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Shanthi Sandesh Hindu Temple and Community Center Of Mid-Missouri 2006 Holly Avenue, Columbia, MO 65202-2043 http://shanthimandir.missouri.org (573) 814-1286 V O L U M E

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Bahubali– one who attained Nirvana H.R. Chandrasekhar

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Inside This Issue Bahubali – one who attained Nirvana

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Executive Board

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SKY - The Journey Never Ends

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Herb of the Season

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CROP Hunger Walk/ Run

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Food Labels

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Kolu Celebration

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Yoga Corner

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Bhagavad Gita

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Quarterly Fiscal Report

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Donor Acknowledgment

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Community Calendar

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Current Programs

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any thousand years ago there lived a saintly king named Rishabha. He ruled vast lands for many years. As he grew old, he often instructed his sons on the value of peace, justice and compassion. Finally he divided his kingdom among them, renounced all worldly pleasures and spent the remainder of his life in meditation, introspection and self-study. Many years after his death he came to be revered as Adinatha, the first of a series of twenty four divinities of Jains who had conquered ego.

Bharata, the eldest son of Rishabha, was not satisfied with the kingdom he inherited.

He embarked on a military campaign, and expanded his empire to the far reaches of the sub-continent. After a point the only kingdoms out of his control were those that his father had gifted to his brothers. Bharata’s ambition had no bounds and he set out to remedy this situation. He sent proclamations to his brothers inviting them to visit

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t is hard to believe that Fall is here. The devotional and cultural programs at the Mandir are in full swing. In August, twelve families/individuals, several of whom were newly married couples, performed the 2013 Samuhika Satyanarayana Puja. It was followed by the FOOD MELA at the everpopular annual picnic. A group of enterprising moms prepared a feast and attendees donated for the food that was eaten, which

him at the seat of his empire, to pay respects to him by offering him gifts by declaring their subordination and loyalty to the emperor. His brothers got the veiled threat behind this invitation and succumbed without protest. The lone exception was Bahubali, the youngest son of Rishabha who adored his brother and delighted in his love for him.

However he would not be intimidated by threats or abandon his kingdom out of fear.

Bharata would not tolerate this insolence even from his kid brother. His mighty army camped outside the small kingdom of Bahubali to confront him. The inevitable consequence of war would be wanton bloodshed of innocent people. The two brothers concluded that they should avoid it by limiting the fight between two of them. They chose to duel among themselves by three forms of war prescribed in the ancient texts. The first was Drishti Yuddha. Here the two opponents would engage in a

staring competition in which each would fix his gaze upon the other. The first to blink and lose concentration would lose. For all his might, Bharata was no match to the quiet will of his kid brother whose penetrating gaze unnerved him. Bahubali was declared winner.

The second form was Jala Yuddha. In this fight, the brothers dueled in knee-deep water in a pool by spraying water over each other. Again Bahubali won handily over Bharata. The third and final form was Mushti Yuddha, a hand-to-hand wrestling match. True to his name, the mighty arms of Bahubali pounded Bharata by countering his moves. A large crowd watched in excitement as Bahubali loomed over his brother winning round after round. Finally he picked up Bharata and lifted him over his head like a toy and whirled him. A gasp went through the crowd in anticipation of the body of Bharata, the emperor, (continued on Page 2)

Message from the Executive Board contributed to the HTCC’s coffers. We also celebrated Sri Krishna Jayanthi/ Janmashtami with a full house at the Mandir, and cars were quickly moved to overflow parking areas. A classical music concert featuring Carnatic and Hindustani kritis in a variety of languages Sanskrit, Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Telugu – was also held in August at the

Mandir. It was also wellattended Celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi this year marked the Eighth Anniversary of Shanthi Mandir. The Ganesh Sthapana Puja, marking the official start of the Ganesh Utsav, was performed on the Chaturthi, the fourth day of the waxing moon. Prior to the Sthapana, around 25 youth (continued on Page 6)

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falling ignominiously to the ground. During that fateful moment a discerning few noticed a different battle taking place in the mind of Bahubali that would transform him forever.

As the mighty arms of Bahubali lifted and began to whirl the body of Bharata, raging thoughts were whirling in the head of Bahubali. He remembered the sermon of Adinatha Rishabha, his saintly father on whose laps he and Bharata had frolicked and listened to the words of wisdom. “The pride and pleasure of wealth, power and earthly riches are like the momentary blaze of a lamp about to go out.

Seek the steady glow of bliss that comes from conquering the ego,” His father had said. “You gain by giving up; win by Ahimsa, not by Violence.”

“What am I doing?” wondered Bahubali. “What will come of humiliating my own brother? No earthly reward is worthy of such act of violence. Have I been parroting the teachings of my elders and teachers without grasping their meaning? Have I engaged in the wrong battle? In my zeal to fight my brother, the real enemies are invading my soul.”

Bahubali gently lowered his brother to the ground. He released the arms lock that bound him and spoke: “I renounce my kingdom and retire to the forest this very minute.

You can have your empire and rule over it all. I want no part in it.” He walked away as Bharata watched in amazement.

Bahubali spent many years in meditation and penance. Anthills

formed on the ground where he stood. Creepers grew near him and coiled around his mighty arms. Snakes slithered on his body and around him. His body withered but his determination to attain Nirvana was unshakable.

Thousands came to get a glimpse of this ascetic. Some watched in silence, others wept and many prayed and felt graced by his presence. Many years later a visitor came to seek the blessing of the holy man. He had left all the trappings of his wealth behind.

He walked barefoot, unescorted and robed in a simple garb. He ws Bharata, the emperor of India.

Bharata sat at the feet of Bahubali in utter humility and respect. He addressed his onetime brother who was now on the verge of Nirvana. “I have a confession to make,” began Bharata, his voice trembling with contrition. “During my youth, as I embarked on my campaign to expand the empire, I came upon a rocky hill of extraordinary shape. The rocks were enormous and shaped as if they were made to display the victory tablet of my military exploits. I commanded my architects to carve glorious tablets proclaiming my name and the empire I had built. Soon they returned with a long face and told me that every stone was carved in full singing the praise of the rulers of the past. There was no space left to spare. I was crest fallen and angry. I commanded one of those tablets to be erased and my glory replaced in its place.”

Bharata paused and continued: “As I sit at your feet I feel ashamed at my act. I should

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have realized at the futility of my ego. I have come to seek your forgiveness and blessing. You have given up everything except for the land where your gentle feet rest. Soon even that will not be yours but the grace of your holy presence has blessed the land and its people.”

Bharata looked up at the serene face of Bahubali whose eyes were closed in deep meditation.

Two gentle drops of tear formed at the lotus eyes of the monk and glowed like diamond for a second in the morning sun. Then thet fell on the head of Bharata.

The touch of those sacred drops sent a jolt of electricity in Bharata’s body. Tears rolled down his cheeks in a gush and fell on the feet of Bahubali, as if washing them in prayer. Bharata returned to his capital as a changed man graced by the saint who attained Nirvana soon after.

The legend of Bahubali was commemorated in epics, songs and sculpture by the future generations. The largest and most famous of such tributes was a nearly fifty nine foot tall statue carved in the Vindhyagiri mountain face at Shravana Biligola in the province of Karnataka. This thousand year old monolith was commissioned

by Chamunda Raya, a general of Ganga dynasty in Talakad.

The historic Shravana Biligola houses a large number of Jain monasteries, and religious and archeological artifacts. The Maha Mastaka Abhisheka is an event that attracts hundreds of thousands of pilgrims. The colossal statue of Bahubali is bathed on this ritual which takes place every twelve years☯

HTCC Youth Day 2013

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SKY – The Journey Never Ends Pranavi Tella This article is in continuation from the last issue of Shanthi Sandesh

From all the blessings we attained from our temple visits in Kathmandu and Pokhara, we were very confident that our Journey was meant to happen and the Lord will lead us all the way. Sure He did and we crossed the friendship bridge after a long wait of eight hours before we headed to our first stop in Tibet.

The distance from Kodari to Nyalam is only 30 kilometers (~18.5 miles) and it took six hours to drive there. This is the longest 30 kilometers I had ever driven in my life.

Everyone got so tired partially due to long wait to cross Friendship Bridge. The air started to feel very dry as we started moving to a higher elevation. By now, we already reached 12, 300 feet above the sea level. We stayed overnight at Nyalam to get acclimated to higher elevation.

Everyone in the group started feeling the symptoms of altitude sickness which was expected and we were prepared with all the medication needed. I couldn’t eat anything that night because of severe headache due to altitude sickness and I lost my appetite too.

The next morning, I woke up feeling very refreshed and joined the team for our daily morning prayers. Then headed to a place called Saga (15,200 feet) and is located 75 kilometers (~ 46.5 miles) from Nyalam. On our way, we stopped to get a glance of Shishapangma, the 14th highest mountain in the world. It is a beautiful mountain covered with snow located in the southcentral Tibet and is approximately 26, 289 feet above the sea level.

We also stopped at Lake Peiku Tso, a beautiful alpine lake located near Shishapangma for lunch. This remote lake sees very few tourists, but is a great place to go if you are interested in experiencing some of the off-the-beaten-path areas of Tibet. The lake sits at an elevation of 15,100 feet and is a bright turquoise color all year round. The drive to the lake is amazing with excellent views of Himalayas.

The mountain views were astonishing all

the way from Nyalam to Saga. Right before reaching Saga we stopped at Brahmaputra river to get some holy water for family & friends. Saga is a chinese military base and we were not allowed to take pictures during our stay here.

Our next destination was Darchen, a small village right in front of sacred mountain Mount Khailash which is located about the same elevation as Saga. It took over six hours to drive there. On our way to Darchen, we stopped at a location where we got our first glimpse of Mount Khailash & holy Lake Manasarovar. It was a really an emotional moment looking at Mount Khailash for the first time. We were so fortunate to witness the eminent beauty of the mountain as there were no clouds covering it. The glimpse of holy Manasarovar made us forget all the troubles we had gone through to get there.

After reaching Darchen, the SKY (Sai Khailash Yatra) team met to discuss the logistics of next three days. We were told to pack our backpacks the night itself leaving rest of our stuff behind. It is strongly recommended to dress in layers as the temperatures are very unpredictable and pack lighter with only absolutely necessary items in the backpack because the heavier the backpacks are, harder it becomes to climb as we ascend to an elevation of 19,000 ft in next three days.

We experienced freezing temperatures in Darchen.

Khailash Parikrama can be taken up either on foot or on horses. Prior to beginning the Parikrama, we visited ‘Yama Dwar’, a pillar to which many colorful flags are tied and is situated in Tarboche which is approximately 30 minutes drive from Darchen. The exact meaning of the Yam Dwar in Hindi lingo is 'the gateway of the God of Death'. It is the initial point of Mount Kailash Parikrama. It is believed that doing Pradakshina, meaning circumambulation (walking around in a 'circle' as a form of worship) around Yama Dwar will help reach heaven directly after death. In Hindu scriptures, it is also believed that passing through Yama Dwar means leaving bad karma behind and cleansing ourselves before taking the holy journey.

The first day of Parikrama was not bad as the total trek was only eight kilometers. It took me very long (seven hours) to complete the trek and reach the base camp as I could barely move because of my heavy backpack and I was dressed in five layers. I realized that I was very slow but I wanted to conserve my energy for second day trek which supposedly is the

longest and hardest of all three days.

Important point worth mentioning here is that pilgrims can hire a porter to carry their backpacks for about $50 for all three days or have an option to ride on horse to avoid walking and it costs $300 for three days. I opted not to choose either option because I felt like doing this Parikrama is my commitment to God and I wanted to fulfill that commitment on my feet with my backpack on my shoulders. Looking at my pace on the first day, my team lead became very nervous about me and checked with me at least five times to make sure I am up for day two. I was 200% confident in my mind that I can do it.

Learning from my mistakes on first day, I decided to dress lighter for better mobility and remove few things in my backpack to make it lighter.

The second day in the Kailash Parikrama was the most difficult one. Our group started the Parikrama at 5 AM in the morning and we didn’t reach our base camp until 9:30 pm. We walked over 20 kilometers on our second day trek. On our way, we crossed the Dolma La Mountain, which sits at an elevation of 19,500 feet and Lachhu River which is also situated about the same elevation. If the weather is clear, Everest will be visible from here.

During the Parikrama, while climbing down the Dolma La peak which was a real steep incline, we saw Lake 'Gauri Kund'. Gauri Kund is in the shape of an egg and is also known as the Lake of Compassion. The water in this lake will always be in solid form and devotees believe that Goddess Parvati used to take bath in this lake and perform penance to marry Lord Shiva.

The last day of Parikrama was easy. We walked about twelve kilometers on a relatively flat terrain which took us less than five hours to reach a complete stop where we were transported in a bus to holy Lake Manasarovar completing the Mount Khailash Parikrama. During the trek, we saw Lake Rakshastal, also known as (continued on Page 4)

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Herb of the Season Juliana Adhikari than during the fall and early winter season when Vata gets easily out of balance. Vata’s airy and etheric nature is characterized by qualities of dryness, movement, lightness, roughness and subtleties. When Vata is out of balance these qualities can manifest as dry skin, dry hair, poor circulation, arthritic pain, constipation, stress, One of the most popular anxiety, insomnia and fatigue. Therefore to herbs used in Ayurveda for balance Vata it is necessary to have a diet and vitality and restoration, Ashwaghanda possesses lifestyle that is warming, calming and nourishing a wide variety of benefits and has been used and include herbs into your seasonal regimen since ancient times as an anti-inflammatory, anti- that are stress-reducing and rejuvenating such stress agent, antioxidant and rejuvenative herb. as Ashwaghanda.

Because of its wide range of actions and Uses and Precautions medicinal properties it is used to treat numerous Ashwaghanda is available as a powder, tablet, conditions including general debility, fatigue, oil (for external use to strengthen muscle and emaciation, loss of muscular energy, tissue bone tissues) and ghee. The usual deficiency, nerve exhaustion, stress, anxiety and recommended dose is 3 - 9g of dried powder depression, loss of memory, insomnia, daily. For people who suffer from debility, autoimmune conditions, arthritic conditions, insomnia and anxiety, mix a teaspoon of asthma, thyroid disorders, multiple sclerosis, powdered Ashwaghanda in a cup of warm milk anemia, high cholesterol, unstable blood-sugar, before bed. Women should avoid the herb during infertility, sexual debilitation, symptoms of old pregnancy and avoid in case of high ama or age and pain. severe congestion☯ (Image courtesy of Wikipedia) It is the king of herbs for rejuvenating Vata Dosha and what better time to utilize its benefits Ashwaghanda Latin Name: Withania Somnifera Common Names: Winter Cherry, Indian Ginseng Parts Used: Root

Homam thanking Lord Shiva for such a wonderful blessing and successful Parikrama. Mid-night as Ravana Tal lying close to the west of Manaafter the Homam was over, we all camped on the sarovar and Mount Khailash. It is so easy to get banks of Manasarovar watching stars and enjoyconfused with Lake Manasarovar from appearing the moon light. The beauty of Lake Manaance. Despite it's close proximity to Lake mana- sarovar in the moon light is hard to describe in sarovar, Lake Rakshastal (water is salty, a stark words. We started our drive back to Nyalam the contrast to the fresh water of Lake Manasarovar) following day and headed to Nepal after crossing does not share the lore of worship with its neigh- the friendship bridge.

It isn't the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out, it's the pebble in your shoe.

Similarly, it's not the magnitude of the goal that will stop you from achieving it; it's the doubt in your mind. Constant affirmation in my mind that it's not me doing it, it's the Light (God) inside me guiding all my way and I was very confident that the Light protects me all along and gives me strength to overcome any obstacles. Only God's love can make any climb easier.

In the real world, everyone tries to get somewhere. We see that in our own lives and everyone around us. We arrive at one destination and we are off to another one. Even though our physical journey has completed as soon as we bor. It is considered to be the place of severe reached Nepal after the Parikrama was over, the penance of Ravana, the ten headed demon-like inner journey on the road we walk with God egoistic king of Lanka according to Hindu scripNEVER ENDS. The spiritual experiences I had tures. In Buddhism, Lake Manasarovar, which is and the bond I made with all the members of the round like the sun, and Rakshastal, shaped as a group (Sai Khailash Yatra – SKY family) during crescent, are respectively regarded as this journey will be cherished for a lifetime. 'brightness' and 'darkness'.

Thank you everyone for following my Journey to It happened to be Guru Purnima (a hindu festiMount Khailash. val) on the day we all took a holy bath in Lake Peace Peace Peace☯ Manasarovar. Our group also conducted Rudra SKY - The Journey Never Ends Continued from page 3

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CROP Hunger Walk/Run Vellore S. Gopalaratnam

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TCC Helping Hands fields a strong team at the 2013 CROP Hunger Walk/Run The HTCC Helping Hands team fielded a 31-strong contingent at the 2013 CROP Hunger Walk/Run on Sunday, October 6, 2013, despite the inclement weather. Our youngest participant was Parth Gupta (1.5 years) and the "youngest at heart" was 79 year old Vedavalli Srinivasagopalan. Our group comprising 11 runners included our youngest runner, Akhil Elangovan at 9 years, a "father and sons" team (the Elangovans), as well as a "fatherdaughter" team (the Rawats).

Thanks to our fundraising walkers, runners and donors, we raised over $1,725 for the event ($1,350 in donations on behalf of the fundraisers from HTCC Helping Hands, $100 in HTCC sponsorship for the event and $275 in registration fees from our 11 runners). This puts us as the team raising the most funds for

the 2013 Hunger Walk/Run. The final collection for CROP Hunger Walk/Run more than doubles our original fundraising target of $750. Suryanshi Rawat was recognized as a "Silver Foot" ($500+ raised) fundraiser and Gopalaratnam as a "Bronze Foot" ($300+ raised) fundraiser.

Our runners placed in the top three finishers in almost all categories (age and gender specific groups) and included: Akhil Elangovan, Ashwath Elangovan, Bala Elangovan, Gagneesh Rawat, Kala Kumar, Pranavi Tella, Shiva Sankalp, Sumit Gupta, Suryanshi Rawat, Tarang Parashar and, Vellore S. Gopalaratnam.

Our walkers included: Abirami Shanmugasundaram, Anantha Gopalaratnam, Jasmit Khurana, Judy Code, Meena Thawani, Meera Chandrasekhar, Mohan Ram, Nagasmitha Akkinapragada, Neha Chugh-Gupta, Neil Thawani, Nidhi Khosla, Parth Gupta, Preeti Shirgur, Pushpa Agashe, Ranjana Parashar, Ravi Thawani, Srinath Gopalakrishna, Uma Srinath, Vedavalli Srinivasagopalan, and Venkata Maheswara Rao Chevendra Twenty-five percent of funds raised will be distributed among four local efforts to fight hunger, including Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen, the Russell Chapel Food Pantry, the Latter House Kingdom Ministries Food Pantry and the Fifth Street Christian Church's Feed the Community program. The remaining 75 percent will go toward Church World Service and will be distributed among efforts to fight hunger around the world.

Our strong showing this year achieved the two primary objectives for CROP Hunger Walk/Run. (a) To raise funds to alleviate poverty in Columbia and other parts of the world, and (b) To raise awareness of the poverty problem facing many of our fellow citizens in Columbia☯

Food Labels Uma Srinath

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ey Aspects of the Food and Drug Administration’s Food Label important health issues prevalent in today’s society. Total Format.

Fat, Saturated Fat, Trans Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium are Nutrition information on labels allows the public to choose generally consumed in excess. Total fat includes Saturated foods to meet recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for fat and Trans fats. Diets low in Saturated fat, Trans fat and Americans.

Cholesterol decrease the risk for heart disease. Use labels to The Ingredient list gives an overview of the recipe with look for foods that are low in these nutrients. 5% of Daily ingredients listed from most to least in quantity.

Value or less is low.

Nutrition description such as “low fat” or “high fiber” helps you 6. Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium and Iron often come up find foods to meet specific nutrition goals. short in the typical American diet. Look for foods that are rich Serving sizes are listed in common household and metric in these nutrients. 20% of Daily more is high.

Use the food label to make your shopping more meaningful. It is units at the very top.

The nutrients listed on the Nutrition Facts panel relate to often helpful to compare foods☯

Kolu Celebration Saathvik Kannan - 2nd Grade, Fairview Elementary School

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olu happens October of every year. Kolu is there for 9 days (Navarathri). We take dolls and stack them in steps. Every night we invite people to see the dolls. My Mom makes delicious sundal and shares it with friends. This year, we had Kolu on Sunday October 4th 2013. It was a big day. 55 people came. My mom cooked dinner for everyone. We had a lot of fun. The food was very delicious. I first saw Raji patty come. She helped us arrange the snacks, then Uma aunty, Anu aunty, and Sandhya aunty came.

Kids came and played on my Wii. My mom gave goody bags after the party ended. Wow!!! That was a great party☯

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Yoga Corner Ritcha Mehra Chaudhary This time In “Yoga Corner” we will look at the asana called Dhanur asana.

“Dhanur” is a Sanskrit word meaning a bow.

Since in this pose body assumes the shape of a bow, it is also called the “Bow Pose”.

1. Lie on the stomach. Rest your chin on the ground. Keep your arms by the side of the body. Keep the feet hip-width apart.

2. While inhaling to a count of 3, bend the legs upwards by pulling the ankles with your hands.

3. Simultaneously lift the chest off the floor and push the neck backwards.

4. Hold the inhaled breath to a count of six, while arching your body backwards while pushing upwards with your legs. Try to keep the chest and thighs off the ground, with only the abdominal area touching the ground.

5. The weight of the body should be resting on the abdomen.

6. Slowly exhale to a count of three bringing the knees and chest downward towards the floor.

7. Release the ankles.

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Slowly assume the prone posture you began with.

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Repeat 1-3 times for a duration of 5 to 10 second each. Once you are able to do 3 repetitions easily then increase the time up to 1 min

Breathing-rhythm: 3 counts, Inhale (Poorak) - 6 counts, Hold Breath (Kumbhak) -3 counts, Exhale (Rechak) Benefits: 1. Strengthens and stretches the whole bodyankles, thighs, groins, abdomen and chest and throat.

2. Stretches the back muscles and increases back flexibility.

3. Stretches and massages the abdominal area and internal organs in the abdomen.

4. Helps in removing excess fat from this area.

5. Tones the leg and arm muscles.

6. Improves posture.

7. Relieves menstrual discomfort, constipation, mild lower back ache, fatigue and anxiety.

Caution: 1. Counter indicated for people suffering from neck injury, back problems, hernia, and stomach ulcers.

2. Avoid jerks and unbearable strain.

3. Do not practice Dhanura asana if you have pain in the lower back, headache, migraine or a recent abdominal surgery.

4. Women should avoid practicing this yoga pose during pregnancy ☯ Image Courtesy of Yoga Guidance

We are thankful for the dedication and support from numerous volunteers. Your commitment and an an additional 25 adults gathered at the helps us offer a range of services to our Shanthi Mandir for the fun event of Ganesh Idol community. We are encouraged by new families making. The Mandir was open every evening from coming to the Mandir. We request them to Sept 9 till the Visarjan Puja on the Chaturdashi become HTCC members and serve on our day. committees. Your membership dues help us meet Shanthi Mandir hosted two presentations on the ongoing expenses of the Mandir and your hiring a priest and how to grow the Mandir - one involvement in service committees helps us serve was by Dr. G. Naidu and Mrs. Rajyalakshmi our community better. Please note that bal puja Naidu of the St. Louis Hindu Temple and the group now holds its meetings on the third Sunday other by a team of leaders from the Hindu Temple of the month from 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm. It is a and Cultural Center of Kansas City including great opportunity to learn and to impart Abhay and Mina Bisarya, Hasu and Subhadra knowledge to our children.

Doshi, and Mahendra and Rekha Sheth. These The Devotional Committee is active in planning meetings were a good start of a fruitful dialogue devotional events for the remaining part of the as we grow to better serve Mid-Missouri. year. Plans for celebrating Navratri, Karwa We congratulate the HTCC Helping Hands team, Chauth, and Deepawali are in the works. Please which fielded a 31-strong contingent at the 2013 use the website for updates. We welcome all of CROP Hunger Walk/Run and became the team you, and we hope to see you at the Mandir soon! with the most funds raised this year. Because of our fundraising walkers, runners and donors, the Inder Khurana team raised over $1,725 for the event.

Abirami Elangovan Participation in this event also helps in increasing Meera Chandrasekhar awareness of the poverty problem facing many of Ravi Thawani ☯ our fellow citizens in Columbia.

Executive Board Continued from page 1

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Shreemad Bhagavad Gita – Part 22 Saroj Mohan

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hyan means constant meditation on the goal, in our context it is only the Self or Paramaatma. We have so far learned that Dhyan Yoga or the art of meditation means keeping the mind and body under control and fixed on the Lord.

In the 26th verse Shri Krishna encourages the spiritual aspirant to keep his or her mind in the Lord. A single pointed, devotion and meditation is advised.

Shri Krishna says, “Wherever the restless mind may wander and however unsteady and restless it may be, bring it back to the contemplation of the Lord, the Self. Control the mind and establish yourself in the Self.”

In the beginning of spiritual practices, the unsteady mind of the Sadhak or the seeker wanders off into the world of dualities; senses draw the mind to transient attractions and enjoyments of the world. Then the yogi of Dhyanyoga must get the mind back from these distractions and again try to establish it in the self. It is absolutely necessary to control the mind, even after a long practice of Dhyan, or meditation, the restless wanderings of an agitated mind can be a big hurdle on the path of a seeker.

Shri Krishna talks about the best result and the ultimate supreme bliss of Dhyanyoga in the 27th and 28th verses.

Shri Krishna says, “The yogi who is Prashanta Manasam and Prashantah Rajsam or whose mind is absolutely peaceful, without any sins and fear and free from Rajoguna and who is ever united with Satchittanand Brahman, such a Dyanyogi attains supreme bliss.”

The culmination of a long and successful Dyanyoga is described with profuse adjectives. His mind is ever peaceful. He is without sin and because he is beyond duality, he is eternally in the union with his non-dual Self. The agitations and restlessness of Rajas have been purged. A Dhyanyogi is ever abiding in the peaceful supreme bliss of the Paramaatma, the Satchittananda.

The same subject is continued in verse 28. Thus a successful, sin-less Dhyanyogi, his mind ever engaged in the Lord, experiences and enjoys the Brahamasamspar-sham Atyantikamsukham, or the ultimate supreme bliss of union with Brahman. He enjoys the nondual experience of Infinite consciousness, the union with the Self.

The state of a Sankhyayogi or Gyani Dhyanyogi is expressed in the 29th verse.

His perception of the whole creation is

In the 31st verse the same principle is Part 22 in this series by Saroj Mohanji on described, showing no difference in a devotee of the Lord and a Gyanyogi.

Shreemad Bhagavad Gita includes Shri Krishna says, “ The devotee who discussions from the 26th—33rd verses having established himself in me of Chapter 6 Bhajanam bhakti or worships me and the Gyanyogi who is abiding in the Self, perceives all in his Self and himself in all, they both enter in Me only.”

In the unbroken Awareness of Infinite Consciousness, no matter what path a seeker pursues, Bhaktiyoga or Gyanyoga, they both reach the same goal of self– realization, where in the total unity with the Divine, their functions or actions, are all happenings in the divine only. When the superimposed ego and ignorance get dissolved in the substratum, the Self, then everything and every being, is only an act in the Divine play.

In the 32nd verse, Shri Krishna describes the qualities of the best Gyanyogi.

Shri Krishna says, “O Arjuna, the yogi who is in the union with the Self, Atmmaeyan-sarvattrah- Samampashyati, or in his equality with all, sees everywhere, in everything and sees every being, his own Self, the one who is equal in pleasure and pain, such a yogi is the best.”

A Gyanyogi is ever established in the eternal unity with his Self or Paramaatma, described.

Shri Krishna says, “The Gyanyogi in his in all conditions, be it joy or sorrow. He perceives everything and all beings as his self–realized equal vision attained by own Self, there is no duality in his equal steady Yoga perceives all things and all vision for all. Shri Krishna said that such a beings in his Self or Atma. yogi is the ideal yogi.

Sarvabhootasth atmanam Sarvabhootani In the 33rd verse, Arjuna asks a question cha Atmani. He sees everything and every of Shri Krishna. The beauty of this method being abiding in his own Self and his Self of question and answer of the divine song in all beings.”

When ego and ignorance are expelled Bhagavad Gita is matchless. Arjuna wants and the seeker has the subjective to know how an ordinary person, a beginner on the path of spirituality would experience of oneness with the whole existence then he perceives the Self or be able to follow the many requirements to Paramaatma, all around and in himself as achieve the goal of becoming a Gyanyogi. well. This is the most precious, blissful, Arjuna said, “O Madhusudan, (the experience of all pervasive Infinite destroyer or slayer of demon Madhu), This yoga of equanimity taught by you does not consciousness.

This oneness is described beautifully in seem to be easy to achieve due to the restlessness of the mind.” the 30th verse.

Shri Krishana says, “He, who sees me The most difficult aspect of this path is everywhere and me in everything is not the restlessness of the mind. It is a separate from me. I am in him and he is in continuous battle for a Sadhaka or the beginner on the path of the self– Me.” realization. Even after years of practice, This is the most coveted and highest mental equanimity seems hard to achieve state of consciousness which is attained and keeping it stable for a longer duration by a Yogi; when there is no separation between him and Paramaatma. A devotee is also not easy. However a determined of God sees his beloved Lord in everything seeker does not get disheartened and pursues this path relentlessly☯ and in every being, even his egocentric self has dissolved into a union with the Lord. He is one with his Lord. There are no two.

P AGE

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SHA NT HI

SA NDESH

HTCC Quarterly Fiscal Report

For the period July 1st, 2013 - September 30th, 2013 Prepared by Ravi Thawani,Treasurer, October 16th, 2013 Quarterly Revenues

TOTAL

Interest Income Interest income Memberships Annual Family Membership Sustaining Membership Donations Special Events Hundi Donations/Prayer Services Capital Campaign Facilities Use Donations Mandir and Educational Center use donations Fund Raiser Mandir Cookbook/Plant Sales Annual Picnic Other Revenues Summer Workshops/Raagas Samarpanam Ad Revenue Total Quarterly Revenues

$141.23

$141.23

$100.00 $1,000.00

$1,100.00

$1,636.02 $601.96 $1,830.00

$4,067.98

$326.00 $523.00

$849.00

$141.00 $300.00

$441.00 $6,599.21

Quarterly Expenses Administrative/Bank Charges Lawn and Garden Maintenance and Supplies Printing and Mailing Special Events/Sponsorship Anniversary Expense Utilities Insurance

$30.29 $688.77 $103.57 $137.42 $189.62 $218.27 $950.62 $700.00

$3,018.56

Total Quarterly Expenses Net Income for the Quarter

$3,018.56 $3,580.65

Thank You! Donor Acknowledgement June 1, 2013 – October 5, 2013 We gratefully acknowledge the following donations made during the above period. If we have inadvertently made an error in not including your name, please let us know.

Upto $50 Krishna, Gopal and Santosh Cutkosky, Dale and Hema Srinivasan Amitabh Mohan Patel, Dipti $51 - $100 Mohan, Rajiv and Sunilima Sinha Naik, Yogesh and Rashmi Parashar, Ranjana and Tarang Rawlani, Ramesh and Chandra $101 - $150 Seghal, Toshi Sharma, Krishna and Sandhya Balakrishnan, Elangovan & Abirami Gupta, Madan and Bina Patel, Nitin and Harsha

$151 - $199 Mantrala, Murali and Surya Thawani, Ravi and Meena Khurana, Inder and Jasmit $200 - $349 Ratneshwar, Srinivasan and Subbalakshmi Rawat, Gagneesh and Aditi $350 - $499 Aggarwal, Kul and Archana $500 to $999 Loyalka, Sudharshan and Nirja Gopalaratnam, Vellore and Anantha $1,000 and up Bisarya, Abhay and Mina

Bal Sandesh is looking for middle/junior high and senior high school students as volunteers to be editors. Please contact the editor of Shanthi Sandesh if interested.

V OLUME

8,

ISSUE

P AGE

3

Community Calendar (November 1, 2013– January 15, 2014) Unless otherwise indicated, all events are at Shanthi Mandir, 2006 Holly Avenue, Columbia, MO 65202.

Nov. 3rd

Diwali Puja Time: 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Contact: **

Dec. 7th

Gita Paath Time: 4:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Contact: Inder Khurana : khuranai@missouri.edu

Nov. 10th

Skanda Sashti Time: ** Contact: **

Dec. 15th

Dhanurmasa Time: ** Contact: **

Nov. 17th

Guru Nanak Jayanthi Time: ** Contact: **

Jan. 1st

New Year Celebrations Time: TBD Contact: **

Nov. 24th

Interfaith Thanksgiving Time: 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Contact: Leela Jashnani, ljashnan@yahoo.com Location: Missouri United Methodist Church

**More details will be posted on the Shanthi Mandir website (http:// shanthimandir.missouri.org) a week before the scheduled event )

Hindu Temple and Community Center of Mid-Missouri ( HTCC) 2006 Holly, Avenue, Columbia, MO 6520265202-2043

2014 Membership Form

List designated voters ( 2 voters for family and 1 for individual membership classifications) :

Voter 1:

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Voter 2:

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HTCC Membership Directory Listing Name:

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Phone:

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Address:

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E-Mail( s) :

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Additional Names for Directory ( children and other family members with age information desirable to facilitate targeted notices) : -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Signature

------------------------------------------------------------ Date

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Please send the completed 2012 Membership Form along with your check to: Dr. Inder Khurana, 1200 Elsdon Dr., Columbia, MO 65203 or Drop it off in the Shanthi Mandir Hundi. Please include “Membership” in the memo line of the check. Thank you!

9

Shanthi Mandir

Non-Profit Org U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 286 Columbia MO 65201

Hindu Temple and Community Center of Mid-Missouri (HTCC) 2006 Holly Avenue, Columbia, MO 65202-2043 HTCC is registered as a Nonprofit Corporation in MO HTCC is tax-exempt under IRS Section 501 (c) 3

Current Programs at the Mandir (October 15, 2013) Devotional Programs Open prayer time/Aarti Geeta Study Circle Sai Bhajan Venkateshwara Suprabhatam/Vishnu Sahasranaamam Open prayer time/Aarti Kirtan (Monthly event) Educational/Youth Programs Tamil Classes Bal Puja Bal Sabha Service Programs Volunteering at Central Missouri Food Bank Narayan Seva (Sai Group - St. Francis Home Lunch) Non-Perishable Food Collection (Ongoing continuously) Soup and Sandwich Service Fitness and Cultural Art Programs Tabla classes (instructor fee required) Carnatic vocal music classes (instructor fee required) Yoga classes (instructor fees required)

1st

Tuesday Tuesday Thursday Saturday Saturday Sunday

6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

7:00 - 7:30 p.m.

7:00 - 8:00 p.m.

9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

1st /3rd 3rd 4th

Sunday Sunday Sunday

3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

1st 2nd

Tuesday Sunday

5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

4th

Sunday

5:30 - 7:00 p.m.

Sunday Sunday Saturday

Flexible for now 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Flexible for now

Shanthi Sandesh is a quarterly publication of the Hindu Temple and Community Center of Mid-Missouri (HTCC). It is published on behalf of HTCC by its Publications Committee. Editor: Tarang Parashar <tarangparashar@gmail.com>. Publication help from Bandhana Katoch is greatly appreciated.

Directions: Take Exit 127 on Interstate 70, Head north on Rangeline Street, Right at first traffic light on Vandiver Drive, Left on Parker Street, Right on Holly Avenue, Shanthi Mandir sign will be visible on the right after 5-6 homes. (Note: Holly Avenue is immediately before the Sunrise Optimist building).

Please visit our web site and send us your e-mail address if you would like to be included on the Friends of the Mandir distribution list to receive timely program notices.