a food ration of rice and dal. A few are employed.
The Purkhoo camp of ragged army tents sits on a desolate open river bed; blazing hot in summer and freezing cold in winter. A single well serves 3,00d people. The GSI group of.1,100 are better off, having commandeered the unfinished GSI building. FamIlies partitioned off the multi-story concrete structure with sacks and sheets into makeshift living areas 12 by 20 feet.
Those who permanently leave the camps for jobs are seen by those remaining as giving up on any possibility of a return to their ancestral Valley home and, therefore, as abandop.ing the thousands-of-years-old pandit tradition. Certainly it appears more could be done to help the uprooted refugees, especially to see to the education of the chile dren. Nevertheless, for now, no one is coming forward. ..'
Home sweet home: Boys play in front of a tailor shop refugee camp for Bhutan Nepalese
REFUGEES
Booted O.ut of Bhutan 100,000 flee Buddhist nation's ethnic cleansing
By DR. HARI BANSH JHA, NEPAL ELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL PERSECU
is alleged to have forced 100,000 Hindus from Bhutan, the tiny 18,147 sq. km. Buddhist kingdom situated in
the eastern part of the Himalayas. Today the refugees, most of Nepalese origin but claiming Bhutanese citizenship, are settled in nine camps in southeastern Nepal. Hindu Nepalese have migrated to Bhutan since the mid-nineteenth century, and by the 1980s had conl'e to account for 25% of the nations 1.2 million population. Fearing a threat to their ethnic identity, Bhutan took measures to limit the Nepalese presence, one of which was to force the relatively recent arrivals to
return to Nepal. · ./ I had read that the conditions
at Goldhap camp were abom'1nable, but when I went to the Sanischare camp on July 1, 1996,
Nepalese people. One teen-age girl, Sita, said the food provided the deportees was not adequate. Another lamented that the days were difficult for therh, and they were not allowed to seek employment. Nearby, men were playing cards. Others sat by idly.
The Nepalese have greeted the newcomers with mixed reactions. Some residents near the camp told HINDUISM TopAY die refugees were living "like pampered children." Gayatri Devi said, "The refugees have been given so much aid that even many of the Nepalese have benefitted from this. . Twenty-five percent of t.he nonnatives have married locally and acquired Nepalese citizenship. Quite a few are in service and business. They are not going back to Bhutan."
Others expressed concern for the people. Sunil Chaudhary reported, "Many refugees have been converted t.9 Christianity. Lutheran World Service, noted for conversion, is very active among tl}.e Bhutanese."
Jammu: Pyare Lal (left) head of Purkhoo camp and residents
\ I found a different story. I saw food, good schools, houses, a well, health facilities and small variety stores. I noticed tnat the children of the refugees were well fed, though their' clothes were unkempt. Overall, the conditions of the Bhutanese refugees seemed better than those of local
Talks between Nepal and Bhutan are at a stalemate. India is suggested as an intermediary-refugees must pass through India to get to Nepal. But internationalizing the problem could lead to major complications between Nepal and Chin~ over Tibetan refugees who similarly passed through Nepal on their way to India. WI
J ANUAR Y, 199 7 HI NDU ISM TODAY 49
, MINISTER'S MESSAGE
Personal' Peace Leads ~ U~iversal ' Peace Practice daily meditation, express love, find peace within, then the world will change
I
listens to the teachings of nature becomes a wise pe~son.
We must love nature abd our fellow man, Love is lacking in the world, and this is what the holy ones are giving to the people. By giving this love to the people, they are elevating them to higher spiritual consciousness. This is very 'important. The love which the holy people give is very clear and full of pmity. It'is crystal clear. There is no pollution at all in their love of mankind.
BY
Knowledge without compassion is not enough. Just speaking knowledgeably is not enough. We must be very kind and very simple. We must have .that pure and compassionate knowledge 'which gives the great
K A RUN A MAY ( SRI V I,J AYE S WAR IDE V I -quality of forgiveness, forgiving others. ' , When we have only half-knowledge, with-
Ny WISH IS UNIVERSAL PEACE, TO BE ACHIEVED
through the cultivation of individual peace. If each person is at peace in his home, in his city, in his country, there will be peace in the whole world. Why is there discord and unrest in this world? It is selfish
ness which perpetuates mortality and sensual life which leads to hell. Wisdom, dimJa prema, divine'love qpd forgiveness all lead to immortality.
All religions should be honored. They all teach truth, and they all seek to realize divinity. In following the teachings of their own religIons, diose followers should lead a very simple and very peaceful life. Whatever has been said in their scriptures is what they must'practice in their daily lives. They must cultivate universal love and self control. This will make their lives peaceful and happy. .
The lifestyle we see everywhere in the world now is--very colorful, but when we look closely and examine it carefully, it is completely empty. The emphasis on the material is why there is so much frustration and tension in daily life, and why people cannot find peace. To avoid such unnappiness is why a person must become spiritual. Only then will he aohieve inner peace.
He who has intens~ desire for God, who has the inner vision, only he understandN he universe. Your heart must be pure. When you have inner vision, you can righ~ly understand the universe and know what life is. This is the goal of life and to achieve that state of ab~olute consciousness, that poorna pragna, the seeker s~eks. ThaNs why holy people from all religions come down to the level of ordinary human beings-to elevate them to that awareness. I
Body, mind and spirituality-these are three cages. A spiritual seeker will go beyond all these cages. In his natural state, samadhi, the entire unive'rse is nothing but his Self. Whatever he enjoys in this world is nothing but Self; time is Self only; wisdom is Self only. He realizes he is not this body. In fact, when he achieves that highest state of absolute conscjousness, he 'sees no differences at all. He sees everyone the same, and he sees the whole world as his own, knowing that the entire u~'verse belongs. to him: the rivers, the mountains, the trees, the birds, everything belongs to him. He sees nothing as separate from himself. He knows that he belongs t6 nature, and natur~ belongs to him.
We must love and serve nature. Nature teaches us so much and giv.es every thing. But in return we do nothing for nature. So we mbst not pollute. Not only physically. Pollution goes beyond the visible and the material. It includes impme thoughts. Negative thoughts will pollute nature, th'erefore our thoughts must always be pure. When thoughts are pure, nature also will be pure. Nature has to be saved and respected. One who loves nature and who .
50 HINDUISM TOD AoY J <\NUARY , 1997
out understanding, we will be very strict and intolerant. We will always be commanding people. .
Many people come for spiritual solace. They ask, "What must we do to overcome all these miseries of life?" I tell them that meditation is the only method which can give us a balanced mental state. Start with at least 15 to 20 minutes early in the morning. The brahma muhurta hour is ideal, between 3:30 and 4:30AM. If you're not able to do that, at least meditate before the sun rises, not after s.unrise. Gradually increase the meditation to one hour. Start the
day with meditation and end the day with meditation. As we . .f>roceed on the path of constant meditation, bad qualities.such as anger; jealousy and hatred will be reduced. External worship involving man.y rituals and requiring ;many things may be a bit hard for everyone. That doesn't mean that it is not important, but that it is different from meditation which does not require externals.
Amma's blessing is meditation. The meditation I give is the Saraswati Mantra meditation, which is so pow~rful. It is the bijaksharas ("seed syllables") which inspire and enric~ the mind. They grant memory, the power of concentration and give the mind peace. This meditation is a very simple process. You have to be like a baby iNfant who has no thoughts at all. The meditation state is also without thought. Silently, closing one's eyes, one turns the mind inward, concentrates and does the meditation by chanting the Saraswati Mantra. There is a lot of difference between prayer and meditation. In prayer we are always, talking with God. But in meditation, God will be speaking to us, ,
Liillguage is for sharing feelings with each other in this world. But in absolute silence is the connection with the entire universe . without any disturbance. This is how, directly, soul to soul, goly people transfer divine energy and elevated feelings without even open,ing their mouths. They transmit their feelings in silence. Silence is the language of Divinity. I like silence very much.
KARUNAMAYI SRI VIJAYESWARI DEVI, 38, considered an' embodiment of the Divine Mother, lives at her forest ashram in Andhra Pradesh. After years of tapas, she now travels and teaches globally.
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. WORSHIP
City of 10 Mil'lion Icons A prodigious project for world: peace
BY"CHOODIE SHIVARAM, BANGALORE
IAMMASANDRA WAS JUST AN OBSCURE
town 100 km from Bangalore until Sri Samba Shivamurthy Swamiji decided to propagate the greatness of Siva
through the consecration of many Sivalingas dedicated to world peace and the welfare of Bharat. When I visited the town, now called Kotilingeswara, "City of Ten Million Icons," all I Gould see were rows and rows of Sivalingas ranging in size from a few inches to a 108-foot Linga-shaped building. Over 500 devotees were present, many performing the ritual of prathishthapana, installation of a Sivalinga, with a priest's assistance.
in India: Stone, pillar-shaped icons, 3.5 million so far, adorn every available nitch
Sivalinga means "mark or sign, of Siva." It is one of India's most prevalent and highly revered temple' icons, a rounded, elliptical, aniconic image usually set on a circular base, or pitha. It is the simplest and most ancient symbol of Siva, especially of Parasiva, Reality beyond all forms and qualities.
The temple compl~x is situated on 20 acres of land. Besides th~ 108-foot-tall Sivalinga
METAPHYSICS
and a 12-foot-tall Vrishabeshwara, shrines fill the area for Sri Manjunatheshwara, Trimurthi, Ashta-Lakshmi, Subramanya, the Navagrahas and many other Deities. The maiR attraction is the entrance from the highway to the central courtyard. The cylindrical icons line the colonnade, perch upon rooftops and stand as sentries around every shrine and building. In some places they are packed so tightly that one cannot walk between them. Most are traditional in shape; others have square bases. One is uniquely five-sided with five spouts.
"Koti" means 10 million. That;s the goal.
E-mails from Heaven? ediums-persons able to go into a trance and speak out messages from the Gods, devas
receiving messages through telephones, answering machines, radios, computers and TVs. The admittedly controversial developments have a substantial following, especially in Europe and America.
So far, 3.5 million icons have been placed here by devotees fulfilling a vow or seeking a beon. Pilgrims seeking the blessings of installing an icon can do so for a fee. Acharyas and politicians alike (including late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi) have done so.
Kammasandra is mentioned in the Ramayana as a yillage Rama's horse blessed as it wandered the land during the Ashwamedha Yajna [horse sacrifice]' People believe the oppulent Kolar gold fie}ds nearby are the result. The area is also cited in the Puranas as a place where a fabulous ceremony was per-formed by Dakshabrahma. ~
or people "on the other side"are common in Hinduism, in both villages and big cities. Few Hindus are probably aware that the West also has a long tradition of channelers, who are now going hi-tech. In a recent development, modern research laboratories in Europe are reporting extended, two-way communication with spirit colleagues almost daily,
The quietly growing field, called Instrumental Transcommunication (ITC) currently involves two dozen researchers in eight countries who work, they say, with a team of more than 1,000 spirit beings (including ThoJIlas Edison, Madame Curie and Nikola
The late Juergenson: From beyond the grave; in life
The TV image, left, was recorded by Adolf Homes of Germany. He says it is Friedrich Juergenson, a spirit researcher who died in 1987. At the moment the image was projected, a message from Juergenson appeared on Homes' computer saying, in part, "We are able to enter
52 HI N DUISM TODAY JANUARY , 1997
Tesla). These beings are quickly mastering the art of manipulating the energies of our modern technology-an interaction giving direct physical evidence of life after death.
your structure in various ways. I am sending you again a projection of myself" More messages and images are being received on TVs and PCs at the research lab in Luxembourg.
Experience of a Life~ __
II •• If I were asked under what sky the human mind fully developed and has found solutions to some of the
greatest problems of life, I would point to India ... 11
- Max Muller
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in a cubicle 100 yards down the hall from the boss," says one US newspaper. We're not talking about low-end data entry either. The same report says, "Highly trained engineers and technicians in Bangalore, India, will pump out computer software code for a fractionsometimes one-tenth-of the salaries of their Western counterparts." Fast software production is beiIlg done by matched teams in the US and India who work during each other's night on the same project.
Four cartoon characters guide yol).r jou:mey CD - ROM
Let's Tour India!
CONGRATULATIONS TO PADMINI MULTI
media Ltd. for this wonderful interactive CD tour of India. The quality of graphics, sound and photos is first
class. Four animated guides are introduced by Surya, the Sun, talking from your computer. Each scene is narrated and accompanied by sonorous Indian music. The digital sound effects are so good, the lion's roar may cause the bravest among us a moments pause. The first character, Lalloo, tours you through India's major cities and all of the states, introducing eleven domestic and wild animals. Raj helps you meet different people and attend diverse Hindu festivals. Bhim travels with you from present-day Bharat back through history to 2500 BCE. Lastly, Munni invites you to visit monuments, listen to music, see works of art, view vignettes of Indian dancers and clips from Bollywood films. Along the way are games and puzzles to play. Any member of the family from four years old and up can learn much about the vastness that is India. Available for Windows (no Mac version) for US$29.95. Order: Multisync Trends Inc., 540 Gotham Parkway, Carlstadt, New Jersey 07072 USA.
' MEDIA
I ndia Press Online
I NDOPHILES CAN AL
most weekly find a new Bharat magazine or newspaper on line. One ne.ed no longer spend $50 and up for a "snail mail" subscription-and ' get the news two weeks late in the bargain. Upto-date links to electronic editions of Indian Express, The Hindu and Deccan Herald newspapers, as well as Outlook and The W eek magazine, One of the on-line media can be found at http:// ugweb.cs. ualberta.cal -srinivaslindial. The presentation is stylish at these sites. Articles are frequently accompanied by color pictures. Back issues are archived and provided with e8$y-to-use search functions. Recently, the popular almanac, Kalnimay, was added at http://www.indiaworld.com.
RELIGION
Parishes Online
C ATHOLICS WORLD
wide are wasting no time putting the Internet
from the pope and a guided tour of Vatican art. Most ambitious is a plan to set up 19,500 AmericaQ Catholic churches with their own Web home page. Hindus would benefit from similar comprehensive plans
Take a net tour of MichelangelO's Sistine ceiling
to use for their faith. Already available are vast Catholic resources, including weekly messages
to put every temple and ashram on-line, plus engineer easy web access to Hindu wisdom and art.
Tt-Iat frQm which beings are bQrn,
THat by which, Qnce bQrn, they live,
Tt-Iat intQ which, Qnce dead, they enter, is Brahman. KRISHNA YAJUR YEO;1\., lAlTfIRIYA UPANISH;1\.O III, 1
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