Websites from the ISKCON Universe
Check out this Day in Pictures from BBC News. (Click on Number 4.)
The 202 page, eleven country report more than doubles the country and region-specific coverage of our 2nd annual report released last year. It covers the areas of genocide, ethnic cleansing, terrorism, rape, murder, discrimination, temple destruction, socio-political ostracization, disenfranchisement, and forced conversions Hindus. The nations included are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Fiji, the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, and Trinidad and Tobago. The report is prefaced by a detailed executive summary that provides specific recommendations that the foundation is proposing to improve the human rights situation in each listed country.
Chowdhury said the third annual "Hindus in South Asia and the Diaspora: A Survey of Human Rights" doubles the number of countries scrutinized since last year, adding Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and others.
"Kazakhstan, that wasn't even on our radar until early last year," she said, noting that Hindus there are less than 1 percent of the population. "The government is pretty much not recognizing Hinduism as a religion. Even that amount is considered a threat."
The HAF Human Rights report is a great example of why ISKCON needs to develop and maintain relationships with others, and how we can do it. Whereas thirty years ago, many devotees may not have seen that need, today we must realize that the world around is becoming increasingly interdependent.
The 202 page, eleven country report more than doubles the country and region-specific coverage of our 2nd annual report released last year. It covers the areas of genocide, ethnic cleansing, terrorism, rape, murder, discrimination, temple destruction, socio-political ostracization, disenfranchisement, and forced conversions Hindus. The nations included are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Fiji, the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, and Trinidad and Tobago. The report is prefaced by a detailed executive summary that provides specific recommendations that the foundation is proposing to improve the human rights situation in each listed country.
Chowdhury said the third annual "Hindus in South Asia and the Diaspora: A Survey of Human Rights" doubles the number of countries scrutinized since last year, adding Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and others.
"Kazakhstan, that wasn't even on our radar until early last year," she said, noting that Hindus there are less than 1 percent of the population. "The government is pretty much not recognizing Hinduism as a religion. Even that amount is considered a threat."
The HAF Human Rights report is a great example of why ISKCON needs to develop and maintain relationships with others, and how we can do it. Whereas thirty years ago, many devotees may not have seen that need, today we must realize that the world around is becoming increasingly interdependent.
Three people were arrested Thursday after staging a noisy protest as a Hindu chaplain read the opening prayer at the US Senate, branding his appearance an "abomination."
US Capitol Police said the protesters, apparently Christian religious activists, were ejected from the chamber and charged with an unlawful disruption of Congress.
As Hindu chaplain Rajan Zed started to recite his prayer, one protest or was heard chanting "Lord Jesus, forgive us father for allowing a prayer which is an abomination in your sight.
"You are the one, true living God."
Ugh. I especially like the last line. I can just imagine Hollywood's Old Bearded Man conception of God calling back down "Dude! Thanks for the reminder."
Occasionally, ISKCON devotees or Hindus opine that we ought to befriend the Religious Right, reasoning that -- like us -- they favor religion in the public square and a more faith-based approach to engaging with the world. Which is all well and good, except that there is a very ugly double standard at work that becomes glaringly obvious at times like this. The Raw Story post highlights this nicely:
The pressure group Americans United for Separation of Church and State condemned the protest. "This shows the intolerance of many Religious Right activists," said the group's executive director, Reverend Barry Lynn. "They say they want more religion in the public square, but it's clear they mean only their religion."
A press release from the Americans United for Separation of Church and State gives Lynn's whole statement, and also includes this juicy food for thought:
Religious Right groups have been agitating against the Hindu leader’s prayer since it was announced. The Rev. Donald Wildmon’s American Family Association has asked his members to complain to their senators about the invitation. The group’s news service reported that “Christian nation” activist David Barton said that Hinduism has few followers in the United States and that prayer to a “non-monotheistic god” is “outside the American paradigm.”More than a few problems with Barton's enlightened view. For starters, there are anywhere from 1 to 2 million Hindus in the United States -- and possible more if you include followers of Hindu-based gurus and spiritual movements who are reticent to self-identify as an organized religion in the Western sense of the term. In any event, "few followers" is not quite an appropriate term. Secondly, how Barton can decide that Hindus pray to a "non-monotheistic god" (lower case g alert! lower case g alert!) is beyond me -- there are certainly Hindu monotheists (the list includes, but is not limited to me, Ramanujacharya, about 70% of all Hindus in North and South India). And finally, I wonder what "American paradigm" founding father Thomas Jefferson's leanings towards Deism fall under? Hmmmm.
WASHINGTON, July 12 /Christian Newswire/ -- Ante Pavkovic, Kathy Pavkovic, and Kristen Sugar were all arrested in the chambers of the United States Senate as that chamber was violated by a false Hindu god. The Senate was opened with a Hindu prayer placing the false god of Hinduism on a level playing field with the One True God, Jesus Christ. This would never have been allowed by our Founding Fathers.
"Not one Senator had the backbone to stand as our Founding Fathers stood. They stood on the Gospel of Jesus Christ! There were three in the audience with the courage to stand and proclaim, 'Thou shalt have no other gods before me.' They were immediately removed from the chambers, arrested, and are in jail now. God bless those who stand for Jesus as we know that He stands for them." Rev. Flip Benham, Director, Operation Save America/Operation Rescue
Again with the Founding Fathers being super-Christians? Cheese and rice!
I'll try to keep posting about this if there are any developments, especially since I am attending the SAJA convention in NYC right now. Til then, maybe we all need to say some prayers about the state of our "religiously plural" nation tonight.
Three people were arrested Thursday after staging a noisy protest as a Hindu chaplain read the opening prayer at the US Senate, branding his appearance an "abomination."
US Capitol Police said the protesters, apparently Christian religious activists, were ejected from the chamber and charged with an unlawful disruption of Congress.
As Hindu chaplain Rajan Zed started to recite his prayer, one protest or was heard chanting "Lord Jesus, forgive us father for allowing a prayer which is an abomination in your sight.
"You are the one, true living God."
Ugh. I especially like the last line. I can just imagine Hollywood's Old Bearded Man conception of God calling back down "Dude! Thanks for the reminder."
Occasionally, ISKCON devotees or Hindus opine that we ought to befriend the Religious Right, reasoning that -- like us -- they favor religion in the public square and a more faith-based approach to engaging with the world. Which is all well and good, except that there is a very ugly double standard at work that becomes glaringly obvious at times like this. The Raw Story post highlights this nicely:
The pressure group Americans United for Separation of Church and State condemned the protest. "This shows the intolerance of many Religious Right activists," said the group's executive director, Reverend Barry Lynn. "They say they want more religion in the public square, but it's clear they mean only their religion."
A press release from the Americans United for Separation of Church and State gives Lynn's whole statement, and also includes this juicy food for thought:
Religious Right groups have been agitating against the Hindu leader’s prayer since it was announced. The Rev. Donald Wildmon’s American Family Association has asked his members to complain to their senators about the invitation. The group’s news service reported that “Christian nation” activist David Barton said that Hinduism has few followers in the United States and that prayer to a “non-monotheistic god” is “outside the American paradigm.”More than a few problems with Barton's enlightened view. For starters, there are anywhere from 1 to 2 million Hindus in the United States -- and possible more if you include followers of Hindu-based gurus and spiritual movements who are reticent to self-identify as an organized religion in the Western sense of the term. In any event, "few followers" is not quite an appropriate term. Secondly, how Barton can decide that Hindus pray to a "non-monotheistic god" (lower case g alert! lower case g alert!) is beyond me -- there are certainly Hindu monotheists (the list includes, but is not limited to me, Ramanujacharya, about 70% of all Hindus in North and South India). And finally, I wonder what "American paradigm" founding father Thomas Jefferson's leanings towards Deism fall under? Hmmmm.
WASHINGTON, July 12 /Christian Newswire/ -- Ante Pavkovic, Kathy Pavkovic, and Kristen Sugar were all arrested in the chambers of the United States Senate as that chamber was violated by a false Hindu god. The Senate was opened with a Hindu prayer placing the false god of Hinduism on a level playing field with the One True God, Jesus Christ. This would never have been allowed by our Founding Fathers.
"Not one Senator had the backbone to stand as our Founding Fathers stood. They stood on the Gospel of Jesus Christ! There were three in the audience with the courage to stand and proclaim, 'Thou shalt have no other gods before me.' They were immediately removed from the chambers, arrested, and are in jail now. God bless those who stand for Jesus as we know that He stands for them." Rev. Flip Benham, Director, Operation Save America/Operation Rescue
Again with the Founding Fathers being super-Christians? Cheese and rice!
I'll try to keep posting about this if there are any developments, especially since I am attending the SAJA convention in NYC right now. Til then, maybe we all need to say some prayers about the state of our "religiously plural" nation tonight.
Every year, I see colorful tents set up at the corner of Parc and Mont-Royal in Jeanne Mance Park for the Hare Krishna/Hindu festival. I've also seen the colorful chariot covered in flowers parade by. There's always free food given out and you would think that me being me - where there's food, I would be there - but oddly enough, I have never gone to check things out. This year, I decided to be more adventurous and went to visit the festival site...
Every year, I see colorful tents set up at the corner of Parc and Mont-Royal in Jeanne Mance Park for the Hare Krishna/Hindu festival. I've also seen the colorful chariot covered in flowers parade by. There's always free food given out and you would think that me being me - where there's food, I would be there - but oddly enough, I have never gone to check things out. This year, I decided to be more adventurous and went to visit the festival site...
You know, it's actually easier to give a longer presentation than a short one. The shorter the presentation, the more preparation you need. The ultimate is when someone sticks a camera and microphone in your face and says: "What do Hare Krishnas say about X". You have five seconds to give the siddhanta in a coherent, punchy sound bite. Are you ready for that?The fact of the matter is that all devotees have an obligation to learn communications principles, work at honing these skills, and should be prepared to exercise them when appropriate. Communications is not just something for "those prabhus" in the PR department to whip out when a scandal hits -- it is the ability to effectively and accurately share the Krishna conscious perspective (the siddhanta) in a way that is faithful to the tradition and yet sensitive to time, place, and circumstance. And that is a task that we are charged with, by definition, if we are to be part of Lord Caitanya's mission.
Of course, that is not to say that everyone should take on the role of spokesperson for ISKCON. Like any other service, there will be some who will be better suited to do communications work than others. But -- and I think this is where Sita-pati prabhu's post really hits the nail on the head -- the lowest common denominator should be to prepare all devotees (at least theoretically) to deal with the camera and microphone five second scenario. That is to say, all devotees should be given the resources and skills to "preach effectively at a moment's notice or under any conditions or circumstances."I have a desire to produce a book which presents all the commonly asked questions, along with soundbite answers, followed by more indepth explanations and supporting evidence, and advice on which one to use when. "Hare Krishna Frequently Asked Questions" is the working title. I got the idea for this by spending a couple of years hosting school pupils on their religious education investigations in a temple in Peru. They ask the same questions, over and over again. Finally I made a photo album with pictures of initiations, weddings, children, and so on, to help answer them nicely. In the same period of time I was interviewed by the media on several occasions, and really found out the dire necessity of having your sound bite brahmastras ready to roll.At ISKCON Communications, we've done some FAQ's in the past -- particularly for media in North America -- but they are terribly out-dated and in need of revision. So, I'm psyched... and hope that Sita-pati prabhu will allow me to assist in this project in whatever way I can.
You know, it's actually easier to give a longer presentation than a short one. The shorter the presentation, the more preparation you need. The ultimate is when someone sticks a camera and microphone in your face and says: "What do Hare Krishnas say about X". You have five seconds to give the siddhanta in a coherent, punchy sound bite. Are you ready for that?The fact of the matter is that all devotees have an obligation to learn communications principles, work at honing these skills, and should be prepared to exercise them when appropriate. Communications is not just something for "those prabhus" in the PR department to whip out when a scandal hits -- it is the ability to effectively and accurately share the Krishna conscious perspective (the siddhanta) in a way that is faithful to the tradition and yet sensitive to time, place, and circumstance. And that is a task that we are charged with, by definition, if we are to be part of Lord Caitanya's mission.
Of course, that is not to say that everyone should take on the role of spokesperson for ISKCON. Like any other service, there will be some who will be better suited to do communications work than others. But -- and I think this is where Sita-pati prabhu's post really hits the nail on the head -- the lowest common denominator should be to prepare all devotees (at least theoretically) to deal with the camera and microphone five second scenario. That is to say, all devotees should be given the resources and skills to "preach effectively at a moment's notice or under any conditions or circumstances."I have a desire to produce a book which presents all the commonly asked questions, along with soundbite answers, followed by more indepth explanations and supporting evidence, and advice on which one to use when. "Hare Krishna Frequently Asked Questions" is the working title. I got the idea for this by spending a couple of years hosting school pupils on their religious education investigations in a temple in Peru. They ask the same questions, over and over again. Finally I made a photo album with pictures of initiations, weddings, children, and so on, to help answer them nicely. In the same period of time I was interviewed by the media on several occasions, and really found out the dire necessity of having your sound bite brahmastras ready to roll.At ISKCON Communications, we've done some FAQ's in the past -- particularly for media in North America -- but they are terribly out-dated and in need of revision. So, I'm psyched... and hope that Sita-pati prabhu will allow me to assist in this project in whatever way I can.
Did CNN alter its questionable story on India's widows in response to criticism? That's what blogger and ISKCON member Vineet Chander suggests. He was one of many people, in and out of SAJA, who found generalizations and questionable assertions in the piece ("Shunned from Society, Widows flock to City to Die"), along the lines of what Arthur Dudney wrote in SAJAforum a few days ago ("The Western Press and its Blanket Statements"). On the SAJA Discussion list, a number of people across the political spectrum found that the story ascribed too much to 'tradition' rather than to more complex social realities.
Vineet noted the story in an item on his blog yesterday, then went back and looked at the CNN website again today. He found 2 examples of how the original piece had been changed. The first example is the opening sentence, while the second example is in the following graf:
Original Piece: "Ostracized by society, India's widows flock to the holy city of Vrindavan waiting to die..."
Changed to: "Ostracized by society, thousands of India's widows flock to the holy city of Vrindavan waiting to die...."
Original Piece: "Hindu widows are shunned from society when their husbands die, not for religious reasons, but because of tradition..."
Changed to: "These Hindu widows, the poorest of the poor, are shunned from society when their husbands die, not for religious reasons, but because of tradition -- and because they're seen as a financial drain on their families..."
After reading it further, I found this change as well:
Original Version: "There are an estimated 40 million widows in India, many of them shunned and stripped of the life they lived when they were married."
Changed to: There are an estimated 40 million widows in India, the least fortunate of them shunned and stripped of the life they lived when they were married."
Another aspect of the story that was criticized, and not just by Hindu activists, was its failure to show how numerous groups in India are contending with this problem. Vineet told SAJAforum that foreign media outlets such as CNN need to work extra hard to grasp this, in order to avoid sensationalizing the issue or mis-representing it.
Like other groups within the Hindu fold, the organization that I work with (ISKCON) is reaching out to help the widows while being sensitive to the religious and cultural context of Vrindavan. Food for Life Vrindavan, an ISKCON affiliate dedicated to promoting grassroots sustainable development in the area, organizes a women’s empowerment program that includes everything from nutritious food distribution to adult education centers and micro crediting. The program collaborates with the National Bank for Rural & Agriculture Development (NABARD) and the Polytechnic Institute for Women in New Delhi. Unfortunately, whether because of ignorance or lack of space, we rarely hear of this kind of stuff in stories like the CNN one. That part of the story needs to be told.
Arthur Dudney left a comment on the story here, noting that while CNN was right to cover this very important issue, it failed to do a thorough job:
There is no attempt in this CNN piece to make it clear that it is not an ironclad rule of Hindu society that widows must be exiled to Vrindavan. The complex reasons for why a widow might be mistreated are dismissed in one graf. As usual, these generalizations wouldn't work if the article were about abuse of the elderly in American nursing homes.
Did CNN alter its questionable story on India's widows in response to criticism? That's what blogger and ISKCON member Vineet Chander suggests. He was one of many people, in and out of SAJA, who found generalizations and questionable assertions in the piece ("Shunned from Society, Widows flock to City to Die"), along the lines of what Arthur Dudney wrote in SAJAforum a few days ago ("The Western Press and its Blanket Statements"). On the SAJA Discussion list, a number of people across the political spectrum found that the story ascribed too much to 'tradition' rather than to more complex social realities.
Vineet noted the story in an item on his blog yesterday, then went back and looked at the CNN website again today. He found 2 examples of how the original piece had been changed. The first example is the opening sentence, while the second example is in the following graf:
Original Piece: "Ostracized by society, India's widows flock to the holy city of Vrindavan waiting to die..."
Changed to: "Ostracized by society, thousands of India's widows flock to the holy city of Vrindavan waiting to die...."
Original Piece: "Hindu widows are shunned from society when their husbands die, not for religious reasons, but because of tradition..."
Changed to: "These Hindu widows, the poorest of the poor, are shunned from society when their husbands die, not for religious reasons, but because of tradition -- and because they're seen as a financial drain on their families..."
After reading it further, I found this change as well:
Original Version: "There are an estimated 40 million widows in India, many of them shunned and stripped of the life they lived when they were married."
Changed to: There are an estimated 40 million widows in India, the least fortunate of them shunned and stripped of the life they lived when they were married."
Another aspect of the story that was criticized, and not just by Hindu activists, was its failure to show how numerous groups in India are contending with this problem. Vineet told SAJAforum that foreign media outlets such as CNN need to work extra hard to grasp this, in order to avoid sensationalizing the issue or mis-representing it.
Like other groups within the Hindu fold, the organization that I work with (ISKCON) is reaching out to help the widows while being sensitive to the religious and cultural context of Vrindavan. Food for Life Vrindavan, an ISKCON affiliate dedicated to promoting grassroots sustainable development in the area, organizes a women’s empowerment program that includes everything from nutritious food distribution to adult education centers and micro crediting. The program collaborates with the National Bank for Rural & Agriculture Development (NABARD) and the Polytechnic Institute for Women in New Delhi. Unfortunately, whether because of ignorance or lack of space, we rarely hear of this kind of stuff in stories like the CNN one. That part of the story needs to be told.
Arthur Dudney left a comment on the story here, noting that while CNN was right to cover this very important issue, it failed to do a thorough job:
There is no attempt in this CNN piece to make it clear that it is not an ironclad rule of Hindu society that widows must be exiled to Vrindavan. The complex reasons for why a widow might be mistreated are dismissed in one graf. As usual, these generalizations wouldn't work if the article were about abuse of the elderly in American nursing homes.
U.S. Senate to open with Hindu prayers
New York: History will be created when a Hindu prayer will be recited at the opening of the US Senate in Washington DC on July 12.
Rajan Zed, a Hindu chaplain, said that he had been officially asked to say the prayer. He said he believes this may be the first time any Hindu prayer is delivered in the Senate since its formation in 1789.
Zed is likely to choose the prayer from the Rig Veda, the Upanishads and the Bhagavad-Gita. He said he plans to start and end the prayer with 'Om', the mystical Hindu syllable. The full text of the prayer will be included in the Congressional Record.
There are an estimated two million Indian Americans in the US.
Followers of Hindu groups like ISKCON may add up to another one million.
Great news! Although opening the Senate with prayer is something of a perfunctory formality, the fact that a Hindus has been invited is a sign of increased diversity and the inclusion of religious minorities. And who would have a problem with that?
America is a Christian country! Christian men and women, Christian morals and Christian values made America great. Quit trying to degrade our heritage.and
Who invited this Turkey? In High Schools they are not allowed to pray before a football game but the Senate is allowed to have some second rate money changer saying a prayer.Is it really 2007? All I can say is... we've got our work cut out for us.
U.S. Senate to open with Hindu prayers
New York: History will be created when a Hindu prayer will be recited at the opening of the US Senate in Washington DC on July 12.
Rajan Zed, a Hindu chaplain, said that he had been officially asked to say the prayer. He said he believes this may be the first time any Hindu prayer is delivered in the Senate since its formation in 1789.
Zed is likely to choose the prayer from the Rig Veda, the Upanishads and the Bhagavad-Gita. He said he plans to start and end the prayer with 'Om', the mystical Hindu syllable. The full text of the prayer will be included in the Congressional Record.
There are an estimated two million Indian Americans in the US.
Followers of Hindu groups like ISKCON may add up to another one million.
Great news! Although opening the Senate with prayer is something of a perfunctory formality, the fact that a Hindus has been invited is a sign of increased diversity and the inclusion of religious minorities. And who would have a problem with that?
America is a Christian country! Christian men and women, Christian morals and Christian values made America great. Quit trying to degrade our heritage.and
Who invited this Turkey? In High Schools they are not allowed to pray before a football game but the Senate is allowed to have some second rate money changer saying a prayer.Is it really 2007? All I can say is... we've got our work cut out for us.
Hindu widows are shunned from society when their husbands die, not for religious reasons, but because of tradition -- and because they're seen as a financial drain on their families.
They cannot remarry. They must not wear jewelry. They are forced to shave their heads and typically wear white. Even their shadows are considered bad luck.
Hindus have long believed that death in Vrindavan will free them from the cycle of life and death. For widows, they hope death will save them from being condemned to such a life again.
"Does it feel good?" says 70-year-old Rada Rani Biswas. "Now I have to loiter just for a bite to eat."
Biswas speaks with a strong voice, but her spirit is broken. When her husband of 50 years died, she was instantly ostracized by all those she thought loved her, including her son.
"My son tells me: 'You have grown old. Now who is going to feed you? Go away,' " she says, her eyes filling with tears. "What do I do? My pain had no limit."
As she speaks, she squats in front of one of Vrindavan's temples, her life reduced to begging for scraps of food.
There are an estimated 40 million widows in India, many of them shunned and stripped of the life they lived when they were married.
It's believed that 15,000 widows live on the streets of Vrindavan, a city of about 55,000 in northern India....
(read the whole story here, at CNN.com)
Watch how some widows are rebelling »
Hindu widows are shunned from society when their husbands die, not for religious reasons, but because of tradition -- and because they're seen as a financial drain on their families.
They cannot remarry. They must not wear jewelry. They are forced to shave their heads and typically wear white. Even their shadows are considered bad luck.
Hindus have long believed that death in Vrindavan will free them from the cycle of life and death. For widows, they hope death will save them from being condemned to such a life again.
"Does it feel good?" says 70-year-old Rada Rani Biswas. "Now I have to loiter just for a bite to eat."
Biswas speaks with a strong voice, but her spirit is broken. When her husband of 50 years died, she was instantly ostracized by all those she thought loved her, including her son.
"My son tells me: 'You have grown old. Now who is going to feed you? Go away,' " she says, her eyes filling with tears. "What do I do? My pain had no limit."
As she speaks, she squats in front of one of Vrindavan's temples, her life reduced to begging for scraps of food.
There are an estimated 40 million widows in India, many of them shunned and stripped of the life they lived when they were married.
It's believed that 15,000 widows live on the streets of Vrindavan, a city of about 55,000 in northern India....
(read the whole story here, at CNN.com)
Watch how some widows are rebelling »
I didn't know quite what to expect when I crossed the threshold of the Austin Meditation Center for the first time. I slipped off my sandals and placed them neatly on the shelf available by the door for this purpose, then took a look around.
The best way to describe the center is also the most clichéd: It was peaceful. I was greeted by the yogi, an older Englishman with a wide smile on his face. Richard Davis seemed to radiate energy and life. We sat down and talked for a while as others trickled in.
After offering us water, organic cherries and whole wheat, sugar-free, homemade cookies, he led us into the next room, where seats and pillows formed a circle on the hardwood floor. The walls were lined with paintings of figures such as Krishna and Christ. We sat as he took his place in front, closing the circle.
Richard took time discussing the concept of mantra meditation with us beginners. He told us that there are two worlds — the material world, and that of the spirit — and that we are "in illusion" when we believe that we are our bodies, and that we are of this material world. We wear our bodies like we wear a T-shirt, he said. The T-shirt is not us; we only wear it. We are "atma," the spirit-soul, that divine spark that differentiates between a living body and a dead one.
He shared an analogy of a fish in the ocean. If you were to take such a fish and put him on the hot, sandy beach, would he be happy? No. He belongs in the ocean. Likewise we, as spiritual beings, can never find happiness in the material world, try as we may. We will only find happiness when we reconnect with our "atma." Happiness — pure bliss — is possible only through the sound vibrations of mantra. Mantra is the vehicle that takes us there, to that place within.
Richard then taught us three kinds of mantra meditation. The first, "breathing meditation," consisted of saying a one-word mantra, "Gauranga," upon exhaling our breath. We inhaled deeply and when we could inhale no more, we began to push out each syllable: "Gaur ... Ra ... Ang ... Ga." "Gauranga" means the "golden effulgence" or light that surrounds God, and can be used as a name for God Himself.
Next we learned "japa meditation." We chanted a phrase as we moved our fingers along wooden beads to keep track. "Gopala Govinda Rama Madana Mohana," we repeated, which I soon learned were other names for God.
Meditation and chanting form patterns similar to the worship I had experienced in Christian churches. The most striking similarity came when we did "kirtan," which was singing the names of God as Richard played guitar: "Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare."
Despite the familiarity of the phrase from popular culture, to a Western woman who was raised within the Christian church, this was all so new and strange. Yet I had made a commitment to try it, and I wanted to see if it really did offer contentment.
And so, I did it each day in my home, breathing and chanting and counting the beads. I was surprised to find that mantra had sneaked into my subconscious and was pervading my life: It was in my head at work and I would chant it under my breath in the car. In addition, I felt peace envelop me, as if nothing could harm me any longer. When I heard bad news, it did not break me. I felt above it, able to handle anything. I felt my anxiety and even some of my customary road rage dissipate. This was quite welcome.
I am still new to meditation and to the doctrines of karma, reincarnation and the like that surround it, and I cannot honestly say that I believe every single one of these precepts. Maybe I will come to, and maybe I will not. I will, however, continue to make time and space for contemplation, silence and peace in my ever-whirling, ever-changing world.
April D. Boland is a writer and editor from New York City who currently works in marketing as she completes her English literature degree.
I didn't know quite what to expect when I crossed the threshold of the Austin Meditation Center for the first time. I slipped off my sandals and placed them neatly on the shelf available by the door for this purpose, then took a look around.
The best way to describe the center is also the most clichéd: It was peaceful. I was greeted by the yogi, an older Englishman with a wide smile on his face. Richard Davis seemed to radiate energy and life. We sat down and talked for a while as others trickled in.
After offering us water, organic cherries and whole wheat, sugar-free, homemade cookies, he led us into the next room, where seats and pillows formed a circle on the hardwood floor. The walls were lined with paintings of figures such as Krishna and Christ. We sat as he took his place in front, closing the circle.
Richard took time discussing the concept of mantra meditation with us beginners. He told us that there are two worlds — the material world, and that of the spirit — and that we are "in illusion" when we believe that we are our bodies, and that we are of this material world. We wear our bodies like we wear a T-shirt, he said. The T-shirt is not us; we only wear it. We are "atma," the spirit-soul, that divine spark that differentiates between a living body and a dead one.
He shared an analogy of a fish in the ocean. If you were to take such a fish and put him on the hot, sandy beach, would he be happy? No. He belongs in the ocean. Likewise we, as spiritual beings, can never find happiness in the material world, try as we may. We will only find happiness when we reconnect with our "atma." Happiness — pure bliss — is possible only through the sound vibrations of mantra. Mantra is the vehicle that takes us there, to that place within.
Richard then taught us three kinds of mantra meditation. The first, "breathing meditation," consisted of saying a one-word mantra, "Gauranga," upon exhaling our breath. We inhaled deeply and when we could inhale no more, we began to push out each syllable: "Gaur ... Ra ... Ang ... Ga." "Gauranga" means the "golden effulgence" or light that surrounds God, and can be used as a name for God Himself.
Next we learned "japa meditation." We chanted a phrase as we moved our fingers along wooden beads to keep track. "Gopala Govinda Rama Madana Mohana," we repeated, which I soon learned were other names for God.
Meditation and chanting form patterns similar to the worship I had experienced in Christian churches. The most striking similarity came when we did "kirtan," which was singing the names of God as Richard played guitar: "Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare."
Despite the familiarity of the phrase from popular culture, to a Western woman who was raised within the Christian church, this was all so new and strange. Yet I had made a commitment to try it, and I wanted to see if it really did offer contentment.
And so, I did it each day in my home, breathing and chanting and counting the beads. I was surprised to find that mantra had sneaked into my subconscious and was pervading my life: It was in my head at work and I would chant it under my breath in the car. In addition, I felt peace envelop me, as if nothing could harm me any longer. When I heard bad news, it did not break me. I felt above it, able to handle anything. I felt my anxiety and even some of my customary road rage dissipate. This was quite welcome.
I am still new to meditation and to the doctrines of karma, reincarnation and the like that surround it, and I cannot honestly say that I believe every single one of these precepts. Maybe I will come to, and maybe I will not. I will, however, continue to make time and space for contemplation, silence and peace in my ever-whirling, ever-changing world.
April D. Boland is a writer and editor from New York City who currently works in marketing as she completes her English literature degree.
"The division of gross time is calculated as follows: two atoms make one double atom, and three double atoms make one hexatom. This hexatom is visible in the sunshine which enters through the holes of a window screen. One can clearly see that the hexatom goes up towards the sky." (SB3.11.05)
Scientists currently believe that the photon (also known as light) is the transmitter particle (gauge boson) for electromagnetic force. Photons supposedly have no mass and no electric charge. It is said that Einstein was the first person to theorize that these particles should exist (except he wasn't the first - not by a long shot!).
Photon (obviously) travel at the speed of light. They can be redirected by gravity (not because gravity attracts the photon like e.g. a magnet attracts iron, but because gravity bends the very space through which the photon flies).
Photons are strange because they behave both as waves and as particles at the same time (as demonstrated in the famous double-slit experiment).
Besides photons, which we "see" every day, there are supposedly a few other gauge bosons, or carrier particles for fundamental forces of nature. Specifically, there supposed to exist W and Z bosons (which supposedly cause the weak atomic interaction), gluons (which supposedly cause the strong atomic interaction) and the (totally speculative) gravitons (which supposedly cause gravity - although no one has ever detected a graviton).
Physicists are hard at work trying to figure out how these particles fit together in a grand unification theory. They believe that if they figure this out they will understand everything there is to know about the elegant universe with no need for primitive gods, deities and other "unscientific" stuff like that.
And here we have the Srimad Bhagavatam stating quite plainly and clearly, thousands of years before the advert of modern physics (or more precisely: the sage Maitreya speaking to Vidura sometime around the year 3102 B.C.), that the photon is actually made up of 6 (specifically 3 groups of 2) atomic particles. These Vedic Atoms (parama-anuh) are the true fundamental particles of nature. In different combinations these particles presumably also make up the other gauga bosons.
So, there we have the much vaunted unification theory.
Why do theoretical physicists not take notice?
Update: (disclaimer) My statements above are called into question by some good counter arguments in the comments to this post. This is not to say that the article is incorrect, but I nevertheless advise anyone reading this to read the comments and make up their own mind based upon what they think are the most reasonable assumptions.
"The division of gross time is calculated as follows: two atoms make one double atom, and three double atoms make one hexatom. This hexatom is visible in the sunshine which enters through the holes of a window screen. One can clearly see that the hexatom goes up towards the sky." (SB3.11.05)
Scientists currently believe that the photon (also known as light) is the transmitter particle (gauge boson) for electromagnetic force. Photons supposedly have no mass and no electric charge. It is said that Einstein was the first person to theorize that these particles should exist (except he wasn't the first - not by a long shot!).
Photon (obviously) travel at the speed of light. They can be redirected by gravity (not because gravity attracts the photon like e.g. a magnet attracts iron, but because gravity bends the very space through which the photon flies).
Photons are strange because they behave both as waves and as particles at the same time (as demonstrated in the famous double-slit experiment).
Besides photons, which we "see" every day, there are supposedly a few other gauge bosons, or carrier particles for fundamental forces of nature. Specifically, there supposed to exist W and Z bosons (which supposedly cause the weak atomic interaction), gluons (which supposedly cause the strong atomic interaction) and the (totally speculative) gravitons (which supposedly cause gravity - although no one has ever detected a graviton).
Physicists are hard at work trying to figure out how these particles fit together in a grand unification theory. They believe that if they figure this out they will understand everything there is to know about the elegant universe with no need for primitive gods, deities and other "unscientific" stuff like that.
And here we have the Srimad Bhagavatam stating quite plainly and clearly, thousands of years before the advert of modern physics (or more precisely: the sage Maitreya speaking to Vidura sometime around the year 3102 B.C.), that the photon is actually made up of 6 (specifically 3 groups of 2) atomic particles. These Vedic Atoms (parama-anuh) are the true fundamental particles of nature. In different combinations these particles presumably also make up the other gauga bosons.
So, there we have the much vaunted unification theory.
Why do theoretical physicists not take notice?
Update: (disclaimer) My statements above are called into question by some good counter arguments in the comments to this post. This is not to say that the article is incorrect, but I nevertheless advise anyone reading this to read the comments and make up their own mind based upon what they think are the most reasonable assumptions.
I just had a paper accepted for publication at this year's Knowledge Capture conference (K-CAP 2007). My paper is "A Methodology for Asynchronous Multi-User Editing of Semantic Web Ontologies". It will serve as the basis of my upcoming PhD thesis.
You can download the paper here, or in the publication section of this website.
So, see you in Whistler, Canada in October.
I just had a paper accepted for publication at this year's Knowledge Capture conference (K-CAP 2007). My paper is "A Methodology for Asynchronous Multi-User Editing of Semantic Web Ontologies". It will serve as the basis of my upcoming PhD thesis.
You can download the paper here, or in the publication section of this website.
So, see you in Whistler, Canada in October.
This video site has a number of how to and self-help videos. For example, the hilarious: how to give a great man-to-man hug video. The videos are informative and often really funny. I could see this site becoming quite popular in the future. They have a niche beyond the usual youtube clone.
It would be great if some devotees could make a video version of Vaisnava Etiquette and How-To guides. There are a few "how to play mrdanga" video and audio sites, but that's about it.
So, how about videos on: "how to offer obeisances", "how to ask a question to a senior devotee", "how to enter the temple room", "how to wear a dhoti", "how to eat prasadam", etc.
Such videos would be more accessible than a book and potentially even quicker to produce. All it would take is a video camera, some aspiring devotee actors and a computer with good video editing software (such as iMovie on the Mac).
(see also my previous post on video blogging)
This video site has a number of how to and self-help videos. For example, the hilarious: how to give a great man-to-man hug video. The videos are informative and often really funny. I could see this site becoming quite popular in the future. They have a niche beyond the usual youtube clone.
It would be great if some devotees could make a video version of Vaisnava Etiquette and How-To guides. There are a few "how to play mrdanga" video and audio sites, but that's about it.
So, how about videos on: "how to offer obeisances", "how to ask a question to a senior devotee", "how to enter the temple room", "how to wear a dhoti", "how to eat prasadam", etc.
Such videos would be more accessible than a book and potentially even quicker to produce. All it would take is a video camera, some aspiring devotee actors and a computer with good video editing software (such as iMovie on the Mac).
(see also my previous post on video blogging)
Inmates of an Indian prison are reportedly refusing to apply for bail because the food is so good.
Parappana Agrahara prison in Bangalore is crowded with 4,700 inmates, more than twice its capacity.
Criminals are refusing to apply for bail to get out while juvenile offenders are lying about their age to get in, reports the Bangalore Mirror.
The paper says the reason is healthy food being served by ISKCON, or the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, a Hindu evangelist organisation.
ISKCON, commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement, started serving its pure-vegetarian fare in the jail in May under contract from the prisons department.
Lunch and dinner typically include piping hot rice, two vegetables and a spicy lentil dish called sambar and buttermilk.
A dessert is added on festival days and national holidays like Independence Day, and also once a week.
Prisoner Raja Reddy, who has been arrested 20 times in 30 years for theft, robbery and burglary, said: "When we are getting tasty, nutritious food three times a day here, why should we go out and commit crimes."
Inmates of an Indian prison are reportedly refusing to apply for bail because the food is so good.
Parappana Agrahara prison in Bangalore is crowded with 4,700 inmates, more than twice its capacity.
Criminals are refusing to apply for bail to get out while juvenile offenders are lying about their age to get in, reports the Bangalore Mirror.
The paper says the reason is healthy food being served by ISKCON, or the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, a Hindu evangelist organisation.
ISKCON, commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement, started serving its pure-vegetarian fare in the jail in May under contract from the prisons department.
Lunch and dinner typically include piping hot rice, two vegetables and a spicy lentil dish called sambar and buttermilk.
A dessert is added on festival days and national holidays like Independence Day, and also once a week.
Prisoner Raja Reddy, who has been arrested 20 times in 30 years for theft, robbery and burglary, said: "When we are getting tasty, nutritious food three times a day here, why should we go out and commit crimes."
60 minutes has a report (A Pill to Forget?) (videos here) on a drug that can erase memories. Propranolol is a drug that (among other things) seems to erase link between an intense emotional event and the memory.
Psychiatrist hope to treat patients suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (i.e. victims of war, rape, or accidents). Usually if someone has experienced a traumatic event and then, years later, sees or hears something that reminds them of that experience, then the emotions from the trauma come back in full force. However, the drug shows promise that it can remove these painful memories.
It does its magic by blocking adrenaline from nerve cells. Adrenaline causes memories to really take root. We can see for ourselves: most long-lived memories are associated with some event that caused our body to produced lots of adrenaline. So, if the drug is taken shortly after a traumatic event, or even many years after the event, provided the victim is made to remember the thoughts and emotions of that time, then it breaks the link between the thoughts and the emotions. The memory fades away.
Opponents of the drug believe that our memories make us who we are. Erasing painful memories would rob us of the chance to become better people. They also fear the drug will be used recreationally, to erase minor unpleasant or embarrassing moments from our memory.
This strikes me as interesting and reminds me of a realization that a devotee recently shared with me:
The devotee is interested in remembering Krishna at the time of death. Everyone else is interested in remember as little as possible at the time of death.
This devotee doctor was telling me that death is super painful. Like 1000 scorpions biting you all at once. A dying person usually is given vast quantities of morphine to dull their brain so they feel and remember as little as possible. However, there comes a stage at the end of life where even morphine is no longer effective and the full pain takes effect.
However, the jaws of death are just like the jaws of a cat carrying her kitten to the devotee. The rat lives in terror of the fearsome cat jaw, but the kitten purrs contently as its mother carries it in the very same jaw.
The memory pill opponents do not know that we are not this body and mind. Our memories most certainly do not make us who we are. After all, we forget almost everything at the time of death. However, the subtle impressions remain. So, someone who has endured a life of a pig will subconsciously learn that maybe they should not engage in a gluttonous lifestyle when they become a human again.
Can this pill erase these subtle imprints? - I don't know.
One frightening thing however is that while the drug can erase bad memories it can also probably erase good ones. The Vedic culture makes use of so-called samskaras. Rituals at important life events that serve as imprints in people's memories. If the samskaras are Krishna conscious, then the person recalling these memories at the time of death can attain liberation (and avoid repeated birth in the animal kingdom) (BG 8.6 + BG 14.15).
Another perspective is that living with painful memories, day-after-day, is suffering we were destined to receive by our previous actions (bad karma). If we try to escape the suffering by taking a pill, it will just come back at us in some other way. No one can escape their karma (unless, of course, they practice devotional service and Krishna personally intervenes to give them a special personalized reduced package of karmic reaction that is best suited to bringing them back to Godhead).
So, this is yet another example of today's culture of ignorance and forgetfulness. Materialists want to forget as much as possible, while devotees want constant remembrance (smartavyah satatam vishnu).
60 minutes has a report (A Pill to Forget?) (videos here) on a drug that can erase memories. Propranolol is a drug that (among other things) seems to erase link between an intense emotional event and the memory.
Psychiatrist hope to treat patients suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (i.e. victims of war, rape, or accidents). Usually if someone has experienced a traumatic event and then, years later, sees or hears something that reminds them of that experience, then the emotions from the trauma come back in full force. However, the drug shows promise that it can remove these painful memories.
It does its magic by blocking adrenaline from nerve cells. Adrenaline causes memories to really take root. We can see for ourselves: most long-lived memories are associated with some event that caused our body to produced lots of adrenaline. So, if the drug is taken shortly after a traumatic event, or even many years after the event, provided the victim is made to remember the thoughts and emotions of that time, then it breaks the link between the thoughts and the emotions. The memory fades away.
Opponents of the drug believe that our memories make us who we are. Erasing painful memories would rob us of the chance to become better people. They also fear the drug will be used recreationally, to erase minor unpleasant or embarrassing moments from our memory.
This strikes me as interesting and reminds me of a realization that a devotee recently shared with me:
The devotee is interested in remembering Krishna at the time of death. Everyone else is interested in remember as little as possible at the time of death.
This devotee doctor was telling me that death is super painful. Like 1000 scorpions biting you all at once. A dying person usually is given vast quantities of morphine to dull their brain so they feel and remember as little as possible. However, there comes a stage at the end of life where even morphine is no longer effective and the full pain takes effect.
However, the jaws of death are just like the jaws of a cat carrying her kitten to the devotee. The rat lives in terror of the fearsome cat jaw, but the kitten purrs contently as its mother carries it in the very same jaw.
The memory pill opponents do not know that we are not this body and mind. Our memories most certainly do not make us who we are. After all, we forget almost everything at the time of death. However, the subtle impressions remain. So, someone who has endured a life of a pig will subconsciously learn that maybe they should not engage in a gluttonous lifestyle when they become a human again.
Can this pill erase these subtle imprints? - I don't know.
One frightening thing however is that while the drug can erase bad memories it can also probably erase good ones. The Vedic culture makes use of so-called samskaras. Rituals at important life events that serve as imprints in people's memories. If the samskaras are Krishna conscious, then the person recalling these memories at the time of death can attain liberation (and avoid repeated birth in the animal kingdom) (BG 8.6 + BG 14.15).
Another perspective is that living with painful memories, day-after-day, is suffering we were destined to receive by our previous actions (bad karma). If we try to escape the suffering by taking a pill, it will just come back at us in some other way. No one can escape their karma (unless, of course, they practice devotional service and Krishna personally intervenes to give them a special personalized reduced package of karmic reaction that is best suited to bringing them back to Godhead).
So, this is yet another example of today's culture of ignorance and forgetfulness. Materialists want to forget as much as possible, while devotees want constant remembrance (smartavyah satatam vishnu).
Do it three times!
The news media is more than willing to publish a story, any story. If something is moderately well written and seems to be interesting, a local newspaper will publish it. If something is of interest to a broader spectrum of people, then a national newspaper will publish it. The trick is to publish the same news three times. Observe the stories from day-to-day and see this in effect. Heres a fictional example:
"Russia commits to donate $1 million to help world hunger."
(2 weeks later...)
"Russia starts the process of supplying one million dollars to feed the hungry all over the world."
(2 weeks later...)
"Russia has successfully completed the process of giving $1 million to charitable food distribution."
This makes it sound like Russia had given $3 million. People don't notice that it is the same story, worded slightly differently, repeated over and over again. They get three separate positive impressions on three separate occasions. One event gives triple the benefit.
Do it three times!
The news media is more than willing to publish a story, any story. If something is moderately well written and seems to be interesting, a local newspaper will publish it. If something is of interest to a broader spectrum of people, then a national newspaper will publish it. The trick is to publish the same news three times. Observe the stories from day-to-day and see this in effect. Heres a fictional example:
"Russia commits to donate $1 million to help world hunger."
(2 weeks later...)
"Russia starts the process of supplying one million dollars to feed the hungry all over the world."
(2 weeks later...)
"Russia has successfully completed the process of giving $1 million to charitable food distribution."
This makes it sound like Russia had given $3 million. People don't notice that it is the same story, worded slightly differently, repeated over and over again. They get three separate positive impressions on three separate occasions. One event gives triple the benefit.