Global
Dharma
USA
Yoga in Public Schools?
IN
SEPTEMBER, 2012, CALIFORNIA’S Encinitas Union School District introduced a yoga
program as part of its elementary schools’ physical education curriculum. As
hoped, the yoga practices calmed the students, helped them focus and even
reduced bullying. But nobody anticipated the school would land in a lengthy
lawsuit.
The
district is the first in the country to hire yoga teachers full time. There are
twelve teachers in all, funded by a $533,000 grant from the Jois Foundation, a
nonprofit group that promotes Ashtanga Yoga. Students attend the 30-minute yoga
classes twice a week.
Anticipating
the program might become controversial, the district eliminated anything that
might be considered religious, such as chanting of Aum. Even the Sanskrit names
for the poses were changed. For example—and we are not making this
up—padmasana, the “lotus” posture, became “crisscross applesauce,” while
savasana, the corpse pose, became “pancake.”
The
course was a hit with the kids. Eight-year-old Jacob Hagen likes it “because
you get to stretch out. And it’s good to be the first class because it wakes
you up.”
Even
after the practices were diluted to little more than stretching, breathing and
cute names, local church groups became concerned. Several parents came forth
worried that this yoga was a form of religious indoctrination and therefore
unconstitutional. With the help of attorney Dean Broyles, president of the
conservative advocacy group, National Center for Law and Policy, the parents
sued.
The
non-jury trial began in February, 2013, under San Diego Superior Court Judge
John S. Meyer—who began by announcing to the courtroom that he himself practiced
yoga. After some discussion, both sides agreed that this was acceptable.
Broyles
argued, “There is a transparent promotion of Hindu religious beliefs and
practices in the public schools through this Ashtanga Yoga program.” He called
Candy Brown, a professor of religious studies at Indiana University. She
testified that yoga is Hindu and that “the purpose of ashtanga yoga is to
become one with Brahma.”
Brown continued by stating her belief that a
conspiracy is at work to trick students into a spiritual practice. Judge Meyer
challenged her: “So, these Jois-trained instructors are just the foot soldiers?
You think they have been planted in the district?” She replied, “I think that
is the case, yeah.”
The court proceedings continued for weeks with
testimonies from school district staff, school yoga teachers and others. Oddly,
no actual Hindus were called to the stand.
On July 1 Judge Meyer ruled that although yoga is
a religious practice, it is no longer so when stripped of all cultural
references, and it may then be taught in public schools: “Yoga as it has
developed in the last 20 years is rooted in American culture, not Indian
culture. A reasonable student would not objectively perceive that Encinitas
School District yoga advances or promotes religion.” Meyer concluded that the
plaintiff’s case was culled from personal opinions and unreliable Internet
sources. “It’s almost like a trial by Wikipedia, which isn’t what this court
does,” said Meyer.
VIETNAM
Ponagar Temple Festival
EACH YEAR, FROM APRIL 30 TO MAY 2, the
little-known Hindu Cham people of Vietnam celebrate the Nha Trang Ponagar
Temple Festival in honor of the Goddess Bhagavati, known in Vietnamese as Yan
Po Nagar. In 1100 ce the Champa Kingdom occupied most of southern Vietnam and
adjacent areas. Later the kingdom declined, and many Cham in what is now
Cambodia converted to Islam. The Hindu community in Vietnam numbers just
60,000.
The Ponagar temple festival is the largest
cultural event held by the Cham each year, attracting tens of thousand of
tourists. Beginning with the “Lions’ Dance,” the celebration continues with
many other dances, songs and ceremonies welcoming and honoring the Goddess. The
local provincial government has recognized the festival as an “Intangible
Cultural Heritage” of the nation.
WASHINGTON, DC
Saraswati Lands in Capitol
ANEW AND LOVELY SIGHT GREETS people walking past
the many embassies and dedicated statues along Massachusetts Avenue in
Washington, DC. In front of the Indonesian Embassy, just one block from the
Indian Embassy, stands a recently created 16-foot statue of Saraswati, Goddess
of art, knowledge and wisdom, gifted to the US by the Indonesian Embassy.
The idea for the statue came from Ambassador Dr.
Dino Patti Djalal as a statement of the harmonious coexistence of Hinduism and
Islam in that Muslim-majority nation. To create the sculpture, craftsman Nyoman
Sudarwa was flown in from Bali along with of six of his plaster masons. He and
his team fabricated the concrete masterpiece in just three months. This is
nothing new for them, as it is common in Indonesia to put Saraswati in front of
universities and government buildings.
The sculpture, yet to be dedicated, includes at
its base a statue of Barack Obama as a child, seen with two of his classmates
while attending grade school in Indonesia. The plaque describes Saraswati: “The
Goddess of knowledge and art, embodied as a beautiful woman, is a symbol that
science is something beautiful and attractive.”
USA
Dharma Bee for Vivekananda
I N RECOGNITION OF THE 120th anniversary of Swami
Vivekananda’s speech to the Parliament of World’s Religions, as well as his
150th birthday, over 3,000 children from near and far gathered in Chicago for
the Dharma Bee, an international contest, which concluded on June 15. The
event, comprising a speech contest, poster presentations, written tests and
team projects, tested participants on their knowledge of the famous Hindu monk.
The program aimed to provide an exciting education while offering youth insight
into areas of community service and dharmic living.
Shreya
Venkatesh (13), a contestant from Arizona, said she enjoyed the chance to learn
more about Hindu culture. At the reward ceremony the head of the local Vedanta
Society said, “According to Vivekananda, dharma is a process that makes a brute
into a man, and man into God.”
VEGETARIANISM
A Meatless Menu for Kids
YOUNG STUDENTS ACROSS the United States have long
been subject to the rather unpleasant school lunch, a salty, greasy,
cardboard-like array of barely edible food-like substances. These lunches
typically include the lowest quality: oily pizzas, salads made purely of
iceberg lettuce and, of course, the appalling mystery-meat of the day.
One school in Flushing, New York, has had enough.
The Active Learning Elementary School, founded just five years ago on the
principle that strong academic achievement is bolstered by a healthy lifestyle,
is the first public school in the US to go completely vegetarian. Roasted chickpeas,
black bean quesadillas, vegetarian chili and curries, real vegetables, brown
rice and falafel have replaced the standard public school menu. The school
became 100% vegetarian in January, 2013, meeting all the state requirements for
protein while staying within budget.
The kids love it. While eating her quesadilla,
nine-year-old Marian Satti, told The New York
Daily News, “This is so good! I’m enjoying that it doesn’t
have a lot of salt in it.” School Chancellor Dennis Walcott stated, “I don’t
eat fried foods. I don’t drink soda. I try not to have sweets too often, and
that’s what we want for our students; to make sure they eat healthy both at
home and school.”
INDIA
Kedarnath: Years to Restore
THE DISASTER STRUCK IN MID-JUNE. It began with a cloudburst above Charbari Lake in the mountains above
Kedarnath. When the heavy monsoon rain clouds get trapped in the high
elevations of the Himalayas, they can literally burst, dropping enormous
quantities of water in a short time on a small area. This time the large
Himalayan lake ruptured its banks, releasing a two-story-high flood of ice,
boulders, mud and water into the Mandikini River, a major tributary of the
Ganga.
The flood engulfed Kedarnath town and temple on
its banks. At 11,755 feet, Kedarnath is the highest and most remote of the four
Char Dham sites in this area of the Himalayas. These sites are visited by
hundreds of thousands of Hindu pilgrims at this time of year.
Eyewitnesses said huge rocks broke away from Kedar
Dome, the third largest peak above the town. Some of the giant boulders stopped
just before the Kedarnath shrine, diverting the flood around the temple and
leaving it largely intact. Many adjacent buildings were damaged or destroyed,
and thousands of residents and pilgrims drowned.
One rescued pilgrim, Sitaram Sukhatiahe, told the
Press Trust of India, “It was shocking to watch a place bustling with people metamorphose in
a matter of a few hours into an island of death and destruction.”
Following the destruction, the temple’s Bhog Murti
(a Deity which can be moved) was taken from the shrine by Vageshling, a young
temple priest who had survived the flooding. Traveling 61 kilometers, mostly on
foot, he delivered the Deity to the temple in Ukhimath where the Deity normally
resides during the winter months.
After devastating Kedarnath, the surging water
flooded village after village as it coursed downward. Roads and bridges were
washed out at thousands of points. Bodies washed up as far away as Haridwar.
Birendra Singh, a former army officer, told the press,“There were 67 houses in
our Chandrapuri village, out of which 63 were washed away by the Mandikini
River. Not a single official has visited our village as yet. We have nothing to
go back to.”
Indian military and paramilitary forces were called
in from across the nation to search for survivors, transport food and supplies
and rescue stranded people. State governments as well as NGOs jumped in to
help.
But before serious efforts were started to help
the local population, the relief effort focused on finding and evacuating the
hundreds of thousands of far-from-home pilgrims.
Early estimates stated that 300,000 people have
been affected by the cataclysm and over 100,000 have been evacuated. Roughly
10,000 people were injured, and 11,000 thought to be missing. An estimated
5,500 have died, though the actual number could be higher. Infrastructure
repair and rebuilding will take years.
Briefly
…
ACCORDING TO A STUDY
published in JAMA Internal Medicine, a Journal of the American Medical Association, vegetarians live longer than meat-eaters. The study tracked 73,308 people for nearly six years. Vegetarians in the study experienced 12 percent fewer deaths over the period. Dietary choices appeared to play a big role in protecting the participants from heart disease, from which vegetarians were 19 percent less likely to die than the carnivores.
published in JAMA Internal Medicine, a Journal of the American Medical Association, vegetarians live longer than meat-eaters. The study tracked 73,308 people for nearly six years. Vegetarians in the study experienced 12 percent fewer deaths over the period. Dietary choices appeared to play a big role in protecting the participants from heart disease, from which vegetarians were 19 percent less likely to die than the carnivores.
MORE THAN 14,000 PEOPLE
joined together during the summer solstice in late June of 2013 for the world’s largest-ever Bikram Yoga class in New York’s Time Square. “The solstice is the celebration of the sun. As yogis, we worship the sun,” said class leader Rajashree Choudhury, a five-time winner of the All-India Yoga Championship. People spread out all over the square to stretch and breath. Some were even meditating and doing japa beside the busy New York streets.
joined together during the summer solstice in late June of 2013 for the world’s largest-ever Bikram Yoga class in New York’s Time Square. “The solstice is the celebration of the sun. As yogis, we worship the sun,” said class leader Rajashree Choudhury, a five-time winner of the All-India Yoga Championship. People spread out all over the square to stretch and breath. Some were even meditating and doing japa beside the busy New York streets.
RESEARCHERS AT THE UNIVERSITY
of Glasgow have found that lower fitness levels in middle-aged men of South Asian origin are contributing to higher blood sugar levels and increased diabetes risk when compared with white men throughout the UK. Those of South Asian ethnicity have three to five times the risk of type 2 diabetes. The research suggests that physical activity guidelines may need to be changed to take ethnicity into account.
of Glasgow have found that lower fitness levels in middle-aged men of South Asian origin are contributing to higher blood sugar levels and increased diabetes risk when compared with white men throughout the UK. Those of South Asian ethnicity have three to five times the risk of type 2 diabetes. The research suggests that physical activity guidelines may need to be changed to take ethnicity into account.
THE SRI VENKATESWARA TEMPLE
opened its doors in Detroit this May. The $10-million-dollar, 25,000-square-foot temple in Novi, just one of several Hindu temples being built in the Detroit area, reflects the success of Asian Indian Americans in Michigan. Ironically, in July, Detroit became the largest American city to declare itself bankrupt.
opened its doors in Detroit this May. The $10-million-dollar, 25,000-square-foot temple in Novi, just one of several Hindu temples being built in the Detroit area, reflects the success of Asian Indian Americans in Michigan. Ironically, in July, Detroit became the largest American city to declare itself bankrupt.
ON JUNE 24, 2013, THE
California State Senate passed a Resolution, establishing October as California Hindu American Awareness and Appreciation Month. Hindu American Foundation member Vineet Sharma stated, “We are extremely grateful to the State Senate for unanimously passing the resolution, which will go a long way to raising awareness and understanding about the Hindu American community and our beliefs.”
California State Senate passed a Resolution, establishing October as California Hindu American Awareness and Appreciation Month. Hindu American Foundation member Vineet Sharma stated, “We are extremely grateful to the State Senate for unanimously passing the resolution, which will go a long way to raising awareness and understanding about the Hindu American community and our beliefs.”
Quotes
and Quips
The real meaning of the scriptures can only be known in the silence of
the mind.
Mata
Amritanandamayi Devi, Kerala’s
“hugging saint”
You are God. God sees through your eyes, hears
through your ears, speaks through your mouth. Satguru Siva Yogaswami
(1872-1964), Sri Lankan mystic
When you demand nothing of the world, nor of God,
when you want nothing, seek nothing, expect nothing, then the Supreme State
will come to you uninvited and unexpected. Nisargadatta Maharaj (1897-1981), Indian teacher and philosopher
A person who has realized the principle of
nonviolence has God-given strength for his weapon, and the world has not yet
known anything that can match it. Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)
The touch of an infinite mystery passes over the
trivial and the familiar, making it break out into ineffable music. The trees,
the stars, and the blue hills ache with a meaning which can never be uttered in
words. Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), mystic poet
No individual can ultimately fail. The Divinity
which descends into humanity is bound to regain its original state. Nilakanta
Sri Ram (1889-1973), Freemason and
theosophist
When you are offended at any man’s fault, turn to
yourself and study your own failings. Then you will forget your anger.
Epictetus (55-135 CE), Greek sage and
philosopher
By our
stumbling, the world is perfected. Sri
Aurobindo (1872-1950), Indian freedom
fighter, philosopher, yogi and poet
All love is expansion, all selfishness is
contraction. Love is therefore the only law of life. He who loves lives, he who
is selfish is dying. Therefore love for love’s sake, because it is the only law
of life, just as you breathe to live. Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902)
The benevolent expect no return for their dutiful
giving. How can the world ever repay the rain cloud? Tirukural 211
All fear of distress, grief, avarice, delusion and
bewilderment exist only as long as one does not take refuge in the satguru. All
wanderings in the ocean of births, called samsara, fraught with grief and
impurity, last as long as one has no devotion to a holy Sivaguru. As the
boon-giving guru gives the mantra in contentment and beatitude, try to please
him with devotion, wealth, your very life. Kularvnava Tantra
You, Siva, are the earth, You are the sky, and You
are the seven seas; You are the goal, You are the letters, and You are the
meter; You are the eye, You are the pupil of the eye, You are the image that
dances in the eye, the affable! Bestow Your grace so that I may approach Your
sacred feet! Sivavakkiyar (10th century), Tamil poet
Give yourself up to the wave, and you will be
absorbed by the current; having dived into the sea, you do not return anymore.
Anandamayi Ma (1896-1982), Bengali mystic
When diksha is given to a competent disciple, the
guru enters into his soul, establishes himself as the disciple’s inner Self and
by means of his power, removes all the impurities that limit the essential
nature of the disciple’s Self. Sarvajnananottara
Agama
Live morality before you talk of it. Practice
meditation before you preach it. Taste goodness before you recommend it. Gain
bliss before you offer it to others. Swami Chinmayananda (1916-1993), founder of Chinmaya mission
Whatever world the man of purified mind desires,
whatever desires he wishes to fulfill, all these he attains. Therefore, let
whoever is desirous of prosperity worship the man of Self Realization. The man
of Self Realization knows the supreme Brahman upon which the universe is based
and shines radiantly. Atharva Veda,
Mundaka Upanishad 3.1.10
Youth is not a time of life—it is a state of mind.
It is not a matter of ripe cheeks, red lips and supple knees. It is a temper of
the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions. It is
freshness of the deep springs of life. Nobody grows old by merely living a
number of years. People grow old only by deserting their ideals. Years wrinkle
the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Swami Bua Ji Maharaj (1889-2010), centenarian yogi
It’s indescribable. That should be clear. Neti,
neti. We’re not trying to describe it. Other experiences in meditation we
describe. We say, “Okay let’s go from a moon-like glow inner light into a
slightly more intense one.” But when it comes to the Self there’s no
description except that awareness is missing. Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami, publisher of Hinduism Today
Just as the memory of each detail of your
yesterday has flowed through you, so does intellectual knowing eventually flow
through the life of the person who contains it, as a thing of only temporary
value. Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927-2001), founder of Hinduism Today
D I D Y O U K N O W ?
The Sacred Lotus Flower
THE LOTUS FLOWER, NELUMBO NUCIFERA, possessing both medicinal and
culinary uses, has long been significant and sacred to many cultures.
Throughout history it has represented the inner depths of man, reflecting in
its prepossessing petals the polychromatic patterns of our universe. Now, yet
another of this flower’s wonders has been brought to light.
An international team of researchers from the
University of Adelaide has sequenced and described the lotus genome in a paper
published online at genomebiology.com. Their
research delves into the evolution of this ancient plant, which has apparently
been cultivated as an edible crop for more than 7,000 years. One of their most
interesting findings is that the lotus flower has the astounding ability to
regulate its body temperature, much like warm-blooded mammals.
It was found that over a two-to three-day period
the lotus was able to keep a constant temperature of around 32-34 degrees by
generating and controlling its own heat, while the surrounding environment
varied by up to 30 degrees. A biochemical pathway was found which the plant
uses for its temperature regulation. This pathway can be switched on or off,
depending on whether more or less heat is needed. This generated heat, along
with the flower’s aromas, apparently makes the lotus blossoms particularly
attractive to pollinating insects.
B A S I C S
A Hindu View of Evil
EVIL IS OFTEN
LOOKED UPON AS A force against God. But the Hindu knows that all forces are
God’s forces, even the waywardness of adharma. This is sometimes difficult to understand when we see the pains and
problems caused by men against men. Looking deeper, we see that what is called
evil has its own mysterious purpose in life. Yes, bad things do happen. Still,
the wise never blame God, for they know these to be the return of man’s
self-created karmas, difficult but necessary experiences for his spiritual
evolution.
Whenever
we are injured or hurt, we understand that our suffering is but the fulfillment
of a karma we once initiated, for which our injurer is but the instrument who,
when his karma cycles around, will be the injured. Those who perform seemingly
evil deeds are not yet in touch with the ever-present God consciousness of
their immortal soul
When the
outer, or lower, instinctive nature dominates, one is prone to anger, fear,
greed, jealousy, hatred and backbiting. When the intellect is prominent,
arrogance and analytical thinking preside. When the superconscious soul comes
forth, the refined qualities are born—compassion, insight, modesty and the
others.
The
animal instincts of the young soul are strong. The intellect, yet to be
developed, is nonexistent to control these strong instinctive impulses. When
the intellect is developed, the instinctive nature subsides. When the soul unfolds
and overshadows the well-developed intellect, this mental harness is loosened
and removed. When we encounter wickedness in others, let us be compassionate,
for truly there is no intrinsic evil.
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
(Continued...)
(My humble salutations to Sadguru Sri Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
ji, Satguru Bodhianatha Velayanswami ji, Hinduism
Today and Articles writers for the collection)
(The Blog is reverently for all the seekers of truth,
lovers of wisdom and to share the Hindu Dharma with others on the
spiritual path and also this is purely a non-commercial blog)
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