October 1997

Digital Dharma

UNEARTHLY
Yogi on Mars
Hindus were de-lighted to hear that "Yogi" was the second rock--after "Barnacle Bill"--visited in July by Sojourner, a 22-pound, six-wheeled vehicle landed on Mars by the Pathfinder Mission. A call to Mission Control revealed the large-bottomed rock was named after the 1950s cartoon character "Yogi the Bear," potentially erasing the Hindu connection. Ah, but Yogi Bear was named after baseball player Yogi Berra, famous for his wacky quips such as, "You can observe a lot by watching," and "It ain't over 'til it's over." A childhood friend nicknamed Berra after a movie's Hindu snake charmer. Since snake charmers belong to the Natha lineage, our Mars friend must be a Natha Yogi! Yogi Berra's advice to the Pathfinder's robot? "When you come to a fork in the road,...take it."

EDUTAINMENT
Eternally Encoded
The eternal religion--hinduism by Visonosoft of Chennai, India, is the first CD we have seen focused exclusively on Hinduism. Vivid illustrations and photos, music and 100 Vedic verses accompany mini-lectures under three headings: Inner, Popular and Cultural Hinduism. The CD is at secondary school level, though everyone will delight in the 32 video clips that propel you into Hindu life--e.g., watch a towering crane plunge a huge festival Ganesha icon into the ocean. Hundreds of Sanskrit words are defined and pronounced. This CD is recommended for school religious curriculums. Windows. US$55.00. Contact: Visonosoft, 91-44-457-668, fax: 91-44-855-3586, email: creative.folks@visono.wiprobt.ems.vsnl.net.in

CENSURESHIP
Act Judged Indecent
On june 25, 1997, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Communications Decency Act, concluding it endangers the First Amendment of free speech. The act went beyond its original aim of curbing Internet access of minors to pornography to outlaw forms of legitimate communication between adults, such as the sharing of information on AIDS.

Website-blocking software is only a partial fix. Hindu wisdom suggests parents give children a thorough sex education on the traditional laws of brahmacharya. Lovingly encourage your kids to ask questions, especially in their teen years, and to keep everything in the open with you--no secrets. As a result, they will be proud of purity and likely choose to avoid indecent material.