March in March...!

In a society, there are flows, because there are flows in the individuals of the society. And in an individual, there are flows, because the society is like this!
When the individuals stand up for the human values, the human values in the whole of society are raised up.

For corruption or terrorism to exist, it spreads its wings and roots to diverse parts of society. When these are cut down, there is no base for it to exist.

Here begins an event for a social reform through individual action:- March in March:-
The March Against Terrorism Against Corruption.

Delhi, 1March, 2-5 PM, Parliament Street, Delhi.

Saint Kabir's songs

Bhawana, Danke Schon for the link ! Verses translated freely by me.

Jaise Til Mein Tel Hai, Jyon Chakmak Mein Aag
Tera Sayeen Tujh Mein Hai, Tu Jaag Sake To Jaag

Like there is oil in the seeds, and fire in the matchstick,
your Lord is within you, you wake up if you can !

Bada Hua To Kya Hua, Jaise Ped Khajoor
Panthi Ko Chaya Nahin, Phal Laage Atidoor

What use is the greatness, if it is like a Date Tree?
It doesn't give shadow to a traveller, and its fruits are out of reach.

Guru Dhobi Sikh Kapda, Saboo Sirjan Har
Surti Sila Pur Dhoiye, Nikse Jyoti Apaar

Guru is the washerman, the devotee is the cloth, the soap is the name of the Lord.
Get washed well, then your inner light will shine!

Pehle Agan Birha Ki, Pachhe Prem Ki Pyas
Kahe Kabir Tub Janiye, Naam Milan Ki Aaas

{When There is } First the longing for the beloved, Then the Thirst for attaining love
Then only you are eligible for the Mantra {from a Guru} , Says Kabir.

Kabir Maala Kaath Kee, Kahi Samjhave Tohi
Man Na Firave Aapna, Kaha Firave Mohi

Kabir, what does the Maala (Chain) used for chanting Mantra tell you?
If you aren't turning the mind (from outward desires to the inward Lordship), Then what's the point of turning me(The Chain)!

Kabira Teri Jhompri Gal Katiyan Ke Paas
Jo Karenge So Bharenge Tu Kyon Bhayo Udaas

(Disappointed by killings of animals), Kabir (says to himself) your hut is near the butcher's place.
Those who do these acts will pay for it themselves. Why are you getting remorse. (Not Being Wrong against things that are wrong...)

Geopolitics and Samskrit Phobia

Jul 5 2005 | Views 32933 | Comments (1222)

For detailed article, visit this page.

Geopolitics and Samskrit Phobia - Rajiv Malhotra.

This paper discusses the historical and contemporary relationship between geopolitics and Sanskrit, and consists of the following sections:

I. Sanskrit is more than a language. Like all languages, its structures and categories contain a built-in framework for representing specific worldviews. Sanskriti is the name of the culture and civilization that embodies this framework. One may say that Sanskriti is the term for what has recently become known as Indic Civilization, a civilization that goes well beyond the borders of modern India to encompass South Asia and much of Southeast Asia. At one time, it included much of Asia.

II. Interactions among different regions of Asia helped to develop and exchange this pan-Asian Sanskriti. Numerous examples involving India, Southeast Asia and China are given.

III. Sanskrit started to decline after the West Asian invasions of the Indian subcontinent. This had a devastating impact on Sanskriti, as many world-famous centers of learning were destroyed, and no single major university was built for many centuries by the conquerors.

IV. Besides Asia, Sanskrit and Sanskriti influenced Europe's modernity, and Sanskrit Studies became a large-scale formal activity in most European universities. These influences shaped many intellectual disciplines that are (falsely) classified as “Western”. But the “discovery” of Sanskrit by Europe also had the negative influence of fueling European racism since the 19th century.

V. Meanwhile, in colonial India, the education system was de-Sanskritized and replaced by an English based education. This served to train clerks and low level employees to administer the Empire, and to start the process of self-denigration among Indians, a trend that continues today. Many prominent Indians achieved fame and success as middlemen serving the Empire, and Gandhi's famous 1908 monograph, “Hind Swaraj,” discusses this phenomenon.

VI. After India's independence, there was a broad based Nehruvian love affair with Sanskrit as an important nation-building vehicle. However, successive generations of Indian intellectuals have replaced this with what this paper terms “Sanskrit Phobia,” i.e. a body of beliefs now widely disseminated according to which Sanskrit and Sanskriti are blamed for all sorts of social, economic and political problems facing India's underprivileged classes. This section illustrates such phobia among prominent Western Indologists and among trendy Indians involved in South Asian Studies who learn about Sanskrit and Sanskriti according to Western frameworks and biases.

VII. The clash of civilizations among the West, China and Islam is used as a lens to discuss the future of Sanskriti across South and Southeast Asia.

VIII. Some concrete suggestions are made for further consideration to revitalize Sanskrit as a living language that has potential for future knowledge development and empowerment of humanity.

Not India's first woman saint

I found this article thought provoking and informative. Francois Gautier, a renowned journalist, tells about responsible journalism. A simple search in Google can show that Indian reporters have simply copied the story from the foreign journalists. Do foreign journalists have a right to talk about Indian History? And do the Indian Reporters have primary education in Indian History?
Taken from:
http://francoisgautier.wordpress.com/2008/10/17/not-india’s-first-woman-saint/

Not India’s first woman saint

Posted by speekout under Hinduism, India, francois gautier, media, missionaries, terrorism | Tags: akkamahadevi, andal, aryans, Auroville, babri masjid, bajrang dal, canonising, dalits, HINDUS, indian mujahideen, journalism, maithreyi, muslims, Narendra modi, saint, saint alphonsa, sangh parivar, Sri Sri Center for media Studies, SSCMS, tamil, terrorism, tribals, vatican |

Francois Gautier, Pioneer

Indian media went into a tizzy while covering the canonisation of Sister Alphonsa, an obscure nun, to prove its secular credentials! Indian journalists forget that this country has had other women saints too.

As a Frenchman, I was coached right from childhood that logic, what we in France call cartesianism, is the greatest gift given to man and that one should use one’s reason to tread in life. Thus, I taught to my students in a Bangalore school of journalism, the SSCMS, that the first tool of a good reporter is to go by his or her own judgement on the ground, with the help of one’s first-hand experience — and not go by second hand information: What your parents thought, what you have read in the newspapers, what your caste, religion, culture pushes you into…

Yet in India, logic does not seem to apply to most of the media, especially when it is anything related to Hindus and Hinduism. One cannot, for instance, equate Muslim terrorists who blow up innocent civilians in market places all over India to angry ordinary Hindus who attack churches without killing anybody. We know that most of these communal incidents often involve persons of the same caste — Dalits and tribals — some of them converted to Christianity and some not.

However reprehensible was the destruction of the Babri Masjid, no Muslim was killed in the process. Compare that with the ‘vengeance’ bombings of 1993 in Mumbai, which killed hundreds of innocent people, mostly Hindus. Yet Indian and Western journalists keep equating the two, or even showing the Babri Masjid destruction as the most horrible act of the two.

How can you compare the Sangh Parivar with the Indian Mujahideen, a deadly terrorist organisation? How can you label Mr Narendra Modi a mass killer when actually it was ordinary middle class, or even Dalit Hindus, who went out into the streets in fury when 56 innocent people, many of them women and children, were burnt in a train?

How can you lobby for the lifting of the ban on SIMI, an organisation which is suspected of having planted bombs in many Indian cities, killing hundreds of innocent people, while advocating a ban on the Bajrang Dal, which attacked some churches after an 84-year-old swami and his followers were brutally murdered?

There is no logic in journalism in this country when it applies itself to minorities. Christians are supposedly only two per cent of the population in India, but look how last Sunday many major television channels showed live the canonisation ceremony of Sister Alphonsa, an obscure nun from Kerala and see how Union Minister Oscar Fernandes led an entire Indian delegation to the Vatican along with the Indian Ambassador. It would be impossible in England, for instance, which may have a two per cent Hindu minority, to have live coverage of a major Hindu ceremony, like the anointment of a new Shankaracharya. What were the 24×7 news channels, which seem to have deliberately chosen to highlight this non-event, trying to prove? That they are secular? Is this secularism?

The headline of the story “India gets its first woman saint”, run by many newspapers, both Indian and Western, is very misleading.

For India has never been short of saints.

The woman sage from over 3,000 years ago, Maithreyi, Andal, the Tamil saint from early in the first Millennium CE and Akkamahadevi, the 15th century saint from modern-day Karnataka, are but a few examples of women saints in India.

What many publications failed to mention in the story is that this is the first woman Christian saint — not the first Indian woman saint.

This statement is ok, when it comes, for instance, from the BBC, which always looks at India through the Christian prism (BBC ran a few months back an untrue and slanderous documentary on Auroville), but when it comes to the Indian media, it only shows the grave lack of grounding in Indian culture and history of most Indian journalists.

As a result, they suffer from an inferiority complex.

This inferiority complex, as expressed by television’s live coverage of the canonisation of Sister Alphonsa, is a legacy of the British, who strove to show themselves as superior and Indian culture as inferior (and inheritor of the ‘White Aryans’, a totally false theory).

Is it not time to institute schools of journalism, both private and public, where not only logic will be taught, but where students shall be made aware of Indian history and of the greatness of Indian culture, so that when they go out to report, they will use their own judgement and become Indian journalists, with a little bit of feeling, pride and love for their own country?

We are in denial :- Sri Sri

We are in denial :- Sri Sri Ravishankar
Negating identity causes inaction, sloth and lethargy ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you come across a Communist, with a Hindu name, and ask him about his identity, he will deny being a Hindu. Yet, a Muslim Communist often claims his identity without hesitation. One wonders what causes this difference in attitude.

It is interesting to probe into the psyche of identity, which often is a source of security, insecurity, conflict and comfort. Perhaps the following reasons would answer the identity crises of the Hindus. The broadmindedness of Hinduism, its inherent inclusiveness and secularism, makes Hindus feel guilty about claiming their identity, as it is embedded in their philosophy that it is wrong to exclude others. Claiming a religious identity makes them feel they are excluding others and so they shy away from doing so.

Hindus have been traditionally groomed by the Vedanta to drop all identities. This has deeply influenced the Hindu psyche. Hindu philosophy is woven around egolessness. Let alone their religion, some sadhus don’t even say their name; they would say, “What’s in a name?” Sanyasis are even shy to talk about their parentage. A renowned ascetic in Rishikesh would meet with everybody, but not his own mother and family. When asked, he would say, “I am Vedanti; once I have taken sanyasa, I have dropped all my identities.”

This is an erroneous understanding of Vedanta. Why do we fear the identity so much? Seeing identity as stumbling blocks for one’s growth is ignorance. Sanyasa is transcending identity; it is being in that centredness from where you have equal love and compassion for all. It is the unshakable light and richness that one has found in one’s Being which is universal. Transcending identity is different from denying identity. When religious leaders themselves denounce their identity, the community follows suit. This is akin to the thought that secularism is anti-religion.

Caste identity is in some places much stronger than religious identity. The normal tendency is to go for one single identity than for a dual one. So, between caste and religion, many Hindus seem to go for caste. Hindus feel ashamed of the ills of Hinduism — its superstition, untouchability, and practices like sati are usually highlighted in the media, rather than its unparalleled philosophy and scientific temperament. Thus, for several centuries Hindu bashing has been a fashion.

The media seems to have given the prerogative of Hindu identity to the RSS and VHP and secular-minded Hindus would not like to associate with these two organisations. As a result they shy away from their own identity.

Within India itself, we witness a great deal of ignorance about the Hindu religion and its scriptures. Although Hindus form 80 per cent population of India, there is still only one university which teaches Hinduism — whereas there are five which teach Islam, five which teach Christianity, two which teach Sikhism and one that teaches Jainism. You would find every Muslim would know a couple of verses from the Quran; you can hardly find a Christian who has not read the Bible.

But Hindus who know Sanskrit or a few shlokas are rare. Most educated Hindus know the Bible; they know Christmas carols. When they know nothing about their religion, how can they take pride in it?

There are 1.25 billion Hindus in the world, a little over one-sixth of the world’s population, but you hardly find a single Hindu lobby at international forums. You will find a Christian lobby, a Muslim lobby or a Jewish lobby, but you can’t find a Hindu lobby. Just 12 million Jews in the world are such a powerful voice. Buddhists also have a voice and make their presence felt at world forums.

In countries of south and central America and in Europe, although they are secular democracies, they are not shy to proclaim their allegiance to Christianity. You will find the religious symbol of the Cross placed in their parliaments; chaplains offer prayer before every official dinner. While associations like YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) have gained wide acceptance. Why then is it that Hindu associations are viewed with scepticism?

A strong community is an asset to any nation. A weak community will always be in fear and because of insecurity will become aggressive. It is the pride in one’s identity which strengthens the community. Identity is in no way contradictory to universality.

People often ask, “Will not the concept of global family, Vasudhaiva Kutambakam, contradict patriotism? Similarly, will your religious identity not conflict with your universality?’’ The answer is “No”. Your duty as a family man is not a hindrance for your realisation that you are Brahman. You don’t need to run away to the forest to realise “All this is Brahman”. Your being spiritual in no way contradicts your being a socially responsible citizen. In fact, it enhances your ability to care and share.

The conflict in the world is because people are either stuck in their identity, and die for it, or shy away from their identity and lose their roots. One has to opt for a middle path. The ideal situation will be when every religion transcends its identity. Until that time, it is unwise for the Hindus to let go of their identity. We cannot, and should not, eliminate differences on this planet. We need to celebrate the differences. And this is the uniqueness of Bharat — from the atheism of Charvaka to Bhakthi Panth and Sufism, it’s one beautiful bouquet.

An identity is related to an action. Denial of identity will dump you in inaction, sloth and lethargy and hence Krishna reminds Arjuna of his Kshatriya identity even while giving “Brahma gyan” to remind him of his duties and responsibilities. Otherwise while giving this High knowledge of the Self, why would Krishna remind him again and again of his limited identity. The limited identity in no way contradicts the universal one. A policeman cannot perform his duties — steer the traffic — if he fails to acknowledge his identity. Similarly, if a businessman shies away from his identity, he cannot function. The same is the story of Hindu identity. India cannot make a distinct mark on the world if it ignores its religious and spiritual heritage.

~~~~~~~~~~~

This Article is written by His Holiness Sri Sri Ravishankar in The Indian Express, on 27 Nov 2004.

Shiva Temple on old Airport road - II

The visit to the Shiva temple got me interested in the 12 Jyotirlinga Temples of Shiva in India.

I found ample interesting stories and information on net. http://www.vedarahasya.net/jyotir.htm describes the geographical location and brief history very well. Notice that the Varanasi Temple was brought down by Mughals and re-built by Jhansi ki Rani Ahilyabai Holkar. If Mughals could have their wish, they would have destroyed all of India's temples. Rani also re-built the Grishneshwar temple in Aurangabad. Thanks to her, Shivaji, Sikh Gurus and such brave leaders, India can still cherish her temples, which otherwise would have been brought down to mud by Mughals.

These temples are full of great pieces of architecture, and each one has its own speciality. Full details of all these 12 temples is beyond the purview of this article, and the reader is invited to visit the allied pages:- or go on a yatra to discover their glory on your own!

More about Shiva Lingam and representation of Shiva coming up soon...!

Shiva Temple on old Airport road - I

We were passing by the Kemp Fort area on old Airport road, and came across this small cave-like entrance for a temple inside. I was curious, as I had no clue of a temple in that part, so we went in. I was getting surprise after surprise as I saw the Huge idols of Ganesha and Shiva! It had 12 Jyotirlingas showcased in another cave-like exhibition. An absolute treat to see and feel. I even made a wish in the wish-pond! There was such a poise and serenity in the sculptures.

Many of my friends complained saying this temple has become commercial and so on, as there are some token charges for different sections, footwear, and so on. I would say, why not charge? If you go to a hotel, you don't get a tea for free. Why do you expect temples to be free of cost? Ever thought about maintenance of temple premises, the logistics involved. What about the families of Pujari s? You might say, ohh but don't we donate... How much? Few coins? How many of us set aside a percentage of salary to maintenance and development of temples, our places of worship?
Even from the donation earnings of temples, the Government has decided to take its take. More than 50,000 temples in South India alone have stopped functioning due to shortage of funds for maintenance. Pujaris have less interest to teach their children about traditional rituals.
In West, they preach that if you don't donate to Church, you will go to hell! Obviously then people donate. Here we don't do such eccentric thing, but then how will temples get funds?
You can visit the Shiva Mandir Website
They use the funds generated to run a hospital and such services, which you can see at Humanitarian Network website.

One more thing... Don't think that the white ball like objects in the photo are some camera errors...!! They are angels! If they were camera errors, they would be repetitive. :)