Tattva

Namaste,

This year, the festival of Raksha Bandhan falls on August 16th.  On this day, Hindus tie rakhis to one another as a promise to protect, spreading the bonds of love and friendship amongst all. This edition of Tattva covers the Raksha Bandhan festival; there is a wide variety of other articles, including one on the essence of Vedic Mathematics and one on the Upanishads.

We encourage all readers to contribute articles for the upcoming editions. Please e-mail your suggestions, articles, and feedback to tattva-editor@hinduyuva.org.

Please visit http://www.hinduyuva.org/tattva-blog/2008/08/ to read the August 2008 edition of Tattva.

Introduction
Only the person who is utterly detached and utterly dedicated, Mahatma Gandhi said, is free to enjoy life. Asked to sum up his life ‘in twenty-five words or less,” he replied, “I can do it in three! And quoted the Isha Upanishad: “Renounce and enjoy.” The person who is compulsively attached to the results of action cannot really enjoy what he does; he gets downcast when things do not work out and clings more desperately when they do.

When Arjun asks “What are the characteristics of those who have gone beyond the gunas” in Verse 21 of the Chapter IV, we expect a list of virtues. Instead Krishna delivers a surprise: Established within themselves, they are equal in pleasure and pain, praise and blame, kindness and unkindness. Clay, a rock, and gold are the same to them. Alike in honour and dishonour, alike to friend and foe, they have given up every selfish pursuit. Such are those who have gone beyond the gunas.  IV 24 & 25 Read the rest of this entry »

The Upanishads present an entirely refreshing manner of discussing supra-human reality.  They affirm that such an entity is a Reality, known as Brahman and that humans are a part of it. The Gods, not merely the Hindu ones, are no more than imaginary cult heads. Evolution, not vested interests, political compulsions or delusions, controls and guides human development. Read the rest of this entry »

Raksha Bandhan is one of the most important festivals that Hindus celebrate. Every year, this festival comes on the full moon day of the month of Shravana. Raksha Bandhan spreads bonds of love, protection and friendship among all people.

In ancient times, when a guru initiated his disciple, he tied a sacred thread around the right wrist of the disciple. The thread was either red or orange in color. This multicolored thread tied around the wrist started the tradition of Raksha Bandhan or the Rakhi, which means, “promise to protect”.  Likewise today, a brahmana may tie thread around the wrist of a householder when renewing the sacred thread. This tradition signified the bond of mutual love and trust between the teacher and pupil. Read the rest of this entry »

What is Vedic Mathematics?
Vedic Mathematics is the name given to the ancient system of Mathematics which was rediscovered from the Vedas between 1911 and 1918 by Sri Bharati Krishna Tirthaji (1884-1960). According to his research all of mathematics is based on 16 Sutras or aphorisms. For example, ‘Vertically and Crosswise` is one of these Sutras. These formulae describe the way the mind naturally works and are therefore a great help in directing the student to the appropriate method of solution.
Swami Bharati Krishna Tirtha’s Vedic mathematics is a system of mathematics consisting of a list of 16 basic sūtras, or aphorisms, that allegedly encompass all mathematics. Read the rest of this entry »