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Affirming Sanatana Dharma and Recording the Modern History of a Billion-Strong Global Religion in Renaissance new york public library archives COVER: Bhutanese in Kathmandu about to depart for the US. Our story tells of squandered decades in refugee camps and a people’s flight to freedom, hope and new challenges in the West. Above: dancer Ruth St. Denis plays Radha in an opulent 1915 production. January/February/March, 2010 • Hindu Year 5111 Virodhin, the Year of Adversities

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In t er nat iona l Youth: Three Eloquent Essays Reveal the Bountiful Feature: After 19 Years, Bhutan’s Abandoned Hindus Challenges of Being Hindu in America 68 Flee Nepal Camps for New Lives in the US 18 opinion Issues: Ahh, Silk! So Soft! So Elegant. So...Violent? 54 In My Opinion: Kudos to Sewa International, Big l If e s t y l e Brother to the Hindus No One Wanted 9 Culture: Meet Ruth St. Denis, Pioneer of “Modern Publisher’s Desk: Can Our Religious Obligation to Dance,” American Evangelist for India 32 Give also Bring Us Material Abundance? 1X Insight: for Spiritual Striving: the Eight From the Agamas: The Steps to Deep 17 Limbs of Raja Yoga Explored 36 dige s t s Education: How Chinmaya Mission Trains Global Teachers: a First-Person Account 62 Global Dharma 6 Quotes & Quips 14 Digital Dharma 86

Letters to the editor, subscription and editorial inquiries may be sent to Today, 107 Kaholalele Road, Kapaa, Hawaii 96746-9304 USA, let- [email protected]. Hinduism Today (ISSN# 0896-0801; USPS# 023082), January/February/March, 2010, Volume 32, No. 1. Editorial: 1-808-822-7032; subscriptions from USA and Canada 1-877-255-1540; subscriptions, copies or bulk orders from other countries 1-808-240-3109; subscribe@hindu. org; advertising: 1-888-464-1008, [email protected]. All-department fax: 1-808-822-4351. Hinduism Today is published four times a year in January, April, July and October by Himalayan Academy, a nonprofit educational institution at 107 Kaholalele Road, Kapaa, Hawaii 96746-9304 USA. Satguru , Founder; Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami, Publisher; Paramacharya Palaniswami, Editor-in-Chief. USA subscriptions: us$35/1 year, $65/2 years, $95/3 years, $155/5 years, $1,001/lifetime. Contact us for international rates. In Malaysia: Sanathana Dharma Publications, 45 Jalan Ungu U 9/34C, Sunway Kayangan, 40150, Shah Alam. Tel: 016-380-2393; E-mail: [email protected]. In Singapore: Sanathana Dharma Publications, Bhutan’s Hindu Refugees Blk 210 #06-326, Pasir Ris Street 21, 510210. Tel: 9664-9001 ; E-mail: [email protected]. For permission to republish a Hinduism Today article, e-mail [email protected] or fax 1-808-822-4351. Printed in USA. Periodicals postage paid at Kapaa, Hawaii, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Hinduism Today, 107 Kaholalele Road, Kapaa, Hawaii, 96746-9304. © 2010 himalayan academy, 107 kaholalele road, kapaa, hawaii 96746-9304 usa. all rights reserved. thomas kelly

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Send Comments Subscribe to Hindu An Audio Library To the Editor Press International, a Of Inspired Talks (e-mail) Daily News Summary to beresettledintheWest. Most homeland 19yearsago,nearlyall camps likethisoneinNepalare of the106,000refugeeslivingin Pushed outoftheirBhutanese are comingtotheUS... page 18

thomas kelly The Maoists had also pad- mounting pressure, the Maoists was nineteen and has lived archeology/linguistics locked the temple offices. Tourist removed the padlocks and by in the US ever since. She is fees could not be collected and the end of the month the flow of the president of Asian Indian the PADT suffered a daily loss tourists and devotees nearly re- Women in America. Computers Call it Language! n e pa l of us$6,500 for two weeks. More turned to normal. Only time will In an interview with the Ex- n july, 2009, a group of diverse content, both of which than 600 tourists a day visit the tell if the uneasy truce will keep press in Chennai, she said the Icollaborating researchers from are suggestive of a linguistic area and each tourist is charged Lord Siva’s priests from further Council is more about social South India and the University writing system rather than a Pashupatinath Tensions an entrance fee of Rs. 500. Under harassment. initiatives than spiritual process. of Washington submitted the nonlinguistic symbol system.” ancorous fighting over PADT, to help the temple She will work for knowledge results of their analysis Rwho should be the priests during occasional illness sharing and community service of the Indus script to of Nepal’s famed Pasupathinath or absences. This time, it development among Americans the National Academy temple continued through the was the Maoist camp that of Indian origin. She plans to of Sciences (see http:// fall of 2009. In late 2008, the protested. see that service initiatives such www.pnas.org and Maoist government had bowed In September a group of u s a as the Hindu American Seva search “Indus script”). under protest from Nepal’s 40-50 Maoists assaulted Charities, (HinduAmercan- The report says, “Us- orthodox Hindus to remove the five newly-arrived Indian Seva.org) which she convened, ing the Markov prob- chief priest of the temple, Bish- priests and made their de- Anju Bhargava receive the same funding as abilities model, we show nu Dahal, a Nepali. Priests from mands again to overturn Christian organizations. “The how missing, ambigu- the South Indian states of Kerala, the 800-year-old tradition On Obama’s churches have evolved as huge ous or unreadable signs Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and of having Indians be the service organizations due to the on damaged objects Tamil Nadu were reinstated. main temple priests. The Committee support they receive from the can be filled in with After the fall of the Maoist disruption forced closure n april, 2009, anju bhar- government. We are seeking most likely predictions government in the spring of of the temple for two days. Igava became the second In- such a support, too.” Bhargava from the model. Taken 2009, in August the Pashupati- India’s Ambassador to dian American and first Hindu is an ordained Hindu priest and together, our results nath Area Development Trust Nepal lodged a strong pro- to be appointed to Obama’s works to instill dharmic values indicate that the Indus (PADT) took the opportunity to test with the Home Minis- Faith Based and Community and the inner meaning of prac- script exhibits rich increase the number of Indian ter. He demanded and got Partnerships Council. Bhargava tices into the new generation of syntactic structure and Scientists struggle to decipher the myste- priests by contacting four Indian more security for the five came from Chennai when she Hindu Americans. the ability to represent rious 4,000-year-old Indus script peeths—sacre­ d monasteries­—in Indian priests. The temple Karnataka, Orissa, Gujarat and was reopened. However, g e n e t i c o r i g i n s Uttarakhand. The monaster- security guards checked Priests invoke rain; graph: a ies were to shortlist suitable each and every devotee month-long drought breaks candidates, who would be to prevent any Maoist Siva’s pujaris under duress: Nepal’s most holy sanctuary has become when rainfall begins to screened and interviewed by infiltration. the center of a struggle over the national identity of it priests increase after August 25 Brahmins, Tribals, All Castes Originated in India i n d i a abundant rains in the city and n january, 2009, the journal Indian American (search the country,” explained 65-year- I Human Genetics published “Christian girls try to old Venkataraman Shastri, the an Indian genetic researchers’ convert Hindu girl”) was Tuning In to Cosmic Forces head priest of the temple and report titled, “The Indian Origin sad, hilarious and en- uring the august 1, a trustee of Kashi Vishvanath one of the priests who sat inside of Paternal Haplogroup R1a1 couraging all at once. D2009, solar eclipse many Temple, said Indian astrology ac- a drum. “This time, the puja was Substantiates the Autochtho- It was sad to see the Hindus immersed themselves in tually doesn’t say that eclipse has conducted on the demand of nous Origins of Brahmins and Ceremonies utter depth of ignorance rivers, and performed japa and a direct bad influence on people. Planned and the public. With another month the Caste System.” This report on the part of the young homa with the goal to avert it’s Still, it is well known that devo- Performed left for the monsoons to end, is sending tremors across aca- Christian girls about negative influence. On the other tional practice at such times of the puja will help with regular demia, as it may deal a final and anything related to hand Chandramauli Upadhyaya, intensity yield great results. rainfall so that there is a good definitive blow to the Aryan In- Hinduism or India. One harvest in the coming months,” vasion theory. The highly tech- girl could not even place Drought said S. Ramachandran, honorary nical, original report is available India on the world map, treasurer of the Sankara Mat- here: http://www.nature.com/ inviting a rain of derisive tham in Mathunga where the jhg/ search “brahmins caste.” on-line comments. It i n d i a ceremony was conducted. In summary: 1) If Central y o u t u b e was hilarious because Shortly before the ceremony Asians invaded India to form the the comments by the Christian rains picked up and afterwards high castes, you would expect girls were mind-boogling to the Invoking Rain rose dramatically, leading many that brahmins have many Cen- Graphic distribution of the R1a1 Failed point of being ludicrous, leading to believe the ceremonies were tral Asian genes. They do not. genetic markers with high den- some to believe it was a spoof. With Mantras effective. But later the comment 2) R1a1 genes associated with sity in India may indicate Cen- Attempt at It was encouraging because the he long may, june 2009 became, “Be careful what you high caste brahmins are highly tral Asians came from India young Hindu girl, Saraswati, Tdrought in Maharashtra in- wish for.” In subsequent months concentrated in India but sparse stood her ground with articulate spired 11 priests to sit in drums rains continued unabatted and in Central Asians. 3) Brahmins, Conversion intelligence. She was a micro- of water chanting mantras for by October, Mumbai and much scheduled castes and tribals all goes back, in India itself, to at he youtube video by two cosm of Hinduism’s historical over three hours on August 27th. of India was experiencing record show a common genetic ances- least 9,000 years and possibly TAmerican girls attempt- endurance in the face of narrow Standing in water while performing japa is considered the best “We do this to gain the good- breaking monsoon rainfall and try. 4) The age of this yet to be 20,000 years, leaving no genetic ing to convert a young ideologies. defense against the reputed future ill influences of a solar eclipse will of the rain god Varuna for devastating floods. determined common parentage support for recent migrations.

clockwise from top: anonymous/ clockwise from top: anju bhargava/global heritage fund 6 hinduism today january/february/march, 2010 afp/youtube images/afp, indranil mukherjee january/february/march, 2010 hinduism today 7 Newsweek’s article ties Hindu- HINDUISM TODAY was ism to changing American values founded on January 5, IN MY OPINION 1979, by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami buying it. According to a 2008 (1927–2001). It is a Pew Forum survey, 65 percent of nonprofit educational Helping the Bhutanese Refugees us believe that “many religions activity of Himalayan can lead to eternal life”–includ- Academy, with the fol- How one organization supplements government ing 37 percent of white evan- lowing purposes: 1. To gelicals, the group most likely to foster Hindu solidar- assistance to settle new arrivals in the US believe that salvation is theirs ity as a unity in diver- alone.” sity among all sects She also noted changing at- and lineages; 2. To inform and inspire Hindus BY SREE N. SREENATH titudes about life after death— worldwide and people interested in Hinduism; 3. To dispel myths, illusions and misinformation more Americans are opting for about Hinduism; 4. To protect, preserve and pro- he bhutanese immi- weaving, housekeeping and cremation, which indicates they mote the sacred Vedas and the Hindu religion; grants are the fi rst value-added food product gen- do not believe in the resurrec- 5. To nurture and monitor the ongoing spiri- poor Hindus to have eration (e.g., pickles). Micro- tion of the body at some time tual Hindu renaissance; 6. To publish resources arrived in the United fi nance for starting home/ in the future. And, twenty-four for Hindu leaders and educators who promote States as refugees in large offi ce cleaning or landscaping percent of Americans are now Sanatana Dharma. Join this seva by sending let- numbers, having lived for 17 businesses, or to buy a car, is willing to say that they believe in ters, clippings, photographs, reports on events Tyears surviving on UN food provided. We connect up a reincarnation. and by encouraging others. assistance programs in seven Hindu American family with Ms. Miller cited Stephen camps in Nepal. When a refu- a vulnerable Bhutanese family Prothero, religion professor at gee family arrives in the US for mentoring and developing Boston University, who has with basic possessions, the friendships. long framed the American government gives them food We sponsor and conduct propensity for “the divine- stamps, fi nancial assistance, bhajans, yoga/meditation and deli-cafeteria religion” as “very health screening and insurance, job search festival celebrations. After 17 years of virtu- n e w y o r k less like traditional Christians much in the spirit of Hinduism. assistance, basic English-as-a-Second- al incarceration in camps, the elders—func- in the ways we think about You’re not picking and choosing Language (ESL) coaching and an inexpensive tionally illiterate and numbering 40% of the God, our selves, each other and from different religions because apartment along a subway or bus line in a workforce—have lost their skills and will to Radical Western Belief Shift eternity. they’re all the same,” he says. “It poor and often dangerous neighborhood. work. They have a hard time adjusting and n august, 2009, newsweek founded by Christians, and “The Rig Veda says this: ‘Truth isn’t about orthodoxy. It’s about All of this is done through contract with a great diffi culty fi nding employment. We Ipublished an article by Lisa according to a 2008 survey, 76 is One, but the sages speak of whatever works. If going to yoga Founder: Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami settlement agency. This contracted support have helped start urban and rural farming Millar titled, “We Are All Hin- percent of us continue to iden- it by many names.’ A Hindu works, great—and if going to Publisher: Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami lasts for eight months. After that period, the programs for these ex-farmers, and we help dus Now.” What was remarkable tify as Christian—the lowest believes there are many paths Catholic mass works, great. And Editor-in-Chief: Paramacharya Palaniswami refugees are completely on their own. This market their produce. We also counsel stu- was the editorial spin Ms. Miller percentage in American history. to God. The most traditional, if going to Catholic mass plus the Publisher’s Aide: Paramacharya Ceyonswami is when Sewa International USA, the orga- dents seeking higher education and provide brought to the piece. The article Two million Hindus live in the conservative Christians have not yoga plus the Buddhist retreat Deputy Editor: Acharya Kumarswami nization that I am president of, steps in. rental assistance in cases of eviction. used a picture of many statues United States, a fraction of the been taught to think like this. works, that’s great, too.” Managing Editor: Acharya Arumugaswami Sewa is a non-profi t, international, volun- One scene is etched in my mind for ever: of Lord Ganesha and boldly de- billion who live on Earth. But They learn in Sunday school that Hindus, of course, were gra- Production Manager: Sannyasin Sivakatirswami teer-based service organization, in partner- On November 16, 2008, we met with a clared the following: recent poll data show that con- their religion is true, and others tified to see their philosophy Subscription and Distribution Manager: ship with Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, that newly arrived group of Bhutanese Hindus “America is not a Christian na- ceptually, at least, we are slowly are false. touted at the top of the US main- Sannyasin Shanmuganathaswami works in 30 different US cities on the Bhu- in Cleveland to take them to the local man- Assistant Editor: Sannyasin Senthilnathaswami tion. We are, it is true, a nation becoming more like Hindus and “Americans are no longer stream media. tanese Refugee Empowerment (BRE) Project. dir. Though the temperature was around Assistant Editor: Sadhaka Satyanatha Advertising Manager: Yogi Jothinatha Our volunteers are nonresident Indians, freezing, most were wearing thin sweaters, second-generation Indian-American stu- no gloves and were barefoot or with only have two guards permanently evidence that the Harappan Correspondents: Choodamani Sivaram, Bangalore; Rajiv Malik, Prabha Prabhakar Bhardwaj, Madhu dents and concerned Americans. A number sandals. A friendly smile, a Gurkha hospi- posted to prevent vandal- civilization had a presence in Kishwar, Delhi; Mangala Prasad Mohanty, Orissa; V. S. of like-minded organizations have joined tality cup of sweet, hot, boiled milk with ism. The Chams were Saivite the region and that the history Gopalakrishnan, Kerala; Archana Dongre, Los Angeles; hands with us in this ambitious project. tea from them, and a “Welcome to the US” Hindus who flourished as early of Kerala can be traced back Lavina Melwani, New York; Dr. Hari Bansh Jha, Nepal; In addition to employment and trans- from us, we were suddenly bosom friends. monsoon rains damaged 450- Hindus who were protesting as the eighth century. Most beyond the Iron Age,” historian Paras Ramoutar, Trinidad; Ananta Krishnan, Chennai. portation (unemployment is nearly 70% in It started snowing heavily—the fi rst snow. year old Vaishnava manuscripts against Dalits’ entering a Hindu Chams converted to , but M. R. Raghava Varier said. Copy Editor: Chamundi Sabanathan. HPI Staff: Janaka some communities), refugees face uprooting To our horror, young and old alike started at the Sri Mutt temple. The Dalits, described as 15%-20% of present-day Cham Param, Toshadeva Guhan, Easan Katir, Adi Alahan, of familial and societal structures, cultural jumping and playing in the snow in their in Mantralayam, Andra Pradesh, low-caste untouchables, tried to people still practice Hinduism. In hopes of resolving tension Chandra Sankara, Shama Vinayaga. Sanskritist: Dr. P. and religious isolation, language barriers, bare feet without headgear, jackets or gloves. last October. Library rooms were enter several temples as part of in Malaysia that resulted from Jayaraman, New York. Artists: A. Manivelu, S. Rajam. children’s education needs, family issues To our puzzled concern about frostbite they filled with mud and water and their campaign to protest being A rock engraving that is the government’s dismantling Cartoonists: Tom Thaves. Photo Contributors: Thomas (marriage, birth, death), confl ict resolution, said, “We lived in the tropics; snow is new it is feared some manuscripts barred from temple entry. Such clearly a remnant of Harappan and relocation of dozens of L. Kelly, Dinodia, Dev Raj Agarwal, Gilles Flament, Vel counseling needs, cold weather, health and to us. Isn’t it beautiful?” That afternoon we will be lost forever. The inci- discrimination is against the culture has been found in the temples, a Hindu Temple Action Kadressen, Mu Devarayan, Indivar Sivanathan. Web hygiene issues. We give fi nancial respon- pooled our money and bought shoes for all dent highlights the urgency to law in India but still practiced. Edakkal caves in neighbor- Committee was formed in Octo- Masters: Nitya Nadesan, Sadhunathan Nadesan. Dis- tribution: USA: Ingram Periodicals, New Leaf, EBSCO sibility education, and hold job etiquette 35 school-going children in the group. Thus digitize India’s literary heritage. ing Wayanad, Kerala. “There ber of 2009. Deputy Federal Ter- seminars and resumé writing workshops. began my relationship with this beautiful An ancient vietnamese hindu have also been indications of ritories Minister Datuk M. Sara- Subscription Services, OneSource, Ubiquity. Europe: SWETS Subscription Service. Malaysia and Singapore: We help in fi nding entry-level employ- and friendly community. in october, 2009, police in Cham society sanctuary at Hue, remnants akin to the Indus vanan announced its purpose, “It ment in the hospitality and food industries, Tamil Nadu police had to shoot Vietnam, was given a us$32,000 Valley civilization in Karnataka is formed to solve issues of tem- Sanathana Dharma Publications. India: Central News Agency Limited, Delhi. Mauritius: CODIP. Trinidad: retail, customer relations, NGOs and facto- sree n. sreenath, ph.d., is a biology profes- in the air to disperse a stone- grant for “protection works” in and Tamil Nadu. These new ple construction and the merger Pandit Narendra & Ashwinee Ragoonanan. Printer: RR ries. Women are employed through projects sor at Case Western Reserve University in throwing crowd of higher caste September, 2009. The site will findings in Kerala are further of small temples in the capital.” Donnelley, Kansas City, Missouri. such as sewing, ironing, fabric painting, Cleveland. E-mail: [email protected]

top: newsweek 8 hinduism today january/february/march, 2010 january/february/march, 2010 hinduism today 9 Publisher’s desk Giving to God: A husband and wife, having flour- ished in life, credit their religion for the abundance that has come to them. Each month they bring one-tenth of their income, placing it at the feet of Dakshinamurti. It is their way of supporting the temple that has been their refuge and the swamis Giving’s Secret Gifts (behind) who have guided them on the path. Consistently contributing to your religion has the power to Bhagwan Swaminarayan: “My disciples shall give draw spiritual fulfillment and material wealth into your life in donation one-tenth of their income, or food grains, if that be their agricultural income, in the by satgu r u bo dhinatha v e yl answami service of Lord Krishna.” BAPS is one of Hinduism’s most wealthy and dynamic spiritual institutions. How much stronger and more effective would Hin- iving, known as dana in sanskrit, is fifty dollars. But the saint tells duism be if all Hindus followed these examples and built into all aspects of Hindu life—giving us it’s not just about the money, tithed to the institution of their choice? to the holy man, giving to the temple, giv- it’s also about the merit of the A useful way to assess the extent of one’s means ing to the astrologer, giving to the teacher, recipient. Giving a little to a man of to give is to create (if you don’t already have one) giving to a swami or a satguru for his support, over great spiritual attainment is more a detailed monthly household budget showing and above all routine giving to his institution. The- meritorious than giving a lot to an income and all the major categories of expense, G Tirukural, an ancient South Indian ethical scripture, ordinary beggar. such as rent or mortgage, transportation, food, says, “The foremost duty of family life is to serve My satguru, Sivaya Subramu- clothing and religious giving. No matter if your duly these five: God, guests, kindred, ancestors and niyaswami, spoke of this concept: income is small or large, a valid approach is to start oneself.” This is understood by all Hindus. However, “Karma is an unfailing natural law, with a modest monthly donation to your favorite the idea that giving can be a powerful tool for at- simply explained by this example: religious institution that easily fits into your budget. tracting financial abundance is an idea that many Give a beggar 10 rupees. You are As that regular giving accrues merit, which in Hindus do not have in mind. not giving, you are investing in turn attracts more abundance into your life, you In two verses in its chapter on hospitality, the your future. Somehow 20 rupees will be able to periodically increase the amount of Tirukural provides compelling reasons for giving: will find its way back to you. He your religious donations up to the ideal of ten per- “If a man cares daily for those who come to him, his has given you the opportunity to cent. Some individuals may have the ability to give life will never suffer the grievous ruin of poverty. Those who never give. When we give expecting to receive, the law will more than ten percent, such as those who are single sacrifice to care for guests will later lament: ‘We hoarded wealth, still work, but if we give 10 rupees, we get back 10 or those who are self-employed (as exemplified by estranged ourselves, now none will care for us.’ ” rupees. Unselfish giving doubles the return. Giving our salt merchant, Kumarappan). Materialistic thinking holds that if we hoard all the wealth we get, to a temple is different again; every 10 rupees given The best way to approach religious giving is to we will end up with more riches in life’s full season. The Tirukural brings back 100 rupees in return. God pays a better make it the first expense when you receive your is saying the opposite. If you use your wealth to help others and care interest. Giving is an investment in the future; it is paycheck. This has a number of advantages. 1) You for guests, you will prosper more than if you hoarded it. Why is this? not parting with something.” do not forget to make your donation. 2) You do Because if we generously give to others, we will—by karma’s unfail- We can learn more about charity’s efficacy from a not spend that money on yourself and find you ing law—attract more wealth in this and future lives. story I heard about the Nattukottai Chettiars at Palani are unable to give to your religion this month. 3) The merit we earn through giving to others comes back to us Hills Temple, an account documented in the temple’s Because you have made the religious donation your through attracting abundance in the future. The Tamil word punni- palm leaf manuscripts. It begins around 1600 with first priority, you become more conservative when yavan relates to this idea. It has a double meaning: “a person of great the arrival in Palani township of Kumarappan from faced with buying unnecessary or frivolous things. religious merit” and “a lucky person.” This concept also appears in Chettinad district in India’s southern region. Kumar­ Many Hindus do not give in a systematic way astrological readings in which it is clear that an individual will easily appan was the first merchant to establish a salt trade to the Hindu institution they support, such as a attract abundance because of the good he did in past incarnations, in the region of Palani. He stayed in the house of the local temple or ashram. Instead, they wait to be such as in this assessment from a computerized chart: “This is an Palani Temple priest and operated his business in the asked for a donation, which they then willingly

intelligent devotee, born to get money effortlessly due to past life nearby street. From the beginning, he marked up his s. rajam give. Compare this to setting aside money for retire- merit.” Clearly our ability to attract lasting financial abundance is margin of profit by one-eighth and gave the markup ment. How many people rely on their investment directly related to the amount of religious merit we have accrued as a makimai offering to the Deity of Palani Temple, Lord Velayutha. the resources of Palani Hills Temple, so much so that today it is one manager to call and remind them to send in funds for their retire- through our previous good deeds. But not all wealth comes through Makimai is a Tamil word for a donation to charity consisting of a of India’s richest temples. ment account? None. Disciplined people are consistent in contribut- good deeds, and people do become rich in unrighteous ways. The fixed percentage of profit, income or harvested crops. How can we determine how much to give to religious endeavors? ing monthly to their retirement savings, without being reminded, Tirukural speaks of such wealth: “A fortune amassed by fraud may Kumarappan’s donations were used, in part, to buy food that was One guideline for this comes from the Dharma Shastras, which because they know they will benefit from it. Similarly, it is beneficial appear to prosper but will all too soon perish altogether.” prepared by the priest’s wife and offered to the Deity by the priest. caution that a householder should never give gifts beyond his means both to yourself and the institution you support to be just as regu- It is easy to see other practical advantages of giving, too. Our repu- So successful was he that four years later he brought five more salt and should not make his family and dependents suffer on account lar in your charitable giving, and not wait to be asked. You benefit, tation grows in the community. Our circle of friends expands. We traders to Palani. All followed his example of tithing to the temple, of his generosity. In his Hindu Encyclopedia, Swami Harshananda because your religion is strengthened, and you don’t miss months become someone people want to associate with, want to do business and all flourished. News of their success reached the Pandyan king notes that these shastras suggest ten percent of earnings as a general when you weren’t reminded and thereby lose the merit of that with and, yes, want to give to. That doesn’t happen with people who in Madurai, and Isaniya Sivachariar, the king’s guru and chief Saivite guideline, and they extol giving as a sacred act that helps earn reli- giving. And the institution benefits by receiving a steady, reliable are stingy and selfish. priest of South India, at whose behest Kumarappan established an gious merit and conquer greed. stream of income. A third verse from the Tirukural shares another secret about giv- annual pilgrimage to Palani, which is popular to this day. Later, when Our own Saiva Siddhanta Church has, at its core, a membership In conclusion, consistent, ardent giving to religious institutions, ing: “Charity’s merit cannot be measured by gifts given. It is mea- entrusted with managing all funds donated to the temple, he estab- that gives ten percent of their gross income to the support of our to God, is a duty of all Hindus. The abundance of merit you earn by sured by measuring the receiver’s merits.” What a brilliant insight, lished an endowment to provide food and shelter for pilgrims. Not mission, monastery and monks. But we are not alone. Consider this giving regularly and generously creates for you—through the law and so counter to common thinking. It is natural to presume that only did the salt trader’s generosity bring him and his clan material verse still followed today by members of the Gujarat-based BAPS of karma—greater spiritual rewards, worldly success and financial giving one hundred dollars would create more merit than giving success and social prominence, it supported pilgrims and built up Swaminarayan Sanstha, written some two hundred years ago by abundance in this and future lives.

10 hinduism today january/february/march, 2010 january/february/march, 2010 hinduism today 11 a friend to church who is undergoing some Christmas. That is a Christian holiday for letters sort of difficulty, such as the recent death of Friendship Evangelism Christians to celebrate, not the whole world. Jai Swami Gopal Sharan the company of holy men, the good example walls. The temple needs major repairs and a spouse. The entire congregation stands up When I was asked to locate an article relating Don’t feel guilty. They have many beliefs Your conferring such an award on Swami of fellow pilgrims and the experience of wor- renovations. Mrs. Thirumagal, the govern- and welcomes the newcomer, making him or to Hinduism in current society on your web- that they would like you to also believe, but Gopal Sharan (“2009 Hindu of the Year,” ship in sacred places. All of these aspects of ment’s commissioner, is on the right track. her feel very special. They pray for that per- site, I became intrigued by the article “Friend- remember, that is their religion, not yours! Oct/Nov/Dec, 2009) makes me very happy, pilgrimage contributed to my experience of Hopefully she’ll work on the renovation, son, and within a week or two he or she is ship Evangelism” (Oct/Nov/Dec, 2009). I am I haven’t celebrated Christmas for 20 years. and he deserves it. I am blessed to have come the wells and their special powers. which has been neglected for a very long time. made to throw his or her praying lamp and a nondenominational Christian and was in When I am asked why, I respond, “I’m not into contact with him and continue to enjoy Rather than a passive experience, like pop- Vaidehi Ganesan Herbert Deity statues into the sea or river and is then no way offended by the article, but more sur- Christian!” his grace through the Maha Lakshmi Vidya ping a pill, pilgrimage to Rameswaram of- Kilauea, Hawaii, USA fully converted to . New converts prised. It’s fascinating how friendship evan- LuAnn Mitchell Bhavan in Honor Oak, London. fered me an active plan for spiritual growth. [email protected] are taught that Hindus are sinners, worship gelism is actually counterproductive and Portland, Oregon, USA Kwabena Ofori-Awuah, Jr. I cannot say that my life since has been with- idols and will go to hell. They are told that tends to be offensive among many religions. [email protected] London, UK out sin or error. But the feeling of lightness As a devout Hindu, I am proud of the work they are following a superior religion and Amber H. [email protected] and rejuvenation that I experienced after you are doing in bringing out a quality pub- will be punished seven times more if they [email protected] Corrections bathing in the wells gives me a vivid sense of lication that revives interest in Hinduism convert back to Hinduism. ✔ In “Sri Swami Gopal Sharan Devacha- Gays Are Now Legal in India what such a life might feel like, and an aspira- among all readers. However, when I came Christians have capitalized on the fact Christmas, So What? rya, 2009 Hindu of the Year” (Oct/Nov/Dec, I was pleased to see the article about the tion to continue to work towards it. across this article in the latest issue, I realized that we all don’t understand Sanskrit or our I do not agree with the idea that running 2009) the Kusum Sarovar does not have any Delhi High Court decision regarding Section Lucy Soutter that Hinduism Today can unwittingly be a Indian mother tongue and therefore don’t away or avoiding exposure to a particular cul- clinic and is not part of Golok Dham, and 377 (“Gays Are Now Legal in India,” Global London, UK propaganda machine for disinformation and understand what our priests are saying and ture is the way to protect Hinduism (“Much the photos captioned “Dharmic citadel” and Dharma, Oct/Nov/Dec, 2009). Too many re- [email protected] discriminatory, biased opinions. chanting. They have well organized youth Ado About Christmas,” Oct/Nov/Dec, 2009). “Spirituality and joy” on pages 22 and 23, re- ligions cast judgment or condemn lesbians, The Chidambaram temple has been under groups, sports days, widows clubs. They pro- Hinduism is more than just a religion. The spectively, were provided by the Golok Dham gays, bisexual and transgender individuals, I have two responses to the sacred bathing the stifling control of the hereditary priestly vide transport that comes right to followers’ best way to enlighten the younger genera- Ashram. seeing them as broken or sinful. We as Hin- issue. First, I believe that temples are holy clan that your article talks about for too long. doorsteps to take them to the church. They tions, including myself, is by making them dus, however, have portrayed same-sex rela- places, where God and the devas are nearer, This system of hereditary priesthood is the have inter-church gatherings and meetings understand what Hinduism is, and I would ✔ In “A priestly Clan Under Siege” (Oct/ tions and gender variance as normal from or more easily accessible. The sadhana or last remaining bastion of Brahmin caste- which allow youth to meet fellow Christians, like to point out to the author that Hinduism Nov/Dec, 2009), it is incorrectly stated that Vedic times to the present day through ritu- practice of bathing will remove karma. This based superiority over lower castes. The find spouses and make friends. If a Hindu is not all about visiting temples or wearing Mr. Arumugaswami is an oduvar, a singer of als, in the Ramayana and Mahabharata, in will be especially effective if this is the high Dikshitars claim that they have the sole right marries a Christian, the Hindu is the one saris in the USA, it’s more about an approach sacred Tamil songs called Devarams. He is a paintings and in temple sculpture. Thus, it is point of a pilgrimage during which pilgrims to the temple priesthood and are upset over who must convert, never the Christian. towards life. As parents, you can always be devotee from Chidambaram. refreshing to see Hinduism Today enlight- will have considered their karma, past ac- this self-claimed right being snatched by Our Hindu temples are not equipped to the role models for children and make them ening Hindus that our religion does not judge tions and spiritual path. Second, one of the the government. Who was it that gave them handle this. I have never seen so many Indi- understand. If you take enough care, you can Letters with writer’s name, address and daytime phone number should be sent to: and recognizes the discrimination facing the things I have learned from many born Hin- their hereditary rights? Have those rights an Christians or churches spring up as I have influence them more than anyone else. Letters, Hinduism Today LGBT community. dus is humility and trust in the loving grace ever been reviewed or reevaluated based on seen in the last five years. We need expert Dinoop Ravindran Menon 107 Kaholalele Road While I appreciate the magazine’s focus on of God when faced with differing beliefs. I the changing life and times? How much rev- help from Hindus everywhere before it is too Graz, Austria Kapaa, Hawaii, 96746-9304 USA explaining aspects of worship, I would also would say to Mr. Srivastava that while fol- enue does the temple earn? What happens late. Please help. [email protected] or faxed to: (808) 822-4351 or submitted at: www.hinduismtoday.com like to see more on how Hinduism deals with lowing a path based solely on the Gita and to all the income? The Dikshitars are not ac- Avitha Singh complex social issues like abortion and fam- the Upanishads is important to you in this countable to anyone right now. Durban, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa Hindu parents do not have to give in to their Letters may be edited for space and ­clarity and may ap- ily planning, sexual orientation or the role of life, and that is great, please remember that For the information of the author, most [email protected] children’s peer pressure about celebrating pear in electronic versions of Hinduism Today. women in leadership in the temple (not just others are on different paths, and this is also of the big temples in Tamil Nadu have long in the family). Where do the Vedas, differing great for them. been under the administrative control of sects of Hinduism or current Hindu leaders sit Chris Brooking the government. I have personally found we had. There can be no greater gift.” on the moral and social questions of the day? Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK such temples to be the best managed and Keeping the Light of Understanding Bright To make as meaningful an offering [email protected] Kalpana Krishnamurthy best maintained ones. Unlike the impres- as they could, the family studied vari- Portland, Oregon, USA sion sought to be created by the article, the How to distribute Hinduism‘s most precious gifts ous estate planning options, then chose [email protected] A Priestly Clan Under Siege government Board is not an evil and greedy what seemed to them most apt for their Rajiv Malik’s article (“A Priestly Clan Un- entity aiming to gobble up an ancient temple mong the many sublime ways circumstance. They made a bequest to Well Water Removes Sin? der Siege,” Oct/Nov/Dec, 2009) is very one- and deprive the poor, suffering priests of readers tell us of their apprecia- the Hinduism Today Production Fund, a In his letter in the Oct/Nov/Dec 2009 issue, sided. First of all, the Tamil Chola kings built their jobs and incomes. On the contrary, it is tion, once in a while, there ap- part of Hindu Heritage Endowment, by Pradeep Srivastava expresses his concern these magnificent granite temples for all the a well-managed and efficient body that has Apears a stirring declaration: “Your naming it as one of the beneficiaries of a about claims made for the spiritual benefits Tamils, not just for the Brahmins. In my opin- successfully taken over and streamlined the magazine has transformed our lives!” charitable life insurance policy. Mr. Patel of bathing in the waters of Rameswaram ion, the Tamil Nadu government has replaced administration of many struggling temples. One such has come from the Mrunal encourages others to do a similar thing: Temple, which he argues may be a kind of the Tamil kings and administers the temple Sai Ravikumar Patel family of Midland, Texas. “Since we “Bequests are powerful forms of giving, “placebo affect.” I can understand his skepti- on behalf of all the Tamils. Calgary, Alberta, Canada discovered Hinduism Today at a friend’s that guarantee the magazine’s strength cism that a single ritual, no matter how spiri- The temples of Tamil Nadu have an advi- house,” explained an enthusiastic Mrs. “It has propelled us to another level into the far future.” tually charged the location, could wash away sory committee at the state level, and Hindus Help Us in South Africa Patel, “everything’s changed for us. It has of being.”  Doctors Mrunal and Padmaja Please consider including the Produc- one’s sins. I would respond that for those from all castes are well represented in that I live in Durban, South Africa. We have a given us a depth of understanding that Patel with daughter Pooja. tion Fund in your estate plan, so as to en- who bathe in the wells, the experience is committee. It works with the administra- huge problem here with Hindus converting we couldn’t have imagined. It has given us able Hinduism Today to reach ever more the culmination of a pilgrimage with many tors of the temples. Each temple has its own to Christianity either by force, trickery or pride, unity of mind and a shared purpose. of any age. It is as much a guide and resource souls eager to find their way. aspects. In my own case, the journey began management committee made up of local shear ignorance. They are being converted by Our priorities are altogether different. We for me as for my parents. And I feel just as Ask to receive our Production Fund with forming the desire and intention to go, representatives from all castes. That is how it Indian pastors who criticise us, our practices do puja and sadhana together, the three of enlightened and encouraged by it as they are. e-newsletter at www.gurudeva.org/ then saving money, making travel arrange- should be done in Chidambaram. and our culture. It works like this: The Chris- us, every day, and we all live the same way, How precious is that?” email-news. Or read more about the ments, reorganizing my work and making As far as Malik’s words, “Though the mas- tians will typically announce that a friend which is much different from before. We The Patels wanted to give back to Hindu- Production Fund and estate planning prayers for obstacles to be removed. In other sive stones of Lord Siva’s temple still hold should be brought to church just to visit. Next have found our path for this life.” ism Today, partly out of gratitude and most- options at: www.hheonline.org/produc- words, the planning and preparation began firmly,” I beg to differ. He must not have seen they appear at that person’s house with the Thirteen-year-old Pooja adds, “I am ly, explains Mr. Patel, “to help the magazine tionfund then click planned giving op- to reshape my life over a period of several the temple. I have visited three times in the intention to convert them and their entire amazed how Hinduism Today addresses reach more souls and give them the same tions. Or contact us at 808-634-5407 months. On the trip itself, I was blessed with last two years and have seen the crumbling family on the spot. Another trick is to bring all Hindus everywhere, of every tradition, chance to find their path and destiny that or [email protected]

12 hinduism today january/february/march, 2010 january/february/march, 2010 hinduism today 13 Snapshots I believe that dance communicates man’s deepest, © 2009 j a s o n l o v e . r e p r i n t e d w i t h p e r m i s s i o n . highest and most truly spiritual thoughts and emotions far better than words, spoken or written. Ted Shawn (1891-1972), American dancer

To define God is grinding what is already The road to success is always under construction. Anonymous ground; Swami Vivekanandafor He (1863-1902),is the founderonly of thebeing Ramakrishna we Mission know. Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your Hindu sages have told us that to live the enlightenment to themselves. They declared is antaryami, the inner guide who dwells powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks. spiritual life, no matter how hampered it to all: “O mortals, striving and struggling in everyone’s heart;” thus the mediocre Then the doing of your work shall be no might be, no matter with what limitations, upon this Earth plane, weeping, wailing, devotee sees God within. But the superior miracle, but you shall be the miracle. Phillips is infinitely superior to having a mental buffeted by the vicissitudes of life: we devotee sees that God alone is everything, Brooks (1835-1893), American author grasp of things Divine. They have taught have come upon a great discovery. There is for He has become the twenty-four cosmic us that until we have woven these things something beyond these appearances, these tattvas. That devotee finds that everything, Silence is the language of the real. Nagarjuna into our lives, one by one and step by vanishing names and forms that go to make above and below, is filled with God.Sri (ca. 150-250), Buddhist philosopher step, we would not be able to have a up this universe. There is something beyond, Ramakrishna Paramahansa (1836-1886) grasp of the whole of the Divine teaching. which is the very source and support of Many people are afraid of silence. They have to Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) all these objects of the phenomenal world. Build your inner environment. Practice be doing something all the time. Many people Why do you search in vain for happiness silence! Paramahansa Yogananda (1893- also are afraid of being alone. But actually no one Expecting the world to treat you fairly outside? Come, come, happiness resides 1952), founder of Self-Realization Fellowship ever is alone. He’s always with his great divine Self. because you are a good person is a little within.” Swami Chidananda (1916- Every person has a great, divine Self within him, like expecting the bull not to attack you 2008), president of the Divine Life Society In May, 2009, the Western media was an absolutely perfect, shining, sublime being of because you are a vegetarian. Dennis celebrating the success of an American light. The voice of this being is a loud silence. The Wholey, American entertainer There are three kinds of devotees. The ecologist’s first expedition to Everest, led voice of your soul is a loud silence. Many people inferior devotee says, “God is out there” by his much less famous sherpa guide. One have said that the voice of God is a deep, profound The sages, being filled with universal love and thinks God is different from His newspaper, the Salt Lake Tribune, simply silence. Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami for all beings, did not want to keep their creation. The mediocre devotee says, “God stated in its headline: “Apa Sherpa Summits (1927-2001), founder of Hinduism Today Mount Everest for the 19th time.” D id Y o u K n ow ? Life is a pilgrimage. The wise man does not rest by the roadside inns. He marches basics of hi n d u is m USS Warships Krishna & Indra direct to the illimitable domain of eternal bliss, his ultimate destination. Swami Moksha, Freedom from Rebirth hey fought valiantly in wars, of various religions traditions. Sivananda of Rishikesh (1887-1963), defended the United States and Both USS Krishna and USS Indra are founder of the Divine Life Society he destiny of all souls is moksha, will not necessarily happen after this one After moksha, subtle karmas T were manned by hundreds of sea repair ships, support units that provide liberation from rebirth on the life. While seeking and attaining pro- are made in inner realms and men for decades. The American Navy’s maintenance and succor for other ships. physical plane. Our soul then found realizations, Hindus know there is swiftly resolved, like writ- For seven lives in seven bodies the grateful T Achelous class of ships, named after a At 100-meters long, they are built to be continues evolving in the Antarloka much to be done in fulfilling life’s other ing on water. Eventually, will remember friends who relieved their Greek river Deity, includes the USS able to stand on their own in a battle. and Sivaloka, and finally merges with purusharthas, or goals: dharma (righ- at the end of each anguish and affliction.Tirukural 107 Krishna (left) and USS Indra (right). The ships had their maiden voyage God like water returning to the sea. teousness), artha (wealth) and kama (plea- soul’s evolution comes Built during World War II, they are in 1945. They both participated in the Moksha in Sanskrit comes from the sure.) Moksha is the last goal to be desired vishvagrasa, total the only two US Navy ships named Vietnam war and were functional until Disease is but a milestone; neither is good root muc, meaning “to let loose.” The and the last one to be attained. absorption in after Hindu Gods. There are specific the 1970s, when USS Krishna was sold health our greater purpose in life. We are Mahamrityumjaya mantra intoned at the Both old and young souls are on a God. naming conventions. Submarines, for and USS Indra was retired. The latter wellness. We are consciousness. That is our heart the Rig Veda says, “May we be freed journey to realize God, whether they un- example, are always named after fish was ceremonially sunk in 1992 off the natural state. Swamini Mayatitananda, from the bondage of death as a cucumber derstand this or not. Old souls renounce and marine creatures. Repair coast of North Carolina, in an effort to founder of the Wise Earth Monastery from its stalk.” worldly ambitions and take up sannyasa at ships are named after Deities create an artificial coral reef. Hindu scripture tells us that moksha a young age, striving on the quest to let go Man flows at once to God when the comes when earthly karma has been re- of the world. But all Hindus use the later channel of purity is open. By turns our solved, dharma well performed and God years of life to move closer to moksha by purity inspires and our impurity casts fully realized. Each soul must have per- intensifying spiritual practices, tying loose us down. He is blessed who is assured formed well through through life’s varied ends and letting go of attachments. that the animal is dying out in him day experiences in order to not be pulled back The Vedas say, “If here one is able to by day, and the divine being established. to physical birth by a deed left undone. realize Him before the death of the Henry David Thoreau, (1817-1862), Though all souls are destined to achieve body, he will be liberated from the American Transcendentalist author moksha, the breaking of samsara’s chains bondage of the world.”

a. manivel both photos us navy

14 hinduism today january/february/march, 2010 january/february/march, 2010 hinduism today 15 Now Available: FROM THE AGAMAS Chapter 3 of Our Acclaimed Series The Means to Oneness with God on Hindu History Excerpts from a uniquely clear ancient text on yoga and realization for Children The following text is from the section on yoga of Sarvajnanottara Agama. It deals with preparation, posture, breath control, The 16-page sixth-grade social mantra and perception of the 36 tattvas or categories of existence, leading to attainment of oneness with Lord Siva. studies booklet from the editors of The Agama is told to Lord Skanda by Siva Himself. Hinduism Today covers 1100 to 1850 ce, years of invasion, foreign rule shanmukha! i will explain the disciplines of yoga. These are appropriate for a duly qualifi ed person who lives and horrendous attacks on Hindus alone, apart from the company of worldly minded persons. He should have a deep sense of detachment achieved by Chapters 1, 2 and 3 are available in booklet format keeping his mind under control. He should take food in moderation, for use in classes. A comprehensive teacher’s guide limit his routine worldly activities and sleep moderately. Listen to is available at hinduismtoday.com/education Omy instructions on yoga for such a sadhaka. Only that sadhaka who knows well the nature of meditator, Order singly or in bulk for your family, and to meditation and the fruit of meditation is fi t enough to undertake the distribute at religious and cultural gatherings. disciplines of yoga. The individual self is the meditator. The mind is the instrument of meditation. The Great Lord Siva is the One to Single copies, US$1.50 be meditated upon. The attainment of the supreme qualities of Siva, 30 copies, US$15.00 superior to which there is nothing, is the fruit of meditation. The sadhaka should continuously practice the disciplines of yoga Cartons of 300: $99 while keeping the mind well balanced, whether honored or abused, delighted or distressed. He should be no longer subject to excessive Phone: 877-255-1510 delight, fearfulness or despondency. E-mail: [email protected] The sadhaka should fi nd a suitable place for his yoga practice, Internet: www.minimela.com (click “booklets”) such as a solitary house, a charming monastery, an auspicious temple

charged with divinity, a solitary river bank, his own house, an im- a. manivel Response to Lesson 3 penetrable forest or a sequestered spot hidden among the trees. This Unity: Through meditation, the sincere sadhaka can attain place should be well protected from the scorching sun and not be “unfailing and inseparable union with Lord Siva’s luminous form” I am impressed with the sincere honesty and frankness owned by others. It should be free from disturbing sounds and the expressed in the text regarding the tragic violence presence of humans, animals, insects or anything else which might including the subtle elements (tanmatras) and others. O, Shan- of invasion, conquest, and colonization of India. I hinder or disturb the practice of yoga. mukha! The sadhaka thus becomes capable of severing the bonds particularly like the message of cultural persistence and The sadhaka should immerse himself in the disciplines of yoga born of these tattvas through the intense repetition of astra mantra continuity that this history conveys. This pamphlet also after taking the usual ceremonial bath. He should sustain purity in (“Om Hah Astraya Hum Phat”) invoking Lord Siva’s revealing grace wonderfully recognizes the ability of school children to body and mind by performing the additional rites such as the appli- as taught to him by his guru. cation of holy ash and sprinkling with consecrated water. He should The skilled sadhaka should deeply meditate on Lord Siva after grasp true meanings in history and culture. Sometimes, prostrate before Lord Siva and before his guru who initiated him equalizing and arresting the out-breath and the in-breath, thereby we omit too much information from our children in into the discipline of yoga. allowing the breath to fl ow through and within the central channel our desire to protect them; doing so harms them and There are many postures suitable to yoga practice. They include of the spine, the sushumna. disrespects their intellect.—Michael K. Ward, PhD, Visiting padmaka (lotus posture), svastika, ardha pitha, ardha chandra, Through the continued practice of such discipline, the sadhaka Lecturer in History, California State University, Northridge sarvatobhadra and so forth. The sadhaka should assume a posture can establish himself in unfailing and inseparable union with the comfortable to him, sit upright with his head aligned and fold Lord Siva’s luminous form, which is subtle, pervasive, eternal and his hands together in supplication. He should release all negative unchanging. (continued next issue) ATI O C N U A

D L CHAPTER E CHAPTER I N S S T 1 I G H 2 thoughts from his mind. O, Guha, with his mind focused within his Hinduism Hindu own self, the sadhaka should thus practice yoga. Dr. S. P. Sabharathnam Sivacharyar, 67, of the Adisaiva priest From India: Ancient 300 to The sadhaka should repeat the mula mantra of Siva (such as “Om lineage is an expert in ancient Tamil and Sanskrit, specializing in the Times 1100 ce Ham Haum Sivaya Namah”) exactly as instructed by his guru. He Vedas, Agamas and Silpa Shastras. The revered Sarvajnanottara The largest civilization in the ancient During these eight centuries, world developed in the Indus Valley empires, religion, commerce, science, technology, literature of India over 5,000 years ago. In the ??? thousands of years that followed, and art fl ourished in India. ATI O In ways vitally important C N U should do so without allowing the upper row of teeth to touch the Agama, is not counted among the 28 Saiva Agamas, but is believed to India produced many great empires A D L under which science, art and philos- to Hindus to this day, the E I N S S T Hindu faith was advanced I G H ophy fl ourished. Out of this rich his- victoria and albert museum tory developed the Hindu religion, by temple building, the Bhakti Movement, holy texts lower teeth or his tongue to touch the corners of his mouth. He excel them all in its presentation of the monistic Saivite view. today the third largest in the world. and great philosophers, This young priest is conducting a saints and sages. This is an 8th century South Indian bronze of Supreme God Siva as fi re ceremony just as was done in Nataraja. This divine dance depicts His fi ve cosmic powers of creation, ancient times. preservation, dissolution, veiling grace and revealing grace. should keep his eyes half-closed and turned upwards. Repetition of Note to Students, Parents and Teachers Note to Students, Parents and Teachers presenting the Hindu religion because we believe them to This Educational Insight is the second chapter in our series staff of HINDUISM TODAY in collaboration with Dr. Shiva Baj- This Educational Insight is HINDUISM TODAY magazine’s be deeply fl awed and contrary to the State’s own general The Vedas and Agamas are the divinely revealed and most revered on Hindu history intended for use in US primary schools. pai, Professor Emeritus of History, California State University, response to the controversy in California over the way rule that teaching material must: 1) be historically accurate, During this period, India was the richest region of the Northridge. Academic reviewers: Dr. Klaus Klostermaier, the mula mantra is also essential for pranayama, breath control, and Hinduism is taught in public-school history books. It is a 2) “instill in each child a sense of pride in his or her heritage” world and one of the most populous. Great agricultural Professor of Religious Studies, University of Manitoba; Dr. 16-page lesson on Hindu history, beliefs and practices for and 3) avoid “adverse refl ection” on a religion. It is our in- abundance, plus plentiful natural resources, were key to Jeff rey D. Long, Chair, Department of Religious Studies, Eliz- sixth graders written from the Hindu point of view. It is his- tent that this lesson will serve as a model for US textbooks, the region’s prosperity. India lay in the center of the world’s abethtown College; Dr. Vasudha Narayanan, Distinguished scriptures, shruti, of Hinduism, likened to the Torah (1200 bce), torically sound and acceptable in content and tone to the providing an authentic depiction of the eminent history ancient trade routes. Merchants sent spices, cotton, sugar Professor, Department of Religion, University of Florida; Dr. various denominations of the Hindu community. and traditions of the faith while giving 10-year-old Hindu and exotic items east to China and west to Europe. Hindu Anantanand Rambachan, Professor of Religion, St. Olaf Col- The problem with every existing textbook for this grade students justifi able pride in their religion. pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses). religion and culture and the Sanskrit language linked all of lege; Dr. T.S. Rukmani, Professor and Chair in Hindu Studies, level is that Hinduism is presented negatively, incompletely In most states teachers are allowed to supplement the India. Great scientifi c discoveries as well as major religious Concordia University. Research Assistant: Justin Stein, MA Bible New Testament (100 ce), Koran (630 ce) or Zend Avesta (600 and inaccurately. This lesson is patterned after a typical textbooks with additional material. This lesson may be of- movements came out of this advanced and stable society. candidate at the University of Hawaii and former middle chapter on the Jewish faith in these same books. It delib- fered as a more accurate basis for the classroom study of This lesson was written and designed by the editorial school teacher in New York. erately does not follow the specifi c California standards for the origins and development of Hinduism in ancient India. october/november/december, 2008 hinduism today I-1 The systematic repetition of the mula mantra illuminates and re- april/may/june, 2 0 07 hinduism today I-1 bce). The oldest portions of the Vedas may date back as far as 6,000 veals to the embodied self all the 36 tattvas (categories of existence), bce. The Saiva Agamas are also ancient, but dating is uncertain. Reprints available at www.minimela.com/booklets january/february/march, 2010 hinduism today 17 US$1.50 each, 30 copies for $15 or a box of 300 for $99 Bhutanese refugees housed at Beldangi II Camp (Southern Nepal) pose for a photo at the base of the water tower thomas kelly

special feature Chased from Bhutan, 106,000 Hindus find homes abroad s of september, 2009, 17,000 of an expected Kelly to one of the camps in Nepal, correspondent America 60,000 Bhutanese Hindus have arrived in the Lavina Melwani to the Bronx, New York, and enlisted AUnited States as refugees. Another 40,000 community volunteers in Ohio and Texas. All are destined for resettlement in Canada, Australia, contributed to the following report on a mass Hindu New Zealand and Europe. Hinduism Today sent migration and the challenges and opportunities faced by Here We Come correspondent Rajiv Malik and photographer Thomas this relatively poor and unevenly educated community. 18 hinduism today january/february/march, 2010 january/february/march, 2010 hinduism today 19 have ever known. resembling satellite antennas, are actually Exiled from Bhutan Life in the Camps The area provisionally granted to the refu- solar heaters, used to boil water and steril- Bhutan’s ethnic purge began in 1990. Making gees by Nepal is in Damak, 650 km from the ize utensils. Hundreds of curious, excited wide use of intimidation, bureaucratic dead- By Rajiv Malik, New Delhi capital, near the narrow part of India that children flock out to follow foreign visitors, ends and suspended rights, the government ineteen years ago, one hundred separates Nepal from Bhutan. The climate especially intrigued by Hinduism Today’s organized a massive migration of all families thousand Hindus—one-sixth of there in September was hot and unpleas- American photographer, Thomas Kelly, who that could not meet the draconian require- the population of Bhutan—left that antly humid, a far cry from the cooler Bhu- speaks fluent Nepalese. ments for citizenship—expelling fully one- Ncountry in a massive exodus to es- tanese weather. The home of Mr. Mano Rath Chamalgai, sixth of the country’s population. Forced to cape vicious persecution. Bhutan’s Drukpa The camps are overseen by the Inter- 67, is a cramped hut with no electricity. As sign “voluntary migration forms,” Bhutanese majority, followers of Tibetan , de- national Organization for Migration, an night fell, a curious mob crowded the door Hindus were taken to Nepal. Because the clared the Hindus, who migrated to Bhutan a intergovernmental agency founded after and windows. The patriarch was the first to Nepalese government denied them citizen- hundred years ago, to be illegal immigrants. World War II to manage and care for the speak, nostalgically relating a tale that is rep- ship status—most had no acquaintances or They were stripped of rights, then attacked millions displaced by that conflict. Today, resentative of most in the camps: “In Bhutan family they could trace back to Nepal—they and finally forced to leave the country. Re- IOM, backed by 127 member countries, is I had a very good life. I was a farmer, with became refugees, not legally bound to or fused sanctuary in neighboring India, the the unofficial guardian of those who, like my own land and a nice house to live in. We welcomed by any nation. refugees reached Nepal and have been living the Bhutanese Hindus, live in limbo, with had electricity there. But the Bhutanese gov- Prem Paykurel, too, had been a success- ever since in “temporary” camps, ignored by where no country is home. Now that some ernment and army were cruel to us, and that ful farmer in Bhutan. His memories of the the Indian press and knowing little but un- countries have agreed to accept Bhutanese was the reason we had to leave Bhutan. The expulsion are fresh in his mind: “When we fulfilled hope, anger and resignation. refugees, the IOM and the United Nations eighteen years we have spent here have been left Bhutan, the agitation for restoration of These Bhutanese Hindus are the latest Refugee Agency decide together who will very difficult.” democratic rights was going on. Even though large group to have been accepted for asy- go to each country, with family unity a major His wife, Man Maya Chamalagai, 65, fears I was not involved, I was arrested and beaten. lum in the United States. Beginning in 2008, consideration. the future. “I am in a big dilemma. I have Finally, we were given an ultimatum by the thousands began to leave the camps for cities been living here for a long time. Now the Bhutanese authorities to leave the country. all over America. While a few other coun- Beldangi II future is uncertain. I do not know what is But we never thought that we would have to tries have agreed to take some refugees, a full There are seven main encampments near going to happen to us once we are in USA. live in Nepal for 18 years.” 60 percent will go to the US. Damak. The largest, holding 22,000 Bhu- I am not sure what kind of life we will lead Paykurel is the head of a family whose Moving such a population, even at a rate tanese, is Beldangi II—a warren of bamboo there.” Their two daughters, Lekha Devi and migration to America was followed by of 1,500 per month, considering relocation huts, tall trees and ubiquitous mud. It is ac- Parvati, know nothing but life as refugees. “I Hinduism Today (see sidebar, page 27). At to all countries, takes time. The first and cessible (at least, when the rivers are not in do not have the citizenship of any country the time of this interview, two of Prem’s bravest are already established in far-flung flood) only via a circuitous unpaved road. right now,” says Lekha Devi. “In the USA, I children had already flown to America. He places like New York and Utah; while rela- The IOM arranged for Hinduism Today to hope my dreams will come true.” and his family feel the time for their bet- tives remain in the camps, receiving letters visit and interview residents here. Mr. Chamalgai continues, “My ancestors ter future has finally come. “I have waited with tales of the New World and anxious- Impressions on entering the camp are and forefathers migrated to Bhutan from for so long living in these camps, thinking ly—sometimes hesitantly—awaiting their mixed. The lush green trees provide a pleas- Nepal. Our customs and traditions are simi- a day would come when we would go back turn. During the wait, they take classes on ant atmosphere, in contrast to the litter and lar to those that prevail in Nepal. So, we be- to our native Bhutan,” he laments. “Life has the various aspects of modern Western life, garbage on the paths between the huts. A long in Nepal.” Nepal, however, refuses to been really miserable here, and especially which is much different from anything most few structures of round, curved shiny metal, grant them residency (see page 31). the children went through a lot. I am taking

Temporary for Nineteen Years photos: thomas kelly

(Counter-clockwise from upper left) The habi- tations are simple and structurally weak, made of bamboo and adobe, designed to be bulldozed with ease. After two decades, many are in a dilapidated condition. Preparing coal briquettes to use as fuel, burning of which has adverse impacts on health. Good education, taught in English, provides a doorway to a better future. Weaving Nepalese traditional clothing. Water bottles abound in the absence of plumbing. A local priest inside a small Lakshmi temple. rajiv malik photos: rajiv malik 20 hinduism today january/february/march, 2010 january/february/march,january/february/march, 20102010 hinduismhinduism todaytoday 2121 this decision of going to USA only because it with us.” He and a few other priests perform and that water runs in pipes day and night. and potential problems. “These refugees are Perekkatt continues, “Ninety-five percent of established more easily. But Perekkatt is still will ensure a good life for them. But I know samskaras, blessings, marriages and crema- To help overcome the language barrier, short treated better than any refugees with whom those who came here were Hindus, and the confident that the children are being prop- my wife and I will have to endure many tion ceremonies. There are also a number crucial sentences and key English word I have worked in my whole life. The camps rest were Buddhists. Now there are the occa- erly taught. He says with pride, “Some of our hardships.” of pundits in the camps, such as Adhikari are taught. Refugees with just a few dozen are well run, and the infrastructure is good. sional Christians, less than five percent after students who are now in American schools and Pundit Kashi Nath Ghimere, who com- words in their vocabulary display pride in The government of Nepal has been quite be- 18 years.” He did not explain how five per- have written that they are performing bet- A Time of Transition pleted his education in Bhutan and studied their accomplishment, little aware of how nevolent toward them. In other situations I cent had become converted, given the camp ter than other people in their class.” He says For most refugees, is seems, a buoyant hope Sanskrit in India. A pundit’s functions over- much must yet be learned. have seen, refugee camps are closed, and ref- rules prohibiting proselytization—though many resettled Bhutanese write to him from for a bright future keeps the painful past at lap with the priests’, but they focus more on Classes on health and hygiene teach how ugees are confined like prisoners. This is not there are churches in the area. America, telling about their life, their jobs bay, but some have lost much. Yogacharya providing sacraments than on ritual worship. the standards of personal cleanliness are the case here. Refugees freely move in and Caritas’ main challenge nowadays is to and their challenges. “These are good people; Narayan Adhikari held a high position in Pundit Ghimere is busy working not only much different in an American city than in out of the camps. They travel to India and find, among the refugees, good school teach- some are making 25 dollars an hour there.” Bhutan: “For many years I was an elected among the refugees but the local Nepalese the camp. Other sessions focus on flying in to Kathmandu. Technically, they should not ers who speak English, the medium of in- (The average yearly income in Nepal is $471.) member of parliament, the national assem- population as well. Another pundit, Bhola an airplane, what to expect at security, how work, but many do, and that releases some struction. Perekkatt laments, “Last year, 600 bly of Bhutan. I represented our people and Nath Sapkota, carries the degree of Acha- the toilets work and even how to operate the of the tensions that would arise from having of our 1,100 teachers left for resettlement. Camp Conditions tried to serve the interests of all in the best raya in Sanskrit Grammar from Varanasi. He control for the in-flight entertainment. tens of thousands of people idle. Some even Soon 291 more will be leaving.” This is a The camp organizers are suffering from possible way. Then there was cultural and explains, “There are no differences in the Students are encouraged to ask questions. have good jobs that pay well.” consequence of the policy of sending the what Human Rights Watch calls “donor religious annihilation done by the Bhutan Hindu dharma when it comes to Bhutanese The most basic answers may be the ones “Unfortunately, there is a rule, issued by more educated people first to the US and fatigue,”which set in before the current re- government. First, they made a certain dress Hindus; it is only a few traditional practices they will need the most as they brave their Nepal, that structures should not be perma- other countries, knowing that they will get cession. In December 2006, the World Food compulsory: everyone was supposed to wear that might be unique.” awkward new world. The instructors use nent. But refugees here are themselves the only that. Then, all that was deemed not part mock settings to help them visualize, in- de facto government of the camp; they run of the official culture was forbidden.” Orientation Classes teract with and understand what they will for offices and get elected in hotly contested Adhikari’s current focus is on teaching Most of the refugees have known only the encounter. They see and touch objects, and elections. I have found the leaders to be ex- yoga and meditation in America once he simple life of farming, working the moun- pass around pictures of everything from traordinarily good administrators who care relocates to Pennsylvania, where some of tainous land and living in houses made of dressing styles to airport signs. about their people.” his relatives are already settled. His main mud mixed with yak dung. Ms. Jennifer The aid programs for them in the US will The IOM, the United Nations and a Chris- message is: “Youth must always remember Pro, Overseas Processing Supervisor of the be short term, so everyone is encouraged to tian relief organization called Caritas provide their duties towards dharma. We Bhutanese IOM, knows well the challenge of integrat- think now about getting a job. Pictures de- the infrastructure and the resources for the refugees have to be known as good people, of ing them into gigantic cities like New York, picting nurses, construction workers, drivers, camps. The IOM is the main organizer; the right conduct and behavior. Our youth must Cleveland or Los Angeles, each with popula- clerks and people in other professions are UN provides various services, including live correctly for us to get a good image all tions many times that of Bhutan’s. passed around, eliciting animated questions primary education and part of the funding; over the world.” In addition to a standard education for from students. Yogacharya Adhikari volun- Caritas contributes food and provides educa- Hinduism is intrinsically woven into the the children—some of whom surpass their teers, “We are told how to hunt for jobs so tion at the ninth and tenth grade levels. identity of the people here. It was one of the American peers—the IOM provides cultural that we can become self-dependent, which Father Varkey Perekkatt is with Caritas main factors that distinguished them from orientation classes for refugees whose move is the most important thing.” Nepal, which is part of the Society of Jesus, the dominant Drukpa Bhutanese. They are has been scheduled. The curriculum is de- or Jesuits, a group that, historically, has en- free to practice Hinduism in the camps, and signed to help them understand their host Camp Management gaged in intense and widespread conversion conversion efforts are forbidden by the camp country and survive in it. The instructors, David Derthick, Resettlement Program efforts. According to Perekkatt, Caritas has administrators. There are several small tem- though called “volunteers,” are paid $500 a Manager for the International Organization a different goal. “In the curriculum in our ples in Beldangi II. Sitaram Adhikari, priest month. To qualify, they must have actually for Migration, sighs with relief when talking schools there is nothing special about reli- of the Lakshmi Temple, shares, “Without lived in the host country. about the massive effort to send the refugees gion. We are not running a Hindu school or the temple, none of us could feel blissful and According to instructor Shashwat, the to America. Notwithstanding all the work a Christian school. I am a Catholic priest, but peaceful.” He worries that he will have trou- refugees are taught about all aspects of life involved, it is easier, and more humane, than we are here in a humanitarian, secular as- ble finding puja supplies in the US: “Kusha, in their future home, particularly those that maintaining a refugee camp. Overall, he says, sistance. Under that condition, religion does till, au and tulsi are four things we must have will seem most alien to them. For example, the camps have worked remarkably well over not count.” Refugees similarly reported that for our puja, but we cannot take the seeds they learn that toilets are inside the house, the 19 years, considering all the tensions there is little or no proselytizing at the camps.

A People with Their Life on Hold

(Left to right) Excited with the visit of journalists, children gather outside of the small huts. Many of these children will be key to a successful integration of their family in America. The Chamalgai fam- ily poses outside their hut with photos of their relatives in America. At the camp, the stone on the scale might not be a precise

tool, but ensures that all will get an equal rajiv malik amount. Refugees receive food from the UN’s World Food Programme. The WFP provides food, on average, to 90 million people per year. Recent scarcity in funding has led to supply cuts at the camps and worry among the refugees.

22 hinduism today january/february/march, 2010 january/february/march, 2010 hinduism today 23 all photos thomas kelly Program warned that it had not yet received reach the camps. to fight Bhutan’s government for their rights. Clearly puzzled, he replied, “I will be honest: any international donations to fund its food Security is an constant concern. In May Many chose this path of confrontation be- I never thought of this before. I was reading aid to the refugees for the next two years, and of 2008, two IOM buses were attacked and tween 2004 and 2006.” Much of the anger your magazine today and realized that their would be forced to cut their rations. Caritas set on fire. No one was hurt, but Derthick calmed down when, in 2006, an American rich culture is a new dimension to me. Hon- stopped distributing clothing in 2002. Like- says the message was clear: “There is a small delegation visited the camps and offered estly, I do not know. Here we are just giving wise, the UN, compelled by budgetary con- group of refugees which does not want the asylum soon thereafter. But tensions and fear them nuts-and-bolts information on how to straints to scale back assistance programs, refugees to resettle. In another incident, a are still commonplace. survive in America and other countries.” He stopped providing vegetables and spices grenade was thrown into this compound.” Vishnumaya Oli, a 27-year-old English adds, however, that in selecting the country to supplement basic rations. Refugees who Those against the resettlement feel that Bhu- teacher and a refugee, says, “The problem of resettlement the UN “values the impor- have no outside income can now prepare tan should take them back, and that accept- now is that almost all the educated peo- tance of family unity and would not send only the most basic meals, with little variety ing the resettlement is a display of weakness. ple have already left the camp and settled some members of a family to Australia and and poor nutritional value. Sometimes there Others would rather be accepted as citizens abroad. Those who are here now are most- others to the United States.” just isn’t enough, and tensions mount. of Nepal, or to receive asylum in India. ly uneducated, and many are negative in The cutbacks have been many, and the Perenkkatt explains that Nepal has tried their outlook. Some create disturbance in impact is dramatic. The materials needed to negotiate with Bhutan on behalf of the the camp. Just a few days back, one of the Arriving in America to fix the roofs of their simple huts, for ex- refugees: “Fifteen rounds of talks took place camp’s leaders was stabbed to death. We By Lavina Melwani, New York ample, are no longer available, and leaks between Bhutan and Nepal. Bhutan came up do not know if the murderer is a refugee or ne can only imagine what a hul- abound. During the rainy season, entire with conditions very few were able to agree a local Nepalese with a vendetta. But things labaloo there would be if America families crowd together in the small parts to, including planning a closed camp where are getting worse.” Vishnumaya’s relatives were to push out thousands of its of their huts that are still dry, or take shel- refugees would live for two years study- have already left. “My parents have settled in O naturalized citizens, stripping them ter in another family’s hut. Leaky roofs in ing Bhutan’s main culture. After that, they the US, and they are extremely happy there. of all rights, based simply on the language school classrooms mean that the jute mats would take exams on it and renounce their They call me up every day and ask me to join they spoke or the faith they practiced! Yet on which the students sit become soggy; own former culture. But even that offer was them.” Bhutan has managed to do this with impu- there are no chairs, so the children must at- restricted to only a few, and eventually with- Hinduism Today asked Derthik if con- nity, destroying the lives of thousands of its tend classes standing up. drawn. When all this was announced, peo- sideration is given to helping the Bhutanese own citizens who thereafter languished in Probably the biggest impact of budget ple went wild and violent. After that, many Hindus retain their cultural and personal refugee camps, their lives disrupted and put cuts was the switch from kerosene to coal young refugees went to Maoists and wanted identities during the relocation process. on hold. Youth who were born in the camps briquettes for cooking. While briquettes are cheaper, they also have serious disadvan- tages compared to kerosene, including health hazards. How America Deals with Refugees The Emigration Process The IOM estimates that 25,000 refugees have left for other countries so far. “Every- he Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration of the US mostly a function of available capacity in an affiliates’ community. thing is going on smoothly. Every month State Department is responsible for the initial phases of refu- From time to time, when local conditions dictate, some affiliates are about 1,500 people are leaving,” says David Tgee resettlement. In fiscal eary 2009, which ended on Septem- unable to take on any more refugees. One example would be a city Derthick. “I expect this to be the case for ber 30, 2009, the US accepted 74,652 refugees from countries all over where entry-level jobs are not available. Family reunification is a next several years. Certain refugees families the world. 18, 833 refugees were admitted from Iraq, 18,202 from primary goal. here are frustrated because we have a big Burma (Myanmar) and 13,452 from Bhutan. These three countries The system is not perfect, Wills said, but “America has been reset- backlog. But I think 1,500 people is a lot, all accounted for nearly 70% of all US refugees for the year. The bureau tling refugees for a long time.” “People do better,” she explains, “if they things considered.” attempts to spread out the refugees’ arrivals through the year at dive right in. We know it is hard, but if refugees who are able to work He describes some of the logistical chal- about 1,000/week so as to not overwhelm the ten “Resettlement start working as soon as possible, they will assimilate and feel truly lenges that can overshadow the extensive Agencies” that work under contract with the State Department. a part of the country sooner.” She noted that the current economic paperwork and refugee training. For three There are five Christian agencies, including the US Confer- downturn has highlighted weaknesses in the refugee resettlement months of the year, the fog in the Damak ence of Catholic Bishops, one Jewish agency, three secular program, and that the White House has created an interagen- region is so thick that few planes can fly to ones and the State of Iowa. These, in turn, work with cy task force to explore how to improve the program. Kathmandu, whence refugees fly to India approximately 350 “affiliates,” often local branches of Wills was pleased to hear of the Hindu organizations and then America. During other times of the resettlement agencies, which are located in all 50 helping after the initial eighth month period, which they the year, rivers flood, making it impossible to states. The responsibility of these groups lasts for just readily admit is too short and are trying to lengthen. We eight months, during which they supply the refugees asked about attempts to convert, common to relief ef- with basic necessities and core services while assisting forts, such as those following the 2004 tsunami. Wills them to achieve economic self-sufficiency “as soon as pointed to the agreement between the agencies and the Flying to America possible after their arrival,” according to the agreement Bureau, which requires faith-based agencies and affiliates to between the agencies and the government. Refugees are en- keep their religious activities separate from their refugee work, titled to work as soon as they arrive in the US; after one year they and that they “may not require refugees to profess a certain faith or (From top to bottom) With their few posses- may apply for permanent residence (“Green Card”). The Green Card participate in religious activities in order to receive services.” She sions packed, families wait to board the air- would not be denied except under unusual circumstances. After five expressed interest in learning of any activities to the contrary, either plane, leaving behind, for the second time in years as a permanent resident, they may apply for citizenship. in the Nepal camps or in the US. their lives, the only place they know as home; Gina Wills, public affairs specialist of the Bureau, told Hinduism The Statue of Liberty says upon its base, “Give me your tired, your intrigued students listen carefully at cultural Today that there is a meeting each Wednesday at which the place- poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched orientation classes that are well-organized and ment of incoming refugees is determined by the resettlement refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest- effective; boarding the airplane in the small lo- agencies themselves. The agencies match the specific needs of each tossed to me.” It is a promise first made in 1886, and one kept to cal airport, refugees fly into a new future. all photos: thonas kelly family, or individual with the particular resources available in the this day by the USA, aided by hundreds of charitable organizations community of the agencies’ affiliates. Where refugees end up is across the country.

24 hinduism today january/february/march, 2010 january/february/march, 2010 hinduism today 25 have wasted the best years of their lives–up hundred years, one-third of its residents him. For Mishra, as for all the refugees, it cousins, uncles and aunts. Those who have to 20 years–living in limbo, with no dreams have been foreign born. tells a tale of unrequited love. Mishra is more left their parents behind in the camp look and no future. Two decades have been spent T.P. Mishra, now 25, was just six years old fortunate than most: he has an education to the elders here as surrogate parents. As in as stateless people, belonging nowhere, al- when his father was beaten up, kept under that is enabling him to do some worthwhile a family, everyone is closely connected. Says lowed to have no allegiance, no sense of police surveillance and then stripped of his things. With his faithful laptop by his side, Mishra: “Sometimes I feel I’m not in Amer- purpose. citizenship. The whole family was expelled he is a journalist in exile; and he provided ica—I still feel I’m within the camp or with Difficult as their situation has been, there from Bhutan, and since then Mishra knew Hinduism Today a window into the world my community. If I lack anything, I can come is a silver lining: the offer of the United no other home but the congested huts of the of the Bhutanese refugees. The voice of his down to my neighbor’s and open the fridge States to resettle up to 60,000 of the 106,000 refugee camp until he arrived in the US on community, he has his own website (www. and take what I need. And if they lack any- refugees. About 8,000 have already arrived July 2, 2009. tpmishra.com) and two blogs. thing they can come to me.” in the US and been given government assis- Mishra lives in a rundown, bleak and yet Mishra’s sister Tika is a lovely girl, but she Hinduism Today also visited the fam- tance to settle down. But this help is for just somehow handsome old apartment building, looks wan and pale, low in joy and smiles. ily of Jaya Narayan, 78, and his wife Nar eight months, after which they have to fend a place with an unkempt, struggling patch She is learning English through the Interna- Maya, 68. The whole family—sons, daugh- for themselves. Many of the refugees speak of grass in front. In this hard neighborhood, tional Rescue Committee, the resettlement ters, grandchildren and grandparents—are no English and have no marketable skills. even the grass has to fight to survive. In agency. The days seem to hang heavy on her, dressed in traditional garb, the men with a What will life be like for them as they try Mishra’s apartment, there is scant furniture as she has no job. Her younger sister Dillu is Nepali topi or cap, the women with Nepal- to get their bearings in a world light years and the barest of necessities. There are no working in a factory, packing food. As they ese scarves and jewelry, their faces leathery removed from their simple rural existence, fancy décor items, just a black sofa, a chair improve their English, their access to the and weather-beaten. Happy to meet another first in Bhutan, and then in Nepal? Certainly and, on one side, a couch where he sleeps. outside world will increase. Hindu, they take their visitor to their small their lives will be very different. And each The bedroom is shared by his two sisters, Mishra’s building houses the largest set- makeshift shrine for their evening arati. Nar family’s situation will vary depending on the Tika and Dillu. The parents are still in the tlement of Bhutanese refugees in the New Maya lights a divya and her husband blows towns and cities they land in, from Ohio to camp, waiting their turn. York area: 50 people in 9 families living in loudly on the small conch as the family Georgia to California, New York and New A miniature flag has pride of place on his the same walk-up building. They move eas- gather close. Hindu values are intact here. Jersey. Those here now are finding the peo- side table, a part of his life wherever he goes, ily among each other’s units, eating together, No matter how little the refugees have, they ple, the economy, the climate and even the wherever he lives. It is his identity. It is the chatting about world and personal matters, share it, even with strangers. The steaming, language vastly different between Anchor- flag of Bhutan, the country that disowned almost like an extended family of many sweet milky chai, served in steel tumblers, is age, Alaska; Oakland, California; Houston, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; and right here in New York City, where just about everyone’s ancestor came as a refugee from one country Jump Starting a New Life or another over the last two centuries.

The Bronx’s Little Bhutan By Lavina Melwani, New York A Little Bhutan is taking shape in the rough, here are some new neighbors in Cleveland, and they are not hard-nosed Bronx borough of New York. the Smiths or the Joneses but the Pyakurels—the same family The Bronx is a traditional landing place for TRajiv Malik met and interviewed in Nepal just a few weeks immigrants—at any given time in the last ago. Meet Prem Prasa and his wife Chhala Maya, both 47. Their two sons are Indra, 25, and Tika Ram, 14, and the daughters are Nirmala, 23 and Sabitra, 17. They were confined in the camp for 17 years and have just stepped into the brightness and vastness of America. They bijay dixit left Nepal in late September, 2009. Hinduism Today’s team met them both at the camp and as they departed Kathmandu. They are joining two of their brothers and their families already in Cleveland, Ohio, as part of the US government’s family reunification scheme. Through August, 2009, 152 Bhutanese had been settled here. Their nephew Hari Bhakta, who is already settled in this Midwest city, introduces us to them and tells us about their lives. He says his uncle, Prem Prasa, was a farmer in Bhutan and served as a gatekeep- er in a school at the camp in Nepal. His uncle was most intrigued by the language and climate differences in America. He would return to farming, if it is available. Says Hari: “My uncle came here for the better education of his children, for the progress of his family and to live as a citizen.” Asked about the emotions of his aunt on coming to America and whether she spoke any English, he says, “She feels pleasant and happy on reaching America because she hopes to live a better life. She does not speak English but is able to write her family names in English.” It is typical of refugees from any country to the US that the elders seldom learn the language, while the middle age learn just enough to hold a job. It is only the young who actually become flu-

lavina melwani ent. Hari says that his young cousins will continue their education (Left) The Internet has been a boon for the community to keep in touch worldwide; while working part time. “They feel that they are going to live as thomas kelly (above top) Houston Bhutanese teens gather for a group portrait in their school uni- Americans and do better in the future.” Hinduism Today correspondent Rajiv Malik (right) waves goodbye forms; (above lower) Jaya Narayan, 78, conducts arati in his simple home shrine to the Pyakurel family (father Prem Prasa in cap, son behind and

lavina melwani wife and daughter in front) just prior to their flight to the US

26 hinduism today january/february/march, 2010 january/february/march,january/february/march,july/august/september, 200720102010 hhinduismhinduism i nduism todaytodaytoday 2727 delicious. gee camp in Nepal.” observations and impressions. First off, he cate his throne. The fifth king is far-sighted plains, varies greatly. California and the Religious Persecution Persists Their home shrine is in a closet, with coats Sharma says the 300 Bhutanese already confides, “I thought all the Americans are and a visionary leader.” South, except for Texas, have been hard-hit The refugees’ Hindu faith sees them through hung incongruously on top. On the wall are in Minnesota have formed Nirvana Cen- multi-millionaires. I thought on every cor- by the recession. Depending on location, un- their tribulations. Yet it is this Hindu faith calendars with the images of Sri Krishna and ter, a collaborative effort with local Hindu ner of the street people will hire for a job and American Hindus Step Up employment can run 30 to 80%. “Employ- and culture which—almost outlawed by Lakshmi, and in the shrine photos of their families. The Center provides familiar food it won’t be hard to get employment. Things The Bhutanese refugees present a new sce- ment is the biggest challenge; after that is Bhutan—has, to a large extent, been respon- family members who have passed on. An oil items, winter clothes and other necessities didn’t happen that way, and it is really tough nario for the American-Hindu community: cultural adjustment, especially for the older sible for their loss of homeland. And now, lamp divya burns on the table, a makeshift to arriving refugees. Sharma shares, “So far, and challenging to find jobs. Initially we how to help a largely uneducated group of ones. Cold winter weather, which keeps even in America, that same Hindu faith is attempt to retain religion in their daily life. Minneapolis has been very good place for thought we won’t find people who would Hindus settle down. Nearly all previous im- them indoors, is a great hardship for those under siege, as some refugees report coer- Narayan’s large, shining computer con- resettlement. We have many more benefits help us but we found people who not only migrants from the Indian region have been with no transportation.” cion to embrace Christianity. On the line are trasts with the Spartan furnishings. The than other states.” helped us but cared for us. They touched our educated professionals for whom carving a Asked how the Bhutanese have been re- jobs, material comforts and an easier life. refugees have learned that a computer is She says what while most of the people lives. My three uncles and their families are niche in America was little challenge. But ceived by the Hindu community, Sreenath The resettlement agencies handling the essential for connecting with their commu- come from a farming background, the com- resettled at South Dakota.” this group is different, and a number of Hin- replies, “In all the places that Sewa Interna- refugees for the first eight months are ex- nity, be they in Australia or Wisconsin, USA. munity also includes some professionals He found life in the camps left them total- du temples and organizations have stepped tional has been working, the Hindu com- pressly forbidden to proselytize among them. Through video, they can watch each other who are both studying and working, thus ly unprepared for the US. While they were in to help. munity has more than embraced them. In a But such efforts have been an issue. Sreenath and laugh and talk together. Young and old preparing for the future. All are Hindu. She happy to escape the growing discontent, he Sree N. Sreenath (see his In My Opinion, few places Sewa International does not have says, “All refugees tell us that the missionar- gathered around the computer, having a mentions, “Nirvana Center is the outcome says, “the cost of resettlement is too high. page 9) is president of Sewa International, volunteers, and the community is left to fend ies who visited them in the camps said that video chat with their daughters in Australia. of people’s needs and hunger to preserve our Most had not expected life to be so different. one of the key Hindu-American organiza- for themselves. But even then, the refugees there are no Hindu temples in the US. Every- The Bronx Bhutanese were getting ready culture and religion. We have satsang every Some are really disturbed, our seniors espe- tions working with the Bhutanese across are pleasantly surprised by the warmth that one is a Christian, and they will also have to for Dashain. The country of Nepal shuts fortnight, and we completed the Art of Liv- cially. Be it buying groceries, banking, mak- America (www.sewausa.org/bhutanese- mainstream America has shown them.” become one, and it is better they do so right down for two weeks each year in September/ ing workshop, which people loved.” ing appointments or job interviews, people refugee-empowerment-project). He ex- away because they will get better benefits. October to celebrate. Abi Sivakoti says, “We are having multi-dimensional catastrophes.” plains the challenges: only about 20% of the Looking Forward This kind of talk continues to be a problem pray for ten days, and on the tenth day we Impressions and Challenges Poudel wants to pursue graduate studies, group have any college education and hence The stars in this drama, Sreenath recounts in the southern states here. But wherever get blessings and tikka from our parents. We Santi Ram Poudel spent 16 long years in but must balance that desire with his need a working knowledge of English. These have with pride, are the children. “There are many Sewa International is working, the mission- have a very good meal, and that’s how we Maidhar Refugee Camp. Before that he lived to make money and his essential role in gotten and held jobs, and bought their first straight-A students. Those who were in high ary activities are low, if non-existent.” celebrate. There are so many pandits in the in the village of Lalihapper, a backward and the community: “For some, I need to write cell phone, computer and used car. At the school in the Nepal camps are a year ahead refugee camps but there isn’t one here. We remote place where there were no motor their checks, read the letters and interpret other end of the spectrum are some 40% in math and science compared to the lo- How to Help do hope to get one here because we don’t roads, schools or markets. During the 1990s, for them, solve family issues, encourage and who are functionally illiterate. They speak cal American students. Of course, they are You can contact Sewa International through want to miss out on our culture.” he recalls, Bhutan used its military and civil provide moral support.” only Nepali—not even Hindi, which would struggling with English and social studies, their web site, or track down the Bhutanese servants to wipe out the Nepali-speaking He expressed a common dilemma, pres- help them get jobs in Indian businesses. An- due to language.” in your area using public-domain govern- Mangala Sharma, Activist Southern Bhutanese through torture, rape, ent even for refugees in the camps: “If I other 20% are under-employed. The work is Sreenath feels the Bhutanese accept ment documents available at www.scribd. Mangala Sharma, now living in Minnesota, murder and burning of homes. Poudel was make a phone call or visit my relatives in mostly minimum wage—restaurants, motels, America as home. “Having lived in jail-like, com/ht_resources. They include lists of all came to the US in 2000 after receiving polit- one of the lucky ones. He obtained an edu- Bhutan, the government will suspect them convenience stores, gas stations and the like. squalid camp conditions for 17 years, they cities the refugees are settled in and a list of ical asylum. Since then, she has been work- cation under these difficult circumstances— and may expel them. This is how the life is!” These are legal workers, and that is an ad- find US to be a paradise—especially once all local sponsoring agencies contracted to ing to advocate on behalf of the refugees. She though his Master of Science in Urban Plan- Still, he affirms, “I respect my country and I vantage. They’ve appealed for jobs from the they find a job and settle down. The ones the government. There are only a few in any explains, “I was born and raised in Bhutan. In ning from Tribhavan University, Katmandu, feel proud to be a Bhutanese citizen. It may business community, and, as one community who are in their 30s would like to go back, given area, so it should be possible to find fact, I am the fourth generation of women means little in America. Presently he is a co- take time to resolve the crisis, but it will be leader said, “have had some great successes— but only as tourists. The children couldn’t the one working with the Bhutanese and ar- born in Bhutan in my family. I used to work ordinator in a nonprofit assisting immigrants. resolved. The fourth king of Bhutan realized and some spectacular exploitation.” care less.” range to contact a community representative. for the United Nations; then I lived in a refu- Insightful and articulate, Poudel shares his his mistakes and he did not hesitate to abdi- The employment situation, Sreenath ex- Such support is golden. ∏π

An Emphasis on Family & Community

(Left to right) Bhutanese girls dancing at a Hindu community event, October 18, 2009; Mahesh and Durga Neopaney, both 26, with Manisha, 3, and Mandeep, 3 months; Bhuta- nese participants in the Vishwa Hindu Pari- shad of America summer camp in Houston, July, 2009 included young and old alike; young Bhutanese children and their mothers pose outside their apartment complex bijay dixit bijay dixit vhp houston 28 hinduism today january/february/march, 2010 january/february/march,january/february/march, 20102010 hinduismhinduism todaytoday 29 vhp houston 29 card. A series of “Bhutanization” measures Watch: “The army took all the people from verification process” to determine which in line with Bhutan’s “one nation, one people” their houses. My father left the house and refugees would be able to return. Human Rights Watch’s Dreary Report policy exacerbated a state of fear and resent- went to India. The army sent us the form The process of “verifying” the status of ment by trying to impose a distinct national issued by the government [voluntary mi- refugees and placing them in one of four cat- identity. On January 16, 1989, the king issued gration form]. They said that we had to go egories broke down after a joint Nepal-Bhu- In 2007, the international group violent campaign in North Ben- bureaucracy, the army and the police, and a decree requiring all citizens to observe the out. They said if you go now you will get tan verification team assessed only one camp, Human Rights Watch issued an gal in India, on Bhutan’s western were made members of the cabinet and the traditional Drukpa code of values, dress and some money. Some people got a little money. and not a single refugee has been allowed to in-depth analysis of the Bhuta- border, for an independent Ne- judiciary. etiquette called driglam namzha. Then in On the way [as we left Bhutan] there were return to Bhutan as a result of this process. nese refugee situation. These are pali state. February 1989 the government removed the many police. We were forced to sign the selected verbatim excerpts from Denial of Citizenship Nepali language from the curriculum in all document. They snapped our photos. The Nepalis Remaining in Bhutan that report. We begin with the Bhutan’s Ethnic Landscape By the late 1970s the Drukpa establishment schools in southern Bhutan. man told me to smile, to show my teeth. He Bhutan continues to discriminate against the report’s footnote #6, Threat to a The Bhutanese refugee crisis has had come to see the ethnic Nepalis’ growing remaining ethnic Nepali population in Bhu- Nation’s Survival. It answers—to its roots in the history of migra- numbers and influence as a threat to Bhu- Backlash and Expulsion tan. Ethnic Nepalis have great difficulties ob- some extent—a puzzling question: Why tion to Bhutan, the resulting ethnically di- tan’s cultural identity and the Drukpas’ own Ethnic Nepalis perceived these poli- taining so-called No Objection Certificates has Bhutan, the nation famous for trying to verse make-up of the country’s population, privileged position. Increasingly, Bhutan’s cies as a direct attack on their cul- tibet (NOCs), which are a pre-requisite for gov- improve its “Gross National Happiness,” ex- and the harsh policies of Bhutan’s absolute ruling elite asserted that the majority of the tural identity. This led to growing nepal ernment employment, access to higher edu- pelled one-sixth of its population? monarchy towards its ethnic Nepali minor- ethnic Nepalis in Bhutan were not in fact unrest in southern Bhutan, culmi- cation, obtaining trade and business licenses, ity. The politically and culturally dominant citizens but illegal immigrants who threat- nating in mass demonstrations in bhutan travel documents, and buying and selling “Threat to a Nation’s Survival” Ngalongs, who live mainly in the central and ened Bhutan’s “survival as a distinct po- September and October 1990. The land. Being denied a NOC deprives a per- [In a 1993 report by Bhutan’s Ministry of western regions of Bhutan, are of Tibetan litical and cultural entity.” The government government response was swift. son of almost all means of earning a living. Home Affairs entitled “The Southern Prob- descent; their ancestors arrived in Bhutan invoked these perceived threats as justifica- The authorities classified all par- Moreover, Bhutan’s remaining ethnic Nepali lem: Threat to a Nation’s Survival] referring in the 8th and 9th centuries. The Ngalongs tion for a series of discriminatory measures ticipants in the demonstrations as citizens face ongoing threats to their citizen- bangladesh to the millions of ethnic Nepalis in India, the speak Dzongkha and follow the Drukpa Ka- aimed at the political, economic and cultural ngolops (“anti-nationals”), arrest- india ship status. A nationwide census completed government of Bhutan raised the specter gyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, which is exclusion of Bhutan’s ethnic Nepalis. Two ing thousands of people. The gov- in 2005 classifies 13 percent of current Bhu- of a “relentless tide of the Nepali diaspora” Bhutan’s state religion. Bhutan’s king, Jigme new Citizenship Acts were passed in quick ernment then closed all schools in tanese permanent residents as “non-nation- imposing “a state of democratic siege on Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, is a Ngalong. succession, in 1977 and 1985, each tightening southern Bhutan and suspended als.” While most ethnic Nepalis in Bhutan

Bhutan.” The government asserted that “the The Sharchhops, who live in eastern Bhutan, the requirements for Bhutanese citizenship. health services. wikimedia do not believe that they are currently at im- southern Bhutan problem is neither a move- are of Indo-Burmese origin, speak Tshangla The 1985 Citizenship Act was followed by By the end of 1990 the Bhutanese minent risk of being expelled from Bhutan, ment for democracy nor an issue concerning (which is closely related to Dzongkha) and a new census in 1988. This census amounted authorities coerced the first ethnic Nepalis wanted to show that I was leaving my coun- they fear that without citizenship cards and human rights. It is simply an attempt by an follow the Nyingma school of Tibetan Bud- to a selective, arbitrary and retroactive im- to leave Bhutan. They released some ethnic try willingly, happily, that I was not forced to without NOCs, life in Bhutan will eventually ethnic community to turn themselves into a dhism. Together the Ngalongs and Sharch- plementation of the 1985 Act. The authori- Nepalis from prison on condition that they leave. Only one member of my family signed. become so difficult as to leave many of them majority through illegal immigration in or- hops are known as Drukpas. The third major ties excluded ethnic Nepalis from becoming would leave the country, while giving others My mother gave her thumbprint.” with little choice but to leave the country. der to take over political power.” group, who differ greatly from the Druk- naturalized citizens, as provided for under categorized as non-nationals under the 1988 Some of the ethnic Nepalis who fled or Developments in the region no doubt con- pas in terms of culture, language, and reli- the 1985 Act; instead, the authorities re- census the “choice” to leave the country or were expelled from Bhutan settled in India, Further Expulsions? tributed to these fears. In 1975, the neigh- gion, are ethnic Nepalis in southern Bhutan, stricted Bhutanese citizenship to ethnic Ne- face imprisonment. The security forces ha- but most refugees ended up in Nepal. Refugees voiced to Human Rights Watch boring kingdom of Sikkim ceased to be an called Lhotshampas; they speak Nepali and palis who had records, such as tax receipts, rassed many ethnic Nepalis, in some cases persistent fears that Bhutan might use the independent state and merged with India, are predominantly Hindu. Ethnic Nepalis to prove residence in Bhutan in 1958—30 destroying their homes. The authorities Nepal-Bhutan Negotiations Fail resettlement offer as a pretext to force its following a referendum in which the Nepali first began migrating to Bhutan in the nine- years before the census. Bhutanese officials forced the majority into exile by intimidat- Refugees have the right under international remaining ethnic Nepali citizens to leave the migrants, who had come to outnumber the teenth century. Many became eligible for classified people who could not prove resi- ing them into signing so-called “voluntary law to return to their own country. However, country. One refugee said, “Government of- Buddhist Sikkimese, were instrumental. In Bhutanese citizenship under the 1958 Na- dence in 1958 as non-nationals, “returned migration forms.” in a flawed process that was widely discred- ficials in villages are saying to Lhotshampas, the mid-1980s the Gorkha National Libera- tionality Law. Moreover, from the mid-1950s migrants,” or other illegal immigrant cat- A young man’s testimony was typical of ited by international observers and refugee ‘Your relatives are going to America, why are tion Front led an ultimately unsuccessful but ethnic Nepalis began to be admitted into the egories, even if they possessed a citizenship the accounts refugees gave to Human Rights experts, Bhutan and Nepal instituted a “joint you still here?’” ∏π v Why Won’t Nepal Accept the Refugees Permanently?

hy the ethnic Nepalese were ejected from Bhutan in the Pahadis dominate the govern- first place is a puzzling question, but equally puzzling is ment, army and police. We Wwhy Nepal, their ancestral home, refuses to grant them have faced discrimination for citizenship. A Nepalese academic gave us this candid assessment: ages, but as we are 50% of the “In 1992, when Nepal was still ruled by King Bhirendra, the king population, our votes are im- invited the refugees [to Nepal] to embarrass India in the interna- portant. The refugees are also tional arena. Nepal does not have a border with Bhutan. The refu- Pahadis. King Birendra and Queen Aiswarya gees had to travel through India, making India’s refusal to protect “We are against the assimi- the vagrant minority very visible. These refugees were given the best lation and settlement of the thomas kelly possible care by the King. The Nepalese government enjoyed inter- Bhutanese refugees in the Terai as they will take our land and our national prestige and benefitted from the financial aid pouring in to jobs. It is because of our opposition that the government will not help the refugees. The Maoist government retained this approach. consider accepting the refugees permanently. “I am part of the large population of Madhesis, people of Indian “We Madhesis are opposed to these refugees and are sympathetic origin who live in the Terai or plains regions of Nepal. We speak to Bhutan government. We do not expect India to give them shel- Avadhi, Maithali and Bhojpuri. The Pahadis, people of the hills ter. These refugees should either go back to Bhutan or move to the and mountains, speak Nepalese, which is unintelligible to us. The Western countries.” wikimedia wikimedia Bhutan’s30 hinduism fifth Dragon today King isjanuary/february/march, crowned by his father 2010 january/february/march,january/february/march, 20102010 hinduismhinduism todaytoday 31 Flowers and incense: (left) The set for Radha sincerely strived to emu- late the atmosphere of a Hindu temple; (right) St. Denis in glittering costume

tual, was also progressive in her personal perspective and given to taking recourse to unconventional ways of thought and action. Referring with pride to her parents, Ruth wrote fondly in her autobiography: “I feel that my urge for pushing forward into new fields of vision and scaling far mountains of thought derived largely from these two who were so near the pioneer stages of our Amer- ican life. Father, not long from the Civil War, married mother as a doctor, a profession very little invaded by women. My mother was a woman about fifty years ahead of her time. She sensed life in an infinitely more intense way than any of the people in our neighborhood.”

The American Dance Scene American popular dance in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was performed in vaudeville shows, where it was part of a medley of comic acts, live music and cir- cus-style acts performed by men and ani- mals. Having nothing to do with aesthetics, a higher purpose or refined thought, it was merely physical, resembling the antics of circus performers. In Ruth’s own words: “To

ny public library be a dancer in those days was like entering

an artistic vacuum. Dancing consisted solely ny public library C u lt u re in the number of cartwheels, roll-overs and splits, kicks and other agilities that a dancer vocation lay in being a dancer with a mis- girls, regiments of soldiers and an astonish- could achieve. The poetry and philosophy of sion and not a mere public entertainer, Ruth ing number of real Eastern people and ani- How India Inspired a Dance Pioneer the dance had yet to be born.” swiftly embarked on a new path. She deter- mals in gay and stately trappings. The mag- Ruth found inspiration in the positive de- mined to become a universal instrument of nificence of the scene was such as to make velopments in the performing arts wafting spiritual revelation and reflect man’s eternal those who witnessed it imagine they were With little exposure to the real thing, Ruth St. Denis dazzled audiences across in from Europe, such as the Delsarte tech- search for beauty and grandeur. However, in a genuine Oriental city.” It was in this ori- America and Europe with her creation of “Radha” and other Indian dances nique of acting. Stressing the link between what made Ruth St. Denis unique was that ental wonderland that Ruth St. Denis first an artist’s inner emotional experience and while her earlier contemporaries, such as spotted the East Indian dancers, fakirs (men- gestures and movements derived from per- Isadora Duncan, had drawn inspiration from dicants), snake charmers and others from In our January, 2009, issue, Dr. Joshi St. Denis’ Indian dance pieces were at- inspired by non-Western and especially sonal observation of human interactions, ancient Greece, Ruth was pulled via Egyp- whom she drew inspiration for her Indian recounted Europe’s introduction to Indian tempts to convey Hindu philosophical ideas Indian civilization at a time when a ten- Delsarte’s novel style won many followers in tian culture towards India. dances. dance, the 1838 debut of the bayadères, a to Western audiences in a manner that dency—much later dubbed as “Orientalism” America. Ironically, Ruth St Denis became linked to South Indian troop of temple dancers or would be intelligible to them. These were by Edward Said—prompted her contempo- India’s culture and thought when she made Studying the East devadasis. In this article, she tells the story not authentic Indian dances, as were those raries to look upon non-Western people as Artistic Awakening a trip to that most flamboyant and extrava- Though fired by the “Streets of Delhi” to of Ruth St. Denis, one of the founding artists of the bayadères, but were inspired by In- inferior, backward and static or even weird Despite her high artistic ambitions, young gant centre of Western consumerism: New develop a vaudeville act made up of three of modern dance, whose popular “Indian” dian themes and included the sinuous and and animalistic. Ruth St. Denis’s relative Ruth was pushed by her family’s financial York’s Coney Island. It was described in a Indian dances before a temple murti (en- dances of the early 20th century redefined rippling arm motions and graceful body open-mindedness was thus a fresh depar- straits in 1892 to launch herself into skirt 1904 publication as a pleasure resort unsur- shrined form) of Radha, Indian dancing was the art as an expression of mysticism and movements and postures of classical Indian ture that helped free Western dance from its dancing. This was a slightly risque form of passed “in the world in its elaborateness or initially not her goal. Her aim was to simply spirituality. dances. St. Denis abundantly used Indian shackles, elevated it onto a higher plane and entertainment popular in dime museums ingenuity to wheedle away dimes and de- generate enough income to fund her Egypt- dress materials and jewelry and designed placed important and even profound facets and vaudeville shows. Luckily, she was soon spondency.” Coney Island was home to Luna inspired dances by cashing in on the then By Dr. Kusum Pant Joshi, London and wore long flowing costumes. To create of Indian culture before Western audiences. able to move on to acting small parts in the Park, one of the most dazzling amusement or current craze for Eastern exotica. But her fter first appearing on the west- an Eastern ambience, she used Indian brass- famous theatre company of David Belasco theme parks of its time. plan changed when a turn towards Indian ern stage in 1838, Indian dance once ware, ornate columns, flowers, incense and A Family Inheritance and toured America and Europe. In the summer of 1904, when Ruth vis- dancing started her on a journey to increase again surfaced prominently in the other creative stage props. Born January 20, 1879, Ruth St. Denis’s un- Her final transformation from an actress ited Coney Island, Luna Park’s major draw her knowledge about India, and especially Aearly 20th century. As with the bay- St. Denis was a gifted dancer whose ar- inhibited self-expression as a young girl and into an artist with a vision, purpose and in- was the “Streets of Delhi,” a grandiose ef- Hindu culture. As she went about extract- adères in 1838, the performers of the troupe tistic creations demonstrated how to relink her life-long pioneering spirit was largely spiration was sudden. The unlikely catalyst fort to duplicate the pageantry and drama of ing information from the East Indian danc- in 1906 were of Indian origin. This time, dance with spiritualism at a time when inspired by her nonconformist mother and was an image of the Egyptian Goddess Isis in Lord Curzon’s Coronation, that Durbar held ers she met in Luna Park, lapping up knowl- however, their lead dancer and choreogra- Western dancers had generally cut them- inventor father. One of the first American a cigarette poster that happened to catch her at Delhi in January 1903. It offered a grand edge about India from books in the Indian pher was not an Indian, but a young Ameri- selves off from its religious and spiritual women to venture to train and practice as a eyes in a Buffalo drugstore in 1904. Having spectacle of “gilded chariots and prancing section of Astor Library and seeking help can named Ruth St. Denis. origins. She had studied and was deeply doctor, Ruth’s mother, though deeply spiri- finally awakened to the realization that her horses, and trained elephants and dancing from experts such as the extraordinary In-

32 hinduism today january/february/march, 2010 january/february/march, 2010 hinduism today 33 dophile Edmund Russell, she became aware audience that included dignitaries such as become her pupil and husband, “When the land, helped Ruth graduate to a better place. of the wonder that was India. She was par- the Maharaja of Baroda. curtain rose, there was much laughter and Convinced of the need to arrange a matinee ny public library ticularly fascinated by the Hindu temple Henry B. Harris, manager of the Hudson talk. But when the blue lights changed to for the show in a “proper uptown theatre,” dancers, devadasis; and she felt she had Theatre, financed a matinee of “Radha” for amber, and the Goddess stepped from Her Mrs. Rouland gathered a group of about 25 hit upon a universal fundamental truth in the benefit of seven other New York theatre shrine, silence reigned until the curtain fell, like-minded ladies who contributed to book the Bhagavad Gita’s declaration that inner managers in January 1906. But the manag- when sincere and heavy applause broke the Hudson Theater. peace and freedom from sorrow lay not in ers’ verdict was disappointing. “This kind forth. And so, even in the face of the most the bottomless whirlpool of worldly plea- of thing might go for Paris,” they said, “but difficult obstacles and before the most un- Her Career Takes Off sures, but in shaking off the yoke of the flesh frankly, it will never do for New York.” The sympathetic audience that could have been Dancing at the Hudson on March 22, 1906, and performing one’s duty with detachment. genius of “Radha,” and St. Denis’ career, found, ‘Radha’ triumphed completely in proved a landmark in Ruth’s career. In addi- The Indian dances that Ruth had con- could well have died there; but in a stroke of this, the first of over fifteen hundred per- tion to presenting “Radha,” she added three templated as a commercial exercise turned luck, the sudden cancellation of a vaudeville formances of a production which marked more Indian-inspired performances, “The into a project with a serious and long-term performance created an unexpected emer- an epoch in the world of dance, a work of art Cobra,” “The Incense” and “Nautch.” Finally, personal purpose. Eager to make her dance gency. Pushed to find a quick replacement, which is immortal.” her dances won conspicuous critical acclaim. a vehicle to convey universal truths, she dis- the manager decided to give Ruth’s Hindu “Radha’s” success at the New York Theatre “Radha” became the talk of the town. carded her original concept. Instead of danc- dancing a spot for one night. Roof Garden led to more bookings; still, the Ruth’s breakthrough in America paved ing before the murti of Radha, she would She took up the offer, despite the incon- dance remained confined to the vaudeville the way for her passage to England in 1906. dance as Radha Herself, developing Her as a gruity of presenting a serious dance piece circuit. It was squashed between a boxing A performance before King Edward VII him- distinct entity in order to depict the human like “Radha” as an evening performance in show and a group of trained monkeys. Rath- self and his Queen, Alexandra, launched her soul’s eternal quest and yearning for union a vaudeville theatre famed for its “Sunday er than being defeated by the surroundings, career in London and set in motion social with the Infinite. Night Smoking Concerts.” Ruth later recalled, the spectacle began to change the audience engagements that introduced her dancing to “All questions of pride, the fitness of things, of the vaudeville theater, attracting people the upper crust of English society. The Royalty and the Rabble prestige, went completely by the board. Here from outside its usual circle. Reviewers Ruth’s matinees at the London Aldwych St. Denis now needed a place to perform. was a job. It took some fortitude to expose wrote in the Dancing Times and Dancers Theatre were attended by local and foreign Fortunately, her sincere interest in India the little Goddess to that Sunday-night, rol- Today, “In each audience were a few who celebrities. These included the flamboyant won her the support of Jal Bhumgara, whose licking crowd. The air was filled with tobac- responded unreservedly to the beauty of Maharaja of Kapurthala, who went back- father was an affluent New York-based co smoke. It was principally a men’s audience, the appeal, who went out and told others of stage to congratulate Ruth. But Radha was Indian importer of remarkable generosity. and I imagine that many of the turns that the rare vision they had seen. These, in turn, not a commercial success in London, per- Bhumgara invited Ruth for a private perfor- followed me were concerned with ribaldry, spread the good news, until the manager haps suffering from the British feeling of mance at the opening of one of his stores; in not art.” was surprised to find at each performance a superiority over India’s culture. The Daily return, the Bhumgaras offered to let Ruth On that night, the audience joked, laughed stream of people of a type not usually seen at Telegraph’s review decried the “austere sym- Ted Shawn: “The Cosmic Dance of Shiva,” one of his greatest successes—a short clip take her pick from their rich stock of ori- and poked fun at the performance. Ruth kept a vaudeville performance, who came just be- bolism” and suggested the dancer keep to of this dance can be seen by searching for “Ted Shawn Shiva” at www.youtube.com ental dress material, jewelry and Indian art her poise while the Hindu extras performing fore Radha’s appearance and hurried away as the more physical moves (see review on op- products to create her dance costumes and as priests stiffened under the ridicule. But soon as the curtain fell, and who came again posite page). This new chapter in her life would have a Though their company (and marriage) stage props. The performance won the ad- then, something miraculous happened. In and again.” The reception of Ruth’s work in London lasting impact. The company Ruth St. Denis folded in 1931, it produced a string of out- miration of the Bhumgaras’ guests, a special the words of Ted Shawn, who would later One such trespasser, Mrs Orlando Rou- would be much different later, when she re- and the energetic Ted Shawn formed, called standing creative dancers that included turned to the British capital after a gloriously Denishawn, became the most influential Martha Graham, Doris Humphreys, Charles successful European tour. The citizens of the school of modern dance in America in the Weidman and Jack Cole. German Empire looked upon her work with first half of the 20th century. special regard. Ruth wrote of the experience, In 1926, Ruth, now age 47, and the Den- Legacy “I suddenly found I was not merely an en- ishaw company traveled to India. She was Evaluating the impact of her many tours, or Braving British Skepticism tertainer, not merely a glamorous dancer or not shy about her “Indian” dance inventions. “journeys,” St. Denis wrote: “It took many The review from The Telegraph, both is performed before our eyes, and Radha, We have rarely seen anything which exotic novelty; I was an artist in the deepest Boldly, she led performances not only in the years to realize the full effect of the pioneer- praiseful and critical of “Radha” in Lon- wife of Krishna, instructs her priests in the more clearly suggests the languorous sense of the word and the subject of earnest metropolitan cities of Bombay, Calcutta and ing work on these journeys. I have been told don, brings to life how a British gentle- great lessons of self-sacrifice. passion and sentiment of the Indian pen- and critical analysis.” Madras but also in smaller cities and towns, by Hindus that the value of these early tours, man felt when contemplating the un- It was a spectacle full of symbolism and insula. There is much in the evening’s en- She returned to the US soon afterward, including Karachi, Quetta, Lahore, Kanpur, when their Hindu culture was introduced expected depths of the East as depicted suggestion, replete with mystical signifi- tertainment which is curiously interesting, taking her Indian dances all over the country. Lucknow and Allahabad. through the dance, can scarcely be overesti- in Ruth St. Denis’ performance. As re- cance, which, over and over again, delib- a keen esoteric flavor of barbaric crudity The general response of her countrymen was Presenting a wide array of Indian dances mated. Until the appearance of ‘Radha,’ our published by the New York Times, 1906. erately sacrificed charm to accuracy and and sensuousness, aptly symbolized by positive, and in her homeland she impressed to Indians—Ted Shawn had created a perfor- national conception of Oriental dancing beauty to unflinching realism. the acrid smell of those fumes of incense art historian Dr. Ananda Coomaraswamy mance called “The Cosmic Dance of Shiva”— brought images of the Midway Plaisance at t one moment we see the purdah Perhaps if a criticism may be passed on which cling to the walls of the theatre like and Indian poetess Sarojini Naidu. She also could have resulted in rejection. Not being the 1893 Chicago Fair, which was not dis- dividing to let a slim figure come out it, it was too symbolic. The exact mean- a strange and penetrating atmosphere. met Indian Sufi mystic and musician Hazrat strictly based on any specific Indian style cussed in polite society. And in literature the to light the incense bowls; at another ing of the rapt ecstasy of a “yogi” and his Inayat Khan, with whom she partnered for a or school of dancing, they were inauthentic, Oriental, be he Indian, Japanese or Chinese, moment we are in a street with jugglers, solemn acts of abnegation might be lost tour. For the first time, the moves of her as- despite the Indian inspiration. The music was, as a general rule, the villain of the piece. Amerchants, water-carriers, each busily oc- to an occidental audience; and the dance cetic yoga undulated to the real ragas of India. of these dances was even less Indian. But, We were not only crude but vicious in our cupied with their respective trades. Now of the five senses, where Radha abjures as Uttara Corlawala reported, “There is no attitudes towards the Orient, and with in- we are in the gorgeous palace of some raja them all to achieve the peace of true saint- Denishaw and the Later Years question that the Denishawn tour of India finite gratitude I can say very humbly that I with the nautch girl pirouetting before ship, might fail to carry its message to men After 1911, the vogue for solo dancers on the was successful and popular. It was extended believe these early dances of mine helped to

the stately throne; and anon we are in a impervious to allegory and ignorant of the new york times professional stage died down, and Ruth St. considerably beyond their expectations, and lay the groundwork for a better appreciation densely matted jungle, where in a cleated Nirvana. The most popular, perhaps, was Denis began to accept students to increase they returned to cities they had already vis- of Eastern culture and beauty. The rhythms, space a Hindu saint or “yogi” is renouncing the nautch dance in the palace, because the her income. Also, she began adding other ited. [Ruth’s] Dance of the Black and Gold the costuming, and the constant suggestions in his own fashion the world. lithe gyrations and sudden abrupt turns performers to her touring productions. In Sari provoked virtual riots.” Even Rabindra- of Oriental philosophy implicit in the per- And then comes a still more grandiose and twists needed no commentary or 1914 she hired—and later married—Ted nath Tagore was sufficiently impressed to re- formance, caused discussions and research spectacle, in which the service of a temple interpretation. Shawn, a stage dancer with strong Delsar- quest St. Denis to stay on and teach dance at that have subtly penetrated the whole of tean leanings who was 13 years her junior. Viswa-Bharati University in Shantiniketan. America.” ∏π

34 hinduism today january/february/march, 2010 january/february/march, 2010 hinduism today 35 educational insight A Youthful Primer About Hinduism’s Eight-Limbed System of Meditation and Spiritual Striving from the teachings of satguru sivaya subramuniyaswami

oday’s popular concept of yoga equates it with ha†ha yoga and the practice of the ha†ha yoga âsanas, or postures. Many who practice such yoga do so solely for health benefits. However, others pursue Tyoga, in a deeper sense, in hopes of reaping the spiritual benefits it offers. It is to these spiritual seekers who have higher consciousness as the goal of their yoga that this Educational Insight is directed. Here we describe the path called râja yoga, the regal (râja) means to enlightenment, a classical, meditative system that is one among the numerous practiced in Hinduism. Technically, it is termed ash†âˆga (eight-limbed) yoga, a name coined by Sage Patanjali, because it consists of eight stages, represented in our illustrations of the village tree with eight limbs. These stages are: yama (restraint), niyama (observance), âsana (seat or posture), prâ∫âyâma (mastering life force), pratyâhâra (withdrawal), dhâra∫â (concentration), dhyâna (meditation) and samâdhi (contemplation and God Realization). It is worth noting that yama (the restraints) and niyama (the observances) precede âsana (ha†ha yoga postures), but they are omitted in most yoga classes today. That is unfortunate, as this ethical basis is of utmost importance. We can liken these eight limbs to a tall building. The yamas are the first part To depict râja of the foundation, like the steel; and the niyamas are the yoga, artist Rajeev second part, like the cement. Together they provide the NT has chosen a support a skyscraper needs to stand. Åsana, prâ∫âyâma spritely theme. Four and pratyâhâra are like the lower floors, dhâra∫â and children have found dhyâna are the middle ones, and samâdhi is the topmost a banyan tree in the floor, the stratum of realization and illumination. forest, with eight Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami branches representing the eight limbs of ash†ânga yoga. rajeev nt january/february/march, 2010 hinduism today 37 Yama: Restraints

t is true that bliss comes from meditation, and it is true that higher consciousness is the heritage of all mankind. However, the ten restraints and their cor- Iresponding practices are necessary to maintain bliss consciousness, as well as all of the good feelings toward oneself and others attainable in any incarna- tion. These restraints and practices build character. Character is the foundation for spiritual unfoldment. The platform of character must be built within our life- style to maintain the total contentment needed to persevere “Restraint.” Virtuous on the path. The great ®ishis saw the frailty of human nature and moral living, and gave these guidelines, or disciplines, to make it strong. which brings purity of They said, “Strive!” Let’s strive to not hurt others, to be truthful and honor all the rest of the virtues they outlined. mind, freedom from The twenty restraints and observances are the first two anger, jealousy and of the eight limbs of ash†âˆga yoga, constituting Hindu- subconscious confusion ism’s fundamental ethical code. Because it is brief, the entire code can be easily memorized and reviewed daily at the which would inhibit the family meetings in each home. The yamas and niyamas process of meditation. are cited in numerous scriptures, including the Íâ∫∂ilya and Varâha Upanishads, the Ha†ha Yoga Pradîpikâ by Gorakshanatha, the Tirumantiram of Rishi Tirumular and the Yoga Sûtras of Sage Patanjali. All of these ancient texts list ten yamas and ten niyamas, with the exception fulness,” refraining from lying and betraying promises; As her brother watches protectively, “Yama is abstention from of Patanjali’s classic work, which lists just five of each. 3) asteya, “nonstealing,” neither stealing nor coveting nor a young girl swings on a vine, harming others, from Patanjali lists the yamas as: ahiµsâ, satya, asteya, brah- entering into debt; 4) brahmacharya, “divine conduct,” restrained from falling as surely macharya and aparigraha (noncovetousness); and the controlling lust by remaining celibate when single, lead- as the moral restraints of avoiding falsehood, from theft, niyamas as: ßaucha, santosha, tapas, svâdhyâya (self-reflec- ing to faith­fulness in marriage; 5) kshamâ, “patience,” re- misdeeds keep us from falling from from incontinence tion, scriptural study) and Èßvara­pra∫idhâna (worship). straining intolerance with people and impatience with the yoga path. Like the silent witness and from greed.” Each discipline focuses on a different aspect of hu- circumstances; 6) dh®iti, “steadfastness,” overcoming non- within, a family of owls watches man na­ture, its strengths and weaknesses. Taken as a perseverance, fear, indecision, inconstancy and changeable- wisely from their nest in the tree. Sage Patanjali, II, Sûtra 30 sum total, they encompass the whole of human experi- ness; 7) dayâ, “compassion,” conquering callous, cruel and ence and spirituality. You may do well in upholding some insensitive feelings toward all beings; 8) ârjava, “honesty, Sutra translations are from How to Know of these but not so well in others. That is to be expected. straightforwardness,” renouncing deception and wrong- God, The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali by That defines the sâdhana, therefore, to be perfected. doing; 9) mitâhâra, “moderate appetite,” neither eating Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood, copyright 1953 by the Vedanta The ten yamas are: 1) ahiµsâ, “noninjury,” not harm- too much nor consuming meat, fish, fowl or eggs; 10) ßau- Society of Southern California ing others by thought, word or deed; 2) satya, “truth- cha, “purity,” avoiding impur­ity in body, mind and speech.

38 hinduism today january/february/march, 2010 hinduism today 39 Niyama: Observances

he niyamas are 1) hrî, “remorse,” being modest and showing shame for misdeeds; 2) santosha, “content- ment,” seeking joy and serenity in life; 3) dâna, “giv- ing,” tithing and giving generously without thought of Treward; 4) âstikya, “faith,” believing firmly in God, Gods, guru and the path to enlightenment; 5) Èßvarapûjana, “wor- ship of the Lord,” the cultivation of devotion through daily worship and meditation; 6) siddhânta ßra­va∫a, “scriptural listening,” studying the teachings and listening to the wise “Observance.” Religious of one’s lineage; 7) mati, “cognition,” developing a spiritual practices which cultivate will and intellect with the guru’s guidance; 8) vrata, “sacred the qualities of the higher vows,” fulfilling religious vows, rules and observances faith- fully; 9) japa, “recitation,” chanting mantras daily; 10) tapas, nature, such as devotion, “austerity,” performing sâdhana, penance, tapas and sacrifice. cognition, humility and In comparing the yamas to the niyamas, we find the re- contentment—giving the straint of noninjury, ahiµsâ, makes it possible to practice hrî, remorse. Truthfulness brings on the state of santosha, refinement of character contentment. And the third yama, asteya, nonstealing, must and control of mind be perfected before the third niyama, giving without any needed to follow spiritual thought of reward, is even possible. Sexual purity brings faith in God, Gods and guru. Kshamâ, patience, is the foun- disciplines and ultimately dation for Èßvarapûjana, worship, as is dh®iti, steadfast- plunge into samâdhi. ness, the foundation for siddhânta ßravana. The yama of dayâ, compassion, definitely brings mati, cognition. Årjava, or spiritual practices, represent the spirited horses, named Reaching the second limb, honesty—renouncing deception and all wrong­doing—is Hrî, Santosha, Dâna, Åstikya, Èßvarapûjana, Siddhânta Írava∫a, the girl watches a devotee the foun­dation for vrata, taking sacred vows and faithfully Mati, Vrata, Japa, and Tapas. The yamas, or restraints, are the far below, offering flowers fulfilling them. Mitâhâra, moderate appetite, is where yoga reins, called Ahiµsâ, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya, Kshamâ, and loving devotion to Lord begins, and vegetarianism is essential before the practice Dh®iti, Dayâ, Årjava, Mitâhâra and Íaucha. By holding tight to Ganesha, enshrined at the of japa, recitation of holy mantras, can reap its true ben- the reins, the charioteer, your will, guides the strong horses foot of the banyan. The youth efit in one’s life. Íau­cha, purity in body, mind and speech, so they can run forward swiftly and gallantly as a dynamic wonders if the spider in its “The niyamas are is the foundation and the protection for all austerities. unit. So, as we restrain the lower, instinctive qualities through web also knows of the ten purity, contentment, The yamas and niyamas and their function in our life upholding the yamas, the soul moves forward to its destina- observances and if he has a can be likened to a chariot pulled by ten horses. The pas- tion in the state of santosha. Santosha, peace, is the eternal yoga of his own to practice. austerity, study and senger inside the chariot is your soul. The chariot itself satisfaction of the soul. At the deepest level, the soul is al- devotion to God.” represents your physical, astral and mental bodies. The ways in the state of santosha. Therefore, hold tight the reins. driver of the chariot is your external ego, your personal Sage Patanjali, II, Sûtra 32 will. The wheels are your divine energies. The niyamas,

40 hinduism today january/february/march, 2 010 hinduism today 41 Åsana: Posture

uccess in meditation requires the ability to sit in a comfortable posture, for long periods, with- out moving. Proper posture is necessary because S the very simple act of equalizing the weight and having it held up by the spine causes you to lose body consciousness. Sit up nice and straight with the spine erect and the head balanced at the top of the spine. By sitting up straight, with the spine erect, the en- “Seat or posture.” A ergies of the physical body are transmuted. Posture is important, especially as meditation deepens and sound body is needed for lengthens. With the spine erect and the head balanced success in meditation. at the top of the spine, the life force is quickened and This is attained through intensified as energies flood freely through the nerve system. In a position such as this, we cannot become ha†ha yoga, the postures worried, fretful, depressed or sleepy during our medita- of which balance tion. Learn to sit dynamically, relaxed and yet poised. the energies of mind Inwardly observe this posture and adjust the body to be poised and comfortable. Feel the muscles, bones and the and body, promoting nerve system. This posture is possible sitting in a chair, on health and serenity. a cushion, or on your knees. Ideally, a competent meditator will be able to cross the legs for meditation, either in full or half lotus. The hands are held in the lap, the right hand resting on the left, tips of the thumbs touching softly. In all “Åsana is to be seated cases, the posture should be natural and easy, and not cause could continue uninhibited by disease or weakness. Younger brother has reached the in a position which discomfort, which is distracting during meditation. Look The purpose of ha†ha yoga today again is the same—to third branch, where he deftly inwardly at the currents of the body. Observe their flow. keep the physical body, emotional body, astral body assumes a yoga posture designed is firm but relaxed. If you just sit without moving, and breathe, the inner and mental body harmonious, healthy and happy to fine-tune his nervous system, Åsana becomes firm nerve system of the body of your psyche, your soul, begins so that awareness can soar within to the heights of balance his energies and prepare to work on the subconscious, to mold it like clay. Aware- divine realization. In our ha†ha yoga we work with him for meditation. A peacock poses and relaxed through ness is loosened from limited concepts and made free color, we work with sound and with the subtle emo- proudly nearby, demonstrating control of the natural to move vibrantly and buoyantly into the inner depths tions and feelings of the body when going from one the poise and natural relaxation tendencies of the body, where peace and bliss remain undisturbed for centuries. âsana to another. Each âsana carefully executed, with the boy yogi is striving for. The meditative poses are part of a larger system called regulated breathing, the visualization of color and the and through meditation hatha yoga, a system of bodily postures, or âsanas, created hearing of the inner sound, slowly unties the knotted on the Infinite.” as a method for the yogi practicing yoga for long hours vâsanâs within the subconscious mind and releases each day, performing japa and meditation, to exercise and awareness from there to mountaintop consciousness. Sage Patanjali, II, Sûtras 46–47 keep the physical body healthy so that his

42 hinduism today january/february/march, 2010 hinduism today 43 Prâ∫âyâma: Breath Control

he en­tire nerve system of the physical body and the functions of breath have to be at a certain rhythm in order for awareness to remain poised like a humming­bird over a flower. Now, since Tthe physical body and our breath have never re- ally been disciplined in any way, we have to begin by breath­ing rhythmically and diaphragmatically, so that we breathe out the same number of counts as we breathe in. After we do this over a long pe- “Harnessing prâ∫a.” Breath riod of time—and you can start now—the body be- control, which quiets the comes trained, the external nerve system becomes trained, res­ponds, and awareness is held at attention. chitta and balances the i∂â The first observation you may have when thus and piˆgalâ currents within seated for meditation is that thoughts are rac- the spine. The science of ing through the mind substance. You may become aware of many, many thoughts. Also, the breath controlling prâ∫a through may be irregular. Therefore, the next step is to breathing techniques transmute the energies from the intellectual area in which the lengths of of the mind through proper breathing, in just the same way as the proper attitude, preparation and inhalation, retention and posture transmuted the physical-instinctive ener- exhalation are modulated. gies. Through regulation of the breath, thoughts are Prâ∫âyâma prepares the stilled and awareness moves into an area of the mind which does not think, but conceives and intuits. awareness. They go hand in hand. During medi­tation, the Sister takes a seat on the fourth mind for deep meditation. There are vast and powerful systems of breath- breath, the heartbeat, metabolism—it all slows down, just like branch, holding her hands in ing that can stimulate the mind, sometimes to ex- in sleep. Therefore, the practice of prâ∫âyâma and regulation the traditional way to direct cess. Deep meditation requires only that the breath of the breath, the prâ∫as, the currents of the body, should the breath through one nostril be systematically slowed or lengthened. This hap- really be mastered first. We need this preparation of the and the next, as she strives to pens naturally as we go within, but can be encour- physical body so that the physical and emotional bodies be- control the pranas of the body. “After mastering posture, aged by a simple method of breathing called kalîbasa have themselves while you are in a deep state of meditation. Two birds pluck ripe berries one must practice control in Shûm, my language of meditation. During kalî- You can spend hours or years working with the nearby, too busy making a living of the prâ∫a by regulating basa, the breath is counted: nine counts as we in- breath. Find a good teacher first, one who keeps it to bother with her yogic efforts. hale, hold one count, nine counts as we exhale, hold simple and gentle. You don’t need to strain. Start sim- the motions of inhalation one count. The length of the beats or the rhythm of ply by slowing the breath down. Breathe by moving the and exhalation.” the breath will slow as the meditation is sustained, diaphragm in­stead of the chest. This is how children until we are counting to the beat of the heart. breathe, you know. So, be a child. If you learn to con- Sage Patanjali, II, Sûtra 49 Controlling the breath is the same as controlling trol the breath, you can be master of your awareness.

44 hinduism today january/february/march, 2010 hinduism today 45 Pratyâhâra: Withdrawal

ere is a step-by-step system of pra- tyâhâra that you can use to begin each meditation for the rest of your Hlife. Simply sit, quiet the mind, and feel the warmth of the body. Feel the natural warmth in the feet, in the legs, in the head, in the neck, in the hands and face. Simply sit and be aware of that warmth. Feel the glow of the body. This is very easy, because the physical “Withdrawal.” The practice of body is what many of us are most aware of. Take withdrawing consciousness five or ten minutes to do this. There’s no hurry. The second step is to feel the nerve currents from the physical senses of the body. Start with the feeling of the hands, first, such as not hearing thumbs touching, resting on your lap. Feel the life noise while meditating, then force going through these nerves, energizing the body. Try to sense the even more subtle nerves progressively receding from that extend out and around the body about three emotions, intellect and or four feet. This may take some time. When eventually from individual you have located some of these nerves, feel the energy within them. Tune into the currents of consciousness itself in order life force as they flow through these nerves. to merge into the Universal. The third step takes us deeper inside, as we become dynamically aware in the spine. Feel the power within the spine, the powerhouse of ness into the essence, the center of this energy in the Brother finds a place on the fifth energy that feeds out to the external nerves and head and spine. This requires great discipline and ex- branch, where he sits and carefully “When the mind is withdrawn muscles. Visualize the spine in your mind’s eye. acting control to bring awareness to the point of being ties a cloth band to hold his knees from sense objects, the See it as a hollow tube or channel through which aware of itself. The state of being totally aware that we in place. It is a traditional way life energies flow. Feel it with your inner feelings. are aware is called kaîf. It is pure awareness, not aware to keep the body in place while sense organs also withdraw It’s there, subtle and silent, yet totally intense. of any object, feeling or thought. Simply sit in a state working to withdraw from the five themselves from their The fourth step is to draw the energy from the of pure consciousness. Go into the physical forces that senses and go deep within. He is too respective objects and thus five senses inward in a systematic way. On the flood, day and night, through the spine and body. Then deep to notice the bee hive buzzing first inbreath, bring awareness into the left leg, all go into the energy of that, deeper into the vast inner below. Below are two tortoises. are said to imitate the the way to the toes, and on the outbreath slowly space of that, into the essence of that, into the that of One practices his own version of mind. Then arises complete withdraw the energy from that leg into the spine. that, and into the that of that. Once you are thus cen- withdrawal, retracting his head Repeat with the right leg, left arm (all the way to tered within yourself, you are ready to pursue a medita- and limbs into his protective shell. mastery over the senses.” the fingertips), right arm and finally the torso. tion, a mantra or a deep philosophical question. Coming Sage Patanjali, II, Sûtra 54 The fifth step comes as we plunge aware- out of meditation, we perform this process in reverse.

46 hinduism today january/february/march, 2010 hinduism today 47 Dhâra∫â: Concentration

hen we have brought awareness to atten- tion, we automatically move into the next step, concentration. The hum­ming­bird, W poised over the flower, held at attention, be- gins to look at the flower, to concentrate on it, to study it, to muse about it, not to be distract­ed by another flower—that is, then, awareness moving. Awareness distracted, here, is awareness simply moving to an- other flower, or moving to another area of the mind. “Concentration.” Focusing Give up the idea that thoughts come in and out of the mind on a single your mind like visitors come in and out of your house. Hold to the idea that it is awareness that moves, rather object or line of thought, than the thoughts that move. Look at awareness as a not allowing it to wander. yo-yo at the end of a string. The string is hooked to the The guiding of the flow very core of energy itself, and awareness flows out and it flows in. Awareness might flow out toward a tree of consciousness. When and in again, and then out toward a flower and then in concentration is sustained again, and down to­ward the ground and then in again. long enough and deeply This wonderful yo-yo of awareness—that is a good concept to grasp in order to become more acquainted enough, meditation with awareness. Awareness held at attention can then naturally follows. come into the next vi­bratory rate and concentrate. Here is a simple concentration exercise. Take a flower and place it in front of you. Breathe deeply as you sit centrate, concentrate, concentrate on the flower. Climbing even higher, the girl sits before it. Simply look at it. Don’t stare at it and strain This is what concentration is—remaining in the before a small oil lamp. She is focusing, “Concentration your eyes. Simply become aware of it. Each time aware- thought area of the particular item that you are concentrating, on the flame, thinking of upon a single object ness moves to some other area of the mind, with your aware of and flowing through the different color nothing else, not letting her mind wander willpower move awareness back and be­come aware of and sound vibrations of the thoughts. How does to any other object, idea, sensation may reach four the flower again. Keep doing this until you are simply it work? The powers of concentration—it is only or memory. Behind her, a heron is stages: examination, aware of the flower and not aware of your body or your a name. Actually, what is happening is you are concentrating on the full-time job of discrimination, breath. Then begin to concentrate on the flower. That is flowing awareness through the area of the mind feeding its newly hatched fledglings. the second step. Think about the flower. Move into the which contains the elements which actually made joyful peace and area of the mind where all flowers exist in all phases that particular flower, and you are perceiving simple awareness of manifestation, and concentrate on the flower. Move how all those elements came together. If you can from one area to another—to where all stems exist, to concentrate sufficiently to have fifty thoughts of individuality. the stem of that particular flower, to the root that that about the flower without a single thought about Sage Patanjali, I, Sûtra 17 particular flower came from, and to the seed. Con- anything else, you will have mastered dhârana.

48 hinduism today january/february/march, 2010 hinduism today 49 Dhyâna: Meditation

fter we are able to hold awareness hovering over that which we are concentrating upon, we come into great powers of observation. We A are able to look into and almost through that which we are concentrating upon and observe its vari- ous parts and particles, its action and its reaction, be- cause we are not distracted. Even observation in daily life, as a result of regular participation in the practice of concentration, comes naturally. We are able to see more, hear more, feel more. Our ­senses are more keen and alive. Observation is so necessary to cultivate, to “Meditation.” A quiet, bring awareness fully into the fullness of meditation. alert, powerfully This leads us then into our very next step, medita- concentrated state tion. Meditation and concentration are practically the same thing, though meditation is simply a more in­ wherein new knowledge tense state of concentration. The state of meditation is and insight pour into the careful, close scrutiny of the individual elements and field of consciousness. energies which make up that flower. You are scru­ tinizing the inner layers of the mind, of how a flower This state is possible grows, how the seed is formed. You are observing it so once the subconscious keenly that you have forgotten that you are a physi- mind has been cleared cal body, that you are an emotional unit, that you are breathing. You are in the area of mind where that flower and quieted. exists, and the bush that it came from, and the roots within it and gain much knowledge from within yourself. On reaching the seventh branch, and the seed and all phases of manifestation, all at the As you sit to meditate, awareness may wander into past mem- the boy sits in full lotus posture, same time. And you are seeing it as it actually is in that ories or future happenings. It may be distracted by the senses, by focuses his gaze on the tip of his area of the mind where the flower is that you first put a sound or by a feeling of discomfort in the body. This is natural nose and holds his thumbs and awareness at attention upon, then began to concen- in the early stages. Gently bring awareness back to your point index fingers together to direct trate upon. Then you are meditating on the actual inner of concentration. Don’t criticize awareness for wandering, for the body’s pranas. He is striving “Meditation is an area of the mind where, in all stages of manifestation, that is yet another distraction. Distractions will disappear if you for the state of meditation. Two that particular species actually is within the mind. become intensely interested and involved in your meditation. In chimps play nearby, uncontrolled unbroken flow of When you are experiencing the totality of the mo- such a state you won’t even feel the physical body. You have gone and uncontrollable, a reminder thought toward the ment, you are not aware of the past, nor are you aware to a movie, read a book or sat working on a project on your com- of the monkey-like mind that of the future or anything within the externalities of puter that was so engrossing, you only later discovered your foot jumps from place to place. object of concentration.” the mind. You are aware of the âkâßa, the primal sub- had fallen asleep for a half hour because it was in an awkward Sage Patanjali, III, Sûtra 2 stance of the superconsciousness of the mind. You position. Similarly, once we are totally conscious on the inside, are able to have a continuity of intuitive findings we will never be distracted by the physical body or the outside.

50 hinduism today january/february/march, 2 010 hinduism today 51 Samâdhi: Union

ut of meditation, we come into contempla- tion. Contemplation is concentrating so deep- ly in the inner areas of the mind in which O that flower and the species of it and the seed of it and all exist. We go deeper, deeper, deeper within, into the energy and the life within the cells of the flower, and we find that the energy and the life within the cells of the flower is the same as the energy within us, and we are in contemplation upon energy itself. We see the energy as light. We might see the light within our head, if we have a slight body conscious- “Union.” Sameness, ness. In a state of contemplation, we might not even contemplation, be conscious of light itself, for you are only conscious realization. The state of of light if you have a slight consciousness of darkness. Otherwise, it is just your natural state, and you are in true yoga, in which the a deep reverie. In a state of contemplation, you are so meditator and the object intently alive, you can’t move. That’s why you sit so of meditation are one. quietly. This is savikalpa samâdhi (“union with form or seed”), identification or oneness with the essence of an object. Its highest form is the realization of the pri- mal substratum or pure consciousness, Satchidânanda. This, then, leads to the very deepest samâdhi, where we almost, in a sense, go within one atom of that en- ergy and move into the primal source of all. There’s consciousness are transcended and Absolute At last, brother and sister reach the top “When, in meditation, really nothing that you can say about it, because you Reality, Paraßiva, beyond time, form and space, of the banyan, and sit together in silent the true nature of the cannot cast that concept of the Self, or that depth of is experienced. This brings in its aftermath a bliss. Their efforts have brought them to samâdhi, you cannot cast it out in words. You can- complete transformation of consciousness. a oneness with the universe as they dive object shines forth, not throw it out in a con­cept, because there are no The Chandogya Upanishad expresses it deeply within to discover they are that not distorted by the areas of the mind in which the Self exists, and yet, so beautifully: “The Self is below, above, be- universe, they are the Self within each but for the Self, the mind, consciousness, would hind, before, to the right, to the left. I am all other, and within all. A family of bats feeds mind of the perceiver, not exist. You have to realize It to know It; and af- this. One who knows, meditates upon and among the leaves of the tree. Just as bats that is samâdhi.” ter you realize It, you know It; and before you real- realizes the truth of the Self—such a one de- forage while others sleep, so too do our Sage Patanjali, III, Sûtra 3 ize It, you want It; and after you realize It, you don’t lights in the Self, revels in the Self, rejoices young yogis seek a greater consciousness want It. You have lost something. You have lost your in the Self. He be­comes master of himself which remains asleep in most others. goal for Self Realization, because you’ve got it. This is and master of all the worlds. Slaves are they nirvikalpa samâdhi (“union without form or seed”), who know not this truth.” (7.25.2 The Upani- identification with the Self, in which all modes of shads, Prabhavananda and Manchester, p. 118).

52 hinduism today january/february/march, 2010 hinduism today 53 The Magic of Silk...

At What Cost? The Innocence of Insect Husbandry Is Questioned dean morley

ho can deny the beauty of a an option which some Hindus may find ac- in half by a knife and dated to 3000-5000 Today silk production accounts for less well woven piece of silk fabric or ceptable. Even here though, doubts are justly BCE, has been discovered. The moth species that 0.2% of total global textile output, a the intricately embroidered de- raised about whether such silk should be was Bombyx mori, the one used in most silk mere 3 ounces of silk for every 100 pounds W signs that skilled hands have cre- called “nonviolent.” production today. of cloth. Though production is spread out ated from silk thread, each triangular fiber Animal rights groups recommend syn- Across the Himalayas, use of silk in In- over 60 countries, 90% comes from Asia and refracting the light to produce a natural thetic fibers as a more compassionate option dia also dates back to antiquity. References about 70% from China, where the industry shimmer? Or the fact that silk garments are over all silks. But synthetic textiles are pro- in the Rig Veda and Mahabharata refer to employs one million people. Second-place uniquely cool in warm weather, yet provide duced from chemicals and petroleum deriva- silk fabric being used for clothing, while the producer India employs 700,000 households. insulation in the cold? And what about silk tives; so—given all that we now know about Ramayana mentions Sita’s receiving silken The largest silk importing and consuming clothing’s venerable place in Asian culture? fossil fuels’ role in both global climate change vestments as gifts. nation is India, where the majority of silk is Doesn’t every Indian bride dream of a silken and environmental pollution—are synthetic Archeologists have discovered wild silk woven into saris. sari? The sheer magic of its production from fibers really any less violent? threads at Harappa and Chanhu-daro dating the insect realm to fabric is fascinating. For back to 2450-2000 bce. The species used in Conventional Silk Production

most of us, silk is appealing if not enthralling. History the production of the threads were Antherea The dominant species used in sericulture chennai silk There’s another side of silk, though, one Silk farming, called sericulture, is nearly as mylitta (the modern day Tussar silk moth) is today, as it was thousands of years ago, Harvesting nature for luxury: top left: the richly colored Tussah moth, which is which people concerned about upholding old as human civilization itself. Tradition and the Eri silk moth. It is presumed their co- Bombyx mori. Though once a wild animal used to produce “wild silk.” “Ahimsa silk” is made from its discarded cocoons after the the principle of ahimsa (nonviolence) must says that the fourteen-year-old Chinese coons were collected from the wild. The Chi- (Bombyx mandarina is suspected to be the moth has hatched naturally. above: The most expensive silk sari in the world, made consider: All the wondrous qualities of silk queen Hsi-Ling-Shih observed the remark- nese considered silk production a state secret, ancestor of the domesticated Bombyx mori), by the prestigious Chennai Silk textile house in Tamil Nadu, uses inset jewels that come at the price of literally billions of silk- able fast growth of silkworms in the wild a breach of which carried the death penalty. at this point it is entirely a domesticated spe- detail a famous Ravi Varma painting. It is priced at us$100,000. India is the world’s worms, all of whom are raised and killed in and brought a cocoon back to the palace. But around 550 ce, live cocoons were smug- cies, blind and incapable of flight. largest consumer of silk goods, with saris topping the list retail silk products. order to harvest their valuable cocoons. One day she accidentally dropped a discard gled into Central Asia. The Arabs brought The silk production process begins with For people trying to live as compassionate cocoon into her tea. When she removed it, sericulture to Africa and Europe 100 years tiny eggs, laid by the few female silk moths a life as possible, there are alternatives. So- the cocoon began unravelling and the idea later. By 1450, the silk industry was booming that have been allowed to emerge from their ry leaves during which time they molt sev- the worms are transferred to a fresh set of called “ahimsa silk” or “peace silk” is made for silk fabric blossomed. in Europe. Later the European industry de- cocoons. Each lays between 200-500 eggs. eral times and grow to about 9cm in length. bamboo trays. Silkworms possess a pair of only from cocoons discarded after the moth Archeological evidence for the antiquity of clined and the center of the silk cultivation In about seven days, the eggs hatch into Over this period the silkworm increases in specially modified salivary glands called ser- has naturally emerged. It is marketed and silk production winds back to this same era. shifted back to the Orient, with China in the 3mm-long larva. For several weeks the larva weight about 10,000 times. icteries, which are used for the production sold by a small number of companies and is In modern Shanxi province, a silk cocoon, cut lead today. (See our timeline.) are fed around the clock on chopped mulber- When they are ready to spin their cocoons, of a clear, viscous, proteinaceous fluid that

54 hinduism today january/february/march, 2010 january/february/march, 2010 hinduism today 55 t

The Making of Silk

he domesticated female Bombyx mori moth, whose offspring produce over 90% of the world’s silk, cannot fly, never sees the light of day, is bred, lays eggs once then dies. Her larval offspring are pricked, boiled or baked to death in their cocoons before they mature. The raw silk strands Tunraveled from these cocoons eventually becomes the silk you wear. The process is 5,000 years old, if not older. Today one can find silk being made on a small scale, such as in Thailand villages, and mass-produced on huge silkworm farms and factories that process hundreds of thousands The female silk moth is raised and The freshly hatched larvae are barely Also called silkworms, they are Workers may not smoke, make of cocoons each month, such as in China. At the top of silk’s consump- 1 bred. She lays her eggs inside an en- 23mm long. 3 placed in baskets of mulberry leaves. 4 noise, eat garlic or chicory or do tion ladder are Indian Hindus who buy silk saris. Increasingly, however, closure and then dies. Baskets are kept in an exceptionally anything to upset the sensitive larvae, Indian ladies with compassionate hearts are calling for an end to silk. clean environment. who eat voraciously.

As they grow and make waste in one After about 22 days, they stop eat- Workers carefully place the worms From a pair of modified salivary Spinning round and round in a fig- The silkworms spin for three or 5 basket, they are moved by hand to 6 ing and raise their heads, signaling 7 in specially designed baskets with 8 glands, the worms secrete a viscous 9 ure eight, they cocoon themselves 10 four days, then stop and turn clean baskets with fresh leaves. Heads their readiness to spin cocoons. compartments that keep the cocoons fluid that hardens into a filament on with a single filament that will ulti- into pupae to begin the magical trans- down, they eat continously for about 20 separate and uniform. contact with air. mately be 600 to 1000 meters long. formation into moths. days and grow to be about 9 cm long.

To prevent them from emerging Skilled hands find the ends of The diameter of the thread de- Floated in hot water to lo0sen Workers stop the reeling when a The silk thread is then hung and 11 and thus damaging the cocoons, 12 the single filament of individual 13 pends on how many filaments are 14 the viscous filament, cocoons un- 15 single cocoon is finished, find the 16 readied for bleaching, dying and the pupae are pricked to death, boiled cocoons, twist them together to form a twisted and reeled together. roll as the filament is reeled up. Shown end of another co­coon’s filament, attach weaving. or baked alive inside the cocoons. single thread and pass it to a reel. here is a fine-grade, five-strand thread. it to the thread and resume reeling.

photos and story line courtesy of designboom.com; with some photos from dreamstime.com 56 hinduism today january/february/march, 2010 january/february/march, 2010 hinduism today 57 is forced through openings called spinnerets on the mouthpart of the larva. As the fluid comes into contact with the air, it hardens Hindus Comment on the Use of Silk into thread which the worm uses to spin the cocoon. The diameter of the spinneret de- Kannan Srikanth, Hy- or synthetic fibers (like people in Alaska or some other remote loca- termines the thickness of the thread, which derabad: Though appar- tion), then it would be necessary to use animals. But since most of us emerges as a long, continuous filament. ently there are some esoteric aren’t in that situation, there’s no necessity for silk After several days in the cocoon, it is har- reasons for wearing silk, it is Hinduism asks us to live simply. An excessive lifestyle is what has vest time. To unravel the thread as one single generally considered himsa. led most people to go into debt, lose their homes to foreclosure and strand, the cocoon must be harvested before The Kanchi Shankaracharyas have troubles paying their bills. Silk is a more expensive fabric and the pupa matures and emerges as a moth. If have for more than three encourages people to focus on acquiring unnecessary material pos- the moth naturally emerges from the cocoon, decades deplored the use of sessions rather than seeking spiritual progress or living simply with it cuts the filament, just as you might take a silk, even counseling their a lower carbon footprint. pair of scissors and cut up a ball of yarn. followers to not purchase silk I would like to share with you this quote from the PETA.org site: To prevent this, the pupae are killed by a sarees for weddings but only “To obtain silk, distributors boil the worms alive inside their cocoons. process euphemistically called “stifling.” cotton saris and dhotis. They Anyone who has ever

This is generally done by boiling, steaming or dreamstime.com especially counsel that at least seen worms startle baking. If water or steam is used, the cocoon Mother and child: over time, all color has the holy clothes in which the when their dark must be worked immediately; otherwise, the been lost in the 1.5-2 inch long Bombyx mori couple get married in front of homes are uncovered pupae inside will putrify during storage and moth. Cultivated from pre-historic times, the homa fire should be fully must acknowledge contaminate the filament. If baked and dried, her 3-inch-long silkworm baby larvae today ahimsa and made of cotton, that worms are sen- the cocoons can be stored for later use. produce a phenomenal 400,000 metric tons of not silk. sate—they produce Once this is done, the end of the silk thread silk annually, each one dying in the process. endorphins and have is located and the entire cocoon unwound, Dr. Nandita Shah, Sharan, a physical response either mechanically or by hand. Each cocoon cynthia and Philosamia ricini are used to cases, the cocoons are then “stifled” in the Mumbai: There is abso- to pain.” produces 600 to 900 meters of filament. Five make eri silk. Antheraea assama produces a same way as cocoons raised in feeding barns. lutely no link between silk We have humane to eight filaments are reeled together to make golden yellow colored silk, known as muga. and ahimsa. Anyone who has alternatives to a single thread for textile production. India is the only nation in the world that What Is Ahimsa Silk? seen the process by which silk—including nylon, By some accounts, 50,000 cocoons are produces all three of these varieties. Collec- Ahimsa silk is different. To produce this silk, silk is made cannot say silk milkweed, seed pod required to make one silk sari. And to feed tively, these are known as wild silks, though cocoons are collected after the moths have does not involve a lot of vio- fibers, silk-cotton those silkworms requires a ton and a half of semi-domesticated might be a better term. emerged. Most of this silk comes from the lence, albeit to tiny creatures. tree and ceiba tree fresh mulberry leaves. India produces over 1,500 metric tons of semi-domesticated silkworm species, but www.sharan-india.org filaments, polyester, wild silk annually. Bombyx mori can be used as well. and rayon. These Wild Silk Production The main difference between wild silk A number of online and brick-and-mortar Ravi Grover, Illinois: We are easy to find and Bombyx mori may be the dominant silk- and domestic silk is where the eggs are laid stores sell finished ahimsa silk, but there are don’t need silk saris or silk usually less expen- worm, but it is not the only species used in and cocoons are formed. Tussah and muga two main US outlets for this fabric: Aurora fabrics, because science is sive than silk. Please textile production. Antheraea pernyi, An- silk moths are allowed to breed, lay eggs, and Silk (www.aurorasilk.com) based in Portland, advanced enough to have search the web for etheraea mylitta and Antheraea yamamai are the larva then feed on leaves in trees and Oregon, and run by Cheryl Kolander; and created quality cloth from “cruelty to insects” for used to make tussah or tassar silk (in China, form cocoons which are later removed. This Ahimsa Silk (www.ahimsasilk.com), based in non-animal sources. If we details. India, and Japan, respectively); Philosamia eliminates the tedious feeding and manage- Pune, India, and run by Leelavati Sabale. The didn’t have access to plants ment of larva in baskets indoors. In most latter firm is endorsed by People for Ani-

Timeline: 6500 bce to 2007 ce ca 650 5000-3000 bce 2000 bce 200 1200 1650 1845-1870 1990s—Today Silk fabric Silk trade Silk Road trade is Italy develops a large domestic French silk production Disease spreads among With economic reforms, China production is starts established. Sericulture silk industry as skilled is booming—the silkworms in Europe. arises to become the world’s 絲 established in between spreads to Japan. weavers flee Constantinople city of Lyon depends This, combined with a largest producer of silk once China. It is decreed East Asia and Sericulture, using after the Fourth Crusade. on silk for one third drop demand for silk again. In 1996 it is responsible “Silk” a state secret, Western Asia domestic silkworms, Silk production of its livelihood. clothing, marks the for about 71% of world with disclosure Romans spreads to India. flourishes in India, decline of Europe’s production. In 2007 it produces punishable by death. Favor Silk Arabs spread silk from Kashmir to Mysore. silk industry. 300,000 tons of cocoons.

6000300 BCECE 2000400 bce 5000 600500 1000 1600 1800 1900 2007 6,500 bce 2450 bce 1070 bce 30 bce 552 ca 1450-1475 British India 1891 1939-1945 1945-1975 Silk is Wild silk is used Silk is traded as Roman trade with Asia Byzantine emperor Italy’s silk industry Leads Silk Exports Vicose World War II brings Japan is the mentioned for thread in the far as Egypt, as expands. So much silk enters Justinian obtains silkworm is booming, with (artificial silk) synthetic replacements world’s largest in the Rig Indus/Saraswati evidenced by a silk Rome that the Senate tries eggs, smuggled back from 7,000 people production for silk into many exporter of raw Veda. civilization. thread in the hair to prohibit its wearing. Central Asia in bamboo employed in begins in applications. The silk until 1975 Mentioned in of a mummy in the It was seen as a sign of rods. Byzantine church Florence alone. France. majority of India’s silk when it becomes the Ramayana. Valley of the Kings. decadence, plus the trade begins making silk fabric. King Louis XI is used for parachutes. a net importer. was draining Roman coffers. founds a silk 1600s 58 hinduism today january/february/march, 2010 industry in France. january/february/march, 2010 hinduism today 59 mal’s Maneka Gandhi and proudly ventionally produced silk. they are dying through neglect or dying The World’s Top Eleven Silk Producers displays a testimonial from HH The It should be noted that ahimsa through your action;...letting them breed Dalai Lama on its website. silk producers are doing their best and lay eggs that hatch and then starve or China - 300,000 Aurora Silk markets both Bom- to provide assurances that their desiccate to death, I don’t find that signifi- byx mori-based ahimsa silk (in fact, products do not involve violence to cantly different than killing them by choice.” India - 77,000 Kolander’s partner in India has the the silk moth or larva. But there is His other gripe is about terminology: If trademark on the name “Ahimsa no certification scheme to reference, you see ahimsa silk marketed as “wildcraft- Uzbekistan - 18,000 silk” made from Bombyx mori in as there is with organic produce, for ed,” implying that the cocoons have all been India), as well as silks described example. So for the consumer, it is a gathered from the wild, that’s simply not the as “peace silk”’ made from tussah, matter of trust. case, Cook asserts. That may have been true Brazil - 8,200 eri and muga cocoons. Kolander twenty years ago, but not in 2009. “It’s like emphasizes that all her silks are Questions about Ahimsa Silk talking about bison that roam freely on the Iran - 6,000 produced and hand-woven by ru- Search for “ahimsa silk” on the in- prairies unfenced, and then implying that ral villagers, providing them with ternet and you can’t help but notice the bison meat you buy at Whole Foods is Thailand - 5,000 much-needed income. that near the top of the results is an free range, when actually it is ranched.” Ahimsa Silk sells a range of fabrics article titled “Ahimsa (Peace) Silk: This sort of terminology can get out of Vietnam - 3,000 for fashion and furniture, including Why I Think It Doesn’t Add Up” hand quickly: Cheryl Kolander has heard a line of shawls, scarves and stoles. by Michael Cook, who raises silk- back from customers that they have seen N.Korea - 1,400

All are made from cocoons naturally dreamstime/stuart welburn worms and works in silk in Texas. Chinese silk being sold in New York City, discarded by emerging silk moths, Insect silk—nature’s most incredible fiber: A single silk Cook’s main problems with ahimsa claiming to be produced non-violently and Romania - 1,000 who live through the process. This cocoon’s filament can be 1000 meters long, yet is only 10-30 silk are: First, where do you draw even presented with counterfeit versions silk is sourced from northeast India microns in diameter. Its special proteins are the subject of the line with violence? He points of Aurora Silk labels. Cook speaks of see- Afghanistan - 500 in the case of eri and muga, while scientific study, as is spiders’ web silk. Nephila (spider) silk out that if you actually let all the ing tussar silk being marketed as inherently tussah is produced in central In- has a tensile strength almost as great as steel’s per unit vol- female moths lay eggs, you have so peace silk because, he paraphrases, “It’s har- Japan - 500 dia and Uttaranchal. Ahimsa Silk ume and far greater than steel’s per unit weight. But military many excess larvae on your hands vested from the jungles after the moths have emphasizes the fact that it works biologists have failed to domesticate spiders en mass. Other that you can’t feed them all and emerged from the cocoons,” when in real- Metric Tons of Reelable Cocoons Produced in 2007 together with People for Animals experiments are underway to implant silk genes into mam- some end up dying. ity those moths were raised specifically for in training villagers so they can pro- mals, with the hope of extracting silk proteins from milk. So As Cook articulated to Hinduism silk. Just because a silk is not Bombyx mori duce this sort of silk, which com- far, such bizarre attempts to match natures’ wonders have Today, “It’s a question of whether doesn’t mean it is ahimsa silk. Further dis- 0 50,000 100,000 150,000 200,000 250,000 300,000 mands a price premium over con- failed to be commercially viable. it’s volitional or accidental, whether crepancies between description and real- ity can occur: Animal rights group Beauty Based on United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization data from 2007 Without Cruelty has publicly accused one silk producer in South India of promoting mate. The females are then segregated and But such a position just opens more ques- in my opinion killing going on. All of which could be avoided silk as ahimsa silk when the process they placed in trays to lay eggs. The males are put tions about pollution caused by oil-based by using other fabrics. Ahimsa silk is a better witnessed was just a twist on conventional in a refrigerator, kept semi-frozen, and trot- fabrics and the very act of farming itself. option, assuming you’ve gotten the real thing silk production. Beauty Without Cruelty says ted out repeatedly to mate. They are eventu- Where and by what criteria do we draw from a trusted source. they did see cocoons from which the moths ally thrown into a dustbin to die lingering the line between violent and nonviolent ac- But what about recommending synthetic were allowed to emerge, but what happened deaths when their virility diminishes.” tion? ∏π Where Do We Draw the Line? silk as a nonviolent alternative? You need not afterwards to the moths called the ahimsa Ultimately, Beauty Without Cruelty con- B y M atthew M cd ermott go so far as calling all synthetic fibers and dyes description into question. cludes, based on this expedition, that no silk by Matthew McDermott, poison, as Aurora Silk does, to recognize the “After emerging, the male and female can truly be called ahimsa silk “unless it is senior writer for TreeHugger,com t is clear that humankind’s traditional lifestyles are genuinely negative environmental impact of moths are kept together for three hours to artificially made of yarns such as polyester.” and PlanetGreen.com deeply damaging to our own future and that of all other spe- the petro-chemical industry from where syn- cies. We all know about issues surrounding energy, pollution, thetic fibers originate. eating meat, fish, birds or wearing furs. But a new generation of Add in the effect of fossil fuels in contribut- Annual Statement of Ownership Ifighters for nonviolence would have us “go to the edge” and pro- ing to climate change—a genuine threat to all 13,707 (h) Copies not distributed: (1) Office use, leftovers, spoiled: 2,919; (2) Return as required by the united states postal service tect even the insect world, as do the most orthodox of Jains. At life on the planet—and, to me at least, synthetic from news agents: not applicable; (i) Total: 16,626; Percent paid and/or requested the vanguard of the new awareness are young people, especially fibers clearly fall into the category of violence. Statement of ownership, management, and circulation (required by USPS DMM circulation: 79.40%. The actual number of copies of single issue published nearest young women, in organizations such as Beauty Without Cruelty It may be a different category of violence than 707.8.3) of Hinduism Today, published four times a year at 107 Kaholalele RD, to filing date is: (a) Total number of copies printed: 19,065; (b) Paid circulation: (1) who want you to give up, among many things, all silk. (www. directly killing an animal for food or clothing, Kapaa, HI 96746-9304, for October 1, 2009. General business offices of the pub- Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors, and counter sales: 7,238; (2) Paid beautywithoutcruelty.com). but it is entirely avoidable nevertheless. lisher are located at 107 Kaholalele RD, Kapaa, HI 96746-9304. Name and address of or requested mail subscriptions: 3,793; (c) Total paid and/or requested circulation: Such a position raises a profound question about the boundar- Which leaves us with other natural fibers: publisher is Swami Bodhinatha Veylan, 107 Kaholalele RD, Kapaa, HI 96746-9304. 11,031; (d) Free distribution by mail: 805; (e) Free distribution outside the mail: ies of ahimsa. Where should one draw the line when it comes cotton, linen, hemp, jute and others, produced Name and address of editor is Swami Sivasiva Palani, 107 Kaholalele RD, Kapaa, 4,688; (f) Total free distribution: 5,493; (g) Total distribution: 16,524; (h) Copies not to violence, especially when the harm is unintended? When organically, as truly the best options. It is to HI 96746-9304. Name and address of managing editor is Swami Arumugam Katir, distributed: (1) Office use, leftovers, spoiled: 2,541; (2) Return from news agents: moths breed and live in the wild, do they not also die of disease, these fibers that those of us wishing to live as 107 Kaholalele RD, Kapaa, HI 96746-9304. Owner is Himalayan Academy, 107 Ka- not applicable; (i) Total: 19,065; Percent paid and/or requested circulation: 66.76%. natural causes, or simply expire at the end of their life cycle, as do nonviolently as possible should turn for clothing. But even here, as holalele RD, Kapaa, HI 96746-9304. There are no known bondholders, mortgagees, I certify that all information furnished above is true and complete. I understand all living creatures? It is a well-known fact of nature that numerous anyone who has farmed knows, countless insects are killed when or other security holders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this statement or off-spring of many species die well before maturity. If it happens on we till the soil and apply pesticides against predators. Raising cotton bonds, mortgages, or other securities. The average number of copies of each issue who omits material or information requested on the statement may be subject a farm, does that violate the law of nonviolence? requires killing cotton weevils. In the case of silk, the insects pro- during the preceding 12 months is: (a) Total number of copies printed: 16,626; (b) to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprison- For all those who follow ahimsa strictly, conventional silk is obvi- ducing the product are killed; in the case of cotton the insects that Paid circulation: (1) Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors, and counter ment) and/or civil sanctions (including multiple dam- ously out of the question—to make that silk sari or shawl you must feed on the product are killed. Each of us will have to make our own sales: 6,831; (2) Paid or requested mail subscriptions: 4,053; (c) Total paid and/or ages and civil penalties). directly and intentionally kill thousands of insects. The silk produc- choice. requested circulation: 10,884; (d) Free distribution by mail: 809; (e) Free distribu- tion process may be more environmentally friendly in some ways But one thing is clear, a new generation is realizing that everything tion outside the mail: 2,014; (f) Total free distribution: 2,823; (g) Total distribution: Swami Durganatha Shanmuga, Administrator. than factory farming, especially in the case of semi-domesticated we do has consequences. They are challenging us all to walk as gen- silks raised at the village level, but there is an awful lot of willful tly as we can on this Earth in every choice we make.

60 hinduism today january/february/march, 2010 january/february/march, 2010 hinduism today 61 e d u cation How Chinmaya Mission Trains Leaders The two-year Vedanta course at Sandeepany Sadhanalaya in Mumbai demands rigorous personal discipline, deep devotion and intense scriptural study

Chinmaya Mission’s training program is practice. Here the acharyas (teachers) of no ordinary course of study. It is a 24/7 Chinmaya Mission are trained in a two-year commitment of body, mind and soul to an program which begins and ends on Ganesha immersive spiritual adventure. A recent Chathurti. A year later, a new course begins. graduate, Acharya Vivek, recounts his I was honored to join the 13th course, which extraordinary experience. commenced in 2005. I was born and raised in Niagara Falls, By Acharya Vivek, Canada, to devotees of Swami Tejomayanan- Chinmaya Mission da, the current head of Chinmaya Mission. I Niagara, Canada pursued all that any young Canadian would: ome great men try to improve the higher education, travelling, fancy posses- world by changing the outer settings sions. Like everyone else, I followed these of economic and societal conditions. pursuits for the sake of happiness. And like S A few greater men try to change the everyone else, happiness eluded me—time processes and the vision of the masses. The and time again. This was an intensely tiring very greatest achieve a complete and last- period of my life. ing transformation, one individual at a time. Relief came from a most unexpected That was Swami Chinmayananda’s vision source. I had learned that Swami Tejoma- when he created Sandeepany Sadhanalaya yananda himself was going to be the Resi- in 1963. Sandeepany was the name of Lord dent Acharya, head teacher, for the upcom- Krishna’s guru, and sadhanalaya means, ing Vedanta Course. Wondering how the “place of sadhana”—disciplined spiritual head of Chinmaya Mission could take so all photos: chinmaya mission

much time away from the 300 centers and 300 acharyas around the world who con- stantly seek his presence, I asked myself: Will studying Vedanta from a swami in an ashram teach me to be content? Is this what I am looking for? The answer came to me: I Householders and older participants Following the sages’ path: (top) will never know unless I try. were called “guest students” and techni- Performing Ganga arati at Haridwar’s Har I was one applicant among 700. Of these, cally distinguished from the brahmacha- Ki Pauri ghat, part of the student’s tour of 160 were interviewed, and 70 were selected. rins (unmarried seekers). In practice, how- the sacred places of North India; (left above) In August of 2005, sixty of us arrived at the ever, everyone taking the course was called Swami Chinmayananda with his then Mumbai ashram. We were a perfect sam- “brahmacharin,” i.e., one pursing Brahman. youthful successor, Swami Tejo­mayananda; pling of the global diaspora: seven countries, The guest students were housed in Chin- (right above) Vedanta course students study five decades of birth dates—ages 21 to 65— maya Vihar and treated more leniently. For outside Saraswati Nilayam for an upcoming and, yes, two genders, all unmarried. We example, their rooms had attached baths class at Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Mumbai. were dispatched to our assigned buildings: and air conditioning, and they could leave unmarried men in Vivekalaya and unmar- the ashram more freely for errands and such. ried women in Yashodalaya. On the other hand, during the course they the course were much like mine. Cauvery were not called as often to speak in front Bhalla of Mumbai said, “It is our common Graduation day: Course graduates of classes or the public. Being householders, experience to get an object only to figure out for 2007 at Chinmaya Mission, Mum- they, of course, did not have the option of that’s not what we truly wanted. It is also bai. Author Acharya Vivek is just behind taking Brahmachari Diksha, the formal ini- common to come across people who know and to the right of orange-robed Swami tiation into the path of renunciation, upon exactly what they don’t want, yet are unable Nikhilananda. (top) Pujya Guruji Swami completion of the program. to point out what it is they do want. So, life Tejomayananda, head, Chinmaya Mis- My classmates’ reasons for enrolling in goes on, endlessly chasing one object after sion Worldwide. 62 hinduism today january/february/march, 2010 january/february/march, 2010 hinduism today 63 all photos: chinmaya mission Scenes from the course: (above left) Mohan in meditation at Sandeepany The Day Begins during the course, it was taught in English. dashi, Ramana Maharishi’s Saddarshanam, Sadhanalaya; (above right) Mumbai skyline Our first day of classes was September 7, and Having casually grown up within Chin- Mandukya Upanishad with Gaudapada’s from the ashram; (below) Acharya Raghu’s I was rattled. Never had I witnessed such op- maya Mission, I arrogantly thought I knew Karika, and dozens more. Finally, we took head shaving pressive heat and rain as Mumbai had to of- what Vedanta is and who a guru was. In up Adi Shankaracharya’s Jivanmuktananda fer during this monsoon season. Never had retrospect, I knew nothing. I joined San­dee­ Lahari—the experience of an enlightened I lived in a place where everyone seemed pany to study spirituality. Yet, at the time I personality. to know what they were doing, except me. had no idea what was special about Vedanta Through Swamiji’s devotion to India’s Sudha, I found out, was equally lost, sighing, versus what I learned in high school or uni- great saints, I was able to catch a glimpse of “I did not know what I had signed up for.” versity. Soon, though, I came to understand their greatness. This was especially true for

We gathered in our freshly donned white that every class I had ever taken, at any level Veda Vyasa Rishi and his Shrimad Bhagavad all photos: chinmaya mission outfits for the inauguration ceremony. Swa- of schooling, was objective science—a study Gita. With tears in his eyes, Swamiji would mi Purushottamananda, Swami Brahman- of the outside world. What I was now study- bring tears to my eyes as he lovingly taught Celebrating their roots: (top to anda and the senior acharyas welcomed and ing in the ashram was subjective science—a what Lord Krishna taught Prince Arjuna in bottom) Swami Sunderananda, a direct blessed the class. Swami Purushottamanan- study of myself. I was humbled by the real- the Gita. I am filled with reverence know- disciple of Swami Tapovanam (guru da declared, “It is time to forget about your ization that I knew so much about the world ing the scripture dates back over 5,000 years, of Swami Chinmayananda) shares his dress and your address.” and so little about my body, mind and soul. yet its message of serving and surrendering insights with the classmates during their Ring, ring, ring, went the 4am bell—for Cauvery expresses a similar experience: is as relevant today as ever. pilgrimage to the Tapovanam’s humble 750 consecutive mornings. Although I had “Imagine walking into a city of mirrors—a When I was a youth, Swami Tejomaya­ Himalayan hut in Uttarkashi; creating no problem with this discipline, some of us city where every inch, the roads we walk on, nanda would stay at our home whenever a flowerrangoli decoration for Swami found it a hardship even after two years! Our the walls that surround us, is covered with he visited Niagara Falls. Devotees from all Tejomayananda’s arrival; collecting first class of the day was Vedic chanting at mirror glass. Every step in that city would be around used to flock by the hundreds to freezing water from Gangotri, the glacial 5:30 with Samvid Chaitanya. Born in Kerala, an effortless discovery of a new facet of one- be in his presence. To me, the whole scene source of the sacred Ganga River Samvidji spent many years as a wander- self. Some facets would reveal beauty, and seemed boring. He was just another swami, another yet feeling no satisfaction. This has ing monk in the Himalayas, and eventually some facets ugliness. Sandeepany Sadhana- only with a cool title—head of Chinmaya been the problem of humanity since time found himself at Sandeepany Sadhanalaya. laya is such a city of mirrors.” Mission. Only after I actually listened to him immemorial.” We were fortunate that Swami Tejoma- explain the subtlest of texts, like the Upani- Sudha Shastry of Sydney, Australia, shared yananda selected this young, experienced Delving into Vedanta Scriptures shads and Brahma Sutras did I come to ap- a similar idea: “I desperately needed a brahmachari to live with us and guide us Every morning at 7am and every afternoon preciate his brilliance. change. I needed more meaning to my life. through our challenges. “A scholar and at 4pm, guided by Swami Tejomayananda, “There are only a few acharyas in the whole I decided to give Sandeepany Sadhanalaya a teacher par excellence,” said Shivani Khora- we would plunge into the mystical language world who can teach what he can the way he try. I had nothing to lose. If it did not work na of Delhi, “Samvidji kept us engaged with of our scriptures—breaking up our habits can. Perhaps this is the reason why Swamiji out, I could always go back to my job.” his innovative teaching style and approach- of limited thinking in the process. Men- was honored as ‘Hindu of the Year’ in 2005 Atharvana Chaitanya, who had come able nature.” tally and intellectually raised to heights I by Hinduism Today,” remarked Prabhat from Ahmedabad, India, offered his initial Lacking any previous voice training, I had never imagined, I was ready to listen to Chaitanya, a student from Toronto, Canada. impression of Sandeepany: “This holy insti- found the Sanskrit chanting with its high him all day, every day. Swamiji personally tute of Vedantic studies offers just the right pitch and low pitch quite a struggle. Vedic taught eighty percent of our Vedanta classes Sanskrit, Language of the Gods environment for any seeker of knowledge chanting was a sadhana I had never been over the next two years, an extraordinary After an hour’s discourse and breakfast, San- to blossom into a perfect being. Everyone exposed to in the West! Eventually I came to commitment. skrit class commenced at 9:30am. When I is given enough ‘space,’ within a non-judg- love it as a fine art. The first text we studied was Adi Shanka- had first mentioned to Swamiji that I was mental atmosphere, to be able to drop all in- The chanting set the mood for the next racharya’s Tattva Bodha. Our journey con- interested in joining the Vedanta Course, hibitions and be what one is.” class: Vedanta philosophy. Like all classes tinued with Vidyaranya Swami’s Pancha- he laughed, and told me to learn as much

64 hinduism today january/february/march, 2010 january/february/march, 2010 hinduism today 65 Chinmaya Mission

Mumbai google earth all photos: chinmaya mission

Sanskrit as possible before coming to San­ From Mumbai to the Himalayas: (left to right) Google Earth’s view of Mumbai center; povan Kutia. This was the ashram home of Challenges and Fulfillment were the same. What had changed was my dee­pany. Determined, I started setting class with Swamiji at Tapovan Kutia; worship at the Ganga Mandir in Uttarkashi Swami Chinmayananda’s guru, Swami Ta- When I lived in a university residence, I of- vision of life and its purpose. Enlighten- aside an hour a day to learn this language povan Maharaj. Our goal was to honor and ten heard students complain about how dif- ment was no longer a foreign concept to me; of the Gods. Within a month I had to give pay respects to the guru parampara (lineage). ficult it is to live in close quarters with oth- it had become the entire focus of my life. I up as I struggled to even write the script. A example, Swamini Vimalananda, who looks Classmate Vimal Singh of Durban, South No one was allowed to leave Sandeepany ers. I also heard some of my married friends grew closer to those who recognized and un- teacher would be necessary for me to ever after the education facet of Chinmaya Mis- Africa, said for us all, “Living and studying during the course without permission, and whine endlessly about living with their derstood this change in me, and more distant learn Sanskrit. But here, thanks to Samvidji, sion, gave us an overview of the Mission’s with the master, studying the ancient lan- few wanted to. But now, everyone looked spouse. Both these situations are trying, but from those who did not. I not only learned the alphabet, but how to various schools and their curriculums. An- guage of Sanskrit, the camaraderie of fellow forward to this pilgrimage. there is always a chance to escape—which Now seeing the mundane world as just read shlokas, write exams and interpret our other class was on Vanaprastha Samsthan, seekers, the incessant company of saints and I was ecstatic about the adventure. En is what we always do. We try to run away another form of God, interacting with it scriptures. Shivani said of Samvidji, “Not Chinmaya Mission’s retirement communi- swamis, the celebration of a kaleidoscope of route we visited many holy places and from our mind via entertainment, relation- became simply one form of sadhana. My only did he get us to learn Sanskrit, he also ties. There were no classes in management of festivals, the joy of singing the Lord’s name, stayed at several monasteries. Eventually ships, even work. first assignment was serving at Chinmaya instilled a deep love for the language.” Chinmaya Mission branches, or in personal the glory of silence, the dynamism of puja, we reached Tapovan Kuti, and this became Living in Sandeepany was a thousand Dhara, Chinmaya Mission’s center at Ni- Knowing Sanskrit was a great aid in chant- counseling of devotees. We were expected to drama, dance and music—this was all a ful- home for a month. Our studies never ceased; times more challenging. All that I had ever agara Falls, Canada, which was wonderful. It ing the Lord’s names—which was our next pick up these skills from observation of the fillment of some long-standing urge.” only the context changed—heat to cold, depended on was taken away: cell phone, took around eighteen months for me to earn session. I had never been a ritual-oriented guru and senior acharyas. As a personal de- After the evening class, we took dinner plains to mountains. While in Uttarkashi, television, restaurants, friends—I was only the community’s respect as a teacher. I was person. Rituals seemed irrational, insubstan- votional practice, we were taught the Paduka and retired for the night, only to wake again we had a chance to have darshan at glorious left with my mind. I was forced to live with thankful for this period because it forced me tial. Hence, when informed we were to chant Puja, the daily ritual worship of the guru’s at 4am—a schedule we maintained nearly temples like Kashi Vishwanath and Ganga the minimum; and if I could not handle this, to prove my commitment and conviction to Vishnu­sa­hasranama at noon every day, I had sandals. This is a common form of worship every day for the two-plus years. The excep- Mata. Our month passed in a moment. I suffered. There was no escape from this spreading spiritual knowledge. the same initial reaction as towards Sanskrit among all devotees of Chinmaya Mission, tions came for truly exceptional events—the I had visited Tapovan Kutia with two suffering but to face it and transcend it. Sandeepany Sadhanalaya calls out to those study—an inefficient use of time. But this one which we would later be expected to celebration of unforgettable festivals and friends in 2000. At that time it was just a Classmate Vimal had a similar experi- spirits who are ready to question the feeble seemingly mindless chanting eventually teach. pilgrimage to sacred places. cool place in the Himalayas. The experience ence: “Only after studying at Sandeepany sense of contentment that the objects, be- became quite meaningful. Swamiji took the Our scriptures teach us that Mahasiva­ at Tapovan Kutia during the Vedanta Course did I realize that happiness is independent ings and circumstances of the world have to time to explain what each of Lord Vishnu’s Evening Satsanga ratri is one of the most sattvic festivals and was completely different. Swami Tapovanam of outer circumstances; that it resides in offer. Those who heed this call are those who 1,000 names signifies and how by remem- After lunch, rest and our 4pm Vedanta class so one of the most important for a seeker. was a great ascetic who believed in deep my own heart. One is forced to spend time are ready to do what it takes to discover that bering His divine qualities, one could nur- it was time for arati and evening satsanga at Words cannot describe what I experienced sadhana, and at Uttarkashi we were natural- in solitude, in ruminating, in silent search- contentment comes from within. They de- ture the same within oneself. 6:25pm. All day my head was stretched to seeing and serving the 100,000 devotees ly inspired to engage in deep sadhana. Many ing, in discovering, in fighting the uprising of part from Sandeepany blessed by their guru its limit. Tired, I welcomed this class which paying homage at the Mandir. The line took up disciplines, such as maintaining si- negative tendencies within.” For some, the with the strength to carry themselves and Practical Classes focused on the heart. Filled with devotional formed at 3am and did not clear until 3am lence or fasting. The atmosphere was power- experience was too much. Of the 60 of us others through the challenges of living. ∏π We had periodic “organizational classes” in singing and the clapping hands of the pub- the following day. I will forever cherish the ful and purifying. who began, ten left before completion for a which we learned how to conduct the Bala lic and brahmacharins, every evening was delight I saw in the eyes of believers as they On our way home, we paid our respects at variety of reasons, including being dismissed. Chinmaya Mission, www.chinmayamission. Vihar children’s classes and camps, how to restful and memorable. The highlight of our prostrated before Lord Siva. the ashrams of other gurus of Hinduism, in- com (the international website) and www. facilitate a study group and how the Chin- satsangas was Swamiji’s line-by-line expla- cluding Anandamayi Ma in Haridwar, Swa- Returning to the World chinmayamission.org (for Chinmaya West), maya Vidyalayas are run—all grassroots ac- nation of Sant Tulsidasji’s entire Sri Ram- Our Days of Pilgrimage mi Sivananda in Rishikesh and Swami Na- Returning to Canada, I quickly realized that is currently conducting its 14th Vedanta tivities of the Mission. These classes were acharitramanasa—the first time he has ever After a year of study at Sandeepany, we set rayana in Delhi. Truly, the religious wealth nothing had changed. The people were the Course. Applications for the 15th course are not on Vedanta, but on how to spread it. For done this in a Vedanta Course! out on pilgrimage to Uttarkashi, to visit Ta- of Bharat is immeasurable. same, the places were the same, the things due in January, 2011.

66 hinduism today january/february/march, 2010 january/february/march, 2010 hinduism today 67 I wanted an identity to which everyone in those who wish to do it unnecessary harm. I do not youth my immediate surroundings could relate fight in spite of my religion. I fight inspired by it. and respect. The importance of the Hindu American identity The US Army is a rare home for an In- extends beyond a vague resolve to fight for what dian immigrant, but no other endeavor has you believe in. Each of us is faced daily with moral ever given me the professional and spiritu- challenges in this country, and our reactions to Exploring the Hindu al fulfillment than the experience of mili- them define our spiritual resolve. This nation is tary service. The Army challenged my most in an ethical crisis, from the poorest of American extreme patriotic influences against my ghettos through the wealthiest of corporate banks. peaceful Hindu beliefs. How could I serve Hindu Americans are a dominant source of influ- American Identity patriotically as a US Army Officer, owning ence, wealth and intellect in this nation, so what Three award-winning essays on what it means the responsibility of waging war against does it say of our personal constitutions if we our national enemies, but remain a man of tolerate the ethical degradation around us? We to be a Hindu and an American today the Hindu faith believing in the peaceful have the means to drastically improve the ethical coexistence of all beings? This was a deep standards in this country. We owe it to ourselves philosophical confrontation, but I accepted as Hindu Americans to defend, as Arjuna does Last summer, the Hindu American Foundation conducted its Next- it with resolve. his kingdom, the moral foundations which have Gen essay contest, soliciting original essays from youths 17-28 years Through days of wet, cold, hot, humid, tired and hungry, I main- made this country a haven for religious and ethnic old answering the questions: Why is a Hindu American identity im- tained a vegetarian diet. After a long day of military training, I tolerance. We could collectively sit on the sidelines portant? How can you advocate for this identity in public policy and returned to my barracks to indulge myself in the poetry of the and criticize our leadership as many Americans your private life? How can Hindu American advocacy be beneficial Bhagavad Gita. I found solace in Arjuna’s struggle as a shamed war- do. But if we aspire to follow Krishna’s guidance, it to our American society? Enjoy excerpts from three of the winning rior fighting against his blood. I found strength in Krishna’s asser- is our duty to proactively defend the integrity that entries below. The originals can be read at www.hafsite.org/nextgen. tion of conviction and discipline. I found that, though typical Hindus upholds our great society. This is the new impor- and soldiers lead vastly different lives, both share a common pur- tance, the calling, of the Hindu American identity: pose: to serve a higher calling for good. Thus, there was no need for a inspired by our faith, we must actively rebuild our When in the US: Purnita cheering on her university football team My Battle Within: The Identity Crisis struggle between my American and Hindu identities; rather, finding nation’s character and preserve it for our posterity. So I ask of each strength in one made me stronger in the other. Hindu American, what have you done to make America stronger for the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, I naturally made friends with peers Of a Hindu Soldier in the US Army My Hindu American identity is now a defining part of my life. our children? with very different cultural and religious upbringings from my own. B y r A J I v S r i n i v as a n As Arjuna beckons of his charioteer, “How can I wage war against I recall feeling left out when my friends went to church camp each my family? I would rather surrender, than commit such atrocities,” rajiv sriram srinivasan, 23, is a Lieutenant in the United summer and when a large percentage of my classmates showed Krishna affirms that it is our duty as Hindus to do what we believe States Army serving as a Platoon Leader for Attack Company, up to school with bracelets proclaiming their faith. I saw that my he barrel of my m4 assault rifle is slender, black and is right, regardless of the opposition. When peaceful attempts to 2-1 Infantry out of Ft. Lewis, Washington. He was born in faith didn’t have such large-scale organized events or gimmicks to cold. The rippled plastic grips fit ergonomically to a mission reconcile fail, we must be prepared to defend the values in which Chennai and raised in Roanoke, Virginia, by his parents Gita latch onto. My family follows Hinduism, which is the world’s oldest driven hand, one that aggresses to protect a nation and way of we so wholeheartedly believe. It is this reasoning that convinces Ar- and Rajagopalan. Rajiv is the founder of the nonprofit Beyond and the third most practiced religion. However, as a native English life. With each trigger squeeze, a 5.56-caliber bullet breaches juna to fight to protect his kingdom. It is this reasoning that Gandhi Orders (www.beyondorders.org), a website that connects soldiers speaker, it was not very easy for me to practice the religion, due the muzzle at 2,900 feet per second with the sole purpose of tak- used when supporting the British Army’s aggression against the in war zones with NGOs in the US to meet the humanitarian to language barriers. I was taught the basic beliefs, but never fully ing another’s life. Despite its lethality, this weapon is only a piece Nazis in World War II. This reasoning is why I feel so compelled to needs of the Iraqi and Afghani people. Rajiv remains a devout made the teachings a part of my daily life as I imagine I would have T of metal. It is nothing without the mind and heart of the soldier defend this nation, that has given my family countless gifts, against Hindu and a vegetarian. E-mail: [email protected] if I had been raised in India. perched behind it. As I don my body armor, grab As an adult, I’ve begun to realize the importance of learning more my weapon and prepare to lead my platoon of 32 about the Hindu faith and maintaining it as a part of my way of life. soldiers into Afghanistan, I hesitate. I turn to the The Hindu American Identity: As a Hindu American, I’ve been exposed to other religions through- portrait of Krishna in my office and demand of out my education, most notably Christianity and . In Amer- him, “What is the worth of this fight? Is it worth A Melting Pot within a Melting Pot ica, Hinduism has always seemed to blend into the background, our limbs, our lives or the heartbreak of our par- B y P u r n it a H o w l a d e r willing to succumb to the religions that are more common in society. ents? What cause is so important as to merit the But recently, Indian actors have become household names through coming violence?” And so begins my war within: popular films such as “Bend itL ike Beckham” and “Slumdog Mil- the quest for an identity. uperman, wonder woman, spiderman and me. what do lionaire.” This fame has brought India, and its major religion, out of Like most Indian youth in the US, I faced the these four people have in common? While I may not fit the the background and into the spotlight. inner conflict between my Indian and American mold of these characters, we all have a major commonality. I With its renewed fame, I have been given an opportunity as a identities. At home, I watched Bollywood movies feel that I’ve been leading somewhat of a double life for a long Hindu American to share the teachings of Hinduism with others and prayed to Hindu Deities; but at school, I spoke time, and it has not been until recently that I’ve come to accept as and to clear up misunderstandings of the religion. It is so important English, played football and did whatever I could well as try to fuse my two worlds together. My “double life” stems to maintain my identity as a Hindu American, because I am a part to emulate a typical American childhood. I felt S from being an ABCD, or “American Born Confused Desi.” This is a of the generation that is starting to make major decisions about the pulled in two directions: one identity abandon- term that refers to people of South Asian descent who were born future of our country. It would be a shame to watch the identity that ing my Indian heritage, the other neglecting my and live in the United States. The confusion is regarding identity: as my parents and so many others worked so hard to foster, halfway American way of life. Thus, I went through my an ABCD, I am constantly battling between two cultures, the culture across the world from their motherland, disappear. most formative years without knowing who I was, of my parents and that of the society in which I have been raised. nor what I stood for. Not only are ABCDs confused about their identities, so also are purnita howlader, 27, is of Bangladeshi descent. She was born As high school came to an end, I hastily made FOBs, or “Fresh Off the Boat” Hindu immigrants to America. in Urbana, Illinois, and lived in Minnesota, Italy and England the decision to attend the US Military Academy Between these two groups, there is a lot of disparity as to what a before spending the majority of her childhood in Woodbury, at West Point, but did so in vain. At the time, I Hindu American identity is or what it should be. America is known Minnesota. She received a Bachelor’s Degree in Business in was not sure about being an Army officer. I was as a melting pot of cultures, ideas and languages. The Hindu Ameri- 2003 from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis/St.Paul, just looking for a shining star for my résumé. I was can identity is itself a melting pot, as there are so many variations of then spent five years working in the field of Human Resources. looking for a way to pay for college. Perhaps on a Patriotic: Lieutenant Srinivasan with US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates during the religion and of the people who practice it. Purnita is currently attending law school at the University of deeper level, I was looking for a sense of belonging. his graduation from West Point Military Academy As an ABCD growing up in a predominantly Caucasian suburb of Wisconsin, Madison. E-mail: [email protected]

68 hinduism today january/february/march, 2010 january/february/march, 2010 hinduism today 69 faith, and the other with proofs, justifications and extensions that Land of the Free, Home of the are far removed from their origins in the Judeo-Christian social ethos. This, to me, is the importance of being Hindu American: rec- Veda: The Hindu American ognizing that I am in a position to reconcile faith and intellect, spiri- Identity & Cultural Synthesis tuality and science, passion and reason, as the two streams of my heritage have the capacity to do and have been doing for years. B y S hi v i C ha n d r a Without realizing that the purest impulse of religion and the pur- est impulse of secular life is the same, I believe that society every- nonresident indian who considers herself a hindu where stands at the brink of emotional collapse. Creating a rigid line American will hear a variety of reactions over the course between religion and the rest of life has proved insanely impractical of her life, mostly relating to how nice it is that she chooses in the modern world. Regimes which consider themselves purely to “stay in touch with her heritage,” “remember her culture,” religious have turned into totalitarian empires of penury and sub- “take pride in her roots” and other such platitudes. As a result, the jugation, whereas self-proclaimed secular nations suffer an empti- majority of nonresident Indians believe that their role as Hindu ness of the spirit derived from a contemplative vacuum, emotional AAmericans is mainly a preservative one, and if they manage to emu- isolation, and lack of spiritual dialogue. Religious and secular groups late exactly the social mores of homeland Indian Hinduism, they everywhere in the world have difficulty understanding and working have succeeded in their task. with one another in any truly effective way, even though their mis- I believe that the importance of being Hindu American is a great sion is largely the same. If religion and secularism could be recon- deal more than simply preservation. As citi- ciled, these problems could be easily averted. zens of a dual heritage, molded as much by And this is the benefit society will reap from Christmas as by Diwali, we would not do our Hindu American advocacy. identity justice if we did not add something Hindu Americans must advocate for their original of our own to the state of flux that is heritage because our religion stands at a the Hindu cultural canon. I believe that Hin- unique juncture between pure religion and du Americans have something of this sort— pure secularism. The ancient rishis, after all, something extraordinary, something formed were experts at reconciling the secular and by our unique experience—to contribute to the religious. Aryabhatta was a philosopher, the world at large, and this is why my Hindu but also a mathematician. Ved-Vyas and American identity is important to me. Narada were wandering ascetics, but also This extraordinary thing is that being superlative politicians. Dronacharya was a Hindu American represents access to both spiritual teacher, but also a weapons master. the secular and the religious facets of man’s All of these people knew that the material most ancient attempt to make sense of and the spiritual are welded together in the the world. In the Hindu religious tradition, ultimate productive life, and so they strove this is clearly visible in the Vedas, largely for excellence in all fields. They were ideal discursive texts which use dialectic, reason- Hindus—but they would also not have been ing, mathematics and advanced science to out of place among Jefferson or Hancock. find order in the bewildering metaphysical The great men of both traditions taught a tapestry of the universe. For ancient Hindu truly holistic, integrated lifestyle. And the scholars such as Shankaracharya, the im- greatest form of advocacy a Hindu Ameri- plications of this took form in a religious can can perform is to live such a lifestyle HINDU AMERICAN FOUNDATION impulse to strive for the highest, the greatest, herself—a life in which religion and secu- Find comfort in knowing you’ve done all you can for them. For only $51 a year, you will be part of a non-profit organization that interacts with the most excellent form of man possible to larism are not mutually exclusive, but form our conception, and the rest of Hindu religious thought has slowly a synergy that is truly the hallmark of the purush­arthi, the Hindu and educates leaders in public policy, media, and academia about Hinduism and global issues affecting Hindus… woven a cocoon of rituals, social structures and sectarian belief concept of the ideal man. If we can recognize and expound upon systems around this central impulse. But the core of the philosophy the astonishing similarities between Hinduness and Americanness, always remained the same: that man is a great and powerful being, which people normally insist on compartmentalizing into religion For only $51 a year, you will ensure the continuation of a Hindu American voice for generations to come. that because of the Godstuff of which his soul is fashioned he may and secularism, we will succeed in bridging an ancient and actually triumph in any situation, that there is a purpose to life and that it is meaningless divide between East and West. This is a benefit not Join us today at www.HAFsite.org/join. a beautiful and meaningful purpose. only for American society, but for all of mankind. In secular life, I believe this philosophical premise has found For me, this is truly the greatest advocacy possible: synthesis, a true home in the United States of America. Here, the quest for not simply tolerance. I will learn and explore my binary heritage, egalitarianism, justice and opportunity for excellence in human life synthesize its elements of rationality and excellence, and create an is honored more than in any place on Earth, and to experience the informed definition of what my religion and my culture mean to ancient Hindu philosophy of vasudhaiva kutumbakam, “the world me. I will go out and live the life it mandates, show the world what a as one family,” I need look no further than my own neighborhood, purusharthi looks like, and when I am asked how I was able to do it, I to the faces of the many immigrants who have found a home in will say it was because I am a Hindu American. American society. Both Hindu philosophy and American secular wisdom speak to shivi chandra, 20, was born in India, grew up in Michigan the core of man, and therefore I have always felt that these belief and is now an undergraduate studying international relations Your membership guarantees you quarterly newsletters, immediate e-updates of vital advocacy efforts, systems are uniquely compatible. The only difference is that the at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. She hopes invitations to local HAF events… and confidence in investing in the Hindu American future. American philosophical tradition points to the Declaration of In- to pursue a career as a sociological field researcher, and her dependence and the Bill of Rights; the Hindu tradition to the Gita research interests include trends in contemporary Indian culture Promoting Understanding, Tolerance & Pluralism and the Rig Veda, but the theme of each is one: the triumph of the and philosophy. She is particularly interested in the applications human spirit. One says it in a religious way, with rituals, poetry and of Vedanta in the nonprofit sector. E-mail:[email protected] www.HAFsite.org (301) 770-7835. 5268G Nicholson Lane, #164. Kensington, MD 20895, USA. 70 hinduism today january/february/march, 2010 J u l y t o S ep t e m be r E n d o w m e n t C o n t r i b u t i o n s

Kauai Aadheenam Monastic Endowment Kauai Aadheenam Matavasi Medical Fund Mrunal Patel 1,001.00 Yogaswami Hindu Boys’ Home Fund Gunasekaran Kandasamy US$166.25 Shyamadeva Dandapani 63.00 Shanta Devi Periasamy 874.57 Vinaya Alahan 50.00 Diksha Katir 44.95 Nalini Ganapati 50.50 Brett Phillips 10.00 Murali Balaji 1.13 Ripla & Gaurav Malhotra 125.00 Gowri Nadason 151.20 Anonymous 154.00 Kugendra Canaganayagam 60.00 Roy Oshita 500.00 Vayudeva Varadan 72.00 Anonymous 501.00 Anonymous 612.00 A n E s t a t e P l a n n i n g T o o l k i t t o B e n e f i t Y o u , K. Lakshmi Kantha Reddy 35.00 Other Donations 4,800.00 Alex Ruberto 60.00 Murali Krishnaswamy 75.00 Darma & Shivali Satgunasingam 75.00 Total 5,136.70 Aran Sambandar 36.00 Natraj Narayanswami 12.50 I r a i v a n T e m p l e & O t h e r W o r t h y C a u s e s Niraj Thaker 76.50 Nigel Subramaniam Siva 1,000.00 Patrick Parr 50.00 Other Donations 47,326.52 Kumbhalavalai Ganesha Temple Endowment Kannan Srikanth 2,628.16 Ananthakumar Renganathan 100.00 Total 48,349.22 Manoharan Navaratnarajah 75.00 Vayudeva Varadan 84.00 Total 960.63 If your estate plan is out of date or nonexistent, the Total 12,392.58 Iraivan Temple Endowment Malaysia Hindu Renaissance Fund India Hindu Tribals Endowment Hindu Heritage Endowment (HHE) wants to help. Roger & Rosemary Brown 200.00 Murali Balaji 1.14 Udayan Care Endowment Fund Murali Balaji 1.14 Donald Buente 50.00 Devdatta Mhaiskar 25.00 Niraj Thaker 15.00 “We’re happy to send our complimentary estate plan- Nalini Ganapati 50.50 Hinduism Today Production Fund Total 16.14 ning toolkit to anyone on request,” says Shanmuga- C. Govind 305.28 Hiranya Gowda 93.00 Saivite Hindu Scriptural Fund Victoria Lynne Johnson 51.00 Satish Balaji Kalavagunta 100.00 for the Visually Impaired Murugan Temple of North nathaswami, Charitable Funds Manager for HHE. Latha Kannan 153.00 Alok R. Lathi 1,001.00 Alex Ruberto 70.00 America Puja Fund Diksha Katir 129.70 Subramaniam Pennathur 50.01 Vayudeva Varadan 72.00 Phil Murphy, Estate Planning Advisor for HHE, adds, Murali Krishnaswamy 250.00 Vishal Sharma 200.00 Sri Chandra Madhab Debnath Endowment Madhurendu & Sharda Kumar 101.00 Total 1,444.01 Shyamal Chandra Debnath 50.00 Saivite Tamil Foundation Endowment “We want supporters and their families to avoid the Silvarajoo Muniandy 89.80 Suresh Jambunathan 75.00 Niranjan Sankaranarayanan 100.00 Hindu Orphanage Endowment Fund Murugan Temple Yalpanam Festival Fund unnecessary legal fees, taxes, family dissension and Lucy Soutter 10.00 Murali Balaji 1.14 Pathmini Saravanapavan 108.00 Rani Jothiswarar Memorial Fund delay that result from dying intestate (without a will). Niraj Thaker 76.50 Charles Hayse 1,000.00 Thiruchelvi Arumugam 10.00 Anonymous 126.00 Gunasekaran Kandasamy 166.25 Puri Monasteries Fund K. Balaraman Family 39.93 It can be costly to your family and leaves you no say Other Donations 53,604.36 Natraj Narayanswami 21.00 Bharati Patil 5.00 Shamala Jeganathan 10.00 Total 55,297.14 Alex Ruberto 100.00 Kodisvara Jothiswarar 50.00 over who gets your assets.” Lucy Soutter 10.00 Manitha Neyam Trust Fund Selvanathan Jothiswarar 20.00 Kauai Aadheenam Annual Archana Fund Rodney & Ilene Standen 30.00 Bala Sivaceyon 44.86 Siva Jothiswary 50.00 Hemakheshaa Naatha Batumallah 8.00 Himanshu Vyas 54.00 Pusparani 20.00 Though it is not a substitute for legal advice, the Mekaladeva Batumallah 8.00 Total 1,382.39 Kapaleeshwara Temple Orphanage Total 199.93 Ariadasy Canagasaby 6.68 Murali Krishnaswamy 250.00 kit does prepare people to meet with an attorney, he Dayananda Canagasaby 6.68 Hindu Education Endowment Chiranjevi Raparla 80.00 Ramanathaswamy Temple Cleaning Fund Gayavatee Canagasaby 6.68 Murali Balaji 1.14 Michael Zimmermann 5.00 Vinaya Alahan 50.00 said. “It also addresses important nonlegal questions Giradevi Canagasaby 6.68 Total 335.00 Danyse Crotti 100.00 Gunavadee Caremben 7.61 Hindu Press International Endowment Fund Hiranya Gowda 99.00 regarding final ceremonies, obituary preparation and An elderly couple compose a will that Somasundaram Caremben 10.15 Hiranya Gowda 63.00 Pazhassi Balamandiram Orphanage Fund Manogaran Mardemootoo 133.56 the whereabouts of legal documents, such as insur- Sukanta Caremben 7.61 Himanshu Vyas 54.00 Chiranjevi Raparla 40.00 Anonymous 153.00 assigns their assets to family and to their Sharath Chigurupati 369.00 Total 117.00 Ganga Sivanathan 300.00 ance policies and wills.” When asked who should Victoria Lynne Johnson 17.00 Hindu Literature Fund Lucy Soutter 40.00 favorite charity, in their case the Iraivan Saroja Devi Manickam 5.00 Loving Ganesha Distribution Fund Murali Balaji 1.13 Kannan Srikanth 500.50 order the toolkit, he offered, “Anyone who reads this Subramaniam Pennathur 49.98 Tina Desai 36.00 Niraj Thaker 33.00 Temple Endowment in Hawaii. They Kirtideva Peruman 20.05 Diksha Katir 89.80 Hinduism Today Complimentary Total 1,409.06 article. Facing our mortality is a subject we usually Akileiswaran Samuthiran 30.78 Manoharan Navaratnarajah 75.00 Subscription Fund could also give to an orphanage, an Egambrum Sinsamy 9.89 Gassa Patten 1,350.00 Hiranya Gowda 153.00 Hindu American Foundation Endowment avoid. Our estate planning toolkit can help anyone ashram or dozens of other good causes. Devaladevi Sivaceyon 11.21 Total 1,550.80 Rajagopal Krishnan 60.00 Murali Balaji 1.14 Patudeva Sivaceyon 11.21 Devdatta Mhaiskar 25.00 Subramaniam Pennathur 101.00 come up with a plan they are happy with.” Hemavalli Sivalingam 2.56 Saiva Agamas Trust Michael Zimmermann 5.00 Niraj Thaker 33.00 Potriyan Sivanathan 8.42 Praful & Ranjan Patel 101.00 Total 243.00 Michael Zimmermann 5.00 Javanya Skanda 9.00 Ganga Sivanathan 210.00 Total 140.14 There are more than legal issues at stake, Phil adds. “The Hindu faith is family centered. Total 612.19 Total 311.00 Himalayan Academy Book Distribution Fund Uncertainty about the disposition of a parent’s assets can create severe tension among chil- Shyamadeva Dandapani 63.00 The Endowment for Global Hindu Rights Hinduism Today Lifetime Subscription Fund Positive Discipline Endowment Murali Balaji 1.14 dren while parents are alive and conflict among them if parents die with no plan or a flawed Yatrika Ajaya 74.05 Vinaya Alahan 50.00 Kauai Aadheenam Yagam Fund K.K. Parekh 15.00 Arvind Chandrakantan 800.00 Victoria Lynne Johnson 17.00 Total 16.14 plan.” He cites four common estate-planning errors and shortcomings: Maria S. Dara 160.00 Tirumular Sannidhi Preservation Fund Prabin Gautam 240.00 Shyamadeva Dandapani 63.00 Yogaswami Hindu Girls’ Home Cows of Kadavul and Iraivan Temples Meena Kakarala 800.00 of Sittandy Endowment (Kovil Maadu) Endowment 1. Having no written will, living trust, or plan to avoid conservatorship. Bharati Patil 160.00 Kauai Aadheenam Religious Vinaya Alahan 55.00 Anonymous 175.00 Niroshnee Peruman 25.06 Art and Artifacts Fund Jeri Arin 500.00 2. Vagueness regarding the distribution of personal property, such as art, books, jewelry Apputhury Praisoody 80.00 Rajadeva Alahan 153.00 Murali Balaji 1.13 Insurance Premium Donations Lakshimi Puvanendran 1,001.00 Murali Balaji 1.14 Marlene Carter 162.00 Mrunal Patel 3,003.00 and furnishings, that may have both sentimental and monetary value. Amooda Sagum 89.84 Total 154.14 Anonymous 763.20 Jayasutha Samuthiran 16.08 Tina Desai 300.00 Kauai Aadheenam Renovation Endowment 3. Conflicting instructions, especially in second marriages, where a parent wants property Anupkumar Shetty 160.00 A. Saravanapavan Family Murugan Marion Karimjooy Borhani 200.00 Other Donations 600.00 Nutanaya Sivaceyon 14.03 Temple Pillaiyar Shrine Fund Joel Knepp 150.30 to pass to a child but holds it in joint tenancy with a spouse. Uma Sivanathan 156.00 Pathmini Saravanapavan 200.00 Murali Krishnaswamy 75.00 Girish Skanda 112.00 Devdatta Mhaiskar 6.00 Total Contributions $142,624.52 4. Outdated or incorrect beneficiary designations on financial and brokerage accounts. Siven Veerasamy 9.89 Thank You Bodhinatha Fund Natraj Narayanswami 12.50 Sharad Wagle 160.00 Hotranatha Ajaya 33.00 Patrick Parr 50.00 Funds at Market Value, September 30, 2009 Gary & Radica Asha Yee-Fong 800.00 Anonymous 4,500.00 Subramaniam Pennathur 80.01 Total Endowment Funds $7,878,422.53 Total 4,857.95 Anonymous 240.00 Anonymous 45.00 Total Pooled Income Funds $196,577.47 Phil also encourages supporters to get instant estate planning information from the planned Shyamadeva Dandapani 101.00 Ananthakumar Renganathan 30.00 giving section of HHE’s website. “Visitors can review the basics of wills, revocable living Hindu Businessmen’s Association Trust Tina Desai 108.00 Puvaneswary Roberts 90.00 Paramaseeven Canagasaby 6.59 Chellappa Deva 25.00 Ganga Sivanathan 150.00 Grand Total US$8,075,000.00 trusts, powers of attorney and health-care wishes.” The website also provides a glossary of Vel Mahalingum 20.12 Amarnath & Latha Devarmanai 324.00 Anonymous 45.00 Manogaran Mardemootoo 33.39 David Dillard-Wright 40.00 Soma Sundaram 30.00 commonly used planned giving and estate planning terms. “Good causes like HHE benefit Total 60.10 Panshula Ganeshan 50.00 Niraj Thaker 107.00 Sundaramahesan & Kala Jeyakumar 50.00 Total 2,852.14 when their supporters have estate plans,” Phil observes. “For example, only six percent of US Boys School for Iraivan Priesthood Diksha Katir 89.85 David Bohn 10.00 Ripla & Gaurav Malhotra 125.00 Siva Poomi School Trust citizens leave cash gifts to charity at death. That’s probably because so many have no written Bala Sivaceyon 36.72 Dayavati Murugan 108.00 Murali Balaji 1.13 plans.” Total 46.72 Kumar Natarajan 100.00 Manoharan Navaratnarajah 150.00 To learn more about setting up your own estate and life income plan to provide immedi- ate tax and income benefits to you and your family, while also providing a future gift to the MISSION STATEMENT: Hindu Heritage Endowment is a publicly supported, charitable organization rec- temple or another HHE cause, please visit www.hheonline.org. For an estate planning toolkit ognized as tax exempt by the IRS on April 22, 1994. Employer ID 99-0308924. Founded by Satguru Sivaya write to [email protected]. Subramuniyaswami, its philanthropic mission is to provide secure, professionally managed financial sup- port for institutions and religious leaders of all lineages of Sanatana Dharma. 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v TheAttend Kriya The Third Yoga International Tradition Sacred Statues & Art From kauai's Hindu Monastery KRIYA YOGA CONGRESS ACRED GIFTS Roy Eugene Davis from & Home of Hinduism Today Magazine 2010A direct March disciple 18 – of20 San Jose, California India T ibet S ParamahansaWyndham HotelYogananda 1350 North First Street Gurudeva's lifetime of teachings gathered in hasMeditation taught for seminarfive decades & initiation This 5-foot tall three superb, hard-bound volumes: Dancing with inby North Roy andEugene South Davis, America, a disciple sandstone Shiva Siva, Living with Siva & Merging with Siva. Lavishly Europe,of Paramahansa Africa, and India. Yogananda and other fine, illustrated in full color. Over Š‹‹‹ pages. Special Free literature with infor- hand-carved statues holiday price, all three:  / free shipping. Special Guest Presenters mation about his books, are available Yoga-Sutras • Ayurveda This trilogy is used by Himalayan Academy as DVDs, CDs and meditation in the USA, now, text for its Master Course, a self-evaluation study Hatha Yoga • Chanting retreat schedules from: ready to be shipped for spiritual enrichment. Read more about this option at: www.gurudeva.org/mc Concludes with Vegetarian Banquet Center for Spiritual Awareness anywhere. Gurudeva's Spiritual Visions PO Request Box 7 a Lakemont, Kriya Yoga Georgia Congress 30552-0001 brochure: 713-668-2948 Center for Spiritual Enlightenment Gurudeva shares some of his most mem- Tel: 706-782-4723 Fax: 706-782-4560 [email protected] What Is Hinduism? orable inner experiences and visions. 1146 University Avenue Lavishly illustrated Hindu wisdom, [email protected] www.csa-davis.org Presented by his successor, Satguru www.hindugods.net esoterics & practices from Hinduism San Jose, California 95126 5-ft. tall, hand carved Bodhinatha Veylanswami.  p. . 10 of Mr. Davis Books in India sandstone Lord Shiva Today magazine. Deep, mystical, Tel: 408-283-0221 e-mail: [email protected] inspiring & simple. ‡€­ p., . from Motilalor onBanarsidass these web www.mlbd.comsites and at their bookstores in Delhi, Patna, Kolkata We specialize in www.csecenter.org www.csa-davis.org www.minimela.com Varanasi, Chennai, Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai. orders from Click on 2010 Kriya Yoga Congress monasteries & temples 73 songs by Lanka's great siddhar, InformationParamahansa about Roy Yogananda Eugene Davis’ As books I Knew Him Yogaswami, gathered by our monks. Trans- in theFull U. CircleS. and IndiaPublishing, at www.csa-davis.org J-40, Jorbagh Lane, literations and literal English make them easy to or fromNew Center Delhi 110003for Spiritual e-mail: Awareness [email protected] sing while enjoying the sublime lyrics. ­€p. . P. O. Box Web7 Lakemont, Site: www.atfullcircle.com Georgia 30552-0001 We offer group tours to visit temples in INDIA 76 77

TheReDiscoverAttend Kriya The Third Yoga  International secretsTradition   Chakrapani Ullal, Vedic Astrology

RoyKRIYAancient Eugene YOGA Davis Vedic CONGRESS wisdom  2010 March 18 – 20 San Jose, California World-renowned teacher clearA direct disciple modern of English Wyndham Hotel 1350 North First Street and advisor, Chakrapani Ullal, Paramahansa Yogananda consults internationally with hasMeditation taught for seminarfive decades & initiation people from all walks of life. As the founding honor- in North and South America, by Roy Eugene Davis, a disciple ary chairman of the ACVA Europe,of Paramahansa Africa, and India. Yogananda (American Council of Vedic Free literature with infor- Astrology), he has played mationSpecial about his Guest books, Presenters an active role in bringing hy Watchful Eyes DVDs,Yoga-Sutras CDs and meditation • Ayurveda together the Eastern Indian Vedic astrologers and retreatHatha schedules Yoga from: • Chanting T Western astrologers. Consid- Concludes with Vegetarian Banquet ered a teacher of teachers, he Center for Spiritual Awareness travels widely as an author, Request a Kriya Yoga Congress brochure: PO Box 7 Lakemont, Georgia 30552-0001 lecturer and consultant. CenterTel: 706-782-4723 for Spiritual Fax: Enlightenment 706-782-4560 1146 University Avenue Born into a traditional Hindu lineage of astrologers in The temple doors are locked. [email protected] www.csa-davis.org South India, Chakrapani began his training at an early San Jose, California 95126 In silence, I stand. age and enjoyed associations with many of India’s most re- Tel: 408-283-022110 of Mr. Davis e-mail: Books [email protected] in India vered and celebrated saints and sages. With over 45 years Within and without, Thou art from Motilal Banarsidass www.mlbd.com of experience, his depth of knowledge and unique under-  or on these web sites The cosmos upon the cosmos— and at their bookstores in Delhi, Patna, Kolkata standing of how astrological principles apply to different www.csecenter.org www.csa-davis.org cultures are sought out by people from all over the world. Infi nity in Eternity. Varanasi, Chennai, Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai. Click on 2010 Kriya Yoga Congress For more information and a schedule of his upcoming itinerary, please contact: InformationParamahansa about Roy Yogananda Eugene Davis’ As books I Knew Him Full Circle Publishing, J-40, Jorbagh Lane, The sun, the moon in the U. S. and India at www.csa-davis.org Chakrapani Ullal • 500 South Lorraine Blvd or fromNew Center Delhi 110003for Spiritual e-mail: Awareness [email protected] Los Angeles, CA 90020 USA And the stars  tel: 323-931-9988 • fax: 323-931-9989 P. O. Box Web7 Lakemont, Site: www.atfullcircle.com Georgia 30552-0001 Shine in Thy Crown.  [email protected] • www.chakrapani.com

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With Aikya’s 28-day residential Yoga Teacher’s Training programme, we turn positive health, thought and action into habit. More than a yoga course, the life skills and sense of well- being the programme provides will last you a lifetime. Open to anyone with a desire for personal growth and the ability to read, write and speak English— it is your gateway to professional expertise as well as innate satisfaction. Doctors, physiotherapists, nurses, spa therapists, coun- sellors, workshop trainers, or just about anyone looking to enrich their way of life—Aikya’s programme is apt for you. 84 www.hinduismtoday.com digital books A Huge Revolution Is Taking Print from Paper to Cyberspace By Madhuri Shekar, Los Angeles hen traveling on the bus or train Wthese days, you might have noticed fewer people reading unwieldy newspapers or magazines. Instead you see commuters engrossed in sleek and portable e-reading devices —a Kindle, a Sony Reader, their iPhone or a netbook that fi ts on one hand.

Hundreds of Books in One Gadget On June 10, 2009, Amazon released Kindle DX, the third version of their popular e-read- ing device. Soon after, on August 5, Sony an- nounced two new editions of the Sony Reader. Other highly anticipated devices include Plastic Logic, a letter-sized touch-screen reader and a dual-screen e-reader by ASUS, perhaps the cheapest e-reading device yet. Some users prefer a small device with a complete operating system that can run everything from MS Word to their personal management calendar. For them there is a plethora of new netbooks being released it seems almost weekly. Today’s units are fast documents,” houses over 10 million books, enough to run games and play hi-resolution documents, reports, and other text-based video. Meanwhile everyone is holding their fi les in its vast online warehouse. While Am- breath to see if the as-yet-unreleased, sure- azon and Sony are not disclosing the number to-be-fabulous-but-expensive Apple tablet, of e-readers sold, industry estimates range will eclipse them all. from 500,000 Kindles for 2008, to 400,000 Whatever the device, one thing is clear: Sony Readers as of January 2009. Interest- the era of the 10-pound book and the home ingly, Dan Brown’s new hit bestseller “The library of a thousand volumes is waning. Lost Symbol” sold better in its Kindle version These devices can contain thousands of e- than as a hardcover book in the fi rst week of books, instantly available at your fi ngertips. its release in September 2009. Disney has Top to bottom: The Kindle, only one-third also jumped into the fray by unveiling a new of an inch thick, weighs 10.2 oz and can Major Players Battle for Market Share subscription-based e-book web site, www. hold 1,500 books; UK service provider Virgin Not since the time of Guttenberg has there DisneyDigitalBook.com. Government-run Media’s high-powered Freedom netbook has been such a marked change in how we educational institutions are also jumping on a 120GB hard drive and a 10.2-inch screen; consume and share knowledge. It is a radi- board. In May 2009, Gov. Schwarzenegger Disney’s Winnie The Pooh Digital Book runs cal revolution in the way we experience the of California announced his “Free Digital on any device with a Flash-enabled browser; written word. E-books were once specialized Textbook Initiative,” aiming to have digital a fi ctional mock-up of the yet unknown de- products delivered on DVDs. But the internet textbooks used in California public schools by sign of Apple’s forthcoming tablet. has changed the game, and major players the fall of 2009. lead the way from print into cyberspace at a Blogs such as HinduEBooks.blogspot.com organizations can capitalize on this growing mind-boggling pace. keep track of the latest Hindu publications trend by preparing and distributing e-books. Google has ramped up its ambitious and online, while HinduEBooks.wordpress.com It can be as simple as uploading a PDF to controversial project to digitize millions of makes note of Hindu scriptures in PDF Scribd or DocStoc.com. Instantly your pub- books to create the world’s fi rst comprehen- format, in their original Sanskrit using Deva- lication will face an international audience sive e-library. Scribd.com, the “YouTube of nagari script. Hindu educators, leaders and of millions.