Arya Pratinidhi Sabha America 17 th Arya Maha Sammelan

Transcription

1 Arya Pratinidhi Sabha America 17 th Arya Maha Sammelan Communication of Vedic Values to Next Generation Shreya Bansal Hosted by Greater Dallas Arya Samaj July 19 th 22 nd,

2 APSA President s Message July 19, 2007 Dear Arya Bandhus: On behalf of all the APSA executive committee members & Greater Dallas Arya Samaj, I extend a hearty welcome to all the delegates and youth participants of the 17 th Arya Maha Sammlean. Since the last Arya Maha Sammelan in Houston, TX, we formed various Working Committees. Most of these committees have been working earnestly to achieve their objectives and goals. The Executive Committee & Working Committee members have held periodic conference calls to plan and evaluate the progress. I am sure all of you have been receiving regular monthly newsletter prepared by the Communication Committee. The publication committee has finished their work on a short pamphlet about Arya Samaj which will be distributed to various Samajs during this Sammelan. Arya Samaj Greater Houston, DAV Sanskriti School curriculum committee has worked very hard to produce the digital curricula for Naitik Shiksha and Hindi for all different age levels. Those who are interested to pursue teaching Vedic values in their respective locations will have the opportunity to learn in depth about these curricula through a workshop planned specifically for this purpose. I visited Jeevan Prabhat Pondicherry last November and gave you a report about the great humanitarian work being done there. The construction of the 1 st phase of building to house more than 50 children has started. Arya Samaj children from both schools in Houston raised about $10,000 through a Readathon effort. Hopefully, we should be able to implement similar projects at other locations. This is a very noble project and deserves full support from all the Samajs. My sincere thanks to all the members of the Arya Maha Sammelan committee, who have been working very hard to plan this Sammelan. An impressive panel of speakers from all over the world has been put together along with daily sessions of Yoga, Meditation, Yajna and cultural programs. Three focused workshops are planned to achieve the objectives of the Maha Sammelan: i) Implementing DAV School curricula across all the Arya Samajs; ii) Making Vedic teachings simple and fun for the youth; and iii) Incorporating Yoga and Meditation into Satsang. We all agree that the success of any organization depends on the unity and team work spirit of its members. I believe we are working very hard towards that goal. It is my request that any of you who has interest and desire to work in any of our working committees, please come forward and contact me or any other committee members. We would love to have your input, support and participation. Have a very enjoyable and productive Maha Sammelan! Devinder Mahajan President, Arya Pratinidhi Sabha America

3 KEY NOTE SPEECH Beliefs and Principles of Hinduism by Dr. Harish Chandra; B. Tech. (IIT Kanpur), Ph. D. (Princeton, USA) Dayananda Institute of Vedic Studies, India Introduction: Over a period of time, Hinduism has become an all-inclusive term. It includes those who are strict vegetarians and teetotalers. It includes those too who eat meat and drink liquor. It includes those who consider Vedas as their book of beliefs but there are many Hindus who would claim Gita or Ramayana or even Rama-Charita-Manas as their book. Hinduism includes those who consider God as one infinite formless spirit and worship God as prescribed by Patanjali in his treatise on Yoga. On the other hand, there are Hindus who believe in idol worship. We may choose any human parameter and find a pattern of diversity among people and yet all those will call themselves Hindus. There are many Hindus who take pride in this sort of diversity even if they are of conflicting nature. However, there have been a number of reformers who have attempted to take back Hindus towards its pure and pristine form, called Sanatana Dharma a set of principles that have been carried by the humanity since eternal times. The most remarkable attempt in the recent history came from Maharshi Dayananda Sarasvati ( ), the founder of Arya Samaj. When he founded Arya Samaj (meaning, the Assembly of Noble People), he stated in most clear terms that Arya Samaj is not a new religion, rather, it s a movement to take the humanity towards the Sanatana Dharma, as described in the Vedas. Thus, in India, Arya Samaj is treated as a branch of Hinduism though with a distinct identity of its own due to its affinity to the Sanatana Dharma of the Vedas. However, in the context of North America where Hindus are only in minuscule, an Arya Samajist tends to identify himself as a Hindu. There is no harm if an Arya Samajist in North America describes himself as a Hindu; but he must be very clear in his mind that he has no religion; he belongs to the tradition of dharma that is enshrined in the Vedas. Maharshi Jaimini, the author of Mimansa-Darshana defines dharma as: Athatodharmajijnasa Codanalaksano-artho dharmah ( ) That is, dharma is what has been described as dos in the Vedas. Therefore, an Arya Samajist must be very clear about his affiliation and identity anywhere in the world. He is governed by the teachings of the Vedas. Before we discuss the beliefs and principles of the Sanatana Dharma, one important aspect must be pointed out, namely, its origin. Every existing religion has a human being as its founder. But Sanatana Dharma has no human founder as such. Even Hindus know that Hinduism was not founded by any human being. This amply speaks about the divine origin of the Sanatana Dharma, and we must be proud of belonging to this tradition of Sanatana Dharma. We must take further pride in the fact that we came in contact with Arya Samaj and thereby became familiar with the true principles of Sanatana Dharma. Bearing the distinction between Hinduism and Sanatana Dharma in mind, we will now describe some essential features of the latter, particularly, the ones that the present world is keen to learn, understand and follow. The Consciousness Body, Mind and Spirit/Soul: A conscious living being s consciousness has posed a complex riddle for the mankind since its earliest times. What is our consciousness

4 that makes us so much different from so many other things in the world? What happens that one of us dies and never regains consciousness? What is the ultimate seat of consciousness within our body frame? The Vedas state that we are a soul distinctly different from the body and mind. While body and mind undergo changes over a period of time, we have a feeling that we are the same person that we were some years ago. The feeling of constancy comes from the soul within us. Now, the people worldwide are beginning to talk and think in terms of the body, mind and spirit. Indeed, many people across different faiths are practicing meditation in different manners and are exploring their true consciousness within. The Supreme Consciousness Infinite Formless God: The religions originally claimed to take us closer to God but they have played such a havoc with the concept of God that a modern intelligent human being hesitates to believe in God. However, the truth is that God is infinite and formless, and thereby, He exists everywhere including within our innermost core. The true understanding of God can transform a human being to his unknown potentials. This is where we have a great responsibility to explain the true nature of God. In the present age of science, it s relatively easier for the layman to understand and appreciate the second principle of Arya Samaj, and so is true with intellectuals. Now there is a greater appreciation for the fact that there must be a creator behind the beautiful creation; there must be someone promulgating and enforcing the laws that the nature follows, and so on. The Creation Evolution or Devolution: We believe that God s creation has a purpose that the souls obtain the rewards of their past karma. Furthermore, the souls in the human form can elevate themselves so as to get out of the cycle of birth and death. The two-fold purpose of the creation is called bhoga and apavarga. This being the essential purpose of the creation, we are interested in refuting a hypothesis that has been floating around for the last couple of centuries and has done tremendous harm to the society. When the modern science was in its nascent stage in the western world, some western scientists put forth a hypothesis that the creation has come into being by an evolutionary process without any intelligent creator. But, the present times are quite opportune for us to emphasize that the creation is the most intelligent design of the creator and it is for our own good. In particular, we should emphasize that the dynamics of the nature is rather devolutionary in nature. For example, we use up oxygen and convert it into carbon dioxide and we are doing this at an alarming rate in the present. However, it is God s intervention that the greenery converts the carbon dioxide back into oxygen. So is true with water and all other substances that we require for life sustenance. This is corroborated by the Second Law of Thermodynamics that states that everything in the nature tends to move towards greater chaos and disorder sometimes visible to us and sometimes at the molecular lever that is not visible to us. This is the nature of the souls that their activities cause increase in disorder only and then God s intervention must set the things back in order. So, the correct way to view the creation is that devolution is the rule of the game in the nature. Thus, there is greater need than that existed ever to explode the myth of so-called evolution that made people believe that everything happens in the nature by itself, and by corollary, it made them believe that there is no God. The Law of Karma Birth after Death: The Law of Karma is well stated in the Vedas that we will definitely be rewarded for every karma of ours. In other religions, one can petition through an intermediary and hope that his sins are pardoned. Even Hindus came to believe that their visits to certain places such as Vaishno Devi, Tirupati, Prayag, etc. and other acts such as worshipping a particular idol in a particular temple will pardon their sins and may even bring undeserved blessings. Santana Dharma is very clear on this aspect. We are rewarded for every karma that we perform both positive and negative. This law is gaining greater acceptance in the present age of science. Its immediate corollary is that we had a life before the present life and will have another life after the present one, the only exception being when we break the cycle of birth and death

5 through our higher order knowledge and associated karma. Let us explain this briefly. The present birth has been granted to us to bring the rewards of certain karma that we did in the previous life(s). This proves that there was a life before the present life. Similarly, some of the karma of the present life may not be accounted for by the rewards in the present life, and hence, we must come again in another life. This cycle of birth and death goes on like that of day and night. Only way to get out of this cycle is to know the true nature of God through Yoga practices. Yajurveda says: Vedahametam purusam mahantam adityavarnam tamasah parastat Tameva viditvati mrtumeti nanyah pantha vidyate-ayanaya(31.18) That is, I must know the supreme consciousness that is void of any kind of pain. Only through knowing Him, can I get away from death and there is absolutely no other way. This is the stronghold of the Sanatana Dharma, where all other religions are very weak. The Law of Karma is an issue that every intelligent human being implicitly believes in. This can be a good topic for us to convince the masses that such a law exists to regulate the souls (counterpart of the laws of the nature to govern the nature) and infinite God enforces it. The Method of Worshipping God Meditation: Prayers form an essential feature of every religion. It is only the Sanatana Dharma that lays emphasis on an individual s method of worshipping God in isolation though there can be some collective sessions for instructional purpose. Finally, it is between me and God without any intermediary. I must learn to meet the most beloved God in the most direct manner. This is what Sanatana Dharma offers to every human being and we must be proud of the sages such as Patanjali who gave us the roadmap to do so through the Yoga practices. Needless to say, meditation is gaining wider acceptance throughout the world. We must learn to do the Vedic Sandhya in its correct form and make it popular to one and all. Vedic Sandhya literally means Meditation that is Performed Well. The Role of Humans Vegetarianism: The human life, according to the Vedas, is very precious. It s unique in that it gives us an opportunity to explore the spiritual domain through selfrealization and God-realization. This can transform any human being. While the gains are immense in all our faculties, the most perceptible change comes in our relationship with others. We begin to consider us as a child of His and begin to realize that so are others humans, animals, birds, etc. included. The changed realization has an enormous effect on the way we treat others. Its first and foremost effect is to abstain from meat, fish and eggs on the simple ground that why should I kill another living being for my food when alternatives exist. Vegetarianism is gaining wider acceptance. We should take a pro-active approach in spreading the message of vegetarianism. Every Arya Samaj should open an outlet for simple vegetarian food within its own premises. This outlet can showcase the Vedic literature, other household goods with memorabilia, and other things too. The revenues so generated will enable Arya Samaj progress on its mission at a greater pace. Universal Love, Brotherhood and Peace Humanism: The present world is in turmoil on account of divisive religions. Furthermore, the intellectuals are divided on different social patterns such as communism, capitalism, socialism, etc. The Vedas give us a universal message of manurbhava become a worthy human being. If we all inculcate the above listed principles in true earnest then we can become the legitimate torch bearers of the universal love, brotherhood and peace. That will see a dawn of humanism the basis of a new world order for the humanity that yearns to move towards a global village void of hatred and exploitation. Closure: It is typically noticed that the Hindu youth knows less about their religion than youth of other denominations. If they enter into a discussion with people of other religions, they often fall

6 into uncomfortable situations. The principal reason is that Sanatana Dharma is not taught correctly to them. It is seen often that even their parents do not know it correctly. The state of affairs is still more disturbing for the Hindu youth in the western world. The most critical factor is inconsistency that has been vouched as diversity by the Hindu leaders for the latter s narrow and selfish motives. For example, if we ask 10 Hindu youth: What is your book of religion? Then the answers may vary widely and may include Vedas, Gita, and even Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagwat-Purana, and even Rama-Charita-Manas the last book may be erroneously even called as Ramayana. While the youth of Christian and Muslim background will give a very clear answer: Bible and Koran, respectively. Another example can come from the question: What is the nature of God? The Hindu youth may give different answers, such as, an infinite formless Cosmic Spirit, Lord Rama, Lord Krishna, Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesh, and so on. I personally know many educated Hindus who get so confused if they are probed slightly on any religious topic. The result is that deep within, Hindus are losing their self-esteem. The people of other denominations know it. That is the reason that all sorts of missionaries are working in overdrive to convert Hindus. It s very common to hear that an educated Hindu has converted to become a Muslim or Christian. All Hindus owe it to themselves to understand true Hinduism that is based on eternal principles, Sanatana Dharma. That has its origin in God and has no human founder unlike all other religions. Sanatan Dharma has a scientific basis. If understood correctly, every Hindu can hold his/her head high and lead a distinctly better quality of life. Arya Samaj is not a new sect or religion. Its founder, Maharshi Dayananda Sarasvati said so in very clear terms. It is a movement that stands for revival of Sanatana Dharma. Every Hindu should open-mindedly understand the message of Arya Samaj and work together with Arya Samaj for this noble mission to carry the entire humanity back to the message of the Vedas the first book, His Word to the humanity. Of course, the best way to propagate certain beliefs and principles is to inculcate the same in personal life. If our life has some distinctive positive features then that will tell loud and clear that Sanatana Dharma is on a strong base. We should educate our children in this direction by bringing them closer to Arya Samaj there is no other place one could hear the message of Vedas in its pristine beauty. Every attendee in the Arya Maha Sammelan 2007 in Dallas must honestly ask in true earnest what he/she can do to take the Sanatana Dharma forward towards the people who are away from this grandeur of light. Besides being transformed for one s own good, everybody must find a mechanism to take the principles of Sanatana Dharma forward and participate in the same. It can be as simple an activity as leafleting, manning a book stall, going door to door to sell/distribute the Vedic literature, organizing talks, lectures, workshops, and a host of other events please do some thing over and above what you have been doing. Otherwise, the Arya Maha Sammelan 2007 will become a mere lip service.

7 Imparting the Vedic Values and Beliefs to our Next Generation by Dr. Prem Chand Shridhar Acharya, Arya Samaj Greater Houston For over 131 years. Arya Samaj has been at the forefront in implementing its motto Krinvanto Vishvamaryam, which means, MAKE THE WHOLE WORLD NOBLE. This is only possible if we produce and nurture a better generation. Building a Better Society Producing better men and women, and thereby a better society, may appear ambitious, even utopian. All our dreams can be fulfilled by imparting Vedic values and beliefs to our children. This should be the main purpose of every religion and the goal of all human endeavors to make human beings better and better every day. Who is an Aryan? The word Arya contains all the human virtues and expresses a particular ethical and social ideal, an ideal of well governed and well ordered life of candor, courtesy, nobility, straight forward dealing, courage, gentleness, purity, compassion, protection of the weak, liberality, observance of social duty, eagerness of knowledge and social accomplishment. What is Arya Samaj? Samaj means a society and Arya is an epithet meaning the noble, i.e. a society of the noble. The Vedas ordain, I have given this earth for the Aryans, means for gentlemen, men of purity, humanity, compassion courage and gentleness. The purpose of life is to grow into likeness of God by acquiring personal goodness and excellence in work. This is the basis of any rational scientific universal religion, and insistence on it has become all the more necessary because of the challenges posed by the breathtaking advances in science. Therefore, the paramount need today is the system of education, which not only prepares us for a successful career but also gives us good character base for the moral values of society. Children are our Real Asset Children are the invaluable asset of the community for on them is dependent the future development and growth of the society. No matter what the present generation is, no matter what its past, society always endeavors to fashion out for its numbers a future in accordance with high ideals. Indian society in USA feels the urgent need for such education that is based on moral value of Indian culture. Meaning of the Education Only education makes the distinction between man and animal. The educative process requires the individuality and the influence of the hereditary and environmental factors be taken into

8 account. By means of education the child s innate qualities must be unfolded. We should undertake the education of the child to develop his or her physical, intellectual and spiritual potentialities. Contribution of Arya Samaj to the Field of Education The Arya Samaj has laid great stress on the social purpose of the education right from its establishment in This reveals the far-sightedness and modernity of its educational outlook and ideology. The Vedic Ethical Values and Beliefs The main values and beliefs that Arya Samaj professes to inculcate in our next generation are: Humanity, Selfless offering, Service to Mankind, Understanding the true concept of God as Sat-Chit-Anand, The concept of Soul, Law of Action, Knowledge of three causes: efficient cause, material cause, common cause, The Vedas are the Divine knowledge, Knowledge of Yog and Meditation, Yajna, a complete Vedic way of life, The purpose of life is Dharm, Arth, Kam and Moksh. How to Impart all this? The only solution is the opening more and more schools for our next generation, for example, Sunday schools and Montessori schools attached to every Arya Samaj. This will help spreading the message of Vedic values and beliefs. This would require a strong commitment and involvement of all Arya Samajs so that a uniform system of Vedic education can be adopted and maintained. One critical factor to keep in mind is that the education of a child is not limited just to the schools. It inherently begins and ends at the child s home. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the parents to ensure that they themselves learn and live the Vedic values and impart these to their children in their day-to-day lives. Role of Arya Maha Sammelan in this Pursuit Starting with the last Arya Maha Sammelan, this topic has been kept in focus through workshops and brainstorm sessions to bring the ideas of all participating Arya Samajs in North America together, and to come up with a road map and an action plan to achieve this noble objective. Standardization and adoption of the Naitik Shiksha and Hindi curricula for various age groups is well under way. Other means of simplifying and making the Vedic values more acceptable to the next generation are also being explored.

9 Vedic Values: Essential Nutrients for the Well Being of our Youth by Vineeta Salvi Values form the bedrock of the culture of any community or country. For Hindus, the Vedas are the primary source of these values. Far more than just a set of books, the Vedas and Upanishads represent a body of highly practical and timeless knowledge. Of course, this knowledge was not created in these texts; just as the force of gravity existed before Newton explained it; the knowledge within the Vedas has always existed. This knowledge was uncovered thousands of years ago by numerous ancient sages who had purified their minds through deep introspection and meditation. For centuries thereafter, this knowledge was conveyed verbally from teacher to student, until the great sage Ved Vyasa compiled it into the four books: Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda. Though Rishi Ved Vyasa wrote the text of the Vedas, he was merely the narrator, not the creator, of the distilled wisdom attained by numerous Rishis through millennia. Vedic knowledge and wisdom is separate from religion per se; it is highly spiritual but does not pertain to any one religious tradition, hence it is both eternal and universal. Vedic philosophy is directed inward and is very simple, straightforward and practical. It illuminates the path of Dharma (the righteous way) to experiencing long-term success and happiness. Regardless of external circumstances, the internal condition of our mind controls the level of our comfort and confidence. If we see a spot on our nose in a mirror, it would be futile to wipe the mirror instead of our nose. Likewise, Vedic principles tell us that the most effective way to deal with the vagaries of the world is to change ourselves rather than try to change the world. In other words, we must learn to keep our own noses clean! The Vedas show us how to maintain equanimity in all situations, develop the ability to withstand difficulties and overcome obstacles to reaching our objectives. Through this, they also show us how to achieve the elusive state of perennial happiness and tranquility. The Vedas lay out some basic principles of good conduct and character to live by, such as Satya or truth (think, speak & act truthfully), Saucha or purity (physical, mental & emotional cleanliness), Dana or charity (generous sharing of one s time, talent, money & materials without selfish motive, for the benefit of all), and above all, Vivek or discrimination (the ability to choose wisely between right & wrong). By following Vedic principles, we lay the groundwork for experiencing and enjoying good health, wealth, success and happiness in our lives. The depth, significance and timeless relevance of the ancient Indian scriptures can be appreciated from just a few examples of the pearls of wisdom contained therein: Happiness = Desires fulfilled as a percentage of Desires entertained. We can enhance the happiness in our life by increasing the numerator (desires fulfilled) or decreasing the denominator (reducing desires entertained); the latter is far easier to achieve. Just knowing is not enough; knowledge needs to be absorbed and assimilated into our system, so that our very nature changes and improves, and we do the right thing naturally every time. For example, the bitterness of coffee cannot be eliminated just by adding sugar. The sugar needs to be stirred and dissolved to make the coffee sweet. Similarly,

10 knowledge needs to be understood and applied in order to change our nature. Also, just as stronger coffee needs more sugar to become palatable, a harsher personality or worse habits will need a greater amount of knowledge, practice and patience to make a positive difference. Actions by themselves are neither good nor bad. It is the intention or motive behind the actions that determine their quality. A surgeon wielding a knife to save a patient s life is very different from a mugger using one to steal from his victim. Work done in the spirit of service with love and devotion is sacrifice or Yajna. For example, Havan, which is an integral part of Vedic principles, is not merely a ritual but a symbolic act of offering our skills and talents for the benefit of all in our society. Always live in the present. Vital energy is wasted when we spend time regretting the past or worrying about the future, instead of enjoying the gift of this moment. Forego your attachment i.e. obsession with results, and concentrate on the effort instead. This attitude reflects Lord Krishna's words of wisdom: Do your Best, and leave the Rest to Me. This advice is so practical and relevant because if we focus on the action/task at hand without any anticipation or anxiety about the outcome, the results are invariably likely to be much better than if our attention was distracted with thoughts or worries about the future. Regular practice of yoga, meditation and breathing exercises enables one to enjoy excellent physical, mental and emotional health. Why is it important to pass on this Vedic wisdom to our next generation? The answer should be obvious to any parent of Indian heritage. We love our children and want the very best for them. We want them to be safe, successful, healthy, happy and a source of pride for us when they grow up. We feed them good food, send them to good schools, provide them with comforts and conveniences, and nurture them through illnesses and other travails of growing up. If someone told us that a particular medicine would ensure their good health and well being throughout their lives, we would rush to acquire it for our children. After all, we do want the very best for them. Well, Vedic wisdom is just such a medicine. Think of it as a vaccine against stress or a cure for mental anguish. If we give ourselves and our children a daily dose of Vedic vitamins, we would ensure the long-term good health and happiness of our whole family for generations to come. It is not enough to encourage our children only to become rich, famous and/or successful. Through the application of Vedic values, we can also empower them to enjoy and share their wealth, fame and success in a sustainable and fulfilling manner. It is imperative that each generation pass on its positive values and hard-earned wisdom to the next. Any gap in the communication of these values will be detrimental to all concerned, because language and terms of reference change from one generation to another. Ancient words lose their meaning if not re-interpreted in the context of current life styles. For example, the analogy of electricity which is often used to explain the Life principle or God which exists within all of us would have not been possible until a hundred or so years ago. Similarly, words like programs, chips, memory, and virus have acquired entirely new meanings since the beginning of the Information Age.

11 It is equally important to remember that if we do not make a concerted effort to introduce and convey our values to our children, someone else will do that! i.e. our children may absorb values from some other culture that may not be conducive to nor concur with our own. If our children do not know their own culture and heritage, it could be easy for someone else to disparage or disregard it, damaging their (our children s) confidence and pride in the process. How do we pass on our Vedic values to our children? The most important thing is that as parents, we need to live these values ourselves. That is the best and most effective way of transferring our values to our children. As Lord Krishna has said in the Bhagvad Geeta, "Whatever a great man does, that other men also do, whatever he sets up as the standard, that the world follows. To children, parents are great! As their first role models, we owe it to our children to set a good example. Children absorb primarily by observation. They will do as we do, not what we say. For example, if we demonstrate a sense of humor and equanimity in times of stress and distress, our children are more likely to do so too. If, on the other hand, we are critical and cynical, our children are going to develop similar attitudes. As parents we must first learn and internalize these values and principles before we can convey these to our children. Many of us may not have had the benefit of receiving this knowledge when we grew up, so how can we teach our children now? If our children are older, we can learn together with them embark on a journey of co-discovery. If our children are young, we can first educate ourselves by reading at least some of the classic texts. We should always use enjoyable and interesting ways to simplify and communicate our values to the youth. We must speak in their language and at their level. We should enable our children to experience religious places and temples. We should also enroll them in Sunday schools where they can learn more about our values, as well as about the heroes who lived those values. We must seek and keep good company (Satsang) whenever and wherever possible. Attending Mahasammelans such as this one is another avenue for us parents to indicate our commitment to our culture and value system. While benefiting from the experience and wisdom of distinguished Vedic scholars, our children can also meet, interact and build lasting friendships with their peers of similar upbringing. They can exchange information, ideas, challenges and solutions with each other and professionally trained adults in a fun and non-threatening environment. They can draw inspiration from successful role models of Indian origin, and gain new insights into personal and professional choices. When should we start inculcating these values and imparting this wisdom to our children? As soon as our child is born. By performing Vedic Samskaras or rites as prescribed, and by living the values ourselves, we teach our children the fundamental tenets of our culture. A child s ears and eyes are like audio and video recorders. If a child hears and sees parents live and repeat the values, the mind will play it back to him or her at crucial moments. Where? The short response is: Everywhere and anywhere. At home, in the car, at the grocery store, at little League games, at bed time, meal time, and homework time; every moment of interaction with our children is an opportunity for us to show them what our Vedic values are. In conclusion, Vedic values and wisdom that emphasize health (mental, physical and spiritual), wealth, success and happiness will enable our children to experience and enjoy the Best of Both Worlds! What more can we parents wish for or give our children?

12 Facts about Mother India There are some important facts about India which you may or may not be aware of. These are as follows: India never invaded any country in her last 10,000 years of history. India invented the Number System. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta. The world s first university was established in Takshshila. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied over 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda, built in the 4th century CE, was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education. Sanskrit is the mother of all European languages. It is the most suitable language for computer software a report in Forbes magazine, July Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans. Charaka, the father of medicine, consolidated Ayurveda 2,500 years ago. Today Ayurveda is fast regaining its rightful place in our civilization. Although modern images of India often show poverty and lack of development, India was the richest country on earth until the time of British in the early 17th century. Christopher Columbus was attracted by her wealth. The art of navigation was born in the river Sindh 6,000 years ago. The very word navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word navgatih. The word navy is also derived from Sanskrit word nou. Bhaskaracharya calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. Time taken by earth to orbit the sun: (5th century) days. The value of pi was first calculated by Bodhayana, and he explained the concept of what is now known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century long before the European mathematicians Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from India. Quadratic equations were propounded by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10**53 (10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 BC during the Vedic period. Even today in modern times, the largest used number is Tera: 10**12 (10 to the power of 12). According to the Gemological Institute of America, up until 1896, India was the only source for diamonds to the world. USA based IEEE has proved what has been a century old suspicion in the world scientific community that the pioneer of wireless communication was Prof. Jagdish Bose and not Marconi. The earliest reservoir and dam for irrigation was built in Saurashtra. According to Saka King Rudradaman I of 150 CE a beautiful lake aptly called Sudarshana was constructed on the hills of Raivataka during Chandragupta Maurya s time.

13 Chess (Shataranja or Ashtapada) was invented in India. Sushruta is the father of surgery. Around 2,600 years ago he and health scientists of his time conducted complicated surgeries like cesareans, cataract, artificial limbs, fractures, urinary tones and even plastic surgery and brain surgery. Usage of anesthesia was well known in ancient India. Over 125 surgical equipments were used. Deep knowledge of anatomy, physiology, etiology, embryology, digestion, metabolism, genetics and immunity is also found in many texts. When many cultures were nomadic, forest dwellers, over 5,000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilization). The place value and decimal systems were developed in India in 100 BC. Due to its achievements India has been praised by a large number of renowned foreign personalities. o o o o Albert Einstein said: We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made. Mark Twain said: India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only. French scholar Romain Rolland said: If there is one place on the face of earth where all the dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India. Hu Shih, former Ambassador of China to USA said: India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border. So let us not forget the rich history of our motherland and be very proud of it. Let us not be embarrassed to be called an Indian, but rather be proactive to tout our strengths and achievements. We have so many amazing success stories to be proud of our rich heritage.

14 Volunteers for AMS 2007 Name Home No. Address Co-Chair (Planning & Coordination): Vijay Bhalla Bhushan Verma Youth Committee: Manjula Thapar (Chair) Vinay Aerry Ashish Aerry Prachi Thapar Sati Gurdial Prem Bhalla Alka Khanna Sonal Agrawal Program Planning & Execution Vishwajit Kohli (Chair) Rajesh Khosla Parvesh Singla Manjit Aerry Rohit Nagpal Priyanka Nagpal Lakshmi Saride Logistics: Upendera Sethi (Chair) Rajneesh Gupta Sudhir Sardie Kusum Kukreja Cultural Programme: Shradha Bhalla (Chair) Kusum Sethi Minu Garg Communications: Naresh Gupta (Chair) Vineeta Salvi Sudheer Saride Parvesh Singla Anupama Khosla Rajesh Khosla Jaivir Garg Fund Raising: Naresh Gupta (Chair) Suresh Kukreja Vijay Bhalla

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16 Thanks to our sponsors Mr. Satish Gupta Mrs. Reena Batra/SPI Mr. U. K. Gupta Mr. Bob Khullar/Sigma Surveillance Mr. Narinder Monga Mrs. Shradha Bhalla/Medical Career Concepts Dr. Suresh & Kusum Kukreja Dr. Naresh & Rajneesh Gupta Mr. Rajesh & Anupama Khosla

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