pBy Dr. Frank Morales, Ph.D. br/(Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya)/p p style=”TEXT-ALIGN: justify”The number of Hindus currently living in our world is truly br/impressive. According to reliable sources, there are as many as a br/staggering one-billion Hindus in the world today. There are as many br/as three-million Hindus living in the U.S. alone. Indeed, if you br/found yourself drawn to reading this column, you are yourself most br/likely one of this teeming number of self-identified Hindus. While br/the numbers of Hindus in the world may be impressive, however (and br/the numbers are indeed to be seen as a source of pride), numbers br/alone don’t always point to the actual strength of a religion. br/!–more–/p p style=”TEXT-ALIGN: justify”The number of adherents of a religion do not, after all, always br/correspond to the quality of the individuals practicing the br/religion. And it is really the inner strength of the individual br/religious persons that is the source of the outer strength of any br/religion. This is the case for Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma) as much as br/any other religion./p p style=”TEXT-ALIGN: justify”Religion is ultimately not just a numbers game. Rather it is a br/matter of personal conviction, depth of realization, and inner br/spiritual experience. Religion is ultimately a radically personal br/experience, and not just a group dynamic or a demographic statistic. br/This truth being the case, I have made a distinction between two br/types of “Hindus” in the world today. There are what I call “Nominal br/Hindus” and “Conscious Hindus”. The real question for you is: Which br/of these two types of Hindus are you?/p p style=”TEXT-ALIGN: justify”A Nominal Hindu is a Hindu in name only. That is, they have no br/difficulty necessarily saying that they’re Hindu. That comes easy br/enough. But this mostly cultural identity is often as far as the br/typical Nominal Hindu is willing to go into exploring the depths of br/their spirituality. The real question, of course, is not just are br/you willing to call yourself Hindu…but are you consciously and br/sincerely practicing Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism)?/p p style=”TEXT-ALIGN: justify”Like the Nominal Hindu, the Conscious Hindu also has no difficulty br/proclaiming “mein hindu hun.” “I am a Hindu.” But unlike the br/Nominal Hindu, the Conscious Hindu actually knows what this claim br/means…and he knows so as a result of his own personal experience. br/The Conscious Hindu not only identifies with Sanatana Dharma, the br/most ancient and profound spiritual system the world has ever known, br/but he also has immense pride in this heritage, and isn’t afraid to br/show it!/p p style=”TEXT-ALIGN: justify”More, the Conscious Hindu knows that it is his duty to not only revel br/in the greatness of Dharmic culture, but that to be a true Hindu he br/must also do everything in his power to live the life of a Hindu. A br/Conscious Hindu joyfully embraces the Hindu lifestyle./p p style=”TEXT-ALIGN: justify”As a Conscious Hindu, you must be knowledgeable about the philosophy br/and teachings of Sanatana Dharma, reading the Bhagavad Gita daily and br/familiarizing yourself with the meaning of Dharma. More, you must br/know that it isn’t enough to merely read about Sanatana Dharma, but br/that you must also practice its principles (puja, meditation, arati, br/Yoga, etc.) and ethics (non-stealing, not lying, being noble, etc.). br/Finally, it also is not even enough merely to practice Dharma by br/rote, but you must practice with the ultimate end-goal in mind: The br/goal of Sanatana Dharma — Hinduism — is to know, and love, and serve br/Bhagavan — God. The ultimate purpose of both Hinduism, and life br/itself, is having deep and abiding Bhakti — devotion toward God./p p style=”TEXT-ALIGN: justify”It is ultimately only by living your life as a Conscious Hindu – br/reclaiming your spiritual heritage in Sanatana Dharma and joyously br/practicing this path — that you will know the true happiness, peace, br/fulfillment and joy that your spiritual tradition has to offer you. br/Become a Conscious Hindu, live the Hindu lifestyle, and begin to br/experience the true joy of the presence of God in your life./p p style=”TEXT-ALIGN: justify”The Author: br/Dr. Frank Morales (Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya) has been a br/practicing American Hindu for over 30 years. He has a Ph.D. in br/Religious Studies and is recognized as one of the leading Hindu br/Acharyas in the nation. He is the Founder and President of the br/International Sanatana Dharma Society. To contact Sri Acharyaji, br/email him at: a href=”mailto:info@dharmacentral.com”info@dharmacentral.com/a./p
All posts by proudhindu
India History
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Ancient Vishnu idol found in Russian town
pMOSCOW: An ancient Vishnu idol has been found during excavation in an old village in Russia’s Volga region, raising questions about the prevalent view on the origin of ancient Russia./p pThe idol found in Staraya (old) Maina village dates back to VII-X century AD. Staraya Maina village in Ulyanovsk region was a highly populated city 1700 years ago, much older than Kiev, so far believed to be the mother of all Russian cities. br/!–more–/p p”We may consider it incredible, but we have ground to assert that Middle-Volga region was the original land of Ancient Rus. This is a hypothesis, but a hypothesis, which requires thorough research,” Reader of Ulyanovsk State University’s archaeology department Dr Alexander Kozhevin told state-run television Vesti ./p pDr Kozhevin, who has been conducting excavation in Staraya Maina for last seven years, said that every single square metre of the surroundings of the ancient town situated on the banks of Samara, a tributary of Volga, is studded with antiques./p pPrior to unearthing of the Vishnu idol, Dr Kozhevin has already found ancient coins, pendants, rings and fragments of weapons./p pHe believes that today’s Staraya Maina, a town of eight thousand, was ten times more populated in the ancient times. It is from here that people started moving to the Don and Dneiper rivers around the time ancient Russy built the city of Kiev, now the capital of Ukraine./p pAn international conference is being organised later this year to study the legacy of the ancient village, which can radically change the history of ancient Russia/p pa href=”http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Ancient_Vishnu_idol_found_in_Russia/articleshow/1046928.cms” target=”_blank”http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Ancient_Vishnu_idol_found_in_Russia/articleshow/1046928.cms/a/p
Harappa was like any other metro: US prof
A great trading city teeming with different communities that existed together and enjoyed civic infrastructure like a water supply and drains; a manufacturing center where textiles that were exported around the world were made. It’s not a description of 19th century Mumbai, but of cities like Harappa and Mohenjo Daro in the Indus valley as early as 4th millennium BC, said Jonathan Mark Kenoyer, associate professor in anthropology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, at a lecture in the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vaastu Sangrahalaya on Tuesday.
Kenoyer has been working on excavations in the Indus Valley, particularly in Harappa, since 1974. Drawing on recent discoveries at Harappa, Kenoyer explained the inferences made by archaeologists and anthropologists about life in the Indus valley, which is now believed to have extended in the area surrounding not only the Indus, but also the now-dried up Saraswati river. Kenoyer said modern archaeological findings do not support the idea of an Aryan ‘invasion,’ but show that Vedic people were among those who lived in cities such as Mohenjo Daro in Sindh and Harappa in Punjab towards the end of the Indus civilisation, which stretched between 7,000 BC and 1,900 BC. “These were sophisticated cities with wide roads, gates designed to keep intruders out and where those coming in or going out of the city with goods could be taxed. There was a water supply and proper drains. It was only when the Saraswati dried up and Mohenjo Daro and Harappa became overpopulated because other cities lost their water supply that the cities declined,” said Kenoyer, comparing that period with the fate of cities such as Amritsar and Lahore at the time of Partition. As many as 50,000 people may have lived in Harappa at certain periods and the people of the Indus civilisation formed ethnic groups, said Kenoyer, citing figurines showing seals with symbols such as the buffalo or unicorn to represent different ethnic groups. The unicorn symbol was invented by the Indus people, and spread to Europe centuries later via Mesopotamia and Near East, he said. “There was no single ruler in these cities. We’ve found no palace. Instead, there seems to have been a republic in which a group of elders ruled,” said Kenoyer. What was earlier believed by archaeologists to be a grain store in Harappa now seems likely to have been a textile weaving centre, and fine cloth from the area was exported far away, he said.
Author: Anjali Joseph
Publication: The Times of India
US session to open with Hindu prayer
pNew York: For the first time since its inception in 1864, the Assembly of the US state of Nevada will open with a Hindu prayer on March 19, reflecting the growing influence of Indian-Americans in the political arena./p pDirector of Public Affairs of Hindu Temple of Northern Nevada Rajan Zed will read a prayer for the success of the session. br/!–more–/p pZed says that he yet has to choose a prayer he will recite but he is thinking something from Rig Veda, the oldest scripture of the world./p pHowever, keeping with the Legislature tradition, prayer will offer inspiration, reflection, and encouragement, and will be thought provoking, he adds./p pThe prayer will then be included in the Daily Journal of the legislature, which is a permanent public record./p pRajan Zed, besides being Director of Public Affairs and Interfaith Relations of Hindu Temple of Northern Nevada, is also Public Relations Officer of India Association of Northern Nevada, affiliated with World Congress of Faiths-London./p
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15 Benefits of the Holy Basil (Tulsi)
pa href=”http://hinduism.about.com/od/ayurveda/a/tulsibenefits.htm”http://hinduism.about.com/od/ayurveda/a/tulsibenefits.htm/a br/15 Benefits of the Holy Basil (Tulsi) br/- MP Bhattathiry br/(Retd. Chief Technical Examiner to the Govt. of br/Kerala, India)/p pThe tulsi or holy basil is an important symbol in the br/Hindu religious tradition and is worshipped in the br/morning and evening by Hindus at large. The holy basil br/is also a herbal remedy for a lot of common ailments. br/Here’re top fifteen medicinal uses of tulsi. br/!–more–/p p1. Healing Power: The tulsi plant has many medicinal br/properties. The leaves are a nerve tonic and also br/sharpen memory. They promote the removal of the br/catarrhal matter and phlegm from the bronchial tube. br/The leaves strengthen the stomach and induce copious br/perspiration. The seed of the plant are mucilaginous./p p2. Fever amp; Common Cold: The leaves of basil are br/specific for many fevers. During the rainy season, br/when malaria and dengue fever are widely prevalent, br/tender leaves, boiled with tea, act as preventive br/against theses diseases. In case of acute fevers, a br/decoction of the leaves boiled with powdered cardamom br/in half a liter of water and mixed with sugar and milk br/brings down the temperature. The juice of tulsi leaves br/can be used to bring down fever. Extract of tulsi br/leaves in fresh water should be given every 2 to 3 br/hours. In between one can keep giving sips of cold br/water. In children, it is every effective in bringing br/down the temperature./p p3. Coughs: Tulsi is an important constituent of many br/Ayurvedic cough syrups and expectorants. It helps to br/mobilize mucus in bronchitis and asthma. Chewing tulsi br/leaves relieves cold and flu./p p4. Sore Throat: Water boiled with basil leaves can be br/taken as drink in case of sore throat. This water can br/also be used as a gargle./p p5. Respiratory Disorder: The herb is useful in the br/treatment of respiratory system disorder. A decoction br/of the leaves, with honey and ginger is an effective br/remedy for bronchitis, asthma, influenza, cough and br/cold. A decoction of the leaves, cloves and common br/salt also gives immediate relief in case of influenza. br/They should be boiled in half a liter of water till br/only half the water is left and add then taken./p p6. Kidney Stone: Basil has strengthening effect on the br/kidney. In case of renal stone the juice of basil br/leaves and honey, if taken regularly for 6 months it br/will expel them via the urinary tract./p p7. Heart Disorder: Basil has a beneficial effect in br/cardiac disease and the weakness resulting from them. br/It reduces the level of blood cholesterol./p p8. Children’s Ailments: Common pediatric problems like br/cough cold, fever, diarrhea and vomiting respond br/favorably to the juice of basil leaves. If pustules of br/chicken pox delay their appearance, basil leaves taken br/with saffron will hasten them./p p9. Stress: Basil leaves are regarded as an ‘adaptogen’ br/or anti-stress agent. Recent studies have shown that br/the leaves afford significant protection against br/stress. Even healthy persons can chew 12 leaves of br/basil, twice a day, to prevent stress. It purifies br/blood and helps prevent several common elements./p p10. Mouth Infections: The leaves are quit effective br/for the ulcer and infections in the mouth. A few br/leaves chewed will cure these conditions./p p11. Insect Bites: The herb is a prophylactic or br/preventive and curative for insect stings or bites. A br/teaspoonful of the juice of the leaves is taken and is br/repeated after a few hours. Fresh juice must also be br/applied to the affected parts. A paste of fresh roots br/is also effective in case of bites of insects and br/leeches./p p12. Skin Disorders: Applied locally, basil juice is br/beneficial in the treatment of ringworm and other skin br/diseases. It has also been tried successfully by some br/naturopaths in the treatment of leucoderma./p p13. Teeth Disorder: The herb is useful in teeth br/disorders. Its leaves, dried in the sun and powdered, br/can be used for brushing teeth. It can also be mixed br/with mustered oil to make a paste and used as br/toothpaste. This is very good for maintaining dental br/health, counteracting bad breath and for massaging the br/gums. It is also useful in pyorrhea and other teeth br/disorders./p p14. Headaches: Basil makes a good medicine for br/headache. A decoction of the leaves can be given for br/this disorder. Pounded leaves mixed with sandalwood br/paste can also be applied on the forehead for getting br/relief from heat, headache, and for providing coolness br/in general./p p15. Eye Disorders: Basil juice is an effective remedy br/for sore eyes and night-blindness, which is generally br/caused by deficiency of vitamin A. Two drops of black br/basil juice are put into the eyes daily at bedtime./p pDISCLAIMER: These are only general guidelines as a br/first aid. It is always better to see a doctor br/depending upon the intensity of the case. The views br/expressed above are entirely those of the author./p pSuggested Reading br/Tulsi – the Holy Basil @ br/a href=”http://hinduism.about.com/library/weekly/aa062000a.htm”http://hinduism.about.com/library/weekly/aa062000a.htm/a/p pHoly Rudraksha @ br/a href=”http://hinduism.about.com/cs/ayurveda/a/aa022903a.htm”http://hinduism.about.com/cs/ayurveda/a/aa022903a.htm/a/p
How the Ayurveds and Homeopaths perceive disease.
pThe Dynamics of Disease./p pJagannath Chatterjee/p pIt is good to know about the dynamics of disease as even a little of this knowledge can save one from great calamities. First let us tackle the basic question, why is disease dynamic? This is because life force or vital force or Prana Shakti, whatever you call it, is the most dynamic force on earth and thus has to be influenced by a opposite dynamic force of similar magnitude for it to become deranged and sick. br/ br/Genetic engineers who are now peeping into the work of genes are getting a slight indication of how many complex works of various nature are being performed driven by the gene structure programming contained within every cell. The vital force creates and maintains this genetic structure, and is in turn maintained by it. How much more dynamic and powerful it must be! br/!–more–/p p br/The vital force is so strong that in reality we do not need any medicines or outside intervention at all to cure disease. What is really necessary is knowing the art to harness and guide this vital energy. This science was known to the Vedic people. In fact when ayurveda first came into being, suggesting a human intervention, the first ayurveds were looked down upon and treated as pariahs. Because with ayurveda also came the feeling that man would one day become body centric and forget the spirit. br/ br/We perhaps cannot go back en masse to the days when the vital force could be harnessed, though people practicing pranayama are doing just that. They are arousing the vital force, which when free of its shackles is performing miracles like dissolving tumours, clearing heart blockages, reducing blood sugar, making hair grow on bald plates and so on. How this happens is beyond science but we cannot deny that it happens, simply because we are SEEING it happen at the yoga camps conducted all over India and the world today. br/ br/Let us go down to more mundane levels so that we can identify with the situation. Robert Svoboda, renowned ayurved, narrates an incident where his friend was suddenly taken ill when exposed to chilly air after sweating from exertion. Svoboda diagnosed it as a Vata disorder and advised his friend to go for a steam bath and also take pure clarified butter to engage his stomach. br/ br/Soon his friend developed an uneasy abdomen full of gas and started vomiting. Svoboda was pleased that the Vata toxins had been attracted to the stomach and were now being expelled. Sure enough his friend recovered from the illness and got back his good humour. Svoboda thus used the vital force to get rid of the disease. Had the disorder not been cured thus his friend would have developed fever, a cold and even pneumonia with chest involvement. br/ br/Ayurveda deals in a very systematic manner with the various forces working in the body, forces that perform the various automatic bodily functions so essential for our existence. It also describes the various metabolic centres in the body which carry out the processing of the various inputs, the most important being the “digestive fire”. br/ br/It also deals with the energy meridians (nadis) which form an intricate network within the body and also outside it, forming the basis of the human aura as seen through Kirlian photography. It describes in detail the energy vortices called chakras which rule over the various parts and processes of the mind and body. The nervous system described in ayurvedic texts is highly intricate and shows fine nerves which are yet to be discovered. The ayurvedic texts also speak of germs as parasites which live off the body and are harmful only when the immune system is highly compromised. br/ br/Ayurveda recognises individual idiosyncracies and divides people on the basis of their predominant body humour. Disease occurs when these humours are disturbed. Treatment consists of restoring balance and eliminating the toxins which have resulted as a result of the imbalance. By acting along with the flow of the various forces within the body ayurveda ensures a very smooth restoration of health without side effects as the vital force as well as the immune system are never interfered with or compromised. br/ br/Ayurveda places more importance on prevention rather than cure. All the possible humour imbalances are noted and a list of do’s and dont’s are prescribed to be followed as daily and seasonal routines. Care is also taken that persons adjust their diet with their individual body type without compromising on the required nutrition. Each person is sought to be educated on the basics of prevention and cure based upon simple herbs, spices, grains, oils and vegetables commonly found and routinely consumed. br/ br/Spiritual training to every person is considered essential as physical and mental purity leading to faith in the eternal is the goal of ayurveda. We should not forget that ayurveda is the result of research by the Saints of India who sought to so fine tune the body, mind and emotions that the body became a vehicle to cross the ocean of humdrum existence. br/ br/Homeopaths describe the disease force to be the result of a disturbed mind. The mind of man was initially an epitome of simplicity. It was in tune with nature and man could converse with the elements. There was no trace of selfishness as the spirit body was so highly developed that the needs of the physical body were mere mechanical and of really no consequence. Constant joy was the result and life was a blessing. br/ br/In the Uddhava Gita we listen to Sri Krishna who advises his friend Uddhava to prepare for the ultimate release; Moksha. When Uddhava asked why, the Lord informed him that with the coming of the Kali Yuga, man would forget God and run after the world. Life would become full of woes and the joy of living would disappear. Uddhava was aghast, was such a thing ever possible? Could man really become weary of life? Could man ever forget God? br/ br/We know that Sri Krishna’s prophecies have come true. Men fell from spiritual grace and adopted money and material prosperity as the goal. As a result arose selfishness, jealousy and the ambition to earn more than required. This created a mental disturbance just as the waters of a calm lake is disturbed when a stone is thrown into it. The ripples spread to the body through the glandular system that acts as the conduit between the spiritual body and the physical. Strong toxins were produced which only the skin could handle, and were thrown out causing an itch upon the skin. br/ br/When these itches were interfered with and suppressed, the disease dynamics came into being getting an upper hand over the vital force. Whereas the negative tendencies of the mind were earlier voluntary, now they became a compulsion and the mind, the source of extreme joy earlier, became a curse on man. Hahnemann termed this disease state Psora. br/ br/This disturbed mind led man to even greater sins which resulted in veneral diseases. When the external manifestations of these diseases were suppressed with strong medicines and ointments the disease force was further strengthened giving it the strength to go deeper and affect the internal organs. The intellect too was deeply affected and the passionate criminal mind took shape. All the base desires of man received a fillip and man was bestowed with the power to become worse than an animal. br/ br/The conscience lost its grip upon this transformed creature. Depending upon what was suppressed, gonorrhoea or syphillis, Hahneman termed the disease states Sycosis and Syphillis. Syphillis totally destroys the intellect whereas Sycosis renders man incapable of discrimination and sane judgement, thus forming the basis of a sadistic personality. br/ br/There is a fourth stage, Tuberculosis, that developes as the Sycotic person, enamoured by the life of the senses, dissipated his vital fluids sapping the body of vital nutrients. There are also unreciprocated emotions, deep dissatisfaction with life and the curse of poverty that has the same effect on the body. Thus the body “wastes away”. Tuberculosis is the combined effect of Psora and Sycosis, with maybe a trace element of Syphillis. We are seeing the three disease states reigning supreme and combining with Vaccinosis to become AIDS. br/ br/With the desire to play God, came the practice of vaccinations. The interference with the vital force and the injecting of animal serum directly into the blood stream gives rise to this disease state which is very similiar to Sycosis, suppressed gonorrhoea. This is Vaccionosis. Now it is widely known that this disease force also owes its vicious nature to the heavy metals, toxins, contaminated serum and carcinogens that form vaccine ingredients. br/ br/Today there is the need to have another new nomenclature for a disease state called “Iatrogenesis”. This is the result of interference with the vital force using misguided medicine and medical procedures. This has become the most dreaded disease force taking the maximum number of lives and there is no known cure except for the attempt to detoxify the body using the Panchakarma therapy of ayurveda, or cleansing by naturopathy or using safe chelation procedures. br/ br/Well selected homeopathic remedies can also cause the body to throw out the toxins before the original disease state can reappear in its pristine form rendering it amenable to cure. Homeopaths are now busy preparing remedies out of toxic allopathic drugs so that they can counteract the near permanent toxic effects of these vile substances. However if by surgery an organ is removed or modified without real need for the same then heaven help that person as he has no chance of full and complete recovery. br/ br/How is allopathy affecting this disease force? We must know that the force of disease is from outward to within, going deep into the body, from a less important organ to a more important one. With its suppressive form of treatment allopathy is “fast forwarding” this process taking the mayhem to never before reachable heights. What starts out as a itch, becomes a stomach derangement, acidity, nervous disorder, liver ailment, heart problem, kidney failure as the disease goes deeper and deeper into the system. Moreover all the disease states can spread and be transferred by sharing the same needle, however sterilised, and also by the exchange of serum and blood. These states are also hereditary. br/ br/The curative force is from within to outward, and also above downward, as the vital force of the body always tries to throw the disease out. Under proper classical homeopathic treatment it is invariably seen that the disease disappears in the way it came i.e. in the reverse order in which it had progressed. br/ br/In the above example the kidney failure patient would see his kidney problem receding and his heart problem returning, then the liver getting affected as the heart gets better, nervous system falling ill as the liver improves, the acidity then taking its place and finally the original itch reappearing on the surface of the skin, and aggravating as the entire toxic load is thrown out into the surface and disappearing never to return again. The mind too becomes progressively more cheerful with the ultimate return of the original simple and pure nature. br/ br/This is the holistic method of healing which is capable of effecting a complete cure in all aspects without having to take recourse to a painful lifetime routine of taking drugs and visiting doctors. br/ br/However the illnesses of Saints and Sadhus do not fall into this category. They suffer because of intense sadhana and compassion towards other human beings which attracts the suffering of others. They too can be relieved by ayurveda which has got a separate section for such illnesses called Yogaja Vyadhi, illness resulting from intense spiritual practices. br/ br/Both Sri Ramakrishna and Sri Chaitanya as well as various other Saints have benefitted by this branch of ayurveda. Homeopathy too can help with well selected remedies though the above disease dynamics does not apply. These Saints also get spiritual help in the form of messages from God which helps them find a cure. That is a form of spiritual healing, considered to be the ultimate form of treating the body, mind and soul. br/————————————————————————————————– br/a href=”mailto:jagchat01@yahoo.com”jagchat01@yahoo.com/a br/Â/p p”We have allowed (the drugs) industry to subvert the rules of science. We have watched quietly as governments and academics have colluded with industry to hide information critical to our patients. We have remained silent as our medical schools have churned out graduates who have no knowledge of the dilemmas and scandals of medicine. We have allowed many of our medical journals to become corrupted and timid,” – Dr Aubrey Blumsohn/p
Why do Hindus worship the cow?
pstrongA:/strong The cow represents the giving nature of life to every Hindu. Honoring this gentle animal, who gives more than she takes, we honor all creatures./p pstrongLonger answer:/strong Hindus regard all living- creatures as sacred—mammals, fishes, birds and more. We acknowledge this reverence for life in our special affection for the cow. At festivals we decorate and honor her, but we do not worship her in the sense that we worship the Deity. To the Hindu, the cow symbolizes all other creatures. The cow is a symbol of the Earth, the nourisher, the ever-giving, un demanding provider. The cow represents life and the sustenance of life. The cow is so generous, taking nothing but water, grass and grain. It gives and gives and gives of its milk, as does the liberated soul give of his spiritual knowledge. The cow is so vital to life, the virtual sustainer of life, for many humans. The cow is a symbol of grace and abundance. Veneration of the cow instills in Hindus the virtues of gentleness, receptivity and connectedness with nature. br/!–more–/p pstrongElaboration:/strong Who is the greatest giver on planet Earth today? Who do we see on every table in every country of the world—breakfast, lunch and dinner? It is the cow. McDonald’s cow-vending golden arches and their rivals have made fortunes on the humble cow. The generous cow gives milk and cream, yogurt and cheese, butter and ice cream, ghee and buttermilk. It gives entirely of itself through sirloin, ribs, rump, porterhouse and beef stew. Its bones are the base for soup broths and glues. It gives the world leather belts, leather seats, leather coats and shoes, beef jerky, cowboy hats—you name it. The only cow-question for Hindus is, “Why don’t more people respect and protect this remarkable creature?” Mahatma Gandhi once said, “One can measure the greatness of a nation and its moral progress by the way it treats its animals. Cow protection to me is not mere protection of the cow. It means protection of all that lives and is helpless and weak in the world. The cow means the entire subhuman world.”/p pIn the Hindu tradition, the cow is honored, garlanded and given special feedings at festivals all over India, most importantly the annual Gopashtama festival. Demonstrating how dearly Hindus love their cows, colorful cow jewelry and clothing is sold at fairs all over the Indian countryside. From a young age, Hindu children are taught to decorate the cow with garlands, paint and ornaments. Her nature is epitomized in Kamadhenu, the divine, wish-fulfilling cow. The cow and her sacred gifts—milk and ghee in particular—are essential elements in Hindu worship, penance and rites of passage. In India, more than 3,000 institutions called Gaushalas, maintained by charitable trusts, care for old and infirm cows. And while many Hindus are not vegetarians, most respect the still widely held code of abstaining from eating beef. By her docile, tolerant nature, the cow exemplifies the cardinal virtue of Hinduism, noninjury, known as ahimsa. The cow also symbolizes dignity, strength, endurance, maternity and selfless service. In the Vedas, cows represent wealth and joyous Earthly life. From the Rig Veda (4.28.1;6) we read. ‘the cows have come and have brought us good fortune. In our stalls, contented, may they stay! May they bring forth calves for us, many-colored, giving milk for Indra each day. You make, O cows, the thin man sleek; to the unlovely you bring beauty. Rejoice our homestead with pleasant lowing. In our assemblies we laud your vigor.” br/The the above article is taken from a href=”http://www.himalayanacademy.com/basics/tenq/tenq_4.html”http://www.himalayanacademy.com/basics/tenq/tenq_4.html/a  reposted here with permission from Himalayan Academy Publications/p
What is karma
pstrongA:/strong Karma is the universal principle of cause and effect. Our actions, both good and bad, come back to us in the future, helping us to learn from life’s lessons and become better people./p pstrongLonger answer:/strong Karma is one of the natural laws of the mind, just as gravity is a law of matter. Just as God created gravity to bring order to the physical world, He created karma as a divine system of justice that is self-governing and infinitely fair. It automatically creates the appropriate future experience in response to the current action. emKarma/em simply means “action” or “cause and effect.” When something happens to us that is apparently unfortunate or unjust, it is not God punishing us. It is the result of our own past actions. The Vedas, Hinduism revealed scripture, tell us if we sow goodness, we will reap goodness; if we sow evil, we will reap evil. br/!–more– br/Thus we create our own destiny through thought and action. And the divine law is: whatever karma we are experiencing in our life is just what we need at the moment, and nothing can happen but that we have the strength to meet it. Even harsh karma, when faced in wisdom, can be the greatest catalyst for spiritual growth. Understanding the way karma works, we seek to live a good and virtuous life through right thought, right speech and right action. This is called dharma./p pstrongElaboration:/strong Karma is basically energy. I throw energy out through thoughts, words and deeds, and it comes back to me, in time, through other people. Karma is our best teacher, for we must always face the consequences of our actions and thus improve and refine our behavior, or suffer if we do not. We Hindus look at time as a circle, as things cycle around again. Professor Einstein came to the same conclusion. He saw time as a curve, and space as well. This would eventually make a circle. Karma is a very just law which, like gravity, treats everyone the same. Because we Hindus understand karma, we do not hate or resent people who do us harm. We understand they are giving back the effects of the causes we set in motion at an earlier time. The law of karma puts man at the center of responsibility for everything he does and everything that is done to him./p pemKarma/em is a word we hear quite often on television. ‘this is my karma,” or “It must have been something I did in a past life to bring such good karma to me.” We hear karma simply defined as “What goes around, comes around.” In some schools of Hinduism, karma is looked upon as something bad—perhaps because we are most aware of this law when we are facing difficult karma, and not so aware of it when life is going smoothly. Even some Hindus equate karma with sin, and this is what evangelical Christians preach that it means. Many people believe that karma means “fate,” a pre ordained destiny over which one has no control, which is also untrue./p pThe process of action and reaction on all levels—physical, mental and spiritual—is karma. Here is an example. I say kind words to you, and you feel peaceful and happy. I say harsh words to you, and you become ruffled and upset. The kindness and the harshness will return to me, through others, at a later time. This is karma. An architect thinks creative, productive thoughts while drawing plans for a new building. But were he to think destructive, unproductive thoughts, he would soon not be able to accomplish any kind of positive task even if he desired to do so. This is karma, a natural law of the mind. We must also be very careful about our thoughts, because thought creates, and thoughts make karma—good, bad and mixed. br/The the above article is taken from a href=”http://www.himalayanacademy.com/basics/tenq/tenq_3.html”http://www.himalayanacademy.com/basics/tenq/tenq_3.html/a  reposted here with permission from Himalayan Academy Publications/p
Do Hindus believe in reincarnation?
Yes, we believe the soul is immortal and takes birth time and time again. Through this process, we have experiences, learn lessons and evolve spiritually. Finally we graduate from physical birth.
Longer answer:Carnate means “of flesh,” and reincarnate means to “reenter the flesh.” Yes, Hindus believe in reincarnation. To us, it explains the natural way the soul evolves from immaturity to spiritual illumination. Life and death are realities for all of us. Hinduism believes that the soul is immortal, that it never dies, but inhabits one body after another on the Earth during its evolutionary journey. Like the caterpillar’s transformation into a butterfly, physical death is a most natural transition for the soul, which survives and, guided by karma, continues its long pilgrimage until it is one with God.
I myself have had many lives before this one and expect to have more. Finally, when I have it all worked out and all the lessons have been learned, I will attain enlightenment and moksha, liberation. This means I will still exist, but will no longer be pulled back to be born in a physical body./p pEven modern science is discovering reincarnation. There have been many cases of individuals” remembering their past lives. These have been researched by scientists, psychiatrists and parapsychologists during the past decades and documented in good books and videos. Young children speak of vivid past-life memories, which fade as they grow older, as the veils of individuality shroud the soul’s intuitive understanding. Great mystics speak of their past lives as well. So do our ancient scriptures, the Vedas, reveal the reality of reincarnation. Reincarnation is believed in by the Jains and the Sikhs, by the Indians of the Americas, and by the Buddhists, certain Jewish sects, the Pagans and the many indigenous faiths. Even Christianity originally taught reincarnation, but formally renounced it in the twelfth century. It is, in fact, one of the widest held articles of faith on planet Earth.
Elaboration:At death the soul leaves the physical body. But the soul does not die. It lives on in a subtle body called the astral body. The astral body exists in the nonphysical dimension called the astral plane, which is also the world we are in during our dreams at night when we sleep. Here we continue to have experiences until we are reborn again in another physical body as a baby. Each reincarnating soul chooses a home and a family which can best fulfill its next step of learning and maturation. After many lifetimes of following dharma, the soul is fully matured in love, wisdom and knowledge of God. There is no longer a need for physical birth, for all lessons have been learned, all karmas fulfilled. That soul is then liberated, freed from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. Evolution then continues in the more refined spiritual worlds. Similarly, after we graduate from elementary school we never have to go back to the fifth grade. We have gone beyond that level in understanding. Thus, life’s ultimate goal is not money, not clothes, not sex, not power, not food or any other of the instinctive needs. These are natural pursuits, but our real purpose on this Earth is to know, to love and to serve God and the Gods. That leads to the rare and priceless objects of life: enlightenment and liberation. This Hindu view of the soul’s evolution answers many otherwise bewildering questions, removing the fear of death while giving assurance that each soul is evolving toward the same spiritual destiny, for the Hindu believes that karma and reincarnation are leading every single soul to God Realization.
The the above article is taken from http://www.himalayanacademy.com/basics/tenq/tenq_2.html reposted here with permission from Himalayan Academy Publications