Tattva

Namaste,

For many, October is a busy time of the year. Summer vacation is long gone and Thanksgiving break is far from now. Our daily lives may have become very routine, and simultaneously, our social consciousness relatively narrow. It can be difficult to maintain awareness of current events, social issues, and even the wellbeing of those around us at this time of year. Tattva Magazine aims to encourage Hindu youth to remain socially conscious of the larger society even amidst midterms and project deadlines. The October 2009 edition features an informative article on our Arthashastras, a stimulating piece on the “Hindu Holocaust,” an artistic collage of memories from the recent Yuva Sangams that took place in the United States, and lastly, a report on the 2009 Yuva for Sewa internship program. So while we are on our daily routines, let’s keep connected to our global village.

Be Well,

Tattva Team

Kautilya, also known as Chanakya or Vishnugupta was born in 300 B.C. He was a philosopher and statesman who wrote a classic treatise on polity known as Arthashastra. It is compilation of almost everything that had been written in India up to his time on the science of Artha, or material prosperity, which is one of the four goals of human life. The means of subsistence according to Kautilya is primarily wealth and secondarily earth. Read the rest of this entry »

For more than two millennia, India has suffered one bloody invasion after another, leaving a Holocaust of millions of lives and a civilization and culture left in near ruins. Through it all, India is the only one of the great ancient civilizations that has survived today. Hinduism is the most ancient and only continuously surviving religion and culture that has successfully maintained itself while so many other cultures and civilizations have vanished. No other ancient civilization has retained its ancient religion and culture under the onslaught of the western Abrahamic monotheist religions. Read the rest of this entry »

This past month, dozens of Hindu youth gathered together in three different places in the US for the weekend yuva sangams organized by Hindu YUVA. The events, which were held in Texas, Indiana and Seattle, were packed with creative and interactive sessions that encompassed both intellectual and physical sessions, allowing for a proper balance,  leaving the youth with a clear sense of self-identity (what is my culture, my religion, my heritage) and newfound friendships. The intellectual sessions were delivered through workshops, discussions, power point presentations and videos, while the physical sessions included a variety of games, hiking and team-building activities.

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Bharat Kusuma and Nirbhay Dhapodkar pictured at a local boy’s school in Pune, Maharastra.

This summer, five undergraduate students from all over the US dedicated their time for the Sewa USA service internship program, Yuva for Sewa. Yuva for Sewa (YFS) is a unique opportunity that encourages young adults to volunteer their time and effort, while using their area of expertise and interest, to help the disadvantaged. Projects throughout the US, India, and the Caribbean are designed for personality development, building leadership and team work, empowering visionaries and providing first-hand experience in helping the community. Read the rest of this entry »