Recently Acharya Arumuganathaswami and Natyam Jayanatha have returned from their short trip to California. Above are some photos from their journey. The two flew into San Jose, CA, late at night and drove on empty highways to the state's capital of Sacramento. Their goal is to keep tabs on the developing California textbook narrative draft process. See here for details as to what this process is all about.

Basically we are doing our small part to ensure that the presentation of Hinduism in public school textbooks is fair and accurate as opposed to the current, slightly slanderous content. Our monks checked into a hotel down the street from the Department of Education, and next attended the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) meeting, in which comments can be submitted and vocalized in regards to the IQC's current work on the draft narrative.

After two days of meetings, with our monks giving public testimony, the task was done until the next meeting. Before returning to Kauai, the monks had an evening meeting with local members of the Hindu Education Foundation. The HEF had been very helpful in this process by encouraging their children to testify at the meeting about their experiences in the classroom when studying world religions in 6th grade. The monks also took an opportunity to take a short hike through the Bay Area's (currently dry) hills. Then back to Kauai they went!

Bodhinatha's Sun One, September 9th, upadesha has wonderful guidance on dealing with the external, conscious mind in our spiritual life.

"Dealing with the Conscious Mind" (September 9th, 2015)

On the spiritual path be careful to not let the worldly approach of others influence us. Take time each day for spiritual practice; turn off the externalizing and limiting conscious mind thinking. Overcome the use of anger in the world. Become strong, get greater willpower, gain control over the mind. Consciousness of the Sat Yuga is in the mind of those of us who are spiritually oriented but not in the world of those who are oriented toward violence.

Master Course, Merging with Siva, Lesson 171.

Click here to go to an index of all of Bodhinatha's and Gurudeva's online audio.

Some images from our members and missions. First in California Kartikkey Katir's murtis are a big hit... the pre-Ganesha Chaturthi painting party in progress here... then off to Chicago with the Malhotras who organized a painting party at the Shivalya Mandir in Chicago

We are delivering the full question and answer text as a downloadable PDF. Here is an example of the first question and answer...

Religious persecution appears to be unprecedented around the world. How can people of all faiths work together to make religious freedom a universal right?
A. Despite the proliferation of bad news flooding our screens lately, I would not agree that today's religious persecution is unprecedented. Globally, it has been far worse in the past. Then, persecution resulted from the king's understanding of his faith. For example, in the Mughal Empire under Aurangzeb in the 17th century, millions of Hindus were subject to the Muslim jizya tax on non-believers and thousands of temples were destroyed. Even here in Texas, other religions were outlawed under Spanish rule in 1820, though local officials didn't actually enforce that very well. Still, just 200 years ago, it was the law. Historically in India, Hindu rulers have not restricted religious practice. With some exceptions, the Buddhist, Jain, Christian, Jewish, Parsee, Sikh and tribal religions in India have all freely coexisted under Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh rule.

We find today's starkest case of persecution of Hindus (as well as Christians and others) in Pakistan, where the Hindu population was 22% at the time of India's partition in 1947. Today that has plummeted to 1.7%, because they make it so difficult and even dangerous to be a Hindu. For example, it was only this year, 68 years after independence, that the government finally passed a law allowing Hindu marriages to be legally registered. But even that has yet to go into effect.

Religious tolerance depends in part upon people of different religions getting to know each other. When Swami Vivekananda came to the US for the Parliament of the World Religions in 1893, it was for many in attendance the first time they had ever heard a Hindu speak. Protestant groups of the time who were active in sending missionaries to India to convert those they considered heathens were taking aback by Vivekananda who spoke so eloquently and seemed anything but primitive. That visit permanently changed the attitude of some ministers and many in the media.

Fifty years ago there were few Hindus in Texas; now there are a quarter million. The Muslim community has also burgeoned. So we need to take time to get to know and understand each other. As mutual respect is developed, religious freedom should flow naturally and persecution will diminish. There's the current controversy here in Farmersville, Texas, about a Muslim cemetery. Reading a National Public Radio article, I was impressed by one person interviewed, Harvey Sisco, who has lived in Farmersville for more than 60 years. He said he has a good relationship with the few Muslim people he knows and has no problem with the cemetery. He is not against them, so he is not against their need to respect their dead.

I would add, however, that for some Christians in Asia, "religious freedom" is code for the freedom to gain converts by coming into a struggling or recently devastated community, and offering food, housing, money, education and other inducements. This was just seen following the April earthquake in Nepal, where instant tweets went out saying the earthquake was a blessing that would open the nation to a harvest of souls because of the opportunities created while giving aid. There were credible reports that some Christian aid workers on the ground there would only help those willing to convert. The same thing happened in South India following the 2004 tsunami. To me, such activities are not an expression of "religious freedom."

"Bhakti, Devotion, the Key to Meditation" (September 6th, 2015)

It's easier to meditate after puja. If you try and practice meditation without devotional practice you can build up the ego and spiritual pride. External and internal worship. Give up pride, build up humility through devotion and worship; see Siva in everyone, even one Being. Good character is needed to be successful in bhakti yoga. Stay tuned for the release of our new book on this topic - "Character Traits".

Master Course, Merging with Siva, Lesson 147.

Click here to go to an index of all of Bodhinatha's and Gurudeva's online audio.

As we head into a retreat here at the monastery, Rajanatha decided to head out and leave everyone with some reflections. It all started as he took shots of our new Genie cherry-picker boom truck, or as we like to call it: "The Iraivan Roof Cleaner." Follow along for a short story...

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUrMErdMdzY

This video is based on the Hinduism Today publisher’s desk “Hinduism: Religion or Way of Life?” Additional material has been added to further develop the topic. From Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami: The first section addresses the question “Isn’t Hinduism simply a way of life?” This is a question I am frequently asked at satsang gatherings. It invariably makes for spirited discussion, as there is avid interest and a lively diversity of opinion. Years ago, Swami Chinmayananda, founder of Chinmaya Mission, gave a dramatic lecture on the subject (bit.ly/hinduism-way-of-life). Here are key excerpts: “‘Hinduism is not a religion. It is a way of life.’ You can today hear it in every drawing room wherever youngsters are sitting and discussing Hindu culture and India. You can hear them blabbering this quotation: ‘Hinduism is totally different; it is not a religion. Then what is it? It is a way of life.’ This is a false statement! No thinking man will accept it or give it any credit at all. What an abominable stupidity is wrapped up in such an attractive sentence! ‘Hinduism is not a religion; it is a way of life.’ Oh! I see! And Christianity? It is a religion? Oh! So it is not a way of life? What is religion without a way of life? How can there be a way of life without religion? Think! It is a self-contradiction to say it is not a religion; it is a way of life. If Hinduism is not a religion, it is only a way of life; then Christianity is a religion and therefore no way of life. What is religion without a way of life? Does not a religion guide us in our world, in our life? So, it is an empty, highsounding statement.”

Bodhinatha's Latest Upadesha:

"Keys and Benefits of Meditation" (July 4th, 2015)

Meditation: Transmute the physical and emotional forces. Quiet the intellect, slow down thinking. Tune into the spiritual energy of the spine, experience intuition, answers attach to the end of each question. Parampara stories of Yogaswami and Markanduswami. Thannai Ari--Know Thyself.

Master Course, Merging with Siva, Lesson 82.

"Sadhana: Establish Daily Practice" (July 10th, 2015)

In the past forty years temples and priests have come over to the U.S. from India. The daily spiritual practice of Hinduism, has been left behind. In youth it is important to develop a strong habit of sadhana, maintained through adulthood and increased upon retirement. To produce results stress moderation and consistency in practice.

Master Course, Dancing with Siva, Lesson 87.

Master Course, Living with Siva, Lesson 88.

Click here for all recent talks

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucH9we8VI50

Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami developed a presentation to show to the many yoga groups that visit Kauai Aadheenam, to introduce them to Gurudeva’s approach to yoga. We thought you would enjoy viewing it. Its creation ties in nicely with the timing of the June 21st International Day of Yoga.

Today we attended the IQC meeting at the California Department of Education. It went fairly well. The board began by discussing each section of their new draft of an introductory paper which outlines: State Educational Assessment (testing); programs for English Language Learners (as CA has a large number of kids learning english); how to address special needs kids; and Professional Development for Teachers (describing how to approach and organize a subject they are teaching). Though not directly related to why we were there, it was a fantastic look at the depth and challenges of teaching and what goes in to guiding the State's approach to education at higher levels. The first few hours were primarily the board members making line by line suggested edits for it. 

Following that and a short lunch break, the board opened things up for public comment. This was another opportunity for groups to give their input on the upcoming draft narrative revision for History and Social Studies k-12. Arumuganathaswami gave testimony, giving examples of reoccurring problems in textbooks such as their presentation of caste as being the most important aspect of Hinduism. There were several Hindu groups at the meeting who all gave public testimony. Thankfully the HSS and HEF brought some of their children to testify, and they made some very powerful presentations. Each of the youth took on a different subject, such as the lack of inclusion of Yoga, Ayurveda, basic Hindu Philosophy, etc. in the current standards. One girl described how in her 6th grade class, the teacher had them do a role playing exercise of caste as described in the books. Students were assigned castes and those of higher caste were given the ability to cheat during the exercise. The whole thing portraying to all the students firsthand that Hinduism was an outdated, twisted and cruel religion, while totally avoiding philosophy of any kind. She described how this directly reflected in how her classmates treated her after that. They now thought that all her religion was about was blatant social inequality. In observing the board members, many were both shocked and disgusted that such thing could happen in a classroom today. So overall it was another good attempt to educate the board on what the problems we're facing really are. 

In the afternoon we made the long, four-hour drive down i-5 to northern Bakersfield (just above LA). It is a land of farm fields and flat, long, dusty roads. Very different from Kauai…