January/February/March, 2007

Letters

Thank You from Sandipani

Thank you on behalf of Pujya Bhaishri Rameshbhai Oza for the 2006 Hindu Renaissance Award, Hindu of the Year, conferred on him by your highly esteemed publication Hinduism Today. All the devotees of Pujya Bhaishri are very pleased with this honor and we take this opportunity to thank you for the acknowledgment of the impact Pujya Bhaishri has had in preserving the profundity of the Sanatana Dharma globally. We also thank you for the beautiful article on Pujya Bhaishri and the Sandipani Vidyaniketan ( "A Saintly Minstrel and His Message," Oct/Nov/Dec, 2006).

Trustees of Shri Bharatiya Sanskruti
Samvardhak Trust, Sandipani Vidyaniketan
Mumbai, India
contactus@sandipani.org

Media Bias Against Hinduism

I have written the associated press (AP) in New York to protest the continuous use of the term idol to describe Hindu Deities in its photo captions. The same news service, however, uses the term statue when describing stone images of Jesus Christ. For example, in a release published worldwide on August 24, 2006, the AP photo caption read: "An artist puts finishing touches to a six-foot idol of Hindu God Ganesh made of sandalwood in Bombay, India, yesterday." In a release published on April 10, 2004, however, the AP photo caption states: "A statue of Jesus Christ is seen outside in the metropolitan cathedral in Managua, Nicaragua, on Thursday." The use of the derogatory term idol in reference to Hindu icons suggests that the religion is false and pagan, and is to be viewed as inferior and primitive. AP should immediately issue an apology to Hindus worldwide and desist from its use of biased descriptions of one of the oldest living religions on Earth. I am sure that Christians everywhere would take great offense if Hindus, Muslims and adherents of other faiths describe a statue of Jesus Christ as an idol. Writers should also cease using the term myth to describe real historical events that took place in Hindu India as far back as 6000 bce.

Kumar Mahabir, Ph.D.
San Juan, Trinidad and Tobago
mahab@tstt.net.tt

What Parents Can Do

The article on parenting by vatsala Sperling ("Understanding Your Child's Emotional Life," Oct/Nov/Dec, 2006) is beautiful. As a new mom, I really like to learn about parenting as much as possible, as it helps me to raise my twin babies who are nine months old. In this article, the section "What parents can do " is informative and educative to all parents. Gurudeva's teachings, coupled with such articles, helps parents learn to be kind and firm when raising children. Hinduism Today is doing an excellent job not only in spreading Hinduism worldwide but by providing uplifting articles to its readers.

Sri Mallampalli
Jacksonville, Florida, USA
srimallam@yahoo.com

Capital Punishment

On behalf of Swaminiji and the sadhaka team at Wise Earth School we send you our profound gratitude for the beautiful representation of Swaminiji's responses in your article "Capital Punishment: Time to Abandon It?" (Oct/Nov/Dec, 2006). This article is complete and riveting with manifold points of view from the great gurus, all of whom validate the spirit of ahimsa.

Karvari Ellingson
Asheville, North Carolina, USA
health@wisearth.org

I found the message that Swamini Mayatitananda gives us about incorporating ahimsa into our thoughts, actions and policies regarding capital punishment both steeped in tradition and progressive at the same time. It encompasses so strongly and so compassionately how the spiritual tradition of non-harming must be implemented in our everyday lives as well as in our national and international social, economic and political polices. The article states perfectly that our stance on capital punishment must be linked to and never separate from our love and compassion of our family, community, the environment and, of course, ourselves, and that our individual and collective evolution profoundly relies on this. Let us continue to integrate and teach this message from Swaminiji and send it to our politicians and leaders worldwide.

Nina Molin, MD
Lenox, Massachusetts, USA
ninamolin@ananda-health.com

Trinidad's National Award

I was deeply disappointed in the last issue with particular regard to the brief and incomplete report on the change of Trinidad's highest national award ( "National Award to Change, " Diaspora, Oct/Nov/Dec, 2006). Firstly, the report was very brief and lacked any real portrayal of the struggle of the Hindu community to have this symbol removed and the Christian backlash to have it retained. Secondly, the report totally ignored the important role the nation's largest Hindu group, the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, played in the process of the change. It was essentially the Maha Sabha that led the charge for the change of the Trinity Cross over the years. Thirdly, the article ignored that this was an instance where the often divided Hindu and Muslim communities came together to have the Christian symbol removed with a legal battle.

Devant Maharaj
Arima, Trinidad and Tobago
devant@tstt.net.tt

Voice of Hindus and Hinduism

I wish to congratulate the editorial team of Hinduism Today for filling a void and really being the voice of Hindus and Hinduism around the world. I am a college teacher and researcher in Indian history residing in India and committed to doing my part for the Sanatana Dharma. I read your mission statement outlining the reasons why Hinduism Today was started and its stated objectives, and I must say I agree with each and every word of it. In fact, I have read quite a few issues and am really thrilled each time I hold a new issue in my hand. I think you should put a little more effort into distributing Hinduism Today in India. I think you will agree that as long as Hindus in India are weak, divided and deluded about their real heritage, the real Hindu renaissance cannot come about. While uniting the Hindu diaspora is indeed important, you cannot ignore the Hindus in India which is still the real pranakendra (center of life) of Hinduism in spite of everything.

Rabi Ranjan Sen
Burdwan, West Bengal, India
ranjan740@yahoo.co.in

Modernity in Hindu Temples

I am not a very religious person, but I do enjoy visiting temples. Deities bedecked in colorful flowers and the fragrant smell of incense and illumination of oil lamps puts me in a spiritual mood, and I feel fortunate to be born a Hindu. During my visit to India this summer, I had the opportunity to visit numerous temples in Bangalore. I was astonished many times to find out how the temples have embraced modernity. While some were pleasant, others were pretty disturbing to me. Years ago, I vividly remember that the prasadam was placed on our palm to savor. I always ate the prasadam, as it is considered God's grace. I ate the prasadam no matter how dirty my hands were, as not many temples had access to clean water. During my recent visit, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that many temples give prasadam to devotees in small plastic containers--a clean and efficient way. Years ago, only quaint oil lamps illuminated the area around the Deities; the vicinity around the Deity was brimming with nativity and serenity. Nowadays, artificial electric lamps illumine the Deities along with a couple of charming oil lamps. I wonder why the temples have resorted to this artificial lighting; the realm of serenity seems to be lost. I just hope that temples welcome modern amenities only when it is absolutely necessary. Since the space around the Deities has a profound impact on the devotees, I strongly feel only natural elements should be used as much as possible.

Kumudha Venkatesan
Canton, Michigan, USA
kumudha_1998@yahoo.com

The Problem of Conversion

Another tragedy in India: flooding, displacing and hurting millions of people. "Perfect, " the Christian missionary vultures are saying. "Just what we want. Offer help only if they convert." I fear that Christian missionaries are going to take advantage of a sad situation. Like vultures showing up when they see the dead and dying, the Christian missionaries show up not to help, but to take advantage of a tragedy. I have heard stories of these vultures withholding help from helpless people crying out, unless they converted. During the recent tsunami tragedy, while Hindus and Buddhists went around helping everyone in need, many Christians only helped those who converted. How sick can someone be who prays for a tragedy to occur so that they can exploit the needy?

Jayanti Patel
Chicago, Illinois, USA
yantipal@yahoo.com

Hindu Prejudice

I fear Hindus are among the most prejudiced people in the world. The Hindu migrants that come out of India seem to have an attitude that they are superior. They show a contempt for Indians who have intermarried with other Indians who are not of their own community, Indians who are born and brought up overseas and keep their distance from Indians who are "low caste." Instead of trying to become a cohesive group, they cast aspersions as well as only mingle within their community. They look down on high caste Hindus who have low caste daughters- or sons-in-law. They feel uncomfortable because Indians who were brought up overseas mingle better with people of other races and have children who are quite successful at school or work. Even in the temples, there is a great social divide among Hindus. They don't like the way other Hindus conduct their prayers because it is not the way they do it in their community! My friends and I are looked down upon, as we have been brought up overseas and do not seem to have the "normal " attitudes that the "highly educated " high caste Hindus have.

Ambika N-Drew
Perth, Australia
ambi@iinet.net.au

Correction

The interviews for the section "Saints' Voices" in "Capital Punishment: Time to Abandon It?" and the interview of Swami Nishchalananda Saraswati, Shankaracharya of Puri, that sourced his Minister's Message, "Not for Our Time" (Oct/Nov/Dec, 2006), were conducted by Rajiv Malik, New Delhi.