Seventh Annual Hindu Mandir Executives' Conference August 17
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1 MANDIR VANI 7th Annual Hindu Mandir Executives’Executives ConferenceConferrence Sustaining Dharma Through Mandirs August 17-19, 2012 San Jose, California Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America, Inc. (World Hindu Council of America) Thanks the Host Mandirs HOST: Fremont Hindu Temple CO-HOSTS: All World Gayatri Parivar Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual Organization Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan Hindu American Foundation Hindu Matiya Patidar Samaj, Inc Maa Kundalini Sidha Yoga Mission Trust Badrika Ashram, San Leandro Geeta Society, Pleasanton, CA Jain Center of Northern California Nityanand Dhyanapeetam Temple, San Jose, CA Nityanand Dhyanapeetam Temple, Monte Claire, CA Sanatan Mandir, San Bruno, CA Sri Lakshmi Ganapathi Temple, San Jose, CA Sri Satyanarayana Swamy Devasthanam, Milpitas, CA Sunnyvale Hindu Temple, CA Hindu Society of Minnesota, Maple Grove, MN Hindu Temple And Cultural Center of South Carolina Sri Ganesh Temple, Nashville TN Durga Temple of Virginia (As of Aug. 9,2012) for their hospitality in hosting Hindu Mandir Executives’ Conference 2 2012 M A N D I R V A N I HMEC Souvenir Issue Number VII (2012) Vikram Samvat 2069 HINDU MANDIR EXECUTIVES’ CONFERENCE August 17-19, 2012 San Jose Garden Airport Hotel, San Jose, California Editorial Board Dr. Surendra Nath Pandey, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Sharadanand Dr. Shive Chaturvedi Krishna Kirti Das Chaitnya Hazarey Ravi Joshi Dr. Shyam Narayan Shukla Dr. Umesh Shukla Amit Mehta, Managing Editor HMEC Serving Mandirs of America Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America, Inc. P.O.Box 441505, Houston, TX 77244 Email: [email protected] Phone: (732) 744-0851 Web: http://www.vhp-america.org Notes: 1. The views expressed in the articles included in Mandir Vani are those of the authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of the organizers of HMEC. 2. ‘Hindu’ and ‘Mandir’ in HMEC are used in the broader context and include all religious places and spiritual organizations of the philosophies that have originated in Bharat. Thus HMEC is for the executives of Sanatana Dharma Mandirs, Jain Derasars, Buddhists Mandirs, Sikh Gurudwaras and Spiritual Organizations. 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS CONTENTS From The Editor’s Desk, Dr. Surendra Nath Pandey. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 Program Details. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 Message From President, Jyotish Parekh. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6 Convener’s Message, Dr. Umesh Shukla & Dr. Romesh Japra ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 7 Message - Pujya Swami Dayanand Saraswati ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8 Message - Bhai Shri Rameshbhai Oza.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 9 Message - Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, Trinidad & Tobago ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10 Message - Mayor , City of San Jose . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 11 Spirituality for peace and happiness in life, Shyam Narayan Shukla, Ph.D ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12 Giving Inspiration, Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana Dasa) ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 14 Bharatvarsha (India) That Was Aryavart, Surendra Nath Pandey, Ph. D. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 16 The Future Hindu Temples of North America, Hiro Badlani, M.D. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 18 Yoga Is Much More Than Physical Excercise, Satya Kalra ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 22 Are Hindus Idol-Worshippers?, Dilip Amin, Ph. D. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 25 Vastu Architecture In The West, Michael Borden ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 26 The Science Of Life Its True Vision And Mission, Nimit Thaker ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 28 A Divine Journey To Amarnath ji, Umesh Shukla, Ph. D. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 30 Hindu Deities In Non-Dharmic Depictions, Nilesh Shirodkar ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 42 An Interview With Dr. Kusum Vyas, Dr. Surendra Nath Pandey ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 44 Hinduism, Ram Malik ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 46 Role Of Mandirs For Motivating , Pandit Bhushan Lal Parasher.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 48 HAVAN At Mandir a Project Report, Arvindbhai Patel, Director, HAVAN-VHPA ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 50 Musings Devotion or Disregard?, Sonia Sharma ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 53 Returning Home To India, Kalpita Abhyankar ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 54 Role Of Seniors In Upholding Hinduism, Aishwarya Aravind ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 56 SPARK - A Special Project Report ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 57 Adi Shankaracharya, Tejas Dave ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 58 Swami Vivekananda , Shivam Dave ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 60 VHPA Accomplishments ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 63 VHPA Membership Form.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 64 VHPA Become Affiliate Member ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 65 VHPA AFFiliate Membership Form.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 66 HMEC-2012 List of Registered Organizations ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 68 HMEC-2012: Guiding Team ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 70 HMEC Milestones ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 71 VHPA Executive Board. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 72 VHPA - Why Become a Member? ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 73 4 FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK On behalf of the Mandir Vani Editorial Board, I am delighted to welcome to HMEC the esteemed delegates who are among the most distinguished group of people contributing to the protection, sustenance and enhancement of Sanatan Dharma in North America and around the world. While many religions, such as Mayan, Pagan, etc. have disappeared, Hinduism has survived in Bharat in spite of centuries of non-Hindu rulers who fiercely practiced their anti-Hinduism agenda of forced and coercive conversions. The Hindu Diasporas have also continued to follow Sanatan Dharma even though they form the small minorities surrounded by the non-Hindu majority population. It is because their Gurus, parents and spiritual leaders have been successful in instilling the values of Sanatan Dharma. Hence, they have fully embraced it, and practice it with sincerity and devotion. Mandirs are able to re- enforce their continued dedication to Sanatan Dharma. In this edition of Mandir Vani, we have included articles that help in the enlightenment of Hinduism and many problems that we, the Hindu Diasporas face. The authors have targeted their ideas towards youth, adults, as well as senior citizens covering Dr. Surendra Nath Pandey a variety of topics form basic understanding of the origin of the term Hinduism to Editor-in-chief the concepts, philosophies and the value system that distinguishes Hinduism from others. At the same time, there are articles covering Hinduism in the modern context, and how it can help in alleviating many of the problems such as environment and pollution. Engaging youth in Mandir activities and projects for the enhancement of the lives of their fellow youth, adults, seniors and the society as whole have also been addressed in several articles including those from our youth writers. I would like to express my sincere thanks to the authors for submitting their articles, and to the Editorial Board members for reviewing the articles and providing valuable feedback. We extend special thanks and deep appreciation to all those, individuals and organizations that have provided generous support to help defray the publication costs and the convention expenses. With best regards, sureNÔ naw pa{fey Surendra Nath Pandey, Ph. D. 2303 W. Aberson Dr., Albany, GA 31721, U.S.A. Ph: (229) 883-1687 E-mail: [email protected] Note In Mandir Vani and HMEC activities and discussions, we use the term Mandir, Hindu or Hinduism in very broad sense that includes all religions, places and spiritual organizations of the philosophies that have their roots in Bharat (Éart, India). Disclaimer Views expressed in Mandir Vani are those of authors and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of the