Holy Pilgrimage - Hindu temples in United Kingdom-7/3 at 10:54 PM

Holy Pilgrimage - Hindu temples in United Kingdom

National Council of Hindu Temples, Leicester, United Kingdom

(Continued..)

Registered Office :

National Council of Hindu Temples (UK)

C/o SHREE SANATAN MANDIR, 84 WEYMOUTH STREET, OFF CATHERINE STREET, LEICESTER, LE4 6FQ, Tel: 07763178628

1. Rules or Yama
Yama is a set of rules that a person desiring to practice Yoga should know about, and follow. It is the foundation and in order to achieve the highest state of samadhi, one must follow the rules. The following are the five basic rules, which should be strictly followed to get the best benefits. It is interesting to note that many people in the modern age practice Yoga, especially physical exercises (asanas), without strictly following the yama and niyama (rules and regulations). Such people may not achieve the ultimate goal of Yoga, as they are not following the proper process to reach samadhi.

The following five are known as yama.

a) Ahimsa: Nonviolence
b) Satya: Truthfulness, speaking the truth.
c) Asteya: Abstinence from theft
d) Brahm-charya: Celibacy
e) Aprigraha: Not accumulating more than what is required.

2. Regulations or Niyama:
Niyama is a set of five more rules and regulations which play an important role to create a strong foundation for a person wishing to practice Yoga and attain moksha or liberation. The only difference between yama and niyama is that the yama are rules relating to external factors, whereas the niyama are rules relating the individual's internal self. The following are the five niyama:

a) Shaucha: Purification, cleanliness.
b) Santosha: Satisfaction.
c) Tapa: Practice of controlling the mind and the senses.
d) Swadhyaya: Studying spiritual books.
e) Ishwar Pranidhana: Surrendering everything to God.

The first two steps of Yoga, according to Patanjali Yoga Sutra, relate purely to the psychological plane - they are about disciplining the mind and preparing an individual for the more challenging rigors of Asana (postures) and Pranayama (breathing exercises), integrated with the subsequent steps and culminating in Samadhi.

3. Physical Postures or asana:
Asana is the next part of eightfold Yoga. The asanas are postures that mainly benefit physical health. They help in keeping the body healthy which ultimately makes the mind healthy because the mind and the body are closely related. In order to get the best results or benefits from the asanas, it is important to practice yama and niyama. There are many people practicing asanas without following yama and niyama. Some of them do not even know that Yoga has eight parts. They think Yoga means asanas.

4. Breathing Exercises or Pranayama
This is the fourth part of Yoga. After a person attains stability in the asanas and the various body functions normalize, pranayama is performed. It is very important to understand the step-by-step progress, which means the person, should start with yama, niyama, asanas and then practice breathing exercises. Many people practice pranayama without fully following the previous steps. Although this may give temporary benefits, it would never lead a person to achieve the ultimate goal of Yoga. So it is important to practice every activity step-by-step.

Pranayama is made up of two words - prana meaning 'life air' (prana vata) or 'breath', and ayama, meaning 'to control'. So pranayama is a procedure wherein an individual practices controlled breathing. Pranayama is not merely a respiratory exercise - it purifies the brain and rejuvenates the nervous system. Pranayama is thus a very important exercise both for maintaining health and curing diseases.

5. Self-regulation or Pratyahara
It is a process of self-regulation. In this process, the person controls the sense organs and keeps them away from their subjects. It is a stage where the Yogi starts to cut off from the external world by controlling the mind. Whenever one wants to control the mind, three types of changing sequences are produced in the mind, which are as follows:

a) Waves of various emotions produced by the external world. 
b) Waves of experiences from the past. 
c) Waves of happenings of the future.

Of these, the second and the third are completely psychic and the goal of Pratyahara is to disconnect the mind from the first type of waves.

Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi are collectively called sanyam. These three steps constitute the spiritual aspect of Yoga. Samadhi is a state of complete mental rest in which the person is away from all the materialistic feelings and is close to God.

6. Concentration of the Mind or Dharana:
Dharana means concentration of the mind. To concentrate the mind at a point in the body or outside the body is called Dharana. Inside the body, there are two places of concentration:

a) Nasa-agra - the tip of the nose and
c) Bhrumadhya - between both the eyebrows

Dharana is the first step towards spiritual realization. It is a type of psychological exercise. One should try to obtain more and more concentration and gradually extend the period of total concentration.

7. Meditation or Dhyana:
Dhyana means meditation. Concentrating the mind on a subject continuously is Dhyana. This stage precedes Samadhi. In this, the mind gets stable over a subject and no other thoughts come during concentration. This is of two types:

a) Saguna: In this type of meditation, the person meditates on an object, to achieve dhyana.

b) Nirguna: In this type, meditation is practiced without any specific object in mind. In fact, this Nirguna state of meditation actually precedes total Samadhi. 

8. Connecting to God or Samadhi:

This is the last stage when all external and internal matters slip into oblivion. It is a stage envisaging the destruction of all mental activity. According to Ayurveda, sense organs confer their subjects to the mind, which turns to the soul. In the stage of Samadhi, the relation between the soul and the mind is destroyed and the soul connects with God. Thus the highest stage of concentration is reached, which is the ultimate goal of Yoga. In this stage, self-awareness disappears. During Dharana, there is very little mental distraction. During Dhyana, the frequency of self-awareness decreases, and in the final stage of Samadhi, the soul is weaned away from all types of distraction and self-awareness. The Atma (soul) combines or connects with the Paramatma (Supersoul or God). It is at this stage that man acquires psychic abilities and attains supreme knowledge. The Yogi or the person develops various supernatural powers known as siddhi. Thus the eight steps of Yoga culminate in the state of samadhi. Although this is a very detailed and slow process and requires a lot of training, this brief description will help us understand what Yoga is all about.

To conclude, one should try to practice Yoga as a step-by-step process so that she/he can receive the maximum benefit from this wonderful knowledge that helps us to attain health, happiness and peace.

For more information on Ayurveda and it benefits please contact:

Kaviraj Partap S. Chauhan (Cyber Vaidya)
Director, Jiva Ayurvedic Research Institute
e-mail: info@ayurvedic.org
 

 2013 Events Gallery:

Downing Street Diwali,  Swamy Sri Baba Ramdev  ji visits UK, Unity of Faiths South Hall,

Sobha Yatra – South Hall, Giya Jayanthi 2013, Giya Jayanthi 2013 Review, NCHT UK at VHK South Hall.

The NCHT UK 2013 review

2013 was an extraordinary year for British Hindus and especially for the NCHT UK. With the blessings of elders and the phenomenal support of the members Temples, the NCHT UK team were able to confidently proceed to reestablish the Council as the champion and prime voice of the British Hindu Temple Community.

It is again recognised as the seniormost Hindu grass roots organisation, born out of the grass roots Temple Community's and actively nurturing and guiding the evolution of Sanatan Dharma in the United Kingdom.

There were many occasions where we were able to carry the torch for Sanatan Dharma but the three most significant events were probably representing the Hindu Dharma at the Cenotaph where Satishji was able to say Shardanjali for the 70,000 Indian soldiers who gave their lives in the two world wars, Rashmikantji's meeting the Prime Minister at the Downing Street Diwali celebration and finally the invitation to  Buckingham Palace where Satishji was able to present Prince William with a copy of the MahaRamayana. Also worthy of mention was Arunji's stirring speech at the House of Commons at the immensely successful Gita Jayanti Utsav, where he gave all Hindus a wonderful message with which to build our Seva in 2014. Here are a few pictures.

The Council continues to be active in seeking ways to help the Temples to become strong and stable and to flourish and recently we were able to share a wonderful success with the Adhya Shakti Mandir in Cowlley, who had been on the receiving end of relentless hostility from the local planners. We were able to support their appeals and our Madhuji even presented our objections and appeals directly to Eric Pickles at one of the Depts other events! Within a matter of weeks eveyones efforts came together and our dear Jashwant Maichaji was able to announce that the appeals had been successful and the Temple could now proceed to develop as hoped for. When Hindus come together - all of Sansaar moves forward!

One of the most exciting developments has been the new website, launched in January 2013 with the hope that 50,000 hits in the first year would be a great start. As you can see from the visitor counter the site exceeded all of our expections with 249,000 hits at the end of the year! We have had visitors from all over the world, from China, Lithuania and even Iceland!

The next year will see us building on the grass roots network even further at one end and pressing the cause of British Sanatan Dharma to Government and the wider British public. On behalf of the Executive Committee and Trustees, I thank all of our member temples and volunteers for their support and contribution. Also we thank all of the new Temples and organisations who have joined us this past year and invite all Temples who are not yet members to add their wisdom and strength to the team. This year will be a pivotal one for Dharma globally and we welcome all participation with open arms. 

Here's a selection of some of the other activities and events  - please keep revisiting this page as more is being loaded as we speak - and thank you for your support.

Satish K Sharma, General Secretary

Executive Committee Members, Trustees and Co-opted Members

9th June 2013 - 22nd June 2015

Office Bearers

1) President Shri Rashmikant Joshi, (Shree Geeta Bhawan, Leicester), M: 07720 420248 E-Mail: rashmikantjoshi26@hotmail.com
2) Vice President Shri Arun Thakur (Shree Ram Mandir, Southall) M:  07958 275633 Email: thakur1961@hotmail.com
3) General Secretary Shri. Satish K Sharma, (Mata Da Mandir, Dudley) Tel: 0208 123 8272 E-Mail:  secretary@nchtuk.org
4) Asst. Secretary Shri Gulzari Lal Babber (Shree Vishwa Hindu Temple, Southall) M: 07961118464 E-mail: gulzari@babber.com
5) Treasurer Shri Mahesh C. Prasher (Shree Geeta Bhawan, Leicester) Te: 01162350067 E-mail: treasurer@nchtuk.org
6) Asst. Treasurer
7) Communications Officer Shri. Madhu Shastri, (Shree Omkarananda Mission, W’hampton) M: 07763 178628 E-Mail: communications@nchtuk.org

Committee Members:

1) Shri Ramesh M Pattni (Shree Sanatan Mandir & Community Centre, Leicester)
2) Shri Kulwant Gautam (Shree Krishan Mandir, Wolverhampton)
3) Shri Hasmukh Champaneria (Shree Geeta Bhawan, Birmingham)
4) Shri Prem Sondhi (Shree Laxmi Narayan Temple, Hounslow)
5) Shri Tarsem Lal Punj (Shree Krishna Temple, Leamington Spa)
6) Shri Jai Dev Mehan (Shree Durga Bhawan, Bilston)
7) Shri Yashpal Tara (Shree Krishna Temple, Leamington Spa)

8) Shri Parveen Ralhan (Hindu Cultural Society, Slough)

Co-opted  Committee Members:

1) Shri. Baldev Kapil (Shree Maha Shiv Shakti Mandir, Willenhall)
2) Smt. Rita Sharma (Bhagwati Shakti Peeth, Nottingham)
3) Smt. Vasanti Pandya (The Leicestershire Brahma Samaj, Leicester) 

Trustees

1) Shri. Prem K Kharabanda (Durga Bhawan, Bilston)
2) Shri. Jasvant Chauhan OBE (Sanatan Mandir & Comm. Centre, Leicester)
3) Shri. Gopal Aery (Shree Mata Da Mandir, Dudley)
4) Shri. Sudarshan Kumar Bhatia, (Shree Vishwa Hindu Temple, Southall)
5) Shri. Jasvinder Sharma (Shree Maha Shiv Shakti Mandir, Willenhall)

Hindu Know Thyself!

We Hindu's just fumble along being the Hindu's that our parents taught us to be but there are two HUGE issues which we always fail badly with and they are:-

1 Hindu Unity is Terrible!

Trying to get Hindu's to come together has always been a problem and the infighting in temples and Hindu organisations is Famous. Look until you acknowledge a problem it doesnt get fixed and pretending it doesnt exist does not mean that no one else notices - they do.

2. Explaining what we do and WHY we do it!

Explaining to others, our kids (and to ourselves!) WHY Sanatan Dharma is SO different and vital in todays world is not easy - most of us are unsuccessful at this...

So whats the answer?

Here it is -make yourself a cup of chai, switch your phone OFF turn on your speakers and enjoy - the effort is well worth it, we promise you!

 The NCHT UK 2013 review

2013 was an extraordinary year for British Hindus and especially for the NCHT UK. With the blessings of elders and the phenomenal support of the members Temples, the NCHT UK team were able to confidently proceed to reestablish the Council as the champion and prime voice of the British Hindu Temple Community.

It is again recognised as the seniormost Hindu grass roots organisation, born out of the grass roots Temple Community's and actively nurturing and guiding the evolution of Sanatan Dharma in the United Kingdom.

There were many occasions where we were able to carry the torch for Sanatan Dharma but the three most significant events were probably representing the Hindu Dharma at the Cenotaph where Satishji was able to say Shardanjali for the 70,000 Indian soldiers who gave their lives in the two world wars, Rashmikantji's meeting the Prime Minister at the Downing Street Diwali celebration and finally the invitation to  Buckingham Palace where Satishji was able to present Prince William with a copy of the MahaRamayana. Also worthy of mention was Arunji's stirring speech at the House of Commons at the immensely successful Gita Jayanti Utsav, where he gave all Hindus a wonderful message with which to build our Seva in 2014. Here are a few pictures

The Council continues to be active in seeking ways to help the Temples to become strong and stable and to flourish and recently we were able to share a wonderful success with the Adhya Shakti Mandir in Cowlley, who had been on the receiving end of relentless hostility from the local planners. We were able to support their appeals and our Madhuji even presented our objections and appeals directly to Eric Pickles at one of the Depts other events! Within a matter of weeks eveyones efforts came together and our dear Jashwant Maichaji was able to announce that the appeals had been successful and the Temple could now proceed to develop as hoped for. When Hindus come together - all of Sansaar moves forward!

One of the most exciting developments has been the new website, launched in January 2013 with the hope that 50,000 hits in the first year would be a great start. As you can see from the visitor counter the site exceeded all of our expections with 249,000 hits at the end of the year! We have had visitors from all over the world, from China, Lithuania and even Iceland!

The next year will see us building on the grass roots network even further at one end and pressing the cause of British Sanatan Dharma to Government and the wider British public. On behalf of the Executive Committee and Trustees, I thank all of our member temples and volunteers for their support and contribution. Also we thank all of the new Temples and organisations who have joined us this past year and invite all Temples who are not yet members to add their wisdom and strength to the team. This year will be a pivotal one for Dharma globally and we welcome all participation with open arms. 

Here's a selection of some of the other activities and events  - please keep revisiting this page as more is being loaded as we speak - and thank you for your support.

Satish K Sharma, General Secretary

Developing the Hindu Christian Relationship

Posted as registered letter to Pope Francis on 10th  December 2013 from Puducherry, India

Respected Holy Father,

Great hope for a positive change in the Catholic Church is pinned on the Pontificate of your Holiness and recent statements indicate that this hope may not be misplaced. The future, your Holiness said in November 2013, is in the respectful coexistence of diversity and in the fundamental right to religious freedom in all its dimensions, and not in muting the different voices of religion

This statement makes eminent sense and would need to be implemented by all who presently do not subscribe to a respectful coexistence of diversity in regard to religions. However, I sense (wrongly maybe) that it is a plea for other religions to respect Christianity, rather than a commitment by the Church to respect other religions. To be precise, since Christians are occasionally persecuted in Islamic countries, it seems to be an appeal to ‘live and let live’ between the two biggest religions on earth.

Your Holiness is aware that both, Christianity and Islam, claim to be the only true religion and their God, respectively Allah alone is true. Both religions further hold that all people on earth have to accept this claim and join their particular religion to be saved and reach heaven or paradise. Both give a serious warning to those who don’t join: they will land up eternally in hell. These claims of exclusiveness are made without any evidence whatsoever, apart from the fact that the claims contradict each other, as both cannot be true. They require blind belief, and as blind, unreasonable belief is not natural for human beings, for many centuries it was enforced with state power and indoctrinated right from childhood with the fear of hell as the boogeyman.

May I ask Your Holiness to ponder how the respectful coexistence of diversity and the fundamental right to religious freedom is possible as long as these claims of exclusiveness are in place? Were these claims originally made to gain political power or were they made in the interest of the spiritual welfare of humanity? And may I also ask whether Your Holiness personally believes in these claims?

I trust that privately, Your Holiness does not believe in them, as media reported your statement that good atheists also will be redeemed. In other words, they won’t go automatically to hell. However, the Vatican took pains to clarify that Your Holiness did not mean it. Even my mother, 95 and a staunch Catholic all her life, expressed dismay that a perfectly sensible statement by the Pope was watered down.

Your Holiness may feel compelled for worldly reasons to stick to the claim of exclusiveness as dropping it would entail wrapping up all conversion attempts and in the process lose power, wealth and influence. Further there may be fear that other Christian denominations will not go along and will gain an advantage over the Catholic Church. Still another worry may be that Islam will not drop the claim of exclusiveness and will push aggressively for conversion.

However, the Catholic Church was the first institution to put up this baseless claim, which has brought unspeakable disaster upon humankind. From this claim the Church derived not only the ‘right’, but the ‘duty’ to storm across the globe and impose forcefully her ‘belief system’ – in Europe, in the Americas and in Africa and now in Asia. It was no doubt an ingenious ploy to claim that God wants everyone to become Christian. . Mark Twain famously said, “Religion was born when the first con-man met the first fool”. I would change it, “Dogmatic religion was born when ….”.

Some centuries later, Islam followed suit, claiming that Allah wants everyone to accept Islam, and we all know the violent conflicts resulting from those unsubstantiated claims. Since the Catholic Church started this disastrous trend, she needs to reverse it. The welfare of humanity as a whole has to be the concern and not the welfare of a religious institution. Hopefully Your Holiness has the courage to make a real, clear change for the better and will not fall for hairsplitting theological arguments, like ‘redemption is possible but not salvation’, etc.

Most Christians especially in Europe don’t believe anymore in unreasonable claims. The sad thing is that together with the dogmas, many reject belief in God altogether. They have not learnt to listen to their conscience and to enquire into truth, as the Church has played the role of the conscience- and truth-keeper for too long. The consequences for our societies are there for everyone to see.

However, many Christians do start pondering and believe in a ‘great power’, but not in the Christian God. For example, when I asked some fifty Christians in Germany whether they believe that Hindus who heard about Jesus Christ, but do not convert, will go to hell, nobody said yes. Even a priest said no. And not a single German I met was in favour of missionary activity in India. Yet Pope John Paul II declared in India the intention of the Church to plant the cross in Asia in the new millennium and considered India as a field for a rich harvest, which goes completely against ‘respectful coexistence’.

I live in India since 33 years and can assert with full confidence that India has no need of Christian missionaries, and yet huge sums of money are being pumped in to lure converts with material benefits and to build churches. I am aware that Your Holiness is responsible only for Catholics and not for the myriad of other Christian denominations that prey on poor Hindus, but if the Catholic Church made a start of truly respecting Hindus, it would have a big impact.

Maybe Your Holiness is under the impression that Hinduism is a depraved religion and Hindus would do well to accept the Christian God instead of their multiple gods. Such an impression would be completely wrong. There is no other religion that is –unjustly – denigrated as badly as Hinduism. Sorry to say that Christian (including Catholic) missionaries are in the forefront of this vilification campaign. Few people in the west know how profound India’s ancient tradition is. A solid philosophical basis for our existence and helpful tenets for a fulfilling, meaningful life had been known in India long before ‘religions’, as we know them today, came into being. The only addition Christianity brought in anew, are unverifiable dogmas that cannot possibly have a bearing on the absolute Truth. Can an event in history impact the absolute Truth? Will Truth make a distinction between people who are baptized and those who are not? “There is no salvation outside the Church” is, and I may be excused for using strong language, ridiculous.

The Indian rishis had discovered ages ago that an all-pervading Presence is at the core of this universe, indescribable, but best described as absolute consciousness. Further, the Hindu law of karma preceded the Christian dictum “as you sow so you reap’. A Council stopped Christians from believing in rebirth which would explain many riddles that trouble them, for example why there is great injustice already at birth? The advantage of having a perfect person as a friend and guide on the spiritual path was known in India, but till some 2000 years ago nobody claimed that ‘only’ Krishna or ‘only’ Ram or ‘only’ Buddha can lead to salvation and that whoever does not believe it, goes to hell. “Truth is One, the wise call it by many names”, the Indian rishis declared and listed different names of gods. That was at a time, when Christianity was nowhere in sight. Surely they would have included ‘God’ as another name and Jesus as an avatar, not expecting to be backstabbed by followers of “God” declaring: “Truth is one and must be called only by one name and is fully revealed only in one book.”

The multiple gods in Hinduism are personified powers that help to access the formless, nameless Presence that is in all of us. Christians in India are told that Hindu gods are devils. At the same time, Christianity tries to revive (possibly inspired by Hinduism) belief in angels, as devotion for the Invisible is easier by focusing on images.

Hinduism is not a belief system. It is a knowledge system. It is a genuine enquiry into what is true about us and the world. Hindus are not required to believe anything that does not make sense and can never be verified. There is complete freedom. Yes, most believe in rebirth, which makes sense. Most believe in an all pervading Brahman (many other names are in use) that is also in humans. Most believe that this divine essence can be experienced in oneself, if the person purifies herself by certain disciplines coupled with devotion. This belief is verifiable. It is not blind. There were many Rishis who realized their oneness with Brahman. In Christianity, too, there were mystics who experienced oneness with the Divine like Meister Eckhart did. Sadly, he was excommunicated by the Church. Why is the Church resisting scientific insight that there is some mystery essence in everything? And why is it difficult to accept that in the long, long history of humanity, there were several, not only one, outstanding personalities who showed the way to the truth?

Holy Father, I request you in all sincerity to be such an outstanding personality who guides his followers on a path of expansion, and does not straight-jacket them into an unbelievable belief system, which among others demands converting Hindus to Christianity. Your Holiness is venerated as the representative of the Highest Power in this universe by over a billion of Catholics. Many of your predecessors were not worthy of this veneration. Utmost truthfulness and integrity are required. Calculations about worldly power must not come in the way. The Catholic Church surely would benefit, not lose out, if it honors Truth and gives up its claim that there is no salvation outside the Church. Truth cannot be cheated; neither can it be contained in a book. Truth is what we basically are. Hindus, whose religion is universal and all-encompassing, respect diverse traditions. They are one of the most cultured, gentle and peace-loving people on earth who live and let live, unless greatly provoked.

Holy Father, if you are serious about respecting other religions, the claim of exclusiveness must be scrapped and Hindus who have given to the world a deep philosophy and a great culture, must be respected. Many of us look forward to hearing truly good news from the Catholic Church under your stewardship. The main issue that plagues the Church is not whether women should be priests or whether divorcees can take Holy Communion .The main issue is the unfounded claim of exclusiveness regarding ‘salvation’. It divides humanity into us who are right and saved, versus them who are wrong and damned. Kindly drop this harmful claim and make your Pontificate truly memorable and beneficial for all humanity.

Yours Sincerely

Maria Wirth

Posted as registered letter to Pope Francis on 10th  December 2013 from Puducherry, India

 Diwali 2013 - Prime Ministers Message

The Rt Honourable David Cameron MP

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Recognises the Hindu Contribution in first of its kind

Diwali Message

I send my best wishes to everyone in Britain and around the world celebrating Diwali and Bandi Chhor.

At this important time of year for the Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist faiths we will see friends and families all over the country come together to celebrate these holy festivals.

The glorious ‘festival of light’ will be celebrated with lighting lamps, devotional singing and prayers at brightly decorated temples and homes, while at Gurdwaras and Sikh households families will celebrate the ‘day of freedom’ and pray for freedom and empowerment for all mankind.

While the festivals of Diwali and Bandi Chhor have different origins, their universal message of hope over despair, light over darkness and good over evil is something that we should all celebrate.

Together with other autumn festivals of Eid al-Adha and Chanukah, Diwali and Bandi Chhor demonstrate many of the common values that we all share.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Britain’s Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist communities for all they do for our country. You make an enormous contribution to Britain in so many ways. From hardworking families that are doing the right thing to entrepreneurs and businesses that are helping create prosperity; from excelling in science and public service to achieving in the arts and sport, your role in our nation is a shining example of how communities can integrate and succeed while retaining a strong and proud identity.

To all those celebrating Diwali or Bandi Chhor I send my warmest greetings.

Questions from the HCF to Archbishop Welby

National Council of Hindu Temples (UK)

Submission to Hindu Christian Forum for communication to

the Archbishop of Canterbury.

 Question 1

Conversion - If British Hindus, and presumably other faiths as well, cannot rely upon you to adhere to your own globally presented commandment “Thou shalt not covet”, please share with us how you expect us to trust you in our lives, temples and homes whilst you covet our children and seek to deprive us of the continuation of our millennia old spiritual beliefs and practices?

Question 2

Caste Legislation - If British Hindus, and presumably other faiths as well, cannot rely upon you to adhere to your own globally presented commandment “Thou shalt not bear false witness”, on what basis do we interact with you henceforth and how do we assess the sanctity of your word? Please explain this to us, it is beyond our comprehension but of critical importance to our Forum and Community and mutual well being.

Background information

Prejudice is defined as follows:-

An adverse judgment or opinion formed beforehand or without knowledge of the facts

Any preconceived opinion or feeling, whether positive or negative.

An irrational hostile attitude, fear or hatred towards a particular group, race or religion.

Supremacism is defined as follows:-

The belief that a particular race, species, ethnic group, religion, gender, sexual orientation, class, belief system or culture is superior to others and entitles those who identify with it to dominate, control or rule those who do not.

For an organisation to engage in Conversion, its is a pre requisite for its adherents to believe in the superiority of its own beliefs, even before the religious tenets and foundations of the target religion have been reasonably assessed and considered with an impartial, unjaundiced, rational perspective.  In the past the Church has been rightly accused and found guilty of “contempt prior to investigation” and it has been our hope that this medieval attitude has been left behind.

The Church is actively engaged in converting Hindu children from Hinduism to Christianity against the wishes of the Hindu Community.  It is therefore clear that the Church believes in the superiority of its doctrine and knows little about the Hindu religion and could therefore justifiably be labelled as being both Prejudiced and Supremacist.

Whilst your organisation seeks to alienate our children from their heritage and ancestral connections, to deprive them of the benefit of their social, cultural and spiritual traditions, how can we welcome you and trust you in our homes and amongst our family members?

Integrity requires consistency of thought word and deed. If your thoughts are dominated with the urge to convert, and yet your words speak of friendship, and your actions promote conversion, there appears to be a complete lack of integrity. Isn’t the projection of friendship and dialogue completely duplicitous, whilst covertly, one party seeks to harm the other party?

Please share with us how you expect us to trust you in our lives, temples and homes whilst you covet our children and seek to deprive us of the continuation of our millennia old spiritual beliefs and practices?

The Caste Amendment introduced by Lord Harries was an extraordinary opportunity for the Church to demonstrate its commitment to the teachings of Christ and at the same time demonstrate that there was a genuine desire to promote the common good in the Inter Faith arena.

As we are all aware, the Lords misrepresented the NIESR reports’ clear findings that Caste based prejudice exists overwhelmingly amongst a small contingent of the SIKH community, manipulating the debate with a string of Peers denigrating and vilifying the Hindu religion and British Hindu community. It has now been conclusively established that the data presented by Bishop Lord Harries was false, that there are not 460,000 Dalits in this country (perhaps 15,000), that 50% of British Hindus are not perpetrating caste prejudice upon their Hindu brothers and sisters, and that the wave of vilification of all things Hindu which has accompanied the Caste Consultation, has no basis whatsoever, neither in fact nor in the sacred scriptures of Hindu Dharma.

With this action, Lord Harries acted in a manner which was contrary to the interests of the British Hindu Community, contrary to the spirit of InterFaith and MultiFaith dialogue, contrary to Community Cohesion, contrary to the objects of the Hindu Christian Forum and most importantly, contrary to the commandments upon which the Christian faith is founded. He repeatedly bore false witness and most tragically, even now being aware of his failing, no apology has been forthcoming. With all of that obvious, undisputed wrongdoing on one side, we were stunned that our Christian partners in MultiFaith dialogue, the Christian members of the HCF,  did not publically take the side of right, the side of good, the side of harmony and the side of the innocent victims, choosing instead to close ranks and “toe the Club line”.

If British Hindus cannot rely upon our Christian colleagues to adhere to their own Bibles’ globally trumpeted commandment “Thou shalt not bear false witness”, on what basis do we interact with you henceforth and how do we understand the validity of your word? Please explain this to us, it is beyond our comprehension but of critical importance to our Forum and Community.

The above two questions are at the very heart of the Bridges and Barriers report. We have an opportunity to address the two principal barriers to closer understanding and once these have been overcome, we will at the same time create two very robust bridges along which the genuine traffic of mutual goodwill can flow.  

Hindu’s do not convert because it is irrational and delusional and devoid of divinity. Whatever Higher power created Hindus also created non-Hindus and so we have shared parentage. The rest is obviously politically expedient and clearly man made.

Do we have the courage to face these two issues with honesty and integrity ? The opportunity is in front of us, no-one can afford for us to miss it.

These are the questions which we have asked for the Archbishop to respond to us on and I hope that some of you will find that they resonate with you also.

Warm regards

Satish K Sharma B Sc(Hons) Econ MBCS
General Secretary
National Council of Hindu Temples (UK)

Shiv Chalisa

The Shiva Chalisa is a prayer for Lord Shiva - one of the Gods of Hindu trinity, the other two being Brahma and Vishnu. Shiva Chalisa praises the Lord and asks for his help in removing hardships and obstacles in devotee's life. It is said that devotees seeking blessings of Lord Shiva must recite Shiva Chalisa with devotion and sincerity. It is suggested that devotees should focus their mind on Lord Shiv or his image and then recite Shiv Chalisa.

Here, Lord Shiv Chalisa is presented along with English Translation for better understanding.

Jai Ganesh Girija Suvan Mangal Mul Sujan Kahat Ayodhya Das Tum Dev Abhaya Varadan	Glory to Lord Ganesh, the Divine Son of Goddess Girija, the cause of all auspiciousness and intelligence. Ayodha Dass (the composer of these verses) humbly requests that every one be blessed with the boon of being fearless.
Jai Girija Pati Dinadayala Sada Karat Santan Pratipala Bhala Chandrama Sohat Nike Kanan Kundal Nagaphani Ke	O Glorious Lord, consort of Parvati You are most merciful. You always bless the poor and pious devotees. Your beautiful form is adorned with the moon on Your forehead and on your ears are earrings of snakes' hood.
Anga Gaur Shira Ganga Bahaye Mundamala Tan Chhara Lagaye Vastra Khala Baghambar Sohain Chhavi Ko Dekha Naga Muni Mohain	The holy Ganges flows from your matted hair. The saints and sages are attracted by Your splendid appearance. Around Your neck is a garland of skulls. White ash beautifies Your Divine form and clothing of lion's skin adorns Your body.
Maina Matu Ki Havai Dulari Vama Anga Sohat Chhavi Nyari Kara Trishul Sohat Chhavi Bhari Karat Sada Shatrun Chhayakari	O Lord, the beloved daughter of Maina on Your left adds to Your splendid appearance. O Wearer of the lion's skin, the trishul in Your hand destroys all enemies.
Nandi Ganesh Sohain Tahan Kaise Sagar Madhya Kamal Hain Jaise Kartik Shyam Aur Ganara-U Ya Chhavi Ko Kahi Jata Na Kauo	Nandi and Shri Ganesh along with Lord Shiva appear as beautiful as two lotuses in the middle of an ocean. Poets and philosophers cannot describe the wonderful appearance of Lord Kartikeya and the dark complexioned Ganas (attendants).
Devan Jabahi Jaya Pukara Tabahi Dukha Prabhu Apa Nivara Kiya Upadrav Tarak Bhari Devan Sab Mili Tumahi Juhari	O Lord, whenever the Deities humbly sought Your assistance, You kindly and graciously uprooted all their problems. You blessed the Deities with Your generous help when the demon Tarak outraged them and You destroyed him.
Turata Shadanana Apa Pathayau Lava-Ni-Mesh Mahan Mari Girayau Apa Jalandhara Asura Sanhara Suyash Tumhara Vidit Sansara	O Lord, You sent Shadanan without delay and thus destroyed the evil ones Lava and Nimesh. You also destroyed the demon Jalandhara. Your renown is known throughout the world.
Tripurasur Sana Yudha Machayi Sabhi Kripakar Lina Bachayi Kiya Tapahin Bhagiratha Bhari Purva Pratigya Tasu Purari	O Lord, Purari, You saved all Deities and mankind by defeating and destroying the demons Tripurasura. You blessed Your devotee Bhagirath and he was able to accomplish his vow after rigorous penance.
Danin Mahan Tum Sama Kou Nahin Sevak Astuti Karat Sadahin Veda Nam Mahima Tab Gayaee Akatha Anandi Bhed Nahin Payee	O Gracious One, devotees always sings Your glory. Even the Vedas are unable to describe Your greatness. No one is as generous as You are.
Pragate Udadhi Mantan Men Jvala Jarat Sura-Sur Bhaye Vihala Kinha Daya Tahan Kari Sahayee Nilakantha Tab Nam Kahayee	Lord, when the ocean was churned and the deadly poison emerged, out of Your deep compassion for all, You drank the poison and saved the world from destruction. Your throat became blue, thus You are known as Nilakantha.
Pujan Ramchandra Jab Kinha Jiti Ke Lanka Vibhishan Dinhi Sahas Kamal Men Ho Rahe Dhari Kinha Pariksha Tabahin Purari	When Lord Rama worshipped You, He became victorious over the king of demons, Ravana. When Lord Rama wished to worship Thee with one thousand lotus flowers, the Divine Mother, to test the devotion of Shri Ram, hid all the flowers at Your request.
Ek Kamal Prabhu Rakheu Joi Kushal-Nain Pujan Chaha Soi Kathin Bhakti Dekhi Prabhu Shankar Bhaye Prasanna Diye-Ichchhit Var	O Lord, You kept on looking at Shri Ram, who wished to offer His lotus-like eyes to worship Thee. When You observed such intense devotion, You were delighted and blessed Him. You granted His heart's desire.
Jai Jai Jai Anant Avinashi Karat Kripa Sabake Ghat Vasi Dushta Sakal Nit Mohin Satavai Bhramat Rahe Mohin Chain Na Avai	Glory be unto You O Gracious, Infinite, Immortal, All-pervading Lord. Evil thought torture me and I keep on travelling aimlessly in this world of mundane existence. No relief seems to be coming my way.
Trahi-Trahi Main Nath Pukaro Yahi Avasar Mohi Ana Ubaro Lai Trishul Shatrun Ko Maro Sankat Se Mohin Ana Ubaro	O Lord! I beseech Your help and seek your divine blessing at this very moment. Save and protect me. Destroy my enemies with Your Trishul. Release me from the torture of evil thoughts.
Mata Pita Bhrata Sab Hoi Sankat Men Puchhat Nahin Koi Svami Ek Hai Asha Tumhari Ava Harahu Aba Sankat Bhari	O Lord, when I am in distress, neither my parents, brothers, sisters nor loved ones can relieve my suffering. I depend only on You. You are my hope. Eliminate the cause of this tremendous torture and bless me with Your compassion.
Dhan Nirdhan Ko Deta Sadahin Jo Koi Janche So Phal Pahin Astuti Kehi Vidhi Karai Tumhari Kshamahu Nath Aba Chuka Hamari	O Lord, You bless the downtrodden with prosperity and grant wisdom to the ignorant. Lord, due to my limited knowledge, I omitted to worship Thee. Please forgive me and shower Your grace upon me.
Shankar Ho Sankat Ke Nishan Vighna Vinashan Mangal Karan Yogi Yati Muni Dhyan Lagavan Sharad Narad Shisha Navavain	O Lord Sankar, You are the destroyer of all miseries. You remove the cause of all obstacles and grant Your devotees eternal bliss. The saints and sages meditate upon Thy most beautiful form. Even celestial beings like Sharad and Narad bow in reverence to You.
Namo Namo Jai Namah Shivaya Sura Brahmadik Par Na Paya Jo Yah Patha Karai Man Lai Tapar Hota Hai Shambhu Sahayee	O Lord, prostration to You. Even Brahma is unable to describe Thy greatness. Whosoever recites these verses with faith and devotion receives Your infinite blessings.
Riniyan Jo Koi Ho Adhikari Patha Karai So Pavan Hari Putra-hin Ichchha Kar Koi Nischaya Shiva Prasad Tehin Hoi	Devotees who chant these verses with intense love become prosperous by the grace of Lord Shiva. Even the childless wishing to have children, have their desires fulfilled after partaking of Shiva-prasad with faith and devotion.
Pandit Trayodashi Ko Lavai Dhyan-Purvak Homa Karavai Trayodashi Vrat Kare Hamesha Tan Nahin Take Rahe Kalesha	On Trayodashi (13th day of the dark and bright fortnights) one should invite a pandit and devotedly make offerings to Lord Shiva. Those who fast and pray to Lord Shiva on Trayodashi are always healthy and prosperous.
Dhupa Dipa Naivedya Charhavai Anta Vasa Shivapur Men Pavai Kahai Ayodhya Asha Tumhari Jani Sakal Dukha Harahu Hamari	Whosoever offers incense, prasad and performs arti to Lord Shiva, with love and devotion, enjoys material happiness and spiritual bliss in this world and hereafter ascends to the abode of Lord Shiva. The poet prays that Lord Shiva removed the suffering of all and grants them eternal bliss.
Nitya Nema kari Pratahi Patha karau Chalis Tum Meri Man Kamana Purna Karahu Jagadish Om Shivaya Namaa	O Universal Lord, every morning as a rule I recite this Chalisa with devotion. Please bless me so that I may be able to accomplish my material and spiritual desires.  Om Shivaya Namaa

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Om Tat Sat

                                                        

(Continued...)                                                                                                                             

(My humble  salutations to the great devotees   and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the collection)

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