Tattva

The intent of this essay is to delineate the use of scientific method in core Sanatana Dharma. By core  Sanatana Dharma I mean the practices that are encapsulated in source texts such as the Vedas. I have borrowed the thread of argument from the integral philosopher Ken Wilber (1).

I am going to make a statement:  Sanatana Dharma is scientific. The spiritual techniques under the umbrella of Sanatana Dharma follow the strict definition of science. The whole purpose of this essay is to prove this.

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“If God is everywhere then why do we go to temples? What’s your take on inter-religious marriages? Is it realistic to adhere to Gandhian principles in today’s world? Why do Hindu values become popular after the west embraces them? How is homosexuality viewed in Hindu culture?” - These are just a few examples of the interesting discussion topics at Dwarka Shakha - a Hindu young adult group that meets every Thursday near the Washington Square Park in Manhattan. Attended by a combination of university students and young professionals in the greater New York City area, Dwarka Shakha is a unique opportunity that allows participants to regularly engage and learn about their Hindu roots.

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कराग्रे वसते लक्ष्मीः  करमूले सरस्वती |

करमध्ये तु गोविन्दः  प्रभाते करदर्शनम् ॥

Karagre vasate lakshmi  kara mule saraswathi

kara madhye tu govindah  prabate kara darshanam

Sanskrit to English Word Meaning

Karagre-on the tip of your fingers; vasate- dwells; Lakshmi- the Goddess of Prosperity; karamule- on the base of your hands; Saraswathi- the Goddess of Knowledge Saraswathi; karamadhye- in the middle of your hands; tu-whereas; Govindah-the Lord Govindah; prabhate-in the morning; karadarshanam-look at your palm.

Translation

On the tip of your fingers is Goddess Lakshmi; on the base of your fingers is Goddess Sarasvati; in the middle of your fingers is Lord Govinda. In this manner, look at your        palm

Brief Explanation

This is a morning prayer called “karadarshana”. One begins the day with this prayer. “Kara” means the palm of the hand and it stands for the five karmendriyas, or the organs of action. While looking at the palm, one invokes the Lord in the form of various deities, thus sanctifying all the actions that will be done during the day. By acknowledging the Lord as the giver of the capacity to perform actions and as the giver of the fruits of those actions, one sanctifies the actions. Thus, one prays in the morning to reinforce the attitude that all actions are performed as a service to the Lord.

The historic connections between India and Greece are many. Recognition of this reality is of great import and value. Properly identifying the many commonalities between not only India and Greece but those of ancient Egyptian or the Coptic civilization as well will do much towards the development of an accurate understanding of the entire history of human civilization.

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Linked from: http://www.hinduyuva.org/tattva-blog/2010/04/dwarka-shakha/

Sample Weekly E-mail Digest of New York City’s Dwarka Shakha Read the rest of this entry »

Hindu YUVA organized a weekend youth camp from February 20-21 in Cleveland, Ohio. A total of 25 youth attended the “Yuva Sangam.” The participants consisted of 13 students from University of Cincinnati (5), University of Dayton (1) and Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland (7). 12 young professionals from Columbus, Pittsburg and Cleveland also participated. Read the rest of this entry »

SOC at University of Miami

Speaker on Campus (SOC) - the annual university lecture series organized and conducted by the youth chapter of HSS – Hindu YUVA - was held in the latter month of February at three campuses across the state of Florida. The participating universities,  University of South Florida (USF-Tampa), University of Central Florida (UCF-Orlando) and University of Miami (UM-Miami), invited Professor Sreenath, a professor at  Case Western Reserve University. Professor Sreenath teaches electrical engineering and computer science, and is the director of the Complex Systems Biology Center. The lectures delivered by Professor Sreenath at each university varied according to the interest shown by the student body.

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Twenty students attended a Yoga presentation at Brandeis University (Massachusetts) on March 18th. This event was organized jointly by Hindu YUVA and the South Asian club at Brandeis. The speaker, Vikas Deshpande, spoke about Yoga as both philosophy and practice to attain healthy body, mind and spirit, as well as to fulfill duties towards the society and humanity. The emphasis was not just on Yoga that develops healthy body, mind and spirit,  but also to utilize the strength gained for betterment of humanity. It was a great learning experience for everyone who attended.

-Report by Aparna Garg, Boston University

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 18, 2010: The spring festival of Holi was marked late Tuesday by U.S. Representative Steve Israel of New York, in a speech inserted into the Congressional Record. The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) lauded Rep. Israel for the speech as colorful Holi celebrations and traditional bonfires continued in community halls and temples throughout the nation. Read the rest of this entry »