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I am a practising Feng Shui Consultant from Mumbai, and have some strong (or weak!) views on the custom of handshake.  The hands and soles of the feet have practically all the nevers of the body ending there and they are very good energy points.  Su-Jok and Accupressure therapies depends on the Hands and Feet respectively for treatment for the same reasons.
 
I have found my own theories (Isaac Newton style) that why do we touch & wash the feet of saints and elderly people and they bless us with their hand. What I guess (and damn good, it should be right) is that while we bow down and touch their feet, they express their wish through the hands by placing on our head - thus completing one full cycle (like electricity).  Morarji Desai (he is my mentor) is right, because Indian Custom of Holding the hands together so as not to lose our own energy on the wrong people.  Western Customes of Shaking Hands, Kissing, Hussing (like Arabs) can pass on our positive energy to others (undeserving) or can get negative energy from others (avoidable).
 
Though I have had some fair knowledge of Sanskrit, I am not able to translate what Sugriva had said.  However I feel "paaninam" etc. are meant to clasp other's hands in one's hand (and not shaking other's hands), like we do in marrriages the bride and bridegroom holding the hands.  May be the wise old people know that by shaking hands on marriage day makes the hushands shaking his confidence later.
 
Can we have a debate (no hands barred!)
 
Chittur Venugopal, venugopalcm@yahoo.co.in
 

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HINDUISM 

Hinduism is the mother of all religions and it is individual's (jeevatma) association with the Supreme (Paramatma), and the ultimate objective of religion is realization of Truth. Forms which symbolize Truth are only indications; they are not Truth itself, which transcends all conceptualization. The mind in its efforts to understand Truth through reasoning must always fail, for Truth transcends the very mind which seeks to embrace it. (Tatwamasi)

It is unique among the world's religions. We may boldly proclaim it the greatest and oldest religion in the world. To begin with, it is mankind's oldest spiritual declaration, the very fountainhead of faith on the planet. Hinduism's venerable age has seasoned it to maturity. It is the only religion, to my knowledge, which is not founded in a single historic event or prophet, but which itself precedes recorded history. Hinduism has been called the "cradle of spirituality," and the "mother of all religions," partially because it has influenced virtually every major religion and partly because it can absorb all other religions, honor and embrace their scriptures, their saints, their philosophy. This is possible because Hinduism looks compassionately on all genuine spiritual effort and knows unmistakably that all souls are evolving toward union with the Divine, and all are destined, without exception, to achieve spiritual enlightenment and liberation in this or a future life.

Any religion in the world is considered as a mind stratum within people  It is a group of people who think consciously, subconsciously and subsuperconsciously alike and who are guided by their own superconsciousness and the superconsciousness of their leaders which make up the force field which we call a religion. It does not exist outside the mind. People of a certain religion have all been impressed with the same experiences. They have all accepted the same or similar beliefs and attitudes, and their mutual concurrence creates the bonds of fellowship and purpose, of doctrine and communion.

The people in Hinduism through a shared mind structure can understand, acknowledge, accept and love all the peoples of the world, encompass them within their mind as being fine religious people. The Hindu truly believes that there is a single Eternal Path, but he does not believe that any one religion is the only valid religion or the only religion that will lead the soul to salvation. Rather, the Eternal Path is seen reflected in all religions.

The will of God or the Gods is at work in all genuine worship and service. It is said in Hindu scripture that "Truth is one. Paths are many." The search for Truth, for God, is called the Sanatana Dharma, or the Eternal Path because it is inherent in the soul itself, where religion begins. This path, this return to his Source, is ever existent in man, and is at work whether he is aware of the processes or not. There is not this man's search and that man's search. And where does the impetus come from? It comes from the inside of man himself. Thus, Hinduism is ever vibrant and alive for it depends on this original source of inspiration, this first impulse of the spirit within, giving it an energy and a vibrancy that is renewable eternally in the now.

The Hindu feels that his faith is the broadest, the most practical and effective instrument of spiritual unfoldment, but he includes in his Hindu mind all the religions of the world as expressions of the one Eternal Path and understands each proportionately in accordance with its doctrines and dogma. He knows that certain beliefs and inner attitudes are more conducive to spiritual growth than others, and that all religions are, therefore, not the same. They differ in important ways. Yet, there is no sense whatsoever in Hinduism of an "only path." A devout Hindu is supportive of all efforts that lead to a pure and virtuous life and would consider it unthinkable to dissuade a sincere devotee from his chosen faith. This is the Hindu mind, and this is what we teach, what we practice and what we offer aspirants on the path.

 To the Hindu, conduct and the inner processes of the soul's maturation are more essential than the particular religion one may be by the accidents of birth, culture or geography. The Hindu knows that he might unknowingly disturb the dharma of the individual if he pulls him away from his religious roots, and that would cause an unsavory karma for them both. He knows, too that it is not necessary that all people believe exactly the same way or call God by the same name.

Hinduism is also extremely sectarian, altogether dogmatic in its beliefs. Its doctrines of karma and reincarnation, its philosophy of nonviolence and compassion, its certainty of mystical realities and experience and its universality are held with unshakable conviction. Perhaps this is due to the fact that Hinduism is a religion more of experience than of doctrine. It prefers to say to its followers, "This is the nature of Truth, and these are the means by which that truth may be realized. Here are the traditions which have withstood time and proved most effective. Now you may test them in your own life, prove them to yourself. And we will help as we can." It will never say, "You must do or believe thusly or be condemned." In Hinduism it is believed that none are eternally condemned. That loving acceptance and unremitting faith in the goodness of life are another reason I boldly say that Hinduism is the greatest religion even though not the largest in the world.

Within Hinduism, as within every religious system, are the practical means of attaining the purity, the knowledge and the serenity of life. Each Hindu is enjoined to attend a puja every day, preferably at a certain and consistent time. He must observe the laws of virtue and the codes of ethics. He must serve others, support religion within his community. He should occasionally pilgrimage to sacred shrines and temples, and partake in the sacraments. If he is more advanced, an older soul, then he is expected, expects of himself, to undertake certain forms of sadhana and tapas, of discipline and asceticism.

Though it is broad and open in the freedom of the mind to inquire, Hinduism is narrowly strict in its expectations of devotees--the more awakened the soul, the higher the demands and responsibilities placed upon him. And though other systems of belief are fully acceptable mind structures within the structure of the higher mind, there is no way out of Hinduism. There is no excommunication. There is no means of severance. There's no leaving Hinduism once you have formally accepted and been accepted. Why is that? That is because Hinduism contains the whole of religion within itself. There is no "other religion" which one can adopt by leaving Hinduism, only other aspects of the one religion which is the sum of them all, the Eternal Path, the Sanatana Dharma.

It can be said that, if it lacked all the qualities of open-mindedness and compassion and tolerance just mentioned, that Hinduism would be the greatest religion on the basis of its profound mysticism alone. No other faith boasts such a deep and enduring comprehension of the mysteries of existence, or possesses so vast a metaphysical system. The storehouse of religious revelation in Hinduism cannot be reckoned. I know of its equal nowhere. It contains the entire system of yoga, of meditation and contemplation and Self Realization. Nowhere else is there such insightful revelation of the inner bodies of man, the subtle pranas and the chakras, or psychic centers within the nerve system. Inner states of superconsciousness are explored and mapped fully in Hinduism, from the clear white light to the sights and sounds which flood the awakened inner consciousness of man. In the West it is the mystically awakened soul who is drawn to Hinduism for understanding of inner states of consciousness, discovering after ardent seeking that Hinduism possesses answers which do not exist elsewhere and is capable of guiding awareness into ever-deepening mind strata.

The various scriptures written thousands of years ago explain how we should live, and saints and rishis and seers throughout the ages have told us that it is impossible to live that way. So, Hinduism has a great tolerance for those who strive and a great forgiveness for those who fail. It looks in awe at those who succeed in living a life according to its own strict ethics. In Hinduism we have many, many saints. You don't have to die to be acknowledged a saint in our religion, you have to live. The Hindus, perhaps beyond all other people on the earth, realize the difficulties of living in a human body and look in awe at those who achieve true spirituality.

Hindus believes in reincarnation. He believes that he is not the body in which he lives, but the soul or awareness which takes on a body for a definite purpose. He believes he is going to get a better body in a better birth, that the process does not begin and end in a single life, that the process is continuous, reaching beyond the limits that one life may impose on inner progress. Of course, his belief in karma assures him that a better birth, that progress inwardly, will come only if he behaves in a certain way. He knows that if he does not behave according to the natural laws, to the Hindu ethics, that he will suffer for his transgressions in a future life, or future lives, that he may by his own actions earn the necessity of a so-called inferior birth, earn the right to start over where he left off in the birth in which he failed.

 This belief in more than a single life brings to the Hindu a great sense of peace. He knows that the maturity of the soul takes many lives, perhaps hundreds of lives. If he is not perfect right now, then at least he knows that he is progressing, that there will be many opportunities for learning and growing. This eliminates anxiety, gives the serene perception that everything is all right as it is. There is no sense of a time limit, of an impending end or an ultimate judgement of his actions and attitudes. This understanding that the soul evolves gives the Hindu remarkable insight into the human condition and appreciation for all men in all stages of spiritual development.

 Within it there is a place for the insane and a place for the saint. There is a place for the beggar and for those who support beggars. There is a place for the intelligent person and plenty of room for the fool. The beauty of Hinduism is that it does not demand of every soul perfection in this life, a necessary conclusion for those who believe in a single lifetime during which human perfection or grace must be achieved. Belief in reincarnation gives the Hindu an acceptance of every level of humanity. Some souls are simply older souls than others, but all are inherently the same, inherently immortal and of the nature of the Divine.

In Hinduism it is believed that the Gods are living, thinking, dynamic beings who live in a different world, in an inner world in the microcosm within this world in which there exists a greater macrocosm than this visible macrocosm. For the Hindu, surrender to the Divine Will, that created and pervades and guides the universe, is essential. The Hindu believes that these beings guide our experiences on earth, actually consciously guide the evolutionary processes. Therefore, he worships these beings as greater beings than himself, and he maintains a subjective attitude toward them, wondering if he is attuned with these grand forces of the universe, if his personal will is in phase with what these great beings would have him do. This gives birth to a great culture, a great attitude, a great tolerance and kindness one to another. It gives rise to humility in the approach to life. Not a weak or false humility, but a strong and mature sense of the grand presence and purpose of life before which the head naturally bows.

There are said to be millions of Gods in the Hindu pantheon, though only a few major Deities are actually worshipped in the temples. That God may be worshipped as the Divine Father, or a Sainted Mother or the King of Kings is one of the blessings of Hinduism. It offers to each a personal and significant contact, and each Hindu will choose that aspect of the Deity which most appeals to his inner needs and sensibilities. That can be confusing to some, but not to the Hindu. Within his religion is monism and dualism, monotheism and polytheism, and a rich array of other theological views.

God and Goddess in Hinduism is accepted as both transcendent and immanent, both beyond the mind and the very substratum of the mind. The ideal of the Hindu is to think of God always, every moment, and to be ever conscious of God's presence. This does not mean the transcendent God, the Absolute Lord. That is for the yogi to ponder in his contemplative discipline. That is for the well-perfected Hindu who has worshipped faithfully in the temples, studied deeply the scriptures and found his guru. For most Hindus, God means the Gods, one of the many personal devas and Mahadevas which prevail in our religion. This means a personal great soul which may never have known physical birth, a being which pervades the planet, pervades form with His mind and Being, and which guides evolution. Such a God is capable of offering protection and direction to the followers of Hinduism. The Hindu is supposed to think of God every minute of every day, to see God everywhere. Of course, most of us don't think of God even one minute a day. That's the reason that each Hindu is obliged to conduct or attend at least one religious service, one puja or ceremony, every day in his temple or home shrine. This turns his mind inward to God and the Gods.

Hinduism is an Eastern religion, and the Eastern religions are very different from those of the West. For one thing, they are more introspective. Hinduism gave birth to Buddhism, for Buddha was born and died as a  good Hindu. And it gave birth to other religions of the East, to Taoism, to Jainism, to Sikhism and others.

Hinduism has still another section within it, and that is the guru--the teacher, the illuminator, the spiritual preceptor. The guru is the remover of darkness. He is one who knows the philosophy, who knows the inner workings of the temple, and who in himself is the philosopher and the temple. The guru is he who can enliven the spirit within people. Like the temple and the philosophy, he stands alone, apart from the institutions of learning, apart from sites of pilgrimage. He is himself the source of knowledge, and he is himself the pilgrim's destination. Should all the temples be destroyed, they would spring up again from the seeds of philosophy, or from the presence of a realized man. And if all the scriptures and philosophical treatises were burned, they would be written again from the same source. So Hinduism cannot be destroyed. It can never be destroyed. It exists as the spirit of religion within each being. Its three aspects, the temple, the philosophy and the guru, individually proficient, taken together make Hinduism the most vital and abundant religion in the world.

Hinduism has a grand diversity among its many sects. That diversity is itself strength, showing how broad and encompassing Hinduism is. It does not seek to have all devotees believe exactly alike. In fact, it has no central authority, no single organized institution which could ever proclaim or enforce such sameness. There is an immense inner unity, but the real strength and wisdom of Hinduism is its diversity, its variety. There are so many sects within Hinduism that you could spend a lifetime studying them and never begin to assess them all. More is there than any single human being could assimilate in a single lifetime. Hinduism, therefore, has the magnetism to draw us back into its immensity life after life. Each sect may be said to be a full religion in its own right, with all the increments of faith, with no necessary part missing. Therefore, each sect works for the individuals within it completely, and each tolerates all the other sects. It does not totally divorce itself from the other sects, denying their beliefs, but simply separates to stress or expound a limited area of the vast philosophy, apart from all others, to be understood by the limited faculties of man.

These various sects and divisions within Hinduism all spring from a one source. Most Hindus believe in the transcendental God as well as the personal Lord or God, and yet there is within the boundaries of the faith room for the nonbeliever, for the atheist or for the agnostic who is assessing and developing his beliefs. This brings another unique asset to our religion--the absence of heresy. There is no such thing as a heretic in Hinduism, for there is no single right perspective or belief. Doctrine and sadhana are not considered absolutes, but the means to an absolute end, and they can be tailored to individual needs and natures. My Guru would say that different prescriptions are required for different ailments.

In Hinduism there is no person or spiritual authority who stands between man and God. In fact, Hinduism teaches just the opposite. The priests in the temples are the servants of the Deity, the helper, the keeper of the Gods' house. He prepares and purifies the atmosphere of the temple, but he does not intervene between the devotee and his God--whichever of the many Gods within our religion that he may be worshiping. Without a mediator, responsibility is placed fully upon the individual.

There is on one to intercede on his behalf. He is responsible for his actions, for his thoughts, for his emotions, for his relationship with his God. He must work out his beliefs from the inside without undue dependence upon external influences. Of course, there is much help, as much as may be needed, from those who have previously gone through what he is now going through. It is not enough that he adopts an authorized dogma. He must study and bring the teachings to life from within himself.

Within the philosophy each philosopher proclaims that God can be found within man if man practices the proper precepts of yoga and delves within himself through his kundalini force. The guru himself teaches the awakening of that force and how God can be realized in His transcendental as well as His personal aspect within the sphere of one's own personal experience in this very lifetime if he but pursues the path and is obedient.

Hinduism is unique because God and man, mind and God, instinctive mind, intellectual mind and superconscious mind, can merge as one, according to the evolution of the individual. Each one, according to his own self-created karma, has his own fulfillment. Those in the first stages of evolution, whose interests and experiences are basically instinctive, who possess little intellect or mental prowess are guided by their emotions and impulses are generally fearful. They have a personal experience of the Deity in the temple, but it is generally a fearful experience. They are afraid of God. Alongside of them during a puja is a great rishi who has had many hundreds of lives on this planet. He has his own personal experience of God, but it is an experience of love, of oneness and of union. There they are, side by side. Each experience of God is as real to one as to the other. There is no one in-between, no arbitrator of the experience to compel the one to see God exactly as the other one does.

Hinduism is as broad as humanity is, as diverse as people are diverse. It is for the rich and the poor, for the mystic and for the materialist. It is for the sage and the fool. None is excluded. In a Hindu temple one can find every variety of humanity. The man of accumulated wealth is there, supporting the institutions that have grown up around the temple, seeking to spend his abundance wisely and for its best purpose so that good merit may be earned for his next life. The pauper is there, begging in hopes that perhaps he will eat tomorrow and the God will inspire some devotee to give Him a coin or two. So a Hindu temple is a reflection of life, set in the midst of the life of the community. It is not making an effort to be better than the life of the village, only to serve that life and direct it to its next stage of evolution. The same Hindu mind which can consume within it all the religions of the world can and does consume within it all of the peoples of the world who are drawn to the temple by the shakti, the power, of the temple. Such is the great embracing compassion of our religion.

The greatness of Hinduism cannot be compared with other religions. There is no basis for comparison. Hinduism has no beginning, therefore will certainly have no end. It was never created, and therefore it cannot be destroyed. It is a God-centric religion. The center of it is God. All of the other religions are prophet-centric. The center of those religions is a great saint or sage, a prophet, a messenger or messiah, some God-Realized person who has lived on earth and died. Perhaps he was born to create that particular sect, that particular religion, needed by the people of a certain part of the world at a certain time in history. The Hindus acknowledge this and recognize all of the world's religious leaders as great prophets, as great souls, as great incarnations, perhaps, of the Gods, or as great realized beings who have through their realization and inward practices incarnated themselves into, or transformed themselves into, eminent religious leaders and attracted devotees to them to give forth the precepts of life all over again and thus guide a tribe, or a nation or a race, into a better way of life.

The Hindu mind can encompass this, appreciate it, for it is firmly settled in a God-centric religion. The center of Hinduism is the Absolute, the timeless, formless, spaceless God who manifests as Pure Consciousness and as the most perfect form conceivable, the Primal Soul. He radiates out from that form as a myriad of Gods and Goddesses who inhabit the temples and bless the people, inspire the scriptures, inspire the spiritual leaders and uplift humanity in general. It is a one God in many forms.

There are nearly sixtyfive crores Hindus in the world today. Hinduism attends to the needs of each one. It is the only religion in the world today that has such breadth and depth. Hinduism contains the Deities and the sanctified temples, the esoteric knowledge of inner states of consciousness, yoga and the disciplines of meditation. It possesses a gentle compassion and a genuine tolerance and appreciation for other religions. It remains undogmatic and open to inquiry. It believes in a just world in which every soul is guided by karma to the ultimate goal of Self Realization, or moksha. It rests content in the knowledge of the divine origin of the soul, its passage through one life and another until maturity has been reached. It offers guidance to all who take refuge in it, from the nonbeliever to the most evolved rishi. It cherishes the largest storehouse of scripture and philosophy on the earth, and the oldest. It is endowed with a tradition of saints and sages, of realized men and women, unrivaled on the earth. It is the sum of these, and more, which makes us boldly declare that Hinduism is the greatest, even though not the largest, religion in  the entire world.

People in other religions may question the sanctity of idol worship and we can say it is only due to ignorance. God is all-pervading formless Being.

The divinity of the all-pervading God is vibrant in every atom of creation. There is not a speck of space where He is not. Why do you then say that He is not the idols?

The idol is a support for the neophyte. It is a prop of his spiritual childhood. A form or image is necessary for worship in the beginning. It is not possible for all to fix the mind on the Absolute or the Infinite. A concrete form is necessary for the vast majority for practicing concentration.

Idols are not the idle fancies of sculptors, but shining channels through which the heart of the devotee flows towards God. Though the image is worshipped, the devotee feels the presence of the Lord in it and pours out his devotion unto it. The idol remains an idol, but the worship goes to the Lord.

To a devotee, the image is a mass of Chaitanya or consciousness. He draws inspiration from the image. The image guides him. It talks to him. It assumes human form to help him in a variety of ways. Idol worship is not peculiar to Hinduism. The Christians worship the Cross. They have the image of the Cross in their mind. The Mohammedans keep the image of the Kaaba stone when they kneel and do prayers. The mental image also is a form of idol. The difference is not one in kind, but only one of degree.

All worshippers, however intellectual they may be, generate a form in the mind and make the mind dwell on that image. Everyone is an idol worshipper. Pictures and drawings are only a form of idol. A gross mind needs a concrete symbol as a prop or Alambana; a subtle mind requires an abstract symbol. Even a Vedantin has the symbol < ?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />OM for fixing the wandering mind. It is not only pictures or images in stone and wood that are idols. Dialectics and leaders also become idols.

In conclusion what we can say is that we should be proud to be a Hindu.

OM TATSAT

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Mind is very restless, forceful and strong, O Krishna, it is more difficult to control the mind than to control the wind ~ Arjuna to Sri Krishna

Introduction

One of the greatest contributions of < ?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />India to the world is Holy Gita.  Arjuna got mentally depressed when he saw his relatives with whom he has to fight. The Bhagavad Gita is preached in the battle field Kurukshetra by Lord Krishna to Arjuna as a counseling to do his duty while multitudes of men stood by waiting . It has got all the management tactics to achieve the mental equilibrium and to overcome any crisis situation. The Bhagavad Gita can be experienced as a powerful catalyst for transformation. Bhagavad gita means song of the Spirit, song of the Lord.  The Holy Gita has become a secret driving force behind the unfoldment of one's life. In the days of doubt this divine book will support all  spiritual search.This divine  book will contribute to self reflection, finer feeling and deepen one's inner process. Then life in the world can become a real education

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1. UK Hindu Temple Building Center for Elderly
2. White Rainbow--A Film On Hapless Widows Of Vrindavan
3. Hindu Heritage Camp 2004 Organized In Richmond, Texas

1. UK Hindu Temple Building Center for Elderly
http://www.harrowtimes.co.uk/news/localnews/
display.var.514701.0.hindu_temple_to_build_day_centre_for_elderly.php

KENTON, UK, August 2, 2004: The Swaminarayan Hindu temple in Westfield 
Lane, Kenton, has been granted planning permission for an extra story. 
The application received unanimous approval at Harrow Council's 
development control meeting on Wednesday last week. The additional 
floor will provide accommodation for a day center for elderly members 
of the community. It will include a reading area, meditation areas, 
library, dining room, kitchen and an office. The application was 
praised as an "excellent and well though out scheme" by members of all 
parties. Councillor Marilyn Ashton (Conservative) said: "The temple is 
a wonderful landmark and an integral part of the community. "The extra 
community facilities were desperately needed and the new floor will 
mean there will be proper space for these vital projects. "I wish the 
people involved every success." Councillor Navin Shah (Labour) said: "I 
welcome this application as it will bring a great benefit to the 
community."

HPI adds: Our founder, Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, long advocated 
that Hindu temples in the West establish just such elderly centers at 
the temple, and even housing facilities nearby.

2. White Rainbow--A Film On Hapless Widows Of Vrindavan
http://sify.com/movies/tamil/interview.php?id=13536679&cid=2408

NEW DELHI, INDIA, August 5, 2004: Dharan Mandrayar is thespian Sivaji 
Ganesan's brother V.C. Shanmugham's son. Dharan has just completed a 
project that is very close to his heart at the moment--White Rainbow, 
which was premiered recently in New Delhi where it was well received, 
says this article. White Rainbow is being produced for a global 
audience, by Dharlin Entertainment, in partnership with Sivaji films 
and Prabhu Movies. "White Rainbow deals with a societal issue, an 
anathema still prevalent in India, particularly in Vrindavan. I have 
dwelled into the callousness of a society that metes out gross 
injustice to the widows, and the sad part is that most of us hardly 
know the extent of the atrocities committed on the hapless widow of 
Vrindavan," said Dharan in an interview with Sify.com. "Vrindavan is 
often referred to as the 'City of Widows.' The epithet may sound 
disconcerting, but the veracity cannot be ignored. The widows in 
Vrindavan, young and old are sexually exploited and physically abused 
in every way possible. Shorn of the last vestige of dignity and 
ostracized as an 'inauspicious' presence in the family, many of them 
are brought to Vrindavan and abandoned. They are illiterate and have no 
trained skills to support themselves," Dharan added. The film is 
scheduled for release in September. It had a special screening in New 
Delhi and also screened at the Mill Valley (U.S.) Film Festival.

3. Hindu Heritage Camp 2004 Organized In Richmond, Texas
akhilc@starpipeproducts.com

TEXAS, USA, July 25, 2004: This years Hindu Heritage Camp took place 
from July 20-25 at the Gordon Campsite in Richmond, Texas. Here is a 
summary of the report sent to HPI:

Summer camp is probably one of the most popular activities kids pursue 
in their months off from school; attending such camp gives them the 
chance to escape from what can sometimes be boring and unproductive 
summer days and participate in activities they enjoy. Hindu heritage 
Camp is one specifically for the children of the Houston Hindu 
community. The youth-organized HHC is a place where Hindu youths can 
integrate with one another and learn about their religious and cultural 
values.The Hindu Heritage Camp, sponsored by Vishwa Hindu Parishad of 
America and Hindu Students' Council has been giving back to the 
community in this way for over 20 years. The results delivered by the 
camp -- an interest in Hinduism and desire to interact with Hindu peers 
-- has kept parents sending their kids back to the camp year after 
year. Hindu Heritage Camp is a great environment and a great atmosphere 
to get away from daily life, television, cell phones and cars. At the 
camp everyone is kept busy and can learn how to get in touch with your 
religious side. Camp incorporates a variety of activities such as Holi, 
Garba-Rass, Shakha, Surya Namaskar, bhajans, a talent show, skits, 
crafts and educational discussion session. HHC truly encompassed all 
the aspects of Hinduism into a single week of continual fun.

The camp provides an amazing opportunity for Hindu children to explore 
and connect to their culture and heritage in all of its various 
aspects. Attending the Hindu Heritage Camp also gives youth an 
opportunity to meet others with the same upbringing, giving many 
campers some of their closest friends in life. This year the main goal 
was to teach campers practical use of Hinduism in daily life. Some of 
the main topics discussed were: Ayurvedic practices, vegetarianism, 
karma, Hinduism in American literature, misconceptions of Hinduism, 
marriage rituals, ahimsa, Hindu symbols, and the value of education.



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Four Real Problems of Life: Birth, Old age and Disease Death.

All want to knowwhat is life? Is life full of happiness and misery? Generally sorrow and happiness make the life very active. Is it merely the act of breathing or respiration or digestion or excretion or the acts of metabolism, anabolism, catabolism, the constructive or destructive changes that ever go on in the physical organism or human body or economy of nature? Is it mere thinking or planning or scheming to earn money or name and fame? Is it the act of procreation to keep up the line? Is it the sum-total of all these processes? Or is it the movement of the protoplasm in the unicellular organism, amoeba, with its single nucleus? Scientists and biologists have a very different conception of life. Philosophers like Sri Sankara have quite a different conception of life.

Life is of two kinds, viz., life in matter and life in the Atman or the Spirit or Pure Consciousness. Biologists, physiologists and psychologists hold that life consists of thinking, feeling, knowing, willing, digestion, excretion, circulation, respiration, etc. This kind of life is not everlasting. This is attended with dangers, pains, fear, cares, anxieties, worries, exertion, sin, birth and death with their concomitant evils, viz., old age, diseases, etc. Therefore, sages and seers, Rishis, prophets and saints who have realised their inner Self by discipline of the mind and the organs, by Tyaga and Tapas, by Vairagya and Abhyasa, by leading a life of self-denial, self-sacrifice and self-abnegation, have emphatically, without a shadow of doubt, like an Amalaka fruit in the hand, declared that a life in the Atman or pure Spirit alone can bring everlasting peace, infinite bliss, supreme joy, eternal satisfaction and immortality. They have prescribed various definite methods for Self-realisation according to various temperaments, capacities and tastes of individuals. Those who have implicit faith in their teachings, in the Vedas and in the words of the Guru or spiritual preceptor march fearlessly in the field of spirituality or Truth, and obtain freedom or perfection or salvation. They do not come back to this Mrityu Loka (mortal world). They rest in Satchidananda Brahman or their own Svarupa. This is the goal of human life. This is the highest aim of life. This is the final destination which bears various names as Nirvana, Parama Gati, Param Dhama and Brahma-Sthiti. Self-realisation is your highest duty.

This does not mean, however, that we should ignore the life in the physical plane of matter. Matter is the expression of God or Brahman for His own Lila. Matter and Spirit are inseparable like heat and fire, cold and ice, and flower and fragrance. Sakti (power) and Sakta (he who possesses power) are one. Brahman and Maya are inseparable and one. A life in the physical plane is a definite preparation for the eternal life in Brahman. World is your best teacher; the five elements are your Gurus. Nature is your mother and director. Prakriti is your silent master. World is the best training ground for the development of various divine virtues such as mercy, forgiveness, tolerance, universal love, generosity, nobility, courage, magnanimity, patience, will-power, etc. World is an arena for fighting with the diabolical nature and for expressing divinity from within. The central teaching of the Gita and the Yoga-Vasishtha is that one should realise his Self by remaining in the world.

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AGEING
	It is widely recognised that the average life-span in contemporary western society is increasing dramatically, largely as a result of advances in medicine, nutrition and working conditions. This has led gerontologists to speak in terms of a "grey population explosion". For the Jewish population, in Great Britain and elsewhere, these trends are even more pronounced than in the general population, due to such factors as a relatively low birth rate and delayed marriages related to the pursuit of higher education. Such societal patterns may call for us, and for other Jewish communities as well, to re-examine the allocation and priorities of our resources, be they financial, personnel or programmatic. Row often we hear that our children and our youth represent our future and must, accordingly, be given the very highest consideration. But we would do well to consider also those on the other end of the age spectrum, who represent not only an increasing proportion of our population, but also personify our history, our tradition and our collective memory, upon which the Jewish faith has always relied. Biblically and theologically, Judaism perceives old age as the natural outcome of the divine scheme of human life. The commandment to "Honour your father and mother" (Exodus 20:12) was understood by Jewish tradition as calling for honour and deference toward all older adults. This general attitude is most clearly enunciated in the holiness code of Leviticus, which exhorts us to "rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old" (19:32). The venerable title of zekenim or "elders" was based on the concept that with age there will often arise the practical wisdom that emerges only from experience. It is also apparent from a variety of biblical passages that the elders of ancient Israelite society were often among its prophets, judges and other leaders. The expressly stated longevity of the patriarchs and Moses was meant to exemplify the benefits and superiority of age as a qualification in sound leadership. However, in spite of that ideal, the Hebrew Scriptures also include the recognition that old age may be accompanied by physical infirmities. In this connection, the imagery of Ecclesiastes (12:1-5) is noteworthy: "Remember your creator in the days of your vigour, Before the evil days come, And years approach of which you will say, 'I have no pleasure in them'; Before the sun becomes dark, And the light, and the moon, and the stars; And the clouds return after the rain; On the day when the guardians of the house tremble, And the strong men are bent. And those that look out shall be darkened in the windows. And the sound of the bird is faint. And the terrors are on the road. Because man is going to his eternal home . . ." In so speaking, the author of Ecclesiastes recognised such physical infirmities as loss of vision, hearing impairment, propensity to falling, and tremors in the limbs, which sometimes afflict the aged. The psalmist's fear of loneliness and rejection also continues to have poignant meaning for some in our own day, namely, "Cast me not off in the time of old age; when my strength fails, forsake me not" (Psalm 71:9). In the classical rabbinic literature, we also find evidence of great respect for the aged. This regard, held by the early rabbis, was not only for the learned elderly, but also for those who were not learned; not only for the Jew, but also for the non-Jew. For example, the Talmud relates that Rabbi Yochanan used to rise up before the non-Jewish aged, saying, "How many troubles have passed over these old people!" (Kiddushin 33a). In the midrash to the Book of Genesis, B'reshit Rabbah (63:6), it is asserted that: "He who welcomes an elder, is as if he welcomed the divine presence." Even those whose intellectual faculties have deteriorated were to be treated with the same dignity as an elderly scholar. Thus, Berachot 8b: "Be careful to honour the old who have forgotten their learning because of advancing years. Remember that the broken fragments of the first tablets were also kept in the Ark of the Covenant alongside the new tablets." On a sadly realistic note, the Talmud includes this observation: "People often say, 'When we were young, we were considered adults in wisdom, but now that we are old, we are considered as babies"' (Baba Kamma 92b). Today there is a distinct need for revision of attitudes which should include our returning to the attitude of the Torah toward the elderly. In the very first chapter of the Book of Genesis the essential goodness of human nature is posited, of man and woman in God's image (1:27). Nowhere does the Torah suggest that that essential goodness, that divine image, is in any way diminished with age. Nor should we. In Exodus 19:5, God promises Israel that "You shall be my own treasure from among all peoples; for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation." In the very next verse, we are informed that the first of the people to hear of their covenantal role were none other than the zekenim, the elders. In our own day, that function of Moses must be ours. We, too, must assure our older adults of their enduring, treasured status, irrespective of age or infirmity. We must minister to them and, whenever possible, encourage them to minister to others and to us. The synagogue has a long and proud history as a genuinely caring institution. What might we, as Liberal Jewish congregations, offer to enhance the quality of life for our older members? Here is a suggested action list: Formulate a statistical profile of the age groupings of your membership, with a view to determining the percentages of those who are over sixty, over seventy, and over eighty. Support your synagogue's current programming for older adults, such as Friendship Clubs. Sensitise your membership to the array of emotional and spiritual needs that may be experienced by those who are no longer young or working in a society that places so much value and emphasis on youth and work. Implement ways of affirming the ageing process in your congregational life. For example, special events and worship services may be held honouring older members; public blessings may be offered in celebration of retirement or grandparenthood; and oral history projects, involving your members of longstanding, may be organised, pertaining to their reminiscence about the earlier years of your synagogue or of Jewish life as it used to be. Promote a more inclusive attitude to all of your synagogue's activities. Roles can be found for your older members in many ways, such as: teaching in the religion school; helping with the synagogue library or office; as committee or council members; with the choir; helping to arrange transport to synagogue functions for those who require it; and as friendly visitors to other older adults who are home-bound or hospitalised. Recognise the vast potential of this resource of time and talent. Organise adult education seminars on: retirement planning; making the home safer as you grow older; how those who live alone can obtain personal emergency alarm buttons. Assess your synagogue's facilities for those who may have need of: audio induction loop systems for the hearing-impaired; large-print prayerbooks for the visually-impaired; ramps for wheelchair access and toilets for the disabled. Some grants are available to congregations towards such facilities for the disabled and/or elderly from the ULPS as a result of a legacy from the late Gertrud Cohn. Synagogues should have the necessary information to provide referrals to: caregiver respite services and support groups (including the Alzheimers Disease Society), day care centres, hospices and appropriate agencies (such as Jewish Care). With this in mind, the Directory of Jewish Social Services should be kept on hand in every synagogue office. Publicise the two Progressive Jewish supportive care homes for older adults: the Lily Montagu House, 36 Orchard Drive, Edgware, Middlesex (sponsored by the Harrow & Wembley Progressive Synagogue) and the Peggy Lang House, 178 Walm Lane, London, NW2 3AX (sponsored by the Liberal Jewish Synagogue). Consider whether your synagogue might sponsor a similar supportive care home. Technology has added years to life. It is up to us to add life to years for our grandparents, our parents and perhaps, some day, for ourselves.

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No Conflict Between Science and Spirituality
http://www.newindpress.com/

July 11, 2004: An HPI reader sent us this article, but we have neither
the author nor the original URL, except that it appeared on the
Newindpress.com website.

Some educated Indians think that science is at loggerheads with
religion, relegating science to the laboratory and denigrating religion
to the level of superstition. The attempt to propagate this ideology
has far-reaching political and religious implications. It does a
disservice to all Indians, alienating them from the high respect for
the spiritual culture of India that is held by scientists and people of
all persuasions all over the world. Such ideologues are found to be
well informed neither about science, nor the Vedas. An American born
and educated seeker studied both science and Hinduism. He experienced
the experiments in American universities which attempted to bring arts
and humanities -- including religion -- together with science.  In the
early seventies, he listened to Swami Chinmayananda, and discovered
Vedanta, then studying it under Swami Dayananda Sarawati for several
years. Four years ago, he moved to India, where the spiritual culture
further nurtured his wonder at this world. On finding the cynical, to
him deeply anti-Indian, ideology spread by some Indians, he culled some
interesting viewpoints from the world's leading scientists on the topic
of religion and science. For example:

Werner Karl Heisenberg (1901-1976), Nobel Laureate in physics "... one
cannot always distinguish between statements made by Eastern
metaphysics based on mystical insight, and the pronouncements of modern
physics based on observations, experiments and mathematical
calculations."

Dr. Carl Sagan, (1934-1996) astrophysicist, "The Hindu religion is the
only one of the world's great faiths dedicated to the idea that the
Cosmos itself undergoes an immense, indeed an infinite, number of
deaths and rebirths. It is the only religion in which the time scales
correspond to those of modern scientific cosmology. A millennium before
Europeans were willing to divest themselves of the Biblical idea that
the world was a few thousand years old, the Mayans were thinking of
millions and the Hindus billions."

Erwin Schroedinger (1887-1961), Nobel Laureate in physics wished to
see: "Some blood transfusion from the East to the West to save Western
science from spiritual anaemia."

Julius Robert Oppenheimer (1904-1967), the developer of the atomic
bomb, studied Sanskrit and called the Gita "the most beautiful
philosophical song existing in any known tongue . . what we shall find
(in modern physics) is an exemplification, an encouragement, and a
refinement of old wisdom."

The Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences, Berkeley, California,
has involved over 120 distinguished senior scientists in its dialogues,
demonstrating that scientists of Nobel caliber can also be people of
faith, and that those who are not traditionally religious can offer
insights of great value to religion.

Secularist ideologues who seek to create a conflict between science and
religion project an imaginary world that is quite different from the
natural world that exists. Even if such a world were possible. Nobody
could live happily in it. All previous experiments of societies towards
that end have failed dismally. India's ancient wisdom has inspired the
world's scientific community, which contradicts this bleak secularist
ideology.

4. San Deigo Man Arrested For Theft From Hindu Temple
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20040715-1625-bailhike.html

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, July 15, 2004: Bail was increased from $100,000
to $500,000 today for a man accused of stealing $2 million in jewelry
and thousands of dollars from a temple, and now under investigation for
theft of an assault weapon. James Gilbert Richards, 27, is charged with
49 counts, including burglary, possession of forged checks, possession
of false identification and possession of marijuana, prosecutor John
Ristad said. At least 40 stolen checks, with a value of $7,000, from a
Hindu temple, and a fake ID for Coburn were found in Richards' 1990
Chrysler, Ristad said. The temple was not identified. The prosecutor
told the judge Richards is also accused of stealing $5,000 from the
temple, $3,000 of which is still missing.



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Around the corner I have a friend,
In this great city that has no end,
Yet the days go by and weeks rush on,
And before I know it, a year is gone.

And I never see my old friends face,
For life is a swift and terrible race,
He knows I like him just as well,
As in the days when I rang his bell.

And he rang mine but we were younger then,
And now we are busy, tired men.
Tired of playing a foolish game,
Tired of trying to make a name.

"Tomorrow" I say! "I will call on Jim
Just to show that I'm thinking of him."
But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes,
And distance between us grows and grows.

Around the corner, yet miles away,
"Here's a telegram sir," "Jim died today."
And that's what we get and deserve in the end.

Around the corner, a vanished friend. Remember to always say what you mean.
If you love someone, tell them. Don't be afraid to express yourself. Reach
out and tell someone what they mean to you. Because when you decide that it
is the right time it might be too late.

Seize the day. Never have regrets. And most importantly, stay close to your
friends and family, for they helped you make a better person that you are
today.




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The only thing is that scriptures have to be read with the third eye.

Simply because I know English doesn't mean that I can understand the Bhagwad Gita written in English. Same for Sanskrit. It is not the language and the meaning that is important, it is the essense that is important.

Scriptures follow this rule of mystic. They are like the mystery script of Nostradamus. They have to be decoded. And this decoding comes only through the path of Guru Marg. No books can teach how to learn this process of learning.

That is why spirituality and all streams of sciences related to it are different from an MBA or a cookery course. No wonder if we teach Vastu or astrology or any other mystic science the way courses are taught in colleges, it can only churn out masters and experts like factory products who will be only too happy to latch on to the frog-tortoise-duck brigade.

I hope I am not mistaken to be deriding Feng Shui or its eminent genuine practitioners. This is about the tremendous loss the fakes in any mystic field are doing to mankind and to themselves. And they can be found in the field of Vastu also.

I was forced to write this piece because of late the questions to this advisory increasingly became of this order. The questioners either seemed to be victim of such fakes or seemed to have stuck in the mirth of the frog-tortoise-south-entry.

That is not Vastu, but of course that is part of Vastu. India has regarded the tortoise as a Kurmavtar, that is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The frog has long been associated with the monsoon in India. If you hear frogs croack around you in the month of June, it means the first drizzle of monsoon is not far away.

And rains don't just mean water, they mean the harvest. After all, Sanskrit is the language in which a single word means different things depending on the connotation. So, water means Jal, means Dravya and Dravya means wealth. Dravya has also been identified with the mind because of its 'chanchalta'.

And hence, and therefore, yes, a frog is important. But surely that wouldn't mean having to keep nine frogs in the house, facing the entry or not facing the entry. The practitioners themselves are confused about this. Those who are not confused are not able to postulate the 'results' yielded by such frogs.

So, dear reader, ask a question on this Vastu advisory only if you must.

There is no compulsion. In spirituality, nobody, least of all I, can force anything upon anybody. Unless the right time comes in your life, right things won't happen to you no matter who advises you, whether it's me or someone else.

The problem is I want a mindset to change. Spirituality is not and is not meant to be a shopper's stop or a mall where you can buy a Rudraksh here, a Shankh there.

It is not a freebie given on mobile phone schemes. Hence, do not kindly insult the Shastra which our sages have written painstakingly after so much of research.

That's why it's a free-to-ask advisory. But that does not mean frivolous questions can be put. Freedom should not be confused with frivolity. Ask genuine and serious questions. And I am making it clear here, questions otherwise won't be answered.

The aim of this advisory is to spread the knowledge that our sages conserved without running any merchandise establishment. Today's marketers are doing exactly the opposite and have succeeded in convincing people that spirituality can also be sold.

They are selling you everything from a crystal Sri Yantra to Kanakdhara Yantra to gems to Rudraksh and everything without understanding the truth behind these things or without passing it on to the Jataka or the seeker. Divinity can be FELT anywhere you belong but it can be FOUND only in areas it has always belonged.

And these areas could be the Shivaliks, the Ganga Sagar, the Kailash, the Himalayas, Rishikesh, Haridwar, banks of Kshipra river in Ujjain, the Jyotirlings, the Arunachal mountain.

We say,"Sa Vidya, Vimuktaye'' , meaning knowledge liberates, liberates in the true sense. That is the whole essence of knowledge, awareness. And only true knowledge liberates. And true knowledge comes from a Guru or a divine form. It does not come from books or shopping malls.

Same for Mantras. Why don't people get results by reading so many books and magazines on religion and spirituality that are today available on the railway stalls or in book shops?

Many of them are sold all over India at something between Rs 25 and Rs 35 and they also give which they say is 'a real crystal Sri Yantra' or 'a Hattha Jodi' or 'a Dakshinavarthi Shankh' etc. Can anything be more untruthful than this?

On the other hand, lakhs of people have benefited from the spiritual guidance provided by Guruvarya Annasaheb More at the Shree Swami Samarth Kendra at Dindori near Nashik.

The Sudarshan Kriya of Guruvarya Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji has benefited lakhs.

Experiments have proven improvements in those who have done this Kriya, lakhs and lakhs of people have benefited from the Satsang and Kripa of Sant Sri Asaramji Bapu, lakhs have felt the inner bliss while listening to Pujya Murari Bapu, thousands have got miraculously cured when they were embraced by Mata Amritanandmayee Maa. Several others vouch for Shree Satya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi.

And I am mentioning only the present day Gurutulya seers. Only if you are spiritually-inclined, can Vastu or any such thing work wonders for you.
For, this is the land of Jesus ---- Blessed are those who are poor . And by poverty, Jesus certainly did not mean the material poverty.  It's the poverty of the Tamas and the richness of the Satva.

I welcome all of you who want to tread the path of spirituality. It is both uphill and hard. But it also blissfully satisfying. It has the nothingness as exemplified by Lord Shiva who has smeared himself in Raksha and the richness which Lord Krishna wears


http://ww1.mid-day.com/vasstu/2004/March/vastu8.htm

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