Tattva

“God is dead. We have killed him.”

-Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra

From 9th grade through my freshman year at New York University (NYU), I lived the typical Indian teenager’s life. It revolved around four things: good grades, competitive debate, tennis, and my friends. Sure, I celebrated all the major Hindu festivals, including Durga Puja, Saraswati Puja, Diwali, Holi, etc. but I knew very little about my religion and made little time to learn. My religion was important only on holidays and celebrations. It meant that I got nice clothes, performed dances and plays during the pujas, and hung out with my friends. This was fine while I was at home in Houston.

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Alexander, Ashoka and Akbar are the three celebrities enjoying the title of ‘the great’ for right, wrong or no reasons. While the first one was a cruel invader and the second one a clear native, the third one was a hybrid. (He tried to be more of a native but belonged to lineage of invaders.) All three have made contributions to history that have impacted the lives of ordinary Indians and continue to produce social aftershocks even today. But it is definitely warranted to search for more “greats,” and even the greatest, from our history. I find no better candidate than Bhakta Prahlad to be appointed as the greatest. Read the rest of this entry »

Recently, most of the world has been mesmerized by the movie Slumdog Millionaire. Originally intended for direct release on DVD, the Danny Boyle-directed depiction of poverty in India’s largest metropolis, Mumbai, received favorable responses at both the Telluride and the Toronto International Film Festivals, which led to the movie being released onto the big screen. The film, loosely adapted from Vikas Swarup’s novel, Q and A, has received both commercial and critical success, especially in the Western world, where it has won eight Academy Awards and seven British Association Film Awards. As of March 24, 2009, the film has grossed $290,526,218 altogether.   Read the rest of this entry »

Though Rakshabandhan has already passed us in 2008 and is yet to come upon us in 2009, I feel that the sentiment it embodies should be appreciated eternally, and that the value it instills should be practiced every day. For that purpose, I will convey my relationship with this festival. So what does Rakshabandhan mean? It means funny-colored bracelets for us guys and smiles, pictures, hugs for the girls; a couple of moments of perhaps awkward ritual, bearing feelings uniquely and almost exclusively shared by our youth generation. Apart from all of that, though, there’s a palpable ambience that spreads within the family and between the siblings that we also share. Those who have participated in this festival understand the very unique relationship it celebrates. Read the rest of this entry »

Every sage-teacher, like a writer, has his own style and certain favorite expressions. Besides choosing a poetic medium, Yogeshwar Krishn has also repeatedly employed and stressed terms such as yog, action (karm), yagya, varn, varnsankar, war, sphere (kshetr), and knowledge or discrimination (gyan) in the Geeta. These words are invested with unique meanings in the context and are certainly not divested of charm by frequent repetition. The term “Yog” has been excellently clarified in different chapters of Bhagwad Geeta with metaphysical interpretations, but in today’s concept, its initial potential is getting lost due to various misinterpretations. Yog is totally a metaphysical term and any exposition other than within the limits of metaphysics, as is often seen today, is mere ignorance and baseless. Let us discuss about the real concepts of Yog as preached in Bhagwad Geeta.

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Definition

The origin of the Sanskrit word “Vedanta” is Veda + anta. Veda means intuitive knowledge or wisdom. The root verb “vid” means to know. Anta means end, conclusion, essence or a goal. So, Vedanta means the final conclusion as well as the goal of Vedas. There are four Vedas, Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda, which are the timeless collections of inspired thoughts and intuitive wisdom. Vedantic wisdom, philosophy and practice are based on three major sources of inspired writings namely, Upanishads, Bhagvad-Gita, and Brahma-Sutra. These three together are known as the foundations of ancient wisdom, Prasthana-trayee.

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That Thou ‘Art’

“That” of the Upanishadic teaching “That Thou Art” was explained by Swami Chinmayananda as the Supreme Reality from which all names and forms have emerged. and “Thou” by Maharishi Ramana as non-personal and all-inclusive awareness. The “art” of the teaching flows smoothly from the main advice of Swami Sivananda which can be reduced to twenty points. And this advice anyone can follow. Read the rest of this entry »

Come enjoy the beginning of spring with Hindu YUVA at our Youth Retreat! It’s one full day of activities that include games, a treasure hunt, discussions, a guest speaker, cultural performance by Bhutanese kids, a campfire, and lots more. Come enjoy this full day of activities while making new friends and learning more about our amazing heritage. The Youth Retreat will be from 2PM Saturday April 4 to noon Sunday April 5 at Chestnut Ridge campsite in Efland, NC. Rides will be provided! For more information, contact Shivani at shiv.tarheel11@gmail.com.