Source PUTTAPARTHI, INDIA, April 26, 2011 (Times of India): An ocean of humanity with streams of devotees flowed from all directions on Tuesday, as hectic preparations were on for the mahasamadhi of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Number 9 was Sathya Sai Baba’s favorite and lucky number. When the clock strikes 9 in the morning, the final rituals will start and…
Source [HPI note: Although Sai Baba was born to Hindu parents, raised in a Hindu community, took a Hindu name, wore the saffron-colored vestments of a Hindu sannyasin, will be honored by Hindu funeral rites; though he quoted from Hindu scriptures and directed an overwhelmingly Hindu following to sing traditional Hindu devotional songs, even so, he did not profess to…
Source According to karma yoga, the action one has done cannot be destroyed until it has borne its fruit; no power in nature can stop it from yielding its results. If I do an evil action, I must suffer for it; there is no power in this universe to stop it or stay it. Similarly, if I do a good…
Source RISHIKESH, INDIA, April 2, 1011 (by Sonal Srivastavaon): Western medicine is very effective for trauma care and in dealing with life-threatening conditions. But it is of little help when it comes to educating people on how to live healthy so that they can avoid diseases. For many decades, people were terrified of cholesterol so they ended up consuming lots…
Religion News Service WASHINGTON, U.S., April 2011 (Religion News Service): A New York minister will soon fill the Obama administration’s long-vacant position to oversee international religious freedom after the Senate voted to confirm the Rev. Suzan Johnson Cook for the post. Thursday’s (April 14) voice vote positions Cook to become the first female and the first African-American in the post.…
Source Youth are blamed for being careless and useless, but in reality I feel that they are cared for less and are used less, and as a result the costliest resources of the society are getting wasted. — Brahmachari Atma Chaitanya of Chinmaya Mission, Kerala
Source VARANASI, INDIA, April 17, 2011 (The Times of India): A giant modak (ladoo) weighing 2,450 lbs. will be a special attraction on Hanuman Jayanti that will be celebrated at Sankat Mochan Temple in the city on Monday. Unveiling the giant-sized ladoo for the devotees on Sunday, the founder of Dhwaja Yatra (flag procession) that marks the celebrations in the…
Source SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, March 2011: On 19 March, the Sydney Sanskrit School under the auspices of the School of Vedic Sciences (Aust) Inc, launched their bimonthly magazine Dhimahi. The newsletter published once every two months is aimed at sharing the knowledge of vast Vedic sciences and discussing its relevance in this modern day world. It will also highlight the activities…
Source NEW YORK, April 20, 2011 (NY Times): It was just after dawn last Sunday when a pair of pilgrims lighted incense on the shore and dropped two coconuts into the sacred waters, otherwise known as Jamaica Bay. As the Hindu population has grown in Queens over the last decade, so too has the amount of ritual debris — clothing,…
Source TORONTO, CANADA, April 13, 2011 (South Asian Focus): An Udupi matha (temple) has opened in Toronto’s east end. The Sri Krishna Brundavana has come up at a spacious facility sprawling across more than 20,000 square feet in Scarborough. The matha was formally inaugurated on the occasion of Ugadi (New Year’s Day for India’s Kannada and Telugu speaking communities), on…