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Site to Close on January 1, 2006 Appeal for Help ***Food Alert Newletter*** lists common products containing meat that you may be eating everyday. "What is Kosher Gelatin" :What is Wrong with Red Food Dye" "What Are Natural Flavorings and why they are often Meat" and much more. To recieve regular Food Alert Newsletters Please Enter Your Email Address Hinduism Hinduism is also called sanatana-dharma. The English word "religion" does not quite encompass the meaning of sanatana-dharma. "Religion" conveys the idea of a particular faith, but faith may change. One may have faith in a particular process or path, and he may then change and adopt another. Sanatana-dharma refers to that activity which cannot be changed. Sanatana-dharma is therefore not something sectarian. Rather, it refers to the duty all living entities in this world possess-to understand our spiritual essence and to understand our relationship with God. Sanatana-dharma is also different from what many people in the West have come to understand as dharma. Dharma is commonly understood as performing the duty of serving family and country. Sanatana, however, means "eternal, that which has neither beginning nor end." Sanatana-dharma is the eternal occupation of the living entity. That eternal dharma is to serve God. There are basically three schools of thought in Hinduism, the Vaishnavas,
the Shaivites (followers of Siva and Shakti), and the impersonalists.
According to Vaishnavas, there is only one God, but he may be known
by different names. In the Christian religion he is known as Jehovah,
the Muslims call him Allah, and the Vaishnavas call him Krishna or
Vishnu. Shaivites believe that Siva is supreme. Impersonalists believe
that everything is one, and that when they attain self-realization
they will become one with God and become formless. God can expand himself into unlimited forms. Avataras, or incarnations,
are God directly. There are also servants of God called demigods-living
beings who have been given the power to administer the universe. These
demigods are sometimes worshiped as supreme, although they are actually
only powerful living beings and not the Supreme Divinity in themselves.
According to the Hindu pantheon, there are 33 million demigods, all
of whom worship the Supreme Lord. Hindus worship demigods to obtain
material benefits because the demigods administer various material
facilities. After long worship, the worshipers usually receive their
benediction, but the benediction is generally temporary. Many people say that the gods of Hinduism were developed over a long period of time and were changed by people who migrated to India. Other people say that these gods are eternal and have been mentioned in the Vedas from time eternal. According to the Vedic scriptures the second conclusion is correct. The Word
Hindu Nowadays, the word "Hindu" is used to describe
worshipers of the Hindu gods-those who worship Vishnu, Krishna, Siva,
Durga, or anyone else. Their scriptures (sastra) are the Vedas. Basic Philosophy A common understanding in Hinduism is that we are not
our bodies, but we are eternal spirit souls. At the present time we
are under the influence of the material nature, but our duty is to get
freed from this influence. The nature of the material world is that problems automatically appear, even without us wanting them. They are like a forest fire that somehow blazes without being set by anyone. No one wants fire, and yet it takes place, and we become perplexed. The Vedas advise that in order to solve the perplexities of life and to understand the science of the solution, one must approach a spiritual master who is in the disciplic succession. On Chanting
Hare Krishna There is no need, therefore, to understand the language
of the mantra, nor is there any need of any mental speculation or intellectual
adjustment for chanting this maha-mantra. It springs automatically from
the spiritual platform, and thus anyone can take part in the chanting
without any previous qualification and dance in ecstasy. We have seen
this practically. Even a child can take part in the chanting and dancing.
Of course, for one who is too much entangled in material life, it takes
a little more time to come to the standard point, but even such a materially
engrossed person is very quickly raised to the spiritual platform. When
the mantra is chanted by a pure devotee of the Lord, it has the greatest
effect on hearers, and therefore this chanting should be heard from
the lips of a pure devotee of the Lord, so that immediate effects can
be achieved. As far as possible, chanting from the lips of nondevotees
should be avoided, just as one would avoid milk touched by the lips
of a serpent because it has poisonous effects. The Hara is a form of addressing the energy of the Lord,
and the words Krishna and Rama (when mean "the highest pleasure
eternal") are forms of addressing the Lord Himself. Hara is the
supreme pleasure energy of the Lord, and when addressed as Hare in the
vocative, She helps us to reach the Supreme Lord. The material energy, called maya, is also one of the multienergies
of the Lord, and we, the living entitles, are the marginal energy of
the Lord. The living entities are described as superior to the material
energy. When this superior energy is in contact with the inferior energy,
an incompatible situation arises, but when the superior marginal energy
is in contact with the spiritual energy, Hara, the living entity is
established in his happy, normal condition. These three words, namely Hare, Krishna, and Rama, are
the transcendental seeds of the maha-mantra. The chanting is a spiritual
call for the Lord and His internal energy Hara to protect the conditional
soul. This chanting is exactly like the genuine cry of a child for its
mother. Mother Hara helps the devotee achieve the grace of the Supreme
Father, Hari or Krishna, and the Lord reveals Himself to the devotee
who chants this mantra sincerely. Therefore no other means of spiritual realization is as effective in this age of quarrel and hypocrisy as the chanting of the maha-mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare. Bhagavad
Gita The Bhagavad-gita is considered by many to be the most
important chapter of the Mahabharata, and it is the essence of its instructions.
It consists of eighteen chapters and seven hundred verses. The battle
of Kurukshetra, which lasted for eighteen days, was fought between the
Pandavas and the Kauravas and their respective armies totaled approximately
five million men. Many scholars accept this battle as allegorical, but
followers of Vedic culture believe the battle actually took place about
five thousand years ago. The Gita is like the "Bible" of India. It is
the most popular book read by Hindus, and is studied by scholars around
the world. Its first instruction is that we are not the body but eternal
spirit soul temporarily encaged within the body. It concludes that the
perfection of life is total surrender to God and to act according to
His desire. Krishna says, "Always think of me, become my devotee,
worship me and offer your homage unto me. Thus you will come to me without
fail. I promise you this because you are my very dear friend." Bhagavad-gita is highly recommended reading for one who wants to understand the essence of the Vedic teachings. Bhagavad
Gita Verses OM/ AUM The sound of OM is eternal and goes beyond the conceptions
of time. It is pronounced with a nasalized ending, a sound between an
N and an M. OM is used to begin sacrifices, mediation, prayers, and
before the performance of yoga. To obtain the true benefit of this powerful
mantra, one must chant it with full concentration. OM is the symbolic
sound representation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is
no difference between the Supreme Personality of Godhead and OM. These three symbolic representations are used by Brahmins while chanting Vedic hymns and during sacrifices performed for the satisfaction of the Supreme. In the Vedic hymns, the word OM is always present. Hindu Trinity Worship A person engaged in home worship will perform aratik,
which usually consists of offering incense, a lamp, and flowers. Other
items may also be offered. Food is also offered to the different gods. It is considered important for all Hindus to make regular
visits to temples. A person may visit a temple every day or even several
times a day. They may also visit several different temples in a day.
Other people, especially those who live a good distance from a temple,
may visit the temple only on festival days. Important festivals must
be observed. Mantra meditation or chanting the holy names of God is also considered worship. Devotees sing songs (bhajans) to glorify God. The Vedas According to the Bhavisya Purana, the Vedas include the
original four Vedas-Rig, Atharva, Yajur, and Sama-the Upanisads, the
Mahabharata (which includes the Bhagavad-gita), the Pancaratna, the
Ramayana, and the Puranas. Many scholars say that only the original
four Vedas (Rig, Atharva, Yajur, and Sama) can be considered real Vedic
literature. This is neither accepted by the Vedas themselves nor by
the important Vedic teachers such as Sankara, Ramanuja, or Madhvacarya.
The Chandogya Upanisad states that the Puranas and Itihasas (histories)
are the fifth Veda. The main criterion for a literature to be accepted as
Vedic is that it must have the same purport and conclusion as the original
Vedic scriptures. Any work that expands on the Vedic conclusion without
changing its meaning can be accepted as Vedic. The Vedic scriptures are vast. The Mahabharata has 110,000
couplets, the Rig Veda 1,017 hymns, and the eighteen main Puranas hundreds
of thousands of verses. The Rig Veda has hymns glorifying gods such as Indra (King
of Heaven), Surya (Sun) and Agni (fire). It also describes different
sacrifices that can be performed. The Yajur Veda explains the rules
of some religious rituals. It describes how to do a Vedic sacrifice
and how to make an altar. The Sama Veda (1549 hymns) deals with chanting.
Sama means "melody." It discusses such gods as Indra, Agni
and Soma (the Moon god). The Atharva Veda (6000 verses) contains many
mantras that are used in sacrifices and is said to have been written
by the Sage Atharva. Vedic literature provides knowledge of self-realization
and liberation (moksha) from material bondage and suffering. It teaches
that the material body is temporary and that one should not resign himself
to this temporary and miserable world but try to find permanent happiness.
This is done by serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is known
in the Vedas as Krishna or Vishnu. The Vedas are considered eternal. They do not come from
any materially conditioned person but from the Supreme. They cannot
be understood by logic or experimentation, as they are inconceivable.
They must be understood by hearing from an authoritative source. The
knowledge of the Vedas is considered complete and infallible. One of the main Vedas is the Manusmriti (the codes of Manu). This is one of the Dharma Sutras or Vedas that give men moral rules of conduct and duties to perform. It describes what is sinful, what punishment should be given, performance of sacrifice, the duties of women, funeral ceremonies, purification rituals and many other subjects. It basically deals with the laws of man. Puranas Mahabharata The Mahabharata is about the five sons of Maharaja Pandu-Yudhisthira,
Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva, and the events leading up to and
following the Battle of Kurukshetra. After a period of time, the Pandavas returned to the court
and requested that their kingdom be returned. When Duryodhana refused,
the Pandavas proposed that the kingdom be divided equally between the
cousins. The court ministers convinced Duryodhana to agree. The Kauravas
(sons of Dhritarastra) got Hastinapur for their capital and the Pandavas
got Indraprastha (now greater Delhi). Eventually, Duryodhana devised a dice game in which the
Pandavas were cheated of their entire kingdom, including their wife
Draupadi. The Kauravas attempted to strip Draupadi in public, but Krishna
protected her. The Pandavas then had to go into exile for twelve years
in the forest and then live for one year incognito. During the thirteenth
year, the Pandavas lived in the service of the King of Virata. When their exile was over, the Pandavas returned and demanded
that their kingdom be restored. Again Duryodhana refused. The Pandavas,
hoping to avoid war, requested five villages to rule. Again Duryodhana
refused. Ultimately, his refusal led to the battle at Kurukshetra (north
of Delhi). It was just prior to this battle that the Bhagavad-gita was
spoken. The Kauravas side was at first commanded by Grandfather
Bhisma, but he was eventually wounded during the battle. The battle
lasted for eighteen days, and millions of soldiers were killed. Most
of the Kauravas were killed in this battle. On the last day of battle,
Bhima and Duryodhana fought a duel with clubs. After a vicious fight
in which Bhima smashed Duryodhana's thighs and won, the Pandavas won
back their kingdom. Yudhisthira was then crowned Emperor. Not long after the battle of Kurukshetra, the Pandavas renounced the kingdom and installed their grandson Pariksit on the throne. They then headed to the Himalayas to start their journey toward Heaven. Eventually, Yudhisthira was the only one to reach his goal, but upon reaching the heavenly kingdom, Yudhisthira insisted that his four brothers and Draupadi be admitted along with him. Ramayana Rama later married Sita, the daughter of King Janaka.
King Janaka organized a svayamvara, a competition to see who was qualified
to marry his daughter. The winner had to string Lord Siva's bow and
hit a target. Only Rama was able to string the bow, what to speak of
hit the target. As Rama was Lord Vishnu and Sita was Lakshmi, this marriage
was predestined. In this way, Rama, along with his devoted wife, Sita,
and his brother Laksman, went to the forest, and not long after Dasarath
expired. When Bharata, who was away at the time, returned to Ayodhya,
he did not wish to rule due to his affection for Rama. He followed Rama
to the forest and begged him to return. Rama refused, however, in order
to maintain his father's promise. Bharata agreed to rule on Rama's behalf,
set Rama's sandals on the throne, and lived a life of asceticism outside
the city gates until Rama's return. While in the forest, Ravana, king of Lanka, kidnapped Sita and brought her to his kingdom. Rama and Laksman then went out to search for Sita. During this time they met Sugriva, the monkey king, and Hanuman, his minister. The devoted Hanuman eventually found Sita in Lanka. Rama and Laksman, along with the monkey army, attacked Lanka. After much fighting, the ten-headed Ravana was killed and Sita was recovered. Rama then returned to Ayodhya and assumed the throne. Srimad-Bhagavatam
The Srimad-Bhagavatam describes stories about the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The tenth book deals in detail with the pastimes of Lord Krishna himself. The last book discusses Kali-yuga, the present age of quarrel, and the future. Guru
The guru must come in a bona fide disciplic succession
and have complete knowledge of the Absolute Truth. The faithful disciple
becomes the next guru. His or her relationship, therefore, is not only
with the guru but also with the guru's spiritual succession or unbroken
chain of masters. This chain of disciplic succession is called sampradaya
or parampara. A true guru teaches by example. He must have renounced
the four sinful activities: intoxication, gambling, illicit sex (sex
outside of marriage), and meat-eating. He has to have complete control
of his senses and of his speech. Disciples must surrender themselves completely and become
humble servants of the guru. They must make following the guru's instructions
their life's mission. The most important attributes of a disciple are
faith, service, and submissive inquiry. The disciple should not serve
a spiritual master blindly, but must also inquire from him about the
ultimate solution to life's problems and about the Absolute Truth. The
disciple should also be careful to ensure that the guru practices what
he preaches. The secrets to the goal of life given by the bona fide
guru are open to everyone regardless of caste, creed, or nationality,
but they remain secrets unless the disciples has the sincerity and the
honest desire to know the goal of life. To understand the goal of life,
a disciple must follow regulations of purification assigned by the guru.
There are two types of gurus, diksha-guru (initiating spiritual master) and shiksha-guru (instructing spiritual master). One keeps his diksha-guru for life. A shiksha-guru is one who provides instructions on the path. For a shiksha-guru to be effective, he much speak exactly the same instructions as the diksha-guru has spoken and not contradict him. Four Main
Schools of Thought and Markings of Different Sects Worshipers of Siva may also worship Ganesh and Karttikeya
(Skanda), Siva's sons. Shaktas may worship the many forms of Durga,
such as Parvati or Kali. Durga is the most commonly worshiped form and
has many temples of her own throughout India. The different sects wear different markings on their foreheads,
chests, and arms to identify to which sect they belong (the markings
are applied also to sanctify the body). You can tell the difference
between the sects by the forehead marks. Vertical marks mean devotees
of Vishnu; horizontal marks indicate devotees of Siva. Siva's devotees
usually wear rudraksha beads around their necks, while devotees of Vishnu
or Krishna wear tulasi beads. Worshipers of Siva have two or more horizontal lines,
with or without a dot above or below them. Also a crescent moon or a
trident, Siva's own markings, indicate a Shaivite. There may also be
an oval or half-oval, said to symbolize Siva's third eye. Vaishnavas are divided into worshipers of Lord Krishna
and his consort Radha, worshipers of Lord Vishnu and his consort Lakshmi,
and worshipers of Lord Rama and his consort Sita. Lord Krishna is often
worshiped by himself or with Rukmini, his chief wife. Often Krishna
and Vishnu are worshiped in temples alone, without their consorts. Often
each type of worshiper has their own sectarian markings. Deities of Ganesh or Karttikeya wear the marks of Siva
on them. Krishna, Rama, Hanuman, and Indra have the marks of Vishnu
on them. Brahma has the markings of both Vishnu and Siva on him. Vaishnava
Philosophy A common misconception is that Krishna is an incarnation
of Vishnu. Actually, Krishna is supreme. Even though Vishnu and Krishna
are basically nondifferent, still, one expanded from the other. According
to scripture, Vishnu is an expansion of Krishna. The analogy is that
when one candle lights another, they both have the same potency, but
one is always the original flame. Vishnu is the administrative form
of Lord Krishna, while Krishna is always engaged in enjoying with his
devotees. Another common misconception is that God is ultimately formless. If one accepts that God is all-powerful, then why is he not powerful enough to be a person? Rather, it is seen that behind all energy a person is working. A common idea is that Lord Siva is supreme, but according to Vaishnava philosophy even Lord Siva, who is very powerful, is Vishnu's servant. Also there is the misconception that there are many gods in Hinduism, but according to Vaishnava philosophy there is only one God, which is commonly accepted by most religions. Vaishnava
Sampradayas Karma
Everyone creates their own karma out of their particular
desires to enjoy this world in different ways. Neither God nor anyone
else can be held responsible for our karma; we create our own destiny. In one sense, all karma is bondage. Even pious activities
bind a person to the material world. The goal of life is to be free
from karma, and to therefore become free from the wheel of repeated
birth and death. A person cannot become free from karma simply by renouncing
activity. He or she must engage in transcendental activities-that is,
by serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who will then intervene
and free us from previous karmic reactions. Vikarmas activities are actions that are irreligious and should not be performed. These activities give you bad reactions. A person acting in God consciousness is performing transcendental activities and these activities are considered akarma or activities that have no reaction. To engage in the service of God makes one immune to all sorts of reactionary elements of work. Reincarnation The Padma Purana states that there are 8,400,000 species
of life. The Vedic conclusion does not agree with Darwin's theory of
evolution. According to the Vedas, all species were created simultaneously
and did not evolve over a period of time. Rather, the soul evolves through
each of them until it reaches the human form of life, when there is
a chance to cultivate self-realization and become liberated. Samsara
Kundalini
Yoga Each chakra has the form of a lotus, with the petals representing
different mystical qualities. Different deities are represented by each
chakra. It is said that the goddess Devi (Kundalini, the serpent power)
surrounds the muladhara chakra. When it is awakened by different Tantric
yoga processes, it rises to the sahara-padma chakra. To reach the ultimate stage, a yogi blocks the evacuating
hole with the heel of the foot. He then progressively moves the life
air on and on to the six different chakras. One reaches the Svadhisthana
chakra, which is the powerhouse of the life air and then one proceeds
up until he reaches the Ajna chakra. One then pushes the life air up
between the eyebrows, and then, blocking the seven outlets of the life
air, should then reach the cerebral hole and give up his material connections,
having gone to the Supreme. The life air passes through seven openings, namely two
eyes, two nostrils, two ears and a mouth. Generally it passes through
the mouth at the time of an ordinary man's death. But the yogi who controls
the life airs in this way, generally releases the life air by puncturing
the cerebral hole in the head. Bhakti Bhakti-yoga is opposed to the concept of becoming one with the Supreme. It is believed that service to God is eternal and that the individual soul is never equal to or becomes God. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Ramanujacarya, and Madhvacarya all taught the bhakti path as the most efficient means to reach God realization. Mantra Gaudiya Vaishnavas consider that by chanting the Lord's
holy names, specifically the maha-mantra, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna,
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare,
one will attain transcendental devotion to God. It is considered that
Krishna and his name are nondifferent. Shaivites chant the mantra Om Namah Shivaya. Another
famous mantra is Sree Ram Jaya Ram, Jaya Jaya Ram/ Sree Ram Jaya
Ram, Jaya Jaya Ram. The most famous mantras are the gayatri-mantra and OM (aum). To get the proper effect from chanting the gayatri-mantra one must receive it from a guru. The gayatri-mantra is "OM bhur bhuvah svah, tat savitur varenyam, bhargo devasya dhimahi, dhiyo yo nah prachodayat." The gayatri-mantra is usually given to a teenage Brahmin when they receive their sacred thread and become "twice-born." There are many other mantras in Hinduism. Ahimsa Ahimsa means that one should act in such a way that will not put others into misery or cause them confusion. The human body is meant for spiritual realization, so anything not done to further that end commits violence on the human body. Mahatma Gandhi preached these teachings not only verbally, but also by his personal example in the way he lived. Ashram Another meaning has to do with the four spiritual orders of life according to the Vedic social system. This includes brahmacarya (student life), grihastha (married life), vanaprastha (retired life), and sannyasa (renounced order). Ashtanga
Yoga Yama means giving up vices. This means to make
one's life pure. Niyama means doing pure activities. This is
purity of the body. Asana means doing yoga postures. This is
the Hatha-yoga exercises that are commonly seen in the West. Pranayama involves controlling the airs within
the body so as to reverse the directions of their passage. The apana
air goes downward, and the prana air goes upward. The pranayama-yogi
practices breathing the opposite way until the currents are neutralized
into puraka, equilibrium. Offering the exhaled breath into the inhaled
breath is called recaka. When both air currents are completely stopped,
one is said to be in kumbhaka-yoga. By practice of kumbhaka-yoga, one
can increase the duration of life for perfection in spiritual realization.
By practicing pranayama one can increase the duration of life and therefore
give oneself more time to attain perfection in this life, rather than
waiting for the next. Pratyahara means to withdraw one's senses from
the sense objects like a tortoise withdraws his body into his shell.
Dharana mean to fix one's mind on an object. Dhyana means meditation.
Samadhi (trance) means that one realizes the Supersoul through transcendental mind and intelligence, without the misgivings of identifying the self with the Superself. It means that the mind is fixed for understanding the self. At this stage there is no longer any connection with mundane pleasure, for one is then transcendental to all sorts of happiness derived from the senses. Samadhi is never possible for persons interested in material sense enjoyment. Unless the yogi reaches this stage he is unsuccessful. Atman Caturmasya Sudarsana
Cakra Swastika Tantra By pronouncing the correct mantras in the correct way
and by using yantras, the Tantric yogi may be able to force the gods
to give them mystical powers, which may lead them to divine ecstasy.
Om mani padme hum which means "bliss, which is the jewel within
the lotus," is a famous six syllable Tantric chant. Some tantra
teaches that you get liberation by enjoyment. Shalagram-shilas Shalagram-shilas are always considered nondifferent from
Krishna Himself. The Padma Purana says: "Lord Vishnu may be worshiped
in the form of a Deity made of eight kinds of material: stone, wood,
metal, paint, written word, earth, jewels, and words within the mind.
But you should know that the worship of shalagram-shila is worship of
Sri Krishna Himself, since the Lord exists eternally in the shalagram-shila." According to their markings, or chakras, one can identify the shalagrams as one of the many incarnations of the Lord, such as Narasimha, Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, etc. Brahmins often have a Shalagram-shila in their house and perform daily worship by bathing and offering aratik to it. Siva Lingas The linga may either be carved or natural. The natural
lingas are usually collected from a riverbed, often the Krishna River
in South India. A Siva-linga is bathed, offered flower garlands, covered
with milk, and offered food as part of the worship. A Siva-linga may
be chala (movable) or achala (immovable). A chala linga may be in a
house, carried, or sometimes worn around the neck. The achala lingas
are installed in temples. Lord Siva is worshiped as five element lingas at five different major temples in South India: 1. Sky or space (ether), Akash-linga, in Chidambaram,
Tamil Nadu. Siva Jyotirlingas 1. Sri Somnath in Somnath, Gujarat Holy Places There are four dhamas or kingdoms of God: Badrinath, Rameswaram,
Puri, and Dwarka. Each represents a planet in the spiritual sky. The
spiritual sky consists of the brahmajyoti (the effulgence around God's
body, the light into which yogis seeking liberation desire to merge)
and the Vaikunthas (spiritual planets). There are seven sacred cities known as the Saptapuris
(Mokshapuris): Ayodhya, Mathura, Mayapuri (Haridwar), Kashi (Varanasi),
Kanchi (Kanchipuram), Avantipuri (Ujjain), and Dwarka. The seven most
sacred rivers are the Ganges, Yamuna, Godavari, Saraswati, Narmada,
Sindhu, and Kaveri. There are four Kumbha-melas, located at Allahabad,
Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nasik. There are eight self-manifested holy places (Svayam Vyakta
Ksetras) out of a list of 108 major Vishnu temples (108 Vaishnava Divya
Desams): Sri Rangam, Tirumala, Sri Mushnam, and Thotadri in South India;
Shalagram, Pushkar, Naimisaranya, and Badrinath in North India. Other important holy places are Dwarka, Ayodhya, Kurukshetra,
Naimisaranya, Nasik, Ujjain, Rameswaram, Gaya, Gangotri, Yamunotri,
Kedarnath, Badrinath, Varanasi, and Prayag. Vrindavan and Mathura are
important because Lord Krishna appeared and performed his childhood
pastimes there. Dwarka is important because Lord Krishna lived there
later and performed many pastimes there. The Himalayas are considered a holy mountain range. The Himalaya Range is about 2,500 km long and 350 km wide, and there are hundreds of peaks over 6000m (20,000 ft) high. Vrindavana
and Braja Mandala Vrindavana and Mathura are the most important Vaishnava
holy places in all of India because Mathura is the birthplace of Lord
Krishna and Vrindavana is where He carried out His childhood pastimes.
It is said in the Padma Purana that "Simply by residing for one day in Mathura one will attain Hari-bhakti, devotion to Hari (Vishnu)." In the Adi-varaha Purana it is stated: "Any person who dies in any place within Mathura-a holy place, a home, or even a courtyard-certainly attains salvation. In this world Mathura is the best of all holy places beginning with Kashi." Ayurvedic
Medicine People come under three basic categories: Kapha, Pitta,
and Vata. Ayurvedic medicine is much more effective than other kinds
of medical treatments for digestive diseases and many of the typical
diseases of India. Ayurvedic medicine can cure hepatitis (jaundice);
there is no cure according to conventional medicine practiced in the
West. You can also take Ayurvedic medicine to avoid illness.
Many diseases in India are caused by the fact that a person's liver
or digestive system does not work properly. You can take Ayurvedic medicine
to tone your digestive system. This reduces the amount of undigested
food in your system, a cause of illness. If your food is properly digested,
you will have sufficient energy to fight disease. There are also Ayurvedic
massages to help cure various afflictions. The main problem with curative Ayurvedic treatment is finding a competent doctor to prescribe and administer it. I suggest you get recommendations before trusting your health to any particular doctor. Only if I have complete faith in an Ayurvedic doctor will I trust him to treat me for a serious disease. Cows The urine and dung (stool) of the cow are considered pure and are used in worship. Scientific studies have revealed both to be antiseptic. According to Vedic culture, beef-eating is strictly forbidden and is considered extremely sinful. If a person must eat meat, he should eat the meat of animals other than the cow. Beef is never sold in the streets in India. Daksha and
Lord Siva Story At the next yajna (sacrifice) that Daksha performed, he did not invite Lord Siva. Still, Sati decided to attend. When her father would not speak to her due to her connection with her husband, Sati was insulted and destroyed her body by meditating on the fiery elements (self-immolation). Hearing of his wife's death, Siva then created Virabhadra, a fearful black demon as tall as the sky, who had thousands of arms and was equipped with various weapons. Lord Siva sent Virabhadra and his followers to ruin the sacrifice and cut off Daksha's head. After fulfilling his assignment, Virabhadra threw Daksha's head into the sacrificial fire. Later, at Brahma's request, Siva restored Daksha to life, but because his head had been destroyed in the fire, he was given the head of a goat. Dance Bharata Natyam
Dance Bharata Natyam is usually performed by a solo woman. It
begins with alarippu, a gesture symbolizing that the body is an offering
to the gods. The dancer then combines nritya (emotions) with nritta
(pure dance), in which the dancers use heavy face and hand expressions.
They are accompanied by musicians and a nattuvanar. Bharata Natyam is mainly performed in Chennai, where there are regular performances at the Kalaksetra center, Music Academy, Raja Ananmalai Hall, Museum Theater, and at other places. Kathakali
Dance There are five primary characters, who are distinguished
by their costumes and makeup. Pacha (green) represents the noble-hearted
hero or god; kathi (knife) represents a mixture of nobility and evil
(both have their faces painted green, but the kathi has a knife pattern
on the cheek in red pigment and small white balls on the tip of the
nose and the middle of the forehead). The other characters are tati
(beard), kari (black), and minukku (polished). The bad guys usually
have black faces with white spots on their cheeks or noses. They may
also have red beards (thadi), a false nose, and a big frill. They place
a cunlappuva seed inside their eyelids to turn the white part of the
eyes red. Hanuman's face is red. The orchestra consists of the maddalam, edakka, chenta,
cymbals, and the gong. There is also a singer who directs the play;
the actors take their cues from him. Dances can last for hours. Originally, Kathakali was an
all-night performance in temples during festivals. A typical performance
would begin at 7 pm and end at 7 am. Dancers train for six to twenty
years to learn the dance steps and movements. It demands extraordinary
muscle control to contort the face and make the sudden leaps and spins.
It takes four hours to prepare for a performance-to put on makeup, elaborate
costumes, and head dresses. Everything is put on in a fixed order. Chatunni Paniker and Guru Gopinath are considered two of the best dancers in India. Kochi in Kerala is the best place to see this type of dance, as there are daily performances at the Cochin Cultural Centre. The India Foundation and Art Kerala, both near Ernakulam Railway Station, have regular performances from 7 to 10:30 pm. Other Dance
Styles Odissi is classical Orissan temple dancing. The dance is a ritual offering performed in temples. There are strict rules of position of feet, body, and hands. Jayadeva's Gita Govinda, which depicts Krishna's love for Radha, is a favorite subject of this style of dance. Ganges
and Yamuna Rivers The Srimad-Bhagavatam (5.17.1) glorifies the Ganges with
the following words: "Sukadeva Goswami said: My dear King, Lord
Vishnu, the enjoyer of all sacrifices, appeared as Vamanadeva in the
sacrificial arena of Bali Maharaja. Then he extended his left foot to
the end of the universe and pierced a hole in its covering with the
nail of his big toe. Through the hole, the pure water of the Causal
Ocean entered this universe as the Ganges River. Every living being
can immediately purify his mind of material contamination by touching
the transcendental water of the Ganges, yet its waters remain ever pure.
Because the Ganges directly touches the lotus feet of the Lord before
descending within this universe, she is known as Vishnupadi. Later she
received other names like Jahnavi and Bhagirathi." The water of the Ganges is called patita-pavani, the deliverer
of sinful living beings. Many sages, including Sankaracharya, have composed
prayers in praise of the Ganges. Sankaracharya recommends that a little
knowledge from Bhagavad-gita and the drinking of a little quantity of
Ganges water can save one from the punishment of Yamaraja, god of death. Ganges water does not become contaminated, even if stored for years. The purity of the Ganges has been documented by Mr. Henkin's research in the book The Ganga Trail. Water was taken from the mouth of a sewer as it emptied into the Ganges and after six hours, all the germs were dead. A corpse floating in the Ganges was towed to the shore and the water taken from next to the body was found to be swarming with cholera germs, but after six hours all the germs had died. When water was taken from a pure well and a few cholera germs were added to the water, the germs multiplied greatly. Ganges Story Later King Sagar sent his grandson Amsuman to retrieve
the horse. Kapiladeva returned the horse and told Amsuman that the sons
of King Sagar could be delivered if the Ganges descended to earth and
bathed them in her waters. King Sagar's great-great-grandson, Bhagiratha, eventually pleased Mot | |||
