July/August/September 2008 Edition
Available Online
The July/August/September 2008 edition of Hinduism Today Magazine has been released in PDF and is now available for free on your computer here.
Enjoy the new “View Multimedia” option, an easy way to navigate though audio, videos and slide shows from all issues of the Digital Edition. In this issue, we feature a video from sacred ceremonies at Tiruvannamalai, India, rarely seen by anyone.
Watch the video for highlights from this issue:
Preview of Contents:
- Our fully-illustrated 16-page Educational Insight take you on a journey into the life and teachings of one of India’s greatest masters, Sri Madhvacharya. His tale is full of philosophical growth, amazing encounters during his youth, magical happenings and deep interpretations of the ancient Dharma. If you ever wanted to understand the pure dual path, and compare it with Sankaran advaita, this is the resource for you.
- So, Which of the Gods is greater, Siva or Vishnu? You’ve heard the arguments. You’ve endured the fables and the foibles of those who argue one side or another. Our publisher, Bodhinatha, gives an unbeatable clear answer.
- When an Indian swami crossed the ocean to visit devotees in the West, he was deeply criticized and certain of his worship rights were curtailed. Follow the adventures of Sri Sugunendra Tirtha Swami and in the bargain explore the history of the amazing monasteries and temples in Udupi.
- In Karnataka one of the foremost swamis of India opens a magnificent temple for Lord Siva. The Kalabhairava Temple is the work of Sri Balagangadharanathaswami, who happens to also be Hinduism Today’s “Hindu of the Year.” Find out why.
- Henry David Thoreau, an American sage? See why we think so.
- Follow a group of modern youth on pilgrimage, see what makes them choose a spiritual path when all of their peers are following something quite different.
- And much more…. stories of social service with a twist, a photographer who can’t shoot enough of Lord Ganesha, warnings about inter-religious marriage, and a look at the dubious wisdom of drugging our children.
Instructions: If you have previously subscribed to the digital edition, you can simply launch the application Hinduism Today Digital you have on your computer and download the latest issue PDF’s. If you have not yet subscribed to the digital edition (note: this a different subscription than the print edition) go to: http://www.hinduismtoday.com/digital/ . Remember, it’s free.
For who still prefer a traditional, in-your-hands magazine that you can take anywhere and read at leisure away from computers, our gorgeous print edition is available worldwide.
Publisher's Editorial Audio Podcast
Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami reads his editorial from each issue as a podcast. Subscribe to it for free via the iTunes Music Store_ and have it automatically downloaded to your computer and/or iPod each quarter download iTunes for Mac or Windows_ if you don't already have it). If you prefer a different RSS reader, subscribe to our podcast here.
Hot News:
Hinduism Today Receives a Portion
of the McDonalds' US$10 Million Settlement
HINDUISM TODAY is an award winning, Macintosh-generated, full color quarterly news magazine articulating Indian spirituality for 135,000 readers around the world. It was founded January 5, 1979, by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami for the following purposes:
- To foster Hindu solidarity as a "unity in diversity" among all sects and lineages;
- To inform and inspire Hindus worldwide and people interested in Hinduism;
- To dispel myths, illusions and misinformation about Hinduism;
- To protect, preserve and promote the sacred Vedas and the Hindu religion, especially the Nandinatha Sampradaya;
- To nurture a truly spiritual Hindu renaissance.
- To publish a resource for Hindu leaders and educators who promote Sanatana Dharma.
For the whole story, see "Who, What, When and Why Hinduism Today."
FREE OMs, Visit the Original Hinduism Today Aum Page! 
Sacred Aums are now on the web, free for all to enjoy and use: As many of you know, the monks at Kauai Aadheenam in Hawaii have been collecting Aums (also spelled Oms) for many decades. We found these sacred symbols on walls in India and T-shirts in Colombo, in wrought iron gate designs on temples and painted in the sand with colorful grains. Plus the intrepid Hinduism Today designers made our own over the years, and scores came in through e-mail from every corner of the globe. We even made a CD with high-resolution versions. Today marks the first day in history when these aum designs and illustrations, signs and digital creations are ALL on the web, free and abundant, our gift to you all. Bookmark this page, so anytime you need an idea, or a web button you can grab one of these remarkable creatures.
Click here to go to our NEW AUM COLLECTION page.
HPI ARCHIVES
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August 28, 2008
1. "Daily Pioneer" Newspaper Reports Three Christians Arrested in Swami's Murder
ORISSA, INDIA, August 25, 2008: The police have arrested Pradesh Kumar Das, an employee of the World Vision, a Christian Charity, from Khadagpur while escaping from the district at Buguda. In another drive, two other persons Vikram Digal and William Digal have been arrested from the house of Lal Digal, a local militant Christian, from Nuasahi at Gunjibadi, Nuagaan. They have admitted to having joined a group of 28 other assailants.
2. Indian Anthropological Study of a Danish Village Available On-Line
AUGUST 28, 2008: The fascinating book, "Danes Are Like That!," is available for free at the URL above. This 106 page study is by an Indian anthropologist, G. Prakash Reddy, who spent time living with the people of Hvilsager village in Denmark. His objective was to study the Danes therein just as Western anthropologists studied the villagers of India and make suitable pronouncements upon their life. The extremely readable and frequently humorous table-turning report was an instant hit among Danes themselves. Here are a couple of excerpts. For the full text, go to the URL above. Other interesting books are available for free download at the same site, including "Indian Science and Technology in the Eighteenth Century."
"During the day the child is doted upon by its parents and visiting grandparents, sisters, brothers and aunts, it is hugged and kissed. But by nightfall, this doting is abruptly comes to an end when the child is fed and put to bed in a separate room and the door closed. Now it is time for the Danish husband and wife to enjoy privacy and television. If the child weeps, the parents rarely open the door and comfort it. Many parents say that the child learns very quickly that it gains nothing by weeping. Perhaps this daily attachment and detachment process makes it easy for both the parents and the children when the time for the final departure of the latter comes at eighteen.
"If both parents work, a common occurrence in present day Danish society, they find little time to attend to the emotional needs of the child. When the child returns from school or from play there will be no one at home to receive it to give it a bath or food. The child is left to fend for itself. Parents, however, do not do this willfully; but they have no way of attending to these tasks, they have no time.
"Before a youngster settles down with a partner, he usually passes through a number of dates. After deciding to live together by setting up a household it is very rare for the boy and girl to go through a formal marriage immediately, either in church or at the municipality. Usually a young couple opt for formal marriage after the birth of one or two children. The boy and girl living together without formal marriage do not call themselves "husband" and "wife" despite societal acceptance of such unions which are in fact very common today. Instead, talking to a third person, they refer to themselves as "boy friend" and "girl friend". If any one asks such a youth: "Are you married?" invariably the answer if it is a boy is: "No, I am living with my girl friend", and if it is a girl: "No, I live with my boy friend". This state of calling themselves boy friend and girl friend in many cases continues even after the birth of children. However, after a few years of living together, and as their children grow up, they call themselves husband and wife. It seems that for the young couple living together without a formal marriage ceremony, a period of incubation is required before they call themselves husband and wife. But young married couples present themselves as husband and wife, even if they have no children."
3. Global Hindu Population Counter
USA, August 28, 2008: An HPI reader sent the link above with a counter displaying the number of Hindus on Earth, updated continuously using Hinduism's current growth rates. The website was created by the Hindu Youth Network, a very active Toronto-base group of young Hindus. As of the writing of this news summary we are 1 billion 36 million 42 thousand and 60 people strong -- and counting!
4. Daily Inspiration
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