© 1998 VNN
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02/22/98 - 1634 Dharma Journal 2-20-98
USA (VNN) - The Electronic Newsletter of the Sanatana Dharma Student Association
(The Hindu student and faculty organization of the University
of Wisconsin) Welcome to the third edition of Dharma Journal. For those organizations
and individuals who are with us for the first time, welcome! We
encourage both our new and older friends to please feel free to
forward this electronic newsletter to people on your e-mail lists.
Also, if you know of anyone who would like to receive the Journal
directly, please forward their e-mail address to: * * * * * * * The Lord Venkateshwara Temple at Tirupati in the state of Andhra
Pradesh is undeniably one of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring
sites of pilgrimage in the world. The history of the Lord's statue
and temple are fascinating as well. * * * * * * * According to our family tradition, every child must sacrifice
his/her hair to the Lord within one year of the birth. This offering
is said to purify the soul of the sins of vanity, lust, greed,
anger, and envy. On our pilgrimage to Tirupati four years ago,
my father and brother gave their hair, and I began to think about
the purifying nature of this sacrifice. But I also reasoned that
it would be an even greater sacrifice if I gave my hair once more
in my youth, rather than in childhood. So I made a promise to
Lord Venkateshwara that He would have my hair once more. I could
not rationally explain my decision to anyone, except myself. I
just wanted a way to show my devotion and thankfulness to Venkataramana
Swami. Date: Wed, 11 Feb 1998 To: fmorale1@students.wisc.edu Subject: Jewish Hindu Hi I saw your article on www.vnn.org I thought you would enjoy my book Equality based on the soul www.equalsouls.org it shows that Hindus and Jews come from a common Vedic root Thanks Bill Glick Finally, I had this wonderful exchange with a Hare Krishna devotee. What follows is his letter to me in full, followed by my line by line answers to his questions, concluded by his final response to me. To: fmorale1@students.wisc.edu Date: Thu, 12 Feb 1998 Dear sanatan Dharma friend I hope everything is just fine with you I wanted to know what does sanatana Dharma is all about. Does this group follow the ethics and things like that. What teaching do they follow. Do they follow the teaching of Bhagavad gita As It Is? In B.G. Lord says He is Param Dharma... So are you following footstep of Lord Hari? Thank you very much for being kind Sincerely Bharat Patel Hare Krsna Hari bol! 2/12/98 , you wrote: >Dear sanatan Dharma friend >I hope everything is just fine with you Dear Bharatji, Namaskar. Hare Krsna. Dandavat pranams. Thank you for your kind sentiments and questions about the nature of the Sanatana Dharma Student Association. I will endeavor to satisfy your questions to the best of my limited ability. Let me first say that Srila Prabhupada, the founder of the Krsna Consciousness movement of which you are a follower, is considered by most Hindus to be one of the greatest exponents of the principles of Sanatana Dharma outside the borders of India of our century. No other acarya has done more to educate the people of the Western world about the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita than has Srila Prabhupada. For this, every follower of Sanatana Dharma will be eternally greatful. >I wanted to know what does sanatana Dharma is all about. Does this group >follow the ethics and things like that. What teaching do they follow. Sanatana Dharma is by its very essence a term which is devoid of sectarian leanings or ideological divisions. This is evident by the very term itself. "Sanatana" is a Sanskrit word which denotes that which does not cease to be, that which is eternal. The word "Dharma" is a term which is only properly rendered into the English language with difficulty. Its approximate meaning is "Natural Law", or those principles of reality which are inherent in the very nature and design of the universe. Since Sanatana Dharma is referring to those ways of being which are in concert with the Supreme, and are therefore axiomatic laws, this term is not referring to something which is open to alteration. Just as the laws of gravity, mathematics or logic are not open to sectarian debate or relative opinion, similarly, these subtle laws of God transcend all partisan concerns. Sanatana Dharma is a way of life that is deeply rooted in a sense of ethics. Among the many, many other virtues that Sanatana Dharma seeks to instill in its followers is the principle of non-violence towards all beings. This includes non-humans and the Earth, as well. As a result, followers of Sanatana Dharma are vegetarians and strongly pro-environment. The SDSA is the University of Wisconsin's Hindu student and faculty organization. As every Hindu will readily admit, the term "Hindu" is not the designation that we would prefer. The word "Hindu" was first imposed upon the followers of Vedic culture by the Persians millennia ago. It basically meant, "that culture which existed on the other side of the Indus River". The term "Hindu" was later employed by the British in India to differentiate between Muslim and non-Muslim during the Raj. While the term is still used as a matter of historical convenience, the term that "Hindus" prefer when referring to the religion of the Vedas is Sanatana Dharma. Do they follow the teaching of Bhagavad gita As It Is? In B.G. Lord says He >is Param Dharma... So are you following footstep of Lord Hari? Indeed, every follower of Sanatana Dharma endeavors to fully follow the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita as it is meant to be understood by Lord Shri Krsna. Therefore, we are necessarily following in the footsteps of Lord Hari (Krsna). Bhagavan Shri Krsna is recognized in Sanatana Dharma as the avatara, or incarnation, of Lord Narayana. He is therefore, the Supreme Being, the omnicompetent and infallible ontological source and ground of all reality. If by your sincere inquiry you are asking if we are a branch of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness, then we regret to answer in the negative. The Sanatana Dharma Student Association is a non-sectarian organization dedicated to the exploration and the teaching of the eternal principles of Dharma. Most, though certainly not all, of our members are Indian students and professors who are endeavoring to learn more about their religion and culture. While most of our members are probably followers of the Vaishnava tradition, we also warmly and eagerly welcome Shaivas, Shaktas - indeed, even Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs into our organization. We look very forward to working together in a sense of cooperation, friendship and mutual assistance with ISKCON and all organizations that are dedicated to the teachings of Sanatana Dharma. Thank you very much for being kind Sincerely Bharat Patel Hare Krsna Hari bol! And thank you for an opportunity to serve you. Om namo narayanaya, Frank Morales - Editor/Advisor Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 Dear Frank Thank you very much for your wonderful letter My name is Bharat Patel.; as I have stated before. Please accept my humble obesiances and all glories to srila Prabhupada! We are in chicago Hare Krsna Temple; We are also not sectarian. We also invite everyone to practice Krsna Consciousness and We welcome everyone to come and chant and dance with us. We have sunday love feast in evening. For further information on anything we have the Bhaktivedanta Library that everyone can take an opportunity. Thank you very much again for your nice reply. Hare Krsna Your Servant Bharat Patel
Appeal As a Hindu student organization the primary function of which is educational, we need literature of any kind about Sanatana Dharma to share with our members and friends. If you have any books, magazines, pamphlets, C.D.s, cassettes, or anything at all - either new or used - that you can give us, please send them to: SDSA c/o Frank Morales 1128 Morraine View Drive, #305 Madison, WI 53719 Thank you! Frank Morales - Advisor/Editor fmorale1@students.wisc.edu (608) 288-0266 |