Professional Documents
Culture Documents
, . '.
,
.:
APRIL, 1998
~-a~.~ .
INTERNATIONAL
Lead Stor¥: Three Movies Focus Global
Attention on Tibetan Buddhism 20
Interviews: What's Buddhism's FUture? 24
Resources: The Best Titles on Tibet 26
Philately: Saintly Stamps Are Cool! 32
Music: Mauritians Make MuSical Magic 34
Tribal Rig~ts: Reclaiming Their Culture 36
LIFESTYLE
Insigh't: Exploring BoI1. the Still-Living
Religion of Pre-Btidclhist Tibet 28
Women: I Survived Chinese Prison 38
Pl\rf}l1tingi Why Children Test You 4t.
taw: Big Tobacco's on the Run in US 44
Boo~s:' Five Texts on Reincarnatioll 45
....
OPINION
Publisher's Desk: The ;Briber and the
-
t ~ribed-Partners in Bad Karma 10
Letters 12
My turn: Why I F/}.vo~ the Joint Fa..rnily 13
Editorial: Yogi WillS .Gold Medal at
1998 Wmter Olympics in Nagano 16
Astrology: Pitfalls of Past Life Readings 27
Healing: AIDS-AZT and mv Tests 46
Minister's Message: Parenting for Pros 50
7 News in Brief 49
11 Digital DHarma 56
46
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6 APRIL , 1998 HINDUISM TODAY 7
- - - - - - - --- ------.------------------~--------------------
t,
Lear'n Kriya Yoga from a Realized Master New Books from Tarthang Tulku
The Kriya Yoga Institute wel- One of the last teachers alive today
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EscaF-?e the Ax itation technique. The God- Tulku seamlessly bridges the gap
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THE VEDAS Truth alone conquers, not untruth. By truth is laid out the
path leading to the Gods by which the rishis who have
their desires fulfIlled travel to where is that supreme
God's Word, abode of truth.
Sages'Voices MUNDAKA UPANISHAD 3.1.6
Bribery.lsDisru.pti'on ~eive an 8x10" gift poster of this, write to HINDUISM TODAY, today.
,.,.... , .... ,.", ............ _.~ •••" ' ................. n .••••••• n.n ..... ,. ............................................................... \ ........... , . .............. , .............. ..
sonal prayaschitta, sincere penance, can help relieve the bad kar-
Of Society 'a nd Culture ma but that, too, is all for naught unless the practice is stopped.
The power of decision rests on the character of each person in the
fanIily. If that power is used rightly, the kukar7has clear. If not, the
fanIily and all members go down and down and down, for bribery
is stealing and being stolen from. It is similar to walking into some-
The briber and the bribed are equally guilty and one's, house~te at night, opening their cash box and taking money.
Bribery has the same emotional and psychological impact. He who
bound together in the bad karma of their secret crimes pays a bribe is an accomplice to the person who demands it. He
who accepts a bribe, proffered to buy his favors, is likewise bound
.... to his crafty benefactor. 'TIiere are two criminals in each case, he
BY SA TGURU SIV A Y A SUBRAMUNI Y A SWAMI who accepts and he who pays. Inwardly, karmic ally, astrally they
are bound together as one. Those who pay bribes for the sake of
YOUNG MAN IS RIDING HIS ten- in whatever of the efficiency or accept gifts without examining the intent may deem
motor scooter in busy 'Kuala three ways, in cash or themselves innocent, but they are not. Karmic law spares no one.
Lumpur. His taillight is out, and kind-by psychological Bribery breeds an educated criminal generation. It blocks the
he knows it. Hearing a siren force, the arousal of greed, free flow of business. Bribery disrupts positive projects. Bribery /
behind him, he slows and is or by devious coercion. In diverts creative energies to worries about who, if not paid, will
pulled over by a motorcycle policeman. many couritries, bribery disrupt the progress, cut the phone lines, turn off the electric pow-
In Malay, the officer informs him of the has become a way of life. er or otherwise cause delay after delay after delay. Bribery is dev-
infraction, pulls out his ticket book, then Bribes are demanded, and astating to the economy. No one knows how much anything really
indicates through well-known signs that a usually paid, for most any- costs, and since it is illegal money, black money, the recipients don't
small bribe would take care of the matter. thing, from getting a con- pay taxes on it. Two sets of books have to be kept. Honest compa-
Heart pounding, palnis sweating, the boy tract signed to buying a nies are put out of business by dishonest, bribe-giving competitors.
musters up his courage and says, ''Are you train ticket. A prominent What can be done about bribery? On the governmental level,
asking me to bribe you? I'm not paying politician told me he found there are instructive examples from recent history. Twenty years
you anything. What is your badge num- it impossible, simply im- ago in America, undercover FBI agents approached various politi-
ber? Take me to your superior!" Visibly possible, to get anything cians and offered them bribes to help a ficticious Arab company
shaken, and seeing the youth is no easy done without it. Most, but gain American business. A few politicians accepted the bribes and
mark, the officer spins around, mounts not everyone, would agree. quickly "found themselves jailed. Every.politician got the message.
his bike and speeds away. A successful, sophisticated Just this year, New Orleans hired a new police chief to reform its
There was a bad feeling about this true Bangaloi e woman, now in notoriously corrupt police force. First he demanded and got the
incident. The cop knew he was commit- her for ties, swears she has officer's pay doubled. Then he arrested, prosecut~d and fired the
ting a crime. The youth was tempted to never, ever, paid a bribe in next 65 officers caught taking bribes. The rest, it's said , no longer
become the accomplice, but resisted, her entire life. risk their now well-paying careers for bribe money.
sidestepping, for the'moment, one of society's most sinister prob- Spiritual people and institutions Internationally, only the United States has a law preventing its
lems. Yes, briber and bribed are bOlffid together in their dishonest, sometime~ feel compelled to accept or companies from bribing foreign officials. Other countries-
dark deed. Reluctance, resignation, efficiency, disdain-none of pay bribes because the alternative is so including all of Europe-have refused to pass similar statutes on
these sentiments relieve a person from the guilt, the ever-aqcumu- frustrating or because their sense of the excuse that i t would put their business communities at it disad-
lating kukarma, the bad karma, of the crime. mission is so strong, ·and they want it to vantage. In fact, the bribes so paid are even tax-deductable. Yet,
There are three kinds of bribery. The fir st is the most common- go for ward at all costs. Still, it must be ~ the same companies paying a bribe in their own country results in
withholding ser vices one has been paid to perform until that addi- remembered that it is not only what you ~ prosecution. One organization, Transparency International (Otto-
tional, secret compensation is paid. The seco d kind is a little do that is important but how you do it. . ~ Suhr-Allee 97' 99, D10585, Berlin, Germany), is attempting to end,
more subtle. Favors- contracts, concessions, legal immUnity, etc.- Bad money cannot be purified by ..: ' -_ _....:....:_.....c:....::......_ _ ---=_ ---''-_ _--''-_ _----=--'=-''''''''-''-= --'=-''''''''---'''''--===__ this global double standard \Yhich makes it so d ifficult for individ-
are given to those who pay a bribe in cash or kind. The briber spending it on good projects. Rather, ual countries to roof out the scourge of bribery.
offers money, saying, "I am giving you this money, and this is what bad money sours and fails them. and ultimately unnecessary. If enough people are following this From a psychological point of view, bribery is a criminal con-
I want you to do," and if the p~uty receives it, that is what he must In our spiritual fellowship, we have a rule that we do not engage kind of principle in any society, ¢.en bribery will go away. If sciousness, of deceit, cheating, on the darker side of life. Guilt is
do. It's a purchase of secret, unauthoFized use of influence, posi- in bribery, even when it means gre'a t sacrifice. In our efforts to enough people are not, then bribery becomes the accepted way of always iD.volved, secrecy, and fear of b'e ing caught for extorting
tion or authority. The third for~of bribery, even more subtle, is to carve a IR-anite temple in Bangalore to be shipped to Hawaii-fo; . doing business, and everyone will ~e bribery as a source of addi- funds, fear o( what might happen if bribes are not paid, worry
provide a ser vice and then exact a reward. This is, however, the which we established a village of a hundred workers and their
most easily detected of all, because when asked for another ser- . families-we have been called on time and time again to hand , tional income, and a means of getting things done. The acceptance
of a bribe is an affirmation of the practice. Every time a family, an
over obligations incurred by accepting bribes. Such surreptitious
dealings create an erosion of trust in society. A healthy society is ,
vice, it is denyed-that is if the gift, after the first service was per- over a br ibe. Yes, a giant project can be hampered by a small individual, a community, a nation disavows or rejects the practice based on honesty, openness, love, trust and good will. And correct
formed, was not given or was 'not large enough. brib e. We had to ask ourselves, shall we pay the petty pittance to of bribery; then bribery is diminished. To walk away from a bribe, me if I am wrong, but there is no country that has made bribery
Bribe comes from old French " meaning a morsel of bread given keep the electricity on or the phones working? It was hard some- to reject a bribe or to refuse to pay is to fulfi.'ll Hindu Dharma. legal within its own borders, even where it is tolerated as an ac-
to'll beggar. Says Webster's Dictionary, a bribe is " 1) Anything, times not to submit, but now it is known that we don't pay and the Where does bribery begin? The same place as everything else- cepted way of life. It is at the grass roots level, in the home, in
especially money, given or promised to induce a person to do bribers no longer ,ask. One' previous bribe seeker actually apolo- at home, often at a young age. Mothers bribe their children to be- schools, in the marketplace, o'ffice and factory, that bribery should
something illegal or wrong; 2) anything given or promised to in- gized for his earlier demands. have and earn good grades. Fathers bribe youths to marry fIrst be stopped. Hindu Dharma is the law enforcer. Simply don't
duce a person to do someth ing against his or her wishes.'" By not accepting or engaging in the opportunities of bribery, my according to their race and fmancial position. Those who taI<e bribe. It really is OK not to bribe. More and more, not bribing is
Br.ibery money when received is bad money, because it is....got- devotees are telling the community that bribery is unacceptable bribes and pay bribes raise a corrupt family. Mercy, through per- becoming acceptable behavior.
GURUDEVKS
THE VEDIC ExPERIENCE INSPIRED TEACHINGS SAIVITE HINDU RELIGION
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couldn't, or maybe he just refused to, sit Birbal smiled, "The answer is simple. After
Despite soul-shaking challenges, the Tibetan .
people r~main
a cheerful, hopeful community
still for Gyatso's guff and Gorilla dust. Af-
terwards, Gyatso ratcheted up the verbal
jostling: ''A tie is as good as a loss (or Kon-
,... e God created fish, birds and animals, He
still had many gifts to give away. So He
ishi. Everyone said he would out-Zazen decided to make man. lie wanted to-give
...:me, but he failed. Tell the world this: Gyat- n:.ten anything they liked, but they had to
BY THE EDITOR so would have won, derriere down, if the collect these gifts from Him. In one part
cushions had not been so preposterously of His court, intelligence was available. In
HEN I WAS FIRST TOLD THAT THE WINTER OLYMPICS soft. They forced us to use zafu Zen pillows. Real yogis don't use
another, beauty. In a third, wealth. 1 went
Committee had used its "host nation option" to add a pillows. 1 challenge these sissies to meditate on a bare rock abc:>ve
yogic event to the 1998 Games and wanted HINDUISM Lhasa. These city boys couldn't handle it." immediately to get intelligence. By the
TODAY to cover the story, 1 was skeptical. Still, they Distraction was Nagano's innovative event. Olympic rules called time 1 finished collecting my share, it was
convinced our editors to fly to Nagano, a modern, narrow- for each yogi to endure three distinct disturbances: noise, numbing too late to collect any beauty. But my
streeted city of 350,000 n~stled in the Zenkoji Plain amid Japan's cold and, the tOl!lghest, insects. Konishi earned a 9.5 in the Decibel friends in this court who are so good-look-
largest island, Honshu. Only 120 miles northwes of Tokyo, Nagano Dual, compared to Gyatso's paltry 7.9. No doubt Konishi's access
ing were too late to collect intelligence."
lies in the midst of majestic mountains~a silk producing region during spring training to sound-polluted Japanese cities gave him
and vacation spot for city dwellers looking to escape urban .sprawl. the edge. But an undeterred Gyatso brought the astonished crowd
The moment we arrived, our doubts dispersed. The Committee to their feet with back-to-back perfect lOS in the Zoological Diver- Go ahead and be miserable. Whatever
ushered the Tibetan team to our quarters along with Bikram sion-where he sat unfazed by mosquitos and even the crawling makes you happy. Swami Beyondananda
Singh, India's only entry. With the help of translators, we were in- spiders that ultimately broke Konishi's concentration- and Cold o
0<
troduced to the newest sport, officially called the YAK Champion- Exercises, something he had always boasted he could achieve but
ships, which 1 soon learned stood not for some exotically high-alti- which had eluded him until now. "Cool!" grinned Gyatso, turning ~~------~~=-----------~~~
It is found that people usually remember view of "Seven Years in Tibet."
tude ox race but for "Yoga and Kundalini." That's right, ,the old up the heat on his gelid adversaries.
mystical arts were being showcased for the entire world to see, and Gyatso, 36, gained prominence on the international yoga circuit religion when they run into hard times.
small nations whose national passions incline toward inner striving, when he captured the prized Bhara,t Padma in New Delhi in 1994, Otherwise, they don't even think of it. Muslim King Akbar had somefoolish,
instead of baseball or soccer, would have a chance to excel. • where he introduced his abrasive style. Yoga Federation Commis- H.H.,penolr Rinpoche, revered head of the courtiers who said that handsome people
Ten days later, on Friday, February 20th, in the packed White sioner Srila Patel told HINDUISM TODAY that no rules prohibit such
NyingrruI lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, are better than unattractive people in
Ring where earlier rounds of Figure Skating, Speed Skating and braggadocios behavior, though it is considered,"unBuddhalike." "I
Ice Hockey had been held, we watched the finals, won by a don't care what critics say," Gyatso scorned. "I am who 1 am. 1 am now living in exile near Mysore, South In- every way. Akbar found them tiresome, as
diminutive man with. golden skin and rosy cheeks, lithe and liquid also who you are. My mind is as reflective as a IIl!rror. By turning dia, in his rrwnastery of 1,500 rrwnks. did his Hindu chief minister, Birbal. Many
and ever so loquacious. This was Sri ~------';;::;i.iWlii_F"'''''''~''''''''9 your mind's negative energies toward me, were jealous of Birbal's intelligence. They
Khetsun Gyatso, and he had just won you only hurt yourself That's the first les- 1 don't need movie stars to point me t(,ilward railed, "Birbal is a Hindu. You cannot trust
Tibet's first ever Olympic Gold Medal. son of the kindergarten karma text. Read DID YOU KNOW?
the path of enlightenment; even if they him. He will poison Akbar one day so that
His elation was electric. "I am the seren- it and stop whimpering about me. Change
managed to push me in the right direction, he can become King." One day they asked
The Original Doctor
.
est!"<;yatso gloated when his prize was yourself... if you can. 1 dare you."
announced. It was a brazen statement, Before the Delhi meet, Gyatso had nev- r d probably head the other way out of the King, "Why are we so handsome and
clearly meant to intimidate opponents. , er placed better than fifth. Many said he sheer spite. CNN's Paul Tatara in his re- Birbal so homely?,1 The court was shocked. UCR OF MODERN MEDICINE CAN
Gyatso fared poorly in the early YAK
rounds, which, like the pentathlon, has
five distinct events: Hatha Yoga, Breath
Control, Zazen (stillness in meditation),
had forsaken rigorous training for the I
celebrity status gained from his contro-
versial Nike contract, which showcased
him using their new line of Self-Inflating, THE. HUMAN IS
11 .be traced to the Hindu surgeon,
Sushruta, circa 600 BCE. Best
known for plastic surgery, his other
Distractions and Timed Trans,Pendence, Ego-Deflating Meditation Mats. His OBLIGEDTO MAKE notable achievements include cosmetic
which requires each athlete, without. . Nagano p~rformance will rank him Num- surgexy, treatises on medical ethics,
aids or implements, to attain SUll¥.a, Absolute Nothingness, for one ber One. th the end, the media found Gyatso's taunting as daunting definitions for 121 surgical implements,
full minute and return to normal consciousness in the same body. as did his foes: "I am the One. Who can compare with Sri Khetsun
On the first day, Gyatso languished behind Zen Buddhist Roshi' Gyatso? 1 am the greatest monk since time began!" I
control of infection through antiseptics,
Konishi-san in the Double-T, as it is called, which Konishi, a native use of drugs to control bleeding, toxicol-
of Japan and local favorite, wdn in a mind-obliterating 17 minutes This rrwnth's feature on Tibetan Buddhism is full of pathos, so it ogy, psychiatry, midwifety, cataract op-
and 57 seconds, a full two minutes under the world's record. Gyat- may surprise readers to'know that Tibetans remain, after all they erations and classification of burns. And
so, who took 24 minutes flat to transcend, complained that the alti- have endured, a blithe ancLfun-loving people. As the Dalai Lama if all this weren't enough, Sushruta was
tude hampered his efforts. "This is a travesty. 1 wasn't myself today. once noted: 'We Tibetans ((ive all cererrwnial and elegant dress; and,
1 wasn't anyboay's Self 1 trained at 19,000 feet. The air here at five perhaps even rrwre important, as a national characteristic, we love among the first to prescribe surgical
thousand feet is too dense for our more refined Tibetan style." a joke. I do not know if we always laugh at the same things as West- anesthesia-which in his day was a
As. the days progressed, Gyatso's youthful will and intensity slow- erners, but we can alrrwst always .find something to laugh about. " healthy dose of strong wine!
16 HINDUISM TODA~ ,
APRIL, 1998
APRIL, 1998 HINDUISM TODAY 17
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nize and understand a spiritual' truth. It is been promoting his cause through exhibi- Black Hat ceremonies all over California.
no wonder Holl~wood is seeking spiritual tions of photographs he took while in Tibet This is not something that's just sprouted in
solace. «Hinduism and Buddhism both con- as well' as with a new book of these photos, the last two or three years. r mean, the Hin-
tain helpful roadmaps for living a lif~ with Pilgrim (Bulf'inch Press, New York). The dus have been here forever! Paramahansa
some kind of integrity," offers Rutowski. «It venue for this spring's exhibition, Tai:gei, it- Yogananda has been here since the '30S or
seems natural that people,in L.A., and par- self reveals the provocative approach he is '40S. Back then, it was a more underground
ticularly in the film business, WQuld be in- taking. And this attitude is echoed among relationship, particularly with Hinduism.
terested in them. There is semething very -others. Rutowski comments, «The chit chat But iJ: was a strong influence."
practical about Buddhism-and probably and the C:pinions about it mean nothing. I'm And the appearance of monks in the me-
Hinduism too, and about meditation. It is interested in the actions." All this has earned dia is not limited to 'movie theaters. An
very helpf~, if for nothing else, for resolving Cf?re-along with Brad Pitt, Harrison Ford, episode of the hour-long TV drama Danger-
stress and clarifying who you are relative to Melissa Mathison, Jean-Jacqu~s Annaud (di- ous Minds featured a group of Buddhists
the world around you." rector of Seven Years) and Martin Scorsese monks who convinced an angry high-school
Still, those who have been touched and (director of Kundun)-the distinction of be- youth about the power of chastity and non-
changed by the Dharma also see some dis- ing banned from ever entering China. violence. In that show, the monks created
crepancies. Screenwriter Becky Johnston Yes, the Harrison Ford on that list is the and dissolved a Tibetan sand mandala along
called her experiences learning about' Ti- one ~ho played-among many more signifi- with the students, and one of the teachers •
betan Buddhism in the course of working on cant roles-Indiana Jones in Raiders of the revealed that he was a Buddhist and taught
Seven YeQ~rs «earth shattering." Yet, in an in- Lost ArR and Temple of Doom. «I support the angry student basic meditation.
terview with Tricycle magazine, she cautions
not to underestimate the power of the ego. «I
would never presume to say who is deluded
and who isn't. However, I can tell you it looks
pretty weird to me to see a big movie star
walking around in Chinese satin robes. with
a fat cigar in his mouth. A lot-of people here
in Hollywood have egos the size of a whale.
You can't fail to see the irony of putting prac-
tice about diminishing the ego through the
Hollywood machine, which is really about
making tlle ego more grandiose. The Holly-
wood machine c~ turn almost anything into
a bloated example of ego running amok."
Of monlks and men: For most everyone in
the entertainment capital, this is a «non-is-
CELEBRITIES sue." But surely nd one feels that fhis is old
new~ more than Richard Cere. He became
~~~f:m
act of devotion on my part." wondered when I would walk on the real sole pre0ccupation was the achieve-
The film is already being hyped as an Os- steps of the Potala." .. ment of fame and glory, would ex-
The Presence: A young Dalai Lama is revered in Disnetjs unique and controv~rsial Kundun car contender, although there is nothing perience a-pain-induced emotional
glitzy about,it. There is not a single Holly- awakening on his fantastic journey
EPIC S wood star in the film! Instead, Kundun uses that would take him from the
Tibetan refugees to play the multifarious heights of conquest to the depths of
Disn~y's Lama roles. Not one of them i~ a professional actor. internment in a British prisoner-of-
Yet, Mathison and Scorsese were dually im- war camp, then from escape and a
pressed. "These people have an incredible harrowing two-year trek through
passion for sharing their story with the the Himalayas to refuge in the mys-
world," said Scorsese. And Mathison terious Tibetan city of Lhasa.
lJsing Tibetans, not/stars, Hollywood daringly tells stressed, "You could not find actors who As a stranger in a strange land
a true tale of one nation's loss and its living spirit _ could play these parts the way o~ cast did. which few Westerners had ever
The emotion that is generated from inside of visited, Harrer"':"'who was expertly Who tutored whom?: Brad befriends the young rrwnk
• them is amazing. Everyone who plays a part played by Brad Pitt in a role far
By LAVINA MELWANI, NEW YORK leaders-is identical. An important differ- in the film has played a part in the history of from his typical teen heart-throb parts-was malayan trek is captivating, but the true
ITH A CINEMATOGRAPHIC HELPING ence, of course, is that the Dalai Lama lives Tibet. It's their- story, and they all ha~e a befriended by the young Dalai Lama and spiritual heart of the film begins beating
from noted director Martin and the Tibetan people are still in the midst stake in it." later was asked to tutor the spiritual leader when Harrer begins to interact with His Ho-
Scorsese, Walt Disney and Touch- of their struggle. • 'The Dalai Lama is played at differeQ.t of millions in English, geography and the liness, who is played exceptionally by young
stone Pictures have attempted to do Kundun, which means "the Presence," is stages of his life by four actors. Tenzip Thu- ways of the Western world. He would even- Jamyang Wangchuck. Here, in the last half
for Tibet that which, years agQ, Richard At- the story of Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai thob Tsarong, who plays the 24-year-old tually spend seven years in Tibet, during a of the film, we feel we are in Lhasa as we
tenborough did for India. Through the latest Lama, following his diviI).e recognition Dalai Lam&, bears a striking resemblance to period of tremendous political _upheaval in witness Harrer struggle to adopt Tibetan re-
multi-million dollar Disney-bacl~ed motion when he was just two-and-a-hal( years old His Holiness. Three Tibetans who were part that country, graced with the friendsQip and ligious protocols and to adjust to the entire-
picture, Knndun, the tragic and heroic his- up to 1959, when his holy homeland was in- of the Dalai Lama's life in .'Fibet were con- the spiritual enlightenment of the young ly religious approach to living. Screen-writer
torical account of the Dalai Lama, the exiled vaded by the communist hordes of chair- sulted on the costume design and religious' Dalai Lama. As the deep and abiding bond Becky Johnston hopes that, "people will be
spiritual leader of six million Tibetan Bud- man Mao Zedong and he was forced to seek and ceremonial matters. Since the film between these two isolated, lonely people affected by the power of the place and by
dhists, has been brought to the attention of exile in India. Told through the young eyes could not be shot in Tibet-and India de- evolved, the selfish and egotistical Harrer ex- the awareness that another culture so anti-
America's millions of movie-goers. While of His Holiness, Kundun charts his extraor- layed permission to the point of refusal-the perienced selflessness for the first time, al- thetical to our own can exist on earth."
Disney's Kundun and Attenborough's Gand- dinary growth from a giggling child into a land.scapes of this forgotten land were recre- lowing him to complete the emotional trans- Seven Years is a welcome relief from Tin-
hi differ significantly in style and content, figure who raises the world's consciousness atea. in Morocco. The magnificent Potala formation which began on his way to Lhasa. seltown's usually inane offerings. Its spiritual
the impact of the films in the Western me- about the Buddhist society of the spirit, the palace was duplicated from scratch, and To director Jean-Jacques Annaud, that lessons are subtle, yet compelling. They are
dia and populace-spreading awareness of plight of Tibet and the sufferings endured everything from the hairstyles to the intri- quest for self-esteem and inner peace is the found in the context of a fascinating tale of
each. nation's struggles and generating com- by his people. It is the story of a boy imbued cate costumes are faithful to the originals. Martin allld the monk: Scorsese plays with whole story of the film. He explains, "Harrer true adventure and a one-of-a-kind en-
passion for their millions of people and their with the insight and wisdom of centuries, The film will certainly inform and influ- Kunga Tenzin, who played the young Kundun is a man who leaves his country very fa- counter with a real-life religious legend. . .
Tribal"Tribulations
was a Presidency College Gold Medalist, but convert are one of the few communities of cur in the year 2000 . I was asked time and
he didn't get a scholarship, because he was the Northeast that still maintains their an'- again by frightened local people if it was true.
not a.,-Christian. Conversion was the price cient traditions. They believe in one univer- "Of C;;urse not," I told them, "hardly any
for higher education. People conv6 ted be- sal God, U Blei, who is the creator of every-
I ChJ;istians in the world believe such a predic-
cause of educational and economic reasons thing. They do not have a written text or tion." It is a version of the old 'best bet" con-
initially. So, the poor, bright people convert- scripture, and the heritage verbally passes version argument used for centur.ies in the
,--------------------------- ed, and then the other poor followed. If from generation to g~neration. The basic West. Dr. Sam Pamei, a Christian from Na-
My personal encounter with the impact of Christian conversion on Meghalaya these preferences were not offered, people principle of Khasi religion is similar to the galand who lives in Shillong, 'gave me the
would not have converted." .,., eternal principles of other tribal faitl}.s. It is Meghalaya version: "If I have a choice to be a
to earn righteousness in the Christian and face no bad outcome from the
FIRST MET THE KHASI PEOPLE OF world. The basic precept is that to perspective of'my indigenous religion, or to
in 1995. A delegation of 30 know God, one must first know, follow my indigenous religion and face eter-
touring the state of Maharashtra love and respect fellow human be- nal damnation if Christianity is the true way, ...
part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak ings. Prayer, song and dance are" then 'the safe bet is to become a Christian."
Sangh's project, Bharat Meret Ghar important aspects of the culture. According to Sunil Deodhar, the missionaries
("India is My Home"). Previously my con- Throughout the year, there are are. resorting to sucn extreme measures be-
cept'of India's Northeastern States-Assam, community dances where vil- cause, "Due to the work of Seng Khasi, Sein
Meghalaya, Tripura, Nagaland, Manipur, Mi- lagers get together. In March and ·Raj and RSS, they are gaining fewer new con-
zoram and Arunachal-was that everyone April "is the most important, the verts and are actually losing many old con-
had converted to Christianity and wanted to Shad Suk Mynsiem, (shad means verts back to the indigenous fold. Thi's threat
separate from Bharat. Now I was delighted dance, suk means happiness or of eternal danmation is their last-ditch at-
to meet this delegation of Khasi Hindus who tranquility and mynsiem ' means tempt to win converts."
were patriotic to India ~d proud. of their soul or heart), a dance of joy, mer- Many organizations have-: been dealing
heritage. I resolved to go to this state when riment, gratitude and thanksgiv- with these challenges. Since 1899, Seng
tlie opportunity arose. By good fortune, the ing. Khasis follow a matrilineal Khasi has been working t3 maintain the in-
following year was my last in medical school system. The wife keeps her moth- dj.genous Khasi culture and religion and de-
and the curric~um allowed time for experi- er's last name, children keep the fend it against attacks from Christian mis-
ence outside the US. t arranged a position at mother's last nam~ and;- the sionaries. Seng' Khasi and its sister group,
a clinic with Dr. R. S. Thangkhiew, a Khasi J'"Oungest daughter iFlherits the Sein Raj, organize Khasi religious and cul-
Hindu physician in, Shillong, the capital of family property. tural programs, hold regular prayers and
Meghalaya. As a medical student, I expected First Communion: Khasi girls await beginning of Mass , Attempts during British times meetings and publish material to educate
to learn a lot about infectious diseases and attired in white European cqmmunion outfits to resist the Christianization of people about the Khasi heritage. The Ra-
the consequences of poverty and lack of ba- the people generally failed. Jrin makrishna Mission has been active for de-
sic resources on health. I saw those prob- Mon Thangkhiew recalls, "My cades. More recently, the RSS, Seva Bharati
lems, and to some extent could alleviate "Christians taught uS' to hate grandfather, Babu Jeebon Roy, and Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram have assisted
them through my wOFk as a physician. wanted to start a.school to promote Seng Khasi and Sein Raj with their pro-
As a concerned Hindu, I wanted to expe-
rience this state of Bharat that so few people
. our ciulture and religion,. If
./
the Khasi culture and religion and
.; strengthen ties with the rest of In-
grams and set up manx schools, student and
youth hostels and medical clinics. However,
get to experience, l~arn about the unique . we sang a Khasi-song, they dia. He approached the British all these groups encounter constant opposi-
culture of the people there and see first Government in 1875 and was told tion from Christians.
hand what Christian missionaries were do- would laugh at us. They to get permission from the Welsh When I left Meghalaya in 1996, I felt
ing. I was truly shocked by the rampant dis- Calvinist Mission, which had been among Khasis a growing sense of pride in
crimination that Christians meted out to called 'us devil wo~shippers." entrusted the task of propagating their religion, culture and heritage. Two
non-.christians (mostly Hindus, including education. The mlsslonaries hundred years ago Hindus may have been at
Khasis, Sikhs, Assamese and Bengalis). --APRIAL MON THANGKHIEW ; eplied, 'We have only come to ed- a technological, economic and political dis-
Christian denominations control almost 100 ucate your people to the extent that advantage. But today Hindus have all the re-
percent of the state's educational ana health Thangkhiew went on, "TIie Christians they can read the Bible. Anyway, your peo- so1;trces they need to support our fellow .
care institutions and resources. Most of and British tried to. teach ,us to hate our cul~ ple db not have enough brains for higher brothers and sisters. If tjle Northeast goes,
them give discounts to those people who ture-song, dance, religion, everything. If studies.' " Nevertheless, in 1876, the Shillong then many other tribal communities ru;e sus-
identify themselves with the particular we sang a Khasi song, they would laugh at High School opened with Roy's own money. ceptible to severing ties with the age-old
Christian sect that runs that iJj.stitution. Ad- us. They called us devil worshipers. They But the Christian missionaries coula not tol- Hindu society. Today, as tribal communities
clltionally, in many hospitals if an individual preached in our schools and brainwashed erate it because they realized'it was a threat are strengthening their identities, there is a
cannot pay his bill at the end of Jiis stay, the Khasis. The converted Khasis were just like to ·their control of education, a main tool for need to reaffirm to them that they are an in-
hospital will offer to waive the full amount if them. They laughed at us when we went to proselytizati"on. The government was forced tegral part of Hindu sO.,9iety and that Hindu
he converts to Christianity. Most top govern- our dances. I went to the Presbyterian to give control of the school to the Presby- society will neither take them away from
ment jobs are given to Christians, and there school. I had many good fri~nds. However, . terian missionaries, and subsequently, edu- their traditional beJiefs and culture, nor
are barely any non-Christian members in the after some of them were converted to Chris- cation about Khasi heritage was eliminated. swallow them. Each time a Hindu commu-
state legislature. . tianity, they told me, 'We'll' go to heaven and Christianity became the sole religion taught, nity converts, their unique contribution to
'Aprial Mon Thangkhiew, a resident of you'll go to hell.' They didn't realize that and the medium of instruction was cKanged the religious and cultural melting pot is lost
Shillong, explained how this all happened. they were dishonoring their apcestors. The from Bengali to English. and Hinduism becomes less diverse. wi
"Missionaries got converts because of edu- British policy of sending missionaries' didn't I was shocked to discover that the latest By DR. MIHIR MEG,HANI , Michigan
cation," she told me. "Converts got admis- do anything for lis except weaken our cul- method for gaining converts was simple fear. MIH IR MEGHANI: E-MAIL : MIHIR@HINDUNET.ORG . POSTAL
ADDRESS.: PO BOX 2503 0 4, WE ST BLOOMFIE LD, MI C HIGAN
sion . to colleges and hostels outside the ture. They converted all the SyJems [local Missionaries were telling the people that the 48325 USA. SEVA BH ARATI MEGHALAYA, D. M . SYIEM COM·
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insist on smoking could also be fmed. ment control is still Ininimal. -.1 Graceful Exits, How Great Beings Die, Death While it's not.yet documented where Yo- SUITE 705, NEW Y ORK, N EW Y ORK 10012 U SA, E M AIL:
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-{JIDS, Part Two: CELEBRATED: Jayanti birthday bash for Institute, with visiting faculty, and instructional written
Swami Bua JI Maharlij, attended by offer the Ayurvedic Studies works, including essays,
ISO devotees at his New York Vedanta Program, seminars and pri- poetry, plays, and extensive
Center. Though Swamiji doesn't divulge vate consultations. answers to questions asked
Their position is consider~d panies-"If you don't take k.ZT, bhajanas at age • Ayurvedic and Western herbs, extracts, oils, books, audio For a free catalog with over 70 items, contact:
heresy to prevailing medical you are going to die. Period." 13 and later en- and video tapes and a quarterly journal.
opinion, and despite its potential Most patients succumbed to the thralled audi- H eart-Light Distributors
impact, their point of view is pressure-they took AZT in ences around the Write/call for our mail order catalog and information: P.O. Box 85464-H
ignored both by the medical excessive dosage for years (at a world with her The Ayuvedic Institute. PO Box 23445 Seattle, WA 98145-1464
profession and policy makers. cost ofUs$I ,soo/month), pro- enchanting soul- A bright gem Albuquerque, NM 87192-1445 USA Tel: 800-739-2885 or 1-206-527-2099
Central to the issue is the relationship of gressed to a condition that resembled full- ful voice. Tel: 505-291-9698. Fax: 505-294-7572 Fax: 1-206-527-2099
HIV (human immunovirus) and the condi- blown AIDS and died from the effects of
tion called AIDS. Since the development of this overdose rather than from the disease RETIRING: sgt. Mlij. Chaturbhuj N. Gld-
a test for antibodies to HIV in Ig8S, most itself It was supposedly given to prevent wan I, 60, from a zs-year military ca-
doctors assumed an HIV + patient would replicatoion of HIV, and thus prevent pro- reer in the US Army Reserve. An avid C ,onscious Living
necessarily deve lop AIDS. But it has been gression of the disease to full-blown AIDS. supporter of HINDUISM TODAY, Gid-
documented that there are 64 diseases or There were -some HIV + patients who did wani began as a private at the unusual- The Ex panding Lig h t retreat center
health conditions that can make an HIV not succumb to pressures to take AZT; ly advanced age of 3S. Enduring boot offirs a wide variety ofworkshops and retreats
test positive (Continuum Sept/Oct Igg6, many are still alive today and live comfort- camp training with a platoon of in yoga and yoga teacher's training, medita-
compiled by Christine Johnson of HEAL, ably. Unfortunately, because such a result is teenagers, Gidwani quickly found a tion, Ayurveda, alternative healing, chakras
Los Angeles). This list includes such simple contrary to the prevailing medical opinion nitch providing and Kriya Yoga. For a free 24-page guide to
things as flu, flu va~cine , herpes simplex I on AIDS, very little study has been done needed guidance programs, call 800-346-5350.
& II, recent exposure to a viral disease or on these patients. Researchers who sought to the youngsters
viral vaccine, rheumatoid arthritis, tetanus to explore the true impact of AZT have and earned the
Y
vaccipe, organ transplants, alcoholic liver been denied, funding for their work. As a nickname ~oga philosophy, med itation, and "p lain living and h igh thi nking"are t he fo u n d at io n s fo r the Ananda inten-
disease, hemophilia, and receptive anal sex. result, the evidence against AZT and relat- · "grandpa." A tional communities, which are based on the teachings of Param hansa Yogananda (author of Autobiography ofa Yogi).
More serious conditions on the list include ed treatments remains largely anecdotal. refugee from In- . There are seven Ananda communities-in Nevada City, CA (Ananda Village); Assisi, Italy (Ananda Europa); Palo Alto
tuberculosis, malignancy and other virus AZT now is often combined in lower dia's violent Ig47 and Sacramento, CA; Seattle, WA; Portland, OR; and our newest near Brisbane, Australia. T hree of the communities have
infections. There are also many cross-reac- • dosage with the "protease inhibitor type" partition and
tive results in the performance of the HIV drugs to produce a "cocktail." There is less now a staunch schools based on the Education for Life philosophy. Ananda's retreat facility, The Expanding Light, offers programs year-ro und in
test. It is not understood how clinicians death with this cocktail therapy-it seems follower of Military missionary yoga, meditation, alternative healing, and the spiritual lifestyle. T h e Ananda Course in Self-Realization is available for h o me-
could use the criteria of HIV + to confIrm to increase CD4 T-cell counts for awhile- Gandhian phi- study in meditation and yoga. Books and music by Yogananda and Ananda's foun der, Swami Kriyananda, are available from
any condition, since the antibqdies can re- but this improvement is neither consistent losophy, he says, '1 believe my military Crystal Clarity, Pu blishers. We also offer a healing prayer network and support to 70 Ananda m editation gro ups in the U. S.
sillt from any of these diseases. In other nor permanent. The current. slowdown in contributions helped resolve conflicts and abroad. Visit us at http://www.ananda.org
words, the HIV test is not a test fQr AIDS. It progression and fewer deaths giv~s the without bloodshed." His career-long
is not everf specifIc for HIV appearance of statistical positive changes, desire to see a Hindu chaplain in the The Ananda Course in Self-Realizatio n is a Audio Book: Read by Swami Kriyananda, a
As soon as the patient is diagnosed but they are not valid. It seems we are no US armed forces has yet to be realized, comprehensive home-study course with instruc- close, direct discip le w ho lived and studied
HIV +, doctors who believe "HIV equals closer to a "cure" for AIDS when using the but he and others have successfully tion in beginning and advanced meditation, yoga with Paramhansa Yogananda. Th e original
death" insist on prescribing tlie toxic drug, HIV/ AIDS model. To be continued .. . convinced the Department of Defense postures for higher awareness, breathing exercises, 1946 edition of Autobiography of a Yogi
AZT, or another DNA terminator. They do of the need (see "Call for Military
yoga philosophy, diet, nutrition and vegetarian- audio book is $29.95, includes six cassettes
tRis despite the fact there is really no dis- DR. TANDAVAN, 77, retired nuclear physi- Chaplains," March, 'g8). GidwaniSfam-
ease process or disease symptoms present. cian and hospital staff preSident, lives in ism, deepening your spiritualliJe and Kriya Yoga (approx. 10 hours) of selected chapters. To
ily, members of the Vedanta Society of
We must understand that AZT was in Ig84 Chicago, where he specializes in alternative Portland, Oregon, believe that "uphold- preparaton. For a brochure, order or for a free catalog,
used almost universally for the treatment healing arts. Visit his home page at the ing the sacred Vedas in the West will please call 888-535-8160. ~ A call 800-424-1055.
of HIV, to forestall developing the recently HINDUISM TODAYw ebsite. bring unity among all faiths."
II .
Ananda, founded in 1968 by Swami Kriyananda, a direct disciple ofParamhansa Yogananda, is not affiliated with Se/fRealization Fellowship.
46 HI !'I DUI S M T O DAY A P"R IL , 199 8
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~47
A New Incarnation of the Bita's Truths Natar~ Books-5,OOO Titles
.L/"~.L//'~ ~ ~~ ~~ct
priest of Bhakari vil- Christ. Both results reflect the strong non- ala. It is common for women to be priests
lage, has cured 70 religious trend in West European nations. within women's ashrams, and women served
people. Great, but In contrast, 96 percent of Americans be- as priestesses in Vedic times. Other organi-
how~any has he lieve in God or a Divine Spirit. zations, notably the Ai§a Sarnaj, have also
lost? Not a single trained women priests. Women are general-
(ff/W.~~ one, he says. The deadly cobra VINOD PRAKASH'S SON AND BRIDE found a
unique way to support their fathers and
ly complemented as being more attentive to
their devotional duties than their male
Kar unam ayi :,:CI.:,;TY:....-_ _ _ _ _ _...:.DA::.:T.:,:ES:....._ _ _ _ _.:,:CO:.::N:.:,;TA::.:C.:,;T_ _ _ _....-l
1 OVER 75 TRI~STEES AND HEADS of temples grandfather's relief program in India. They counterparts.
Atlanta April 10-12 770-973-2614
Dal l as April 14-16 972-866 - 6622 gathered in Udupi, Kerala, to protest the told their wedding guests to not send pre-
Hou ston April 17-19 713-526-5491 proposed "Hindu Religious and Charitable sents, but to give money to the India Devel- AMONG A LONG STRING OF DIGNITARIES visit-
San Antonio April 20-22 210-434-1738
505-986-3881 Institutions and Endowments Bill, 1997." opment and Relief FUnd's orphanages, ing London's ornate Swaminarayan Temple
Bhagavati Santa Fe
Phoenix
April 24-26
Apri l 27-29 602-502-8888 The bill 'Would bring every Hindu temple woman'( .vocational programs and medical was the president of Uganda, Yoweri
L.A. April 30-May 4 818-955 -7 946 Kaguta Museveni. Personally welcomed by
805-957-4901
and monastery, including the huge institp- services. The fund sends 100 percent of do-
Santa Barbara May 5
San Francisco May 7-9 510-482-8201 tions of Mata Amritanandamayi and of Sree natiOIl.s to India. Contact: IDRF, 5821 Moss- Swarninarayan leader Pr~ukh Swami Ma-
Portland May 10-12 503-297 -2181 Narayana Dharma Sanghom Trust, under rock Drive, North Bethesda, Maryland, haraj, Museveni invited Indians to res~ttle
Sri Sri Sri Seattle
West Coast Retreat
May 13-14
May 15-17
425-391-9582
425-391-9582 tight government control. Institution heads 20852-3238, USA.
, in Uganda, from which they were summari-
Boulder May 19-20 303 -786-7437 would be required to submit their yearly ly ejected by Idi Amin in 1972.
ViJ'ayeswari
Chicago
Ann Arbor
Toronto
Pittsburgh
May 22-24
May 25-26
May 28-30
Junel- 2
708-481-4984
517-522 - 8114
416-598-3331 .. budget for approval by a government body.
Government boards would be set up to as-
sist in the administration of the monaster-
NATIONAL CURRY DAY IS NOVEMBER 10 in the
UK, home to 8,500 Indian restaurants with
annual saleS:of US $4.5 billion. Tops among
THE UK WORLD COUNCIL OF HINDUS proudly
announced that their t«;.xt book, Explaining
Maryland June 3-4 301-977-5666
Philadelphi a June 5-7 610-933-6019 ies, and "to define the powers and duties of several unusual items produced for the day, Hindu Dharma: A Guide for Teachers, has
New J ersey June 8 908-479-1037 the madhai~hipathi (abbot)." ~e proposed . which included a one-ton Jalfrezi, a spicy sold out. The text Wc\s produced by sixteen
Boston Jun e 9-11 617-354-0865
Ea st Coast Retreat June 12-14 914 -941-36 59 bill impacts only Hindu institutions, not cut vegetable dish, was a curry-flavored ale authors over three years and is approved
Devi New York
Frankfurt, Germany
June 15-18
April 5-6
718-898-2841 those of any other faiths. • made by Firkin brewel;)'. There were no re-
ports on consumer reaction. ...
for use in UK schools. Hinduism is now an
option for the "General Certificate of Edu-
London, England June 22-24
NEW YORK HINDUS PARTIED from noon into cation Examination." Thousands of 16-
~er birth, Sri Karunamayi has been revered as an incarnation of the Divine Mother, Sarasvati, the late night during Deepavali celebrations
attended by 150,'000 people on October 5.
WHILE INDIA STRUGGLES with the concept of
a national language- anything other than
year-olds, many of them non-Hindus, se-
lected this option in 1997- dontact: Dr.
Goddess of Knowledge, Music and the Arts. On behalf of humanity, She meditated in a remote forest for New York Mayor Rudolph Guliani attended English-in the European Union, reports Nawal K Prinja, nprinja@aol.com.
ten years. Come. Receive Her guidance in meditation and human values. Experience the fullness of
Karunamayi's unconditional love. For more information, http://www.globeworks.com/karunamayi CLOCKWISE ~ROM TOP: COMMUNICATIONS INTERNATIONAL, THE WEEVVINU ABRAHAM, COREL
APRIL, 1998 HINDUISM TODAY 49
I ,
48 ~~==========================================================~
. 1998 Celebrations at Barsana Dham Ayurveda Workshop wi Dr. R. Svoboda
MINISTER'S MESSAGE between them; and when the children see
this repeatedly, they will also fight. Such a • Holi-March 14
J
Child,ren " +-Ire D.ivirie, It is important to seek the root cause of • Mela/Open House-May 9 Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, USA
problems. Our bodies show many symp- • Janmashtmi-August 15
toms of illness before the onset of disease. • Radha Ashtmi-August 30 This 2-day limited-enrollment workshop is open to medical
These early signs are a blessing because • Rath Yatra-October 3 and health care practitioners, students of Ayurveda and
T~
intelligent, well-behaved and cultured, we have to develop these system tonic and
qualities in ourselves first. In the Bhagavad Gita it is clearly stat- ' . rejuvenating formula ,
ed, "Whatever a great man does, others follow the same." Another for men.
shastra implores, "In houses where women are honored and re-
spected, the Gods dwell there. Where the women are not respect- R.U. VEO INC.
ect-and honored, whatever one dOes is futile .... The husband must 2115 • 112th AVE. NE
see that the wife is happy and the wife must see that the husband BELLEVUE, WA 98004-2946 USA
is happy. When both are making each other happy, there will be SWAMI TEJOMAYANANDA, 48, was deSignated head of Chinmaya
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE
auspiciousness and welfare for all in that house." If this ideal is not Mission in 1993. Based in Mumbai, India, he frequently tours the CALL US AT
held.by both husband and wife, there will only be fighting . globe elaborating on the Upanishads and other Vedantic texts. 1-800-925-1371/425-637-1400
OR SEND A FAX AT 1 -425-451-2670
WE ACCEPT MASTERCARD, VISA, DISCOVER &
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