amjno.22

Quarterly Journal of the Aum Muruga Society

Aum Muruga Journal No. 22 April -June 2003

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AUM MURUGA JOURNAL No. 22: April /June 2003Publisher: Aum Muruga Society First Issue: Jan./March 1998 Frequency: Quarterly ISSN No.: 1 442-9330 Purpose: To promote the understandingof the spirituality through thereligious and cultural practices,and traditions of Hinduism. Editor: Dr. R. Sri Ravindrarajah Postal Address: Aum Muruga Society, 15, Valda Place, Baulkham Hills, NSW 2153, Australia E-mail: [email protected] Annual Subscription: A$15(Free Aum Muruga Societymembership)

Web Site Address: http://members.ozemail.com.au/~rasiah/ams/ams.html

Articles, Discussion andLetter to the Editor arewelcome from the readersfor publication.

E D I T O R I A L Chapter 16 of Bhagavad Gita speaks about the Divine and theDemonic nature of the human beings. Krishna explains that there aretwo types of people born in this world. They are the divine and thedemonic. The traits of a divine person are: fearlessness; intelligence;wisdom; charity; renunciation; peaceful; disposition; compassion; kindness;forgiveness; purity of thought; freedom from hatred; humility; absence ofgreed; study of scriptures; uprightness; and sacrifice. The vices of thedemonic are: hypocrite; pride; arrogance; anger; harshness; and ignorance.These constitute obstacle to the path of liberation. A person withdemonic nature doesnt know what to do and what not to do. They are notclear and pure in body and mind. They feel that this world is broughtabout by the force of desire and lust. Such people engage in activities,which leads to the destruction of the world. They are driven by hundredsof desires, lust, and anger and acquire wealth by illegal means. Such foolsonly think of their wealth and plans ways and means of acquiring more forenjoyment and pleasure. They feel they are perfect, powerful and happy.They think by donating some money fro charity they will become happy.Such ignorant people will go to hell. They will be born again and again andcan never attain salvation. Lust, anger and greed are three gates leadingto hell. A perswon who does not care for the scripture and the dutiesprescribed will not attain perfection or happiness.

The above revelation in Gita is well suited to the current worldsituation. The world peace was shaken by the events in Iraq in March2003, in spite of the spontaneous worldwide protests against the war,staged by the most powerful nations against a helpless Iraq. Althoughmany agreed upon the expected change, justification and morality ofthis war were questioned on the basis of wisdom of the leaders toinflict severe suffering on the innocents. Massive bombing raids aswitness by millions from homes courtesy of the TV stations had:destroyed the infrastructure of Iraq; killed thousands of people fromboth sides; and injured several thousands. The war is won but thepeace is yet to come. All agree that a difficult road is ahead to bringfreedom, peace and security to Iraq as promised.

Are we moving towards a world where law of the jungle prevails,such as survival of the fittest? Do we accept the proposition that mightis right? Aftermath of the war brought looting, insecurity, suffering andchaos in Iraq. The looters did not spare hospitals and Museums. Therewas no respect to the human life and human values. In this so-calledcivilised world, the worth of a human life seems to depend upon thenationality and colour of the person. In the name of technologicaladvancement, many countries possess the weapons of massdestruction (WMD). There is no justification for any country to possessWMD. World peace is possible if and only when WMD is totallyeliminated from this world and the sovereignty of all countries isrespected. Do we need any more advancement in the destructivetechnology to carry out activities such as carpet bombing, clusterbombing, precision bombing, bunker buster attack and satellite guidedmissile attacks? Lack of morality and absence of love towardshumanity are the main causes for the growth in weapon technology. Isit possible to create a single life through technological advancement?Hindus, jointly with other world religions, should promote peacefulengagement to solve the disputes for the love of humanity. Manyarticles in this issue discuss Hindu views in relation to war and peace.

WISHING A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS HINDU NEW YEAR

Serious spiritual Sadhana is like touching a sleeping cobra, whose presence is not otherwise felt, when hisses at us. One may then think: Why awaken it at all? Why not allow it sleep? Well! It may look all right, but it is necessary; because that it is sleeping is no freedom from its danger. So long as it is there, the danger is imminent, and it has to be faced sometime or other. Until it is killed we cannot be free from the impending danger. So is the case with Avidya (ignorance). So long as it is there, we are bound to this mortal existence. To attain Anubhuthi (liberation), Avidya has to be removed by necessary Sadhana, sooner or later. One cannot help it.

Kandar Anubhuthi


Aum Muruga Journal No. 22 April - June 2003

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SCIENCE AND RELIGION: A HINDU PERSPECTIVE Professor Varadaraja V. Raman

Professor of Physics and Humanities Emeritus, Rochester Institute of Technology, New York, USA

After more than a century of open conflict, science and religion have initiated mutually respectful dialogues in the Western Christian tradition. Scholars in other traditions, which never had such confrontations, are joining in these discussions, largely because these are conducted in the global languages of English and French. Thus, the debates between Science and Christianity have now been extended to Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism also. African religious perspectives are also making their way into this arena.

In the multicultural world in which we live, it is good to know how various traditions approach the topic of science and religion. Each brings its particular light, each unique in its own way. What distinguishes the Hindu perspective is that it does not hinge upon holy books and prophetic messages, nor even on claims of its own mode being superior, but rather on recognitions that are accessible to one and all who would undertake the quest. In this regard, it is closer to the scientific quest, and like it, the Hindu vision transcends race and religion, geography and culture.

Yet, it does have historical roots. What is now called Hinduism is a capsule epithet for a complex, ancient, and extremely diverse culture in which practically every aspect of human endeavor has found rich expression. Mainstream Hinduism traces its spiritual and intellectual roots to the wisdom of the Vedas and the Upanishads, which have nourished the Hindu mind and soul for millennia. The ancient aphoristic genre in which the insights are articulated affords ample room for discussion and dispute. So, Hindu thinkers vary widely in their interpretations and even allegiance to these most sacred texts of their tradition.

These texts combine the insights of poetry and the reflections of philosophy with the visions of spiritually awakened sages. Their contents may strike the modern mind as arcane and incomprehensible at first blush, but upon careful analysis, they impress us as more than inspired metaphysical utterances: sometimes, they seem to be glimmers of deep scientific understanding of the world.

In a sense, traditional Hindu reflections may be looked upon as theologies as one would use the term in the Western tradition: For they do talk about God in concrete name-bearing modes and in the abstract spiritual sense also. But it must be noted

that the seers don't simply confine themselves to lauding the Divine and seeking His blessings or mercy. Rather, they probe into the most fundamental question of all: the nature and source of this most mysterious presence in an otherwise cold and concrete physical world, this stamp of self-identity which each of us is here to, called consciousness. This is a matter in which modern science has been intensely engaged in recent decades, but Hindu thinkers have always explored it in theory and in practice too.

In this context, it is good to recall that Hindu experimenters who recognized levels of reality declared that much confusion would arise if we adopt the methodology of exploring one level in probing another. This brings us to the domain of application of the rational mode. Reason, logic, and mathematics are powerful tools in interpreting the world on the intellectual and epistemic plane. But whether they are equally effective in handling other levels of experience is a question that is worth examining, if only because there is no point in trying to unlock a sturdy lock with an incompatible key.

There are two ways of looking upon the vast corpus of Indian philosophical writings and spiritual utterances: The first is to regard them as yet another interesting body of speculative thought about the world. Seen thus, Indian philosophy strikes us as rich in the variety of problems it explores, and impressive in its scope and range. It is creatively imaginative in its analogies and hypotheses, tantalizingly appealing in its picturesque worldviews. The output of Indian philosophers is staggeringly voluminous and their mode insightfully classificatory. The goal of the various schools is invariably the same: liberation of the jivatman (individual soul) from the doctrinally proclaimed cycle of birth and death. Few, who have even scratched the surface of the grand visions of Indian philosophy, can deny that the thinkers, who originated them, were mighty intellects who were altogether convinced of whatever they were declaring.

This leads us to the second view. From this perspective, even with its mutually opposing positions as to the identity or the distinctions between the jivatman (individual soul) and the paramatman (supreme soul), and other logically questionable metaphysical assertions, Indian philosophy has at its core certain profound insights into the ultimate nature of the world and of the



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human experience. The basic theses of Hindu thought do not simply subtend speculative systems, any more than Maxwells theory of electro-magnetism is mere mathematics. Rather, the proponents of Indian philosophy were telling us something that is not only meaningful, but revelatory about the ultimate nature of conscious-ness and the cosmos. They were not building a system of thought so much as unveiling a not-so-apparent dimension of Reality. Their aphorisms were not just doodles on the mental plane: they arose rather from experiential certitudes resulting from sustained tinkering with the subtlest centers of the inscrutable Self. Their words and wisdom are to be taken, therefore, not as grand imaginative poetry, but as findings and discoveries about the physical universe, exactly as twentieth century science, after persistent probing into the heart of matter and energy, after countless hours of search and reflection, has erected its own views of fundamental reality.

If this were so, if spiritual probing via yogic efforts do lead to insights about the ultimate nature of physical reality, while scientific peelings of the layers of matter via instrumental ingenuities and mathematical formalisms also lead to the deep-down details of that same reality, then one would expect the two lines of quest to merge, somewhat as travelers by jet planes and by ocean liners, starting from the same point, could ultimately meet at the same destination.

This, in the view of some, is precisely what is happening in our own times. For, it turns out that the philosophical quagmire into which quantum physics has been sliding during the past few decades turns topsy-turvy our common sense pictures of a solid substantial world of cause and law, of rigid particles and conserved quantities, of smooth flowing time and three dimensional space. As we delve deeper into the remote recesses of atoms and nuclei, funny things begin to happen. Mathematical clouds of probability take over, electrons seem to know, information seems to get transmitted instant-aneously, everything seems to be interconnected, and a good many more strange things are taking place in the microcosm. In the depths of black holes and in the singularities of quarks, space and time and physical laws get warped and dissolved. Now we begin to wonder if those sage-poets of India had not after all tumbled upon some profound truths about the perceived world, which, because of their very nature, could not be adequately expressed, even in sacred Sanskrit. They were perhaps quite right in insisting that in the stark denuded aspect, stripped of mute matter and measuring mind, there is a level of reality that only pure consciousness can experience, and pure consciousness can only

experience, not convey. Could it be that now at long last, after countless tortuous turns of reason and experimentation, of mathematics and microscopes, science is slowly beginning to get a glimmer of what the sages were speaking about?

That is why in our own times some eminent physicists and philosophers of the quantum world, commentators and speculative thinkers are drawn towards this ancient wisdom. It would seem that there is much to be gained if, as Alexis Comfort suggest, the yogic quest on the one hand, stripped of its mumble-jumble, and no-nonsense empirical science on the other, stripped of its rationalistic straight-jacket and model-building prejudices about what can and what cannot be, combine forces in unscrewing the deeper mysteries of the world of experience. V.V. Raman, Science and the spiritual vision: A Hindu prospective, Zygon, 37(1), March 2002.

ADVAITA VEDANTA Advaita Vedanta argues that there are levels of truth; alower level of ordinary, mundane, everyday experienceand a higher level of intuitive and immediateapprehension of ultimate reality. It is only on the lowerlevel of truth that it is possible to conceive of a personaldeity in a loving relationship with individualworshippers; only on this level of truth that divine graceis understood to bring worshippers to a blissfulcommunion with God. It is only on the higher level oftruth that it is possible to recognise the identity of thesoul or self with the impersonal absolute. Yet AdvaitaVedanta did not reject or repudiate religious beliefs andpractices predicted upon the lower level of truth.Instead, it gave theistic religion a standing consistentwith its limited and qualified nature of subordinating itto supratheistic philosophy. In this way, AdvaitaVedanta acknowledged that there was truth, if on alower level, in theistic religion and that theistic religionwas a path preliminary and preparatory to supratheisticphilosophy. In the introduction to his commentary onGita, Sankara asserted: Though the Religion of Works -which as a means of attaining wordlly prosperity, isenjoined on several castes and religious orders leadsthe devotee to the region of the Devas and the like, still,when practiced in a spirit of complete devotion to theLord and without regard to (immediate) results, itconduces to the purity of the mind (sattva-suddhi). Theman whose mind is pure is competent to tread the pathof knowledge, and to him comes knowledge; and thus(indirectly) the Religion of Works forms also a means tothe Supreme Bliss.

Denis Cush and Cathrine RobinsonFrom: The Contemporary Construction of Hindu

Indentity: Hindu Universalism and Hindu NationalismDISKUS (WebEdition)



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IRAQ AND HINDUISM Francois Gautier, Columnist, May 19, 2003

We see today that the whole world is shying in horror from the war America is planning against Iraq. And indeed the devastating consequences of war on human beings and the environment have been so well documented, that no man or woman, in his or her right mind, would condone it in the 21st century.

There is on top of that in the West, a growing distaste for violence, to which Christianity, which not only emphasises love for the neighbour but also adds a sense of guilt at having committed a sin when you kill someone, has greatly contributed.

In India, Buddhism and Mahatma Gandhi's non-violent philosophy, have also given rise to a similar distaste for battle, even if it is done in self-defence. It is not the purpose of this piece to debate the moral wrongs or rightfulness of an eventual war on Iraq, as it has been widely and repeatedly done -- and very brilliantly - elsewhere. But rather to look at war from a Hindu point of view, a point of view that has often been the subject of many misunderstandings.

'Man's natural tendency,' writes Sri Aurobindo, India's great nationalist, yogi and prophet of the New Age, 'is to worship nature as love and life and beauty and good -- and to turn away from her grim mask of death. We adore god as Shiva, but refuse to adore him as Rudra.'

Thus, war has often baffled or even repelled man. We saw how Ashoka turned Buddhist in Kalinga, or how Gandhi refused to help in the war effort against the Nazis and the Japanese, or how today, youngsters all over the world have spontaneously risen in protest against the impending US battle against Iraq.

Five or six thousand years ago, Arjuna faced the same dilemma. Remember how, casting down the divine bow given to him by the gods for that tremendous hour, he says: 'It is more for my welfare that the sons of Dhritarashtra, armed, should slay me unarmed and unresisting... I-will-not-fight.'

In the words of Sri Aurobindo, Arjuna's refusal to fight, 'is the emotional revolt of a man hitherto satisfied with action and its current standards, who finds himself cast by them into a hideous chaos where human beings are in violent conflict with each other and where there is no moral standing ground left, nothing to lay hold of and walk by, no dharma.'

Yet, if we observe man and nature closely, we find -- even today -- that war and destruction are not only a universal principle of our life here in its purely

material aspects, but also of our mental and moral existence. Everything is a struggle in our planet, all plants, animals and human beings have to struggle against each other, right from the moment of birth; even business is a warfare in disguise. It is then evident that the actual life of man can make no real step forward without a struggle between what exists and lives and what seeks to exist.

The Gita, as we have seen, takes for its frame such a period of transition and crisis as humanity periodically experiences in its history, in which great forces clash together for a huge destruction, and reconstruction, intellectual, social, moral, religious and political.

Furthermore, in the words of India's great avatar: 'It is an illusion to think that our hands should remain clean and our souls unstained for the law of strife and destruction to die out from the world. On the contrary, abstention from strife and concomitant destruction may help one's moral being, but leaves the slayer of creatures unabolished.'

We have seen for example how France has still not come to terms with the collaboration of many Frenchmen with the Germans during the Second World War, or how the neutrality of Switzerland is a sham. The prosperity of Switzerland often rests on the ill-gotten gains of dictators, or on the stolen money of Jews murdered by the great asura Hitler.

'It is only a few religions which have had the courage, like the Indian, to lift-up the image of the force that acts in the world in the figure not only of the beneficent Durga, but also of the terrible Kali in her blood-stained dance of destruction and to say: "this too is the Mother." And it is significant that the religion which had this unflinching honesty and tremendous courage, has succeeded in creating a profound and widespread spirituality such as no other can parallel.'

The Gita thus proceeds from the acceptance of the necessity in nature for such vehement crises and it accepts the moral aspect of the struggle between righteousness and unrighteousness, between the self-affirming law of good and the forces that oppose its progression. The Gita, concludes Sri Aurobindo, is therefore addressed to the fighters, the men of action, those whose duty in life is that of war and protection of those who are at the mercy of the strong and the violent and for the maintenance of right and justice in the world.

In this light, the proposed war on Iraq takes another shape: men in their folly, think they are the



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deciders, the doers, the great arbiters, but who is pulling the strings from behind? Mr. Bush and his generals believe they have planned every possibility, plugged every loophole. But there is no way they can control the consequences of the action they are going to undertake.

Who is right and who is wrong in this whole affair? There is no such thing as a good Bush and a bad Saddam and the tendency of the whole Western and Indian intelligentsia to portray America as an evil empire bent on hegemony and Iraq as an innocent, persecuted nation, makes one a little uneasy. After all, has not the United States risen up and paid with its blood every time the free world was in danger and is not Iraq one of the nations, which has sponsored international terrorism, particularly against Israel?

Therefore, in the present state of human nature, with its ego, ambition, lack of love and brotherhood, war is still inevitable and we have to accept it. Awaiting better times, the 'supramental' which Sri Aurobindo and the Mother of Pondichery came to usher, we should only remember what Krishna tells Arjuna on the eve of the Kurukshetra battle: 'You are not killing the soul, but merely the material body: we will all be reborn, again and again, till humanity understands that love -- and love only -- is the only answer to all our differences.'

Francois Gautier, who has lived in India for 30 years and is married to an Indian, is a French journalist, the correspondent in South Asia for Le Figaro, France's largest circulated newspaper. He has published Rewriting Indian History and Arise O India.

HINDU TAMIL PROVERBS - 2From Tamil Proverbs by Rev. P. Percival, 1842

From the collection of over 6000 Tamil Proverbs,the modes of thinking, and the natural shrewdnessof the Hindu mind may be seen through thismedium. 1. MrPHthjKk; rhgKk; mwNthHf;F ,y;iy.

The virtuous are not affected by blessing andcursing. 2. Mir mWgJ ehs;> Nkhfk; Kg;gJ ehs;>

njhz;ZhW ehSk; Nghdhy; Jilg;gq;fl;il.

Sixty days of excessive desire, thirty days ofenjoyment; when the ninety days are over, theremaining time is as a worn-out broom. 3. Mir ngUf miyr;rYk; ngUFk;>

Mirf;F mstpy;iy> Mir ntl;fk;mwpahJ.

As desire increases, anxiety increases; Desire hasno limits; Desire knows not shame. 4. Mbf; fwf;fpw khl;il Mbf; fwf;f

Ntz;Lk;. ghbf; fwf;fpw khl;ilg; ghbf;fwf;f Ntz;Lk;.

A restless cow must be milked by force, and agentle cow must be milked with kindness.Treatment is to be regulated by circumstances. 5. ML eidfpwJ vd;W Xeha; mOfpwjhk;.

It is said that the wolf wept because the sheep isgetting wet. 6. MLq;fhyj;Jj; jiyfPohf tpOe;jhy;

XLk; fg;giuAk; cilatd; Mthd;.

If one should fall headlong when he ought to beactive, he will be so impoverished as to possessonly broken pots and an alms-dish. Indolence inyouth leads to poverty in old age. 7. Ml;by; Mapuk;> khl;by; Mapuk;> tPl;bNy

fuz;b ghy; ,y;iy.

Possessed of sheep by the thousand, of cattle bythe thousand, he hasnt got a spoonful of milk athome. 8. Mztj;jhy; mopahNj.

Do not destroy yourself by pride (ego). 9. MZf;F mtNfL nra;jhYk;

ngz;Zf;Fg; gpioNfL nra;ayhfhJ.

Although one may injure a man, a woman may notbe injuriously treated. 10. MizAk; Ntz;lhk;> rj;jpaKk;

Ntz;lhk;> Jzpiag; Nghl;Lj; jhz;L.

Neither swearing nor oaths are required, put downthe cloth and stride over it.

ABODES OF BLISS There are four Abodes of Bliss: Swarga; Kailasa;Vaikuntha; and Sattya-loka. In describing thesepleasant retreats, the Hindu books represent MountMaha-Meru on the slopes of which they are situated,as being in the form of a cone, convoluted like asnails shell and divided into stages. On the first, onthe north side, is Swarga, Indras paradise; to the left,on the east side and at the next stage, is Kailasa (orParvata), Sivas paradise; at a still higher stage, onthe south side, is Vaikuntha, Vishnus paradise; and,finally on the summit of the mountain is Sattya-loka,Brahmas paradise. Swarga is inhabited by the godsof the second rank and here grows the famous Kalpa-tree, and the existence of the cow Kamadhenu.Kailasa is a city constructed on a triangular plan. Sivaresides with his wife Parvathi and sons Ganesh andKartika. Gold and precious objects of all sorts sparkleon every side of Vaikuntha. A superb palace inhabitedby Vishnu and his wife Lakshmi. The river Virajaflows below the royal residence. Sattya-loka signifiesThe Place of Truth or the Abode of Virtue.Brahma lives with his wife Saraswathy. The Gangeswaters this divine retreat.



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INTRODUCTION TO THANUOLOGY Dr. S. Chidambarathanu Pillai

Honorary Editor, "Siddha System of Life" Thanuology is an lndigenous System of Medicine which deals with the study of Secret locations of life-centres in the human body, and its associations with the human body and its treatment, if traumatised. DERIVATION OF THE TERM THANUOLOGY The term Thanuology is derived from the name Almighty. Thanu is one of the names given to Lord Siva. An ancient story is behind this derivation. It is said that Lord Siva happened to see his sons Ganapathy and Murugan, during their childhood, fighting and wrestling with each other. In the course of their single combat each one was pulling and hitting the other. Lord Siva stopped their fighting and enlightened them about the presence of various secret points (life centres) of the body and the ill effects produced if these life-centres were traumatised. It is also said that the Siddhars, who had the blessings of Lord Siva, taught this Science to the people for their well-being. The word 'Thanuology' may be a new one to Modern Science. But it is an ancient Indian Medical Science, not yet generally widely known among the people of India.

THANUOLOGY AND OTHER MARTIAL ARTS Thanuology is an art as well as a science. As an art it can be employed to attack a person to disable him (which is not normally done) and as a science, it helps persons recoup from the impact of such attacks. The Science of Thanuology was therefore utilized by ruling kings of those days to treat the wounded and the disabled soldiers who were injured in the wars by their enemies.

Thanuology has also some similarities to other Martial arts such as Silambun, sword fighting, Kalari etc. In these arts, the life centres of men are made known to practitioners to enable them to achieve their ends. These Martial arts were extensively practised by the people of Tamil Nadu and patronised by the ancient kings. The mastery over these arts helped the people and the soldiers to protect the country from the attack of enemies.

DANGERS OF JUDO & KARATE Martial arts like Judo, Karate etc., have become very popular under the patronage of foreigners like Japanese and Chinese. The Martial Arts are used now-a-days liberally by the people of India for defence purposes. By its extensive use, many persons become victim to attacks. The impact in the

body of the victims causes damage or injury to life-centres. The person who is injured, may physically be rendered temporarily or permanently useless. The aim of the person who practices Martial arts such as Karate or Judo is to over-power his opponent. But, his victory is achieved by causing damage to the life centres of the body of his opponent. The impact of injuries inflicted upon others is not taken note of. One should not forget such injury may at times be fatal. It should be remembered that, once the life centre of the body is impaired, such impact develops different types of ailments in later days. It assumes major proportions and causes various ailments as the age of the Victim advances. All these are due to ignorance of the effect of the damage caused to life centres by the practitioners of Martial arts. Almost in all cases the victims do not live long if they are not promptly treated for by expert Thanuologists.

It is Thanuology that brings to light the complete scientific aspects of such impacts. Thanuology is therefore excellent as a Science, besides being an art.

SHORT HISTORY OF THANUOLOGY These martial arts, and also Thanuology were the boons of Lord Siva who conferred them on the three Tamil Kings, Chera, Chola, and Pandiyan. Realising its misuse by Chola and Pandiya Kings, Siva had left with them the martial arts, and withheld the science of Thanuology by the divine emissaries viz., lyen and Keyan. This science was thus left with a few Tamilian families of the South of erstwhile Travancore. The richness and delicacy of this science has made these families secretive about it and it has been handed down from father to son, and Guru to disciple. Thanuology is purely a Tamilian Science. Other Martial arts are extensively used and easily available for learning.

LIFE CENTRES The ancient Greek story, that our children learn in the preparatory class illustrates that the death of the Giant Goliath was brought about by the shepherd boy David by a hit at a Vital spot on the temple. It would be an indication that the human body has a large number of life-centres and its defection would cause ailments and sometimes death.

Hundreds of Life centres of the human body lie dormant within bones, nerves, veins, muscles, joints



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and inner organs and are found either deep or at the surface of the body. Vital life-centres are dominant on bones and joints; Medium life-centres on nerves; Striking life-centres on veins; Inner life-centres on muscles, and Chronic life-centres on blood clots formed due to impacts on the body.

As switches control the flow of electricity, the flow of life of the human body is controlled at the life-centres. Whenever the life centres are traumatised by a hit or a cut, either directly or indirectly, then the whole body is left out of control. In other words, the whole body is paralysed. This is manifested by symptoms like fainting, fits, sprain, swelling, bleeding, shivering, fractures, dislocations or even death.

FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN BODY Based on the fundamental principles, the human body is governed by 96 Thathuvams. There are 108 important life centres in the human body, of which 12 are vital life centres, and 96 medium life-centres. Those 108 life centres are seated in 5 broad regions. 25 life centres are at the head region, 45 life-centres at neck-umbilicus region, 9 life centres at umbilicus-anus region, 14 life centres at upper limb region and 15 life centres at lower limb region.

LIFE CENTRES AND TRITHOSAS According to Indian Systems of Medicine, Trithosas (which are the three humours on the body) condition the health of the human body. Vatha, Pittha and Kaba act in the proportion of 4:2:1, respectively. Its variation in proportions will lead to diseases. In Thanuology, Vatham (Wind) dominates at bones and joints; Pittha (heat) at muscles; and Kaba at nerves. The impact of life centres brings variations in the Trithosas. All diseases are classified under these three principles.

SIGNS OF LIFE CENTRES, IF DEFECTED Wherever the life centres are really defected the relevant place will be felt chill. Normally the pranavayu (oxygen) may stick up. There may be wounds and pains. There may be signs and symptoms, peculiar to the defection of the particular life centre. If the symptoms found on the victim, vary from time to time, and also uneasiness prevails upon, one can easily conclude that these are the signs of a serious case. Further in case the controlling (key) centre is neutralised and no change could be felt in the condition of the victim, one can very well conclude it is also a very serious case. Only after the prescribed time limit, if the patient survives, he can be given the required treatment for recovery.

INFLUENCE OF MOON UPON HUMAN BODY There are many secrets about the influence of the moon upon the human body. Milk of moon also works in fifteen places in each of the two sides of the human body. These places are also the active life centres. After the full moon day, it is active at 15 places from toe to head on the left side, and after the New Moon day it is active at other places on the right side of the body. In these days, the respective place of human body wherein the milk of moon rests is defected due to injuries, death occurs in all probabilities. Knowledge about this, would help the Thanuologist to give appropriate treatment for satisfactory relief to victims.

THANUOLOGY IS THE GIFT OF SIDDHAS

The classifications of life centres, Centre of forces in the physical tenements, diagnoses, and the forms of treatment etc., are the fruits of centuries of research conducted by Tamil "Seers" who are styled as "Siddhas" and whose expressions and findings are transcribed in hundreds of works. Their works are of immense importance and guidance to later generations for a rational and healthy life, and wonders beyond all possible comprehension of the common people as well as academicians.

SHARE OF DISEASES TO THANUOLOGY As Scientific development and progress takes place in the world, accidents are on the increase. This cannot be avoided. As a result, 50% of the population suffers from various kinds of diseases. So also, when a man falls off from a height or from a running train, or a vehicle, he is treated by the orthopaedic surgeon for the broken bones and other visible injuries.

The impact of invisible injuries especially to life centres as well as inner organs like lungs, heart, liver, head, brain etc., are left without being cared for. As a result, we find a large number of victims suffer, even after their bones were set right and other external injuries have been healed. Their ailments assume greater proportion, as their age advances.

MODE OF TREATMENT If the impact of vital centres is not treated according to Thanuology, victims may suffer from non-specific ailments like Tuberculosis, Asthma, pains and other inexplainable complaints. For treatment of diseases like Tuberculosis and Asthma the worrying factor for the present Medical specialists is the paucity of basis of such diseases. Thanuology opens up a new vista to such people who are in a dilemma as to the original causes of diseases. To avoid such a



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situation we have to treat the vital life centres of victims under the following methods. 1. Elakku murai (Neutralising the damage caused) 2. Thadavu murai (Massage the effective points) 3. Curing the defections by special methods. 4. Kattu murai (Bandages) 5. Maruthuvam (application of medicine) 6. Shanthi murai (Divine Treatment) etc. From the above explanation it is clear that Thanuology is more a science than an art and has all similarities to other modern medical sciences.

DIFFERENTIATION OF DISEASES It is seen in some southern Districts like Tirunelvelli district, Kanyakumari district etc., of Tamilnadu that the physician is in the habit of enquiring of the patient as to whether he had any injury or impact to life centres of body. This is to make sure that the impact on life centres requires treatment under Thanuology. If the answer from the patient is in the negative, he is given normal treatment. This sort of enquiry helps the doctor to select the correct type of treatment and medicines. There are, in fact, some symptoms like fever, pain, uneasiness, etc., which are common to both type of diseases. Ignorance will not help the Doctor to cure the ailment. It will complicate the condition of the patient rather than curing the ailment.

SPECIAL POINTS It is useful to take careful note of certain points as guidelines for treatment of patients by Thanuology. Timely treatment of life centres will ensure abundant hope and ample chance for recovery of ailment. The life, which is cornered due to vital spots being traumatised, begins to regain its original vigour and vitality and runs as usual through the regions of the body, sooner the patient recovers from the defections of life centres.

CONCLUSION Thanuology which has many advantages is now readily at hand for us to enjoy its benefits. The information given in this article is meagre. This science has hundreds of valuable unpublished treatises, which the medical world is yet to know. The works such as "Varma muthira" "Varam kaaviam", "Udal paathi vuvir paathi uddaluvir paathi, "Yelumbu murivu sari, "Varma kannadi, Varma vimanam etc. are some of the treatises in Tamil, to illustrate the meaning of Thanuology. M/s Siddha Medical Literature Research Centre Madras 600 102 has collected a good number of works, written in Tamil verses. They are written in Gudgen

leaves and of a few centuries old. This Institute has been in the extensive study and research of Thanuology since a decade. It had published six treatises (in Tamil) titled "Paduvarma thirattu, "Varma sutcham, Varmani thiravukol, Varma kaimurai yedu, Thoduvarma thirattu, Varma theerppu and has plans to bring out new publications in English. It is also learnt that M/s SMLRC have applied for Indian Medical Council for permission to, conduct courses leading to Ph.D. in Thanuology. From the above said facts it will be seen that Thanuology has wide scope and usefulness to people all over the world. It is high time that the Government are to undertake comprehensive study of Thanuology by Institutes. The very popularisation of Thanuology through the medium of colleges, Hospitals and Research centres will certainly go a long way to satisfy the long felt need of the people of the world. This article is an extract of speech delivered by Dr. S. Chidambarathanu Pillai, Honorary Editor, "Siddha System of life" on "The Role of Thanuology on Modern Medical Science" at the 2nd International Congress on traditional Asian Medicine to be held in Surabaya, Indonesia from 2nd to 7th September 1984.

HINDUISM AND WAR Hinduism is a label that covers a wide range ofIndian religious groups. While there are manydifferences between the various traditions theyhave a great deal in common. Like mostreligions, Hinduism includes both teachingsthat condemn violence and war, and teachingsthat promote it as a moral duty.

The teachings that condemn violence arecontained in the doctrine of ahimsa, whilethose that permit it centre around theKshatriyas - the warrior caste.

SELF-DEFENCE

Hindus believe that it is right to use force inself-defence:

"May your weapons be strong to drive awaythe attackers, may your arms be powerfulenough to check the foes, let your army beglorious, not the evil-doer."

Rig Veda 1-39:2THE CONDUCT OF WAR

The Rig Veda sets down the rules of war at6-75:15, and says that a warrior will go to hell ifhe breaks any of them.

do not poison the tip of your arrow do not attack the sick or old do not attack a child or a woman do not attack from behind



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SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TEMPLES AND PRANA PRATISHTHA CEREMONY: ITS MEANING

H.H. Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji (Pujya Muniji), Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh, India. This article was appeared in Commemorative Brochure of the Shri Shiva Mandir, 2003.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF TEMPLES A temple is a not a building. It is the abode of the Lord. A temples strength is not in its bricks. Its fortitude comes from the dedication of its members. A temple is not held together by plaster and mud. Its glue is the piety and devotion of the community. A temple is not simply a place we visit. It should be the axis around which our lives revolve. People may ask, But if God is everywhere, if every living being is a manifestation of Brahma, then why do we need to go to temple? There are many reasons. The most important reason is that a temple is not only the home of God, but is a concentration of divine energy.

The temple building itself is constructed in such a way as to maximise the concentration of positive, sacred and peaceful energies. The actual structure of a temple is said to represent the resting body of the Lord. The sanctum is His mouth, the entrance tower (raja gopuram) is His holy feet, and other parts represent His limbs. Most importantly, deep inside the main structure is the sanctum sanctorum (garbha graha), which is the Heart of the Lord, and it is there that we place the deities.

Ancient rishis and saints could realise God through their meditations. They lived high in the Himalayas or in secluded forests. There were few distractions, and their lives were focused on one thing: attaining the divine vision. They, therefore, did not need temples. Their world was their temple. However, today, our lives are flooded with material desires, with mundane tasks, with logistic concerns. We must get up each day and go to earn a living to feed our families. We must live in a world that indoctrines us to crave only sensual pleasures and material wealth. It is very difficult for this world to seem like a temple.

Therefore, we must have a place which is sacred, a place which is holy, a place in which our sole purpose is becoming one with God, a place in which we hang up our daily concerns and troubles like coats at the door. We must have a place, which focuses our mind on the true meaning in life. The temple serves this purpose.

A university student may claim he does not need to go the library to do his homework his dorm room is a fine place to study. Theoretically, that is

true. The books are the same, the material to be learned is the same. However, we know that in a dorm room he will be constantly tempted by ringing phones, by knocks at the door, by loud music, by desire to gossip with his friends in the hallway. However, the library is silent. It is a place devoted to acedamic studies. There, he will not be distracted. In the library, everywhere he looks he will see other students deep in their work. This environment will provide him not only with quiet in which to study, but also with inspiration from others who are there for the same purpose. Similarly we go to temple for the sacred environment, for holy energy in the building itself, for the divine presence of the deites, as well as for the inspiration of others who focused on God.

However, a temple should not be a place in which we worship. It should become the focal point of our lives. In the West, many of you have left your extended families back in India. Most of you do not have the luxury of living in a tightly knit Indian community. Therefore, the temple should become that extended family; it should be the place where children come to learn about heritage as well as to play with their Inidan peers. Your temple should be the place of celebration during times of joy, as well as your place of comfort and solace during times of grief. Your temple should feed every aspect of your being; your hearts, your minds, your stomachs and your souls. Then, it will truly be a mandir and not only a building.

PRANA PRATISHTHA CEREMONY A Hindu Temple is sacred place, endowed with divine energies and powers. At the heart of each temple lie the deities, to whom we bow and pray in worship. Why is it, though, that these statues, these idols are worshipped as God? How did they come to be infused with divine characteristics? The answer is the Prana Pratishtha ceremony.

People say that Hindus are idol worshippers. We are not. We are ideal worshippers. It is not the plaster and marble and stone we revere; rather it is the presence of God which has been transmitted into these otherwise lifeless stautes. Our human eyes cannot behold the image of the Divine; thus, God is kind and merciful enough to infuse our deities with His Divine presence and allow Himself to be worshipped through these deities.



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The rites and rituals of Prana Pratishtha are followed strictly according to the Agamic texts. Prior to installation, priests who have been well trained in vedic rituals, perform specific mantras and pujas which have been shown to endow an inanimate object with divine life and energy.

These mantras and rites begin with the simple man who sculpts the stone. He is not an ordinary artist. Rather, he is one who has been blessed with the ability to create a physical manifestation of God. He performs puja and prayer prior to and during the sculpting. He maintains, in his mind, the vision of the deity he is sculpting. He prays for this God to come to life in his statue. His work area looks more like a temple than an art studio. So, from the very first moment, the stone is treated with reverence and piety, preparing it to carry the force of God.

Then, when the murtis are finished and taken to the temple, the special Prana Pratishtha ceremony typically lasts for five days. During this time, numerous special rites and rituals are performed and mantras are chanted. It is after this complex set of sacred rituals that the murtis become infused with divine power and truly embody the God in whose manifest form they are created. At this point, they are no longer murtis. They are deities. After this we no longer refer to the stone and other materials of which they are constructed. For, they have become sanctified and are now only a physical manifestation of aspects of the Supreme Godhead. They are no longer marble. They are now divine. Whatever form of Me any devotee worships with faith, I come alive in that form (Bhagavad Gita). When the murtis become infused with Divine Life, the temple becomes alive. The deities form the living soul of the temple, and the building is the body.

Some people ask why we need deities, if God exists everywhere. It is very difficult for most people to envision the un-manifest, ever-present, all-pervading Supreme Being. It is easier for us to focus our attention and our love on an image of Him. It is easier for us to focus our attention and our love on an image of Him. It is easier to display love, affection and devotion to a physical deity than to transcendent, omni-present existence. Additionally, through the Prana Pratishtha ceremony and through our own faith and piety, this image of Him truly comes alive and become Him. So, by worshipping His image with faith and love, we arrive at His holy feet. Therefore, praying before a deity in a temple may give us a greater sense of being in the presence of God than praying in our own homes.

In the Srimad Bhagavantum, Lord Krishna says, Whenever one develops faith in Me in My manifest form as the Deity or in any other of my manifestations one should worship Me in that form. I exist within all created beings as well as separately in both My unmanifest and maifest forms. I am the Supreme Soul of all. (Canto 11, Ch. 27, Verse 48).

MINTO SHRI SHIVA MANDIR Shri Shiva Mandir (cover picture) stands with allits glory at 201, Eagle View Road, Minto on a 5-acre precious block of highlands, in a Sydneysuburb in Campelltown. It is approximately50km from Sydney and only 3km from HumeHighway and 2km from Minto railway station.Minto Siva temple is located on a natural scenicblock of land adjacent to Georges river. It has itsMaha Kumbabhishekam on the 23rd February2003. In 1990, a property was purchased with thekind donations from the Hindu community. Later,the existing residential dwelling was convertedto conduct congergational prayers, meeting andpoojas without an icon. Later in the same year, aShiva devotee from India donated and airfreighted the Shiva Lingam to the Madir and dailypoojas were conducted from the beginning of1992. The construction of the temple commencedin July 1992 and was abruptly halted in May 1993due to unforeseen circumstances and was placedon hold for nearly four years. The eclipse thatcast over the progress of the temple building hadto be removed for continuity, so that the templewould remain within the community. With thecommunity support, the construction recom-menced in 1996 with increased religious andspiritual activities. The sthapathi Shri Thedchana-moorthy and other Karigars arrived from India toconstruct the Sanctum Sanctorum and otherShrines. They worked for nine months tocomplete the first stage of the project. Thesanctum sanctorum is for Lord Shiva who issymbolically represented as Shiva Lingam. Thisemblem of Shiva is universally venerated. Just asAum is the verbal symbol of God, the Lingamis the symbolic form of the Godhead. Lingammeans that in which this universe attaindissolution; that into which everyone goesultimately. Apart from the presiding deity ShivaLingam, there are eleven other deities namely,Nandikeswara, Ganapthi, Murugan, Ram Sita,Lakshman, Radha, Krishna Sandeswara andNavagragha. It is a unique temple in its architec-ture and location in NSW.

Temple opening hours: Weekdays: 8-10am;5.30 to 8pm; Weekends and Pubic holidays: 8amto 12 Noon and 4 to 8 pm. Phone: (02) 9820 1094.Visit this temple to enjoy its beauty and obtainthe Lord Shivas Grace.



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SRAADDHA CEREMONY FOR THE DEAD Swami Sivananda

From the book: What becomes of the Souls after death A Divine Life Society Publication

Glossary: Bhava: Feeling Brahmacharya: Celibacy Chitta: Consciousness Japa: Reptition of mantras (hymns) Jiva: Individual souls Karma Kanda: A chapter on human actions and

practices Matras: Hymns Manusmriti: A sared book Hindu Code of Law. Mouna: Silence Pinda: Offering of rice-balls, which a son does for

the departed soul of his ancestors. Pitris: Ancestors Rajas: Passion Sannyasa: Stage of life when a person is supposed

to renounce the world. Sattva: Purity Tamas: Darkness Vanaprastha: A period of life, which begins after

one has finished the household period of life, i.e. after 50 years of age and up to 75 years of age.

Upanishads: Dialogues of spiritual wisdom between Rishis or seers and Brahmachari students.

Vedas: Holy books of Hindus 1. Introduction The Karma Kanda of the Vedas has laid down different duties of man according to his position in life and according to the order to which he belongs. All these injunctions are embodied in the book called Manusmriti, which is the code of law and conduct for Hindus. It is made four divisions of the different stages of life of an individual viz., Brahmacharya (student-life); Garhasthya (household-life); Vanaprastha (forest-life); and Sannyasa (mendicant-life). This order of society gradually perished due to modern civilisation and deterioration of spiritual life in man. Materialistic dark forces of Rajas and Tamas have overpowered the effects of Sattvic ones and religion is given secondary importance. Nay, religionists are looked upon with contempt in these days. Study of scriptures, observance of religious rites, a spiritual life of moderation and real ethical cultures are denounced as useless or old-fashioned and consequently that are fading into insignificance. The problem of life is very serious now. The struggle for existence is very keen in these days.

The question of food and other luxuries of life has taken the place of religion.

2. Importance of Sraaddha Ceremony For a householder the scriptures have imposed the Pancha Maha Yajnas, the five great sacrifices as obligatory duties of life. The neglect of these duties entails penalty. These great sacrifices are:

1. Sacrifice to Gods (Deva Yajna): 2. Sacrifice to Rishis (Rishi Yajna) 3. Sacrifice to Ancestors (Pitris Yajna) 4. Sacrifice to Animals (Bhuta Yajna) 5. Sacrifice to Guests (Atithi Yajna)

The Sraaddha ceremony comes under Sacrifice to Ancestors. It is the sacred duty of the householder. Every householder should perform the Sraaddha ceremony for his ancestors. Pitris are forefathers who dwell in the Pitriloka. They possess the power of clairvoyance and clairaudience. When mantras are recited, the exercise tremendous influence through their vibrations. The Pitris hear the sounds through the power of clairaudience and they are pleased. They bless those who offer the oblation. In Sraaddha, the essence of food offerings is taken up by the Suns rays to Suryaloka and the departed souls are pleased with the offerings.

The Gita and the Upanishads clearly bear testimony to the fact that performance of Sraaddha is very important. It is only the deluded souls with perverted intellect who misconstrue things and neglect to perform the sacred ceremonies and consequently suffer. They are misguided by false reasoning and logic. Satanic influences affect them very easily. Ignorance is the root cause for this state of affairs. 3. Sraaddha Ceremony Sraaddha ceremony is done once in every year. A day of the Pitris is equal to one year of human computation. This is the reason why we have to perform Sraaddha ceremony once a year. If we perform Sraaddha ceremony once in every year, it is equal to daily performance of Sraaddha for the Pitris. In their calculation we, their sons, live only for a few days, because the longest period human existence of 100 years is merely 100 days for them.

Some people entertain the doubt, When the Jiva (soul) undergoes transmigration and takes



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another birth after leaving this physical body, is it necessary that we should perform Sraaddha ceremony for him? He is no more in the heavens. To whom will the oblations reach? In the ninth chapter of the Gita, Lord Krishna has made it very clear that those virtuous persons who perform sacrifices for the attainment of heaven attain to those worlds of enjoyments. They having enjoyed that spacious world of Svargas (Heaven), their merit (Punya) exhausted, enter the world of the mortals; thus following Dharma of the triad, desiring objects of desires, they attain to the state of going and returning. This establishes the theory of attaining of heaven after death, and rebirth in the mortal world after exhaustion of virtuous acts. The enjoyments in heaven and peace of the soul are enhanced by the performance of Sraaddha ceremony. The suffering of the worlds other than heaven according to the merits of ones own actions is mitigated by the performance of Sraaddha ceremony by his sons. So in both cases the performance of Sraaddha is a great help. The Pitris remain in heaven (Pitriloka, Chandraloka) for a very long period.

According to the theory of transmigration, even if the individual is to take another birth immediately after his death, the performance of Sraaddha adds to his happiness in his new birth. So it is the imperative duty of everybody to perform Sraaddha ceremony for his parents and forefathers. Sraaddha ceremony should be performed with great faith as long as you live. Faith is the main support for religion. In olden days the question whether to perform Sraaddha ceremony or not did not arise at all. Then people were full of faith and had reverence for the scriptures. In these days when faith is almost dwindling into an airy nothing and when the list of non-performers of has increased, others of wavering faith begin to doubt whether it is necessary to perform Sraaddha or not, and whether any good will accrue out of it. The lack of faith in the Scriptures has degraded us to the present deplorable condition. Gita declared: Sraddhavan labhate jnanam (the man of faith attains knowledge and thereby immortality and eternal peace).

Some people argue and say if a man once performs Sraaddha ceremony to his forefathers at Gaya and other places of religious importance, he need not do it every year thereafter. This is not a general rule and does not apply to all. It applies only in certain exceptional cases. Sraaddha ceremony by once offering Pinda etc., at Gaya, they do so out of sheer ignorance. They consider it merely a burden to perform Sraaddha ceremony and avoid it. They have not discharged their duties properly.

The various religious observances imposed upon mankind by the Sastras tend to purify the ignorant man. The goal of Karma Yoga is purification of mind. Sraaddha ceremony, being one of the obligatory duties, as per the injunctions of scriptures, also tends to purify the mind. Besides this, the forefathers are also pleased and their good wishes and blessings tend to our material and spiritual growth.

People who die without a son will suffer in the other worlds. This is, of course, not applicable in the case of Nitya Brahmacharins and spiritual aspirants who tread the spiritual path alone after renouncing all selfish desires and worldly enterprises. That is the reason why people adopt a son before their death for the due performance of Sraaddha ceremonies after death. The Gita also supports this view. Patanti pitaro hyesham luptapindodakakriyah; their forefathers fall (down to hell) deprived of the offerings of Pinda (rice-ball) and water.

But, if a man is religious-minded and if he has discrimination and dispassion, belief in sastra (scriptures) and the Vedas, if he has led a virtuous life till the end of his life, if he has devoted his last days in devotional practices, Japa, meditation, study, etc., (even if he has no son) he will not have a fall. He will surely enjoy perfect peace. He will not be affected by the dark forces of ignorance. He is free from base attractions of the world. The Lord takes care of his downfall. He has mental purity. All religious observations have Chitta Suddhi (purification of mind) as their goal. This he attains by virtue of his past Samskaras and virtuous life in previous incarnations.

People of some communities in India spend money enormously and indiscriminately of Sraaddha ceremony for show. This is mere wastage. Money should not be spent on luxury. It is a delusion to think that the Pitris will get more peace by spending more money. Money does not count for the ease of the Pitris, but the intensity of Bhava, with which the Sraaddha is performed, counts.

On such occasions the poor and deserving persons are to be fed sumptuously. Their necessities of life should be attended to. Study of scriptures should be done on such days. The performer of the Sraaddha ceremony should observe spiritual discipline like Japa, meditation, Mouna, etc. He should maintain strict Brahmacharya. He should pray to God for the whole day. Recitation of appropriate Vedic (or Thirumurais) hymns should be done. The performer attains immortality.



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HINDU INDIAN EMOTION EXPRESSIONS A. Hejmadi, R. J. Davidosn and P. Rozin

University of Pennsylvania and University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA The Natyasastra by Bharatamuni, which dates from the 1st to 2nd century A.D., is probably the oldest surviving treatise on the performing arts in the world. The Natyasastra mentions a list of nine primary emotions and provides a highly detailed account of how each emotion is to be expressed. The Hindu-Indian system provides a large number of potentially basic emotions, although it is not clear that all Natyasastra emotions would fit all Western definitions of emotions. A tenth, lajya, is added because it is expressed in India, is portrayed in the classical dance, and has been the subject of some attention in the emotion and cultural psychology literature is seen as a positive emotion in India, though its nearest translations (embarrassment, shame, shyness) could be considered as negative in the West.

Western taxonomies of emotion are more similar to the Natyasastra taxonomy for negative than for positive emotions. For example, both Western and Natyasastra lists includes anger, fear, sadness, and disgust. However, on the positive side, Western happiness and perhaps surprise do not correspond well with the Natyasastras amusement, love, heroism, and perhaps peace and wonder.

The ten emotions (in rough translation from Sanskrit) are anger, disgust, fear, heroism, humour-amusement, love, peace, sadness, shame-embarrassment, and wonder. The English free-report words that were scored as equivalent, or correct, were as follows: z Anger: accusing, aggression, anger, annoyed,

assertive, attack, frustrated, frustration, fury, irritated, killing, mad, mean, rage, stern, vindictive, violent.

z Disgust: contempt, disgust, dislike, gross, grossed out, repulsed, sickened, yuck.

z Fear: afraid, anxiety, anxious, fear, fearful, fright, frightened, horrified, scared, scary, spooked, tension, terror, terrorised, worried, worry.

z Heroism: confidence, confident, kinglike, pride, proud, righteous, royal, success, triumphant, valiant, valorous, vanity, vanquish, victorious, victory, winner, winning.

z Humour: amused, chuckle, clowning around, funny, goofy, happy, humour, joy, laughter, smiling, teasing, Love: affection, caress,

caressing, caring, caring for, cherish, compassion, coy, flirt, flirtatious, flirting, love, hugging, love, love me, loved, loving, lustful, making eyes at, seduction, seductive, wrath.

z Peace: calm, contemplate, peace, peaceful, pensive, relaxing, serene, serenity, spiritual, think, thinking, thoughtful.

z Sad: alone, disappointed, disappointment, give up hope, helplessness, lonely, sad.

z Shame: ashamed, bashful, embarrassed, shame, shameful, shy.

z Wonder: amazed, astonished, astonishment, awe, wonder, wow.

In the case of neutral portrayals, words that described instrumental actions, like sitting, moving, jumping, or dancing, and cognitive-perceptual activities, like thinking, seeing, or waving hands, were categorized as neutral.

These emotions (except for shame) and their portrayal were described about 2000 years ago in the Natyasastra, and are enacted in the contemporary Hindu classical dance. The expressions are dynamic and include both the face and the body, especially the hands. The Natyasastra spells out highly sophisticated descriptions of how each emotion is to be expressed. Particular attention is paid to the face and hands. Typically, a young initiate of Indican classical dance undergoes rigorous training to learn the intricacies of portraying emotional expressions. Extracted from Exploring Hindu Indian Emotion Expressions: Evidence for Accurate Recognition by Americans and Indians appeared in the Psychological Sciences, Vol. 11, No. 3, May 2000, pp. 183-187.

RIG VEDA ON PEACE

Hinduism contains some of the earliestwritings about peace, as this quote fromthe Rig Veda (10 - 191:2) shows.

Come together, Talk together Let our minds be in harmony Common be our prayer Common be our end Common be our purpose Common be our deliberations Common be our desires United be our hearts United be our intentions Perfect be the union among us



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WHAT IS (GNANAM) WISDOM? S. Sriskandarajah

Principal Legal Officer, Government Legal Service, London, England. Out of the 133 chapters in the sacred Kural, Valluvar has allocated four chapters to Education under the headings of Learning, Illiteracy, Listening and Possession of Wisdom. Of course, there are many instances elsewhere in Thirukkural where he has stressed the importance of education. Education is the manifestation of knowledge already in man said Swami Vivekananda. Man is endowed with knowledge when he is born. It is already there in every-human being. It is latent, not patent, and covered with various layers of impurities. These layers differ in density from person to person. The purpose and aim of education is to allow that knowledge to manifest itself. Thiruvalluvar has succinctly stated this philosophy of education in the following couplet njhl;lidj; JhW kzw;Nfzp khe;jHf;Ff; fw;widj; JhWk; mwpT.

The more the sandy spring is dug up, more water wells up in it. The more men learn, the more of wisdom will there manifest.

The parallel used by Thiruvalluvar is worthy of admiration. When we dig up a well we use a spade, crowbar, pick axe and even dynamite for breaking and clearing mass that prevents the spring from issuing forth. But the tools and the aids that are used to break up the soil and the rock do not form part of the spring and they bring the spring forth. The implements help only to the extent of removing the mass of earth, gravel and rock that stand between the surface and the spring. In the English language, the word educate comes from the Latin word educare, which means to bring out.

Let us now go back to the second limb of the couplet under consideration. The wisdom of a man manifests to the extent to which he learns. So, now comes the question, What is education? Luckily in the foregoing lines we have made Swami Vivekananda answer this question. We acquire numeracy and literacy; we learn logic, drawing, art, dance, music and so on and so forth; and some of us excel in some or many of them. But the eminence and excellence we attain is not wisdom. According to Thiruvalluvar these acquisitions are only aids comparable to the tools used in the digging up of the well. Even as how the tools used in the digging cannot be equated with the spring, so also in the sphere of knowledge. Academic acquisitions cannot be equated with wisdom. The truth is that the former is only an aid to

the realisation of the latter. Thus, the purpose of education is the blooming or the unfolding of the supreme knowledge called Gnanam or Wisdom. But, unfortunately, we puny creatures who have acquired a little bit of knowledge here and there which is allowed to run riot, masquerade as intellectuals and pundits forgetting that we have only collected a few tools that are needed for the purpose of making Wisdom well up.

The above couplet may appear to slip the grip of comprehension. But it deserves to be cogitated over. In understanding this particular couplet, what is to be borne in mind is that Wisdom which Valluvar calls Airivu in chaste Tamil is not something that is gathered, but something that manifests within. In the couplet we must mark the word Oorum (CWk;) - which means issuing forthor springing.

As we have seen above, Wisdom is already there in all human beings, and it is this pure knowledge that is needed for one to become perfect and divine. In some human beings the impurity that covers Wisdom is so dense and hard that much effort is needed to enable this Wisdom to issue forth. Most of us belong to this category.

In few others, this impurity is so thin and light that Wisdom begins to issue forth with the least effort. It is these precious few that we call prodigies. Now the question may arise as to what accounts for the variation and difference in the amount of impurity that surrounds the Wisdom in different individuals. An effort to give an answer to this question might take us deep into the ocean of metaphysics. Suffice it to say that our Karma decides that. It may be interesting to remember that Saint Thirugnanasampanthar became a Gnaani when he was three years old; but it took decades for Appar to become. Further, is it not true that in Jaffna (in Sri Lanka) some wells are 10 feet deep while some others about 40 feet deep? In the former, the spring can be sighted with the least effort whereas in the latter, a Herculean effort is required before the spring can be sighted. In fine it may be said that Valluvar stresses the importance of academic acquisition, which is a sine qua non for the manifestation of Wisdom.

This article is one of the 41 Chapters of the book, The Ethical Essence of the Tamils, 1993 by the author. This book contains excellent commentaries on 40 Thirukurrals.



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Practical Spirituality KALAM, A MUSLIM AT PEACE WITH HINDUISM

M.V. Kamath Free Press Journal, July 4, 2002

Anyone who has lived in Mumbai (Bombay) in the twenties, thirties and even forties would be able to relate how citizens stayed true to stereotypes. The Parsi male wore his trousers and long coat and his headgear was typical of his community. The Parsi lady wore her sari, yes, in the typical Parsi way. The Maharashtrian, the Marwadi, the Gujarati business-man, the Goan Christian not to speak of the South Indian - male and female - were easily identifiable by their dress. In the last half a century there has been a sartorial revolution. Ethnic styles have all but disappeared. Among young women, the salwar-kameez is the in-thing.

The sari is fast becoming a memento from the past. On the roads few men wearing the 'dhoti' are noticeable. The 'dhoti' has given way to the bush shirt and trousers. Time has become the great leveller. And yet certain images persist, especially of the Muslim. As Saed Naqvi, a well-known columnist, recently noted, in popular perception the Muslim stands in any company. He would be expected to wear his skullcap, a noticeable beard and a Pathani dress, consisting of an outsize shirt almost reaching down to his ankles, covering a puffed up pair of pyjamas that are hidden, under the flowing upper garment. He would be speaking Urdu as a matter of course, would have at least two wives if he cannot afford more - he is entitled to have four at a time, isn't he? - and for dinner there would be the inevitable cut of beef. To these stereotypes Naqvi has one more to add: that of the "Urdu-spewing, paan-chewing, hubble-bubble smoking decadent Nawab, leaning against a brocade sausage cushion, listening to B-grade Urdu poetry with a mujra dancer in attendance popularised by Bollwood films of another era.

Now, overnight as it were a wholly different kind of Muslim is being projected in the Indian media: A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Kalam reportedly knows no Urdu. Judged by his dress he could be mistaken for a hippie affiliated to no particular religion. He is apparently most fluent in his own mother tongue Tamil; plays the rudra veena; is a confirmed bachelor; and God help him. He is a vegetarian. No beef-eater, he. And to add to it all, he is familiar as much with the Bhagavad Gita as he is with the Quran and can quote from both with relative ease. And he was born not in Lucknow or Moradabad or

even in the former Nizam's dominion, but, in, of all places, Rameshwaram. What kind of Muslim can he possibly be? Judging from what has been appearing in the Urdu press, the average Muslim is appalled. And Muslims in Pakistan, one can be assured, have been shocked out of their wits.

But hasn't time come for Indians, especially, to look beyond stereotypes and look for humanism that goes beyond symbols and forms? Does one have to be a polygamist, a paan-chewer, a hater of Hindus, an eater of beef and a lover 'only' of Urdu to be a true Muslim in India? Can't a Muslim in India be true to his ethnic origins and revel in it? There are Muslim writers in Bengali, Oriya, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil, to identify a few of the many Indian languages. Justice Ismail in Chennai has long been acknowledged as Tamil Nadu's leading authority on the 'Kambha Ramayana.' Kazi Nazzrul Islam is known for his powerful revolutionary poetry, replete with images of Kali, in incomparable Bengali. At least half a dozen Muslims in Karnataka have distinguished themselves as reputed writers in Kannada. And Ustad Bismillah Khan never had any difficulty in paying his homage to the goddess Saraswati. It is difficult to think of Banaras without simultaneously remembering the soul - stirring music of the great Ustad. Do we always have to identify a Muslim with the Urdu-speaking, meat-eating Muslim from North India? What have we come to?

One therefore has to be grateful to Abdul Kalam for once and for all or breaking the stereotype and bringing us down to earth. There are Muslims and Muslims. It came as a pleasant shock to me to see, in Sunni Iraq, Muslim women dressed in western clothes who could have been mistaken for a sun-tanned European from the Mediterranean. Think of the Islam of Indonesia. Indonesia has no qualms to name its Air-line after Garuda. Its currency note has the image of Ganesh, none else! Naqvi himself reminds us of the performance of the Ramayana ballet by 150 namaz-saying Muslims under the shadow of Jakarta's magnificent temples, continuously for 27 years, without a break! The Indonesians are as much proud of their religion- Islam - as of their culture - Hindu! The current President of Indonesia bears the beautiful name of Meghavati Sukarnoputri.



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How much more Sanskritised can one get? A visitor to Jakarta once told me that the former President Wahid's daughter is named Saraswati and one of his security men bore the name Krishnamurti! And the latter was a very proper Muslim! If only some of our fundamentalist Muslims would take note of these facts, how much better off and happy we all would be! Muslims in India are Indians, just as Christians in India are Christians. Time was when Christians in India bore only Hebraic names. May it be pointed out, even in passing, that there are no such things as 'Hindu', 'Muslim' or 'Christian' names.

There surely was a Peter and a Paul long before Christ was born, a Mohammad and an Ali long before the Prophet (Peace be on him) preached Islam? What we have are not 'Hindu' but Sanskrit names, Arabic, or Persian or Turkish but not 'Muslim' names and not Hebraic (Christian) names. One can be Dilip Kumar and still be a good Muslim, a Lalita and still remain a good Christian. Religion and culture are two entirely different categories. One suspects, though, that things are slowly changing.

The 'Deccan Herald' June 3rd reported from Srinagar that "those who preach religious intolerance and hatred may well learn a lesson or two" from there. And why? It would seem that "some Kashmiri Muslims are rebuilding a 100-year-old Narayan temple at Bulbul Lankar in downtown Srinagar. Ten years ago that temple had been burnt and razed to the ground by extremists forcing the local Pundits, barring an old couple, to migrate to Jammu. Subsequently the temple had become a breeding ground for dogs and other stray animals. Says the Herald report: "After a decade, the Pandit couple, along with Muslim neighbours, met Works Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar and pleaded for finances to rebuild the temple. Funds were immediately granted and reconstruction work was started. Muslims in the area shouldered the responsibility of supervising the work". All the workers - labourers, carpenters, masons - were Muslims. Can it be - can it 'just' be that Kashmiriyat, the common culture of all Kashmiris irrespective of their religion, is finally asserting itself?

Then there is the almost unbelievable story of over 15,000 Kashmiri Pundits returning to Central Kashmir to offer puja at a famous temple with local Muslims giving all the necessary support, like providing flowers and milk to the Hindu devotees. Reportedly they also participated in a 'yajna' to invoke peace in the violence-stricken valley. Not so long ago, a Muslim columnist, Sultan Shahin was to write: "Kashmiri Islam is renowned for its broad-mindedness, its deep commitment to tolerance of all

streams of thought. It is known to be firmly anchored in the Indian soil".

Sultan Shahin attributed it to Kashmiriyat, that special approach to religion which was all-embracing and took into account the life-styles of Hindu rishis, and Buddhist and Jain monks.

One suspects that ordinary Kashmiris are fed up with the fundamentalists from across the border and want to returnto their ancient ways of living. If nobody else would, they, at least, would understand and appreciate A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, a true Indian.

Abdul Kalam, from all accounts is a religious man in the best senses of the term. But Kalam, reportedly, sees religion in a light vastly different from how fundamentalists see it. Once, addressing Sri Ramakrishna Vidyashala in August 2001 he recounted how he was rejected, on grounds of health, from admission to a Technical Institute. The interview had taken place in Dehra Dun. He told the students: "Very dejected and disappointed, I returned via Rishikesh. I took a bath in the Ganges there and was wearing a dhoti. There was a beautiful ashram nearby, Swami Shivananda Ashram. I was tempted to enter that Ashram and I entered. There was a lecture going on, on the Bhagavad Gita. This swami used to select a person among the audience for discussion every day, after bhajan and prayer. It was my chance that day. The swami noticed that there was a feeling of sorrow on my face. I told him the details. He consoled me, taking an instance from the Gita. Lord Krishna revealed his Vishwaroopa to Arjuna who was fear-stricken. Krishna's message to him was to 'defeat defeatism'. This became a message to me even".

Is this an example of syncretism? Are the Gita and the Quran really out of tune with each other? One hopes not. Which is why Kalam seems to be an ideal choice to be India's president. A Muslim at peace with Hinduism. A true Indian, all said.

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WORLD PEACE: A HINDU VIEW POINT Dr. R. Sri Ravindrarajah

University of Technology, Sydney, Australia

This article is based on the speech delivered at the Inter-Faith Service on World Peace, Penrith, NSW, Australia on the 6th April 2003.

Dear Sisters and Brothers, It gives me a great pleasure to appear among the multi-faith audience on behalf of the most ancient religion of the world, Hinduism. I wish to congra-tulate the Penrith Bahai community in organising this important function to promote the World Peace at this critical juncture. I have no doubt that this type of events will promote the religious understanding among the wider Australian community.

1. Beliefs of the Hindu Religion Hinduism is unique among the world religions. It has no founder and its origin is unknown. It is practiced in India and many parts of the world including Australia. The success, survival and growth of Hinduism are due to its unshakable fundamental principles. A Hindu believes that an individual soul, which is the life force, is originated from God; the human body is given as an instrument to help the soul to get back to its origin and merge with God. Until a soul is ready to return to its origin, the souls journey takes numerous births. Human birth is the supreme form of birth of Gods creation. The sole purpose of the human birth is to help the soul to achieve its final destination through positive actions.

Hinduism emphasises that the practice of six Human values is essential to liberate the soul from bondage and cycles of rebirths. These are namely, Truth, Right Conduct, Peace, Love, Non-Violence and Sacrifice. All these values are inseparable from each other. These are Godly qualities. One should be prepared to sacrifice impermanent material wealth to achieve permanet happiness (bliss). Accumulation wealth increases ones currency values but donating the wealth (dhanam) towards well-being of the fellow human beings help one to increase his spiritual status. If you visit a Hindu temple and observe some of the rituals you will see the importance of sacrifice. In doing Yajna ceremony, valuable materials are sacrified into the fire to attain Gods Grace. The time and money are spend on religious ceremonies with the hope of attaining individual and community happiness.

Thirukkural, one of the treasures of the Hindus, recommends that every individual should strive with ceaseless effort to work ones way along the path of righteousness as far as one can in all

aspects of conduct. If a person does good always, without allowing a single day to pass by in vain, that conduct will be a stone to block successfully its entry into rebirth.

Hinduism recognises that followers of all other great world religions attain salvation. It does not attach much importance to external forms, but penetrates the inner spirit of man. God is one but wisemen call him with different names. No religion preaches violence. If all religions advocate peace, why then do some who profess allegiance to their religion, commit violence to defend their peace-loving, peace-preaching faith? Can anyone suggest that peace can be achieve by ignoring other human values such as love, truth, right conduct, non-violence, and sacrifice. Hindus believe is that everthing we see are Gods creations. Therefore, all these creations are sacred. There is nothing wrong in the Gods creation, but the fault is in ones vision. Hinduism preaches that there is nothing called right and wrong; good and evil. It basically emphasises truth, better truth and real truth. In this context, Hinduism asked its followers to exercise significant caution in selecting their company. Satsang means association with persons with good qualities, such as noble aims, thoughts, habits and actions.

Hinduism recognises that all forms of life are sacred. It should be respected and protected. Vegetarianism among the Hindus is partly due to the fact of recognizing and respecting the Gods creation. Abstaining from meat eating can stop slaughtering animals. Therefore, Hindus believe not only in one God but also they recognise God in every creation. When one see God in others and recognises that God in him and in others are the same, he wants to help others and not certainly harming others. He is the true devotee of God, Gita declares.

2. Peace of Mind Hinduism recognises that ones peace of mind is essential to achieve world peace. Agitated and disturbed mind is not suitable to make rational decisions. Right conduct will no doubt leads to inner peace. Can anyone expect any right decision from a person with disturbed mind?

Is there such thing as peace of mind? Ask any lucky person you know, very likely he will say, I hear people talk about it. I myself am seeking it but



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so far I have not found it. Indeed peace of mind is an elusive thing that one wonders if it exists at all or if one can ever achieve. People who have health, beauty, a good social standing, money, political power things people desire so much may still be found to complain that they have no peace of mind. Paradoxically, such people seem to be the unhappiest. They, in fact, suffer so much that they would be glad to throw away everything they have only if they could have a little bit of peace of mind.

What is then that gives peace of mind to a man? The answer is selflessness. A man is happy to the extent he is selfless. A selfless man is happy because he thinks less of himself and more of others. He wishes to see everybody happy. It is against his nature to wish that he would have something, which others do not have. A selfless man is modest in his expectations. He knows that he has no right to impose his will upon others. And it is never his wish to deprive others in order that he may have more. It hurts him to see others in pain. He is happy if others are happy, unhappy if others are unhappy. His goodwill includes everybody irrespective of race or religion. Recognises the importance of attaining inner peace by each individual, the Hindu scriptures such as Gita recommends four main paths to achieve this inner peace. They are basically, Selfless service, Love of God, Studying scriptures and Meditation. Some path may be easier than others. Many Saints and Gurus have lived and still living in this world to demonstrate the importance of these paths.

Once a child asked Swami Vivekananda, who has the credit of promoting Hindu philosophy in the west: What is religion? As he was wondering how to explain the concept to a child, a thought struck him. He said, Be good and do good, that is the whole of religion. How true. Is it really so difficult to understand this simple proposition and follow it in our lives?

Mahatma Gandhi is a true believer in Hinduism. He practiced Truth and Non-Violence to achieve impossible ends. For him Truth is God. He once said that he was amazed to see how much satisfaction a human being derives from humiliating a fellow human being. That is the essence of problem. It is the tendency of the human mind to claim superiority over others that leads to the creation of divisions in the name of religion, caste, colour, education, wealth, and so on. What we see today is not clash of religions but individual egos manifesting in the name of religion.

Unable to control his own passion, anger and greed, the individual takes upon a religious identity and seeks to overcome his own inferiority complex by hurting others under the purported cause of

defending his own religion or sect. This type of behaviour can be seen within the same religion. This appalling approach is against the principle of any religion. The failure to recognise the basic concept that Love is God among the recognised religious followers are promoting hatredness and disturbing the peace of humanity.

Religious leaders must exhort their followers that love, compassion and tolerance are natural laws and only these can sustain and nurture humanity. And that, whatever be ones faith, why kill or die for it, why not try to live up to it? This is the real way to achieve world peace.

3. Moral Values and World Peace The Dalai Lama once said: There could be no peace on earth so long as man continued to neglect moral values. Progress in science and technology was good, but this needed to be matched by advancement in moral qualities of chances of conflicts were to be minimised. If the seeds of war are in the heart, the heart must be cleansed of them. Hatred must be replaced with love. Nave, perhaps, but there is no other solution to achieve world peace.

Mahathma Gandhi always treated the British as friends even though they responded by throwing him into prison. For him Love is God. A religious man is a religious man, under all circumstances and in all he does. A politician needs religion more than any other functionary, because in discharging his duties rightly a politician has to exercise a great deal of self-restraint and show in his dealings with others that he is thoroughly honest and fair. One reason why peace has become a difficult proposition is that politicians are not fair to each other.

The miracle of peace can happen only if love replaces hatred. Love, goodwill, and friendship these come from religion only. Within the national context, there can be no peace unless freedom i

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