To the outsider, it may seem that Hindus worship ‘everything’, including natures - trees, the planet earth, the sun etc. To what extent is this true, and what are the reasons in the framework of Hindu philosophy? All this and more is answered in this guest column by David Frawley.
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Earlier this month the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs issued a notification of slaughter of a bull residing in the Skanda Vale Temple complex called Shambo, due to having been tested positive for bovine tuberculosis. However, the bull had not shown symptoms of TB and as yet, was in a healthy condition. Temple authorities are defiant, and claim that they will defend the bull “with their life if necessary”.
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Generosity and honesty; these are some very basic teachings of Hinduism. So you would expect them to be practiced by mandir committees and helpers, right?
I think most Hindus that attend their local Mandir have experienced or at least heard of committee elections. These are meant to be democratic with the aim of electing people that will look after the day-to-day functioning. In many cases, however, the committees seem to see their role in an entirely different way. I have a hunch that all of you have heard of some form of in fighting or some dubious dealings with mandir finances. My local Mandir in Slough has been known for in fighting ever since I can remember. Just recently, a member of the committee was believed to have acquired substantial sums of money from the Mandir, and together with his family never seen at the mandir since.
But the real reason I decided to write this article was sparked by a recent trip to a very well known mandir in Southall…
Pretty Woman actor and Tibetan Buddhist Richard Gere appeared to try and grope actress Shilpa Shetty, whilst both spoke at an HIV/Aids awareness event in New Delhi last month (15th April). Once Gere had mentioned that HIV cannot be passed on through a kiss on the cheek, he thought he’d emphasis this fact by kissing the actress’s hand, which was followed by a hug, and then a kiss on her cheek, then for the grand finale he bent over the surprised Shilpa to slobber her with a huge kiss – Hollywood style. Which Shilpa laughed off by saying, ‘Yeh toda zyaada ho gaya’.
When I used to study for exams at uni I often kept a copy of the Gita on the table with me. I’d read a page or two now and again, for example during breaks, and straight away would begin to feel more focused and positive. The Gita certainly was a great companion for me through my exam periods.Noticing that I kept a copy of the Gita, a bunch of friends (all of whom were themselves Hindus) found it comical and said something along the lines of, “Raj man, what’s this, you turning into a priest or something?” It was neither the first nor the last time that I got funny comments like this.
The year 2007 is a special year in both British and Indian history; being the 150th anniversary of what to many Indians is the “First War Of Independence” and for many British the “Sepoy Mutiny”, but whatever the differences in perception about the event both seem to agree that no person other than Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi (Jhans iki Rani) represents the event more poignantly.
Swami Ramdev goes head to head with a non-resident Indian in the US for securing patent of Yoga. An NRI, Vikram Chaudhary, reportedly applied for the patent of Yoga with the US administration. Ramdev believes that Yoga and Pranayam cannot be patented as it is an ancient school of Hindu philosophy, which prescribes physical and mental disciplines for attaining oneness with the Supreme Being.
Depending on what you read or on your point of view, this month marks the 150 year anniversary of the “First War of Indian Independence” or the “Indian Mutiny”. Whatever you call it, there is no doubting that it was an important historical event and deserves much more coverage than it has been given. It was this one event which effectively changed the course of history and destiny for two countries and its effects can been seen even today. As British Hindus, the event and its history has double significance for us for obvious reasons.
The office of the Arya Samaj in Kerala are buzzing with activity in the hot Indian summer. From the time of their foundation almost 120 years ago to the modern day they have been at the forefront of the ‘shuddi’ or conversion to Hinduism efforts. The local offices in one of India’s smaller states report at least 15-20 ‘new’ Hindus each month in a simple ceremony lasting about one hour conducted amidst the ancient Vedic hymns and in the presence of the sacred fire.
No doubt, Samuel Huntingdon, the much celebrated political analyst would see the above as part of his tapestry of the ‘clash of civilisations’ provided by the movement of people from one civilisational block to the other.
