Tattva

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) USA is a volun-tary, non-profit, social and cultural organization . Sangh, as the organization is popularly known, aims to organize the Hindu community in order to preserve, practice and promote Hindu ideals and values. HSS conducts structured programs of regu-lar athletic and academic activities to develop strong character and leadership skills in its members (known as swayamsevaks for men and sevikas for women), emphasizing values such as self-discipline, self-confidence and a spirit of selfless service (seva) for humanity. HSS encourages maintaining Hindu cultural identity in harmony with the larger community. Read the rest of this entry »

When we look at history, we can see various instances of young people having made a difference. In our Puranas, Dhruva and Prahlad were two children who embodied the spirit of selflessness and bhakti (devotion). Maharaja Ranjit Singh ascended the throne at the tender age of 12 and ultimately established one of the greatest kingdoms in history. In the US itself, amongst other things, it was perhaps the youth power in various college campuses that helped in forcing the US government to withdraw from Vietnam in the 1970s.

While this is all well and good, of what relevance is all this today? In what way can a modern Hindu youth relate to these or any other instances that convey the impact that youth have? Do we have a role in preserving Hindu Dharma? Read the rest of this entry »

1.) India is home to some of the world’s most ancient art forms. Indian classical dance forms include: Bharatnatyam from Tamil Nadu, Kathak from Uttar Pradesh, Kathakali from Kerala, Kuchipudi from Andhra Pradesh, Manipuri from Manipur, Mohiniattam from Kerala, and Odissi from Orissa. Read the rest of this entry »

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Sowmya Joisa, originally from Karnataka, was born and raised in Seattle, WA. She studied Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania, and is currently a vistarika, or a full-time volunteer for Samskrita Bharati, a non-profit organization and a sister organization of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh. Her vistarakship started in Los Angeles in September 2007 and will come to a completion this September. Read the rest of this entry »

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The question as to whether or not it is the duty of a Hindu to be vegetarian has long been a source of debate in our society. Some are strong proponents of vegetarianism, while others feel it is okay for Hindus to eat meat. Usually those who promote vegetarianism quote concepts like ahimsa, health bene-fits, and environmental benefits. Those who eat meat give the argument of the right of an individual to choose, or that in the past, kshatriyas and other sects within Hinduism did eat meat. For example, many people in coastal areas of Kerala make a livelihood selling and eating fish. Even during Shri Rama’s vanvaas, there is the story of him eating meat offered by Guha, his childhood friend. So what is the right answer? There seem to be convincing arguments both ways. The truth is that we must establish a paradigm, a way of thinking before approaching this question. The paradigm in Hinduism has always been one of Dharma, of promoting harmony. First we shall establish the tenets of this paradigm, and then apply it to our question regarding vegetarianism. Read the rest of this entry »

Though I was born and brought up in America, I always felt a connection to Bharat (India). People often ask me why I care so much about Bharat, seeing that I live in America and have established my life here. Why do I make an effort to learn about India’s history, culture, and people? Hindus outside India could theoretically live very comfortably without having to maintain any sort of connection at all with Bharat. So why not just reduce the hassle and confusion and bury away the identity crisis forever? Read the rest of this entry »

The year 2008 has been declared by the United Nations as “International Year of Planet Earth.” The official website (http://www.yearofplanetearth.org/) states: “The International Year of Planet Earth aims to capture people’s imagination with the exciting knowledge we possess about our planet, and to see that this knowledge is used to make the Earth a safer, healthier, and wealthier place for our children and grandchildren.” Having an interest in economics and geo-politics, I felt it is an apt time to summarize the current world situation in regards to economy, the lessons we can learn from the economic policies followed in the past, and what possibly lies in store for us in the near future. The United States of America takes a central focus in this article, because of its current economic and political strength and its influence on world politics.

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This summer I was presented with a two-month internship opportunity in Bangalore, India. The internship was facilitated by Sewa International, in cooperation with Hindu Seva Pratishthana (HSP), a local NGO. There were multiple factors that motivated me to set off on this venture. One, in particular, was my strong desire to dedicate a couple of months to social work. For the past couple of years, I had been observing and realizing that we, as humans, have spiritually regressed to become very selfish individuals. We are on a constant and fierce battle with each other to be materialistically superior. And, in the process, we hardly have any time left for fortifying our moral standards. Consequently, reserving time for others would be an impossible task. For this very reason, I decided to embark on this quest and become a volunteer. Apart from that, this internship has given me a chance to explore a part of the world where I had not yet been and submerge myself in a culture that is drastically different from my own. I chose to volunteer in India because the projects that were offered were relevant to my field of study and the structure of the program appealed to me. Moreover, I chose Bangalore because I am a complete stranger to the local vernacular; and adjusting to a new lifestyle topped with linguistic differences would provide me further challenges. Read the rest of this entry »