Seva conference reflections... of a High Schooler...

Seva  conference reflections... of a High Schooler...
by: Shreekari Tadepalli

As a Hindu teenager in the Midwest, I have seen my share of ignorance, prejudice, and general antipathy towards the Dharmic religions – and a temple community that doesn’t always do its best at responding to society. I arrived at the Baltimore airport on Thursday evening, unsure of what to expect. A large gathering of Hindu-Americans – what exactly were we all hoping to accomplish? I’d heard names tossed about – Dr. Pankaj Jain of North Texas University, Phil Goldberg of American Veda fame, Gopal Patel of the Bhumi Project, and of course, Anju Bhargava, the visionary founder of Hindu American Seva Charities. I was interested to hear what they had to say, and not entirely sure what I had to offer. The following days provided me a snapshot of what Hindus across the country involve themselves in – I was overwhelmed.

One of the first things to catch my attention was the number of second generation Hindu-Americans who are involved in seva initiatives all over the country. From climate change projects to Bhutanese refugee support networks, youth are taking an incredibly proactive role as Hindus in seva.

One of the most exciting panels was the first one, on Friday morning – Youth: Ambassadors of Dharma, Hope and Seva. Moderated by Khyati Desai, the three panelists were Sonali Tatapudy, president of Dharma, Harvard's Hindu Student Association, Rev. Brenda Girton-Mitchell, director of the Center for Faith-Based & Neighborhood Partnerships, and Vineet Chander, Hindu chaplain at Princeton University. Everything they said really resonated with me – about a generation redefining Hinduism, taking ownership of their faith and practices, and bringing Sanatana Dharma into the Western world with full force. Over the course of the next two days, I got to know some of the students better, and made friendships that I'm sure will last a very long time. We face common issues, share similar experiences, and our struggles with identity unite us as a generation. Despite the enthusiasm I felt from many, there was still something that bothered me – why was it that nearly every time the word “youth” was brought up, it was in reference to college students? As a junior in high school, I've wished on more than one occasion that at least some of the opportunities available to those in college were extended to my age bracket as well. Now that I'm back home in the Midwest, I'm determined to start something that centers around the efforts of my fellow classmates, because we should have a voice, too.

There were several initiatives launched at the White House during the conference, and many projects, groups, and coalitions were brought up in the course of the panels. While each cause had its own merit, two in particular had an exceptionally powerful impact on the audience, sparking numerous conversations and fresh ideas. Lt. Col. Ravi Chaudhary's talk on Friday about Hindus in the Armed Forces, followed by Capt. Pratima Dharm & Uma Chaudhary speaking on Saturday about military families reached many hearts. In addition, the final panel, on Sanatana Dharma & the environment, had a profound impact on all present. Whether it was two strangers meeting and coming up with a new seva plan to support Hindu soldiers overseas, or my returning home full of ideas and potential connections to make my temple greener – the repercussions were felt almost immediately, and I know that these two particular movements will continue to grow. 

There were two other panels that spoke to me, personally. One was the interfaith panel on Friday – with a number of layleaders and clergymen from various traditions (Evangelical, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu) – and the other was the interfaith panel of Saturday morning – with Philip Goldberg, Rev. Eric Shafer, and Kusumita Pederson. All the speakers encouraged Hindu-Americans to become involved in bridging gaps between religions by doing service work together, and while I see this as a worthy effort, something didn't quite fit. In my Michigan experience, most of the community service work is already being done by large, typically evangelical churches, who seek to proselytize. How then, I asked, can Hindus work with these Christians? They have all the resources, all the infrastructure – but they don't accept us or our beliefs. My question was posed to both panels, and the only solution given was to simply not work with those people. Or confront them, if they tried to convert me. I heard a similar question later Saturday, asked to the panel on college seva initiatives. The number of people who came up and introduced themselves after I spoke out told of how many see this as a major issue. It made me realize that we as Hindus need to bring the topic of proselytization out more often, because it is only in discussing the difficult questions that we find solutions. I hope to see more conversations about conversion – both in America and around the world – happen in the coming months. 

 

When it comes to conversations – there was no shortage of them! I met so many people, who had so much to say – and it wasn't all one-sided, either. Whether it was discussing Wendy Doniger on the streets of downtown D.C., or grappling with identity over dinner, or even crossing generations late into the night – the conversations that I had at this conference are unforgettable. It really struck me that despite the fact that we come from widely different backgrounds, there is a lot that we have in common, as Hindus in the west. I hope that these relationships are maintained and furthered, because we have so much to give as a community, both to each other, and to the world outside. I went in knowing that the important names would have a lot to share – and I came away realizing that we all have something important to offer, after all, even me.

The Wichita Interfaith Journey.... Seva and Faith in Action

My name is Rema.  I am happy to be here today, having come all the way from Wichita, Kansas. I proudly introduce myself as a federal employee, a VISTA, volunteer in service to America , working for the Corporation for National Community Service, through Hindu American Seva Charities.

Born and raised in India and having made this great country my home nearly two decades ago, I call myself an Indian Hindu American. Touched by the kindness and compassion of fellow Americans around me, I decided to lead my life true to Mahatma Gandhi’s quote—“ The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”.

My SEVA journey began with volunteering in my children’s schools, initially in their classrooms and later in their school libraries. Soon, I was noticed and requested to be present in ‘show and tell’ events, demonstrate how to wear a sari, talk about India, the food, arts and crafts and the cultural traditions of India. In no time, I found myself in the site council of schools and as an office bearer in the parent teacher organizations. This exposure gave me knowledge on the administrative side of the public school system in the US. Around the same time, I heard about reduced breakfasts and lunches for students in schools which exposed the fact that many families were below the poverty line in their income bracket. This was a shocking reality to my husband and self; back home in India, America is considered as a land of the riches, the abode of Lord Kubera, where one will not find any beggars. The sad reality was in America they are known as ’homeless’. Our hearts went out to them and prompted by our eight year old daughter, we started serving food at the Interfaith Inn for the homeless. ANNADHAANAM is the best form of ‘dhaanam’(service), according to the Hindu scriptures and we were happy to do it in USA. Started in 1998, we are still continuing , now joined by many volunteers of Hindu American Seva Charities.

The tragic events of 9/11 was a turning point in our lives.       I saw first-hand Hindu youth being taunted with questions like  “ Are you related to Osama Bin Laden?” or “ What race are you and why do you have monkey and elephant headed Gods ?”. At an impressionable age, many Hindu American  youth were told by their peers that “ if they believe in Jesus, they will go to Heaven, otherwise they will go to only 711, the corner store”. Many were told to go back to where they came from . I felt the need to convince Hindu American children that they are valuable citizens even though they had a different skin color, are from a different race and following a different religion. It also made me realize that making one’s home is much more than becoming a self-sufficient and law abiding citizen. I was afraid that their Hindu identity is shaken.

   To live in harmony in a diverse environment and mutually understand and respect each other, I realized that I have to do my bit to build bridges to the mainstream American society which could be used by the present and future generations of all Americans. President Woodrow Wilson said “ There is no higher religion than human service. To work for the common good is the greatest creed.” I committed myself to give back to the country and the community that I have chosen to live in. Rev. Sam Muyskens, the then director of Interfaith Ministries,  an advocate of the Golden Rule ,”Treat others the way you want to be treated” was a great mentor to me and my husband that we could raise our children with respect and dignity in a foreign land. We reinforced to our children that America is a melting pot of different cultures from diverse backgrounds. We all have landed in America by different boats at different times but right now, we are all in the same”BOAT”.

    

I feel fortunate to have had a chance encounter with Ms. Anju Bhargava, through my good friend Janet Falk of Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, Saylorsburg, PA. My husband and self, attended the first annual conference of HASC in Baltimore and was impressed with the goals and board members of this organization. Caring for my 90 year old mother in the nursing home, for whom I cook and serve vegetarian food every day  convinced me that I must do my bit for Hindu elders in this country. I was getting ready to take HASC’s help and my community members support to start an assisted living facility, where vegetarian food and yoga will be offered to the residents. Soon, I got a call from Anju asking me if I would like to take up a full time position as a VISTA and be a part of the Americorps program. My instant response was “no”, as I had just quit a part time position at the public library to be a better care giver for my mom. I felt that taking a full time position will be a stress giver and jeopardize my attention to my mother. I was assured that I will have a lot of flexibility and will be helped whenever necessary by the board members.  I committed myself as a ‘Volunteer In Service To America” under the auspices of HASC and went off for the orientation program in Atlanta in Aug 2010.

The reception and training that I got there made me feel so proud of belonging to CNCS and the Americorps program. They respected all the members and treated us with dignity and respect. I felt fortunate to take up this historic appointment as a Hindu, working for a Hindu faith based service organization. I met my colleagues Niki Shah and Dr. Kumud Sane there along with my Supervisor, Dr. Ved Chaudhary.  I take this opportunity to thank Dr. Chaudhary who has been a great mentor to me in community service ideas. I also thank Points of Light and Hand on Corps for their excellent support and monthly training calls. Anju’s ideas in community service, her knowledge of the Hindu scriptures inspired me to get on board the wagon of HASC.

The first event that HASC organized was on a national basis, a kick- off event, promoting yoga called the YOGATHON. Education on health and nutrition contribute an important means to eradicate poverty and build healthier communities. The invaluable support given by Lakshmi and Soumya to design flyers and volunteer during the event gave me confidence. The teachers from The Art of Living Foundation, who drove all the way from Dallas  and volunteered to teach three sessions of Yoga in a day was very generous. It was a grand success. The community demanded regular yoga classes and the teachers from Patanjali Yog Peeth  came all the way from Kansas City and have made it possible to put the program in place. Classes are regularly held at the Wichita State University, temple or the Bhakta Community center.

    Anju’s brain child, is the unique creation of UTSAV  SEVA , an interfaith “Festival of SEVAs “caught my attention. She had proposed a SEVA for each month commemorating any Hindu, Jain, Sikh or Buddhist festival. She gave an interfaith twist to it for the popular holidays in USA, like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter etc.,  As a child growing up in India, I used to look forward to the festivals every month to eat sweets and savories, meet family and friends and also do some prayers together. So I felt that many children may feel the same way and felt that the best way to sow the seeds of SEVA or selfless service in young minds is to popularize the festival of SEVAS, the Utsav- Seva.

    One such event was Shakthi Seva, organized soon after the Hindu festival of Navaratri. This festival involves prayers for nine days and nights, praying for feminine strength and value enrichment within oneself. Deciding to give an interfaith touch to this event, I invited a mayor from the Christian faith, a financial planner who is a Hindu and a professor who has independent views to come and share their success stories. They symbolically represented Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi. Two of my good friends, a Hindu and a Muslim who are both entrepreneurs agreed to share their challenges and struggles which empowered those present. This event also coincided with the ‘breast cancer awareness month”. My daughter’s  suggestion to add a little glamor to the event by inviting Miss Kansas 2010 was an icing on the cake. The event was a huge success and all those who were present were empowered and thanked HASC for organizing this event. Many in the community are eagerly looking forward to the Shakthi Seva event of 2011.

  HASC partnered with Kansas Food bank to donate canned foods and got in touch with the advocacy group to end chronic homelessness. Community volunteer leaders came forward  to  organize and feed the homeless in the overflow shelter during  the winter months. Dhan Seva, Sarvadharm Seva, Kala Seva, Kalyan Seva, Vidya Seva, were all celebrated with “amazing faiths dinner”, an interfaith dialogue over vegetarian dinner, financial seminar in the public library and feeding the needy. All this would not have been possible without the help of community leaders and volunteers like Suparna Tirukonda,  Nalini Gangadhar,  Lakshmi Ravi, Soumya Bhatt, Rekha, Siva, Jaya Narsai , Bushra Sayeed, Marcey Gregory , Venkat and Nithin Acharya.  Many students from middle schools like Yash and Vikas were ready to clean our temples before the  Yogathon . Students from Asian Student Conference, Indian Students Association , American Hindu Students Association and the dancing Shocker Shakthis were a great support to make all events successful.

   The partnership with Sam Muyskens who organized the Golden Rule retreat, Interfaith harmony concert gave a lot of prominence to HASC. Pov Solve, a non- profit organization started by a high school student to reduce poverty in USA and abroad joined hands with HASC to feed the homeless. All these associations have made a name for the Hindu community in Wichita to help build healthier and enriched communities.

   In the years to come HASC ‘s focus in Wichita  will be on achieving two goals that are nearest to my heart.

•  Building a seva center in Wichita that will serve to empower our youth, and
• Elder care for Americans focusing on the dharmic principles of holistic healing, yoga and vegetarianism. 

I know that I cannot do this alone. So I will be actively seeking the help of organizations and individuals, particularly those in the audience today, who can help me in this effort.

Thank You !

Rema Venkatasubban 

AmeriCorps Vista Member 

Wichita State Coordinator

Hindu American Seva Chairites

Seva reflections... and learning to come....

Seva reflections... and learning to come....    by  Ramaa Reddy Raghavan

As I prepare to attend the first HASC Dharmic Seva conference on July 30th at Georgetown University,  I am impressed by the variety of speakers who will be making presentations in the fields of religion, heath, well-being and the environment. My goal for this conference is that we each leave with practical, simple seva plans than can be instituted within our communities - be it in schools, places of worship or workspaces.

Seva, is a term I have greatly admired. In one of Vivekananda’s speeches ‘Secret of Work’ he speaks of Karma-Yoga: the practice to serve without asking questions, without expecting gratitude but rather to be grateful to them for giving you the opportunity to practice charity. Many great men like Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and more recently Anna Hazare have used these principles to improve the lives of the downtrodden.Using simple, cost effective methods Hazare transformed his drought ridden village, Ralegan Siddhi into one that today is self-sufficient and thriving. For his outstanding civic service, Hazare was  awarded the Padma Bhushan by the government of India.

Selfless love given without any expectation of reward is the secret to making this country and world a better place. Let us set forth with this spirit and activate change.

  

Ramaa is a broadcast multimedia journalist and has just graduated from the Columbia School of Journalism. She covers lifestyles, especially areas relating to yoga and immigrant education. Her pieces have appeared on Huffington Post, Feet In Two Words and yogacitynyc.com

http://www.ramaareddyraghavan.com/

Niki Shah's Letter of gratitude to his grandfather

Dear Dada

I am very grateful to you for what you have taught me-the basics of life. You taught me to be respectful towards women, children and elders; to care for everyone; pursue and share knowledge without arrogance; and remain satisfied and content with what has been provided to me in life.  And those teachings have been the foundation of my life upon which I continue to prosper spiritually, socially, and economically.

For example, while teaching me math and English when I was in 5th standard, you asked me, "Niki, if you were make a difference in the lives of ordinary people, what would you do?"  I replied, "Dada, I would make sure that the population was healthy and better educated so that a more peaceful and prosperous world could exist-where people have access to the economic opportunities they desire and dream of.

Reflecting back on that conversation today, I had an opportunity to impact 10 children, 8 girls and 2 boys at school # 3 in Passaic, NJ by sharing with them the benefits of healthy eating and living  and then doing hatha yoga. I immediately thought about the example you have set for me.  You respected and cared for each individual that crossed your life.  You practiced a  holistic life by rising early, engaging in yoga and physical activity,  eating healthy and exact portions at the proper time, working hard, always reading and writing, and then, going to bed early to rise early.  You  understood your role as a grandfather and the aspects of child development. 

You explained my shortcomings and mistakes, lifted me up when I was down,  coached and mentored me every day of my life and made sure I was physically  active and eating healthy.  And today because of those teachings, mentoring  and coaching, I am successful in learning and educating, and successful in  most tasks I undertake.

I felt grateful for your teachings and your example as I was interacting with children at School # 3 in Passaic, NJ.  As an AmeriCorps VISTA working  for the Hindu American Seva Charities (HASC), I had the opportunity to lead a yoga and nutrition class with these 10 children.   All of us introduced ourselves.  We talked about the fruits and vegetables we ate, our lifestyle and diet, how much playing time we had in the streets, to the food (both good and bad) that was being provided in the school.  Collectively, we spend one hour together fixing ourselves in to the various yoga asanas from the Surya Namaskar to the Bhastrika Pranayama.  We started the class with laughter and joy and then filled with serenity and focus only to write in

our journals about our experiences, feelings and lifestyles we all had.  I wrote about mine.  I said:

"Today, I am glad that I spent one hour of my day with the children at School # 3.  I appreciate the positive attitude and joy that children exhibited, I enjoyed learning and sharing knowledge, I am grateful to know that children are focused on eating a balanced diet focused on fruits and vegetables.  I feel relaxed and happy to see the smiles on the faces of these 10 children and burdened by the fact that 1 girl does not eat dinner and that the  peach a girl ate was "rotten."  Next week, I want to do more yoga and see more smiles.  I am committed to noting in my journal the physical activity and reading and writing exercises I conduct with my friends at School # 3 in Passaic, NJ."

From the perspective of HASC, it is important to take the teachings of faith and philosophy to bridge gaps between communities and then address those gaps-whether it is through yoga and nutrition on the health front, or encouraging a child to read books and playing with him or her in a park, or meeting the needs of the senior citizens, or empowering a recent immigrant to conduct their lives in the United States and become prosperous-or just putting up a smile to encourage and motivate others.

With this day behind me, I look forward to continuing this journey to continue making a difference in the lives of every individual I cross-whether it is through physical activity and nutrition, or bringing a smile on someone's face and making individuals feel good about their life. But in making that impact, I am grateful, again, for what you have taught me and the legacy you have left behind.

Your Loving Grandson,

Niki

Dharmic digressions—a little bit of everything

Dharmic digressions—a little bit of everything 

by Pankaj Kumar http://www.pankajkumar.net/

The main goal of HASC conference is to promote pluralism, tolerance, social justice (gender/race/class equality), and community service/seva. This journey made me ponder how my Vedanta philosophy and its subsequent interpretations contribute to the same. Hence, I have tried to address such topics as tolerance, role of women, caste and seva from vedic prism.This note intends to illustrate some of the interesting aspects of vedic philosophy, emphasizing its relevance in the modern world. Hermeneutics as propounded by Friedrich Schleiermacher and Wilhelm Dilthey is to be invoked to understand the essence of vedic literature, wherein not only the literal grammatical meaning but also the holistic context is taken into account.

Namaste/ Namaskār—utmost form of respect for others

All religions unequivocally put others before themselves when it comes to greeting strangers. Be it the Christian greeting of "May the peace of the Lord be upon you” or the Jewish greeting of "Shalom Alekum (peace be with you)" or the Islamic greeting of “Assalamu alaikum (peace be upon you)," peace wins hands down.

Sanatana dharma has its own uniqueness in that it greets others as if they were parts/representatives of the Almighty. The followers greet with Namaste/ Namaskār. Namaste is composed of Namah, a Sanskrit verb meaning “to bow” and te, meaning “you.” Namaskār literally means "I bow to your form/shape", which in turn may be  interpreted as “I bow to the spirit/consciousness/divinity within you.” This is why when one greets by saying namaste he/she bows slightly.

Another illustration of this respect for others is the  case when one's foot accidentally touches another person's leg. In such cases, the “offending” person touches another person’s leg with finger tips of his/her right hand, and then using the same hand touches his/her own forehead and/or chest.

Varna/Caste System—division of labor or discrimination?

Originally, the varna system was based on individual’s merit and aptitude. Bhagavada Gita says, "Of Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaisyas, as also the Sudras, O Arjuna, and the duties are distributed according to the qualities born of their own nature." “We were all Brahmins or all Sudras” –mentions Brhadaranyaka Upanisad. According to Apastamba Dharmasutra, every human being is Sudra by birth. It is by education that one becomes Dvija (literally means “one who is born twice”, a synonym for Brahmin).

Varna had nothing to do with birth and lineage. Members of the same family had different varnas as evidenced in the Rig Veda (IX, 112) which says: "A poet I am, my father a physician,/ And my mother is a grinder of corn,/ Diverse in means, but all wishing wealth,/ Equally we strive for cattle.'' Chandogya Upanisad talks about Satyakama Jabala, who though unable to give his father's name, was yet initiated into spiritual life. Aitareya, son of a sudra woman, authored Aitareya Upanisad. Välmiki, a hunter was considered brahmin after he penned Ramayana. Ved Vyäsa, a brähmin sage and the author of Mahabharata, was son of Satyavati, a fisher woman. Much later, Chandragupta Maurya, from the Muria tribe, became emperor of Magadha. Such venerated saints as Sura Dasa, Kabir and Tukaram belonged to the lowest strata of the society. Dr. Radhakrishnan aptly points to the inner cohesion of different varnas despite the divisions.

Tolerance—Freedom of expression

Tolerance is deeply ingrained in Sanatana Dharma. “Truth is one; the wise call it by many names,” proclaim the Vedas, thus acknowledging the difference of opinion on any given subject. Rig Veda says that good thoughts come to us from all sides, exhorting us to have an open mind. Ramakrishna Paramahansa, the spiritual guru of Swami Vivekananda suggested, “As many minds so many paths to God”.  

Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam, the “Global Village” concept is mentioned in Panchatantra. To summarize, toleration is the homage which the finite mind pays to the inexhaustibility of the Infinite (Dr. Radhakrishnan).

Women in vedic culture

"Yatra naryastu pujyante ramante tatra Devata (Where women are honored, God resides).”--Manusmriti 3.56. Sanatana Dharma venerates womanhood as source of learning (Goddess Saraswati), wealth (Goddess Laxmi) and power (Goddess Durga). Infact, shakti, the only word for power in Sanskrit, is feminine. There is no masculine word for the same.

Education: Several hymns of Rig veda are attributed to as many as 30 female saints (rishikās) such as Apala (the daughter of Atri), Ghosa (the daughter of Kaksivant), Paulomi, Vac (daughter of Ambhrna), Shashwati, Sri, Laksha ,Rathir Bharadwaja ,Lopamudra, Romasha,Sarama Devasuni, Yami Vaivasvathi and Indrani ( the wife of Indra) and many others. The Upanishads mention  women philosophers such as Gargi and Maitreyi.

Women scholars indulged with their male contemporaries in scholary debates. Sulabha, a female authority on Vedas entered into vedic arguments with King Janaka. Vacaknavi, a female philosopher debated with her male counterpart Yajnavalkya. Much later, Manadan Mishra’s wife, given her superior knowledge moderated the theosophical debate between Shankaracharya and him. Scholar Panini  mentions the names of several noteworthy women scholars of the past such as Kathi, Kalapi, and Bahvici, providing evidence that women used to teach.

Military: Queen Vishpala is mentioned in the Rig Veda. She is said to have lost her leg during a battle, and was given a prosthetic leg of iron so that she could return to fight. Additionally, Ramayana talks about how queen Kaikeyi helped King Dashrath in the battlefield. Megasthenes (5^th  century B.C.) writes about heavily armed female warriors guarding the palace of emperor Chandragupta.

Marriage: Women enjoyed remarkable freedom in marriage affairs through "swayamvara" wherein they chose their soul mates from among a group of eligible suitors. Marriages of Sita and Draupadi are cases in point. Occasionally, social gathering called Samanas were organized to help young boys and girls meet each other. Moreover, a woman, if she chose, could marry in older age. Gosha, a well known female sage, married late.

None of the ceremonies after marriage could be performed without the presence of the wife (Rig veda 5.102). Women chanted mantras along with their husbands during rituals (Grihya Sutras).

Furthermore, marriage was not compulsory in the vedic period. Shrutavati, daughter of Rishi Bhardwaj and Shrimati, daughter of Rishi Shandilya remained bachelor throughout her life.

Seva—Corporate/human social responsibility

The word seva originated from sev, a sanskrit verb meaning “to attend." More and more prestigious universities such as Harvard and Wharton have taken up creation of social value by businesses, but I want to give credit to some of the immortal universities of mankind who knew the concept of corporate/human social responsibility long ago. Since the lines are succinct and self-explanatory, I will directly quote them from scriptures.

Christianity: In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ (Acts 20:35); Giving sets us free, while hoarding entraps us (James 5:2); Giving changes the lives of others (John 3:16). Giving brings blessing back to us (Luke 6:38); Giving allows us to store up treasures in Heaven rather than here on the earth (Matthew 19:21).

Judaism: "Tzedakah" derives from the Hebrew root Tzadei-Dalet-Qof, meaning righteousness. In Judaism, giving to the poor is considered an act of justice, righteousness and the performance of a duty. The Talmud details various level of charity ranging from the least recommended “Giving begrudgingly” to highly recommend “Enabling the recipient to become self-reliant.”

Islam: In Islam, “Sadaqat al tatawwu” means voluntary alms-giving. “Sadaqat” literally means ‘righteousness’ and is derived from the root word Sadaqa, which means “to speak the truth”. Alms-giving is called Sadaqat to indicate the veracity (sidk) of the giver’s religious belief and looses religious merit when the act is other than voluntary. (Akham al-Quran, 2/946-7)

Sanatana Dharma: The name of God in itself symbolizes the twofold “virtuous” implication, - of always giving out help and never accepting help. (Rig Veda: II, 28, 9 - Varuna Sukta);"Everyone is only a trustee or custodian for the wealth lying with oneself (from God); he cannot enjoy all of it". (The Upanishads: Ishavasya Upanishad, 1); Not by great deeds nor by great progeny but just by a single virtue, namely relinquishing all possessions one acquires immortality (Maha Narayana Upanishad IV, 12); The Divinities rejoice in that when somebody's happiness owes to another's sacrifice given voluntarily (Maha Narayana Upanishad IV, 78).

To summarize, it may be too extreme to say that “Religion is as helpful as throwing a drowning man both ends of a rope.” Dharma tries to catalyze the self, atman, from dormancy to consciousness. When seen through logical prism, it calls for generic inclusiveness and equality.

(Recommended Nice reads: Dr. S. Radhakrishnan-The Principal Upanishads; Will Durant - Story of Civilization: Our Oriental Heritage; Stephen Knapp- Women in Vedic Culture; R. C. Dutt - The Civilization of India and works of Thoreau, the American thinker and Arnold Toynbee, the British historian )

HASC Supports SAALT's America For All of Us Community Hearings

HASC supports SAALTs America for all of US

Hindu American Seva Charities is pleased to support the efforts of SAALT in bringing fairness for all Americans. The impact of 9/11 has been felt by Hindus, Muslims Sikhs, Jains, Christians, Bahais and other faiths of South Asian diaspora. SAALT is hosting a community hearing to discuss the impact. If you are not coming to HASC conference in DC on July 29 - 31st, we encourage you to participate and even cosponsor the event. .

HASC is a national, non-partisan, not for profit organization formed in response to President Obama's "Call to Serve" with the support of the White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and in partnership with the Corporation for National and Community Service.  Our goal is to mobilize the Hindu American community around "seva" (public service) in order to advance interfaith dialogue, collaboration, pluralism, social justice, and healthy living.