Time to make those promises

are bought, personal training courses are signed up for, special diets are planned. Interestingly, come Easter time, exercise machines are flooding the market on e-bay.

focus on the more important rather than the mundane issues which can take up entire down-times.

It is that time of the year again when one takes stock of one’s achievements in the past twelve months and then looks at ways to move forward. Resolutions are a ritual left for yearend, when there is a bit more time on our hands, and knowing that it is a time for new beginnings, we can also set new goals and make fresh promises. To an extent, in our heart of hearts we know that these promises will probably not be fulfilled, yet we find it thrilling to make these commitments as a ritual. So, let us look at the promises which will be most popular this year.

1. Losing weight: This is top of the list for most people, irrespective of age, sex, colour or creed. The idea here is that the start of the New Year will be the energising factor to make a lifestyle change. Exercise machines

2. Spending less time on Facebook: While Mark Zuckerberg strives to find the best way to make money for shareholders, a large part of the world’s population has got themselves connected. Purporting to bring people closer, FB has created a strange world indeed where husband and wives prefer to wish each other on their birthdays publicly in cyberspace rather than to actually in person. Rather than an average of two hours a day on Facebook, a resolution of cutting this down to less than 60 minutes a day will be a good start.

3. Spend more time with family and friends: Yet another resolve, one would expect that in this world of technology this would be relatively easy. Yet rather than blocking that time to go to India or wherever the extended family live to catch up in person, much time is spent phoning, texting, emailing or snapchatting (the latest buzz). Perhaps the bigger challenge is to de-clutter our lives and

4. Learn something new: Another often-made promise is to expand one’s horizons: get fluent in another language, learn to play the guitar, join one of the many accomplished singers on stage in Sydney with your own version of Tuu hi re, learn remedial massage, try golf. There are so many options to expand one’s knowledge and make new friends.

Yet a 2007 British study by researcher Richard Wisemen showed that 88% of set New Year resolutions failed, despite the fact that 52% of the study’s participants were confident of success at the beginning. Not exactly promising.

Perhaps we could teach Richard a lesson and change the odds from a success of 12% to at least 50%. One would recommend however, to pick an easy option to aspire to.

Wishing all our readers and friends the very best for the festive season - and good health, happiness and success in the year ahead.

Spiritual

VHP Australia

VHP Australia is seeking volunteer teachers to teach Hindu Dharma in Public Schools (approved by the Dept of Education).

Training and materials will be provided. Details Akila Ramarathinam 02 8814 7016.

Sydney Veda Patasala is open for children and adults. It involves Vedic chanting and Sanskrit language. Classes are held at on Sundays Baulkham Hills, Carlingford, Moorebank and Westmead.

Details Sri Subbuji 0425 284 501.

Bala Samskara Kendra (Sanskrit Language, Indian Culture and Heritage School for children) operates out of Toongabbie, Moorebank, Hornsby and Flemington. Students learn Sanskrit language (writing, reading, speaking and reciting poems).

Details Rohini Srinivasan 02 9863 3067.

Chinmaya Mission events

Tapovan Jayanthi and Geeta Jayanthi

Sunday 23 December 8.00am to 11.30am, Chinmaya Sannidhi

Ashram, 38 Carrington Road, Castle Hill Chinmaya Annual

Cricket Match

Sunday 30 December 8.00am – 12 noon, Charles MacLaughlin Reserve, Cnr Chapel Lane & Crestwood Drive, Baulkham Hills

‘Mahabharata Day’ Retreat

Monday 31 December 9.00am –

2.00pm Chinmaya Sannidhi Ashram, 38 Carrington Road, Castle Hill

New Year’s Eve Program

Monday 31 December Hanuman

Chalisa chanting, bhajans, arati.

11.30pm to midnight. Chinmaya

Sannidhi Ashram, 38 Carrington Road, Castle

New Year event

Tuesday 1 January Chanting of the Vishnu Sahasranama and Pooja

9.00am - 11.30am followed by lunch prasad. Chinmaya Sannidhi Ashram, 38 Carrington Road, Castle Hill

Details 02 8850 7400 or 0416 482 149.

Sri Purandaradasa aradhane 2013

Sunday, February 10 from 9am to 2pm at Ermington Community Hall, 8 River Road Ermington.

Sri Purandaradasa aradhane will be conducted. For details contact Chandrika Subramanyam 02 86777178

Ramakrishna Sarada Vedanta

Society of NSW

Christmas Eve celebrations

Monday, December 24 from 6:30 – 9pm, at Vedanta Hall, 15 Liverpool Road, Croydon. Devotional songs, silent meditation, carols by candlelight, talks by Pravrajika Gayatriprana and Brett Mulholland. Concludes with distribution of offered food.

Public Celebration of Holy Mother’s Birthday

Sunday, January 6, 2013, from 10.30am at Vedanta Hall, 15 Liverpool Road, Croydon, concluding with lunch. Silent meditation, vedic chanting, devotional songs, talks by Pravrajika Gayatriprana and Mrs Suchindra Selvarajan.

Public Celebration of Swami

Vivekananda’s Birthday

Sunday, February 10, 2013, from 10.30am at Vedanta Hall, 15 Liverpool Road, Croydon, concluding with lunch. Silent meditation, vedic chanting, devotional songs, panel of speakers and talk by Pravrajika Gayatriprana. For more details, call 9745 4320 or email: admin.saradavedanta@ bigpond.com. Website: www. saradavedanta.org

Other activities at Vedanta Hall: Sunday: Talks and silent and guided meditation from 10.40am to 12noon

Saturday: Yoga class from 3.30 to 4.30pm Fortnightly on Friday: Bhagavad Gita Class from 7.30 – 8.30pm

3rd Thursday of the month: Vivekananda Book Club from 2.30 to 3.30pm Also, young people’s meeting, special celebrations, retreats.

FUNDRAISER

Bollywood Zumba evening

Thursday, 20 December from 6:30pm at Lynwood Park Public School, 87 Turner St., Blacktown. Feel the bhangra beat with the Bollywood style pack. Fundraising event to support local resident and young student Manish Subedi in his fight against blood cancer. All funds raised will go towards his medical expenses. For more information and to donate, visit http://helpmanish.org/site/ For tickets to the fundraiser, contact Rajani on 0421479788, Anamika on 0433787764, Nithya on 0401149240 or Eisha on 0400227672.

MISC Republic Day/Australia Day

Saturday 19 January 2013

Federation of Australian Indian Associations (FAIA) invites all community members and their families to celebrate Indian Republic

Day at Bowman Hall, Campbell Street, Blacktown, 6.00 pm onwards. Admission is free. For sponsorship, souvenir advertisements and cultural participation contact: Neera Srivastava on 0415 807 520 or Uma Swamy on 0468 341 907.

Going to the Mahakumbh next year?

Australian independent documentary film-maker Mark Gould is searching for Hindu Australians who intend to go to the upcoming Maha Kumbh Mela at Allahabad (Prayag) in Feb 2013. ABC TV’s religious program Compass (6.30pm Sundays) is keen to tell the story of this sacred journey and what it means to the devotees. The subjects of the film would need to be prepared to share their stories, their bhakti and relationship to their faith on camera in a documentary focussed on this special pilgrimage - why they are making it and what they hope to gain from this great event. The ideal subjects would be devout Australian Hindus - individuals or a family who are articulate about their faith and keen to reconnect with their Hindu traditions. Details Mark Gould 0419 635 614 or email mark@ BondiRocksMedia.tv