Gurudeva is thinking again today about the future developments for the magazine, Hinduism Today. He reviewed the Hatha Yoga insight section we are producing for our members and students of Himalayan Academy. Also today, we sent some photos to a family on the island who just lost their father and husband in a skateboarding accident that caused fatal brain damage. The monks are helping them get a new view of death and dying, one that is not full of fear or sorrow. One that understands even death as God's purposeful way of guiding souls to Him, and sees death as the Great Departure, not an end to all that is good and loving.

Here is Gurudeva with Sadhaka Jothinatha, who is helping Vel Mahalingum during his last few hours on Kauai. They are discussing the "Caribbean Innersearch Program," and the new applicants (there are 42 of us going on a ten-day travel-study program from March 25 to April 4, leaving Florida, sailing for 10 days to Trinidad and Tobago and back. A very special group of aspiring souls has signed up. Want to come along?

Once again we would like to extend to TAKA visitors our "special introductory" rate for the classy magazine Hinduism today, one full year for only $29.95. If you are a regular TAKA visitor and have not yet subscribed to our global dharma magazine, this is your best-ever chance! Make it a Holiday present to yourself. Just click here to: SUBSCRIBE.

Let's talk about effective communications, versus just talking. Communication is fruitless if not accompanied by mental pictures. This morning Gurudeva spoke about effective communication methods. When we are talking, whatever we say must be clearly thought out and there must be mental pictures in our minds for the communication to be effective.

Gurudeva also explained how one can know the future. It's easy. Just look into the past. It holds the key to one's future, because it is the past which holds all the experiences and that helps us to decide what or how we want the future to be. The future is an extension of what has happened and is presently happening. So, look at the past and it will project what the future holds.

Another important point which Gurudeva mentioned this morning is the different type of knowledge. First is knowledge that one acquires from books, listening to what others have to say. Next is knowledge which comes with practise and then, foremost, there is experiential knowlege.

When one is communicating an idea, unless the knowledge is realized knowledge or confirmed knowledge that came from practise and experience the idea will not penetrate the listener. How can we convince a person if we ourselves have not realized what we are saying?

Gurudeva added that if we don't know of a certain subject matter let our lack of knowing be known to the person. Be truthful and don't pretend or claim that you know everything. THe mind is such that nobody knows everything.

Here is Saravanannathaswami working on a special communications to members and students around the world, a card to help guide them through their study of the Master Course.

OK, the photo is not of the moon, but it IS crescent-shaped. this is the progress being made today on our Loha guha steel structure, designed to hold and protect the stones from India while they are awaiting the fitting process here. Meantime, something about the moon we discovered that you may find interesting, even a little useful.

This year there will be a full moon on the winter solstice, Dec. 22, commonly called the first day of winter. Since a full moon on the winter solstice occurrs in conjunction with a lunar perigee (point in the moon's orbit that is closest to Earth), the moon will appear about 14% larger than it does at apogee (the point in it's elliptical orbit that is farthest from the Earth) since the Earth is also several million miles closer to the sun at this time of the year than in the summer, sunlight striking the moon is about 7% stronger making it brighter.

Also, this will be the closest perigee of the Moon of the year since the moon's orbit is constantly deforming.

If the weather is clear and there is a snow cover where you live, it is believed that even car headlights will be superfluous. In laymen's terms it will be a super bright full moon, much more than the usual AND it hasn't happened this way for 133 years!

Our ancestors 133 years ago saw this. Our descendants 100 or so years from now will see this again. Remember, this will happen December 22, 1999.

The light green paint was chosen to mimic the colors of banana trees and other tropical foliage.

Om shanti.

What's the best way to pray? The best way to pray is to talk to God in the temple. It is no different then talking to our parents when we are in need of help, protection or love, except it is done in silence in our sincere thoughts. We can pray to God anywhere at anytime, however the temple is a very special place where our thoughts are clearest. If you cannot go to a temple everyday for prayer, a shrine room in the home is also an ideal place. Prayers are the strongest if they are filled with love and appreciation for God and brings good benefit to oneself and others. It should not be vengeful or hateful toward any beings. Another effective method of prayer is to write one's prayers on paper and have them burnt during a fire ceremony in the temple such as a homa or havana. here.)

How should a person meditate? Meditation is concentrating the mind to feel God's divine and loving presence within us. God is all powerful, but there is one thing he cannot do. That is he cannot take Himself out of you. To meditate, one should sit comfortably with spine erect and head relaxed on top of the spine. One should breath diaphragmatically and evenly. That is to breathe with the stomach moving in and out the same number of counts in and same number of counts out. Nine counts in and nine counts out is a simple breath control. As the awareness becomes concentrated, one can concentrate on God by visualizing an image of God in the mind. This will invoke the Darshan of God from deep within our soul. And one can concentrate on this Godlly energy that exists within all people and beings. The Darshan is a life force coming from God that makes one inspired, full of energy, happy, content and at peace and filled with love. You will enjoy a positive, successful and selfless life from relying on the power of meditation.

What's the difference between prayer and meditation? Prayer is communion with God and the Gods, it is a showing of love, appreciation and gratitude by devotees and also a means of asking for help, protection and divine intervention in the devotees life. Meditation is feeling and enjoying God's presence within us.

What one thought would like to leave with a child? Love..... Love would make the child tolerant, devotional, fair, fearless, obedient, secure, happy, selfless.

Can you recommend any publications & websites for additional information? Here are a few publishers both Hindu and Non-Hindu whom we feel publishes great resources for children.

Publishers: DK PUBLISHING, INC., 95 MADISON AVENUE, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10016 USA WWW.DK.COM.; ELEMENT BOOKS, INC., P.O. BOX 830, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 01966 USA; DHARMA PUBLISHING, 2910 SAN PABLO AVENUE, BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94702 USA; TILBURY HOUSE PUBLISHERS, 132 WATER STREET, GARDINER, MAINE 04345 USA WWW.TILBURYHOUSE.COM; ANNICK PRESS, DISTRIBUTED BY FIREFLY BOOKS, INC., P.O. BOX 1338, ELLICOTT STATION, BUFFALO, NEW YORK 14205 USA; SAMHITA ENTERPRISES, 183 SAINT PAUL STREET, ROCHESTER, NEW YORK 14604 USA; MARSHMEDIA, P.O. BOX 8082, SHAWNEE MISSION, KANSAS 66208 USA. FREE SPIRIT PUBLISHING, 400 FIRST AVENUE NORTH, SUITE 616, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA 55401 USA. E-MAIL: help4kids@freespirit.com. www.samhita.com www.hindu.org/reading/ look for kids books.

Please identify someone you consider to be a hero and give us a

story/anecdote to help us see why this person is so important/heroic to you?

Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902)

Here is a sampling of the great Hindu monk's thought, his call for peace and harmony, his hope for India's awakening, his vision of Oneness.

No soul in recent Hindu history so fearlessly explored, fully embodied, eloquently articulated, courageously defended or mystically mirrored the highest vision of Hinduism as did Swami Vivekananda. He appeared at a critical time when India lay in a spiritual coma, demoralized by centuries of Muslim and Christian rule. The Hindu spirit that had nourished Bharat for millennia was finally losing its life, drained day by day by foreigners who callously mocked the Hindus' Gods and ways of worship. India's own intelligentsia, enamored by Western thought, hailed rationalism and materialism as saviors from India's "plight of spirituality."

This infuriated the young monk, Vivekananda, himself a former scoffer, who later wrote: "Ay, when a man has become ashamed of his own ancestors, the end has come. Here am I, one of the least of the Hindu race, yet proud of my race, and proud of my ancestors, proud to call myself a Hindu and proud that I am one of your worthy servants. For a long time our religion has come to be static. What we want is to make it dynamic. To this I have dedicated my life. I will rouse Hindus through the infallible power of Vedic mantras! I am born to proclaim to them that fearless message, 'Arise, Awake!' And the Satya Yuga will come when there will be one caste, one Veda and peace and harmony."

He blamed India's poverty and waning spiritual vigor on Hindu society, not Muslim invaders, British imperialists or Christian missionaries. "Not with violent denunciation, but with all-sweeping self-criticism must reform be carried on--with infinite love and infinite patience and the spread of education. And, the education must be from the Hindu point of view and consist of a justified glorification and expansion and conscious understanding of the ideals of Hinduism for, remember, Hinduism is not a mistake. Dive deep and you will fathom its greatness! We are hypnotized by allowing ourselves to think that India is backward in the vision of ideals. This is the real heart-rending poverty which stalks the land. " Until his passing at 39, Swamiji flooded India, the United States and Europe with myriad lectures and a sea of inspired writings--catalyzing a revitalized Hinduism, hence a vitalized India.

Mahatma Gandhi eulogized: "I have gone through his works very thoroughly, and the love that I have for my country has become a thousand-fold."

We will depart from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on March 25th and return to Fort Lauderdale on April 4th and be traveling on Holland America's spectacular, brand new cruise ship, the MS/Volendam. For information contact our wonderful tour agent who will be conducting the Innersearch: Kailash and Indra Dhaksinamurthi of Search Beyond Adventures, Inc. ASAP at
search11@mail.idt.net

Very Important!:
Be sure to include your mailing address and phone number in the body of your message! Kailash will be mailing you information, but if you don't send an address there is nothing he can do.