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December 21, 2009

Hinduism Today's richest issue yet?
january issue cover
The January-February-March, 2010 is brimming with compelling and enlightening articles. Here is a sampling of that richness:

1. The 21st century's first major migration
Bad policies, forced resettlements, decades of rights denied and spirits not broken. Follow the whole tale as some 60,000 Hindus, chased out of their native Bhutan, end up in refugee camps in Nepal for 19 years. Finally, they are offered a permanent home in the USA and elsewhere. Their arrival is seen as a major and positive event that will enrich Hinduism. Their challenges in the US are monumental, but one senses they will thrive, if Hindu communities continue to help them. 

lady giving to the poor

2. The mystical power of GIVING
"Giving has the power to draw spiritual fulfillment and wealth into your life," explains publisher Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami in his editorial. He shares with us mystical laws about giving—the merit that accrues according to what, to whom and how we give. Here is a precious guideline for deep satisfaction and a happy, abundant future—in this life and future ones. Don't miss it.

St. Denis dancing Radha

3. 1920: Hinduism's early ambassador. While Mahatma Gandhi was still a young man with a dream, dancer Ruth St. Denis set up her stage of Paris/New York/London as the inside a Hindu temple. The audience was witnessing a dazzling puja to Radha. Then it happened: the murthi began to move! Radha flowed out of the sanctum and performed the dance of creation. The audience was mesmerized. Not only had St. Denis just invented modern dance, she had brought out the Goddess from within herself for all to see. For the West, it was all new and wonderful. Discover how St. Denis built an early bridge of dance between the East and the West. 

chinmaya trainees

4. Leadership training, Hindu style
A graduate gives us a glimpse into Chinmaya mission's 2.5-year acharya training course . It is rigorous course in Vedanta, consisting of an exhaustive study of Sanskrit and Hindu scriptures. Participants learn puja, go on pilgrimage, perfect meditation and are expected to eventually demonstrate positive inner transformation. "What changed was my vision of life and its purpose," concludes the author.

illustrating four of the eight limbs


5.
Is YOGA inseparable from Hinduism or can it stand alone? It's a hot debate today, one that surfaced at the great interfaith meeting in Australia, recently (see below). This 18-page article on Ashtanga Yoga is our answer. Yoga is one of Hinduism's six great philosophies that guides the soul's evolution from ordinary to illumined consciousness.These luminous teachings of all eight limbs of Patanjali's yoga are offered with clarity, simplicity and illustrations to appeal to youth.

portraits of 3 youths

6. What youth is facing today
Three Hindu-American youth share the trials of growing up in the good-old US of A,  pulled asunder by seemingly irreconcilable worldviews, torn between family and peers, between who they are and who they want to be. Each tells how he or she ultimately did find a way to bridge the gap—through courageous introspection, insights and creative decisions about how to live. To understand what young ones are facing today, begin with these 3 award-winning essays.

7. Silk is so soft. And so cruel? Looking to buy your next sari? Read this article first. It takes on the big issue of ahimsa silk, showing the entire fascinating silk-cultivation process and asking if there is such a thing as silk that does no harm.

8. More is better. To the above, add our usual mix of humor and wisdom in Quotes & Quips, a new Hindu on Obama's committee and the startling Newsweek story explaining how, by the way they think and believe, Americans are becoming Hindus!


Copies / subscriptions

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photo-of-calendar
pancha ganapati with children

We wish you and your family
a very happy Pancha Ganapati !

Yes, December 21-25 is also
Hindu holiday time .

So don't hesitate. Celebrate, rejoice with your family and friends, decorate the house, fawn over the children, exchange gifts and have a whale of a good time. Just let Ganesha be the center of it all. You will love this holiday, the children will love you. And Ganesha will smile on all of you.
Read more about Pancha Ganapati here.


hindu calendar

International Hindu Calendar
Calculated for 219 cities

April 2010 - April 2011
Available now. This popular calendar has been published by Himalayan Academy for thrity years. Download the version for your city . Only 99¢.


photos of delagates to the parliament

Bodhinatha travels, teaches and meets Hindu leaders

Bodhinatha had a busy Fall, teaching, offering satsang, gracing events and, especially, attending the World Parliament of Religions in Australia (photos left, report below).

  •   Malaysia, September. Bodhinatha gave one of his most powerful presentations, Hindu Tools for Success, focusing on the teachings of Gurudeva's book, The Power of Affirmation. And he introduced a seminar on estate planning with a presentation on the spiritual dimensions of planning one's financial future.

  •   San Francisco Bay Area, October. Bodhinatha hosted a thank-you luncheon for donors to Himalayan Academy / Hinduism Today / Hindu Heritage Endowment projects. He spoke with them of Hinduism's tools for success.

  •   Melbourne, Australia, December. Publisher Bodhinatha and two of his editors attended the 2009 World Parliament of Religions—a congress of thousands of religious dignitaries of 80 countries and 220 spiritual traditions.

Bodhinatha offered slide-show talks on Religion and the Media and Mutual Respect, conferred with Hindu leaders and joined in or moderated discussion groups. Especially remarkable was one session where all 500 Hindus leaders came together—the only such meeting at the event. Our editors were inspired to note the tangible harmony that reigned. A key moment was the reading out of the Hindu Declaration on Climate Change. It was adopted enthusiastically with everyone chanting AUM all together. Lofty wisdom was thus brought to bear on humanity's greatest urgency. The declaration is in final editing by a committee of Hindu leaders and Hinduism Today staff. Download the latest version here. Email suggestions here.


Bodhinatha: coming travels & satsang

  •   February 2-3, USA, Phoenix.
  •   February 4-5 USA, San Antonio, Texas .
  •   February 6-7 Mexia, Texas, USA. Bodhinatha will be chief guest at the
          Hindu Students Council, Southern Region annual meeting.
  •   February 8-9, USA, Dallas, Texas
  •   March 11 to 16, Mauritius
  •   March 19 to 26, North India—Rishikesh, Haridwar, Delhi
  •   March 27 to April 4, South India

  •  Stay up to date with Bodhinatha's travel plans, here.
  •  More about Bodhinatha here.
  •  Formal invitations for him to visit your area are received here.


Sivakumar with class and Bodhinatha
Singapore:
Class ends—but continues

In September, Bodhinatha met Sivakumar Saravan's 20+ students (photo) and spoke with them of the classic work on ethics, the Tirukural, and how to use its golden precepts to advantage.

They had just completed Sivakumar's 14-week course on Saivite Hinduism. It was set for 12 weeks, but nobody wanted to stop. Even after several months, enthusiasm remains high and Sivakumar contiues to receive questions and shared insights. When he's unsure how to respond, he forwards the matter to Bodhinatha who always returns with more than expected. And so, the students try to come up with really good questions, that they might draw more from Bodhinatha. Sivakumar also refers them to the Hinduism Today website and the Himalayan Academy website. There, they make discoveries, download material and order books and booklets, all of which they share with each other. And so, the course continues spontaneously, interactively.

As texts, Sivakumar drew from Gurudeva's Trilogy , and especially from the first book, Dancing with Siva along with What Is Hinduism? "These books are so clear and relevant," said one student. "They light up areas we didn't even realize were there or could be so meaningful."


Gurudeva's trilogy
For your own upliftment
for that of your family,

own the collected teachings of
Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami

The Trilogy is a 3000-page compilation of Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami's teachings preserved over his lifetime—from the deepest mystical truths to practical advice for daily living.

  •   Dancing with Siva, Volume 1, is a thorough overview of Hinduism's most basic teachings.
  •   Living with Siva, Volume 2, is Gurudeva's guide to how to live—inwardly as well as outwardly to create a fulfilling future.
  •   Merging with Siva, Volume 3. Emphasis is on Hindu metaphysics: the inner bodies of man, the evolution of the soul, meditation, God-Realization and much more.

The three books may be ordered separately. But the three books together come with a substantial discount plus FREE SHIPPING.


Peer into the marvels of Hinduism
photo-of-What Is Hinduism? book
What Is Hinduism? is an incomparable resource for learning, teaching, or simply musing on the marvels of Hinduism. It is a compilation of 46 of the best educational articles produced by Hinduism Today's editors over 20 years. More resources at minimela.com
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