www.indianewengland.com

WATERTOWN, MASSACHUSSETS, USA, March 24, 2008: More than half of the applicants who wanted to participate in the one-day workshop on India for teachers on March 3 could not be accommodated.

“It was incredible. We could have had twice as many people if we had the space,” said Peter Gilmartin, associate program director with Primary Source, a nonprofit that organized the workshop in cooperation with the South Asia Initiative at Harvard. “We had to turn away more than half the people who called us up as individuals… One teacher could come only because another teacher couldn’t come.”

A total of 37 educators from Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine attended the six-hour workshop, which included presentations on the core values of Hinduism, Islam in India and Mahatma Gandhi.”There is a real demand for programs on India, but there are not enough teachers available yet,” Gilmartin said, explaining the overwhelming interest the workshop received.

Teachers asked about a diverse range of topics with genuine interest. During the workshop, a gap in knowledge about India among the teachers was evident. “I thought Jainism was a combination of Hinduism and Sikhism, is that true?” asked one teacher. “Is reincarnation connected to caste?” said another, and someone else inquired, “I understand there is a very close relationship between Hindus and animals, is that true?”

“This has been the most substantive experience [of learning about] India I’ve had,” a teacher said of the one-day workshop.

www.thedailystar.net

CHAPAINAWABGANJ, BANDGLADESH, March 27, 2008: The ancient Shiva Temple at Bholahat Upazila in Chapai-nawabganj, Bangladesh, stands on the verge of ruination after years and years of neglect.

Locals allege that the temple, built during the Sen era of 1156-1206 AD, is gradually falling apart. Deep cracks have developed on the walls of the 12th century structure while weeds have covered most of its body. Most of the terracotta tiles that once decorated the body of the temple have eroded. Others have been lost over the years. Thieves have stolen bricks, terracotta tiles and other valuable things from the temple situated only 200 yards away from Bholahat police station.

Dr. Majharul Islam Toru, a local historian and associate professor at the Chapainawabganj Govt. College, claims that this Shiva Temple of Bholahat is one of the most beautiful Hindu temples in the northern part of the country.

But today, cow dung cakes cover the lower half of the temple’s walls on the outside. Locals use the temple’s walls to dry these cakes for fuel.

Some complain that the aesthetic value of the temple, not to mention its religious significance, has been seriously damaged by the use of its walls to dry cow dung cakes. They urge the government to take immediate steps for the preservation of the 12th century temple.

news.bbc.co.uk

OKINAWA, JAPAN, March 23, 2008: Attendance at a Buddhist temple in Japan has increased since the temple’s pet, a two-year-old dog, has joined in the daily prayers. Conan, a Chihuahua, sits on his hind legs, raises his paws and puts them together at the tip of his nose. “He may be showing his thanks for treats and walks,” says a priest at Jigenin temple on Okinawa island. Priest Joei Yoshikuni would like Conan to meditate, but “it’s not like we can make him cross his legs”, he says. “Basically, I am just trying to get him to sit still while I meditate,” he told Associated Press news agency. Mr Yoshikuni said it only took Conan a few days to imitate the motions of praying. “I think he saw me doing it all the time and got the idea to do it too,” he said. Jigenin temple now gets 30% more visitors than it did before Conan joined in the prayers, Mr Yoshikuni said.

www.dharmabindu.com

PORTUGAL, March 23, 2008: Miguel Homem writes to HPI: “I created a Yoga and Dharma site for Portugal and Europe. It’s purpose is to promote Sanatana Dharma and Yoga study and practice among students and teachers. The site (URL above) is bilingual, we will accept texts both in Portuguese and in English, and also in Spanish and French. It has three main sections: Teachings, Practice and Nonviolence. The Teaching section includes texts about all yoga teachings: the origins, the different Dharshanas of Sanatana Dharma including Vedanta, Samkhya, Patanjali Yoga, as well as Kashmir Shaivism and Tantra. The practice section includes shat karmas, asanas, bandhas, pranayama, mudra, mantra, meditation, kirtan, puja and other Yoga practices. In this last section we included videos and pictures of intensive breeding and slaughtering of farm animals, as well as tips and articles about vegetarianism. All sorts of non-violence will be included in this section.”

He would appreciate contributors of articles on any of these topics.

www.hinduismtoday.com

A poor devotee points to the sky and says, God is up there. An average devotee says, God dwells in the heart as the Inner Master. The best devotee says, God alone is and everything I perceive is a form of God.
Ramakrishna