Chapter 23§
Hindu Heritage Endowment
हिन्दुधर्म प्रतिष्ठा
ONDERFUL IS A GOOD WORD TO DESCRIBE THE INDEPENDENT PUBLIC SERVICE TRUST WE FOUNDED TO PROVIDE TEMPLES, ĀŚRAMAS, SCHOOLS, ORPHANAGES AND MORE WITH PERMANENT, GROWING INCOME THROUGH CHARITABLE ENDOWMENTS. DONORS AND THEIR BENEFICIARIES CAN BE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. HHE IS THE FIRST SUCH INSTITUTION WITH A GOAL OF BILLIONS TO SECURE THE FUTURE OF HINDU CEREMONY, ART, MUSIC AND DANCE.§
446 ¶All the guardian devas of all the people in the beneficiary organizations and of all those who set up the endowment are involved in the HHE. It is a devonic creation, not forged by us, but bequeathed upon us from the Devaloka and the Śivaloka to fulfill a need. The guardian devas of each organization have a personal interest in Hindu Heritage Endowment because they are putting all their energy and thought into creating for each Hindu organization a permanent financial abundance so that its leadership can concentrate upon fulfilling its goals rather than on constant fund-raising and basic concerns about money. The beings in the angelic worlds don’t want the stewards of Sanātana Dharma’s temples, schools and other institutions to have to worry about money, knowing it is important for their minds to be free to commune with the divine and serve others in fulfillment of the highest good. §
HHE’s Founding And Purpose§
447 ¶On the physical plane, the Hindu Heritage Endowment is a public service trust which seeks to establish and maintain permanent sources of income for Hindu institutions worldwide. The HHE was founded in December, 1993, through the signing of its Declaration of Trust. On April 20, 1994, it received recognition of its status as a tax-exempt public charitable foundation from the United States Internal Revenue Service. On April 22, 1994, Hindu Heritage Endowment commenced the charitable activities described in this chapter of the Śaiva Dharma Śāstras. The mission of Hindu Heritage Endowment, which is strictly religious and nonpolitical, is to strengthen Hindu religious traditions throughout the world by providing Hindu institutions with a permanent and growing source of income in order to assure their financial stability and further their diverse programs. As Tirukural verse 333 reminds us, “Wealth’s nature is to be unenduring. Upon acquiring it, quickly do that which is enduring.” There are three steps to the accomplishment of this mission. §
1. Individuals and charitable institutions are regularly approached by HHE for contributions and are invited to choose the specific organizations they wish their gift to benefit. §
2. Contributions received are permanently invested as separate endowment funds. These investments are professionally managed and screened for social responsibility that accords with Hindu ethical principles. For example, companies that treat animals inhumanely are avoided. §
3. The investment income earned by each endowment is regularly distributed to the beneficiary organization for it to use in furthering its plans and programs, in keeping with the donor’s wishes. However, in order to continue to qualify for tax exemption and provide tax deductions to donors, the HHE is required by the Internal Revenue Service to attain and approve a yearly grant application, including a detailed description of the specific purpose of the request before disbursing income. Applications must also contain an accounting of the previous year’s grant, if any, in sufficient detail to satisfy HHE that the previous grant was used for a proper purpose. §
Types of Potential Beneficiaries§
448 ¶Beneficiaries can be Hindu institutions, located in any country of the world, dedicated to traditional and classical Hindu principles and practices, and which HHE has determined have one or more specific projects that qualify as proper purposes for a donation. An endowment can be established for: hereditary temples, annual festivals, children’s retreat camps, village shrines, āśramas and maṭhas, religious publications, paṭhaśālas (priest training centers), favorite pilgrimage sites, shelters for sādhus, gifts for cow protection, Hindu yoga schools, institutes for music, art, drama and dance, schools of sacred architecture, scriptural or philosophical research centers, subsidies for paṇḍitas and śāstrīs, support of āyurveda, jyotisha and other sacred sciences, a favorite swāmī’s movement or project, grants, scholarships, academic chairs for Hindu studies and more.§
Advantages Of HHE Endowments§
449 ¶1. Donors choose to contribute to the Hindu Heritage Endowment because they value the perpetual way their gift will continue to benefit future generations of Hindus. It is a gift that keeps on giving. §
2. Donors value the flexible way they can choose as beneficiaries Hindu institutions located in any country of the world. §
3. Donors in many countries receive significant tax deductions for their contributions, which are particularly advantageous when contributing an appreciated asset. §
4. Assets receive additional protection in being held by a foundation which is separate from the beneficiary, plus gifts are professionally managed. One hundred percent of each gift is invested and grows at a rate of three percent annually. §
Sacrifice resembles a loom with threads extended this way and that, composed of innumerable rituals. Behold now the fathers weaving the fabric; seated on the outstretched loom. ‘Lengthwise! Crosswise!’ they cry.§
ṚIG VEDA SAṀHITĀ 10.130.1. VE, 356§
Three Ways Of Giving to Endowments§
450 ¶Gifts to the Hindu Heritage Endowment can be made in many ways, including: an outright gift of cash, securities or real estate; a bequest through a will; a gift of life insurance; a deferred gift such as a charitable remainder trust where life income is retained. Hindu Heritage Endowment offers a choice between three types of donations: 1) establishing a multi-donor fund; 2) contributing to an existing multi-donor fund; 3) establishing a single donor fund. A multi-donor fund can be created and then receive contributions from an unlimited number of individuals. It is an appropriate choice when donors wish others to also contribute to the fund. The listing of funds shows the name of the beneficiary institution or project but does not show the name of the fund’s creator. The minimum donation to establish a new multi-donor fund is us$5,000. Donations to an existing multi-donor fund can be of any amount. A single-donor fund can only receive contributions from those who create it. The listing of funds shows the name of the fund’s creators, the individuals to whom it is dedicated and the beneficiary institutions. It is an appropriate choice when donors wish to dedicate the gift in honor or memory of a loved one. The minimum donation to establish a new single-donor fund is also us$5,000. Subsequent donations may be of any amount.§
The Gift Multiplier Plan§
451 ¶If a donor so wishes, a gift can be used to create a fund up to ten times the amount of the gift. For example, a gift of only $10,000 can be used to create a fund of $100,000. An increase of ten times takes about twenty-five to thirty years. This is accomplished by adding the investment income to the fund principal until the principal reaches the agreed upon goal. From then onward, the beneficiary receives the investment income, in this case initially approximately $5,000 per year.§
HHE’s Beneficiary Qualifications§
452 ¶For the trustees of HHE to qualify an organization as a beneficiary, the organization, in addition to providing a list of one or more projects that are to be approved by HHE, should provide appropriate documentation that it is recognized as a charity under its own local law. It must also demonstrate that its activities are primarily devoted to religious purposes in furtherance of traditional and classical Hindu principles and practices.§
Hindu Heritage Endowment Management§
453 ¶Hindu Heritage Endowment maintains an office at the Kauai’s Hindu Monastery on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai and is overseen by four stewards: Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, Āchārya Veylanswāmī, Āchārya Palaniswāmī and Āchārya Ceyonswāmī. It began with three Investment Managers: Franklin Management, Inc.; Hawaiian Trust Company, Ltd.; Brandes Investment Partner’s, Inc.; with the legal counsel of Mr. Alvin Buchignani, Attorney at Law, San Francisco, and the accountant services of Nāthan Palani, CPA, Kauai, Hawaii. §
About the Following Chapter§
454 ¶The next chapter explains how our unique Hindu Businessmen’s Association works, how it benefits members, supporting their independence and promoting their financial stability in these competitive times. It was founded many years ago and has held meetings in unbroken continuity each month in several countries. Hear now how people with experience help others get experience, how those who have garnered a little wealth collaborate to help others do the same. Also presented here is our Hindu Workingmen’s Association. Unless you’re from the Birla family, men in your family probably started out as employees, working under someone else on salary. There’s an art to being a good employee. The HWA is a no-nonsense group of members who join together and hammer out how to be the best of employees, how to get young men started in their first jobs with the correct attitude and how to make all devotees the servants of the servants of the Lord, our CEO or Creator and Earth Officer. Finally, the next chapter discusses two other vital Church agencies, the Hindu Student’s Association, formally established just this year, and the Rājarāja Chola Gurukulam, which first started in 1980 under the name “Indo-American Śaivite Schools.” §
He who understands his duty to society truly lives. All others shall be counted among the dead.§
Tirukural, 214. TW§
Of what use is the body that never walked around the temple of Śiva, offering Him flowers in the worship rite? Of what use is this body?§
Tirumurai, 4.9.8. PS, 44§
The gift of wealth and victory in deeds, sweetest of garlands, honor and fame, too, love and esteem are His bounties—so even devas adore the elephant-faced One, in devotion sweet with cooped hands.§
Tirumurai, 11. (Kapiladeva). AG, 159§
