KAUAI, HAWAII, March 29, 2018: Hinduism Today’s latest issue has gone to press and is now available online free of charge at “source” above. You can also download our free Hinduism Today app and get the entire magazine in a mobile-friendly format for your device at bit.ly/HT-APP.
In his Publisher’s Desk editorial, Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami takes on the new global ailment, persistent stress. He explains how we can manage stress, then gives us several tools to use along with offering a new perspective on stress and what it has to teach us.
In our lavishly illustrated 16-page Insight section Pieter Veltevrede takes us on a deep dive into the mystic world of chakras, exploring how humans progress through the seven chakras over a lifetime as taught by his guru, Harish Johari. Along the way we learn of the governing deities of each chakra and the attitudes (both positive and not so positive) that arise in each stage. Pieter’s truly beautiful art gives us vivid conceptual understandings of these vast inner centers of consciousness and what they mean to us. By knowing this inner map of consciousness that is the chakra system of the human body we are able to better navigate our own inner space and outer lives.
Our two feature stories take us into the heart of the Australian and then the Indian sandalwood trade. We explore the bounteous economic opportunities and wide-ranging products of the sandalwood market, then reveal the current challenges for those striving to thrive in the sandalwood industry. Learn about this sacred wood’s history and let us introduce you to the world’s largest sandalwood plantation, which was planted in Northwestern Australia starting just 20 years back and is now beginning to see its first harvests. Then we are off to India where we interview the world’s greatest expert, Dr. Anantha Padmanabha, for an inside look at India’s sandalwood industry, and how correctly managed small-scale sandalwood plantations could assure India’s market dominance in the future.
Excerpts from Sanjeev Sanyal’s “The Land of Seven Rivers” trace the thread of Bharat’s national identity back through the annals of time. In this historical exploration of India he examines the ancient Harappan civilization, discovering that early Indian culture permeates India today. Sanjeev challenges common misconceptions about the development of India as a nation and a civilizational entity, offering a fresh perspective of Bharat’s timeless identity.
On page 64 we get a firsthand look of Maa Durga being welcomed to the island nation of Mauritius with great opulence and adoration. This 108-foot-tall Goddess stands near the previously erected Mangal Mahadev Siva statue next to the divine lake Ganga Talao. Maa Durga smiles lovingly at devotees travelling to the sacred lake and with Her right hand in abhaya mudra bestows fearlessness to all. The massive inaugural festival was a proud moment for this Hindu-majority nation.
In our scripture article we dive into the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad and witness sage Yajnavalkya expounding timeless wisdom to his wife, Maitreyi, whom he is about to leave in order to live in the forests to obtain the realization of Self.
What do sports and spirituality have in common? It turns out quite a lot. Sri Chinmoy’s life was a grand testament to the interconnectedness of exercise and the striving of spiritual life. We fondly look upon Chinmoy’s “Peace Run” and receive testimony from participants as to how transformational and uplifting activities like ultra distance running can be, both for the runners and the selfless team of supporters surrounding them. Sri Chinmoy’s quotes point to the fact that our physical bodies are the vehicle for our innermost Self and thus need to be taken care of properly in order to reach the finish line of Truth in the marathon of Self realization.
In this version of Global Dharma, we get a look at Suriname’s grand Divali celebration, complete with a massive cast iron dipa. We find out how people in India are using #reclaimtemples to make real changes in previously abandoned temples. Then comes a tour of Egypt’s “Hindu Palace,” a rich man’s home modeled after Cambodia’s Angkor Wat. In Germany a cow determines the future site of a temple. Did you know that a modern-day princess just converted formally to Hinduism? Read how the Sudhi Wadani ceremony of Indonesia’s princess fulfilled her dream of entering the path of dharma.
There’s more: letters, cartoons, Quotes & Quips and one young man’s journey into the depths of Hinduism.