January 2005 Newsletter HINDU CONNECTIONS ~~~ VOLUME 3 – Num. 1 LET US PRAY!
We are living in difficult times, beset with natural and man-made disasters. We can do no
better than pray. Here are some thoughts, suggestions, and prayers:
1. O Mother, Thou art the destroyer of the troubles of Thy suppliants. Thou art the mother
of the universe. Let Thy mercy be upon all. O Mother, Thou art the mistress of the universe.
Thou art the one ruler of the moving and non-moving.
Do Thou protect the universe and shower Thy mercy on all. (Devimahatmya, 11.2)
2. Even by beholding Thy faces, resembling the fire of cosmic destruction and striking
terror with the fangs, I lose all sense of direction as also my presence of mind. O Thou,
the Lord of all and the home of all the worlds! Be propitious unto me.
(Srimad Bhagavad Gita, 11. 25)
3. Hindu spirituality knows that God is love and peace and calm and eternity. But there
is too the sterner aspect of His Divine government of the world which meets us from the
beginning, the aspect of destruction; and to ignore it is to miss the full reality of
the Divine love and peace and calm and eternity. (Sri Aurobindo's " Essays on the Gita")
Chapter one of Srimad Bhagavad Gita
Acharya Sankara was a Bhashyakara non pareil. He wrote extensive and illuminating
commentaries (Bhashyas) on the three sacred scriptures known as Prasthana Thraye---
Upanishads, Brahmasutras and Bhagavad Gita. For reasons best known to him, the Acharya
begins his commentary on the Gita with the second verse of the second chapter. Most
learned commentators after him have followed suit.
The first chapter too merits attention for quite a few reasons. To begin with, we have
Sanjaya readying himself to report on the Kurukshetra battle field to the aged and blind
king Dhritarashtra. Verily, Sanjaya becomes the forerunner of a new class of professionals
who later came to be known as 'war correspondents'! From verses 21/22 we learn that Anjaneya,
the monkey-God as some call him, is perched on the banner (flag) of Arjuna's chariot.
Learned scholars claim that Anjaneya was physically present--not just depicted on the flag.
Then, of course, we have Arjuna, the Pandava hero in the chariot with Lord Krishna as his
charioteer who expounds the Gita in due course.
As we know, the Gita teaches us in detail the three Yogas, Jnana, Karma and Bhakti.
Some scholars say that Krishna seems to have had special reasons for doing so; the Jnana
yoga part was for the aged Dhritarashtra who was listening to Him through Sanjaya; the
Karma part for Arjuna who has to do his job well in the battle-field; and the Bhakti part
for Anjaneya who is known as the devotee par excellence.
Modern management professionals claim that the Gita is as good a treatise on 'management
practices' as any, with its original exposition of the doctrine of Karma Yoga. There are
those who say that the sacred text has come to us well organized. Chapter one is important
in the sense that it details the problems faced by Arjuna (or any human) in performing his
job. Chapter two onwards deal with the solutions given by Krishna. It is very much like
the fundamentals of hospital-management---first, there is a diagnosis of the problem
(or disease) and then the prescriptions. These two must come in sequence. Kangayam R.
Na Jayate Mriyate va kadachin
Nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah
Ajo nityah sasvato yam purano
Na hanyate hanyamane sarire || Which means
for the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be.
He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body
is slain. (Bhagvad Geeta 2:20)
TIRUCHENDUR TEMPLE ESCAPES TSUNAMI
News Reports TIRUCHENDUR, INDIA, January 8, 2005: Tiruchendur Lord Murugan Temple is
on the sea shore - within 100 metres of the waves. The temple entrance is near sea level,
and the cave inside is sloping down to the Sanctum Sanctorum of the Lord Subramaniam
(Murugan). When we stand in front of the deity, the sea water level outside is higher
than our heads. There is every likelihood that tidal waves and tsunamis can rush in and
fill the cave temple with sea water. In the history of the temple, it is mentioned that
the Water God (Lord Varuna) has promised Lord Murugan that he will not cross the boundary
of the temple. It seems the Water God has kept his promise. While the tsunami has lashed
the eastern coast of India and inundated all places near the coast deeply, the sea water
did not enter the temple. At 10:00 Hrs on the fated day, the sea near the temple receded
by a kilometer - people could see there a big crater with rocks visible - gradually the
sea came back to its original level. But sea water has entered Jeeva Nager located opposite
Tiruchendur Bus stand at 12:30 Hrs. All other coastal areas near Tiruchendur were affected
by the lashing of the tsunami. The temple area was unaffected as the sea receded there,
as though to keep the promise given.
NATARAJA DARSHAN SAVES LIVES OF 4000 FISHERMEN
While thousands lost their lives in the Cuddalore coast to the tsunami,
close to 4000 fishermen belonging to some 20 villages like Killai, Pichavaram,
Kavarapattu neighboring the Chidambaram region escaped. They had left their villages
to attend the annual ritual of "Arudra Darshan" at the world famous Nataraja Mandir
in Chidambaram. As has been their practice for generations, they were involved in the
pulling of the Mandir Chariot. When they returned to their villages post tsunami,
they found their entire villages ravaged beyond recognition. Sri Srinivasakumar a
member of the fishermen community told us that they were saved because of the grace
of Nataraja. He stated that inside the Chidambaram Mandir, they did not find any
impact at all. He concluded "all of us owe our lives to Him".
ELEPHANTS SENSE TSUNAMI THAILAND, January 2, 2005:
Agitated elephants felt the tsunami coming, and their sensitivity saved about a dozen
foreign tourists from the fate of thousands killed by the giant waves. "I was surprised
because the elephants had never cried before," mahout Dang Salangam said on Sunday on
Khao Lak beach at the eight-elephant business offering rides to tourists. The elephants
started trumpeting -- in a way Dang, 36, and his wife Kulada, 24, said could only be
described as crying -- at first light, about the time an earthquake measured at a
magnitude of 9.0 cracked open the sea bed off Indonesia's Sumatra island. The elephants
soon calmed down. But they started wailing again about an hour later and this time they
could not be comforted despite their mahouts' attempts at reassurance. "The elephants
didn't believe the mahouts. They just kept running for the hill," said Wit Aniwat, 24,
who takes the money from tourists and helps them on to the back of elephants from a
sturdy wooden platform. Those with tourists aboard headed for the jungle-clad hill
behind the resort beach where at least 3,800 people, more than half of them foreigners,
would soon be killed. The elephants that were not working broke their hefty chains.
"Then we saw the big wave coming and we started running," Wit said. Around a dozen
tourists were also running towards the hill from the Khao Lak Merlin Resort, one of a
line of hotels strung along the 10 km (6-mile) beach especially popular with Scandinavians
and Germans. "The mahouts managed to turn the elephants to lift the tourists onto
their backs," Kulada said. She used her hands to describe how the huge beasts used
their trunks to pluck the foreigners from the ground and deposit them on their backs.
The elephants charged up the hill through the jungle, then stopped. The tsunami drove
up to 1 km (1,000 yards) inshore from the gently sloping beach which had been so safe
for children it made Khao Lak an ideal place for a family holiday. But it stopped short
of where the elephants stood. On Sunday, the elephants were back at work giving rides
to the tourists on whom the area depends.
Dec 2004 Tidal Waves Victims
Dear Friends,
As many of you know, a powerful earthquake hit the island of Sumatra in Indonesia and
triggered tsunamis (Tsunami refers to huge sea waves caused by a powerful earthquake),
which have hit South India and Sri Lanka among many other Asian countries. Since an
earthquake is normally followed by after shocks, further tsunamis cannot be ruled out.
Thousands of people have lost their lives, thousands more are missing, and many thousands
more have been injured.
The AMERICAN HINDU ASSOCIATION, INC, a Tax-Exempt Organization under Internal
Revenue Code, Section 501(c)(3), is soliciting your tax-deductible contribution to help
the victims of the Tidal Waves in South India and Sri Lanka.
We cannot leave our brothers and sisters at the mercy of their fate. At this moment
they need our help to tide away the calamity that has fallen upon them, to survive
hunger and disease, and to rebuild their life. AHA will channel 100% of your generous
contributions to the voluntary, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), who have been
engaged in the relief and rehabilitation of victims in the past. The AHA is administered
by volunteers who are not paid for their work.
We have set up a fund to raise money for the victims of this disaster. 100% of the
donations will be given to non-profit agencies in the disaster areas. If you wish
to contribute to our disaster relief fund by check, please make the check payable
to American Hindu Association and write "Dec 2004 Tidal Waves Victims" in the memo
area. For further information please contact us at whindu@yahoo.com .
AMERICAN HINDU ASSOCIATION
Dec 2004 Tidal Waves Victims
P.O.Box 55405
Madison WI 53705
Contributions to AHA can be made through secure on-line credit-card deductions
from AHA's website - www.americanhindu.net/donation. Please indicate that your
contribution is for the " Tidal waves victims".
We thank you for your generous contribution and support towards a noble cause.
Sincerely,
AHA Committee
AHA would like to THANK all the Brothers and Sisters of America who have graciously
made financial contribution for the Dec 2004 Tidal Waves Victims Fund.
Bombay Bazar
Fashions of India & Tibet
753S Gammon Road
Madison, WI 53719
Fresh vegetables every Thursday
(Next to Woodman's West & Associated Bank)
Ph:608-270-9822
www.BombayBazaarMadison.com
Open 7 day a week
India House
805-B S Gammon Road
Madison, WI 53719
(Near Pizza Hut and Woodman's West)
Ph: 608-268-0240
www.IndiaHouse-Madison.com
Open 7 day a week
AWARDS & HONORS
Venkat Batchu, Jonathan Gruber, and Madhav Naidu have been recognized by the
American Hindu Association, a nonprofit organization that serves members of the
Hindu faith, for their work as 2004 Community Volunteers.
Luke House Kitchen
Where: Luke House, 310 S. Ingersoll, Madison, WI
When: Second Tuesdays of the month at 5:00 pm
There is a group of four devotees who regularly help out at a local meal program
twice a month, although other members of the satsang also come at times. It is a
special kind of program, however, called Luke House. Every night a different group
of people from a different faith community prepares and serves a meal and eats along
with the other folks who come to eat who are called guests. The 2nd Tuesday of the
month is our night, which we share with a number of other small groups - a Zen Center,
a Catholic Community and a few others. It is the only vegetarian meal served all month
and consists of lasagna, a fantastic organic salad, milk, bread and cookies. Favorite
Recipes: Lasagna, Organic Salad, Milk, Bread, Cookies and Baklava. The philosophy of
Luke House is unusual, as each group is asked to prepare a meal as wonderful as they
would serve to guests in their own homes and to practice understanding how we are no
different as human beings from those we serve that night - we eat the same food along
side everyone else. It has taken me many years of serving at Luke House to begin to
understand and take to heart this philosophy. Donations are also welcome and are tax
deductible. Please mail to American Hindu Association, PO Box 55405, and Madison
WI 53705. For more information please contact us at whindu@yahoo.com. Federal & State Law on Tsunami Relief
Please consult with your Tax advisor. Although a recently enacted federal law
(P.L. 109-1) allows taxpayers to treat certain 2005 tsunami relief contributions
as if they were made on December 31, 2004, that option currently does not apply
for Wisconsin personal income tax and corporate franchise (income) tax purposes.
Until a Wisconsin bill adopting the federal treatment is enacted into law, an
individual who files a 2004 Wisconsin income tax return and claims the Wisconsin
itemized deduction credit may include only charitable contributions made in 2004
in the computation of the 2004 credit. If the federal treatment is later adopted,
the individual may then file an amended return to claim any tsunami relief
contributions made in January 2005 in the computation of the 2004 Wisconsin
itemized deduction credit. Corporations that file a calendar year 2004 Wisconsin
franchise or income tax return may include only charitable contributions made in
2004 in the computation of net income. If the federal treatment is later adopted,
the corporation may then file an amended return to claim any tsunami relief
contributions made in January 2005 in the computation of the 2004 Wisconsin
charitable contributions deduction.
Home
