July/August/September, 2004 US$5.

95

Affirming Sanatana Dharma and Recording the Modern History of a Billion-Strong Global Religion in Renaissance

HINDUISM

wa r n e r b r o t h e r s
TODAY

COVER: Anger can be a formidable obstacle on the path, and our Insight section offers practical advice on anger manage-
ment; (above) Defending Your Life is about two people reviewing their past lives at “Judgment City” in our movie feature

july/august/september, 2004 • Hindu Year 5106

YEARS
Tarana, the Year of Safe Passage
1979–2004
www.gurudeva.org

IN T ER NAT IONA L
Feature Story: Explore the Hindu Concepts Multimedia: Devadasi Murai, Interactive CD of the
Found in Hollywood Blockbusters 18 Dancers’ Tradition, and Lalitha Sahasranama 63
Art: The Smithsonian’s Sackler Gallery Showcases Books: Surprising Biography of Sri Ramakrishna,
the Art of the Himalayas in Washington, D.C. 30 Plus Temples and Latest Children’s Books 64
Festivals: Join 40 million Hindus at the Medicine: Ayurveda’s Advice on Diabetes 65
River Festival in Andhra Pradesh 34 Politics: America’s Next President Needs More
Transition: The Life and Times of Sita Ram Goel, Hinduism, Says US Newspaper Editor 66
Hindu Renaissance Thinker and Writer 52 Commentary: The Reality Behind Movie Violence 67
Environment: Ex-Rancher Howard Lyman Warns
Meat Diet Damages Our Health and Our Planet 58 OPINION
In My Opinion: How We Got Our Temple’s
LIFEST YLE Teens Interested in Hinduism 9
Youth: Dedicated Teachers and a Savvy Curriculum Publisher’s Desk: Work is Worship 10
Letters 12
Inspire the Kids at this Temple’s Sunday School 38
Insight: Anger Management for the Spiritual Seeker From the Vedas: Yoga, the Path to God 16
by Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami 40 DIGESTS
Education: Meet the Amazing Dr. Thiagarajan,

Management Sanskrit-for-the-Masses Evangelist

Profile: The Ecstatic Change of Balamurugan
Peoples: India’s Sidhis Tribe—Out of Africa?
56
60
62
Diaspora
Quotes & Quips
6 Digital Dharma
14
86

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 Anger and intolerance When you tend to get angry Holding on to anger is like There is no peace in the
nger are the enemies of correct with others, you should grasping a hot coal with nursing of a grudge. There is
anagement understanding.
Mahatma Gandhi
address your mind and say,
“My mind, if you must be
the intent of throwing it at
someone else; you are the
no happiness in living for the
day when you can “get even.”
angry with those who cause one who gets burned. Gordon B. Hinkley
Sagely When angry, count to 10
before you speak; if very you harm, why don’t you The Buddha
A good character expressed
Reflections angry, count to 100. then get angry with anger Anger cannot be overcome day by day within the indi-
Charles Dickens itself?” For it does you great- by anger. If a person shows vidual who is freed from anger
est harm; it prevents you anger to you, and you respond and from contentious mental
Anger is a great force. If you
from attaining the cherished with anger, the result is disas- arguments is a central founda-
control it, it can be transmuted
values of life: righteousness, trous. On contrast, if you con- tion for the practice of yoga.
into a power which can move
wealth, pleasure and salva- trol anger and show opposite Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
the whole world.
tion. While angry, you live attitudes—compassion, toler-
Swami Sivananda The more a man knows, the
photo disc

through hell, even before ance and patience—then not more he forgives. Confucius
death. So, you have no only do you yourself remain in
enemy worse than anger. peace, but the other’s anger
Sri Vidyaranya Swami
will gradually diminish.
Dalai Lama

Hindu sages have long warned that anger is the greatest obstacle to spiritual advancement. Our Insight Section in this issue explores “Anger Management.” Page 40

pg 03-04 GATE.indd 1 5/1/04 2:33:37 PM pg 05 Gate.indd 1 5/1/04 2:29:09 PM

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 society homelands and mainstream
American culture. It profiled
South Asians successful, powerful influen-
tials—“A new generation of
Front, Center South Asians is transforming the
cultural landscape of America.

Hindu leaders of West Africa at puja in Ghana’s Hindu Monastery
africa
African Council Mobilizes
I n early june, 2003, shri
Muljibhai Pindolia, president
of the Kenya-based Hindu
Council in Africa (HCA),
toured Hindu institutions in the
West African nations of Ghana,
Togo, Benin and Nigeria. He
sought to mobilize Hindu insti-
institutions were enthusiastic
about Pindolia’s plan. It was pro-
posed that the Accra national
body could be the coordination
center for Togo, Benin, Burkina
Faso, Niger, Mali, Sierra Leone,
Ivory Coast, Senegal and Chad.
Muljibhai then went to Togo and
N ewsweek’s march
22nd society feature
story, “America Masala,” was
They bring together the best
of the East and the best of the
West.” Included were not only
yet another manifestation of the success stories of doctors
the synergy between Hindu and software engineers, but also
a new breed of South Asians in
a diversity of fields: art, show
business, finance, cuisine,
banking, writing, US politics Prison inmate with supplies gifted by the Hindu Society of Kenya
and more. In subsequent let-
ters to the editor, South Asians east africa
expressed their appreciation for
the coverage, but also pointed African Hindus Serve
out that South Asians still have
a large marginalized US popu-
lation that has yet to taste the
God in Women’s Prison
Balinese Hindus pray silently during the spring equinox, Indonesia
success portrayed in the article.
Also, especially since 9/11, dis-
crimination and racial violence
H indus in kenya continue to set high marks for social
outreach programs. On March 8, 2004, International Women’s
Day, the Hindu society of Kenya joined together with the Prison-
bali fires, turned on no lights, did against South Asians are still re- ers Care Programme, a Kenyan NGO, to visit Nairobi’s Langata
New Year not go to work or leave their
homes or make any noise. Tour-
alities that aren’t so rosy. Anoth-
er Asian wrote that credit also
women’s prison. They brought much needed supplies, toiletries and
personal health care items that would otherwise not be available to
ists were also required to stay should be given to the US itself: prisoners. The prisoners celebrated the visit by putting on a fashion
Silence in Bali quiet, and even the airport was
closed from 6am until 6am the
“These achievements would not
have been possible but for the
show for their guests featuring handmade-in-prison clothing.

tutions to form national bodies

that would join the HCA for
continent-wide coordination.
He began the tour in Accra,
Ghana, praising Swami Ghanan-
and Saraswati, head of Ghana’s
Hindu Monastery, for his excel-
lent work. Of the 12,500 Hindus
in Ghana, 10,000 are, like Swa-
mi himself, indigenous Africans.
The leaders of Ghana’s Hindu
USA
Benin, ending his tour at Lagos,
the former capitol of Nigeria,
Africa’s most populous nation
and home for most of Nigeria’s
25,000 Hindus. Gathering all
Hindus in Africa’s 53 nations
under one umbrella is a daunt-
ing task, and Pindolia’s hands-
on, personal visit approach to
his organizational efforts were
widely appreciated.
H indus witness the new
Year’s arrival with a cel-
ebration of the sacred. Dates
vary among communities. In
Bali, the New Year checks in
on the spring equinox and is
observed with a day of total
silence and purification called
Nyepi. On March 21st this year,
by law, all Balinese, including
Muslims and Christians, set no
following day. Only hospitals,
electrical, water and telephone
services operated. The Bali
electoral commission honored
the tradition by shutting down
all campaigning for four days
prior, removing party ban-
ners from the streets where
only the sarong clad taskforce,
Pecalangs, were allowed—to
enforce the Nyepi rules.
Raised in Pittsburgh, Narayan
fact that this country—like no
other—has valued, encouraged
and rewarded hard work, talent,
and Nagarajan won leads in ideas and innovation. God Bless
Broadway’s ‘Bombay Dreams’ the United States of America.”
transition and her people, he will be sore-
A Great Soul ly missed. He was the Director
of the International Institute for
Sustainable Future—a futurist,
Moves On environmentalist, educator, sci-
entist, conservationist and more.

Poona Grad O n february 10, 2004, one

of mankind’s great lights,
Dr. Rashmi Mayur, traveled on
A walking database of statistics
on society and the environment,
and a powerful orator, he was
Adhyatma Chaitanya immerses 100 participants in a Vedic retreat

to the inner worlds, in Mumbai,
Makes It Big India. A passionate, compas-
sionate voice for Mother Earth
In Dilbert
advisor to leaders of nations, a
globe-trotting star at hundreds
of conferences, teacher of tens
of thousands of children and
champion of Earth and her
usa the inside the fires of teaching,
Modern Day worship and sadhana were kept
burning by 100 devotees, in-
Gurukula cluding babies and elders. It was
a joyful, all-family, gurukula-

D aily, millions view

Scott Adam’s hilarious,
contemporary Dilbert cartoons,
widely syndicated by United
Media. Now, with the 2003 un-
veiling of a new character, Asok,
a Poona Institute of Technology
graduate, Dilbert has pushed
the “smart Indian software en-
gineer” profile beyond the walls
of information technology halls
into the halls of humor.
In an interview with Man-
Asok, the new Dilbert comic strip character, is yet another example of India’s presence going global
tram magazine, Mr. Adams
says that half his social circle is
Indian and that Asok’s charac-
ter was loosely based on one of
his Indian co-workers at Pacific
Bell. Now he is getting a lot
of mail from Indian fans from
around the world. Mail also
comes from an audience that
knows nothing about India’s
IIT, but thinks Asok is from the
Illinois Institute of Technology.
Rashmi Mayur passes in India
underprivileged millions. His
dream was: “We can hope that
what we do makes a differ-
ence.…Our purpose is to dedi-
cate our lives to regenerating
the Earth and building a new
human order. A new earthly
order where every child—no
matter where—will experience
joyful existence, happiness in
unity with the universe, and the
ecstasy of being a pilgrim in the
eternal march of evolution.”
M ore and more hindus
in the West are making
the winter holiday school and
work break a time for quality
family time and spiritual deep-
ening. A most impressive exam-
ple was Adhyatama Chaitanya’s
Vedanta Retreat held from De-
cember 23, 2003, to January 2,
2004, at Sadhu Vaswani Center
in Dracut, a suburb of Boston.
With snow and ice outside, on
style intensive under Adhyatma
Chaitanya’s dynamic spiritual
leadership—an extension of
his Kerala-based Ma Arsha
Maitri Niketan. Daily worship,
yoga, pranayama, Adhyatmaji’s
lectures, meditation, cooking
and eating together, questions
and answers brought about
life-changing transformations
and new vision for all the par-
ticipants. See their website for
more: www.arshavani.org.

liladhar j. bharadia; agence france presse, clockwise from top: newsweek, nigel parry; agence france
6 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 b ay i s m o y o ; u n i t e d m e d i a , s c o t t a d a m s press, simon maina; udayabhanu panickar; hinduism today j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2004 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 7
environment
Greening
The Eateries
G reening ethnic restau-
rants (GER) is a California
project targeting 180 San Fran-
cisco Bay Area ethnic restau-
rants to reduce energy and water
Primlani with restaurant owner
FLORIDA APPEALS COURT HAS
made an important decision for
US Hindu leaders to note: that
the town of Surfside violated
the Religious Land Use and
Institutionalized Persons Act
when the town tried to take
away the legal rights of two
Jewish synagogues to stay in
the business district. The Act,
which applies also to Hindu
temples, states, “No government
shall impose or implement a
land use regulation in a manner
that treats a religious assembly
or institution on less than equal
terms with a nonreligious as-
sembly or institution.”
KABUL CREMATION-GROUND
challenges have been resolved
for Afghanistan’s minority Sikh
and Hindu community. With
prompting from an Institute for
War and Peace report, Kabul
8 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4
use, pollution and solid waste. It
was started by Ritu Primlani,
30, director of the non-profit
Thimmakka’s Resources for En-
vironmental Education (TREE).
Primlani was born in India and
infused with environmentalism
by her father, a botany profes-
sor at Benares Hindu University.
She received her Masters at
UCLA. “Restaurants are the
greatest consumers of energy
per square foot, more than any
other US industry. They are
also the largest producers of
recyclable and compostable solid
waste (generally 83 percent of
their solid waste is divertable).”
Restaurant owners are respond-
ing positively because they
save money by complying with
energy and recycling regulations.
What one lady and a team of vol-
unteers can do—in the first year,
44 cooperating restaurants saved
163,000 kilowatt hours of energy
and over two million gallons of
water; 342 tons of solid waste
were diverted from landfills
and owners saved about $2,172
a year. Primlani estimates that
nearly 107,000 pounds of CO2
were saved from being released
into the atmosphere.
municipal leaders decided to
provide a large plot in Pul-i-
Charkhi, about 12 kilometers
east of the capital, so the small
community can perform its cre-
mation rituals.
IN A VICTORY FOR WOMEN’S
rights, in March, Delhi High
Court judge Justice Vikramajit
Sen made history by ruling that,
“(upon divorce) as much as one
half of the husband’s earn-
ing should be divided equally
among the other members of
the family. The archaic rule
(of allowing only 1/5 of the
husband’s disposable income
as alimony) was a vestige of a
bygone era.”
DR. BALA V. MANYAM WAS
appointed in April to represent
ayurveda on the National Advi-
sory Council for Complemen-
Holi: The Hindu spring Festival of Colors is escalating globally
f e s t i va l s
Festival of
Colors Grows
H oli, also known in some
communities as “Phagwa,”
was always big in India, espe-
cially among North Indians. But
this year the Hindu spring festi-
val, spearheaded by Caribbean
Hindus, drew tens of thousands
in Queens, New York. And, in
tary and Alternative Medicine,
a consultative body to the US
National Institutes of Health.
This is the first time ayurveda
has been included.
NORTH AMERICAN SIKHS FLEW
150 birs (holy books) of Sri
Guru Granth Sahib on a char-
tered plane from Amritsar to
Canada to replace old and
tattered copies in Gurudwaras
across the continent. Treated as
the holy guru, each book had
its own seat. No other cargo
was allowed.
THE US JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
filed a complaint against the
Muskogee, Oklahoma, Public
School district for suspend-
ing an 11-year-old Muslim
girl for refusing to remove her
head scarf, alleging that their
suspension violated the equal
protection clause of the Four-
teenth Amendment of the US
Constitution. Schools have been
successful in banning gang
South Africa, where the tradi-
tion had nearly died, Gujaratis
celebrated Holi throughout the
country. In this conflict-rid-
den period, the Holi spirit of
burying the past, setting aside
all differences in a riot of color,
overcoming hatred with joy-
ful play, letting go the old to
embrace the fullness of faith in
nature’s youthful emergence,
is seen by many as yet another
much needed Hindu contribu-
tion to a world in conflict.
clothing symbols because they
are able to show “compelling
interest” in reducing lawless-
ness in school. But no compel-
ling interest was shown for the
head scarf. The outcome of this
case will also apply to future
attempts to limit expressions
of Hindu religion by students,
such as wearing a bindi.
DR. ANURADHA BOSE, OF THE
Christian Medical College in
Vellore, India, said in a study
in The Lancet Medical Journal,
that family conflicts, domestic
violence, failed romances and
mental illness have pushed the
suicide rate of young people in
southern India to the highest in
the world. Suicide accounts for
one-half to three-quarters of all
deaths in young women and a
quarter of deaths in young men
in the region. Suicide is a lead-
ing cause of death in 15-19 year
olds worldwide. In 2000, an es-
timated 815,000 young people
worldwide took their own lives.
the monthly;
epa photos, paul hilton
HINDU RENAISSANCE TEAM
HINDUISM TODAY was founded January 5, 1979,
by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. It is a
nonprofit educational activity of Himalayan
Academy with the following purposes:1. To
foster Hindu solidarity as a unity in diversity
among all sects and lineages; 2. To inform and
inspire Hindus worldwide and people interest-
ed in Hinduism; 3. To dispel myths, illusions
and misinformation about Hinduism; 4. To pro-
tect, preserve and promote the sacred Vedas
and the Hindu religion; 5. To nurture and mon-
itor the ongoing spiritual Hindu renaissance;
6. To publish a resource for Hindu leaders and
educators who promote Sanatana Dharma. Join
this seva by sending letters, clippings, reports
on events and encouraging others. to subscribe.
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Group, Kansas City, MO
IN MY OPINION
Winning the Hearts of Youth
When teachers become students, learning is fun
B Y D A H Y A B H A I K . PAT E L
y wife sushila and i We rearranged our classes so
conduct a youth pro- that we were all sitting in a
gram for teenage Hin- circle, instead of in rows. This
dus at our local mandir last change alone solved many
(a Hindu worship center) in communication problems.
c o u r t e s y d a h ya b h a i k . pat e l
Berlin, New Jersey. When we With all these modifications,
initially volunteered to per- the youth started feeling much
form this service in 1994, the better about the program. Ac-
program consisted primarily of tually, they became inspired
kids attending academic disser-
tations presented by respected
beyond even our highest
expectation. Of their own ac-
scholars on topics related to
Hindu religion and culture.
cord, they began pulling in
new class participants with
Our classes took place from
10 am until twelve noon on
the second and fourth Sundays of each
an assortment of innovative
recruitment plans including
visiting and talking with parents, volunteer-
month during the school year. Although ing to help with youth activities, creating in-
we were very enthusiastic about our new formational booths at local Indian functions,
project, it got off to a very slow start. All talking to friends at school and communicat-
too often, my wife and I were the only ones ing with their own parents about what they
present at the beginning of each morning were doing for the youth program.
session. The youth trickled in as late as My wife and I were so impressed. These
11:30 am, and the average class attendance kids were really taking the classes to heart
had dropped to about ten kids per ses- and working passionately to help them
sion. Those who came did so only because grow. After a year, the class attendance rose
their parents told them to. It was not hard to 85 and included kids as young as twelve
to foresee that this program in its present years of age. Now, Jain and Sikh children
form would most certainly self destruct are joining in, and parents are reporting
within two or three years. We had to do that their children are looking forward to
something fast. the classes so much that they don’t want to
First, we tried to understand the problem miss even a single session.
by understanding the youth. After all, the Today, one of our typical Sunday morn-
classes were for them. Here were some of ings includes prayer, worship, yoga asanas,
religious storytelling, chanting, games and
our insights: 1) Young people like to be giv-
en incentive; 2) They don’t like to be told scriptural study.
what to do; 3) They enjoy a free learning The most important aspect of conducting
environment in which they are encouraged a successful youth program is recognizing
to raise questions and offer feedback, even that teachers are also students. Throughout
about the teaching program itself; 4) All this process, my wife and I have learned to
youth are not the same—the concerns of understand teenagers more deeply by sin-
older teens, for instance, are far different cerely respecting their views, ideas, thoughts,
from those of younger teens. opinions and feelings. We have also discov-
Keeping all of this in mind, we embarked ered that successful communication with
upon making some fundamental changes to youth is best accomplished by creating a
the existing program. They were as follows: warm environment with few restrictions.
We cut the length of the speeches in half,
allowing thirty minutes for open discussion. Dahyabhai K. Patel is a mechanical engi-
We replaced some lecture sessions with neer who immigrated to the US in 1974
workshops on cooking, arts, crafts, public from Gujarat. He and his wife now live in
speaking and more. We gave the youth op- Voorhees, New Jersey. He is General
portunities to communicate with newcomers Secretary to the Board of Trustees of
and encouraged them to make new friends. the India Temple Association.
j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 9
PUBLISHER’S DESK
Work Is Worship
Career and family should not be viewed as separate from
religious life. They are integral to fulfilling your dharma.
B Y S A T G U R U B O D H I N A T H A V E Y L A N S WA M I
ver the last year, i have met
with a surprising number of
Hindus visiting our Hawaii tem-
ple and monastery who have
shared the concern that “We
are so busy with our professional and
family life that we have little or no time
to devote to religion.” Their perspective
is based on the concept that work and
worship are totally separate. Worship is
what is done in the temple and shrine
room. Work is what is done in the fields,
the factory or the office. The attitude is,
“We are working to earn money to sup-
port ourselves; we are worshiping to receive the blessings of the
Gods.” The two realms are unrelated when viewed in this way.
This, of course, is not the highest Hindu perspective. Great souls
tell us that work—when performed in the right spirit—is wor-
ship. What is it that transforms work from a secular pursuit into a
religious one? It is the overview that through the process of living
life we unfold spiritually. It is the knowing that through fulfilling
our natural duties in life, honestly and to the best of our ability,
we make spiritual progress. Why? Because work puts us in situ-
ations where we interact with other people, especially when we
hold our dharmic responsibility over an extended period. Through
interacting with others, we learn important lessons and, as a result,
gradually deepen our understanding, improve our behavior and
become a more spiritual person. In doing so, we work through the
karma we created in the past and create new karma to be faced in
the future. With this in mind, we can see that our daily work con-
tributes to our spiritual progress just as much as attending pujas
in the temple, worshiping in our home shrine, going on pilgrimage,
singing bhajans, meditating or studying scripture. Paramaguru
Yogaswami captured the essence of this perspective when he said,
“All work must be done with the aim of reaching God.”
From the Hindu perspective, all of life is sacred, and perform-
ing our duty is dharma. Dharma is a rich term that means “way
of righteousness, religion and fulfillment of duty.” From this lofty
view, every deed is a part of our religious practice. Everything
we do is an act of worship and faith. There are no purely secular
activities. Our worship in the temple is part of our dharma, and
our work or occupation is part of our dharma.
We all have certain duties in life. It is the duty of children to
go to school and become educated. It is the duty of adults to earn
an income to properly raise, educate and care for their children.
Our natural profession in this life is based on the professions we
have fulfilled in our past lives, plus the karma we bring into this
life. This is our svadharma, our ideal pattern in life, and fulfilling
it to the best of our ability causes us to make spiritual progress.
The mystic law is that no challenge can come to us that exceeds
10 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly /aug u s t / s e p t e m be r , 2 0 0 4
our inner ability to rise up to overcome
it. Paramaguru Yogaswami stressed this
point to his devotees in Sri Lanka a half
century ago: “Do your work. Work is sva-
dharma—following your pattern.”
One day, after I had explained all of
this, a devotee from Los Angeles asked,
“How can I bridge the gap in my life?
I have a job that I don’t enjoy, and my
boss is not kind to me. It’s only my few
minutes in meditation that give me any
solace. My work doesn’t seem like wor-
ship at all!” In response, I offered four
remedies: 1) integrate religious practice
into the workplace; 2) seek opportunities
to help and serve others; 3) strive to see
all your actions as serving God; 4) utilize
your efforts at work to strengthen your
s. rajam
powers of meditation and worship, and
build good character.
1. Integrate spirituality into your work
A basic way we can make our work a form of worship is to intro-
duce religious practices into our work routine. Doing this, even
in small ways, brings blessings to our place of work and gives it a
more spiritual atmosphere. Many devotees take a five-minute med-
itation/yoga break twice a day. Others keep a small photo of their
guru or chosen Deity nearby to keep them uplifted and reminded
of their highest aspirations. A woman in Maryland said that twice
daily she sits for a moment, breathes deeply and basks in apprecia-
tion for God’s ever-flowing grace. A New York grocery store owner
keeps a shrine in the corner where he does puja every morning,
asking Ganesha to bless his business for the day and remove any
negative forces and obstacles. The stone craftsmen here on Kauai
perform a ceremony each morning at the worksite before com-
mencing their work of erecting Iraivan Temple, and once a year
hold an elaborate ceremony to worship their tools, so that God may
work through those tools in the year to come. My Gurudeva, Sivaya
Subramuniyaswami, tells us: “Ganesha influences events slowly and
subtly, in unseen ways. Situations will change for you, unexpected
doors will open, and accustomed ones will close as you are pro-
pelled through His grace toward your inevitable glorious future.”
2. Seek ways to serve
Gurudeva told a group of devotees, “Give and give until it hurts.”
He was prescribing the means to overcome selfishness—a quality
that is as prevalent today as ever. He was also pointing to an effec-
tive way to make our work part of our worship. The secret lies in
helping others in selfless ways—with no expectation of payment,
presents, praise or prestige. This is a spiritual practice known as
Working in the home: A mother
prepares dinner for her family.
Fulfilling her homemaker dharma
offers daily opportunities for spiri-
tual growth, as she holds the belief
that her home is God’s home and
all her actions are service to Him.
by perceiving all your spiritual,
mental and physical actions as
fulfilling the will and design of
God, rather than merely fulfill-
ing personal ambitions. Try this,
even at work. Yogaswami’s words
to a young man just starting his
career were, “You are going out
to work. You must dress well and
look dignified. Everything should
be an offering to God. The world
is an altar.”
4. Work on yourself
All the good habits and self-con-
trol we develop in our outer life
are useful in our inner life as well.
For example, if we develop good
concentration in our school stud-
ies as a youth and carry this on in
our adult life by being focused on
the tasks we do at work, we will
have developed a strong ability to
concentrate. So, when we sit down
to meditate, our thoughts are
naturally concentrated and it is
easy to control the mind. However,
if we let our mind wander during
our studies and as an adult day-
karma yoga, or union through service. Karma yoga produces spiri- dream while working, when we sit down to meditate, we will find
tual progress in that certain past negative karmas can be mitigated, it impossible to control our thoughts.
meaning lessened, as well as new positive karmas created for the Another important ability we develop in our work is willpower.
future. Normally it is thought of as service done at a temple or Willpower is the strength to carry out one’s decisions, wishes or
ashram, but it is wise and prudent to extend it as widely in your plans. People who regularly make plans and fail to carry them out
life as you can, such as helping others in your workplace beyond lack willpower. For example, a student plans to get up early all
what is expected, willingly and without complaint. This counter- week to study for his tests, but when his alarm rings, he shuts it off
acts the instinctive tendency to only serve oneself, to promote one’s and decides to continue sleeping instead. We cultivate willpower
own goals and career and to help others only begrudgingly—which by finishing and doing well every task we undertake—in fact,
ultimately makes you a lonely, unhappy, limited person. The fact is, doing it a little better than our expectations. Nothing is done with
the more selfish we are, the less happy we are. And the less selfish half our mind thinking about something else. Nothing is dropped
we are, the happier we are. Gurudeva gives an excellent summary in the middle. Developing these two important habits produces an
of the benefits of karma yoga: “Through service and kindness, you indomitable willpower. First, finish each task. Second, do it well.
can unwind the subconscious mind and gain a clear understanding My guru taught, again and again, “The more you use your personal,
of all laws of life. Your soul will shine forth. You will be that peace. individual willpower, the more willpower you have.”
You will radiate that inner happiness and be truly secure, simply The workplace is a veritable classroom for spiritual progress.
by practicing being kind in thought, word and deed.” Life brings us many opportunities to fail and every opportunity to
succeed at the tests it offers us as we strive to be the best we can
3. Dedicate your actions to God be. If your boss is mean to you, be grateful for the karmic chal-
The Hindu concept that work is worship defines a lofty, refined lenge and go out of your way to be kind to him. If, as a homemaker,
way of living—taking each situation, each duty, each challenge your daughter continually makes you furious, study out how to
and encounter as an opportunity to grow, to learn, to serve and control your anger. If you find a fellow employee intolerably annoy-
thus mature into your highest spiritual potential. No matter what ing, look to yourself to see what it is that keeps you from accepting
type of work it is, be it at home or in an office building, whether him just the way he is. The list of opportunities is endless.
pleasant or distasteful, interesting or monotonous—with the right One of the profound beliefs of Hindus is that God is in all things.
attitudes, willpower and persistence, you can transform it from Therefore, for us, there is no meaningful division between secular
secular labor to a spiritual exercise that will advance you on the and religious life, for God is always there, in our job, in our boss, in
path and uplift you and all those around you. This can be achieved our projects, if only we are subtle enough to see that truth.
j u ly /aug u s t / s e p t e m be r , 2 0 0 4 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 11

An Impressive Team
i had the golden opportunity to read
a copy of Hinduism Today which was
given to me by Shri Rajesh Khanna whom
I met at the Arupadai Veedu Temple in
Chennai along with some members of your
renaissance team. It was a wonderful ex-
perience to meet foreign nationals totally
devoted to the Hindu religion, in the most
conventional Hindu dress. I have taken the
privilege of telling as many people as pos-
sible about your team.
M.R. Krishnan
Chennai, India
∫ mrkrishnan44@rediffmail.com
Blast Those Queue Jumpers
i was reading your article on the
Kumbha Mela festival (Apr/May/Jun 2004)
with great interest and awe. It makes me
proud to see how millions still carry on
this age-old tradition and how Hinduism is
thriving. I had the opportunity to visit India
again after 19 years. The most unforgettable
experience was the visit to Thirumalai. Un-
fortunately, as we proceeded through the
queue for darshan of the Deity, mayhem
started. There was a huge concentration of
people at the end of the queue. We were
literally sandwiched together to the extent
that my amma’s bangles were bent. If that
wasn’t enough, when we actually saw Lord
Venkateswara, we were allowed less than ten
seconds to pray before being shoved away
by the temple staff.
Frankly, I haven’t come across a temple
with this many people visiting on a normal
day. It is undoubtedly one of the great pilgrim
places in the world and continues to astonish
people. Many have second thoughts of going
there, mainly due to the poor crowd control.
There is a saying among the devotees that
hardship must be suffered to appreciate Lord
Venkateswara. But I’m sure God wouldn’t like
people to suffer to see Him, and, moreover,
the hardship is usually suffered by walking
up the hill or by fasting.
The management there has improved tre-
mendously over the years, but more needs
to be done. I would really like to see a bet-
ter management there and, in the future, a
smoother flow of people and a more pleasant
trip for all Hindus and others alike.
Sanjeev Kumar
Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
∫ ksanjeevk@hotmail.com
Why No Mention?
in your article, “oh, for a fair view
of Hinduism” (Apr/May/Jun 2004), I am
surprised that you made no mention of Ed
Viswanathan or his book, Daddy, Am I a
Hindu? The book has received very good
reviews from many magazines and news-
12 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4
LETTERS affect curriculum in the rest of the Univer-
sity; Emory College and Graduate School are
Government of India and various provincial
governments have systematically starved
Switzerland and prepare a list of Indian holy
days for the local Hindu community. As well,
papers. He also goes around the US and it messy, though that is strictly my personal committed to a secular, liberal arts education. departments of Sanskrit in universities and I am active in teaching and scientific writ-
educates people about our culture. You also opinion.” Democracy does not make things To imply otherwise is misleading and factu- other centers of higher learning? It is very ing on religion and culture here in Europe.
missed David Frawley and Arvind Sharma, “messy.” It makes things run smoothly, and ally incorrect. important to know if this is true because: I enjoy and benefit from your journal. Can
to mention a few. more people will participate. This is just a Secondly, the characterization of Emory’s 1) Sanskrit is the mother of all Indo-Europe- you please throw some more light on the
Govinda Prabhu beginning. As more Indians learn American curriculum and teaching of Hinduism is also an languages; 2) Our scriptures are written in Hindu year 5105? When will 5106 start?
New York, New York democratic ways, they are going to want to incorrect. The scene that is caricatured in Sanskrit, and all our rituals are performed in Does it start on a fixed Gregorian calendar
∫ govindaprabhu123@hotmail.com participate in running their temple activities the cartoon is simply untrue, since Dr. Cour- Sanskrit; 3) If it is adopted as the official lan- date? Is there a more specific name to this
in that manner. tright’s book Ganesa: Lord of Obstacles, Lord guage of India (as Hebrew is in Israel), San- calendar system? What was the occasion at
✔ Yes, you are correct, many Hindus do- One time I attended a temple meeting and of Beginnings has never been taught in an skrit can become a great unifying force for the start of this system of years?
ing good work are not mentioned in the they appointed a man as the president. Then undergraduate classroom. We stand by our all Indians; 4) It is the most well organized Dr. Satish Joshi
article for lack of space. We received over he said, “Do it this way, because I said. I am record of achievement in developing a bal- language suitable for use with computers; Zurich, Switzerland
a hundred responses to our request for the president.” Then I taught them how to anced and leading program in South Asian 5) Our ancient culture has survived in spite ∫ sajoshi@swissonline.ch
names, and from those chose a cross-sec- run democratically, that when there was a Studies at Emory. of a multitude of barbaric invasions and op-
tion of people from around the country. We disagreement, to ask one of the members to Deepika Bahri, Joyce Flueckiger, pressive rulers who did their best to wipe out ✔ Starting with your last question, the
specifically did not include scholars, such as put a resolution on the floor, discuss the reso- Laurie Patton and Rakesh Ranjan our heritage. years are counted from the beginning of the
Drs. Frawley and Sharma, who have in any lution, let someone close the resolution, vote, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia The principles of satya [truthfulness] and Kali Yuga, calculated as 3101 bce. This is the
∫ reljbf@emory.edu
case appeared several times in Hinduism and then let the majority idea prevail. ahimsa [nonviolence] from our scriptures are system of the Tamil calendar which we fol-
Today. We don’t share the same evaluation In America, people know the democratic needed more today for the survival of the hu- low. The New Year commences on the first
of Daddy, Am I a Hindu, because of its fre- way, and they learn it in their churches and Sanskrit Starvation man race than at any time in history. They day of the month of Chaitra (April/May),
quent references to Christianity. schools. In India, all temples are run by a thank you very much for the excel- should be propagated very widely through considered auspicious because the Sun en-
small group of people, and most of them are lent article “The Abuse Hinduism Receives the support and teaching of the Sanskrit lan- ters Aries, the first sign of the Zodiac at this
Denim Is Not from India not run in a democratic way. One time there in US Schools Is Intolerable” (Apr/May/Jun guage and literature. Communities of Hindus time. There are several other calendars in
i love your magazine and everything was a disagreement in a US temple and I told 2004). in all countries need to think about ways use in India, and they have different New
in it, but to my surprise you wrote that den- one of the trustees that what he was pro- On April 16, 2004, Hindu Press Interna- to support the study of Sanskrit at all levels Years.
im fabric came from India. Denim comes posing was not in the constitution. He said, tional reported on a news item “Neglect Af- from elementary school to university. I hope
from de Nimes, which in French means “of “Don’t worry, I’ll change it.” That shows that fects Sanskrit Academy.” The Sanskrit Acade- we can convince the central and provincial Letters with writer’s name, address and day-
Nimes,” Nimes being a town in the south of they don’t want to follow their constitution. my and Research Institute in India continues governments in India and other philanthrop- time phone number, should be sent to:
Letters, Hinduism Today
France. That is where the denim fabric comes For the US, every temple should make an to be neglected and starved of resources even ic organizations to support the survival of 107 Kaholalele Road
from and was invented in the 16th century. effort to write a good constitution and fol- though it is doing an excellent job. The HPI Sanskrit. Kapaa, Hawaii, 96746-9304 USA
Frederick Douillet low it properly. The democratic way is the report quoted an official from the institute: Arun J. Mehta or faxed to: (808) 822-4351
San Francisco, California best way to resolve disagreements peacefully “This is the only Sanskrit research institute in Vancouver, Canada or e-mailed to: letters@hindu.org
∫ frederick.douillet@paymap.com and have more participation from all of the South India. We are just about managing to ∫ amehta91326@yahoo.com
Letters may be edited for space and clarity
members. Democracy says an organization do skeletal work. The lack of funds has bro- and may appear in electronic versions of
✔ You are right, denim does come from de or social unit is governed ultimately by all ken the back of the institute.” The Tamil New Year Hinduism Today.
Nimes. It is not known where this particular its members or their elected representatives. Is there any historical evidence that the i am a hindu from india settled in ∫ indicates letters received via e-mail
weave of cotton was first created, only that it This is the means of making sure all are given
was present in France, Italy and India in the empowerment for ultimate efficiency and
16th century. The fabric coming from India brotherhood.
was actually called “dungaree,” owing to its If you are a member of a temple, ask for a
origins near the Dungri Fort outside Mum- copy of the constitution and read it. See if it
Bonds of Solidarity
bai. So, it was not correct to say in our Did is being followed. If it is not properly written,
You Know that “Denim Comes from India.” participate in making changes to the mem-
bers’ satisfaction.
Join Us to Strengthen Hinduism
Democracy in Hindu Temples Bharat J. Gajjar
hindus cannot live without democ- Hockessin, Delaware t was satguru sivaya subramuniyaswami’s vision that gave
racy, but at the same time they do not know ∫ bgajjar@comcast.net rise to Hinduism Today in 1979. He saw Hinduism as a vast trea-
how to work within the democratic way. sure, as humanity’s greatest asset and best hope. The time has come,
Recently, articles have been printed saying Emory University Is Secular he would say, to first learn the subject well, then figuratively “shout
that members have taken the Ganesh Tem- we would like to clarify a few fact- Hinduism’s virtues from the rooftops!” He made it Hinduism Today’s
ple in New York to court. The newspaper ual misconceptions about your recent por- first mission to help put the world’s Hindus in touch with each other,
says, “The Queens Supreme Court late last trayal of Emory University in the Hinduism giving ample coverage to builders of the contemporary Hindu renais- Sharing a vision: Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
year dissolved the temple’s board of trustees Today April/May/June 2004 issue, whose sance—countless dedicated souls, including Swami Chinmayananda, conferring with Ram Swarup in New Delhi, 1995
and appointed a referee to oversee an elec- cover story is “Tackling 10 Misconceptions Ram Swarup and Sita Ram Goel (article in this issue, pp. 52-55). Per-
toral process for the temple. The decision is About Hinduism.” The portrayal of Em- haps Hinduism Today’s best accomplishment has been to forge bonds of Hindu Heritage Endowment, have been established
a landmark, since only a few Hindu temples ory is found in the cartoon pull-out titled of solidarity and clarity of vision across all five continents, all denomi- to provide grants to enhance production capacity and
in this country have elections.” Dr. Uma My- “Hinduism as Taught in American Schools.” nations, all walks of life and cultural origins. widen magazine distribution to worthy institutions.
sorekar, society president, says, “For all these First, although Emory University was We are optimistic at Hinduism’s progress in 25 years, and privileged You can help greatly—by becoming a Benefactor, for
years, we just followed what had been done founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church to be a small but strategic part of it. We are also overwhelmed with example, by making the Hinduism Today Production
in the temple, and no one ever said anything.” in 1936, its programs today are entirely secu- the sense of oh-so-much-yet-to-do in the next 25 years and beyond—in Fund the beneficiary of a gift of $5,000 or more in
That means they do not have a democratic lar, with the exception of those of the Candler order to reveal Hinduism in all its awesome relevance, to ensure that your estate plan. For details, please contact us:
election. She also said, “I tell them we will School of Theology (other leading American its soothing, tolerant voice is heard ever more clearly, and its golden
do whatever the court says, but I also advise universities, such as Harvard and Yale, show teachings made more widely available. To this end, a Hinduism Today www.hheonline.org/ht/plannedgiving/
them not to have elections in their temples, this same historical development). In no way Production Fund and a Hinduism Today Distribution Fund, both part 808-822-3012, ext 244 • hhe@hindu.org
it will only politicize the temple and make does affiliation with the Methodist Church
j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 13
 Frank and Ernest © 2001 THAVES. REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION.

“Where can we go to find God if we cannot see

Him in our own hearts and in every living being? ”
Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902), modern Hindu renaissance inspiration and disciple of Sri Ramakrishna

You shine, all living things emerge. You disappear, they go to rest. Recogniz-
ing our innocence, O golden-haired Sun, arise; let each day be better than
the last. Rig Veda (X, 37, 9)

What is the best vitamin for a Hindu? B1 (“Be One”).

Learn to be happy alone. If we do not en- of springing up spontaneously. It has been differently; teach them the openness that
Hindu Dharma is like a boundless ocean teeming with priceless gems. The joy our own company, why inflict it on oth- a willing and welcoming platform for as they need to live in a pluralistic world
deeper you dive, the more treasures you find. Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) ers? Swami Chinmayananda (1916-1993), many seers, sages, saints and mystics as where others have their unique ways, their
founder of Chinmaya Mission have responded to the deeper stirrings in life and culture; teach them the value of
Once upon a time a sadhu acquired great occult powers. He was vain the human soul. It has been a repository human diversity and the narrow-minded-
about them, but he was a good man and had some austerities to his credit. If it seems strange to you that the old In- of as many metaphysical points of view as ness of a provincial outlook; give them
One day God, disguised as a holy man, came to him and said, “Revered dian philosophers should have known more human reason can render in human lan- the tools to live in a world of differences
sir, I have heard that you have great occult powers.” The sadhu received about the soul than Greek or medieval or guage. Sita Ram Goel (1921-2003), Hindu without feeling threatened, without forcing
God cordially and offered Him a seat. Just then an elephant passed by. God modern philosophers, let us remember that renaissance thinker and writer, founder of their ways or their will on others; teach
asked the sadhu, “Revered sir, could you kill this elephant if you wished?” however much the telescopes for observing Voice of India them that it never helps to hurt another
The sadhu said, “Yes, I can.” So saying, he took a pinch of dust, muttered the stars of heaven have been improved, of our brothers or sisters. Satguru Sivaya
some mantras and threw it at the elephant. The beast struggled a while the observatories of the soul have remained Parents must teach children to appreciate Subramuniyaswami (1927-2001), founder
in pain and then dropped dead. God said, “What power you have! You much the same. Friedrich Maximilian those who are different, those who believe of Hinduism Today
have killed the elephant!” The sadhu laughed. Again God spoke, “Now, can Müeller (1823-1900), German philologist
you revive the elephant?” “Yes, I can do that, too,” replied the sadhu. He and Orientalist
threw another pinch of charmed dust at the beast. The elephant writhed Austerity
about a little and came back to life. Then God said, “Wonderful is your Time is nature’s way of keeping everything
power. But may I ask you one thing? You have killed the elephant and from happening at once. Tirukural 261: It is the nature of
you have revived it, but what has that done for you? Do you feel uplifted asceticism to patiently endure
by it? Has it enabled you to realize God?” Saying this, God vanished. The average man of the world goes about hardship and to not harm living
his daily life not knowing that subcon- creatures.
sciously he is seeking the Absolute Truth,
DID YOU KNOW? the Beloved in the jiva. The mind-body Tirukural 267: As the intense fire
equipment of man contains this Beloved, of the furnace refines gold to bril-
Tamil Saivite Temple Singers yet he seeks for it everywhere else but
within. The musk deer attracted by its own
liance, so does the burning suffer-
ing of austerity purify the soul to
nyone who has been to the South Indian Saivite saints. This collec- scent searches for it in the woods. Little resplendence.
ancient South Indian abodes of God tion was compiled a millennium ago by does it know that in its body is the source
Siva and His two sons, Ganesha and Saint Nambiandar Nambi at the behest of of this fragrance. Saint Kabir (1440-1518) Tirukural 268: One who has real-
Murugan, has surely been spellbound by Rajaraja Chola, one of the foremost rul- ized by himself his soul’s Self will
the poignant songs sung before the De- ers of South India’s Chola dynasty, after Like treasure hidden in the ground, like be worshiped by all other souls.
ity in the middle of the puja. Who is that which the king arranged to have the songs flavor in the fruit, like gold in the rock, and
man who sings with such sweet devotion? hymned in Saiva shrines. Rajaraja Chola oil in the seed, the Absolute is hidden in Tirukural 269: So potent is the
He is an odhuvar. The word odhuvar was said to have supported more than the heart. Akka Mahadevi, twelfth-century power acquired through disci-
the hindu

comes from the verb odhu, meaning “to 3,000 odhuvars. Now, after a long decline, Vira Saiva saint plined self-denial that those who

Songbird: Dharmapuram P. Swamina-
than, South India’s preeminent odhuvar
chant.” These often humble, quiet men
memorize astonishing numbers of verses
from the Tirumurai, a twelve-book col-
lection of the hymns and writings of 24
the tradition is being revived and several
schools for training young men in the an-
cient art of temple singing are springing
up in South India.
a. manivel
attain it may even delay the mo-
Hindu society has been the meeting point ment of death.
as well as the melting pot of as many spiri-
tual visions as the human psyche is capable

14 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / a u g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 j u ly / a u g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 15
 FROM THE VEDAS
Yoga: The Path To God
Devotion, meditation and knowledge are all one in the Vedas
he svetasvatara upanishad is man-
kind’s oldest exposition of yoga, which
in these verses means meditation. The
Rishi speaks in theistic terms, revealing
the religious nature of the Vedas. It is
important to note in this context that the
root of the word religion is religare meaning “to tie back”
to God. Similarly, yoga means “to yoke” the lower mind
with the Higher Mind. Here these two are one: the Rishi’s
exhortation to know God and his unveiling of the practice
of meditation are inextricably integrated. We are sure he
would be aghast at the modern obfuscation, unfortunately
repeated even by many Hindus, that says, “Hinduism is
not a religion.” These few verses and subsequent chapters
make it simple and clear: Hinduism is indeed religion, and
yoga is its highest form of worship.
May Savitri (the Sun), at the commencement of yoga,
join our minds and other organs to the Supreme Self so
that we may attain the Knowledge of Reality. May He also
support the body, the highest material entity, through the
powers of the Deities who control the senses.
Having received the blessings of the divine Sun, and
with minds joined to the Supreme Self, we exert ourselves,
to the best of our power, toward meditation, by which we
shall attain Heaven (Brahman).
May the Sun bestow favor upon the senses and the mind
by joining them with the Self, so that the senses may be
directed toward the Blissful Brahman and may reveal, by
means of Knowledge, the mighty and radiant Brahman.
It is the duty of those brahmins who fix their minds and
senses on the Supreme Self to utter such lofty invocations
to the divine Sun, omnipresent, mighty and omniscient.
For He, all witnessing and nondual, is the dispenser of
sacrifices.
O senses, and O Deities who favor them! Through
salutations I unite myself with the eternal Brahman, your
source. Let this prayer sung by me, who follows the right
path of the Sun, go forth in all directions. May the sons of
the Immortal, who occupy celestial positions, hear it!
Where Fire is kindled by rubbing, where the air is
controlled, and where Soma is greatly revealed, there the
perfect mind is produced. Serve the eternal Brahman
with the blessings of the Sun, the cause of the universe. Be
absorbed, through samadhi, in the eternal Brahman. Thus
your work will not bind you.
a. manivel
The Vedas are the divinely revealed and most revered scriptures,
sruti, of Hinduism, likened to the Torah (1,200 bce), Bible New
Testament (100 ce), Koran (630 ce) or Zend Avesta (600 bce). Four
in number, Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva, the Vedas include over
100,000 verses. Oldest portions may date back as far as 6,000 BCE.
16 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / a u g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4
The wise man should hold his body steady, with the
three [upper] parts erect, turn his senses, with the help
of the mind, toward the heart, and by means of the raft of
Brahman cross the fearful torrents of the world.
The yogi of well-regulated endeavors should control
the pranas; when they are quieted, he should breathe out
through the nostrils. Then let him undistractedly restrain
his mind, as a charioteer restrains his vicious horses.
Let yoga be practiced within a cave protected from the
high wind, or a place which is level, pure and free from
pebbles, gravel and fire, undisturbed by the noise of water
[public wells] or of market-booths, and which is delightful
to the mind and not offensive to the eye.
When yoga is practiced, the forms which appear first
and which gradually manifest Brahman are those of snow-
flakes, smoke, sun, wind, fire, fire-flies, lightning, crystal
and the moon.
When earth, water, fire, air and akasha arise, that is to
say, when the five attributes of the elements mentioned in
the books on yoga become manifest, then the yogi’s body
become purified by the fire of yoga and he is free from
illness, old age and death.
The precursors of perfection in yoga, they say, are light-
ness and healthiness of the body, absence of desire, clear
complexion, pleasantness of voice, sweet odor and slight
excretions.
As gold covered by earth shines bright after it has been
purified, so also the yogi, realizing the truth of Atman,
becomes one [with the nondual Atman], attains the goal
and is free from grief.
And when the yogi beholds the real nature of Brahman,
through the Knowledge of the Self, radiant as a lamp,
then, having known the unborn and immutable Lord, who
is untouched by ignorance and its effects, he is freed from
all fetters.
He indeed, the Lord, who pervades all regions, was the
first to be born, and it is He who dwells in the womb [of
the universe]. It is He, again, who is born [as a child], and
He will be born in the future. He stands behind all per-
sons, and His face is everywhere.
The self-luminous Lord, who is in fire, who is in water,
who has entered into the whole world, who is in plants,
who is in trees—to that Lord let there be adoration! Yea,
let there be adoration!
SVETASVATARA UPANISHAD II. 1-17
TRANSLATION BY SWAMI NIKHILANANDA
Swami Nikhilananda (1895-1973) was founder and
spiritual leader of the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center
of New York from 1933 to his Mahasamadhi in 1973. His
four-volume Upanishad translation was completed in 1959.
j u ly / a u g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 17
 Namaste, movie lovers! Grab your popcorn
bucket and super-sized soft drink and join
our film festival host, Mark Hawthorne, as
he takes us through movie history. First
Mark showcases movies that draw directly
on a Hindu belief, most commonly reincar-
nation, for their central plot. In Part Two
he unveils spiritualist movies, those that
present the interaction of this world and
the next, but do not go into reincarnation.
Finally he highlights the “spiritual cinema,”
films with decidedly Hindu themes—like
the “Force” of Star Wars and the maya-like
world of The Matrix—along with heavy
doses of other theologies. Now, on with the
show…

B Y M ARK H AWTHORNE , C ALIFORNIA

magine a major motion picture in
which a man travels to India, lives in
an ashram and studies with a guru, a
film lacking any insightful dialogue on
Hindu concepts. As strange as it sounds,
such was the case in 1946, when the
first screen adaptation of The Razor’s Edge
appeared in American movie theaters. Al-
though W. Somerset Maugham’s best-sell-
ing novel is virtually a primer on Advaita
Vedanta, the film’s producers no doubt felt
Western filmgoers in the Forties—however
eager they were to forget the war and em-
brace messages of peace and spirituality—
were not quite ready for mainstream films
emphasizing Hindu principles like karma
and reincarnation. Indeed, these would
have been alien concepts to many people.
Fast forward to last year’s The League of Ex-
traordinary Gentlemen, an action-adventure
film starring Sean Connery. Here we have a
main character, played by Indian actor Nas-
eeruddin Shah, wearing Hindu clothing and
worshiping the Goddess Kali. Again, hardly
a word is spoken about the character’s spiri-
tuality, but now there is no need; filmgoers in
the West have learned a lot about Hinduism
in the ensuing six decades. Today we have
not only entire films featuring reincarnation
but movie stars like Shirley MacLaine and
Billy Bob Thornton boldly discussing their
previous lives. Actor Steven Seagal has even
been recognized by Tibetan Buddhists as a
tulku: a reincarnated Buddhist master.
Plays and storytellers have entertained
humans from our beginning, revealing in
their tales much about ourselves, our cul-
JOIN OUR FILM FESTIVAL ture, our beliefs, our personal interests.
o r i g i na l p h o t o b y av e p i l d a s

Today’s best storytellers are making mov-

AS WE EXPLORE HOLLYWOOD
ies, and the movies they are making are no
longer just about cowboys and cops, teen-
age angst and tragic happenings. More
MOVIES BASED AROUND SOME and more movies are telling us about life’s
meaning, about the interconnectedness

DECIDEDLY HINDU CONCEPTS

of the gross and subtle worlds, about the
Movie palace: The Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, subjectivity of the universe, about the soul
California, is a classic of the Art Deco style and its nonfatal encounters with death and
what lies beyond. Movies have moved from

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 spent the war years in the US,
penning novels and screenplays
“Now people accept the paranormal, the possibility of dimen- Kenai, the older brother is killed
sions out there,” said director Robert Wise and—through the power of the
that turned to Hinduism for their
inspiration. Maugham wrote The
the possibility or even during filming in 1976. Though a bit dated, aurora borealis, inhabited by the
the movie is entertaining, informative and spirits of the tribe’s ancestors—is
Razor’s Edge after visiting Bhaga-
van Sri Ramana Maharshi in In-
the likelihood that respectful of Hindu ideals. transformed into an eagle. The
Not surprisingly, Audrey Rose (rated PG wise woman counsels Kenai to
dia, for example, while Isherwood
lived at the Vedanta Society in
there is life after life for some intense moments) was marketed as accept this outcome as the will of
a horror film. The 1970s saw a tremendous the universe, but he determines
Hollywood, writing film scripts
and helping Swami Prabhavanan-
and that we go from amount of spiritual material in the media, to kill the bear, arguing that’s
but this was also the decade that gave audi- what a man should do—and even
da with translations of the Upa-
nishads and Bhagavad Gita. Now
lifetime to lifetime. ences The Exorcist, The Omen and Carrie though it was his own careless-
(all very scary movies involving young peo- ness that allowed the bear to steal
mainstream films incorporating
the spiritual concepts found in
They certainly accept ple and the supernatural), and Hollywood the fish at all.
was eager to ride these paranormal coattails He succeeds, but older brother
Hinduism are commonplace—par-
ticularly the ideals of karma, maya
it in a film setting, to the bank. Audrey Rose does not seem to Sitka, now a spirit, transforms
know if it wants to be a spooky melodrama or Kenai himself into a bear. This
and reincarnation—and virtually
no explanation is necessary. Film-
and that is a huge a commentary on reincarnation. While the “instant karma” ensures Kenai
scenes of Ivy “re-experiencing” the death will see the world with a decid-
maker Stephen Simon develops
movies that explore human be-
change in 30 years.” of Audrey Rose are played up for effect, the edly ursine perspective. Kenai’s
message of the story is really the principle rebirth as an animal, a concept
liefs and values, including What —stephen simon, producer, of reincarnation and how one life leads to common to both the Hindu and
Dreams May Come. He observes, and impacts another; hence, the tragic con- Native American traditions, is
“Today you can start a movie with What Dreams May Come clusion of Audrey Rose belies a message of artistically emphasized: the film
pa r a m o u n t p i c t u r e s

the assumption that people accept hope. The movie ends with a quote from literally opens up when Kenai
and understand reincarnation.” judicated in a New York courtroom! Those the Bhagavad Gita: “There is no end. For enters the animal world, shifting
(See article, page 26.) defending reincarnation bring in a Hindu the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, from the standard 1:85:1 aspect
Audrey Rose: One of the ear- holy man to explain the concept and why having once been, It is unborn, eternal, ever- ratio to the widescreen 2:35:1
liest mainstream Hollywood hundreds of millions of Indians believe in existing, undying and primeval.” while the color palette becomes

disney
treatments of reincarnation was it. During this testimony, we see scenes of Brother Bear: Last season’s account of highly saturated. Not only is Ke-
Audrey Rose. This 1977 film a Hindu funeral procession in India, which reincarnation is found in Disney’s Brother nai a bear, but he is shortly be-
Mystery: Murdered in one life, tormented in the stars Anthony Hopkins as Elliot ends at a cremation ghat. Because of their Bear, a spiritually ambitious animated fea- friended by a frightened cub, that Lesson in karma: In Disney’s Brother Bear, a boy
next, the heroine strives to resolve her fate Hoover, a man who believes his belief in reincarnation, the maharishi, as ture aimed at young audiences in which the of the bear he killed. Denahi, is reincarnated as a bear to learn another view of life
daughter has reincarnated as an- he is identified, tells the court, Hindus are transmigration of souls takes center stage finding only Kenai’s clothes and
High Noon in 1952 to A Beautiful Mind in other girl, Ivy, born only minutes after the able to live each life in a spiritually produc- in a story aimed to teach tolerance of those this new bear nearby, misinterprets the path may be Rutt, a moose who practices
2001. And now they are on the verge of ex- violent death of his child, Audrey Rose. His tive manner. One could nitpick some of the who are different. Set along the northwest tableau and begins hunting the bear, think- yoga. Although the asanas are named, they
ploring a nearly Upanishadic vision of the belief comes in part from a visit to India, movie’s philosophical details, but Hindus coast of prehistoric North America, the ing it killed Kenai. It is a lesson in karma, are not identified as yoga—another indica-
cosmos, inner and outer. Indeed, movies are during which he discovers the Hindu prin- will be amazed at the forthright presentation. story involves three brothers: brave older Kenai killing the bear in one life and then tion of how much audiences have come to
the philosophical texts of today’s youth. For- ciple of samsara. “They believe this life is “I don’t think we’re going to prove reincar- brother Sitka, spirited middle brother De- being hunted by humans in the next. As accept Hindu concepts. (Be sure to watch
tunately, many of them are rich in meaning. not the end,” he explains to Ivy’s incredulous nation in this picture, but I’m very open to nahi and the troublesome younger brother well, with the cub he orphaned now in tow, the closing credits, featuring a humorous
And just as the Western world is suddenly parents. “This is one act in a vast cosmic the whole possibility of the supernatural, Kenai. Each wears a small, carved represen- Kenai faces the consequences of his action. scene with Rutt giving yoga instruction.)
enamored of Indian food and fashion, it is drama.” The screenplay for Audrey Rose tation of the animal spirit that has chosen The spirituality in Brother Bear will be Brother Bear (rated G, though there is some
slowly drawing toward deeper Hindu philo- and the novel upon which the film is based Audrey Rose: (left to right) A formal trial him. Sitka wears an eagle, Denahi a wolf, familiar to Hindus. A fundamental message violence) received mixed reviews when it
sophical understandings in, of all places, the were written by Frank De Felitta, who in- is held as to the truth of reincarnation. and Kenai a bear, for, as the tribe’s wise of the film is that we are all connected, just was released in 2003. Movie critics gener-
movies. vestigated reincarnation after witnessing Called to testify are a Hindu swami (im- woman tells him, the bear represents love. as the Vedas teach that through atman we
While the movies of the 1940s might not his six-year-old son play ragtime tunes on probably swearing on a Bible) who effec- But Kenai doesn’t like bears, and he doesn’t are all part of the universal soul of Brah- Defending Your Life: (left to right) The newly
have explicitly presented Hindu philosophy, the piano—an instrument his son had never tively explains the Hindu view of death. think love is a manly quality, so we’re not man. Also, through mitigating past karma, deceased are wheeled into Judgment City;
there was much going on behind the scenes learned. Indeed, the movie and the novel During his testimony scenes of funeral surprised when he impulsively picks a fight forgoing retaliation and accepting responsi- Meryl Streep and Albert Brooks view their
in Los Angeles. British authors like Maugham, present a compelling case for reincarnation, rituals in India are shown, including this with a bear who tries to steal the brothers’ bility, Kenai-as-bear is managing his karma. very different pasts in the Past Lives Pavil-
Christopher Isherwood and Aldous Huxley with scenes depicting the very concept ad- at a Banaras ghat. fishing catch. When Sitka steps in to protect A character even further along the spiritual ion; Shirley Maclaine as the Pavilion’s host

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20th century fox

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Lives past and present: Barbra Streisand gets parents who watch this with their children. movie is to speculate how karma and re- Many manifestations: (left to right) The of the mind and the body as the content and
skeptical. They are taken aback when Lama
reincarnated in On a Clear Day, You Can Dead Again: Bringing us back to modern incarnation work, though he reduces them little Buddha prostrates in return to the the container,” he says, holding a cup of tea,
Norbu suggests that Jesse should perhaps be
See Forever; hypnotism in Dead Again; chil- times is the psychological thriller Dead to mere sound bites. “It’s the karmic credit lama; Captain Nemo and his Kali shrine in which he then breaks. “Like the mind after
raised as a Buddhist monk in Bhutan.
dren in Little Buddha observe the real Bud- Again, in which reincarnation plays a key plan,” he glibly tells Mike and Grace. “Buy League of Extraordinary Gentlemen; his death, the tea moves from one container to
The movie actually weaves two narratives:
dha as they listen to their lama’s story role in telling parallel stories in different now, pay forever.” To further emphasize re- submarine’s Siva Lingam coning tower the next, but it is still tea.” The emphasis
while the story of Jesse and his eventual
time frames that meet at a dramatic cross- incarnation, Branagh uses secondary play- on reincarnation stresses continuity and in-
journey to present-day Bhutan is told, we
ally praised its spiritual elements and hand- roads in the third act. The film opens in ers in dual roles, appearing as one character and led to the formation of the Association terdependence. Once in Bhutan, Jesse and
also learn the tale of Prince Siddhartha, the
drawn animation, while ranking it as one black and white, recounting the tragic ro- in the Forties and then another in the Nine- for Past-Life Research and Therapies (now his father discover there are now two other
Hindu prince who grew up to become the
of Disney’s lesser efforts, and moviegoers mance of German composer Roman Strauss ties. The film is a well-made thriller in the the International Association for Regression children being considered as possible rein-
Buddha 2,500 years ago. These sequences
made it a marginal success with just over and his pianist wife Margaret, played by tradition of Hitchcock and surprisingly as- Research & Therapies Inc.). On a Clear Day carnations of Lama Dorje: a poor boy from
are cleverly told to Jesse using a book Lama
us$85 million in U.S. ticket sales. In the Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson. tute, even profound, philosophically. It por- You Can See Forever (rated G) failed at the the streets of Kathmandu and a rich Indian
Norbu gives him about the enlightenment
surprise ending, Kenai elects to remain a Roman and Margaret live a lavish life in trays the interlocked karmas of Roman and box office, perhaps a casualty of the change girl. By the end of the film, Jesse and his two
of Siddhartha (Keanu Reeves). In an impor-
bear, care for the cub and live in peace with post-World-War-II Hollywood filled with Margaret, now reincarnated, and the people in American moviegoers, who by 1970 new friends have learned the true mean-
tant scene in the film, Lama Norbu explains
humans—all useful points of discussion for grand parties, music and intrigue. When from the 40s, now much older, originally were favoring gritty, realistic dramas. It also ing of the cycle of life, death and rebirth.
reincarnation to Dean. “In Tibet we think
Margaret is found murdered, sus- responsible for Margaret’s murder. Despite suffers from a dearth of memo- Faring only slightly better among
Born in Seattle: In Little Buddha, Tibetan lamas say picion falls on the jealous husband, generally enthusiastic reviews from critics rable music, which is surprising Forgetting to forget: This romantic comedy involves a rein- critics than it did with audiences,
one of their own has reincarnated in America who is found guilty and executed. like Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times, considering the creative forces carnated soul who remembers too much Little Buddha (rated PG for mature
The story then shifts to color and who gave it four stars, Dead Again (rated R behind it. Critics have noted themes) was panned for not going
moves ahead forty years. Branagh, for profanity and violence) received only a that director Vincente Minnelli’s deep enough with the material and
who also directed, now plays tepid reception at the box office in 1991. big-screen version features badly was a bona fide bomb at the box of-
Mike Church, a Los Angeles pri- On a Clear Day: Giving reincarnation the truncated songs that have been fice in 1993. Still, the Washington
vate investigator looking into the genuine show biz treatment is On a Clear shifted to different characters Post called it “botched but beauti-
case of a woman who has lost her Day You Can See Forever, starring Barbra or simply deleted. Not having ful,” while Spirituality & Health
memory, played by Thompson. Streisand. Making its debut on the Broad- seen the stage version, I cannot magazine commended the film’s
For convenience, Mike refers to way stage in 1965, this musical from play- compare the two, but I wasn’t “straight-ahead focus on death.” I
the amnesiac woman as “Grace,” wright and lyricist Alan Jay Lerner was particularly fond of the film. Still, was one of the few who saw this
and, in trying to learn her iden- adapted for the screen five years later. Strei- it is about reincarnation and the in its theatrical release, and while
tity they meet a hypnotist, who sand plays Daisy Gamble, a modern New complexities knowledge of past I found some of the acting wooden,
brings to light the story of Roman Yorker who believes hypnosis can cure her lives introduces into the present including Keanu Reeves as the Bud-
and Margaret, all displayed in the smoking habit, so she seeks the help of Dr. one—a recurring theme in many dha, I enjoyed it enough to have
pages of Life magazine. Yes, Mike Chabot (Yves Montand), a professor of psy- of these movies.. seen it three times now. Children
and Grace look a lot like Roman chiatry who lectures on hypnosis at a local Little Buddha: A rare Western will likely find it interesting, too.
and Margaret, they all agree. But medical school. During their hypnotherapy film dwelling almost entirely on Orlando: A less direct treatment
the detective is cynical. sessions, Daisy speaks of a previous life as a samsara is director Bernardo of reincarnation can be found in
As the story unfolds, we see nineteenth-century English woman named Bertolucci’s Little Buddha. In Orlando, an impressive screen
there is clearly more of a con- Melinda Tentrees. This provokes Chabot, a a monastery in Bhutan, Lama adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s
nection than physical resem- man of Western science, to seek the advice Norbu (Ying Ruocheng), a Ti- 1928 novel. The story spans four
blance. Like the character of Ivy of his colleagues, who are quick to laugh betan monk, is delighted to learn centuries, beginning in England
in Audrey Rose, Grace is plagued at the suggestion of reincarnation. But re- that his teacher, Lama Dorje, in 1600 with Orlando (played by
by nightmares of an untimely search into Melinda Tentrees proves Daisy who died nine years earlier, may actress Tilda Swinton) as a young
death. Oblique clues of an af- is telling the truth, thus supporting the case now be in a boy living in Seat- nobleman who has found favor with
terlife are layered on as the film for rebirth. tle, where the monks have long Queen Elizabeth I. In the twilight
bounces back and forth between The plot was likely inspired by the case of had a dharma center. The boy’s of her reign, the monarch gives
the noir 1940s and the blossom- Virginia Tighe, a Colorado housewife who parents, Dean and Lisa Conrad Orlando the deed to her ancestral
ing romance of Mike and Grace: underwent hypnosis in 1952 to cure her al- (Chris Isaak and Bridget Fonda), home with some strings attached:
Dining with Roman one evening, lergies and revealed detailed accounts of life are not religious people and nei- “Do not fade, do not wither, do not

c o l u m b i a / t r i s ta r
Margaret spills a glass of wine; as a nineteenth-century Irish woman named ther believes in reincarnation, so grow old”—words the ambitious
Roman tells her she has “more Bridey Murphy. Her hypnotherapist, Morey when monks appear at their door aristocrat takes to heart. Since we
beauty than grace.” Mike also Bernstein, wrote a best-selling book on the saying their son Jesse (Alex Wi- see Orlando pass through each cen-
seeks advice from Dr. Carlisle case, The Search for Bridey Murphy, which esendanger) may be the reincar- tury without aging, like a Victorian
miramax

(Robin Williams), a former psy- was the basis for a film of the same title, nation of a venerated Buddhist Babaji (the never-aging saint of the
chiatrist whose main role in the launched a reincarnation debate in America master, they are understandably Himalayas) we are not surprised

22 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 23
 of Tom Cruise, made Vanilla Sky does not use the word karma,
one of the most successful films of the product of a person’s actions,
2001 with more than $100 million thoughts and deeds is depicted
in domestic ticket sales. as being one of two fates: rein-
Defending Your Life: After the carnation or moksha. And Brooks
intensity of Vanilla Sky, you may is obviously having fun with the
enjoy the comic take on the after- principle of reincarnation. When
life found in Defending Your Life. Daniel and Julia check into sepa-
Life is good for Daniel Miller (Al- rate booths at the Past Lives Pavil-
bert Brooks), a divorced advertis- ion, Shirley MacLaine leads them
ing executive, until he smashes his through the steps to view their
new BMW into a bus and is killed. previous incarnations. While Julia
He finds himself in Judgment City, sees she was once heroic Prince
a place between planes of exis- Valiant, Daniel discovers he was
tence that looks a lot like south- an African warrior chased by a
ern California; here the weather lion. “Who are you?” Julia shouts.
is always 74 degrees and you can “Lunch,” says Daniel. After watch-
eat all you want without gaining ing Hindu concepts represented
weight. Daniel is told that he must so faithfully, we’re surprised
appear before a tribunal that will when the film cheats a little with
determine whether he goes on to a the final scene.
higher existence or is reincarnated With Defending Your Life (rated
back on Earth. PG), Albert Brooks lived up to his
Daniel’s defender in this court reputation for creating good films
is genial Bob Diamond (Rip Torn), that few people see in theaters. A
who tells him that it can take many Brooks fan myself, I found this to
lifetimes to reach the state where be one of his best. Although it re-

pa r a m o u n t
one is ready to move on. This is ceived very high praise from most
faithful to the Hindu concept of critics, the film never found an au-
moksha, the liberation from rebirth dience and earned only $16 million
a person enjoys only after going Musical reincarnation: The Clear Day story was drawn from in the U.S. in 1991. That’s a shame,
through all the experiences in the the real life reincarnation case of Bridey Murphy since this is suitable for family view-
physical world. In court, scenes ing and is a fun look at samsara. But
from Daniel’s life reveal moments of fear while Julia will not. Julia and the other ma- then, that’s show business, and Defending
and anxiety—scenes that illustrate how im- ture souls who have been liberated depart Your Life remains just one example of how
portant the motive behind an action can be. Judgment City in one tram, while Daniel filmmakers in the West are not only inspired
The theme here, we understand, is resolving and those destined for reincarnation leave by Hindu philosophy but can now assume
karma. Between court proceedings, Dan- in another. Seeing Julia moving on, Daniel we’re familiar enough with these concepts
iel meets and falls in love with Julia (Meryl suddenly overcomes his fears and escapes to enjoy the story and not be weighed down
Streep), a joyful woman who seems destined from his tram to hers, thus apparently by- with definitions. ∏π
for liberation from samsara. When he sees passing rebirth. It’s the standard ending for a Mark Hawthorne writes about Asian phil-
that Julia’s most recent life was filled with romantic comedy, but rather implausible in osophical and religious traditions.
love and benevolent actions, such as going the Hindu view of reincarnation and what
back into a burning house to save the fam- is required for liberation from rebirth. Altered realities: (left to right) Cruise’s
ily cat, while his life was filled with fear and Brooks, who also wrote and directed character is cryogenically frozen; In Broth-
anxiety, Daniel worries he will be reincar- the film, creates an afterlife filled not with er Bear, Aurora Borealis lights cause Kenai
nated and separated from Julia. pearly gates and angels, but in which spiri- to incarnate into the bear he has just killed;
When the final ruling comes, it’s no sur- tual reckoning means you must account for Kenai and his young friend talk about a
prise that Daniel must be returned to Earth your actions on Earth. Although the film bear’s worst enemy—man

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 GHOSTS

And the Non-Living...

Movies of the spiritualist mold
he spiritualist movement—based Both The Sixth Sense and
on the belief that the living and the Ghost assert the Hindu theme of
dead can have meaningful communica- balance, especially with regard
tion—is more than 150 years old, but its to karma and retribution. Cole
popularity seems to be growing. A poll re- encounters spirits who appear to
veals that 52 percent of Americans believe have died violently and now ex-
in spiritualism, up from 12 percent in 1976. ist as ghosts because they are tied

s
film
Skeptics claim that such results show the to unresolved personal circum-
power of the media; indeed, movies with stances on the earthly plane; their

gram
people talking to ghosts—or ghosts com- release from this karma is neces-

p o ly
municating with people—are more popular sary for reincarnation to proceed.
than ever. Two ghost movies have proved to Sensing his paranormal abilities,

h o l ly w o o d p i c t u r e s
be especially popular with audiences. they solicit Cole’s help to resolve
It’s no surprise that director M. Night their earthly issues. Sam, too,
Shyamalan would incorporate messages must resolve issues on Earth be-
into The Sixth Sense that resonate with fore he can move on; in the mean-

a l a s ta i r m u i r

a l a s ta i r m u i r
Hindus. Bruce Willis plays Malcolm Crowe, time, he is directly involved in the
a child psychologist who begins treating a karmic payoff for the two charac-
new patient, eight-year-old Cole (Haley Joel ters responsible for his death.
Osment). Cole has become a reluctant and Shyamalan was surprised to dis- Scary movie: Haley Osment as Cole and Bruce Willis
helpless channel for ghosts with unresolved cover Western audiences weren’t as Dr. Crowe teamed up in Shyamalan’s classic More than entertainment: Stephen Simon, producer of What Dreams May Come, believes movies can help convey spiritual lessons
issues in their lives on Earth. Only when familiar with the Hindu concept
Malcolm believes Cole is truly interacting of the afterlife. He says, “It’s just an accepted Ghost (rated PG-13 for violence and TRENDS
with the next world, with two-way commu- thing in India that there are ghosts or spirits strong language) was not as well received
nication with astral plane “ghosts,” is he able in the house, and so it was something I as- by critics, but that didn’t stop filmgoers
to help him, and Cole is then able to help sumed was common here, but I guess not.” from buying more than $200 million worth
the ghosts resolve their issues. Bruce Joel Rubin, who wrote the screen- of tickets in the US, making it the second-
Movies As the Modern Theological Medium
The movie Ghost also involves spirits who play for Ghost, says he was inspired by a highest grossing film of 1990 (though prob-
have unfinished business on planet Earth, trip to India and studying Buddhism in Ne- ably not suitable for children). It is a bit Even Hollywood isn’t prepared to accept a Godless, meaningless world
but in this case, the ghost is here to assist the pal. “My supposition in the movie,” he says, sappy, making it a favorite among those who
living. Patrick Swayze is Sam, an investment “is that there is a larger universe that we in- love romantic films, but its message makes
counselor who is killed by a mugger one habit—that we exist before we are born, that it worth watching, and Whoopi Goldberg’s piritual cinema” is what producer/ in Time, discusses how movies like The require movie stars, but that just focus on
night, but turns away from the welcoming we exist after we’re born and that life is a Oscar-winning performance as the medium director/author Stephen Simon calls a Truman Show, Stars Wars and The Matrix the story and the empowerment and the
light of the afterlife to remain on Earth in particular passageway, and how you engage who can hear Sam is great fun. ∏π new genre of films examining who we explore the nature of life, love and time in beauty of being human. And that’s what
his spirit form and observe as his girlfriend, that life is very meaningful.” are and why we’re here. He explains his book The Force Is With You: Mystical Spiritual Cinema is.” Simon observes that
Molly (Demi Moore), mourns and attempts to The Sixth Sense (rated PG-13 for intense Where worlds meet: (left to right) Eight- that individuals and cultures that lose their Movie Messages That Inspire Our Lives.
piece her life together. Sam needs to tell her thematic material and violent images) is year-old Cole consults with Dr. Crowe; a connection to the unseen divine essence He says, “There is a huge void when it First reality show: (left to right) Truman
she’s in mortal danger from the same people one of those rare films where critical praise little girl poisoned by her mother appeals become devoid of love, respect and com- comes to movies that make us feel better with his make-believe family; worldwide
who killed him. Here again the astral world matched ticket sales. It was the second-high- for Cole’s help; Sam confronts the medium, passion. Simon, a producer on films such as about being human beings—films that do viewing of the Truman Show; Truman
and the physical interconnect dramatically. est grossing movie of 1999, at $293 million. played by Whoopi Goldberg in Ghost What Dreams May Come and Somewhere not have to be made for a lot of money or takes a final bow before exiting his world

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 hitting homeruns. For that reason, deal,” he says. “The whole movie was about the true nature of reality and his role in com- for thematic elements involving
the average cost of making and legitimizing the entire reincarnation pro- bating those who control it. The protagonists death, some disturbing images
marketing a major studio film cess. Now people accept the possibility or of The Matrix populate an illusory world and and language) was not a box-of-
today is $90 million. When you even the likelihood that there is life after discover that only an unplugged/awake world fice success, though it was well
spend that kind of money, they life and that we go from lifetime to lifetime. is the real world. It sounds Hindu, but the received by many film critics in
have to go for huge, broad-based They certainly accept it in a film setting, movie is also loaded with Christian symbol- 1998, notably Roger Ebert, who
movies.” and that is a huge change in 30 years.” ism. Still, the closing credits of the final in- called it “a film that even in its
In such an environment, many If the Seventies were a time for reincarna- stallment run to the chanting (in Sanskrit) of imperfect form shows how mov-
producers regard movies with tion to be more accepted by mainstream au- “Lead me from unreality to reality, lead me ies can imagine the unknown,
spiritual themes as problematic. diences, we seem to be at the beginning of from darkness to light, lead me from death can lead our imaginations into
“Studios don’t believe in the sub- a new era for maya. “The concept of what’s to immortality,” from the Brihadaranyaka wonderful places.” Other crit-
ject matter of spiritual movies real and what’s not real is something that is Upanishad. ics, though noting the compel-
enough to make them without fascinating to people because we’re living in Simon believes Star Wars has a powerful ling visuals, were unable to see
star power, for instance, Bruce an age where we’re questioning that,” says spiritual message. The first of six episodes beyond the story’s many deaths
Willis in The Sixth Sense. And I Simon. “In 2001 we had a whole group of from filmmaker George Lucas, Star Wars is and could not recommend it.
never would have gotten What movies that question reality: Vanilla Sky, a powerful experience in the genre of Spiri- Bringing in more than $125
Dreams May Come made if we Mulholland Drive, Waking Life and Me- tual Cinema, according to Simon, because million qualifies The Truman
hadn’t gotten Robin Williams. We mento. The granddad of these, The Matrix, of “the Force.” The Force is described as Show (rated PG for thematic
were basically told, ‘Robin Wil- came out just two years earlier. When that an energy field created by all living things, elements and mild language)
liams or Tom Hanks, or we’re not happens, you know we are questioning the binding the universe together, and it’s what as one of 1998’s financial hits,
making the movie.’” world. What is real and what is illusion?” gives the story’s heroes—Jedi knights—their and critics almost universally
But that wasn’t the only ob- While a lot of Hindus would interpret many power. Lucas told Time magazine in 1999: praised it. Among the few dis-
wa r n e r b r o t h e r s

stacle Simon overcame with this of these movies in terms of maya, they may “I put the Force into the movie in order to senting voices was Janet Maslin
film, which is based on the book also be derived from the bleak concepts try to awaken a certain kind of spirituality of The New York Times, who ob-

lucase film
by Richard Matheson and deals of existentialism. The difference is that in in young people—more a belief in God than served that the film’s conclusion
with two soul mates and their Hinduism all of creation is divine, while in a belief in any particular religious system. I is too conventional for the plot’s
afterlives: one mate braves hell existentialism, it is meaningless, or evil. wanted to make it so that young people would inventive set-up. This is a good
in search of the other. The plot Central to the plot of The Truman Show is begin to ask questions about the mystery.” film for family viewing, leading
It’s all maya: Poster for The Matrix, about a world is similar to the end of the Maha- that life is an illusion; that is, the world Tru- The spirituality in Star Wars is so uni- to a discussion of maya. The Force: A western set in outer space, nothing sparked
where humans live in a machine-induced dream bharata, in which Yudhishthira’s man Burbank (Jim Carrey) sees is not the real versal that many world religions, from Ad- The Matrix (rated R for theological discussion like Star Wars
virtue is tested, though this ap- world. In fact, everyone knows it’s an illusion ventism to Zoroastrianism, have found their sci-fi violence), on the other
movie studios used to produce films for ev- pears to be a coincidence. While the film’s except Truman, who goes about his life un- beliefs reflected in the movie. Hindus, for hand, is not suitable for children, though much of our cultural landscape, how can we
ery audience, a practice that changed when strongest message is the power of love, aware that he is the star of a television show example, will recognize the disciple’s search it also met with kudos from reviewers not examine its many sources and consider
corporations took control of movie studios, What Dreams May Come features an after- watched 24/7 by millions around the world. for a guru in Luke Skywalker’s search for and audiences alike, who raved about its impact? With $270 million in domestic
cutting traditional movie moguls out of the life in which one’s belief creates experience, Truman catches on relatively late in life when Jedi master Yoda in The Empire Strikes its state-of-art visuals, meaningful plot ticket sales, Star Wars was the number-one
business. These moguls might have had and being reincarnated is a matter of choice. the enormous film set he lives in—an entire Back, the second Star Wars installment. and kinetic action. It took in more than film in 1977, and has gone on to earn $798
their faults, but they were visionaries who “When I first read the novel What Dreams town, the sky and miles of ocean—and the Yoda instructs Luke in the use of the Force, $171 million in domestic ticket sales. million around the world, ranking as the
were willing to take chances, and they loved May Come, in 1979, the idea of spending actors he calls friends begin to let clues slip. which seems to have much in common with Finally, Star Wars (rated PG for sci-fi vio- twelfth biggest box office draw of all time.
making movies. “Corporate thinking has almost an entire movie in an afterlife set- In the end, Truman Burbank breaks free of Shakti, and teaches him that life is an illu- lence) redefined the word “blockbuster.” It’s The first three Star Wars films—Star Wars,
replaced entrepreneurial thinking,” says Si- ting was completely crazy to people. I think the veil of maya and enters the real world—or, sion, filled with “crude matter.” hard to believe there’s anyone who hasn’t The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the
mon, “and, as we all know, corporate think- one of the reasons it took me 20 years to at least, Southern California. But, as Simon Simon sees good prospects for spirituality seen this space western. The New York Jedi—will be available on DVD in Septem-
ing is much more cautious. It’s much more get the movie made is that the world wasn’t points out, The Matrix is where this nascent in movies and predicts there will continue Times critic Vincent Canby warned in his ber, and you’ll find in these stories many
conservative. It is much more focused on ready for it.” One thing that made the pub- interest in illusion apparently began. Keanu to be a growth in films focusing on illusion. original 1977 review, “The way definitely Hindu principles to appreciate and discuss
the bottom line. Because of the corporate lic ready, says Simon, was the 1975 film The Reeves is Neo, a computer hacker who learns “I think the questioning of reality is a huge not to approach Star Wars is to expect a with younger members of the family. ∏π
takeover of Hollywood, the primary focus Reincarnation of Peter Proud, about a col- issue, and it’s going to become more of an is- film of cosmic implications or to footnote
of the studio business is to create big, broad- lege professor who gradually realizes he is Different worlds: (left to right) Testing sue as we get into this new century, because it with so many references that one antici- Movie religion: (left to right) William’s
based movies: huge action movies, dumb the reincarnation of a murder victim. “To reality in The Matrix; underground ship we’re evolving as a species and we’re asking pates it as if it were a literary duty. It’s fun character with an astral guide; Yoda with
comedies, sequels, movies that star people have reincarnation in the title and be about in The Matrix; Robin William’s character questions that we did not ask before.” and funny.” Indeed it is. But Star Wars has the young Luke Skywalker in Star Wars;
from television. They really are focused on somebody being reincarnated was a big and wife in What Dreams May Come What Dreams May Come (rated PG-13 become such a phenomenon, influencing so battleship in the midst of an attack

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28 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 29
 ART
Aesthetic Himalayas
Stunning Washington D. C. exhibition showcases exquisite
Buddhist and Hindu art from Nepal, Tibet and Kashmir
By Helen Asquine Fazio, New Jersey
any years ago, when i was in the
middle of my master’s degree in Art
History, I was doing research in the
archives of the Carnegie Institute
Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I was
interested then in Japanese prints, but in
the underground climate-controlled storage
of Pittsburgh’s most major museum I came
upon my first Tibetan thangka, a traditional
hanging scroll painting. It was a depiction of
the ferocious Mahakala, the Buddhist (and
Hindu) God who guards the wheel of time.
I asked the then curator of Asian arts what
it was, and he replied, “Oh, that’s a primi-
tive fantasy of debased northern Buddhism
from the wild parts of the Himalayas. Don’t
take it seriously.” A couple of years later
when I joined my husband in his Himala-
yan Kingdom Art Gallery venture, I was to
learn to take the art of Himalayan Asia very
seriously, indeed.
los angeles county museum of art
When, in the 1960’s, art historian Dr.
Pratapaditya Pal decided to specialize in the
art of the Himalayan regions, he faced the
problems of an uneducated general public,
and more shockingly, an uneducated intel-
lectual community, which did not consider
r . s . v e n k ata c h a l a m
the arts of Kashmir, Nepal and Tibet to be
“high art.” That evaluation has all changed
with “Himalayas: An Aesthetic Adventure,”
organized by the Art Institute of Chicago. I
went to see it on display at the Smithson-
ian Institute’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in
Washington D.C. It features 163 Buddhist,
Hindu and Bon paintings and sculpture cre-
ated between the 7th and 19th century.
Works on view were created in an aston-
ishingly large variety of media, scale and
color, ranging from a tiny, rare and exqui-
m e t r o p o l i ta n m u s e u m o f a r t, n e w y o r k
Of Gods and men: (Large image) 15th
century Nepalese painting of Mahasiddha
Virupa ordering the Sun to stop. (Bottom,
left to right) Ivory panel showing life of
cleveland museum of art
Buddha, from Jammu and Kashmir, 8th
century; Hindu God Kumara on His pea-
r . s . v e n k ata c h a l a m
p r i vat e c o l l e c t i o n
cock, 10th century Nepal, stone; Copper
statue of Goddess Chamunda from Nepal,
14th century; Terracotta of Mahasiddha
Kirava, Nepal, 13th century.
site ivory of the fasting Buddha to a life-size
portrait of a Nepalese king as a multi-armed,
cosmic Deity. Other objects on view include
intricately detailed manuscript illuminations
on palm leaf, paper and wood, and brightly
colored thangkas (cloth paintings) depicting
mandalas, Deities and teachers. Stunning
stone, wood and bronze images of Deities,
many embellished with gemstones, gild-
ing and paint, are included. The melding
of Hindu Gods and Buddhist theology and
artistic methods produces some astounding
Origin of Kathmandu: Bhim Dahal, per-
forms the dance story of Manjusri, patron
God of the Kathmandu Valley
images, such as that of Lord Ganesha (page
31), from Tibet.
Sackler’s assistant curator, Dr. Debra Di-
amond, noted, “This is Dr. Pal’s answer to
those who did not consider the focus of his
work to be significant in the past. This is Dr.
Pal’s triumphant response that unequivocally
validates his faith in the monumental contri-
bution of the art traditions of the Himalayas.”
Born in Bangladesh, Dr. Pal grew up in
Calcutta. He did his doctorate in fine arts
and history at the University of Calcutta and
j u ly / a u g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4
wrote his PhD, with special focus on Nepal,
under the guidance of historian Nihar Ran-
jan Roy. In 1962 he received the Common-
wealth Scholarship of Cambridge and got
his second PhD. And in 1967, he moved to
the United States. Currently, Dr. Pal is visit-
ing curator of Indian, Himalayan and South-
east Asian Art at the Art Institute of Chi-
cago, curator emeritus of the Norton Simon
Museum in Pasadena, California, and the
author of over 50 books on South Asian art.
One reason for the misunderstanding of
Himalayan art is exemplified in the case
of Nepalese Hinduism and Buddhism,
wherein the Deities of each faith are often
shared. A Nepalese Hindu of the Newari
caste will customarily worship both Hindu
and Buddhist Deities, yet the juxtaposition
of Hindu and Buddhist elements has often
been misinterpreted by outsiders to mean
that the Newar does not know what he or
she is doing. It has been suggested that the
Himalayan regions are far from the centers
of culture and thus provincial. Furthermore,
the ferocity of some of the Deities of Hi-
malayan Buddhism—such as Llamo, the
guardian Mother Goddess of Tibet and the
Inner Yamadharmaraja, the dispeller of ig-
norance—has been off-putting to foreign
eyes because viewers do not know the seri-
ous philosophy behind the ferocious images.
The Sackler Gallery worked to educate
its public on Himalayan art through a series
of wonderful programs and lectures during
the exhibition. Dr. Pal himself spoke at the
October opening (the exhibit closed January,
2004). A film series, concerts of Himalayan
music and chanting, demonstrations of the
techniques of Himalayan art, dance presen-
tations, a lecture by Dr. Robert Thurman,
professor of Religion at Columbia University,
and a gala concert by Phillip Glass informed
the public in broad ways about the applica-
tion of the arts of the Himalayas. Dr. Dia-
mond, also a specialist in Rajput painting, is
an art historian whose insight and enthusi-
asm are infectious. She was daily on site in
the gallery to watch over the exhibition and
to inform and guide the docent staff as they
make the close educational connections be-
tween the exhibition and the visiting public.
h i n d u i s m t o d ay 31
Ganesha in Tibet: The Tibetan Deity Tsog
dag (“Lord of Accumulated Merit”) de-
picted in a manuscript ordered by the fifth
Dalai Lama in 1670 on ritual prayer. The
attributes of Lord Ganesha are preserved,
including His rodent mount.

was in the museum daily to teach children

how to play the madal, a double-sided drum
struck with a curved baton; the damaru, a
smaller double-sided drum that is usually
associated with Siva; and the Nepalese sa-
rangi, which is played like an upright violin.
Five days a week Mr. Dahal performs the
dance of Manjusri in costume and headdress
on a great lotus mandala on the floor out-
side the entrance to the gallery. His dance
describes and evokes Manjusri, one of the
great God patrons of the Kathmandu Valley.
It is Manjusri who cut a cleft in the rim of
the valley allowing the waters of a high alti-
tude lake to run out, thus making the valley
habitable—a story accurately reflecting the
geologic history of the valley which dates
the draining at 10,000 years ago. “When I
dance as Manjusri, I am both outside Man-
jusri worshiping him, but also I am being
Manjusri myself, both at the same time,” Mr.
Dahal explains to his audience assembled at
the outer circle of the lotus.
Three great Bodhisattvas of gilt bronze,
each at least three feet tall, greet visitors at
the entrance to the galleries. They are am-

collection of thomas isenberg

bassadors from each of the regions the exhi-
bition addresses: Nepal, Tibet and Kashmir.
The exhibition features several pilgrim-
age paintings which depict an abbreviated
road map of the route and details along the
way to a sacred destination. These types of
paintings are made for those who, perhaps
for reasons of health or age, cannot make
the pilgrimage. By following the painting
visually, some of the merit of actually mak-
ing the route is transmitted. “Pilgrimage to
Gosainkund,” for example, is a late 18th-
century painting that shows villages and
temples on the way to this tirtha, a sacred
lake to Lord Siva, located at 16,000 feet. In
affectionate detail, the artist has made the
route holy by depicting myths and miracles
specific to each area along the trail.
The collections that museums offer to the
public richly contribute to everyone’s sense
of being both a national as well as a world
citizen. The more we all learn, the less we
will ever be willing to dismiss a major art or
history tradition simply because we know
nothing about it. We are greatly indebted
to people like Dr. Pal, Dr. Diamond, Mr.

r . s . v e n k ata c h a l a m
Singh, Mr. Eckerd and Mr. Dahal for their
progressive and enriching work and to the
unnamed artists themselves. ∏π

Hands on: Visitors, including children, can

handle bells, cymbals, a prayer book and
the damaru drum in the ImaginAsia room
j u ly / a u g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 33
 BY
BY THE
THE GRACE
GRACE OF
OF

m u d ava r aya n
Waters of life: Lord Siva as Godavari rains
grace on Earth as water from two vessels

m u d ava r aya n
Mass prayer: Tens of millions of pilgrims begin to assemble at
the Godavari River in Rajmundhry, Andhra Pradesh, on the
m u d e i va r aya n

first of twelve days celebrating Godavari Pushkaram. (Inset)

A shaven-headed ascetic takes a moment for serious reflection
during his sacred bath.

34 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 35

m u d ava r aya n
As in days of old: A nameless sadhu with
matted locks smiles benignly as thousands
of devotees (below) crowd near the Goda-
vari River. Police boats are strategically
positioned to provide safety for bathers.
m u d ava r aya n
F E S T I VA L S maintain order. While thorough efforts have time the river itself takes on great mystical sharamam and Antharvedi in the East Go-
obviously been made to anticipate every powers capable of revitalizing life, curing davari Districts.
Forty million devotees seek grace and redemption conceivable emergency, the atmosphere is physical ailments and bestowing spiritual To enrich the festival, the State Tourism
still permeated with an uncertain feeling of unfoldment. Often referred to as South In- Department organized cultural exhibitions
during a twelve-day Siva festival in Andhra Pradesh impending chaos as the drama actually be- dia’s Maha Kumbha Mela, Godavari Push- and ethnic food festivals in these towns.
gins to unfold. In the end, however, all will karam occurs only once in twelve years. Also featured were literary and cultural
turn out well—primarily because of careful According to ancient legend, a great sage programs, including religious discourses,
By Mangala Prasad Mohanty, Orissa they are able to penetrate the thick crowds planning and precautions. and devotee of Lord Siva named Gouthama devotional music, poetry readings and stage
t is one moment past midnight on and reach the water. Many wait for the most Godavari, a Burmese word for “river,” is performed such rigorous penance in South plays. All through the twelve days, priests
Monday, July 28, 2003—the first day of astrologically auspicious moment, which is also a name for Siva in the form of flowing India that he actually succeeded in bringing were furiously busy everywhere, perform-
South India’s famous Godavari Push- 12:59 pm on Wednesday, July 30. Still oth- water, like “Ganga” or the “Ganges.” A push- divine grace down to Earth in the physical ing family religious rites along the river. In
karam festival. Already thousands of ers linger longer, patiently taking their turn karam is a distinguished event. Hence, the form of flowing water, right from the tress- particular, the rituals honoring death anni-
devotees from all over India have flooded in the natural timing of the colossal event. Godavari Pushkaram is an auspicious occa- es of Siva’s henna-red hair. The place this versaries are a primary custom performed
nine temple towns in Andhra Pradesh dedi- By the end of the first day, over a half mil- sion dedicated to the worship of Siva with sacred water is said to have fallen is called during Godavari Pushkaram.
cated to the celebration of this twelve-day lion pilgrims have taken their coveted holy prayers for the descent of divine grace for Triambaka, located in the Nasik district of In Rajmundhry, just before the festival be-
religious extravaganza honoring Lord Siva. dip. By the festival’s end on August 10, that the improvement of life. Maharasthra. Triambaka is the origin of gan, a giant Siva Lingam was installed near
I am here in the town of Rajmundhry, figure will rise to an estimated forty mil- It is believed that benefits derived from the river Godavari, which flows from there the main river ghat to creatively assist the
the nerve center of this grand, state-wide lion—more than twice the number of those religious disciplines practiced during Go- across India into Andhra Pradesh. pilgrims in taking their holy bath (see pho-
event. Although I have attended many large who participated in the same festival when davari Pushkaram are compounded expo- The nine temple towns hosting the festi- tos). This massive Lingam is bathed with
religious festivals like this, I continue to be it last occurred, in 1991. nentially. Such disciplines include the per- val in the state of Andhra Pradesh this year water from the Godavari, which overflows
amazed at how each one seems to maintain The state government of Andhra Pradesh formance of charity, japa (the recitation of are Basara in Adilabad; Dharmapuri and its base to shower nearby pilgrims gathered
its own sense of awe. There is a raw potency spent us$38 million in preparation for the mantras), worship, meditation and ritual Kaleswaram in Karimnagar; Bhadrachalam to receive the blessings of the sacred water.
in this slowly flowing mass of people—like event, and the Central Government con- bathing. Ritual bathing is especially popular, in Khammam; Kovvuru in West Godavari, I was one of those devotees. I was blessed. I
the quiet dynamism of an elephant that usu- tributed more than eleven million. These since it is believed that during this festival Rajmundhry and Pattiseema; and Drak- am blessed. ∏π
ally remains subdued, yet could erupt with preparations included elaborate arrange-
uncontrollable force at any moment. Such is ments to establish lodging, dressing facilities,
India, its peace and its power, side by side. public toilets, drinking water, cloak rooms
Every single pilgrim here is determined and shoe stands. Two hundred TV control
to do one thing: Take a holy dip in the Goda- centers were erected to monitor crowds, and
vari River. Some bathe right away, as soon as thirty thousand police were dispatched to
m u d ava r aya n
One of nine: Of the nine towns chosen for the celebra-
tion of Godavari Pushkaram, Rajmundhry is considered
m u d ava r aya n
the most auspicious. A huge Siva Lingam was built and
bathed with water from the Godavari (right), overflowing
onto devotees seeking blessings near the golden domed
Rajmundhry Siva temple (below).
m u d ava r aya n

s e s h u b a d r i nat h / p i pa l p r o d u c t i o n s
Graduates: Children standing on stage during the Sunday School graduation on June 15, 2003, wave saffron-colored Aum flags to celebrate
E D U C AT I O N
Kids Love Hindu Sunday School
Connecticut parents adopt American church pattern at their temple
ust as at many other temples in
the US, Hindu parents in Middletown,
Connecticut, looked around one day
in the Sri Satyanarayana Temple and
asked, “Where are the kids?” They saw
that their American-born children had little
knowledge of Hinduism, and even less in-
terest in. They realized that if they didn’t
engage them in their rich religious and cul-
tural heritage, it might soon be lost. So, a
team came together and formed the “Hindu
Sunday School”. It has been a grand success,
with more than fifty children ranging from
ages six to sixteen attending consistently for
two and a half years.
Sunday school is an American institution.
Long ago, immigrants of Western religions
faced the challenge of passing on their heri-
tage to generation after generation, and they
figured out a system which is now the prima-
ry mode of religious instruction for millions
of American children. The whole country is
scheduled around attending church on Sun-
38 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4
day. While the parents worship the chapel,
the kids attend “Sunday school.” The Hindu
parent-teachers who launched this program
decided to take advantage of this established
church model, and it worked. Hindu kids
in the Hartford, Connecticut, area actually
like it, and they keep coming back. They
no longer have to wonder what they should
do while their school friends are in Sunday
school on Sunday mornings.
The program is working out so well that
it drew the attention of The Hartford Cou-
rant, a newspaper based in the state capital,
which ran a prominent story about the Hin-
du Sunday School in its June 16, 2003, edi-
tion. As Courant staff writer Frances Taylor
put it, “The curriculum is a systematic way
of transferring a complex blend of beliefs
and practices to the next generation.”
After looking at the programs offered by
Hindu gurukulams and balavihars in the
area, Divya Jyothi Difazio, one of the found-
ing teachers at the school, was so inspired
one night that she wrote down the entire
twelve-month curriculum. She explained
that they base their 90-minute class format
on the Sai Baba teaching model: “The chil-
dren all get together for a half-hour of Aum
chanting, bhajana singing and japa, and
then break into groups based on the cur-
riculum that has been adjusted for each age
group.”
Kindergartners and first-graders learn
simple songs and Sanskrit chants, with em-
phasis on pronunciation and learning the
meanings in English. They also play games
and share art and craft projects. Older kids
go more in depth, learning about puja and
homa, prayer, meditation and chanting,
yoga, history, Vedic philosophy and Hindu
traditions.
Teenagers are called “leaders in train-
ing.” Divya Jyothi explained, “The leaders
in training program is for young people who
are more firmly established in their faith
and heritage and ready to develop leader-
ship skills, primarily to become
teachers for the younger chil-
dren. There are nine kids in
this program now. They work
on developing leadership skills
and on meeting goals through
such projects as putting to-
gether bhajana books and re-
sources for the younger kids’
classes, conducting seva proj-
ects, gathering inspirational
quotes for study circles, writ-
ing plays and individual study
projects like the eight limbs of
yoga and others. Then they
s e s h u b a d r i nat h / p i pa l p r o d u c t i o n s
work on how they can take
that information and gear it
down for the younger kids.”
Occasionally the school
brings in swamis, guest story-
tellers and performers, such
as a recent Bharata Natyam
dancer, to expose the children
to traditional Hindu culture.
However, the main thrust is
to educate them about their
religion. Beena Pandit, the
school’s current coordinator, Announcers: Pallavi Khanna and Kyla Sangam tell attendees at the Hindu Sunday School graduation
declared, “We must enlighten about the school’s programs and the children’s achievements over the last year
kids about Hinduism and give
them answers instead of leaving them feel- One of the hardest things about teaching This Hindu Sunday School has been so
ing disarmed and not knowing what to say, people is getting to them at the right level.” successful that it could serve as a model for
feeling they don’t fit in. We have to take There has been widespread support for other temples. When asked what his advice
every chance we get to contribute to their the Hindu Sunday School amongst the Sri would be to temple groups wanting to start a
awareness of Hinduism.” Satyanarayana Temple’s administration and Sunday school, Reddy offered, “Put together
Teacher Asha Shipman, 32, a second-gen- devotees. Enthusiastic parents signed up a team. That team is very important. Ev-
eration American Hindu, is an anthropol- about 100 kids for the school’s first semester. ery member must want to promote Hindu
ogy student at the University of Connecti- Subsequent semesters have seen sign-ups of heritage and pass it on to the next genera-
cut and a former high school teacher. She about 50-60 children consistently, possibly tion.” As for how to keep it all going once it’s
shared, “The kids love being here. They are due to the new $25 enrollment fee. There started: “Think through the long-term plan.
so happy. The enthusiasm of Otherwise, it will die out after a
these children is so delightful. while. You need backup so peo-
As they learn their slokas and “Your children are going to lose every- ple don’t burn out. It requires a
learn about the Gods and God-
desses, the modes of philosophy,
thing if you don’t make it appealing to lot of responsibility on the part
of the teachers, parents and the
do their coloring, they are so them. Living here is different than living temple.”
engrossed in what they’re do- Perhaps the most important
ing. I didn’t have this as a Hindu in India.” BEENA PANDIT step the Hindu Sunday School
growing up in the US.” teachers keep taking toward
Keeping the interest of the younger chil- are now waiting lists for the younger kids’ making their school a success is to listen
dren isn’t a problem. The key is keeping groups, thanks to the coordinators’ wise to the children and pay attention to their
everything loose and flexible. Beena Pandit choice to limit each class group to fifteen needs. Beena Pandit summed it up, “It has
advised potential start-up Hindu Sunday children. The number of children the school to be for the children, teaching with them
schools, “Don’t make it too rigid. These chil- can enroll hinges on a limited number of in mind. You can’t adhere strictly to your
dren are bombarded with tons of homework qualified teachers, so there is new empha- own agenda of what you think they should
and challenges in their secular schooling. sis being placed on the leaders in training be doing and learning. Kids are turned off
Don’t make Sunday school a place they don’t program. by teachers who have an inflexible agenda.
want to come because they have to do this Maintaining the interest of the parents is They learn in different ways. Those who
and that and they’re being corrected a lot. also a weight on the balance of enrollment came from other countries to the US and
Put interesting things in front of them, more and attendance. It takes as much commit- established temples here can’t expect their
hands-on activities that appeal to them.” ment from the parents as from the teachers. US-born kids to walk in their footsteps.
According to Asha Shipman, the real chal- Madhu Reddy, the school’s main visionary, These are American kids, not Indian kids,
lenge lies in keeping the interest of the high lamented, “Sometimes kids want to come, and they’re going to do things in their own
school kids. She confided, “It’s hard to find but their parents don’t bring them. It has to way. Find out what that way is.” ∏π
materials that are appropriate for them. Most be done with wholehearted commitment on visit www.hinduschools.org for more
information about the hindu sunday school
things are usually too simple or too complex. everyone’s part. It has to be consistent.”
j u ly / a u g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 39
 WO CARS BANG FENDERS AT AN INTER-
section; tempers flare and a fistfight
breaks out. In a store nearby, a man
stomps off in a fury, cursing the
clerk for declining his credit card.
In an apartment up the street, a mother
screams at her daughter to clean up her
room. Down the block, a schoolgirl
pouts because her father won’t let
her date an older boy. Around
the corner a man slaps his eight-
year-old son because he won’t

MManagement
sit still in the car. Anger is every-

anagement
where. It is the most powerful and
hurtful emotion we possess. Yet, the
average person succumbs to it help-
lessly, willingly, lapsing into insane
episodes now and again without
thinking much about it. Many

WAYS
WAYSTO
TOTAME
TAMEOUR
OUR would defend
were an ally,
a tool they
it as if it

DEADLIEST
DEADLIESTEMOTION
EMOTION would not live
without.

By By
Satguru
Satguru
Bodhinatha
Bodhinatha
Veylanswami
Veylanswami

Anger is expressed by humanity in drastically

different manners. Low-minded individuals
take great delight in being angry toward oth-
ers and expressing that anger in aggressive
and violent ways—gang wars, robbery, vandal-
ism and more. They deliberately use anger and
violence to get what they want from life. Then
there are the mass of generally law-abiding
people who live a normal, working life but are
seriously angry on the inside about one thing
H I N D U I S M T O D AY

or another and express that anger regularly in

their words and actions. They are simply angry
at life and have neither the means nor the mo-
tivation to eliminate anger from their lives.

j u ly /aug u s t / s e p t e m be r , 2 0 0 4 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 41
 The Perils 1It is restraint that restrains rage when
it can injure. If it cannot harm, what
3 Forget anger toward all who have
offended you, for it gives rise to
5 If a man be his own guard, let him guard
himself against rage. Left unguard- 7 As a man trying to strike the ground with
his hand can hardly fail, just as surely will 9 If hostile thoughts do not invade
his mind, all his other thoughts

Of Anger does restraint really matter? teeming troubles. ed, his own wrath will annihilate him. one who treasures his temper be destroyed. may swiftly manifest.

The Tirukural Chapter 31

By Saint Tiruvalluvar, 200 bce
2 Wrath is wrong even when it cannot
cause injury, but when it can, there is
nothing more evil.
4 Anger kills the face’s smile and
the heart’s joy. Does there exist a
greater enemy than one’s own anger?
6 Anger’s fire engulfs all who draw near
it, burning even friends and family who
risk rescue.
8 Though others inflict wrongs as painful
as flaming torches, it is good if a man can
refrain from inflammatory tantrums.
10 As men who have died resem-
ble the dead, so men who have
renounced rage resemble renunciates.

Anger and the spiritual path: Finally, there are those who are attacking others with words or fists. Webster compares the terms the monastery. One carpenter, James, was more prone to anger wars, suicides, murder and many other forms of crime are basi-
striving to live a life following spiritual principles but are at times for anger as follows: “Anger is broadly applicable to feelings of than the other. Every few minutes, when something didn’t work cally products of anger. In fact, anger makes even a handsome
unable to control their anger and as a result end up hurting resentful or revengeful displeasure; indignation implies righteous out right, he would react by swearing loudly and at length. About person look ugly. I suggested to a friend, who is remorseful about
others and breeching Hinduism’s core principal of nonviolence, anger aroused by what seems unjust, mean or insulting; rage sug- once a week the two men would have a huge argument and his flashes of anger, that he keep a large mirror facing his office
ahimsa, as well as creating new negative karmas to live through gests a violent outburst of anger in which self-control is lost; fury James would drop his tools, stomp off the job and drive away desk. In case the anger-prone person has a lively sense of humor,
in the future. It is to these individuals, who are striving to control implies a frenzied rage that borders on madness; ire, chiefly a with tires squealing in defiance. It was definitely an interesting this mirror-therapy is likely to work.”
anger, even eliminate it from their pattern of behavior, that this literary word, suggests a show of great anger in acts, words, looks, study in anger and human nature, showing how anger is simply People’s natures are quite different in their tendency to anger.
Insight is addressed. etc.; wrath implies deep indignation expressing itself in a desire an accepted part of life for many people. Some are usually calm, but occasionally flare up. Others anger
To improve our understanding and control of anger, it is to punish or get revenge.” Swami Budhananda (1917-1983) of the Ramakrishna Mission, quite easily. Many people are quite selective about whom they
helpful to look at the concept of the three-fold nature of man: Learning to control anger is such an important part of harness- noted in a series of talks on anger (published in Vedanta Kesari, get angry with—perhaps just their spouse.
1) superconscious or spiritual, 2) intellectual or mental and 3) in- ing the instinctive nature that the 2,200-year-old, South Indian www.sriramakrishnamath.org): “The evil effects of anger are My Gurudeva, Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, observed
stinctive or physical-emotional. It is the instinctive nature, the scripture on ethics, the Tirukural, devotes an entire chapter to innumerable. The first thing that happens to an angry person is that anger is the most difficult fault to overcome, because it man-
animal-like nature, that contains the tendencies to become angry the subject. It is, in fact, the chapter that precedes “Avoidance that he forgets the lessons of wisdom he has learnt in life. After ifests in so many different forms: pouting, long silences, shout-
and harm others. The goal of living a religious life is to learn to of Injuring Others”—the order of these chapters itself suggesting that, he loses control over his thoughts and emotions. He be- ing, yelling, swearing and more. In Living with Siva, Gurudeva
control these animal instincts—as well as the ramifications of the that to successfully practice nonviolence we need to first control comes overactive, with his highly charged ego as his only guide. lists the eight forms of anger from the book Angry All the Time
intellect and the pride of the ego—and thereby manifest one’s anger. The Tirukural warns that anger gives rise to teeming trou- He loses his power of discrimination, sense of proportion, and (see sidebar): 1) sneaky anger; 2) the cold shoulder; 3) blaming
spiritual nature. Spiritual striving produces gradual improvement bles. It kills the face’s smile and the heart’s joy. Left uncontrolled, becomes aggressive in manner, hostile to his own welfare. When and shaming; 4) swearing and yelling; 5) demands and threats;
in harnessing and transmuting our instincts, intellect and ego, it will annihilate you. It burns even friends and family who try anger becomes the second nature of a person, physical health 6) chasing and holding; 7) partly controlled violence; 8) blind
with the entire process of soul evolution spanning many lifetimes. to intervene, and easily leads to injuring others. and equanimity of mind suffer, and inner peace vanishes in a rage. These are called the eight rungs on the ladder of violence,
Anger is the instinctive behavior of responding to challenging A few years ago we had a perfect opportunity to observe seri- trice. Anger can destroy friendships, families, business partner- an analogy that Gurudeva found quite helpful in showing how
situations by becoming frustrated, upset, enraged to the point of ous anger. Two carpenters were building a house next door to ships, professional prospects. Communal and ethnic riots, arsons, anger can easily snowball. For example, an evening might start
‘The
v v
a-vrittis, the thought-waves, which being gross, we can appreciate and feel. They can be more ea
“The chitt sily controlled, but what about the
Eight Rungs on the Ladder of Violence finer insti
manipula
ncts
te it,
?
c
H
a
o
n
w
fig
c
h
an
t
t
w
h
it
e
h
y
i
b
t;
e
b
c
u
o
t
n
I
trolled? When I am angry, my w
c annot succeed perfectly in the
ho
fig
le
ht
m
u
in
n
d
til
b
I
e
c
c
a
o
n
m
g
e
e
s
t
a
d
huge wave of
ow
anger. I feel it, see it, handle it, can easily
n to its causes
.” , RA
SWAMI VIVEKANANDA JA YOGA

1: Sneaky Anger 2: The Cold Shoulder 3: Blaming and Shaming 4: Swearing, Screaming, Yelling
a l l a r t b y a . m a n i v e l ( e x c e p t c h a k r a a r t, p. 4 5 )

You act and speak normally but You shun another person and You fault others for something You lose control over your speech
purposely neglec t to do make it clear you are mad that happened and then tell and scream and yell at others.
certain tasks others have about something. How- them they are “no good” Those who have a habit of
asked you to do, pre- ever, you abs olutely in order to make them swearing are most prone
tending that you forgot refuse to let him or feel shame. Example: to this form of anger.
all about the duties. her know what it is. an employee makes a Example: A teenage
Example: A teenage E xample : A wife is simple mistake at work, girl has admitted to
boy, upset with his upset with her hus- and her boss is upset. a minor wrongdo-
father for firmly disci- band for working late Rather than help resolve ing at school. Her
plining him, retaliates and, rather than talk the problem, he points teacher, known for his
with sneaky anger by the issue through, gives blame at her, demean- foul mouth, yells at her
chronically “forgetting” him the silent, cold shoul- ing and intimidating her harshly, using cruel, out-of-
to do his household chores. der for the entire evening. with personal criticisms. control words to punish her.

42 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 j u ly /aug u s t / s e p t e m be r , 2 0 0 4 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 43
with a mild expression of anger that seems harmless enough but
soon escalates into shouting and swearing and culminates in
physical violence.
Anger and the chakras: We gain useful insights into the na-
ture of anger and how to control it by relating it to the Hindu
system of chakras, the subtle centers of consciousness within
each individual (see sidebar). There are seven primary chakras
along the spinal column and in the head. When our awareness
is flowing through these chakras, consciousness is in the higher
nature. The seven chakras, or talas, below the spine, down to the
feet, are all seats of instinctive consciousness, the origin of fear,
anger, jealousy, confusion, selfishness, absence of conscience and
malice. The eighth rung on the ladder of violence—blind rage—
corresponds to the second lower chakra, called vitala. Gurudeva
explains, “Anger comes from despair or the threatening of one’s
self-will. When people are in the consciousness of this chakra,
they are even angry at God. With their wrath, they often strike
out at those around them, leaving a trail of hurt feelings behind
them. From sustained anger arises a persistent, even burning,
sense of resentment.”
When someone goes into a blind rage, he has dropped far
below the chakras of memory and reason—the muladhara and
svadhishthana. Therefore it is no wonder that afterwards he
may not even remember what happened. His consciousness was
totally in the vitala chakra, having given up its normal faculties
of memory and reason.
Many people think that sneaky anger and the cold shoulder
are natural and harmless. Gurudeva warns that, while they
are not as vicious as yelling and screaming or throwing objects
against the wall, these practices stimulate the lower chakras and
over time can easily lead to the more violent expressions of anger,
come across anyway, which stimulates that lower chakra until
one day their cynicism will turn into really good anger. Then
they build up new karmas they never had before, which they
will live with until they are faced with those karmas.”
Swearing is even more problematic, as it stimulates the lower
chakras to a greater degree than sneaky anger, the cold shoulder
or cynicism. Therefore, it is quite important in managing anger
to break the habit of swearing.
Step one for conquering anger: For those on the spiritual path
who are striving to control anger, there is an important first step.
That is to acknowledge that anger is a serious problem that easily
leads to violence and is a quality that should be totally absent
from those dedicated to making progress in their spiritual life.
I gave the following advice via e-mail to a devotee who was
working to refrain from expressing occasional anger toward a
parent: “Thank you for sharing the details regarding your angry
encounters with your parent. I would suggest you reflect on the
seriousness of disharmony in the home. It is taking a few steps
backward in spiritual progress. When you do sadhana, you move
forward. But if you become angry regularly, you step backward,
and as a result you could end up standing still. It is like trying to
save money for a special purpose. You save for a while, but then
become angry, which is like spending what you saved for the last
month. It is difficult to make your financial goal. By taking anger
more seriously, you are more motivated to avoid it at all costs.”
The devotee recently e-mailed again saying the advice had
helped her cope with the force of anger. She had taken the first
step—acknowledging that it is a serious problem, an unaccept-
able mode of behavior for those on the spiritual path.
Seven remedies: With this resolve firmly in mind, she was
ready to take the second step, which is to apply remedies to
as an ocean wave or a butterfly’s wing. Anger is an instinc-
tive-emotional protest to what is happening at a particular
moment. “Things are just not right!” anger declares. The
Wheels of Consciousness
source of peace and contentment is the opposite senti-
ment—a wholesome, intelligent acceptance of life’s condi- The fourteen chakras are centers of force and conscious-
tions, based on the understanding that God has given us ness within the inner bodies of man—with corresponding
a perfect universe in which to grow and learn, and each nerve plexuses, ganglia and glands in the physical body.
challenge or seeming imperfection we encounter is an Where we reside in the range of chakras deeply influences
opportunity for spiritual advancement. Gurudeva wrote: our state of mind, our actions and reactions. Anger is the
“We are all growing toward God, and experience is the
predominant consciousness of the vitala chakra, second
path. Through experience we mature out of fear into
among the seven lower chakras, all of which are instinc-
fearlessness, out of anger into love, out of conflict into
peace, out of darkness into light and union in God.” tive realms of distress, darkness and confusion.
The second remedy is a first-aid technique to apply
during angry outbursts. It is to visualize light blue flood- 1 SAHASRARA… Illumination—CROWN OF HEAD
ing out from the center of your spine into your aura, 2 AJNA… Divine sight—THIRD EYE
displacing the blackish reds that anger automatically
displays in the colorful field of subtle energy ra- 3 VISHUDDHA… Divine love—THROAT
diating within and around your body. Mystically,
this has the effect of moving your awareness out 4 ANAHATA
ANAHATA… Direct cognition—HEART
of the angry state of mind into a more peaceful 5 MANIPURA… Willpower—SOLAR PLEXUS
mood. The third remedy is to worship Lord Ga-
nesha, the elephant-faced Lord of Dharma, a 6 SVADISHTHANA… Reason—BELOW NAVEL
compassionate God, ever available to assist
7 MULADHARA… Memory—BASE OF SPINE
embodied souls with immediate needs to
further their evolution. Remedy four is a 8 ATALA… Fear & lust—HIPS
penance, setting aside a specified sum of
money every time you experience anger. 9 VITALA… Raging anger—THIGHS
The fifth remedy is to skip the next meal
if you become angry. These two sacrifices are 10 SUTALA… Retaliatory jealousy—
jealousy KNEES
designed to remold deep-seated subconscious

as well as the experience of other lower-chakra emotions, such
as fear and jealousy. For these reasons, it is best not to indulge
in either sneaky anger or the cold shoulder. Sarcasm and cyni-
cism can also be forms of anger. Gurudeva said, “People who
are cynical are expressing their anger and contempt with snide
remarks. They may seem to be joking, but their sharp feelings
improve her behavior. On pages 46-48, in the illustrated side-
bar, we offer seven remedies. The first is to affirm the Hindu
philosophy that everything in the universe is perfect; the entire
physical, mental, emotional and spiritual flow of events is moving
in perfect harmony and exquisite coordination according to the
divine laws of karma and dharma. Each happening is as perfect
a r t b y i . waya n m a r ya
11 TALATALA… Prolonged confusion—CALVES
patterns, called vasanas, convincing your sub-
conscious that you are serious about controlling 12 RASATALA… Selfishness—ANKLES
your anger, and gradually subduing any occur-
rence of wrath. Remedy six, the flower penance, is 13 MAHATALA… Consciencelessness—FEET
a way of letting go of angry feelings that you hold 14 PATALA Malice & murder—SOLES OF FEET
toward another person. Offering flowers with

5: Demands and Threats
You demand that others behave
as you want them to or
threaten you will do some-
thing dr as tic i f they
don’t, such as hurt them
or yourself. Example:
An argument between
two business partners
gets out of hand and
reaches the point where
the younger threatens
to beat up his associ-
ate unless he gets his way.
6: Chasing and Holding
You approach or pursue others
and physically restrain them
against their will and pre-
vent them from leaving
your presence. Exam-
ple: A woman’s fian-
cee has been accused
of seeing another
woman. Incensed, she
follows him to work,
grabs him desperately
and insists they talk about
the problem right now.
7: Partly Controlled Violence
You physically strike someone for
the purpose of forcing him or
her to do what you want,
but without losing con-
trol. Example: A young
boy is caught stealing
at a neighbor’s home.
The owner, outraged,
confronts the boy
and swat s him sev-
eral times with a stick,
wrongly thinking that this
will reform the errant youth.
8: Blind Rage
You physically attack a person
with total loss of control, to
the extent that when you
return to normal con-
sciousness, you may not
even remember the
incident. Example: A
sassy teenager delib-
erately insults an over-
weight stranger. Instead
of just scowling, the fiery
man flies into a blind rage
and beats him mercilessly.

44 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 j u ly /aug u s t / s e p t e m be r , 2 0 0 4 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 45
 a loving heart has the effect of dissolving the resentment and liver maladies, hypertension, etc. Balance is achieved by calming
awakening forgiveness—be it toward a parent, spouse, employer,
sibling or friend. The seventh remedy is to perform three kindly Anger’s
Anger’sRousing
Rousing
Threat
Threat
…… and Retorts from Patience, yoga, shitali pranayama, walks, mantra, self analysis and divert-
ing the anger into a different form. Ayurvedic medicine also
acts toward someone who has disturbed you. Universal Love and Discrimination advises cooling foods and environment.”
For a loved one or close acquaintance, the Dr. Vasant Lad, director of the Ayurvedic Institute (www.ayur
acts can be performed openly. For others, such ANGER : “I will make the people veda.com) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, offers basic remedies for
as business associates, employers or fellow blind and deaf. I will overpower potentates. I can infuse I will pull out the venom- anger in The Complete Book of Ayurvedic Home Remedies:
employees, your good deeds may be done them with wrath and suffocate fury, resentment, wrath, ous tooth of this demon, “Pitta is necessary for right understanding and judgment, but
subtly, even without their knowledge. It may them with rage. I will catch indignation into the minds Anger.” VISHVA PREMA , when it gets disturbed or out of balance, it creates misunder-
be difficult to fulfill this, as it requires you hold of even wise men. They of all in the twinkling of an Universal Love, cried out, standing and wrong judgment, leading to anger and hostility.
to go against the instinctive compulsion to eye. I am very powerful. I “I will! I am the water to Here are several simple home remedies to cool down that hot
shall neither harken to what
hold on to hard feelings. But acting kindly pitta and keep tempers under control.
concerns their own happi- will disturb the tapas of the quench the fire of anger.”
toward offenders releases you from the grip “Diet: Perhaps most important, a person who becomes angry
ness, nor reflect what they aspirant and even yogis and Finally, VIVEKA , Discrimina-
of seething anger, as surely as the sun dis- easily or often should follow the pitta-pacifying diet, especially
pels a morning fog, dissolving it in the light had read in the scriptures. In destroy serenity. ATMAN, tion, roared: “I will! When I avoiding hot, spicy and fermented foods, citrus fruit and sour
of higher consciousness. The seven remedies a moment I can destroy even the soul, despaired, “Alas, rise, anger dies.” fruit. Favor simple, bland foods and cool drinks, and avoid alco-
are designed to help seekers objectify their the learned, the famous, those who will help me now?” hol and drinks with caffeine.
anger, to see it in a clear, detached manner, as who are attentive to duties, KSHAMA , the virtue of Swami Sivananda (1887-1963) “Keep cool: It’s also not recommended for people with a pitta
a force that they have the power to harness the charitable and the mighty Patience, spoke up: “I will! founder, Divine Life Society body type to take saunas or steam baths, to get overheated from
and transmute into higher forms of expres- exercise or sports, or to be in too much direct sun.
sion and ultimately be free of it altogether. “Oil massage: Rub some bhringaraj oil or coconut oil on your
Diet and ayurveda: What we eat influences scalp and on the soles of the feet. That will help to bring down
our state of consciousness and where we are in firm. And when a man is in possession of a and homeopathy. The Hindu medical science, ayurveda, views the excess pitta. You can do this every night before getting in bed
the chakras more than most people realize. The Hindu ideal firm memory, all the bonds which tie him down anger as a primary sign of imbalance of the three bodily humors, to regularly moderate pitta.
of following a strict vegetarian diet has many benefits, includ- to the world are loosened.” A vegetarian diet helps put us in known as doshas. Dr. Virender Sodhi of Bellevue, Washington “Sandalwood oil: Another simple and effective way to help bal-
ing lessening the tendency to become angry. Eating meat, fish, touch with our higher consciousness and is therefore quite help- (www.ayurvedicscience.com), explained, “Anger is under the con- ance your emotions is to place a drop of sandalwood essential oil
fowl and eggs, on the other hand, opens the door to lower con- ful in increasing our control over anger, as well as the other lower trol of the pitta dosha. Pitta is intelligence, anger, digestion, fire, on the third eye area between your eyebrows, as well as on the
sciousness and makes it harder to stay out of the states of fear, states of mind. sight and so on. At the mental level, we have four drives: anger, throat, breastbone, navel, temples and wrists.
anger, jealousy and the subsequent remorseful emotions that In the healthcare industry, anger is viewed as an insidious mal- attachment, ego and desire for sex. Although all these are normal “Herbal teas: Take ½ teaspoon of chamomile and 1 teaspoon
follow. Food is largely a matter of temperament. The Chando- ady that, if not harnessed, leads to serious illness, causing high animal behaviors, imbalance in these leads to imbalance of their of fresh, finely chopped cilantro leaves and steep them in 1 cup
gya Upanishad (7.26.2) teaches: “When the food is pure, mind blood pressure, various diseases and even fatal heart attacks. It respective doshas. Just as attachment increases kapha, anger in- hot water for about 10 minutes. Allow this tea to cool before you
becomes pure. When the mind becomes pure, memory becomes is addressed with prescription drugs, aromatherapy, massage creases pitta. Imbalance in pitta dosha can cause excessive anger, drink it. You can drink it three times a day, after each meal.

our subconscious has been cleared of past reactionary patterns and reprogrammed thoroughly, you not take exception to things that

Seven
SevenRemedies
Remediesfor
forthe
theHabit
HabitofofAnger
Anger “When y
happen in
you have
the world. In understanding, you love everyone and embrace every event. You intuitively sense jus
in your memory banks knowledge of each happening acquired during all the lives you have eve
do
t what they are all going through, because
r lived.” SATGURU SIVAYA SU AMUNIYASWAMI
BR

H
ave you ever suggested to someone who was furious at 1: Affirm: Everything Is Perfect! 2: Fill Your Aura with Light Blue 3: Worship Lord Ganesha
you that he shouldn’t get so angry? Perhaps you offered,
“It certainly doesn’t make me feel very good when you From a mountaintop perspective, If you are overtaken by anger and The worship of Lord Ganesha is
unleash that force on me! And it’s not good for you either!” What God is everywhere, in all things, resentment— emotions which helpful in overcoming all emotional
was the result? He just got madder, right? “How dare you tell me and everything is in a state of bal- fill your aura with blackish red, problems, including anger. As He is
not to get angry, you #%*$¿ !” The point is, no one can change a ance and perfection at every point streaked with yellow—sit in medita- seated on the muladhara chakra,
person except that person himself. We only change when we in time. Affirm this Hindu wisdom tion, breathe and visualize light blue tuning in to His shakti helps raise
want to change. Are you ready? Controlling anger could well be regularly to cultivate patience and entering your aura and surrounding us up into the muladhara chakra
viewed as the very first exercise in spiritual life, because it stands wise acceptance, even of situa- your body. The light blue will neu- and therefore out of anger and
so squarely between the soul and peace of mind while living in tions that tend to arouse anger. To tralize the fiery reds, and before fear into a calm, stable state of
a physical body. Nothing is more fundamental to conquer, and do so, be seated, close your eyes, you know it the anger and resent- mind. In fact, you can slowly seal
doing so unleashes great energy and provides emotional sta- breathe deeply and affirm quietly ment will be gone. Simply relax and off these lower states of mind and
bility for all other endeavors. The work is well worth the effort. to yourself, “I’m all right right now, visualize soothing blue radiating keep awareness permanently lifted
So, here are some sharp tools—powerful enough to make even and everything is as it should be out from the center of your spine above fear and anger through the
a nice person nicer. They are philosophical, penitential, meta- from a mountaintop point of view.” into your inner and outer aura. regular worship of Lord Ganesha.
physical, devotional and psychological. Use them in good health!

46 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 j u ly /aug u s t / s e p t e m be r , 2 0 0 4 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 47
v I will permit no man to narrow
and degrade my soul by
There is nobody who lives
happily with anger.
Suppose you have a weakness of
getting angry easily. Now, what you
There should be no yelling in the
home unless there is a fire.
an early stage, rather than wait for
that anger or hatred to arise fully.
making me hate him. should do is this: Once you become
Sagely
Shantideva David O. McKay The Dalai Lama
Booker T. Washington normal again, go and sit in the family
When we speak with hatred and A nagging sense of discontent, a Resentment is like taking poison and
shrine room if you have one, or sit in
If you are patient in one moment anger, it leads to unhappiness feeling of being dissatisfied, or of waiting for the other person to die.

Reflections of anger, you will escape a

hundred days of sorrow.
Chinese proverb
pain and misery. So one should
always be soft spoken.
Yajur Veda 3, 54
solitude; then regret and repent your
own anger and sincerely pray to your
beloved deity or to Mother Nature,
something being not right, is the fuel
that gives rise to anger and hatred.
Generally, this discontent arises
Malachy McCourt

Worshipers of Siva who are victim to

Nor he who owns the least of things,
nor he whom anger chains, can
ever pass through maya’s gates.
So, give these up, sannyasin bold!
Say “Om Tat Sat, Om!”
Swami Vivekananda
seeking help to get rid of it.
If we could read the secret Shri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi
histories of our enemies, we
To remove anger is not so difficult
should find sorrow and suffering
as to decide to remove it and
enough to disarm all hostility.
to maintain that decision.
Longfellow
Sri Aurobindo
anger or hatred refrain from medita-
in us when we feel that either we
tion, japa and kundalini yoga. They
ourselves, or someone we love, or
confess sins, do penance and engage
our close friends are being treated
in bhakti and karma yoga to raise
unfairly or threatened: people are
consciousness. Aum Namah Sivaya.
being unjust toward us or our close
Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
friends.... The idea is to stop it at

“Ghee nasya: Dip your little finger into a jar of brahmi ghee (or
plain ghee) and lubricate the inside of your nostrils with a small
amount. (Make sure your nails are trimmed so you don’t scratch
yourself.) Then gently inhale the ghee upward. This sends a
calming message to the brain.
“Shitali pranayama: Make a tube of your tongue; breathe deeply
through your mouth down into your belly, hold the breath for a
few seconds; exhale through your nose. Do about 12 repetitions.
“Yoga postures: Good yoga asanas for pitta include the camel,
cobra, cow, boat, goat and bridge poses. Avoid the headstand or
other inverted poses, such as the plow and shoulder stand.
“Meditate: There is an ancient method of meditation that in-
volves watching your every emotion come and go, without either
naming it or trying to tame it. As the feelings arise, breathe
deeply and exhale the emotions out.”
Anger and spiritual striving: Anger is a natural emotion, a
protective function of the instinctive mind, not to be vilified or
feared. It is a part of our nature, and it is normal to express
it—that is, if we are content to live on the instinctive level of our
being, which many people are. But each soul inevitably reaches
a point where it seeks to harness the natural instincts. Gurudeva
explained, “Anger is also, like fear, an instinctive control, and
at one time served its purpose. The onrush of anger served to
protect man’s private interests in critical situations by injecting
adrenaline into his blood and thus preparing him for defense.
But as man evolves closer to his real, actinic being, he discovers
that actinic love, understanding, compassion and wisdom are
higher qualities than anger.”
Managing anger is important for anyone who seeks success at
sophisticated endeavors and stable, wholesome relationships. For
aspirants seeking self-transformation on the spiritual path, it is
absolutely essential, for only when the lower nature is subdued
can the divine nature be fully expressed.
Daily spiritual efforts designed to bring forth the divine nature
are known as sadhana, such as japa, meditation and yoga. As
Gurudeva wrote, sadhana, spiritual discipline, is “the mystical,
mental, physical and devotional exercise that enables us to dance
with Siva by bringing inner advancement, changes in perception
and improvements in character. Sadhana allows us to live in the
refined and cultured soul nature, rather than in the outer, instinc-
tive or intellectual spheres.” But, Gurudeva warned, every time
you become angry, you destroy one month’s worth of spiritual
striving and practice, or sadhana. So, if you don’t control anger,
performing sadhana is a waste of time. Hence, the number-one
sadhana is anger management. Gurudeva is adamant that seek-
ers refrain from any serious meditative practices until anger and
other lower emotions have been harnessed. “Those who remain
prone to anger should not do raja yoga or any form of intensive
mantra, japa, or pranayama amplification of the energies into
higher chakras—lest that collective energy plummet into the
corresponding lower chakras and be vented through fear, anger
and jealousy. Rather, they should perform the always healing
vasana daha tantra [writing down and burning recollections of
the past] and confine themselves to karma yoga, such as clean-
ing in and around the temple and picking flowers for the pujas.
These simple acts of charya [humble service] are recommended,
but should not be extended to intense worship. Then, and only
then, their life will be in perspective with the philosophy of
Sanatana Dharma and begin to become one with Siva’s perfect
universe. Brahmadvara, the door to the seven chakras below the
muladhara, will then be sealed off as their experiential patterns
settle into the traditional perspective of how life should be and
each individual should behave within it.”
When working to harness the instinctive nature, what is it that
tells us how well we are doing? It is the subtle irritation, the seed of
wrath, that preceeds every form of anger, from the cold shoulder
to blind rage. Viewed in this way, the impulse to anger is—at the
beginning of the path, the intermediate stages and even subtly at
the upper reaches—our astute teacher, signaling to us each split-
second opportunity to be more patient, more understanding, more
compassionate and to find a better way to cope with tense situ-
ations and keep closed the door to the lower chakras. ∏π

t
4: Pay for Each Burst of Ire
An effective and practical financial
remedy is to put a sum of money,
such as five dollars, in a jar each
time you become angry, and later
donate that money to a favorite
orphanage or temple. Consistently
performed, this penance soon
makes it too expensive to get
angry! This remedy impresses the
subconscious mind that expressions
of anger have karmic costs, and that
anger can be completely eliminated
by sincere efforts to overcome it.
5: Don’t Eat the Next Meal
For those who can easily afford to
put five dollars in a jar frequently,
an alternate penance is fasting.
Each time anger arises, simply skip
the next meal. Denying yourself a
meal has a potent impact, deeply
impressing your subconscious mind.
If you follow this without fail, the
instinctive nature soon catches on
that whenever it expresses anger it
will soon experience hunger, and
in this way is motivated to better
control this destructive emotion.
6: Offer Flowers
Put up a picture of the person you
are angry with and for 31 days
place a flower in front of the pic-
ture. While doing so, sincerely for-
give the person in heart and mind.
When it becomes difficult to offer
the flower of forgiveness, because
hurtful memories come up from
the subconscious mind, write down
the memories and burn the paper
in a trash can. Say, “I forgive you,
for I know that you gave back to
me the karma that I set in motion.”
7: Perform Three Kindly Acts
If you have gotten upset with
another person, do three kindly
acts to make up for it. This releases
you from your anger and guilt even
if he or she is unaware of your good
deeds. Example: A husband shouts
abusively at his wife after returning
from work. After apologizing, he
takes her dining to a place of her
choosing, buys her an item that she
needs for the kitchen and gives her
some free time by taking care of
the younger children for a half-day.

48 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 j u ly /aug u s t / s e p t e m be r , 2 0 0 4 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 49
 chology, all diseases take their origin in anger. Rheumatism, heart- control anger. Be careful and vigilant and watch the ripple, then
MINISTER’S MESSAGE is a positive sign of inner strength. disease, nervous disease are all due to anger. It takes some months only you are a sage.
Self-restraint, or self-control is a for the restoration of normal equilibrium in the nervous system. Whenever there is a little irritability, stop all conversation and
sign of great mental strength. An Passion is the root, and anger the stem. You will have to destroy observe mauna (the vow of silence). Practice of mauna daily for

The Wilely Ways of Wrath easily irritable man is always unjust.

Controlling anger is really control of the mind
B Y S WA M I S I VA N A N DA O F R I S H I K E S H
t will be admitted on all
hands that everyone, without any
exception whatsoever, is a victim
of this horrible malady. Indeed
control of anger will bring in its
train supreme peace and immeasur-
able joy. Anger is the greatest enemy.
Contentment is the Nandana Garden
(the heavenly flower of Indra) and
peace is the Kamadhenu [the wish-ful-
filling cow]. Therefore, take to forgive-
ness. Atman is different from the body,
the indriyas, prana and the intellect. It
is self-effulgent, unchangeable, pure and formless.
If a man becomes irritable for trifling things very often, it is a can be seen clearly by
definite sign of mental weakness. When a man abuses you, and
when a man takes away your cloth or coat, if you keep quiet, that
He is swayed by impulses and emo-
tions.
Anger gains strength by repeti-
the root (passion) first. Then the stem (anger) will die by itself. A
passionate man is more angry. A brahmachari who has preserved
his virya [vital energy] always keeps a balanced mind. He has a
cool brain at all times.
one or two hours is of great help in controlling anger. Always try
to speak sweet soft words. The words must be soft and the argu-
ments hard; but if the reverse is the case it will lead to discord and
disharmony. There is a sharp sword in every tongue.
tion. If it is checked then and there,
man gains immense strength of
The root cause of anger is ignorance and egoism. Through vich- If you find it difficult to control anger, leave the place at once
ara (right enquiry), egoism should be removed. Then alone can one and take a brisk walk. Drink some cold water immediately. This
will. When anger is controlled, control his anger completely. Through development of the opposite cools down the body and mind. Chant ‘OM’ loudly like a lion for
it becomes transmuted into virtues such as kshama [patience], love, shanti, karuna [mercy], ten minutes and then chant ‘OM SHANTI’ mentally or verbally for
spiritual energy that can move friendship, etc., anger can be controlled to an enormous degree. The five minutes. Think of the picture of your Ishtam [chosen Deity].
the three worlds. Just as heat or force can be reduced. Atma-jnana [Self-knowledge] alone can fry all Pray. Repeat your Ishta Mantra for ten minutes. Gradually the
light is changed into electricity, so also anger becomes changed samskaras of anger and eradicate it in toto. anger will vanish.
into ojas [vitality]. Energy takes another form. Energy is wasted If an aspirant has controlled anger, half of his sadhana is over. Meditate in the morning on the virtue of patience for ten min-
enormously when one gets angry. The whole nervous system is Control of anger means control of lust also. Control of anger is utes. Reflect and repeat the formula ‘OM PATIENCE’ mentally
shattered by an outburst of anger. The eyes become red, the body really control of mind. He who has controlled anger cannot do any several times daily. Remember the saints and their lives. Say unto
quivers, the legs and hands tremble. No one can check an angry wrong or evil action. He is always just. yourself: “I am patient now. I will never get irritated from today. I
man. He gets enormous strength for the time being and gets a col- It is very difficult to say when a man will be thrown into a fit of will manifest the virtue of patience in my daily life. I am getting
lapse after sometime, fury. All of a sudden he gets an irresistible fit of anger for trifling better and better.” Feel that you possess a magazine of patience.
on account of reaction. matters. When anger assumes a grave form, it becomes difficult
Various poisons are to control. It should therefore, be controlled even when it is in the swami sivananda saraswati (1887-1962), was founder and
thrown into the blood form of a small ripple in the subconscious mind spiritual head of Divine Life Society. This article
when one is angry. (chitta).. One should watch his mind very, is excerpted from Swami’s comprehensive
Fiery dark arrows very cautiously. Whenever there is the dissertation, “Conquest of Anger,”
shoot out from the least symptom or indication of published for free distibu-
astral body. These light irritability, then and tion at: www.dlshq.
there it must be nipped. org/download/an-
clairvoyant eye. In the Then it becomes ger.htm
light of modern psy- very easy to

Books on Managing Rage Dr. Glenn R.

Schiraldi (304
pages, McGraw-
The Dalai Lama’s
book, Healing Anger,
the Power of Patience
Hill/Contempo- From a Buddhist
Crash courses for emergency cases rary Books, $16.95)
stands out. Glen
Perspective (150 pages,
Motilal Banarsidass,
was hired by the $12.95), is a commen-
$12.
f you have the kind of anger problem level from zero (no reaction) to 100, Pentagon to teach tary on a Buddhist scrip-
that lands you handcuffed in the back of a police “the highest level of rage you can anger management to ture dealing with anger,
car, the judge might just sentence you to a course imagine experiencing.” One woman US Army officers. Why? regarded as the greatest
d i g i ta l s t o c k

in “anger management.” What you’ll be taught
in such a course can be previewed from looking
through, as we did, a few of the hundreds of books
written on anger management by psychologists,
counselors and other experienced professionals.
Most begin by explaining the costs of anger. The
Anger Control Workbook (189 pages, New Harbinger
Publications, $17.95) cites a startling research study.
A group of law students were given a test measur-
ing hostility at the beginning of law school. The
researchers tracked their history 25 years later and
found that “Twenty percent of those who had scored
in the top quarter of the hostility scale in law school
were dead.” Only five percent who scored in the low-
est quarter had died. Many studies show that angry
people are unhealthy and suffer devastating conse-
quences to job, family, marriage, children, friends,
strangers, finances and spiritual well being.
Most authors then describe the types of anger, the
whys and hows and possible coping strategies. The
Anger Control Workbook has you rate your anger
in therapy for anger rated receiving
the wrong catalog order by mail as
60, getting cut off in traffic as 70,
her son’s refusing to clean his room
a 75 and her mother’s request to
drive her home from a bar because Arrested: Anger leads to endless ills
she’s too drunk to drive a full 90.
Angry, dysfunctional people direct their hostility at their nearest and dearest.
Most coping methods involve learning to put intelligent thought between the
incipient feeling of anger and its actual expression. Rather than flying into a rage
at the driver who cuts you off in traffic, consider the situation a moment. Was it
deliberate, or did he not see you? And even if it was deliberate, what good does it
do to get angry about it?
Another method is to visualize an upsetting scene, such as walking into your
son’s messy room and imagining a non-angry interaction with him about it.
Repeat this mentally until you can do it without becoming upset. While most rec-
ommendations are based on Western psychology, some are reminiscent of Hindu
practices—repeating a few words, such as “calm down” over and over, like a man-
tra, or breathing and relaxation techniques similar to those of hatha yoga.
All the books we read give substantial value to religion and spirituality as
a means to gain balance in life, but The Anger Management Source Book by
Because anger-related
health issues and resulting
heart attacks in their 40s
were cutting careers short.
Dr. Schiraldi, who advocates Best picks: There are also many
improving one’s spiritual life, resources on anger management on the Web
offers this evaluation:
“Sometimes anger signals a lack of spiritual peace or balance. Although
Freud and Ellis attributed neurotic guilt to religion, the research paints a
different picture. In adults, the religiously committed are less stressed, less
depressed, less likely to commit suicide, less likely to abuse drugs and are
more satisfied with life and marriage. They live longer, with lower rates
of high blood pressure and other diseases. In short, the preponderance
of evidence suggests that religious commitment is associated with better
mental, physical and social health. Such benefits are not predicted by reli-
gious affiliation or denomination (e.g. Methodist, Muslim, Jew), but by the
depth of one’s faith—the degree to which individuals live their faith. In the
research, religious commitment is typically operationalized as attendance
at a church/synagogue/mosque/temple, prayer and reading sacred works. It
also includes a relationship with God, making beliefs an important part of
one’s life and connecting with others in the religious community.”
stumbling block for the
aspirant. He give an eso-
teric analysis of the causes
of anger and the means to
cultivate its opposite, com-
passion, a prime virtue of
Buddhism.
Most really angry people would likely need more than
a book to deal with their problem, such as the motivation
of a judge’s orders or a doctor’s dire prognosis coupled
with the help of a professional counselor. Still, there is a
lot of useful information in them, and you can gain a bet-
ter understanding and some skill in handling your own
anger as well as that in others around you. The three
reviewed here are a good start, and many more books
are available on the topic.
anger control workbook, by matthew mackay & peter rogers, new
harbinger publications, 5674 shattuck ave., oakland, ca 94609 usa.
anger management sourcebook, by glenn r. schiraldi & mellissa hall-
mark kerr, contemporary books, 2 peen plaza, new york, ny 10121, usa .
healing anger, the power of patience from a buddhist perspective, by
the dalai lama, motilal banarsidass, 41-u.a. bungalow road, jawahar
nagar, delhi-110 007 india. e-mail: mlbd@vsnl.com

50 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 j u ly /aug u s t / s e p t e m be r , 2 0 0 4 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 51
 TRANSITION
Ardent atheist turned born-again Hindu, Sita Ram Goel committed
the better part of his 82 years on Earth to restoring Hindu dignity
ita ram goel will be remembered On December 3, 2003, at the age of 83, seven years old then and too young to un-
by Hindus in India and around the world Sita Ram Goel passed away peacefully in derstand the kind of work he was doing. In
for a long time. For most of the last half of his sleep following a long illness. It was a 1964 there was some talk of his being ar-
the twentieth century, he and mentor- quiet end to a humble yet dynamic life dedi- rested, but even at that time I was not re-
friend Ram Swarup produced hundreds of cated to the revitalization of Hinduism and ally aware of what was going on. All I knew
books, articles and pamphlets extolling the the evolution of India. We at Hinduism was that he had written a book criticizing
glories of Hinduism while warning of its Today were honored to have maintained a Nehru, following the war with China, and
most malicious foes. They were a bold and fruitful association with him for more than a lot of people were getting upset. As time
outspoken twosome who published their 20 years and will long remember our visits went on, my father brought together some
works through the Voice of India (VOI), Hindu scholars interested in defending
a publication house they created just for Hindu society. This group stimulated the
this purpose. Although both Sita Ram creation of the Voice of India in 1980. It
Goel and Ram Swarup have now passed was only then that I began to read my
away, the VOI is still active—dedicated father’s articles with interest and finally
exclusively to the promotion of issues im- understood his work as a Hindu activist.
portant to the modern-day Renaissance At that time I was 35 years of age. Now
of Hinduism, a cause for which Sita Ram I am 54.
Goel gladly and courageously dedicated
his life. What inspired your father to become an
Born on October 16, 1921, Sita Ram activist? He felt that the Hindu society
Goel finished his formal education with was going through a crisis and that a Hin-
an MA in History in 1944 from the Uni- du renaissance was necessary. He wanted
versity of Delhi. Yet he spent his en- to do his part in bringing about change,
tire life pursuing and sharing a broad but gained the confidence and guidance
spectrum of knowledge on a variety of to do so from Ram Swarup, his close
subjects. He was well versed in several friend and advisor. Together, these two
languages and came to be respected as a men wrote pamphlets that were forceful
scholar of literature, philosophy, religion, and strong, with titles like “Hindu Soci-
and sociology. By his own account, he ety Under Siege,” “Defense of Hinduism”
drew his primary inspiration on all these and “Perversion of India’s Political Par-
subjects from Plato and Sri Aurobindo. lance.” Eventually they decided that, to
Although he developed a keen interest do this kind of controversial work, they
in communism during his college years, needed their own publication house.
he turned against the ideology in 1949

h i n d u i s m t o d ay
when he came to understand the plight of What was your father’s most important
people living in communist Russia. After contribution to the Hindu renaissance?
1950, he committed himself to inform- We are proud that he brought forward
ing the Indian people of the real theory new ideas in defense of Hindu society,
and practice of communism in Stalin’s and that they were well written. We can
Russia and Mao’s China. His careful and Friend and mentor: For 50 years, Ram Swarup now see that people from all over the
tediously researched work during this co-authored articulate, powerful Hindu Renais- country and around the world were af-
time rightly earned him a reputation as sance literature with Sita Ram Goel fected by this literature. Even the RSS
a formidable activist. (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) and the
h i n d u i s m t o d ay

Rivals both respected and feared his with him in New Delhi at his home and BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), both Hindu
mighty insights, which were too often too during his one visit with us here in Hawaii. nationalist organizations, used his literature.
true and well-articulated to easily refute. He is survived by his two sons, Saroj Kumar Not having such material themselves, they
Sita Ram Goel chose to fight his battles so Goel and Pradip Kumar Goel. used Voice of India publications to give
far above the common, war-torn terrain of Today, Pradip manages the Voice of India, their positions substance.
human emotions that contenders not match- which is supported both by donations and
ing his wit were left to look like fools. Hence, by VOI profits which are invested back into What was the core of your father’s mes-

The
TheSagely
SagelyActivist
Activist
direct challenges to his writings were few, publications. Hinduism Today correspon- sage? In the good old days, my father used
if any. The most damaging effect upon his dent Rajiv Malik recently chatted with Pra- to run an organization called the Society for
work came from rivals following a strategy dip in New Delhi about his father, the state Defense of Freedom in Asia. Ram Swarup,
of “strangling by silence,” a crafty tactic of of Hinduism today and the prospects for In- who was also associated with this organiza-
blocking the publication of his name and his dia tomorrow. Here are some excerpts. tion, helped to bring about its focus. He pro-
works. Such a passive confinement, however, claimed that humanity had suffered three
was not nearly enough to stop his intellectu- When did you first realize your father was terrible tragedies: Christianity, Islam and
al assault on anti-Hindu forces. The writings a Hindu activist? In 1952 my father brought communism.
The lion in winter: Sita Ram Goel shortly before his passing of Sita Ram Goel are alive and well today. us to New Delhi from Calcutta. I was just Christianity is not now as bad as it used

52 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 53
to be. The cruelties once practiced in the
name of that religion have been eliminated
by reforms. Now the only threat from the
Christians comes from their missionary
work. Because of the collapse of Soviet Rus-
sia, communism has also suffered a setback
and has been weakened. The biggest danger
humanity faces today comes from militant
Islam. Sooner or later, we must take care
of this threat that comes from these people.
My father was saying this years ago. As I
review his works today, I realize that his as-
sessment of so many things was absolutely
correct. He was ahead of his time.
Did you ever feel that your father and
your family were in danger because of his
my father was released, the case took a long When he was active, he never required as the right idea got promoted. Initially, I keep doing this as long as I am able.
time to settle. It was introduced in 1987 and people to come to his house for a meeting. had our publication rights drawn up with So far as editing these publications is con-
was finally settled sometime in 2000. In the Rather, he would go and meet them at a a copyright clause, but my father directed cerned, we would need some very highly
end, all that happened was we were asked place of their choosing. me to remove it and let the people use the qualified people to do this, writers who are
to delete certain portions of the book. We Although he could have easily remained material any way they wanted. at least as qualified as my father and Ram
complied. But the antagonism of the whole fully occupied writing his own books, he Swarup. At the moment, I am not aware of
incident really wore us down. was always willing to help edit and organize Why did your father write only in English? such people. It is far better that we just ask
the works of others. In fact, he used to insist Many people asked my father why he did our established writers to present their own
Did your father have a support group dur- that it was a part of his duty to promote the not write in Hindi. His response was that points of view rather than have them at-
ing troubled times? Most of my father’s work of other deserving scholars. His first because the Christians and Muslims were tempt to modify the works of people who
Muslim and Christian friends deserted him concern was to help the Hindu cause. He using English to put forward their message, were established experts in the subjects
when they came to know that his writings was a selfless man. and the media supporting them was Eng- they handled.
spoke against their religious beliefs. Al- lish-based, he felt it was appropriate that his
though father put across his views in a very
Can you tell us a little about your mother? work should be published in English. He What about bringing his writings to the In-
My mother was always at home looking af-
polite and analytical manner, there was also made the point that the people who ternet? Right now, we have 28 titles on the
ter us and performing her puja (worship).
often strong reaction. He used to say that spoke Hindi as a first language were already Internet. Our website is www.bharatvani.
She was a pious lady. Her primary duty was
just because he criticized Christianity, that with him ideologically and did not need to org/books. I must admit, however, that this

work? Were there ever any threats? I could
not say that we were really ever in
danger. We may have thought so at
the time. But, yes, there were some “One day I meditated on ahimsa,
threats. My father would get post-
cards saying he was indulging in
anti-Muslim activities and that one
day his sons and grandsons would
be converted to Islam. Also, the fact
that father’s friends were frequently
coming to him and advising him to
act cautiously had us all a little wor-
ried. But he used to say that he had
fulfilled his duties and was ready to
face whatever consequences might
come. He definitely had some spiri-
tual power backing him up. All
these threats that we received af-
to take care of the family. She was not re-
did not mean he did not like Christians.
ally concerned with what my father
was doing. She had a high regard for
Ram Swarup and took him to be an
enlightened person. She always as-
which had remained an abstract sumed that, because my father was
concept for me so far. Soon I found always working with him, nothing
could go wrong. She died in 1981.
myself begging forgiveness from all
How did your father’s work impact
those I had hurt by word or deed. you and the rest of his family? By
my father had fulfilled his fa-
This was not an exercise in generali- 1980 milial obligations and had lived a full
ties. Person after person rose into life. All of his children were married
and further business dealings were
my memory, going back into the dis- of no interest to him. He told us that
tant past, and I bowed in repentance he wanted to go full-time into writ-
ing and explained why.
amit kumar
be educated or persuaded.
What do people most frequently request
from VOI? We are contacted often for our
publications on Hindu philosophy. Our best
authors in this field are David Frawley and
Koenraad Elst. Of course, the works of my
father and Ram Swarup are also in demand,
but they focused on Islam and Christianity.
How would you assess the current response
to VOI publications? Today, the response is
quite satisfactory, but our publications are
fairly low priced and therefore yield low
profit margins for book sellers, which means
the books are not usually kept in stock in
the stores but rather are kept on display so
that orders can be made directly to us by
The son and the father: Pradip Kumar
Goel displays books published by Voice of
India. (Below) Sita Ram Goal at approxi-
mately 40 years of age.
effort is minimal at most. We just do not
have the capacity to go into a more elabo-
rate web presentation. Others might offer to
undertake this work on our behalf, but we
ourselves cannot. Our primary obligation
is to perpetuate the printed material. Also,
putting these works on the Internet is ex-
pensive. The Voice of India is not a commer-
cial venture. Whatever money comes from
selling the VOI publications is invested back
into printing and distribution.
Can you summarize your father’s legacy?
My father created an awareness of certain
surreptitious forces threatening Hinduism
and the fundamental culture of India. He
made it his life’s mission to expose the real
intentions of people who were disguised as

courtesy pradip kumar goel

fected our family only monetarily,
and only for a short time.
before each one of them.” “There are four types of debts,” he
said. “bhuta rin, deva rin, pitra rin
interested parties. Today, we have 95 titles
in print. Twenty-nine are authored by Sita
benefactors but were secretly intent upon
serving selfish ends. In his book entitled Hin-
—SITA RAM GOEL and rishi rin. (Rin means “debt.”) Ram Goel himself. du Society Under Siege, he clearly laid out
Was there one single incident that Bhuta rin is one’s debt toward the To be honest, the literary value of a book how we Hindus are under attack from many
alarmed you more than the rest? ancestors. Deva rin is one’s debt has little significance in the book selling fronts. He emphasized that the biggest prob-
Yes, one incident stands out. We were work- He even invited critics to speak up against toward the Gods. Pitra rin is one’s debt to business. The physical value of the book lem was a lack of awareness of the problem.
ing on the Hindi edition of Ram Swarup’s Hinduism in his same spirit. However, he the father, which includes taking care of the is what counts. If you want books by Au- He and Ram Swarup were always chal-
book, Understanding Islam Through Hades. did emphatically declare that it was clearly family. Rishi rin is one’s debt to the saints robindo, you have to buy them from the lenging Christian and Islamic tactics, and in
We had finished printing the book and had not fair to condemn Hinduism, then convert and rishis.” Aurobindo Ashram. They are not available their analyses of these strategies did much
taken it to the bindery. This bindery was people from it. My father felt that he was at the stage in anywhere else. Books on Gandhi are only to clarify Hinduism. Initially people did
located in the Muslim area of Old Delhi. Al- Back in the eighties, my father aggres- life when he should be working to settle his published by the government. It is the same not know how to compare Hinduism with
though a Hindu owned it, some of the work- sively defended Hinduism when there was debt with the rishis and saints by spreading with most good Hindu literature. If Gita export businesses would never do this. They Christianity and Islam. People assumed that
ers there were Muslim. a mass conversion of Hindus to Christian- their message. He felt that the vidya (knowl- Press does not publish it, no one will. There would always require money in advance. My because the Christians set up hospitals and
One Muslim boy saw the word Hades in ity at Meenakshipuram in South India. That edge) of the rishis should be passed on to is just not much money in it. father understood European integrity. He schools, they were good people with well-
the title of the book and took it to a Mus- one event was an important signal to my fa- mankind. He used to emphasize that he was knew they were trustworthy. meaning intentions. They did not under-
lim priest, who declared the book anti-Is- ther that Hinduism was facing a major crisis doing this work without hope of getting a What guidelines did your father set up for Father used to tell me that I should not stand that they might have ulterior motives.
lam. About a hundred people then gath- and that something should be done to meet reward or becoming famous. you to do this work, yet make a good liv- work for more than I required. Years ago, I My father realized that, to expose these
ered around the bindery in protest, and the the challenge. ing and support your family? My father’s had an opportunity to purchase some prop- Christian missionaries, it was necessary to
binder called my father on the phone saying, Did your father cultivate any “disciples” to guidelines stipulated first that I fulfill my erties that could have made us very wealthy, analyze their literature and critique them in a
“These people want to burn down my shop!” Tell us about your father? What kind of carry on his work? Only Dr. Koenraad Elst, responsibilities to my family. Then as time but I did not do so. logical manner. This in itself was a big revela-
The police picked up the son of the shop person was he? He was a very simple man who lives in Belgium, could be considered and resources allowed, I was to perpetuate tion that brought about many positive results.
owner and took him to the police station with very few requirements. His food was a true disciple. Another person who was the services of the VOI. To earn my liveli- What are your plans to keep your father’s The people also did not understand Islam.
for questioning. Because my father was the simple. His life was simple. When we pro- strongly influenced by my father and is now hood, I manage Biblia Impex, a book export books in print, as well as produce edited None of us knew about Mohammad Sa-
publisher of the book, he was also picked up. vided him with a car on behalf of our busi- doing good work is N.S. Rajaram. Mr. Raja- business that my father formed in 1964 to versions, collections, and more? My father hib, Akbar, Babar and Aurengzeb. We just
As a result of all this, our Hindu friends and ness, we asked him many times to engage ram is based in South India and even today provide financial security for our family. used to make it clear that he had said what thought that they were rulers of India. We
well-wishers also gathered at the police sta- a driver, but he never did. He said that a is a fearless fighter for the Hindu cause. My father started Biblia Impex from a we wanted to say and that the work was had no idea about the many injustices they
tion. That was a night of turmoil. Our whole driver would just waste a lot of time waiting Other well-known scholars have extracted small table in a friend’s office. He would sit complete. I feel that it is my duty now to see had ruthlessly inflicted upon Hindus. Ram
family was quite disturbed and worried that around for him. extravagantly from my father’s writings but on one side of the table, and his typist would to it that the publications of the established Swarup and my father presented the ac-
father might be tortured. My father’s general approach to life was have neglected to give him credit. This is sit on the other side. He was one of the first writers for VOI—Sita Ram Goel, Ram Swa- tivities of these people clearly and within a
The next day was Sunday. A special court always very humanitarian. He never wanted plagiarism, no doubt. But my father used to Indian publishers to send books abroad rup, David Frawley, Rajaram and Koenraad historical perspective. They won our hearts
was convened to listen to our case. Although anyone else to get held up because of him. insist that he was not bothered by it, so long without asking for advance payment. Other Elst—are made available to the people. I will with their minds. ∏π

54 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 55

h i n d u i s m t o d ay
Show and tell: Dr. Thiagarajan gives Sanskrit presentations on TV, radio, the Web. Here he proudly displays his 120 devotional CDs.
E D U C AT I O N
Teaching with Zest and Zeal
Dr. Thiagarajam is gifted and ingenious, but the special magic he brings
to the revival of Sanskrit and Vedic chanting comes from his love of them
By Kesava Mallia, Chennai
hanting mantras brings peace
and prosperity, power and great for-
tune. May the whole world become
prosperous,” says Dr. Rajagopalan
Thiagarajan, a Vedic scholar who has taken
the Hindu world by storm with his record-
ings of Sanskrit chanting of Vedic scripture.
His audio presentations—available on
tape, CD and now on the Internet—feature
chants in praise of many Hindu Deities, in-
cluding Siva, Vishnu, Ganesha, Hanuman,
Durga and Lakshmi. These recordings are
56 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4
distinguished because of their perfect dic-
tion, traditional presentation and state-of-
the-art technical quality.
“The mantras should be tasted,” says Dr.
Thiagarajan, who has worked tirelessly for
over 30 years to spread the knowledge of
the Hindu scripture in India and around the
world. “Every human being on Earth must
know the beauty and the efficacy of these
mantras. That is my mission. Sound is the
link between man and God. Chanting man-
tras creates waves. The more times a mantra
is chanted, the more power it generates. Our
ancestors knew this scientific fact. Whenev-
er they wanted to harness the power of God,
they would chant. Of course, an intense love
of God is also necessary,” he says.
In less than two years, Dr. Thiagarajan
has recorded approximately 120 CDs. Many
of these recordings are rare, featuring ex-
tremely powerful mantras not often made
available. He is also one of a handful of
scholars who researched scripture on lesser
known Deities, like Prathyankara, Shyaa-
mala and Vaaraahi, to make them accessible
to ordinary people. He attributes his current
success in popularizing Sanskrit to
his love of God and, not surprising-
ly, blessings derived from chanting
Vedic mantras.
The scholar’s sacred Sanskrit re-
citals never fail to give prominence
to a rich and varied selection of
powerful prayers from the Vedas or
Upanishads. These presentations
always start in a very traditional
way with the famous Gayatri Man-
tra, followed by a chant called the
Sahasranamam. The only musical
instrument he uses is the tambura
(a simple stringed instrument), and
this only to provide sruti (a drone
sound furnishing a basic tonality).
Dr. Thiagarajan is the head of the
Department of Sanskrit at Presi-
dency College in Chennai, India.
He is the youngest to be appointed
to that position in the school’s 160-
year-old history. The Sanskrit de-
partment is 125 years old.
Dr. Thiagarajan was born in a
poor family in Injikkollai village
in Tanjavur district of Tamilnadu.
His father, D. Rajagopal, was a
temple auditor, and his grandfa-
ther, Dasaratharama Sastry, was a
h i n d u i s m t o d ay
respected Sanskrit scholar.
At an early age, Thyagu—as
Dr. Thiagarajan was called then—
worked for food at the local temple.
He did sundry jobs like washing
puja vessels and grinding sandal- Inspirers: Dr. Thiagarajan with his guru, Vedamoorthy Sastry, and his guru’s wife, Saradambaal
wood paste. While performing these
simple chores around the temple, he was Kapaleeswaran temple in Chennai, got him Kamala Hasan, another popular film star.
developing a deep and abiding love of God. scholarships, food and accommodations. For another film, he chose a sweet rendition
The chanting of the priests particularly at- Thyagu lived at the Ramakrishna Mission of Manmatha Gayatri (a prayer to the God
tracted him. Even at that young age, he was Students’ Home, an orphanage in Chennai, of Love).
able to hear the subtleties of accent, tone and for five years until he completed his college If all of this is not enough. Thiagarajan
pause in the pronunciation of the mantras. education. Swami Thathagathananda, then also teaches Sanskrit online. His articles on
Gradually, Thyagu was overcome with a head of the Ramakrishna Mutt, encouraged Sanskrit can be read at www.southindian-
desire to learn the proper chanting of these Thyagu to join debates, elocution and reci- music.net. He has delivered more than 800
holy mantras, but was forced to face numer- tation competitions and groomed him for lectures in India, 108 Sanskrit programs on
ous challenges in his efforts to do so. His will leadership roles. Rajagopal, one of Thyagu’s Doordarshan (the national T.V. channel in
was strong, however, and his faith in God university teachers, further kindled his in- India) and over 100 Sanskrit programs for
was firm. At every turn along the way, men- terest by inspiring him to participate in re- All India Radio. He has written numerous
tors were there, provided—it seemed—by search work being done at that time on the dramas, articles and textbooks in Sanskrit
divine intervention. history of Sanskrit. and Tamil, and is the Sanskrit book review-
A priest named Vedamoorthy Sastry Today, Thiagarajan is closely associ- er for The Hindu, a national newspaper in
was Dr. Thiagarajan’s first Sanskrit teacher. ated with all of the eight universities in India. He also founded the Fellowship of
When little Thyagu was only ten, Vedamoor- South India. The Tamil Nadu Govern- Sanskrit Culture, to promote Sanskrit. Its
thy taught him to chant complex Vedic ment has nominated him as a trustee for headquarters is in Chennai, India.
scriptures. Another priest, Kunjithapadam, two Chennai-based foundations actively Dr. Thiagarajan is doing more than his
taught him to perform puja (Hindu ritual). involved in promoting Sanskrit: The Rao part in helping to revive the ancient art of
Thiagarajan never had an opportunity to Bahadur Ranganatham Chetty Charitiable Vedic chanting. While many of his schol-
formally learn Sanskrit in a traditional pa- Trust and the Maduranthakam Sanskrit arly peers bring integrity and expertise
dasala (a training center for young priests), College Trust. to the effort, his contribution is plenty of
but with what he learned on his own and Dr. Thiagarajan uses films to propagate that plus zest and zeal. As one student said:
from a handful of compassionate private Sanskrit chanting. He composed the title “Dr. Thiagarajan makes you want to learn
teachers, he was able to get a masters and song for the film Baba starring Rajni Kant, Sanskrit.” For more information about
doctoral degree in Sanskrit from Madras the highest-paid film actor in Tamil Nadu, this fascinating man and his work contact
University. One of his professors, Viswana- and chose a sloka from the Devi Mahat- visvasanti@hotmail.com. ∏π
than, who also served as a priest at the local mayam for the movie Hey Ram, starring With Laksmi Kantam in Chennai
j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 57
 the head, hooves and bones are rendered,
High-level Hinduism: Dr. Karan Singh along with other farm animals, euthanized
during an interview at the 2000 meet- cats and dogs and sold for animal feed. Reg-
ing of world spiritual and religious ulations now ban feeding ruminant protein
leaders at the United Nations to other ruminants, but they still munch on
the ground-up dead horses, dogs, cats, pigs,
chickens and turkeys, as well as blood and
fecal material of their own species and that
of chickens. Eighty percent of food poison-
ings can be traced to tainted meat. About 80
percent of pesticides used in America is tar-
geted on four specific crops—corn, soybeans,
cotton and wheat—the major constituents of
livestock feed. Animals store pesticides in
their fat. They get their most concentrated
doses of these carcinogens when they eat
other animals. And we, in turn, get even
more concentrated doses of carcinogens
when we eat them. The evidence that an
animal-based diet is implicated in our soar-
ing cancer rates—our number-two killer—ri-
“alarmist” someone who contends that our
All in one place: Hundreds of points and
intended to increase milk production in
cows. Besides leading to increased use of
antibiotics in cows, milk from cows injected
with rBGH has been definitively demon-
strated to possess an elevated level of Insulin
Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1). IGF-1 has been
implicated in colorectal, thyroid, bone and
breast cancers.”
Our dying planet: “There is a moral basis
for the vegetarian diet for which the inde-
terminate value of an animal’s life takes on
irrelevance. And that is the environment, a
value as absolute as the value we all place
on human life, since humanity will not long
survive on a planet poisoned by the meat in-
dustry. We tend to respond to predictions of
looming environmental disaster by putting
the matter out of our minds. We may label
global pattern of environmental abuse will
threaten civilization as we know it within,

b e l i e f n e t. c o m / ly n h u g h e s
vals the evidence of its contribution to our
number-one killer, coronary heart disease.”
From farmer to lobbyist to vegan: “My
wife, Willow Jeane, would comment about
my farm: ‘Are you sure we’re going in the
right direction?’ She would note that the
trees were starting to die and that in spite
of the herbicides, the weed problem seemed
to be getting worse. The challenge for the
Giant feedlot in Alberta, Canada: Confined cows are unnaturally fattened on grain and rendered animal protein, then pumped with anti- fifteen feedlot operators in our area had
biotics. Insets: (left) Howard F. Lyman; (right) Czechoslovakian cow from a 200-head herd that was destroyed because of one BSE case. been to defeat nature. And we found that
we could do it, but only by destroying the
B O OK R E V I E W: H E A LT H , E N V I RON M E N T land, and with it, ourselves.
“Before my back operation, faced with
facts about the cattle industry assembled in
a book that can be read in a day or two.
for organic food labels. Petrochemical in-
terests were against it. But President Bush
reluctantly signed it into law on November
28th, 1990.… One hot day, I started think-
ing about all the issues, personal and politi-
cal, feeling cynical about my work. Most of
the bureaucratic subsidies I was fighting for
went to the raising of feed crops, not human
food. Suddenly the circle came together for
me. We were, as a civilization, making one
big mistake. It was killing us as individuals,
say, thirty years. But does the time frame
make a difference? Would we be satisfied
if only our children or grandchildren live
normal lives before the planet becomes un-
bearable?
“When we dare to think of the threats fac-
ing our planet, we must consider a complex
web of interrelated problems: air pollution,
water pollution, land contamination, soil
erosion, wildlife loss, turning verdant lands
into deserts, rainforest destruction and glob-
al warming. Mankind’s profligate consump-
tion of animal products has made a signifi-
cant contribution to all of these ills, and it

Can Cattle Threaten Our Life?

the possibility I would never walk again, I
thought about the soil on my farm. Nothing
else mattered, and I vowed, whatever the
outcome, I would dedicate the rest of my
life to restoring the land.
“As a lobbyist for the National Farmer’s
Howard Lyman’s book Mad Cowboy details a startling litany of abuses in Union in Washington, D. C., I went to work
the cattle industry that endanger humankind and our planet on the National Organic Production Act
of 1990, to create a system of standards
just as it was destroying our land and our
forests and our rivers. We were eating dead
animals, and it wasn’t working.”
All milk is milk? “The insanity of the
agrochemical system of food production
has come crashing down on the heads of
both dairy farmers and consumers in the
bizarre case of recombinant bovine growth
hormone (rBGH produced by Monsanto),
stands as a leading cause of many of them,
e.g., methane emitted by cows is the second
leading cause of global warming. Certainly
these problems wouldn’t disappear over-
night if the world became vegetarian, but no
other lifestyle change could produce as pos-
itive an impact on these profound threats to
our collective survival as the adoption of a
plant-based diet.” ∏π

Howard Lyman, once a “factory” cattle revelation of the horrific facts behind the with a stream of sometimes lurid facts and

Madcow Disease in Humans—Are We at Risk?

farmer, now vegan, is the founder and presi-
dent of Voice for a Viable Future and past
president of both Earthsave International
and the International Vegetarian Union.
Today, he spends “300 days a year traveling
over 100,000 miles talking to people about
making better choices.”
ad cowboy hits you so hard in
the stomach, you’re still catching your
breath at the end. Its power lies in its
first-person style, brevity and breadth.
In just 190 pages, with the skilled help of
TV writer and playwright, Glen Merzer, Mr.
Lyman shares his fascinating evolution from
Montana chemical feedlot cattle rancher
to government lobbyist, to world-traveling
speaker and vegan. The prime cut of his
evangelistic message is a no-holds-barred
cattle industry. It’s a tough read, especially
for Hindus who have a spiritual romance
with cows. But it’s long past time to face the
tragedy mankind has wrought, says Lyman.
There are many books on the subject,
and Lyman uses the best as resources: Ra-
chel Carson’s classic Silent Spring, Jeremy
Rifkin’s famous Beyond Beef, The Rise and
Fall of Cattle Culture, Rodney Barker’s And
the Rivers Turned to Blood, Lynn Jacob’s
Waste of the West: Public Lands Ranching,
John Robbin’s Food Revolution and a million
pages on the web. All are recommended
reading, but if you have just time for one
book, this is it.
Lyman sets aside the moral issue of
whether humans have a right to feed on
animals. Instead, he focuses on the conse-
quences of cattle culture for man and planet,
four key revelations: the truth behind the
sources of diseases in meat, the challenges
of bureaucratic cover-up and change, corpo-
rate collusion and the devastating impact of
bovine culture on planet Earth. Howard Lyman’s Summary: “Consider these facts. It has been But CJD is said to occur spontaneously in only one in a million hu-
Mad Cowboy is a compelling tool for proven that spongyform disease crosses species. In England, vari- mans. It should be very rare. So, if just five percent of Alzheimers’
vegan, vegetarian and conservation advo- ant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) in humans has been traced deaths in the US, now up to an alarming 500,000 annually, are
cacy. Here are a few excerpts and Lyman’s to beef consumption. The final-stage symptoms of Bovine Spon- caused by some form of spongyform, that would be 25,000 cases
summary of the Russian roulette mankind giform Encephalopathy (BSE) in cows are often seen in the final each year. Where did all that disease come from?
is playing with mad cow disease and Al- stages of human death from Alzheimers, typically registered on “A cow with BSE finally just falls down and dies, like the Canadian
zheimers’ in humans (see sidebar). coronors’ reports as death by “dementia.” But there are virtually dairy cow found in Washington state in December, 2003. But of the
The truth about meat: “I am a fourth- no autopsies of these deaths. Doctors’ offices, pathology labs and 400 million slaughtered cows recorded over the past 13 years, only
generation dairy farmer and cattle rancher. hospitals are afraid to touch those brains. If CJD is found, they 57,000 have been examined. How many of the remaining had BSE?
I grew up on a dairy farm in Montana, and themselves may get infected, and their facilities are contaminated. We don’t know. But BSE is transmissable from mother to daughter.
I ran a feedlot operation there for twenty Sterilization is extremely difficult. The prion proteins thought to So, even though we no longer render the meat of downer cows and
years. I know firsthand how cattle are raised cause CJD are impervious to chlorine and remain viable even after feed it to humans or other cows, the calves of downer cows still end
and how meat is produced. When a cow is exposure to 1,000 degrees of heat. But in autopsies by Yale Univer- up on our children’s plates.”
slaughtered, about half of it is not eaten by sity and Pittsburgh Veterans Hospital researchers, five to thirteen visit www.madcowboy.com
humans: the intestines and their contents, percent of Alzheimers’ deaths were found to be caused by CJD. and www.organicconsumers.org

58 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 j u ly / a u g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 59
 PROFILE
How Lord Muruga remade
A man and saved a temple
By Kesava Mallia, Chennai
arch 20, 1968: it was a dark day
indeed for the priest at the Ratnagiri Hill
Temple, located between Vellore and Ar-
cot about a hundred miles from Chennai.
Three months had gone by since he was
last paid, and his patience was running out. “How
much longer must this go on?” he thought to himself.
He was in a particularly sour mood this morning
and decided to not perform his obligatory daily wor-
ship service in the main shrine of the temple.
About this time, Satchidanandam—a 27-year-old
clerk—strolled into the temple for his usual morning
worship. When he saw the condition of the main
shrine, he was shocked. Not only were the lamps
and incense not lit, but also fresh flowers and sac-
raments had not been gathered and prepared. Nor
had the puja implements been cleaned and set out.
“Where is the priest?” he thought to himself. “Why
is he not performing the morning puja?” Satchi-
danandam could not help feeling a special concern
for the welfare of this particular temple. His father,
Kandaswami Mudaliar, had initiated the construc-
tion of the 156 steps leading up to its entrance in
h i n d u i s m t o d ay
1936 and orchestrated its kumbhabhishekam (major
consecration) in 1938.
h i n d u i s m t o d ay
Although young Satchidanandam was discouraged
by what he saw, he still circumambulated the shrine
and stood before the Deity to pray. As he began
to commune with the shakti that he felt emerging
from within the shrine, he fell into a swoon. The ex-
perience took him by surprise. Nothing like this had
God’s
ever happened to him before. As he leaned against
a pillar for support, his body quivered with bliss as
his head filled with a golden light. Just as he was
about to merge into a sea of oneness, Lord Muruga
appeared before him in His etherial body. Although
the presence of this legendary God was powerful,
He vanished almost as soon as he appeared—like
a bolt of lightening. Slowly, young Satchidanandam
settled back into a calm and peaceful physical con-
sciousness. He knew it would take some time to
fully digest what had just happened. For now, how-
ever, he was aware only of a mighty determination
Slave
to restore this neglected temple to the state of its
original elegance and beauty. At that very moment,
the transformed young man took a vow to never
leave the Ratnagiri Hill Temple until it had been
fully renovated. Thus began the work that was to be
his life’s mission.
The residents of the nearby village of Kilminnal
stopped calling the young man “Satchidanandam.”
Instead, they referred to him as Balamurugan Adi-
mai—or just “Swamiji” for short. In the 36 years that
have passed since the clerk-turned-holy-man took
his vow to do this work, he has not left the temple
A changed man: Villagers call him “Balamurugan”
60 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / a u g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4
precincts even once, and his life has been
one of exemplary simplicity and auster-
ity. Aside from worshiping and meditating
three times daily—at 4:30 in the morning,
12 noon and six in the evening—he remains
fully available as a servant of the God that
appeared before him during his one un-
forgettable life-changing experience. Most
of his time is spent fully immersed in the
supervision of temple construction and the
hosting of guests. At 9:00 pm he retires to
his room for meditation and sleep. His few
personal needs are easily met.
Swamiji is an expert in working with
people. He takes special care to become
knowledgeable in every aspect of temple
construction so that, whether he is talking
with sthapatis about stone work or silver-
smiths about metal crafting, he can nego-
tiate knowledgeably on even the smallest
details of their work. He even becomes
actively involved with the supervision of
photographers and journalists who come
regularly to publicize the progress of the on-
going renovation.
The neglected Ratnagiri Hill Temple, for
which songs were composed and sung by
Saint Arunagirinathar in the 14th century,
was originally only 200 square feet in size.
Today, due to the inspiration and hard work of 24 classrooms. It employs 43 teachers and
Balamurugan and the people who help him, it 12 staff members and provides education for
covers more than 30,000 square feet. 900 students.
Over time Swamiji has also become a The hospital, which Swamiji began con-
spiritual guide and social leader for the resi- structing in 1988, now has 26 staff members
dents of Kilminnal. Besides catalyzing their and makes medicine available at subsidized
mystical and religious inclinations, he also rates to local residents. Monthly eye camps
provides assistance of a more practical sort. sponsored by the hospital provide poor
So far, he has built a school, a hospital and a villagers with cataract operations, free of
number of roads; and provided much-need- charge. Medical specialists from Chennai
ed water to the area by digging wells and visit every Sunday. The Accident Relief
constructing massive tanks for water storage. Center, aided by State Government and run
It’s no wonder the local people love him and by the hospital, provides a fully equipped
gladly volunteer their time and energy to mobile van—the first of its kind in the Vel-
lift large, heavy granite stones to the hilltop lore district—for emergency outcalls.
for the temple construction. The future of Kilminnal and the Ratnagiri
In 1987, Swamiji began building his Hill Temple look bright as long as 64-year-old
school for the youth of the surrounding ru- Balamurugan Adimai is around. Although
ral areas by first constructing the Ratnagiri one might assume that the continued im-
Nursery, which opened with two teachers provement, maintenance and management
and 18 students. of the temple, school and hospital facilities
Through the years that followed, he con- that have already been created might con-
structed additional buildings to provide stitute a full-time job, such might not be the
classroom and library space for education case for the ever-vibrant Balamurugan.
in a variety of fields including math, science, If the past provides any indication of what
language, literature and computer science. the future might bring—which usually it
Today, Swamiji’s school campus includes does—there should be good reason to as-
ample kitchen and bathroom facilities, a sume that more dynamic creativity can be
large conference hall, several libraries and expected from Balamurugan Adimai. ∏π
The Ratnagiri Hill Muruga Temple:
Saint Arunagirinathar composed and sang
songs in this temple during the 14th cen-
tury. Balamurugan brought it back to life
at the dawn of the third millennium.
What One Man’s Dedication Wrought
1968: Satchidanandam enjoys a vision of Lord Muruga. Local villagers name him
“Balamurugan.” 1970: Balamurugan begins his service. A well is dug for the temple
and nearby village of Kilminnal. The main Ratnagiri mandapam (worship hall)
and an entrance Ganesha shrine and mandapam at the base of Ratnagiri Hill are
constructed. 1973: Two more temple mandapams and a large marriage hall are
built. Six staff buildings and eight guest cottages are also constructed. 1974: An
ornate temple entry arch is erected, and electricity is installed to provide night
lighting for the temple. 1975: A five-story rajagopuram (main temple tower) is
completed. Two 8,000-liter water tanks are installed for use by local residents. A
large dining hall and kitchen are built. 1978: A post office and police station for
Kilminnal are constructed. Ten staff buildings and four guest cottages are added
to the temple. 1988: The long-term construction of a school for local youth begins.
A 25-bed hospital is completed. 2003: A separate building for computer training is
constructed for the school. Science and library annexes are also added.
j u ly / a u g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 61
 SIDHIS
H E R I TAG E tion and devotion. The recording especially
showcases Courtney’s vocal versatility and
talent by allowing her to explore beyond her
formal training in Hindustani classical mu-
sic. She and husband, musicologist/percus-
sionist David Courtney, perform and teach
throughout the US. They have also orga-
nized music workshops internationally.
For Houston Hindus, the 41-minute CD,
which was recorded and edited by David
Courtney, does the community proud. Pro-
ducers of the CD are Rani and Guntupalli.
Four hundred of the CDs have been donat-
Behold these Asian Indians of African descent ed to distinguished non-profit organizations,
such as The AAPI Charitable Foundation,
Pratham, Tobacco literacy programs and
Ekal Vidyalaya. Proceeds from those sales
By Anil Mehrotra people who came from Africa but now live will benefit the education of children in In-
s the red sun sets and a silken throughout Southeast Asia. In India, about dia. The CD sells for $10 and is available
darkness creeps in, twelve dark- 30,000 Sidhis make their home in and exclusively at http://www.chandrakantha.
skinned men with Negroid fea- around Junagadh, Gujarat. com/products_and_services/lalitha.html.
tures and painted faces perform These Africans first arrived in India dur-
the “Jungle Dance” by the light ing the twelfth century, mainly as soldiers,
of flickering torch fires in Zanzibar, Africa. sailors and merchants. Some were warrior-
Passing tourists might not consider this slaves to Indian kings who valued them for
scene unusual, but it is. These performers their loyalty and fighting spirit.
Dancing for
don’t just live down the street. They are Sid- Through the generations that followed,
hi tribesmen from India who are of African the Sidhis that remained in India adapted to
descent, performing in their ancient home- the lifestyle , yet retained some ancient cul-
The Gods
land while on a world tour to honor and tural practices and a few syncretic forms of
preserve their cultural heritage. Although worship. Today, their only link with Africa Honoring the Devadasi
their music and dance is authentic and their is through their music, dance and the few
love of their legacy is true, they will admit customs they have maintained. They speak
that—although they respect this land of no African languages and do not know the evadasis are the hereditary
their ancestors—they are quite happy to be specific origin of their ancestors. temple dancers of South India. Now,
living in India. Sidhis of India are dedicated to a Muslim a new educational CD-ROM, entitled
As the evening stretches into night and Sufi saint named “Sidi Mubarak Nobi,” who Devadasis pays them
Remembering Devadasis,
the pounding drums cast a mesmerizing saint studied Sufism in Iraq but lived in In- CD RELEASES long overdue respect. Highly trained in
spell over the crowd, the aged among the dia. Also a businessman who dealt in the their craft and exemplary in their devotion,
audience become more and more attentive, sale of agates, he first visited Gujarat seek-
straining their ears and narrowing their ing these semiprecious stones for clients in
eyes as they attempt to recall strains of mu- Africa and the Middle East. Eventually he
Singing Prayers of Praise these performers never dance to entertain.
Their art is, as they describe it themselves,
“ritual attendance to the Gods.” Hence, each
sic they have almost forgotten. They have became famous for his power to heal the devadasi continually strives to merge her
not seen or heard anything like the perfor- sick and settle disputes, and the Sidhis of
mance they are now witnessing since be- India flocked to him. When he died, his
Texas talent makes Houston Hindus proud humanness in Divinity that she might be-
come a “Goddess walking on Earth.” She
fore their grandparents died. Yet, they feel body was entombed at Junagadh in Gujarat, never marries, for her husband is the God
it through their nerve system as if their an- which thereafter became an important pil- of the temple in which she performs. It is for
cestors were pounding the dust and drums grimage destination for Indian Sidhis. By Kalyani Giri, Houston, Texas The CD begins traditionally with the Him that she dances.
themselves. The Sidhis’ stage performance consists of hen friends chandrakantha Ganesh Sthuti, paying obeisance to the The South Indian temple, its presiding
As the performance continues, the trance- dancing and drumming. Eight performers Courtney, Kalpalatha Guntupalli remover of obstacles, Lord Ganesha. The Deity and the devadasis that dance within
like rhythms gradually charge the atmo- dance while four play drums called mugar- and Swaroop Rani get together, meditative Dhyana Slokas follow, calling on its precincts are all tied together. This CD-
all photos courtesy of india perspectives

sphere with electrifying power. The crowd man and musical drone boxes called malun- their conversation skims the usual the listener to summon a mental image of ROM tries to give some sense of this inter-
sways. The music intensifies. Finally, one ga. Their featured dance, called the zikr, is subjects: children, work and life in gen- Sri Lalitha. The Lalitha Sahasranamam is relationship. It centers around a 50-minute
dancer throws a freshly plucked, husked co- a riveting amalgamation of agility, strength eral. Yet, sometime last year while play- renowned for its exquisite use of descriptive video sequence of temple dancing, per-
conut high into the black cavernous sky. The and speed, characterized by a feverish, cli- fully humming a tune together, something words and imagery. Presented as a conver- formed by a highly accomplished devadasi,
crowd looks up. The coconut comes down, matic ending. special happened. Two of the three—then sation between Lord Hayagreeva and Sri which runs on screen along with a slide pre-
smashing on the head of one of the danc- “The general population in India thinks the third—got inspired. Guntupalli, an emi- Agasthya Maharishi, it celebrates the beauty sentation that shows and explains how the
ers with a thud, splitting and spraying the we are Africans,” says Yunus, a Sidhi from nent doctor with a passion for music, and of the Goddess Devi, describing Her abodes dance relates to the festivals and ceremonies
stage and the audience with its milk. The Jambur who speaks fluent Gujarati, but no Rani—also a physician—proposed the idea and the many ways She is worshiped. of the temple. There is also a shorter interac-
crowd is thrilled with this ecstatic climax. Swahili. “We are Indians. Swahili is the lan- of a musical collaborative effort to Courtney, It is the belief of Hindus that the Lalitha tive part of the CD which allows the viewer
The show is over. guage of our forefathers, and we should not Houston’s prima donna of song. The result? Sahasranamam, if chanted with devotion, to acquire—according to his choice—defini-
The Sidhis are a diffused community of forget it. Though we do use it in some of our A CD of the sacrosanct Sri Lalitha Sahas- purifies and elevates the soul. While there tions of terms, descriptions of temple ceremo-
songs, we do not know its true meaning. We ranamam Sthotram, enchantingly recited in have been many artistes over the years who nies and map routes of festival processions.
Preserving a passionate past: Sidhis from enjoy going to Africa to perform the jungle the Raga Saraswati by Courtney and Guntu- have recorded this shloka, the Courtney/ indira gandhi national centre for the arts,
India perform their hereditary dances for dances, but we would never want to settle palli. Accompanying them on the Saraswati Guntupalli rendition is engaging because 3-dr. rajendra prasad road, new delhi-110001
phone: 91-11-3383271. e-mail: ignca@doe.ernet.in.
Africans in Zanzibar down there permanently.” ∏π veena is Vimla Ahobila-Vajjula. it is an amalgam of training, sophistica- fax: 91-11-3381197, 91-11-3383495.

j u ly / a u g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 63

BOOKS
A Saint’s Life
The ultimate Ramakrishna
here are a lot of books on sri
Ramakrishna and his disciples, but
nothing as comprehensive as Sri Ra-
makrishna, His Divine Play, (Vedanta
Society of St. Louis, us$39.95) by Swami
Saradananda. This is a hefty book, weigh-
ing in at nearly four pounds and running,
as precisely intended, an auspicious 1,008
pages. When we first heard of it, we pre-
sumed it was a new version
of the famed Gospel of Sri
Ramakrishna as recorded
by “M,” a daily account of
Sri Ramakrishna’s conversa-
tions with devotees. Swami
Saradananda’s book does
draw upon the Gospel, but is
a complete biography, start-
ing with an account of Sri
Ramakrishna’s ancestral vil-
lage. It was written in Bengali,
titled Sri Sri Ramakrishna
Lilaprasanga, completed in
64 h i n d u i s m t o d ay
1920. Though an English version
was produced in 1950, it has long
been out of print. The present very
readable translation is by Swami
Chetananda, a monk of the Ra-
makrishna order since 1960 and
minister of the Vedanta Society of
St. Louis. The book is highly rec-
ommended for anyone with an in-
terest in this great modern Hindu
saint. It is lengthy, and some parts
are extremely detailed, but it is
filled with fascinating accounts of
Sri Ramakrishna’s extraordinary
experiences.
sri ramakrishna, his divine play by swami
saradananda, vedanta society of st. louis,
205 s. skinker blvd., st. louis, mo 63105 usa.
catalog@vedantastl.org.
America’s
Temples
indu temples of north
America is a sizeable coffee-
table book loaded with ex-
cellent photos and compre-
hensive narrative detailing a cross
section of American and Canadian
temples. The work (320 pages, Titan
Graphics and Publications, $75.00)
was produced by South Africa-born
Mahalingum Kolapen and his son
Sanjay (who took most of the pho-
tographs) in collaboration with the
Hindu University of America and
the Council of Hindu Temples of
North America. Twenty-seven tem-
ples are featured in the Hindu sec-
tion, plus one temple each dedicated
to Buddhism, Jainism and Sikh-
ism. There are hundreds of Hindu
temples in North America, but these 27 in-
clude the largest, all built from the ground
up rather than adapted from a previous use.
They include the Hindu Temple of Greater
Chicago, the Sri Meenakshi Temple Society
of Texas, the Flushing (New York) Ganesha
temple and the Richmond Hill temple in On-
tario, one of Canada’s largest. The account of
each temple includes abundant photos and a
few pages of text detailing the
temple’s origins, organization,
Deities and festival programs.
It is a useful commentary on
the impact of Hinduism To-
day’s founder, the late Satguru
Sivaya Subramuniyaswami,
that he is mentioned with
regard to several temples, es-
pecially in his customary gift
of a statue of Lord Ganesha
to “start the worship,” as he
would advise the trustees.
Lord Ganesha was gifted by
j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4
him to the temples in Texas, Chicago, Liver-
more and Nashville, to name a few. The book
is well produced, a worthy addition to any
Hindu home.
hindu temples of north america, by mahalingum
kolapen, titan graphics and publications, 3733
north goldenrod road, winter park, fl 32792 usa.
mkolapen@aol.com.
Children’s Books
inders keepers? is a picture story-
book for children up to sixth grade by
Robert Arnett, the acclaimed author
and photographer of India Unveiled.
The hardcover book (36 pages, Atman
Press, $16.95) is beautifully illustrated by
Smita Turakhia. It is the story of a foreign
traveler who goes to India and, in the course
of his travels, loses his wallet. The wallet is
returned to him by a small Hindu boy who
can’t understand why the foreigner wants to
reward him for doing the right thing. Arnett,
who portrayed the best of India with such
class in India Unveiled has called this book
volume one of “India Unveiled Children’s
Series,” so we may look forward to more de-
lightful tales artfully told and illustrated by
him and his collaborators.
M. G. Prasad of New Jersey has produced
several useful books for children, includ-
ing Daily Prayers (32 pages, Taranga Inc.
no price), Multi-Faceted Vedic Hinduism
(46 pages, ARSI, $2.00) and Garland, an
Anthology on Vedic Hinduism (220 pages,
ARSI, $10.00). Daily Prayers is a compila-
tion of common Sanskrit chants for memo-
rization. Vedic Hinduism, aimed at 10- to
14-year-olds, fairly covers all aspects of
the religion. Garland, for teens and adults,
explores a wide range of subjects, ranging
from the Hindu view of birthdays to the
meaning of Siva’s dance to the theology of
sound—made all the more interesting as
Prasad is an engineering professor special-
izing in sound and vibration.
finders keepers? by robert arnett, atman
press, pmb 345, 2525 auburn ave., columbus, ga
31906 usa.web: www.atmanpress.com. e-mail:
robertarnett@mindsring.com.
daily prayers, multi-faceted vedic hinduism and
garland, an anthology on vedic hinduism by m. g.
prasad, no. 1 osborne terrace,maplewood, nj usa.
mprasad@stevens.edu
AYURVEDA
Dreaded Diabetes
The time-tested remedies of Ayurveda can
dramatically improve the diabetic’s life
BY DR. VIRENDER SODHI
yurveda is an ancient science that has been
practiced for over fifty centuries. Modern science is
done through a hit-and-trial basis: making a hypoth-
esis and then proving it through various experiments.
Ayurvedic science is, instead, perceived through a
universal intelligence, present in every aspect of life, and re-
alizing that very intelligence through our surroundings. Ayur-
vedic sages realized that, as humans, we are bound to make
mistakes and create a mess in our internal and external environ-
ment, thus creating a disease process. This dis-ease is simply
seen as a mistake of the intellect (pragyaapradha). The pur-
pose of human life has been perceived to fulfill four innate de-
sires: religious (dharma), wealth (artha), pleasure (kama), and
finally to achieve liberation from rebirth (moksha). Religion is not
seen as just going to temple, church or a mosque, but also as our
responsibility towards our environment and planet. A sick person
cannot achieve all these goals, which is why ayurvedic medicine
created a science for forming a perfect balance through nutrition
(ahar), environment (vihar), yoga, meditation and the use of herbal
medicines and minerals. These same herbs are used as spices in
Indian cooking, because their disease-protective action is so pow-
erful. Common spices such as turmeric, ginger, garlic, cumin, fen-
nel, cardamom, black pepper and many more have shown powerful
actions against bacteria, virus and fungus, as well as protection
against cancers, arthritis, heart disease, hypertension and diabetes.
The more I study science, the more it makes perfect sense to me
to use the ayurvedic model of disease prevention. In this column
I will be discussing spices, herbs, minerals and other natural sub-
stances used in ayurvedic and other folk medicine. I will discuss
their folklore uses, scientific studies, safety and toxic effect and
their interaction with drugs in the treatment of common diseases,
starting with diabetes.
Diabetes is the sixth-leading cause of death and the number-one
cause of kidney failure, blindness and amputations in the US. It
increases the chance of heart attacks by two to four times, and
60-70 percent of patients with diabetes get nerve damage. There
are many factors that contribute to it, such as stress, an inactive
lifestyle, poor nutrition and genetic predisposition. This condition
is on the rise, especially in the East Indian population. Recently, I glycemic agents or reduced their doses considerably. Similarly, in
presented a lecture to a group of physicians, who were all of In-
dian origin. It was interesting to see that 40 percent of these physi- between 25 and 50 percent.
cians who were over 50 years old were overweight and suffering
from Type II Diabetes.
For a diabetic patient, tight blood sugar control is highly impor- place the guidance of your physician. If you suffer from an illness,
tant over time. Usually, as the patient ages, the oral hypoglycemic
drugs and insulin become less effective in keeping blood sugars in
normal ranges, thus creating many complications. There are two
reasons for these complications. One is the fact that the nutrition
regime prescribed by the American Diabetes Association is not the
best for diabetic control. The other is lack of exercise. There is a
popular ayurvedic saying that says if you walk ten miles per day, the drsodhi@ayurvedicscience.com. Web: www.ayurvedicscience.com.
diabetes will run away. There is much truth
in this saying. Studies have shown that indi-
viduals who walked fast for 45 minutes per
day have much more blood-sugar controls
than those who did not walk.
There are specific herbs known to help
the diabetic. The first of these is gurmar
(Gymnema sylvestre) which regenerates
the pancreas. The name itself implies
its actions. Gur means “sugar” and mar
means “to kill.” Ayurvedic tradition has
known for centuries that Gymnema
sylvestre can help diabetic patients, but
recent scientific research is proving its
benefits. Gymnema extract has shown
positive clinical results in both Type I and
Type II diabetes. In patients with Type I
diabetes, it reduced the insulin require-
ments. Some of the Type II diabetes pa-
tients were completely able to go off oral
hypoglycemic drugs, while others were
able to reduce their drug usage consider-
ably. No side effects have been noticed in
these therapeutic doses. For my patients, I
recommend 400 mg standardized extract
of gymnema three times per day before
meals.
The herb karela (bitter melon) acts
like insulin. Both karela and neem have been shown to improve
blood sugar in diabetic patients. In some studies, karela extract
has shown more hypoglycemic effects than the drug tolbutamide.
Karela also contains an insulin-like polypeptide and has fewer side
effects than insulin. Oral administration of karela juice has shown
to improve blood sugar levels and lower glycosylated hemoglobin.
Glycosylated hemoglobin, commonly known as A1c, can tell us
how the sugar controls have been in the past three months and
is a better indicator of long-term sugar controls. I recommend 57
grams of karela juice with every meal, or 1,000 mg of standard-
ized extract of karela three times per day with meals.
Common cinnamon, dalchini, can cut the complications of
diabetes. It has been shown to decrease serum glucose, LDL cho-
lesterol (the “bad cholesterol”) and triglycerides in various human
studies. In animal studies, the cinnamon extract improved insulin
action via increasing glucose uptake in muscles. In Type II dia-
betes there is no lack of insulin, however the insulin is ineffective
in pushing the sugar into the muscles in our body. Another spice,
fenugreek, also known as methi, has shown to decrease blood
glucose, LDL cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol and triglycerides. I
recommend taking one to six grams of cinnamon powder and 15
grams of fenugreek every day with food.
Diabetes is a serious disease, and should not be self medicated.
It is always recommended to seek the advice of a qualified profes-
sional. In my clinic, patients have successfully dropped oral hypo-
patients with Type I diabetes, insulin requirements have dropped
Disclaimer: This article is purely informative and should not re-
you should consult a physician before taking any herbs, vitamins,
minerals or enzymes. Even at the peak of health, it is best to con-
sult a qualified practitioner before taking any dietary supplement.
dr. virender sodhi holds an M.D. (Ayurved) from India and a
N.D. from Bastyr College of Nauropathic Medicine, USA. E-mail:
j u ly / a u g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 65
POLITICS
A President Who Can “Dance with Siva”?
Philadelphia editor says America’s leaders need more Hinduism
he philadelphia inquirer news-
paper is an unlikely place to encounter
a dissertation on Siva Nataraja—espe-
cially when it is written by the newspa-
per’s editorial page editor and explains
why America would be better off if the
country imbibed a bit more Hinduism and
the next president learned to “Dance with
Siva.” Chris Satullo is the surprising author
of the piece, entitled “Center Square, Econ
101: Duality of Hinduism Could Help,”
which appeared in the March 14, 2004 edi-
tion of the popular newspaper.
“Here’s my problem with America’s now-
raging debate on the economy: not
enough Hinduism,” he begins. “I’m
a churchgoer myself. But I have to
concede this: Christianity, in its
simplistic (i.e., political) form,
is prone to binary thinking:
good/evil, white hat/black
hat. Applied to the econo-
my, this habit leads many
folks to cling to specious
couplets: corporations
bad/unions good; tax
cuts good/social spend-
ing bad. Think, by con-
trast, of Hindu philoso-
phy. One of the chief
Hindu Gods is a fellow
named Siva. The De-
stroyer—that’s the moni-
ker He mostly goes by. But
another of His epithets is
the Creator. Destroyer and
Creator? How can that be?”
With a decent grasp of Saivite
theology, he goes on, “Well, Siva
embodies a central paradox of life.
To create the new, you must destroy the
old. To create fire, you must destroy wood.
To make oil, animals must die. For the au-
tomobile to prevail, blacksmiths must suffer.
For Bill Gates to rise, the typewriter repair-
man must fall. Siva destroys; Siva creates.”
He applies this concept to the develop-
ment of capitalism in America. “Look back
over America’s long love affair with free-
market capitalism. The net result clearly
has been more wealth and more health for
more people. This is so, even though the
ledger includes much suffering, injustice,
inequality and corruption, much strain on
families and on nature. The point is: free-
market capitalism is Siva. It is neither all
66 h i n d u i s m t o d ay j u ly / au g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4
good nor all bad; it is what it is, at once cre- in him.”
ative and destructive. The point is: The job Satullo goes on to criticize President Bush
of government is not to ‘run’ the economy. as “rigid” and a worshiper of capitalism.
Siva does not submit to a harness. Much “Not only isn’t he much of a Hindu; he needs
waste and mischief occur under that delu- work on the Christian thing, too,” concludes
sion. Yet, neither is it government’s role just Satullo—because, in his opinion, the Presi-
to worship free-market capitalism, to hand dent isn’t showing enough mercy towards
over the keys. Capitalism can do too much those hurt by economic problems. Satullo
damage to public goods. In a democratic re- takes a few equalizing swipes at the Demo-
public, those goods should be valued more crats, then concludes his piece. “God, I miss
than mere wealth. They include little things Bill Clinton, even more than I want to slap
him. He was the Democrat who got it, who
mastered the Hindu dualism. He knew that,
in the long run, you hurt working people by
attacking free trade and innovation. But
he also saw that it is an unpardonable
breach of faith to ignore the harm
those forces do to some workers
in the short run. Even Clinton
wasn’t smart enough to pre-
dict today’s dilemma. He
didn’t anticipate off-shoring,
didn’t see that Bangalore
might soon start eating
San Jose’s lunch. Maybe
off-shoring is just a rip-
plet that hysteria has
hyped into a tsunami.
That is a Democratic
habit, after all. I’m not
smart enough to know.
What worries me is none
of the guys running for
president seems to be ei-
ther. I’m looking for a sign,
for someone who knows how
to dance with Siva.”
The editorial is a welcome
change from a general trend in
the Western press to use or refer to
Hindu metaphors, concepts and imag-
ery in demeaning and derogatory ways.
There is the common phrase in economics
itself, “the Hindu rate of growth.” The term
such as, oh, justice, equal opportunity, stable refers to India’s post-independence Gross
communities, education, health care, parks, National Product growth rate of two to three
clean air. Government’s job is to defend and percent a year under Nehru’s socialism. It
expand those public goods. Free markets was the slowest in the region, and a pattern
make that job harder, because their mania which only accelerated in the 1980s. One
for efficiency and innovation creates victims never hears of a “Muslim rate of growth” to
and inequalities. Yet free markets also make describe Pakistan’s economy, or a “Christian
that job possible, by generating wealth and rate of growth” to describe Haiti’s, both
innovation which government can tap to with lower GNP’s than India. Our kudos go
heal victims and foster public goods. Any to editor Satullo for an insightful and use-
leader worthy of the name must master this ful application of Hindu philosophy to the
dualism. A good leader needs some Hindu problems of modern America. ∏π
OPINION
Films’ Real Victims
Brutal and gory films are rapidly
desensitizing our children to violence
B Y L A K S H M Y PA R A M E S WA R A N
he “texas chainsaw massacre” was a box-office
hit the weekend the movie was released in the United
States in October, 2003. On the subsequent Monday
morning, I listened to a discussion on the “Live in Amer-
ica” radio show, prompted by this super hit, about the
impact of violent movies on the minds of viewers. As much as
I love a good murder mystery, I am firm about not watching
gory, violent thrillers such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
I go to movies sometimes to shut out the world—something
I cannot do when there are blood and bullet holes and muti-
lated body parts on screen. I already visualize these grotesque
things when I talk to women who live in fear of getting shot or
stabbed and lying in a pool of blood as part of my work coun-
seling women and children from abused and battered homes.
The radio show analyzed the gruesome nature of the movie and
our rising tolerance for violence as evidenced by the millions this
film had grossed, on the heels of another successful, incredibly
violent thriller, Kill Bill. The same Monday evening, life projected
its own horror scene for three young children in Texas. A Houston
man shot his wife. As she fell to the ground, he stood over her
body and shot her several more times before turning the gun on
himself—all this outside their home and in front of their children.
“My daddy’s killing my mama!”—one of the youngsters is reported
to have screamed.
Reportedly, the couple was estranged after a turbulent seven-
year relationship, and the husband had made a previous death
threat by shoving a gun to his wife’s head. Only their children
know the brutalities they have witnessed in their own home. Sadly, news programs devoted to crimes projecting generously onto their
the years of brewing violence culminated in the bloody scene of
their father murdering their mother—perhaps not so unlike scenes
from today’s most popular movies.
Violence is a profitable theme for the American movie industry.
Unlike drama or comedy, its simplistic content attracts a wider
range of audience and, as a result, exports cheaply to other coun-
tries. There cannot be any dearth of ideas either, as the storylines
are often based on actual incidents of violence. Interestingly, these in movies, this single horror scene is destined to haunt them for a
movies conveniently choose not to deal with real-life consequenc-
es of violence—physical injury, financial toll, emotional trauma and thriller and projected onto a big screen years later is justified as
grief and loss. Similarly, the peripheral victims—such as the three
children—who must endure the atrocity, damage and loss are usu-
ally not part of the storylines either.
The goal of violent thrillers is to keep the audience at the edge
of their seats through fast-paced action scenes. Action is what
moves the plot, not the storyline. Therefore, those who get killed
disappear quickly from the movie screen and, as a result, from
the viewers’ minds. How the loss of a life might affect someone or
how one’s life might change due to a severe physical injury cannot
figure into the plot.
It was apparent from listening to the radio call-in show that The
Texas Chainsaw Massacre fit the bill of a notoriously gruesome
thriller. It was based on an actual killer, although the killer did
not use a chainsaw to kill—just a shotgun.
Imagination, special effects and prosthet-
ics helped to further dramatize a true
story already laden with violence.
Some callers, claiming to be regular
folks who hate violence, discussed the
adrenaline rush such movies provide.
They described the movie’s ability to lift
us to an alternate state of reality where it
is OK to witness killing and the sawing of
body parts with the awareness that such
things are wrong. It seems the gory scenes
we’d abhor in real life are meant to in-
crease our thrill, to transport us to a new
realm and, ultimately, to make the movie
a conduit to enrich corporate coffers.
Studies on violence indicate that watch-
ing violence at home can condition a
young mind to use violence as a solution
to life’s problems. But equally disturb-
ing is the fact that even children from
nonviolent homes can turn towards using
violence if they are exposed to repeated,
unpunished and realistic violence on the
screen. Increased exposure to violence
leads to increased tolerance of it, by de-
creasing their emotional response. Over
a period of time, children can be con-
ditioned, subtly yet powerfully, to view violence as a normal and
even pleasurable aspect of life.
The movie violence may have looked fictional earlier in the cen-
tury when real-life crime reports were low, but not anymore. Today,
the murder rate in the United States—2.5 people murdered every
hour—is the highest in any industrialized nation. Based on stud-
ies conducted in the 90s, professional organizations, including the
American Medical Association and the National Institute of Mental
Health, unanimously concluded that media violence contributes to
societal violence.
Still, there are very few restrictions placed on the movie indus-
try. Hollywood continues to market their violent movies to teens.
In spite of the rating system, children of all ages receive little
protection from videos, videogames, 24-hour movie channels and
living room sets. As a result, children imbibe flashes of real as well
as realistic-looking crime scenes which often blur the boundaries
between art and life.
I am certain most of us feel horrified about the murder scene
the three Houston children watched in front of their home that
Monday evening in October. Surely, we recognize that what they
saw was real; no special effects; no fake body parts. Unlike scenes
long time to come. Yet, the same scene transformed into a violent
“entertainment.”
As we rush to the box office and pay to experience “fiction,” we
seldom think of the innocent victims of the brutal events that “fic-
tion” is based upon. My wish is that, while watching a thriller like
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre inside a darkened movie theater,
we do not let go of the reality that looms larger than life on the
wide screen in front of us—those who died in vain and those left
behind, forever marred by the violent act of killing.
lakshmy parameswaran is a counselor and training specialist on
family and date violence, sexual assault and women’s issues. She is a
founder and president of Daya Inc., serving South Asian victims of
domestic violence in Houston. E-mail: lakshmy12@hotmail.com.
j u ly / a u g u s t / s e p t e m b e r , 2 0 0 4 h i n d u i s m t o d ay 67
 JANUARY TO MARCH ENDOWMENT CONTRIBUTIONS
Kauai Aadheenam Monastic Endowment Charles & Jan Roberts 121.00 Nathan Mudrick 11.00 Spiritual Park of Mauritius Endowment Manitha Neyam Trust Fund
Anonymous 259.00 Vatsala Sastry 252.00 Total 16.00 Anonymous 5.00 Anonymous 5.00
Subhash Kumar Choudhary 50.00 Linda Seeley 75.00 Nathan Mudrick 11.00 Nathan Mudrick 11.00
Rajendra Giri 30.00 Kumbhalavalai Ganesha Temple Bharath Ramaswamy 3.19 Bala Sivaceyon 20.92
Jiva Shanmuga 102.00
Endowment
KARNATAKA TEMPLE DEVELOPMENT FUND
Arul Karttikeya 292.00 Palaka Shivam 200.00 Total 19.19 Total 36.92
Nathan Mudrick 11.00 Devaladevi Sivaceyon 5.22 Anonymous 5.00
Hotranatha Ajaya 450.00 Tirumular Sannidhi Preservation Fund Mahajana College Fund
Other Donations 6,879.90 Nutanaya Sivaceyon 5.22
Himalayan Academy 3,000.00 Craig Bagdasar 50.00 Anonymous 5.00 Anonymous 5.00
Dasa Sivam 214.00
Nathan Mudrick 11.00 Nathan Mudrick 11.00 Total 5.00
Dr. and Mrs. Hiranya and Saraswathi Gowda recently
Total 10,521.90 Potriyan Sivanathan 5.22
Manoharan Navaratnarajah 75.00 Bharath Ramaswamy 3.19
Ananda Sivanesan 91.52 Kerala Temple Trust
Iraivan Temple Endowment Total 591.00 Total 19.19
Girish Skanda 10.96 Anonymous 5.00
created an endowment (#55) to help build one small Anonymous
Manish & Soniya Bhaskar
Ishani Chowdhury
26.00
100.00
50.00
Subasene Skanda
Robert Sorrells
10.00
216.00
Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami Devast-
hanam Trust
Mauritius Saiva Dharmasala Endowment
Anonymous 5.00
Hotranatha Ajaya
Jiten Bardwaj
450.00
100.10

Hindu temple for every five villages in their home

Ravi Srivastava 800.00 Anonymous 5.00 Jiten Bardwaj 100.10 Nathan Mudrick 11.00
Sri Ganesan 52.29
Ayyaswamy Thambuswamy 800.00 Jiten Bardwaj 100.10 Total 105.10 Kishore G. & Subha Pathial 501.00
Nathan Mudrick 11.00
Shivani Vinayaga 365.47 Bharath Ramaswamy 3.19 Ganesan & Rajalakshmi Ramalingam
state of Karnataka. Dr. Gowda, president of the Sri Alka R. Patel
Sadayappan Rahavendran
Sivadas Sivarajah
588.01
51.00
20.00
Total 8,948.28
Hindu Businessmen’s Association Trust
Total 108.29
Alaveddy Pasupatheeswarar Temple Fund
Anonymous 5.00
25.00
Jutikadevi Sivaraja 108.00
Hotranatha Ajaya 450.00
Ganesha Temple of Nashville, Tennessee, was moti-
Dancing with Siva Endowment Total 1,200.10
Rakesh Sood 150.00 Paramaseeven Canagasaby 39.58 Craig Bagdasar 50.00
Anonymous 5.00
Unmesh Wankhede 120.00 Vel Mahalingum 21.45 Jiten Bardwaj 100.10 Taos Hanuman Fund
Bharath Ramaswamy 3.18
vated to provide a place of worship for villagers who
Other Donations 28,941.70 Manogaran Mardemootoo 77.04 Total 605.10 Anonymous 16.00
Total 8.18
Total 30,110.00 Vishwanaden Moorooven 23.40 Total 16.00
Janaka Param 11.00 Hinduism Today Production Fund HHE Administrative Fund

have nowhere else to go. He traveled to India early Kauai Aadheenam Annual Archana Fund
Hemakheshaa Naatha Batumallah 6.00
Gunavadee Caremben 1.90
Bharath Ramaswamy
Total
3.19
175.66
Anonymous
Sandeep Kakaria
5.00
50.00
Anonymous
Total
5.00
5.00
Kapaleeshwara Temple Orphanage
Anonymous 5.00
Jiten Bardwaj 100.10
in 2004 and hired a sthapati (architect) to design a Somasundaram Caremben
Sukanta Caremben
1.90
1.90
Kailasa Peedam Gift Fund
Anonymous 5.00
Nathan Mudrick
Other Donations
Total
11.00
5,435.56
5,501.56
Kauai Aadheenam Religious Art and
Artifacts Fund
Vasudevan Jayanthi
Nathan Mudrick
100.00
11.00
Anonymous 5.00
model temple. His fund allows someone living in the R. Ganesh
Rajendra Giri
Tarakini Gunasegaran
60.00
101.00
2.00
Total
Hindu of the Year Fund
5.00
Vishwamata Gayatri Trust Fund Rajadeva Alahan
G. S. Tiwari
153.00
1,000.00
Jayanthi Vasudevan Naiker 200.00
Ganesan & Rajalakshmi Ramalingam
Anonymous 5.00 75.00
USA to donate funds through HHE to build a small Tirunyanam Gunasegaran
Isanah Kameni
4.50
52.63
Anonymous
Nathan Mudrick
5.00
11.00
Nathan Mudrick
Bharath Ramaswamy
11.00
3.18
Total
Thank You Gurudeva Fund
1,158.00 Bharath Ramaswamy
Sivadas Sivarajah
3.19
10.00
Total 16.00
temple in a village in Karnataka, taking advantage of Amouda Koothan
Egilen Koothan
Saravan Koothan
0.78
62.35
2.73
Boys School for Iraivan Priesthood
Total
Hindu Orphanage Endowment Fund
19.18 Anonymous
Somnath Bannerjee
44.60
51.00
Total 504.29
Manjung Hindu Sabha Orphanage Fund
Anonymous 5.00
an existing architectural plan. The Gowdas utilized Anonymous 5.00 Jiten Bardwaj 100.10 Anonymous 5.00
Souda Koothan 4.68 Jiten Bardwaj 100.10 Maria Cristina Berisso 108.00
Usharani Kuppusamy 26.15 Ajit S. Adhopia 169.22 Rajendra Giri 10.00
Subhash Kumar Choudhary 50.00 Subhash Kumar Choudhary 50.00 Stephanie Devi Corgatelli 64.87 Nathan Mudrick 11.00
income-tax savings to create the endowment for their Saroja Devi Manickam
Bhaveshan Moorghen
Shanda Kumaran Moorghen
9.05
5.85
5.85
Rajendra Giri
Nathan Mudrick
10.00
11.00
Lila Shakti Devi
Rajendra Giri
75.00
30.00
Amarnath Devarmanai
Bob Freedman
324.00
25.00
Total 26.00
Bharath Ramaswamy 3.18 Pazhassi Balamandiram Orphanage Fund
temple-building project, as donations given in the USA to charities in India through HHE are tax Gunasekaran Kandasamy 104.58 Rajendra Giri 10.00
Udeyadeva Moorghen 5.85 Bala Sivaceyon 19.34 Nathan Mudrick 11.00 Anonymous 16.00
Shivakumaran Muniandy 13.00 Murali Krishnaswamy 200.00
Total 198.62 Christian Langers 150.00 Manoharan Navaratnarajah 150.00 Jiten Bardwaj 100.10
deductible. They further leveraged their giving by donating appreciated stock, and thus were able to Suhashini Muniandy
Adi Sankara Perumal
Anjeeni Devi Perumal
1.20
35.05
88.41
Kauai Aadheenam Matavasi Medical Fund
Anonymous 5.00
Nathan Mudrick
Natraj Narayanswami
11.00
75.00
Shanta Devi Periasamy
Alex Ruberto
230.00
45.00
Rajendra Giri
Nathan Mudrick
10.00
11.00
Nicholaus C. Persaud 123.48
give significantly more through HHE than they could by sending money directly to India. Specifical- Rajendra Giri 10.00 Bharath Ramaswamy 3.18 Sivadas Sivarajah 150.00
Kirtideva Peruman 5.85 Jeremiah Umakanthan 25.00 Ganesan & Rajalakshmi Ramalingam
Niroshnee Peruman 17.55 Gunasekaran Kandasamy 104.57 Alex Ruberto 45.00
Aran Sendan 51.00 Vayudeva Varadan 72.00 50.00
Gowri Nadason 90.09
ly, Dr. Gowda donated stocks to HHE to establish the endowment, thus saving the capital gains tax Akileiswaran Samuthiran
Jayasutha Samuthiran
Hitesvara Saravan
16.94
23.71
250.00
Vayudeva Varadan
Total
72.00
281.66
Rodney & Ilene Standen
Usha Varma
30.00
50.00
Venkatarao Vemula
Total
51.00
1,461.57
Bharath Ramaswamy
Total
3.19
313.77

he would have incurred had he sold the stock and donated cash. He and other interested parties can Sathialingeswari
Patudeva Sivaceyon
78.43
5.22
Iyarappan Temple Trust
Anonymous 5.00
Matthew Wieczork
Total
190.00
1,238.98
Mathavasi Travel Fund
Anonymous 5.00
Karnataka Temple Development Fund
Hiranya & Saraswathi Gowda 8,225.00
Total 8,225.00
give donations to the fund, of which up to 70% may be sent to India to build temples. The remaining Hemavalli Sivalingam
Kantha Ruben Sivalingam
Rohini Sivalingam
1.94
1.94
1.94
Bharath Ramaswamy
Total
3.19
8.19
Suntheram Family Trust Fund
Ramachandran Suntheram 1,500.00
Jiten Bardwaj
Rajendra Giri
Total
100.10
10.00
115.10
Sri Ganesha Hindu Temple of Utah En-
Total 1,500.00
30%, the average tax savings, is added to the principal of the endowment. Each year a percentage of Javanya Skanda
Siven Veerasamy
3.00
51.00
Tirunavukkarasu Nayanar Gurukulam
Anonymous 5.00 Hindu Press International Endow- Udayan Care Endowment Fund
dowment Fund
Thomas F. Fellowes 100.00
Rajendra Giri 10.00 Jutikadevi Sivaraja 108.00
the endowment (currently about 4%) is given as a grant to help maintain and operate temples that Total 950.30 Jiten Bardwaj 100.10 ment Fund
Nathan Mudrick 11.00 Anonymous 5.00 Christian Langers 150.00 Aditya Vinadhara 108.00
Hinduism Today Distribution Fund Aran Sendan 51.00 Hotranatha Ajaya 450.00 Bharath Ramaswamy 3.19 Total 316.00

have been built. A principal of $50,000 in the endowment, for example, would generate a grant of Anonymous
Sri Aurobindo Centre
243.50
800.00
Total
Kauai Aadheenam Renovation En-
167.10 Rajendra Giri
Bharath Ramaswamy
10.00
3.19
Total 163.19
Saivite Hindu Scriptural Fund for the
Ayurvedic Formation Fund
Bharath Ramaswamy 3.19
Priya Alahan 112.50
$2,000 or Rs 90,539 annually. There is no charge to open a fund with HHE, and the minimum fund
Total 468.19 Visually Impaired Total 3.19
Vinaya Alahan 355.00 dowment
Cecelia Autar 252.00 Anonymous 5.00 Loving Ganesha Distribution Fund Anonymous 5.00 Pooled Income Fund Trust (PIF)
Rajendra Giri 10.00
size is just $5,000. The annual fee, both for professional investment management teams and admin- Anil Ananda Badhwar 95.10 Nathan Mudrick 11.00 Anonymous 5.00 Gowri Nadason 30.00
Surinder M. Bhardwaj 150.00 Total 16.00 Rajendra Giri 10.00 Aaron Mathias 25.00 Satya Palani 75.00
Rohit & Bisram Deocharan 99.00 Christian Langers 150.00 Nathan Mudrick 11.00 Total 105.00
istration overhead, is approximately two percent of the principal, and all wire transfer and bank fees Banu Devi Deva
Chellappa Deva
517.00
214.20
Sri Subramuniya Ashram Scholar-
ship Fund
Manoharan Navaratnarajah
Gassa Patten
75.00
811.00
Bharath Ramaswamy
Total
3.19
54.19
Anonymous 5.00
for sending money to India are paid by HHE. Ravindra Doorgiat 155.85 Total 1,051.00 Sri Chandra Madhab Debnath En- Total Contributions $76,959.33
Rajul & Heidi Gandhi 111.99 Total 5.00
Swami Agnivesh Endowment Fund dowment
Rajendra Giri 10.00 Sri Subramuniya Kottam Fund Hotranatha Ajaya 450.00 Anonymous 5.00 Funds at Market Value, Mar 31, 2004
T. Iswarah Kumar 35.50 Anonymous 5.00 Rajendra Giri 10.00 Nathan Mudrick 11.00 Total Endowment Funds $5,368,740.65
Rushikesh H. Mehta 99.00 Craig Bagdasar 50.00 Total 16.00
SRI GANESHA HINDU TEMPLE UTAH FUND
Jutikadevi Sivaraja 108.00 Total Pooled Income Funds $203,543.16
Easvan Param 224.99
OF Gassa Patten 107.64
Shanta Devi Periasamy
Andrew Schoenbaum
310.20
10.00
Total 568.00
Puri Monasteries Fund
Grand Total $5,572,283.81
Adi Sankara Perumal 99.98 Total 375.20 Saiva Agamas Trust Anonymous 5.00
Gunalan Ponniah 391.42 Anonymous 5.00 Nathan Mudrick 11.00
Aditya Vinadhara was instrumental in the creation and development of a Hari Raniga
Brinda Rao
800.00
800.00
Malaysian Hindu Youth Education Trust
Anonymous 5.00
Matthew Wieczork
Total
50.00
55.00
Bharath Ramaswamy
Total
3.19
19.19

temple for Lord Ganesha at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in Utah. After
the installation of the Deity in the newly built temple on May 4, 2003, Aditya
explained that plans for the temple included building a community center,
elderly housing and day-care facilities and creating an endowment for the
future. In less than a year, the plans for the endowment manifested with the
creation of a multi-donor fund (#56), the Sri Ganesha Hindu Temple of Utah
Endowment Fund. Aditya was impressed with the success of the Iraivan
Temple Endowment (#2), which currently supports the temple’s maintenance
budgets on $144,000 per year in grants. He felt that the security of such an endowment within HHE
for the Utah temple was important to avoid the pitfalls of a “quasi-endowment,” the practice of plac-
ing general donations into an investment account, which, though it may be thought of as an endow-
ment, is not truly protected and could later be spent by a different board of trustees. The principal of
each of the fifty-six HHE endowments, however, is
protected and cannot be spent. For the Utah tem-
ple, the grant income is restricted to maintaining
the gardens and grounds of the current 5.3 acres,
plus any future connected temple lands, mainte-
nance and repair of the temple, care of plants and
ponds, paths, fencing, gardeners, puja supplies,
gifts of prasadam and festivals. Visit the Utah Gane-
sha Temple online at www.sriganesh.faithweb.com
MISSION STATEMENT: Hindu Heritage Endowment is a publicly supported, charitable organization
recognized as tax exempt by the IRS on April 22, 1994. Employer ID 99-0308924. Founded by Satguru
Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, its philanthropic mission is to provide secure, professionally managed
financial support for institutions and religious leaders of all lineages of Sanatana Dharma.
PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS: Halbert, Hargrove/Russell, Investment Counsel; Alvin G. Buchignani,
Esq., Legal Counsel; and Hirose, Kato and Co., CPA. HHE is a member of the Council on Founda-
tions, an association of 1,931 foundations which interprets relevant law and management and invest-
ment principles.
I WANT TO PARTICIPATE. WHERE SHOULD I SEND MY DONATION? You can send your gift to an
existing fund, create a new endowment or request information through the address below. Dona-
tions may be made online at www.hheonline.org or use the HHE tear-out card in this magazine to
join our family of benefactors who are Strengthening Hinduism Worldwide. Thank you.
HINDU HERITAGE ENDOWMENT
KAUAI’S HINDU MONASTERY
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Tel: 808-822-3012 Ext 244 • Fax: 808-822-3152
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70 71
 Infinite Iraivan
I dream away into a poet’s trance Flawless flow the lines
To see if there is any chance Of the artist in his Art:
Of escaping sorrow deep Strength and courage in pillars masculine.
In one wakeful sleep. Beauty and grace in beams feminine.
Poesy, Poesy, lift my thoughts The crown dome of rapturous design
To that Isle of divine lights Is a poem sublime.
Where in the valley of volcanic cliffs and heights What angels are these silpis who will stone
The waters of the Wailua meander, murmur and merge Into spiritual ecstasy?
With the Ocean as its waves onto the beach surge. Like the Sun at mystic dawn
On Thy Banks The Rishi in ochre robes walked By slow degrees rises
Till the sun behind the mountains fell, To reveal its majesty,
With His thoughts in the depths of silence locked Iraivan rises—
In dream, trance or wakefulness—no one can tell. To meet its Day of a thousand years.

In The Rishi’s inner vision Deep within the temple

On the morning meadows of Wailua River Is the Crystal Lingam, the pulsating Heart.
Vibrated in forms of lights, No human mind conceived Thee,
The Creator, our life’s giver; No mortal hands shaped Thy Body Infinite,
Setting in motion the Iraivan Temple mission. No earthly eyes saw Thy Birth.

Golden locks of tresses of hair Thou Master of Speech of Silence,

Cascading on Thy shoulders fair. Placid as the Manasarovar Lake
Eyes In the still moonlit night,
Like two full moons rising in the dark skies Crimson rays radiate:
Bright, but not to hurt mortal eyes. What secrets do Thou both share?
Seated on Thy boulder And what mysteries?
With Gurudeva beside, What balm do Thou hold
Blessed is the beholder, For tired pilgrim souls?
His devotees will confide. Though the Rishi King is gone
Father, Form of the Formless To the world Beyond,
Is not for words to describe From there He declares
But for the heart, within itself, to inscribe, The Eternal Truth:
Imbibe the aura and the image priceless. “ ONE GOD—ONE WORLD”
The Emperor King, ONE TEMPLE—IRAIVAN…
Of Chola lineage,
Decreed
That a Chola temple be built,
And the Rishi King
Of the new age
Agreed.
Slabs of granite Sila,
Cut, carved, curved
And hand crafted
As in centuries past;
The Temple a thousand years to last.

In Salutation
In Salutation
to the
to the
San San
Marga
Marga
Iraivan
Iraivan
Temple,
Temple,
by Dr
byArjunan
Dr Arjunan
Subramaniam,
Subramaniam,
Kuala
Kuala
Lumpur,
Lumpur,
Malaysia,
Malaysia,
26th26th
September
September
to 3rd
to 3rd
October
October
2003,
2003,
Navaratri
Navaratri
DaysDays
 Hawaii
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Come to the ultimate Hindu pilgrimage destination. Here you will find
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Bottom left photo shows Shanmugam Stapathi, chief architect, standing in front of the com-
pleted towering sanctum. Atop the sanctum, work is progressing nicely on the temple tower,
called the vimanam, which means a creation so accurate in dimension, so perfect in rhythm,
so beautiful in form and so charged in spirit that it bridges man with God and the whole cos-
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75
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76 77
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 Chakrapani Ullal, Vedic Astrology Working Together
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 Infinite Shiva
Part III, The Worship of Shiva—
Lord Ganesa Speaks to Gurudeva

When the day rests

in the womb of the Night,

I sit
Besides the Cosmic dancer
Daily Lessons for Self-Transformation! Decked with jasmine flowers
And roses of deep red hue.

Become a student of Gurudeva’s definitive I watch the breath

trilogy on contemporary Hinduism. Why wait? Of Thy Breath
Rise and fall like the Ocean waves.
Sign up now at www.gurudeva.org/mc/ ...or contact:
Waiting,
HIMALAYAN ACADEMY Waiting for the stillness to ignite
The light within, I remember
KAUAI’S HINDU MONASTERY
The mystic message of Lord Ganesa to Gurudeva:
107 Kaholalele Road, Kapaa, Hawaii, USA 96746-9304
808-822-3012, ext. 245 • mastercourse@hindu.org
“…and by lighting the fire of Siva, My Father,
In My Father, through My head,
Burning at the top of My head, your head,
Burning there, A flickering flame,
Burning there,
On nothing except the dross forces of your Dharma,
The accumulation of your Karma of this life,
Receive Satguru Bodhinatha Burns away the top of your head,
My head, our head.”

Veylanswami’s Darshan Sacred of sacred scriptures

Is Thy prayer.
You and your family are invited to meet the head of Imbibed in Thy message
Kauai’s Hindu Monastery, publisher of Hinduism Today, In stillness is my axis.
My dross is burned;
successor to Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami and My worship complete…
63rd preceptor of a 2,250-year-old spiritual lineage

September 2004 Tour

Malaysia • Singapore • Mauritius
DATES PUBLIC EVENTS MORE INFO
MALAYSIA
Sept 10 Nadhukottai Chettiar 04-421-9326
Murugan Temple, Penang
12 Pudu Pillaiyar Temple, KL 03-8061-5729

SINGAPORE
Sept 14 Senpaga Vinayagar Temple 6-5811-006

MAURITIUS
Sept 16 Draupadee Ammen Temple 466-2066
19 Ganesha Chaturthi at 418-3734
Saiva Dharmasala, La Pointe www.gurudeva.org/bodhinatha/ In remembrance of the Supreme Consciousness, by Dr. Arjunan Subramaniam, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 5th September 2002
Part IV, Shiva as Lord Muruga—The One Saviour will appear in the October-November–December 2004 issue.
84

SACR E D S I T E S
Power Center
in Sri Lanka
D ue south of mt. kai-
las, in the steamy jungles
of southeastern Sri Lanka,
lies Kataragama, the abode
of Skanda-Murugan. This pil-
grimage center for devotees of
Lord Skanda is unique in being
Gateway to the other-worldly universe of Sanat Kumar
VISION OF INDIA
Online Gallery
B est known for his exhi-
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w w w. s t e p h e n h u y l e r . c o m
A powerful window into India’s aesthetic, devotional life
pg 86 digi_dharma Jul04 §.indd 86
Visit www.hindu.org
claimed as a sacred space by
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drawing public awareness to
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his exhibitions, books and gal- ignca.nic.in, began twenty
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5/1/04 1:01:10 PM