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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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Ten Incarnations or Many?

H.R. Chandrashekar

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August 2011 Inside This Issue Ten Incarnations

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Executive Board

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Journey to Joplin

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Youth Activities

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Bal Sandesh

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Lactose Intolerance

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Yoga Corner

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Building a Telescope

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Compassion and Forgiveness

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The Well Dispute

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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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he number of incarnations of Lord Vishnu to uproot evil and establish Dharma are believed to be ten. This is a relatively new phenomenon dating back to poet Jayadeva whose brilliant poetry Gita Govinda captured the popular imagination of scholars and ordinary people alike. However ancient texts list many incarnations. In this article the description from the Bhagawatha Purana is excerpted. This is narrated as a conversation between Lord Brahma, the creator and his son sage Narada.

One day the chief among the heavenly sages (Narada) fell at the feet of Brahma and implored him to tell him how the world was born, where it was headed and who was the cause of it all.

‘You know it like a gooseberry in the palm of your hand,’ he said, ‘Who is the root cause of you? Who is your master and who gave you life? Forgive my curiosity. Do not be angry. You are my father and Guru.’

Brahma smiled and said: ‘My innocent son, bless you. A village chief is the emperor to his doting wife. Your excessive regard for me is like that. So be

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e are pleased to report the HTCC Board of Trustees approved funding in July for an expansion of Shanthi Mandir parking lot and addition of a fence to the lot. We expect the additional parking spots and the fencing to be completed in early Fall.

These changes will make your visits to Shanthi Mandir safer, and more convenient and secure.

We have slowly but steadily received donations and pledges nearing 50% of our Capital Campaign target of $150,000 (see graphic on

it! You ask me to reveal the truth for the welfare of the world. Who knows me in this world! Can a baby carry a mountain if forced to? It is the doing of the enemy of the demons (Vishnu). Who am I despite your honor! I created this world, the Sun, Moon and the stars by His grace. His wish rules the Gods, his glory lights the stars and the planets, and the lord of death works at his wish. Maya, the illusion, is afraid of him and exists in his absence. Knaves and souls bound by Maya think that I am the master of the living and the dead. Vishnu is the lord of the Vedas. Those indulging in meditation, and mastery of philosophies of Sankhya, the sacred texts only heard but never written, will not attain salvation without Him. The three attributes of Satwa (purity), Rajas (earthliness) and Tamas (darkness of ignorance) have no answer to realize the bliss – eternal, pure, enlightened, and free. The illusion of the material world caused by Maya led to a variety of forms, lives, minds and desires. The world rolled in the ocean for a thousand years and He lifted it and showed his

form with a thousand hands, feet, faces, eyes, heads and thighs. Patala was in his feet, Rasatala on the head, and Mahatala on his ankles, Talatala in his thigh, Sutala in his knees, Vitala in his lap, Atala in his waist -thus were the seven worlds born. Listen to the creation of the world! Bhuloka, the earth, was in his hip; Bhuvarloka in his navel; Suraloka, the world of the gods, was in his heart; Janaloka and Maharloka were in his eyes and forehead. Taparloka, the land of meditation, was in his head, the noble part of the body. His face was fire, the eyes were the sun and the moon, the lord of death was in his eye brows, the lords of the world were in his arms, and the sages were in the heaps of hair. Who can describe the glory of his creation! Thus the gods, men, snakes, birds the beasts, countless millions of them, who appear and die, but an atom of his being.

As the Lord remained in a Yogic slumber on leaf of a peepul tree in the midst of an ocean I was born in a lotus (Continued on Page 2)

Message from the Executive Board the cover). We need your strong and active support for the campaign to successfully achieve our target by December 31, 2011. Please remember that all of your donations to the campaign will be used for major infrastructure improvements at the Mandir and donations to HTCC are tax-deductible.

The Executive Board has also been working on several operational matters. We

switched our phone and Internet service to Socket to save on the monthly charges.

We will also use Socket to host the Shanthi Mandir’s website because Daniel Boone Regional Library, which offered non-profit organizations free webhosting, is no longer able to provide webhosting after August 31, 2011.

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Ten Incarnations or Many Continued from Page 1

Source: Excerpted from “Karnataka Bhagawatha”, 2008, transcribed, translated and edited by the author, ISBN 09711223-4-2

emerging from his navel. I was terrified by the darkness that pervaded around me. I gazed at the four directions in vain, thus obtaining four faces. I wandered many years trying to find the base of the lotus stem. I sat in meditation to win his love. Then I saw his lovely shape. He gave me the wisdom of creation of the world and asked me to do it.

What more can I say? The job of creation became mine by his order.

The wind blows by his command, the Moon and the Sun shine by his whim.

The Gods of death (Yama) and wealth (Kubera) take his cue. He will be born again and again in each age to vanquish the sinful, to protect Dharma, animals and the meek. The nine lords of creation such as the Dakshas, the Siddhas, who have attained the fruits of Yoga, the sages such as Sanaka, the great monks, you, Sun, Moon, the stars, - all are born of Hari.

Suras, the great snakes, Yakshas, Kinnaras, Garuda (the eagle god), demons and spirits, elephants and humans, snakes and monsters, all are his making. One who listens to this wisdom will prosper, gain fame, knowledge, and spiritual strength. The world is born of the Universal soul. It is a part of Him. Yet it cannot see Him outside of it.’

Brahma continued: Listen Narada, I shall recount briefly the incarnations of the lotuseyed Lord. The story of His exploits will wash the sins away.

As the Kalpa came to an end, the Lord showed himself to Manu in the form of a fish to save the earth from the deluge.

My son, when Devas and Asuras churned the ocean with the mount Meru as the churning rod, the Lord, with his infinite grace, took the shape of a turtle to bear it. When the earth sank to Patala and I sought refuge at his feet, being helpless as I was, He took on the shape of Varaha, a wild boar, and saved the earth from

the king of demons Hiranyaksha.

Oh Narada, listen. To save Dharma he was born as Nara and Narayana and sat in meditation for the good of the world. He was born to sage Kardama in the name of Kapila and taught the science of Sankhya to his mother. As the son of Atri, he spoke the holy tales of Yoga to Alarka, Prahlada and others. He saved the three worlds by his pure form in the name of Yagna. The Lord was born to the lady Meru by the king Nabhi as Vrishabha and shone the path of Yoga. For the famished earthlings, as Prithu he brought forth the riches of the earth as if milking a cow. In the name of Dhanvantari, the celestial physician, he was born in the ocean. The Lord of the learned in the form of a woman (Mohini) gave the nectar to the Suras. To save the men and gods alike, the brave Narasimha used the rift between father and son, came out of a pillar and tore open the belly of the evil demon by his nails. He was born to Aditi

by Kashyapa as Vamana, the dwarf, and begged Bali for a gift of three paces of land. The incomparable Lord saved the gods from Bali and swore to guard the kingdom of Bali as a servant. As Bhargava he waged war on the evil kings twenty-one times and wiped them out. As Vedavyasa he broke the branches of the formidable tree of the Shrutis, the sacred texts, and made them accessible even to the dull minds of people. He was born as Raghava to the king Dasharatha. To fulfill the promise of his father (to his wife), he went on exile with Sita, the daughter of the earth and Lakshmana, his brother. He destroyed the Rakshasas. The ocean shook at his anger as he built a path in it by placing a mountain. Who can dare to disobey his orders? The haughty ten headed Ravana thought he was invincible. The sharp edge of Rama’s arrows destroyed the Rakshasa clan and saved the pious.

When the earth shook at the weight of the evil warriors and sank to Patala, the nether world, I woke up the Lord, a treasure of compassion. He (as Krishna)

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was born in the prison of Kamsa to Devaki and Vasudeva. He played many earthly pranks in Gokul with affection. Who else can take the life of Mura? Who else can destroy Putana, Shakata and Vatasura? As a child, who else can uproot two large trees by a gentle kick?

Who else can subdue the king among snakes (Kalinga) and clean the lake from his poison?

Now listen. Lord Indra, in anger for not getting his due offerings, brought mighty clouds, wind and rain. The cowherds were terror stricken. The Lord held a mountain as an umbrella for seven days. The demons Vritrasura, Aghasura, Bakasura, Pralamba, Rasabha, Vrishabha and Keshi were slain by Him. How can I describe it all! When the wild forest fire raged, He saved the frightened cowherds.

He asked them to close their eyes and brought them to safety.

Yashoda brought many ropes to tie the naughty child. She came up two inches short despite many ropes she tied together.

He earned the name Damodara.

The loving mother opened His mouth and saw the entire universe. Did she realize that He was the Lord? When Nanda was taken to the land of Varuna tied by a mighty snake as a rope, He saved Nanda and brought him back. When the demon Maya’s son hid the cowherds in a cave, did He not find and rescue them? In the moonlit nights, the maidens in Gokul long for the sound of His flute. The evil Shankhachuda stole the cowgirls. The Lord saved them and danced with them. He vanquished the rogue elephant, killed Rajaka, fought the wrestlers, killed his uncle (Kamsa), and eliminated the tyranny of the king of Magadha.

He reduced the burden of the earth by killing Mura, Naraka, Hamsa and Dibika. He vanquished Salva, Poundruka, the king of Kashi, Brahmadatta, Srugalaka, Valkala, the seven bulls, and Dantavaktra. He destroyed Shishupala, Rukmi and Shambara. In the name of Balarama, Pradyumna, Yudhishtira, Arjuna, Bhima, the twins of Madri he reduced the (Continued on Page 4)

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Journey to Joplin Pranavi Tella

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Do not believe that you can by means of selfless service reform or reshape the world. You may or may not. That does not matter. The real value of seva, its most visible result, is that it reforms you, reshapes you” Joplin is a city in the south western corner of Missouri in United States of America with a population of approximately 50,000. On May 22, 2011, Joplin was struck by an extremely powerful tornado resulting in at least 150 deaths and more than 990 injuries, along with major damage to numerous houses and businesses. Nearly a third of the city was damaged by the violent storm and people who lived in the 8,000 structures that were smashed in the storm have scattered to the homes of friends and relatives or camped out in emergency shelters in the city.

I along with my fellow brothers and sisters got the opportunity to volunteer in disaster relief efforts in Joplin on the Memorial Day, May 30th, 2011. We all gathered at Missouri Southern State University where our group was assigned with task of debris clean up. From there, we all headed to the work location in one of the university buses.

our service in Joplin, we (13 of us) chanted mrutyunjaya mantra 13 times for people (around 150 people) lost their lives in the tragedy. We all sensed that wind blowing very strong while chanting the mantra and it was really strange because it was quite normal before and after the chanting. We felt like the departing souls accepted our

Cleaning the Debris prayers. We have sent our love through chanting of ‘Samastha Lokha’ for their souls to rest in Peace. Joplin needs so much love and prayers to recover from the deadliest nightmare.

There’s so much to do in terms of cleaning and rebuilding will take years. The grief of getting over the loss of loved ones will take a lifetime ☯

Preparing for Debris Clean Up Task in Joplin, MO Our mission for the day was simple: Do whatever we can to help out the victims of the tornado and share our love through our work in Joplin. No matter what’s shown in the media, the destruction was more than one could imagine. The air was gloomy, the smell of gasoline all around the city. The drone of chainsaws echoed all around while walking towards the houses leveled by destruction.

We headed towards our assigned work site without a clue of what we are going to do for the rest of the day. There was not a single house or structure as far as I could see was left standing.

Massive destruction all around and no one can identify the street names. Only thing we could do to gain strength emotionally was chanting ‘peace peace peace’. There were about 13 of us total, worked from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m and hardly were able to clean up debris in one house. Our efforts were stymied by the huge mass of wood and other materials that was seemingly unmovable. All we did was segregating debris and searching for the personal items like credit cards, passports, photographs etc to hand over to the house owners.

At the end of the day, everybody was so exhausted after working under sun all day along and couple of us left out with sun burns. We battled wind and dust in the eyes. At the end of

HTCC thanks the following members for their generous contribution towards Joplin Relief Effort. A sum of $ 1,755 was collected through their contributions Elango & Abi Balakrishnan, Neil & Savi Kotandeniya , Saroj Mohan, Das & Geetha Kutikkad, Sushma & Satish Anand, Bishm & Rajani Tolani, Ravi & Meena Thawani, Ramesh & Chandra Rawlani, Inder & Jasmit Khurana,H.R. & Meera Chandrashekar, Murali L Nagar, Vellore & Anantha Gopalaratnam , Dabir & Pramila Vishwanath, Krishna & Sandhya Sharma, Krishna & Raji Subramanian, Pradeep & Shaku Sahota, Gagneesh & Adithi Rawat, Anil & Kusum Malhotra, Ravi & Mona Puri, Prakash Mehta, Amolok & Kuljit Singh, Kunal & Ritcha Chaudhary, Hema Srinivasan & Steve Cutkosy

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Youth Activities– Summer 2011 Nandhu Radhakrishnan

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he Youth Activities Committee organized several workshops this summer and many kids and adults of our community took advantage of them. The following are the workshops that were well received.

Making Waves: Sound Bytes and Playlists coordinated by Gopal. This workshop offered hands-on digital audio editing and audio file manipulation. Participants were trained to convert tapes to digital media, filter out noise and hiss, edit digital audio files, and splice songs seamlessly.

The Origami for Beginners was Ten Incarnations or Many Continued from Page 2 burden of evil warriors in many battles. The enemies of Suras became strong and killed the followers of the path of Veda in the three worlds.

As Buddha, He destroyed by leading them through a wrong path and established the truth.

In the end of the age of Kali, evil rulers will prevail. He will be born as Kalki to destroy them. My son, He came out as Hayagriva as I worshipped in a sacred yagna. How can I Message from the Executive Board Continued from Page 1

Once the transition is complete, we hope to include Paypal link on our front page for donations, for renewal of annual memberships, and upgrade to Sustaining Members. We are also looking for volunteers to assist with lawn mowing.

We hope you are having a good summer. Despite limited festival celebrations at the Mandir during summer, we saw enthusiastic participation in the Mandir events. The bike ride to Rocheport and the picnic at Twin lakes was wellattended. Green thumbs were

coordinated by Nandhu. Kids had fun learning how a piece of paper can be folded differently to make airplane, boat, paper tray, party-popper and many more innovative stuff. Gopal offered an open-door workshop for participants who wanted to know everything about MS Office, PDF, Email and attachments but were shy to ask. This workshop was a oneon-one format to ask questions and learn on the spot. The highlight of this year's workshops would be the one offered by Dr. H.R. Chandrasekhar. This workshop involved building a telescope to explore wonders that are

impossible to view otherwise.

Several workshops had to be dropped because of lack of attendees. We thank all the coordinators alike for being willing to share their knowledge and skills.

The much awaited Youth DayBal Sabha Picnic is on the 20th of August at the Dexheimer Shelter, Cosmo Park. We would like to have volunteers to coordinate the potluck and entertainment for that evening.

Please respond with your phone number to htcc.youth@gmail.com. A formal flyer will be sent shortly after hearing from you ☯

describe the wonder of the Shrutis which were saved by Him !

He appeared as a swan in the midst of Sanaka and the other sages to teach them the wisdom of Yoga. The Lord was born as the great Yogis such as Sanaka, and as you (Narada) born to me to spread the wisdom of devotion to the world. He will take on a body in each age to destroy the enemies of God and to establish order (Dharma).

What good is the life of man?

What is in Vedas, Puranas

and Shastras? What can come of religious practices and rituals? What fruit is there in Sankhya? What comes of Yaga (sacrifice) and meditation? If one has no devotion in the lotus feet of the Lord all are worthless.

There are no fruits in Varna Dharma, Ashrama Dharma and the Dharma of giving alms. The sins of many lives are like a great forest. He is the fire to burn it. Devotion in Hari is the key to salvation.

Thus Brahma concluded his narration☯ ☯

hard to work at the Mandir and the rewards of their labor are in full swing. The Summer programs were also well received. Our children loved to build telescopes and to explore the moons of Jupiter and rings of Saturn. We also heard appreciations for the one-on-one sessions on making waves, MS Office, PDF, and e-mails. There was also a good turnout at the Personal Energy Transportation’s project to plant a new pole to promote peace in Columbia. We thank all volunteers for organizing these events, for helping us build camaraderie, and for offering positive experiences.

Our members raised $1,755 for the Joplin relief efforts and we were heartened by the response to our call for action.

The Devotional committee has already planned for the celebration of festivals in the Fall, starting with Janmashtami on August 27.

We hope to see you there and even earlier at the Annual HTCC Youth Day and Bal Sabha/Bal Puja picnic to be held on August 20 at Cosmo Park ☯ Inder Khurana Ravi Thawani Meera Chandrasekhar Abirami Elangovan

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Newsletter of Bal Sabha of Columbia, MO

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August 2011

EDITOR’S NOTE

Bal Sabha Officers President Anand Chockalingam

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ummer is coming to an end and fall is about to begin. It brings the new school session, along with Raksha Bandhan, Ganesh Chaturthi, Krishna Jayanthi, and a new beginning along with it. This issue of Bal Sandesh contains articles on summer camps, ride to Rocheport and summer workshops held at Shanthi Mandir. As always please continue to submit your articles to Bal Sandesh throughout the year. Bal Sabha wishes all it’s members a very new and exciting school year☯

Vice-President Currently Vacant Secretary/Treasurer Abirami Elangovan Cultural Secretary Alagu Arunachalam Bal Sandesh Coordinator Hema Srinivasan

The Editors

Ride to Rocheport Neeta Thawani - 11th Grade, Boonville High School

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icture this, it’s 8:30 in the morning; you’re bleary eyed, tired, and rolling into Rocheport to set up snacks for bikers who should be there in fifteen to twenty minutes, except that one is already there. That’s

exactly what happened to me when my dad and I came up to the Katy Trailhead in Rocheport, where we planned to wait

for the bikers. It’s true; Ashwath had beaten us there and seemed to have been waiting for a couple of minutes, but no later than we had come, his dad also shows up!

That was how my morning started the day of the bike trip: Sunday, June 19th, 2011. Granted, I did not ride, but I knew it was exhausting to do so and thanked the skies that they hadn’t sent in a heat wave just yet. Soon enough, everyone rolled in, had snacks, and took pictures before deciding whether or not to ride back on the trail. Twenty-two (22) people rode their bikes to Rocheport and back.

Those of us who drove back, met up at Twin Lake in Columbia to meet the bikers and have a picnic.

At this picnic, a large amount of people showed up, many who couldn’t ride the whole way to Rocheport rode around in the park. Those who didn’t ride in the

park partook in eating food, playing soccer, and a big group photo. At the end of our time there, I sincerely felt a sense of respect for those who trudged their way through the trail to go to Rocheport and back that day; I believe we can all agree, that’s pretty hard to do ☯

Missouri Innovation Academy Nidhi Khurana - 10th Grade, Rock Bridge High School

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ummer is fun for it is a time to recover, rejuvenate, and revitalize.

But this summer went a little too fast for me. One reason may be that I spent 3 weeks at the Missouri Innovation Academy on the campus of Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. It was a wonderful and unique experience. I got to know several other campers, scientists, industry experts, and university faculty. We learned how ideas from a lab are transformed into

real products that consumers use. The field trips were the most exciting part of the camp. We went to a Leggett & Platt plant at Carthage, Brewers Science at Rolla, and Monsanto at St. Louis. At the end of the camp, campers designed six innovative products in total and developed business plans. I admit that our new products could have been better and that they may never find a place at a retail store. But that’s not the point. The key is that we experienced

first-hand the process used to translate ideas into reality. And we did it at a minimal cost to our parents. If you would like to pursue this opportunity next Summer, you can find out about the program, the application deadline, and the eligibility criteria at http://www.missouristate.edu/ mia/. Hope you have as much fun as I did ☯

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College for Kids– A Fun Summer Experience Suryanshi Rawat - 9th Grade, Jeff Junior High School

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ollege for Kids (aka CK) is a fun summer camp for kids that are graduates of grades 3rd-9th. CK is a residential camp in Fulton, MO for gifted kids. Even though it is located in Fulton, kids from all over the country attend it. The camp is 5-6 days long and there are various exciting activities we do there including an icecream fight, a concert, a talent show, and a pizza party. Everybody attends two very interesting classes that they pick before camp starts. Some classes are more educational and others are more creative and fun. During the day there is also a recreational time when we split into groups and play a variety of sports. In College for kids there are small groups of kids that each

have a RA (Residential Advisor) to watch them.

Whenever we go to meals and activities, we go with our RA group. Overall CK is an awesome camp that most kids attend year after year and then come back to be a RA. I have been attending College for Kids for four years and I plan to attend next year as well. Next year is my last year that I will be able to attend CK but I hope I will be able to come back and be an RA. A few of the classes I have taken at CK include Go Green, Thanks for the Memories (scrapbooking), and Book of Art. I enjoy being independent of my parents and living away from home. I am very sad that this is my last year because for the last four years, College for Kids has been the highlight of my summer ☯

Summer Fun at “Tryps” Anusha Gupta

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his summer, and my brother and I had the opportunity to go to the ‘Tryps’ summer camp workshop. It was an all-day fun camp for kids ages 5 and above. The ‘Tryps’ theater is sponsored by Target in the Columbia mall. “Tryps’ lays a basic foundation for acting and being self confident. It is about having a joyful soul and about expressing yourself. Besides from acting, the workshop encourages good behavior. The kids are given house points for good acts. Dabloon is the currency for Tryps. At the end of the week, each group gets rewarded with dabloons. The kids can use them to buy treats such as cookies or candies.

Every week different themes are enacted like theme like ‘ Harry Potter’, ‘Treasure Island’ or ‘Narnia’. The kids work on a performance the whole week based on the theme. The performance includes songs, dance and a short play. The kids are divided into small groups according to age.

The performance is scheduled every Friday afternoon for family and friends. My experience at Tryps summer camp was great and I hope you kids can try it too! Have FUN!!!☯ ☯

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TA Reflections Contest State Level: Tia Rawat (2nd grade, Mill Creek) won 1st and 3rd place in the Preschool-2nd Grade division. She won 1st place in Literature Category and 3rd

place in Visual Arts Category.

Arul Sethi (3rd Grade) and Aishi Sethi (1st Grade) for 'each' winning an individual trophy for their superior solo performance in Piano in their match group at

the 'Mid America Music Association' competition held in Kansas City this summer.

Bal Sabha congratulates them all ☯

Bal Sandesh needs you!

We welcome submissions of all types (reports, poetry, short stories, artwork, puzzles, jokes etc.).

Work can be submitted to the Editors or the Parent Advisor. We prefer electronic version of the submission (e-mail or diskette). Artwork can be submitted on paper. Older kids interested in volunteering to serve on the editorial team should contact the Editorial Staff or the Parent Advisor.

Bal Sabha meets every fourth Sunday of the month from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. at Shanthi Mandir

Editorial Staff Maya Cutkosky Neeta Thawani Nidhi Khurana Prerna Srinivasan Vikram Arunachalam Parent Advisor Hema Srinivasan

Phone (573) 445-2854 (660) 882-5317 (573) 874-9647 (573) 445-0033 (573) 445-2854

E-Mail boonville.kid@hotmail.com n_khurana@yahoo.com

srinivasanh@missouri.edu

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Lactose Intolerance Uma Srinath

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f you like milk but feel that milk doesn’t like you, then you may be ‘lactose intolerant’. Here are some common questions about Lactose Intolerance: What is lactose intolerance?

Lactose is a natural sugar in milk. During digestion an intestinal enzyme called lactase breaks it down into smaller more easily digested sugars. People with lactose intolerance produce too little lactase to adequately digest the lactose in food containing milk.

How do I know if I am lactose intolerant?

Stomachaches, bloating, gassiness, nausea, cramping and diarrhea are some symptoms of lactose intolerance.

I used to drink milk when I was a

child. Why am I more sensitive to dairy now?

As an adult your body may be making less lactase than when you were younger. This may make it more difficult to tolerate some dairy products. Lactose intolerance can be the side effect of certain medical conditions or stomach surgery.

If I am lactose intolerant, do I have to avoid all dairy foods?

The degree of lactose Intolerance could vary from person to person. Most people can tolerate milk in cooked products, yogurt & cheese, while being intolerant to plain milk. Lactose free milk, available in the dairy section, can be used instead.

Is lactose intolerance the same thing as a milk allergy?

No, the two are quite different. Allergy is caused by a reaction to the protein in milk, while lactose intolerance is difficulty digesting the natural sugar in milk.

People with a milk allergy must avoid dairy. However, total avoidance of dairy is not intolerant Can I get all the nutrients I need without dairy foods in my diet?

The dairy food group (milk, cheese, yogurt) provides key nutrients such as calcium, protein, riboflavin, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and vitamins A and D. It can be a challenge to get this wide array of nutrients from alternate food sources☯ ☯ Source: National Dairy Council 2010

Yoga Corner Ritcha Mehra Chaudhary

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his time in yoga corner we will look at an asana called “Tadaasana” sometimes known as “Tala-asana”. The name derives from the Sanskrit word “Tada” which means the palm tree (hence the name Palm tree pose).

1. Stand straight, keeping a distance of 12 inches between the feet.

2. Slowly raise your right arm upward (palms turned towards the ears) while standing on your tiptoes to a count of three. While stretching your arms and heels to a count of three also breathe in/ inhale.

3. Stand on the toes of your legs with arms extended upwards, retaining the

breath to a count of six. Try and stretch to a maximum.

4. Slowly exhale to a count of three while bringing down the arm and bringing down the heels.

Repeat the process with the left arm.

Breathing rhythm 3(inhale)-6(poorak)-3 (exhale) Variations 1. Both arms at the same time palms facing each other 2. Arms stretched out palms facing down/ out 3. Arms extending out palms facing outward and then joining above the head.

Benefits 1. It improves posture.

2. It Strengthens thighs, knees, and ankles and firms abdomen and buttocks 3. It stretches the spine on the sides.

4. It cures constipation and abdominal problems.

5. May be helpful in relieves sciatica ☯

Building a Telescope: Summer Workshop at Shanthi Mandir Arul Sethi– 3rd Grade, Barstow School

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e had a great time learning to build and use a telescope during two workshops held at Shanthi Mandir this summer. Each child was accompanied by a parent or a guardian to help them at each workshop. In the first workshop we built a telescope from a kit and this was a very exciting activity. In the second workshop we learnt more about how to use the telescope, and I was very happy to bring the telescope home. Luckily we found our old camera tripod to mount the telescope. That worked well and we looked at the moon the same night we built the telescope. Unfortunately, planet Saturn with its rings was not visible in the horizon that night.

It was a lot of fun learning about the telescope lenses. Each telescope has an assembly of at least two or more lenses. The hardest part was placing/installing the lenses in place without touching them. There are two different types of magnification lens. The main eye piece has 25x magnification and the Barlow eyepiece probably has 17x magnification. Combined, the two lenses have 50x magnification. We learnt that it is important to never look at the sun with the telescope as it could burn the eye or even cause blindness. We plan to continue to use our telescope to gaze at the stars☯ ☯

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Compassion and Forgiveness Ravi Thawani

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here is a well-known Buddhist lesson concerning two monks who were traveling and came to a muddy stream. There they observed a woman who was hesitating to cross, apparently concerned about soiling her clothing The older monk approached the woman, bowed, and then picked her up and carried her across the stream. He set her down, bowed again, and he and his younger companion continued on their way.

That evening, while they were eating their rice, the younger monk said, “I don’t understand. As monks, we are to have no contact with women, yet you picked that woman up and carried her in your arms!”

The older monk said, “I put the woman down at the side of the stream. You are still carrying her.”

Isn’t that how many of us are? We cling to thoughts and ideas, worrying about them

and twisting them around inside our heads, causing all sorts of turmoil and accomplish nothing in the way of our journey toward spirituality.

It is my opinion that spirituality is about: understanding, compassion, forgiveness, love, willingness to contribute our efforts to help others, humility and things of that sort. Compassion and forgiveness are especially important, because clinging to the resentments that prevent those qualities from shining forth causes us so much unhappiness.

Compassion is, essentially, seeing things from another’s point of view, and being willing to do what we can to alleviate their suffering. Forgiveness is compassion toward ourselves. It is not about “freeing” the other person from anything, but about freeing ourselves of the unhappiness that is caused by being unforgiving.

Like the young monk, we sometimes carry things along with us after the reality has changed and, in our own very human way, often blow it up in our minds until it forms a nearly impassable barrier to true spiritual growth. Not until we realize that forgiveness does not involve condoning a wrongful act, but is simply choosing to accept, and move on with our own lives, can we expect to get beyond it. That doesn’t mean that we have to invite the person to dinner, but only that we need to learn to put down our own burden after we have crossed the stream.

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” – the Dalai Lama ☯ Compiled from information found on www.digital_dharma.net and www.thedailymind.com.

The Well Dispute Meena Thawani

O

nce there was a complaint at King Akbar's court. There were two neighbors who shared their garden. In that garden, there was a well that was possessed

by Iqbal Khan.

His neighbor, who was a farmer wanted to buy the well for irrigation purpose.

Therefore they signed an agreement between them, after which the farmer owned the well. Even after selling the well to the farmer, Iqbal

continued to fetch water from the well. Angered by this, the farmer had come to get justice from King Akbar.

King Akbar asked Iqbal the reason for fetching water from the well even after selling it to the farmer. Iqbal replied that he had sold only the well to the farmer but not the water inside it. King Akbar wanted Birbal, who was present in the court listening to the problem, to solve the dispute.

Birbal came forward and gave a solution. He said, “Iqbal, you say that you have sold only the well to the farmer. And you claim that the water is yours. Then how come you can keep your water inside another person's well without paying rent?”

Iqbal's trickery was countered thus in a tricky way.

The farmer got justice and Birbal was fairly rewarded ☯

South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) sponsors an annual nation wide volunteering day called Be The Change. This event is designed for South Asians of all backgrounds and allies to come together to volunteer in the larger community. Mizzou SASA is hosting the event this year on October 1, and invites you to participate. We will be working with the City of Columbia.

For more information about SAALT, visit their website www.saalt.org. If you are interested in participating in this event, please email mizzousasa@gmail.com.

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Shreemad Bhagavad Gita – Part 14 Saroj Mohan

W

e have seen how internal purification or Antah karan shudhi takes place by Yogis offering all their actions in the fire of self control in order to acquire the knowledge of non-dual reality.

Four other methods of Yagnas or sacrifices, performed by other yogis are described in the 28th verse. The first of these is Dravya Yagna in which all material things, wealth etc, are used for this Yagna. The second method is Tapo Yagna in which severe austerities of all senses and other spiritual practices are performed by the seeker. The third is Swadhyay Yagna or self-study, in which learning and knowledge are offered for welfare of all. Finally, always contemplating on only the Lord, is called Yoga yagna.

Shri Krishna says, “Some yogis perform Dravyayagna or sacrificing wealth and material possessions; others do Tapa yoga or severe austerities and spiritual exercises; some Yogis do Yoga yagna or unbroken contemplation on God only and lastly some do Swadhya yagna or learning and offering of knowledge of scriptures, for the welfare of humanity.”

All these methods of Sadhna or spiritual practices, lead seekers to the same goal of Self-Realization, the union with God, where work becomes worship, the perfect Karma yoga. The perfect Karma Yoga is where the worker, the work, the act of worship and the Divine all become one. Different Yogis perform Yaganas or sacrifices according to their aptitude and temperament.

In the 29th and 30th verses the Yoga with Pranayaam is explained. This is the famous method of Patanjali’s ashtang yoga. There are different ways of controlling the breath for purification of the body and mind. It is done for the ultimate goal of self –realization. Paana of breath is called inhaling and Apaana of breath is exhaling.

Shri Krishna said, “Some yogins sacrifice Apanvayu or out going, exhaling breath in to Panavayu or incoming, inhaling breath and in the same way some others sacrifice inhaling breath into exhaling breath. Some other yogis who regulate and restrain their food intake etc, and who are experts in the methods of (Pranayamaparayana) breath control, they restrict the flow of breath and sacrifice it in vital breath or Prana again.

All these yogis sacrifice their sins through breath control and they are the masters of the art of Pranayaam.”

Here Shri Krishna praises all the methods of breath control and sacrifice by various Yogins. Just as fire purifies all the

impurities of outside materials similarly the art of Pranayama or control of breath management purifies physical and mental impurities by making them fit for selfrealization.

Shri Krishna, in the 31st verse, praises the Yogins who do sacrifice or yagna but does not appreciate those who do not. Shri Krishna says, “O best of the Kurus, Arjuna, those who experience the nectar or the remnant of the sacrifice (it means fruits of sacrifice, or the purification) go to the eternal Brahaman, but those who do not do the sacrifice, for them even this world is not a happy place then what can be said about their life after death?”

It is clear that performance of purifying sacrifices or yagnas make this worldly life full of peace, health and

happiness where as a totally idle person, full of selfish desires, ever stuck in the mire of duality, can never be happy in this world, leave alone in the life after death.

There is no self- realization for him.

Shri Krishna, in the 32nd verse, goes on, saying, “The many methods of Yagnas are prescribed by the Vedas in detail, but know them to be Karmaja or born of actions. By performing them properly with body and sense organs as well as the mind, you will be liberated from the ties of Karma.”

A perfect Nishkam karma yogi is liberated from the shackles of duality and revels in the non-dual pure Infinite consciousness. Because of his ego-less actions, he is free from bondage of karma.

The 33rd verse explains a crucial aspect of this chapter. It is stated in the previous verse that all actions prescribed

by Vedas are Karmaja or born of actions, and all actions are the result of desires.

So it is important to understand that the path to liberation from actions is desirefree, ego-less actions. In the very beginning, it is mentioned that all actions should merge in Gyan or in the inaction born of wisdom.

Shri Krishna says, “O Parmtapa Arjuna, gyan yagnyas are superior to Dravya yagna or material sacrifices because O Partha, son of Pritha, all yagnas or sacrifices end in the wisdom, or ultimately end in Gyana.”

The gist of this chapter is clearly expressed in this verse - that all actions must end in ultimate Knowledge of Reality, where One-ness of all is realized; where work, worshiper and worshiped all are subjectively realized as ONE only.

This is Gyana.

We learn in the 34th verse how to achieve knowledge and wisdom. Shri Krishna says, “To gain this knowledge, one should go to a Tattwadarshi (or the Knower of Reality), a self- realized sage.

By accepting this spiritual guide and through humble service learn from him the knowledge of this reality. The self realized sage will instruct you and give you the knowledge and the wisdom.”

In ancient India Knowledge of the Self was gained through the Guru Shishya Parmpara. A sincere and humble student will seek knowledge from the teacher through being in service of the master while learning through inquiry. Most of our scriptures are in question and answer form, including the Bhagavad Gita.

Shree Krishna declares the result of knowing the truth, in the 35th verse.

He says, “O son of Pandu, Arjuna, by knowing this reality you will never be deluded and attached again in this creation and O Arjuna, you will see all beings in yourself, or drakshyasi atmani bhootani asheshenah and thereafter also in Me or atho mayi.”

This magnificent and beautiful, subjective experience is indicated by Lord in the preceding verse. A self-realized sage sees the whole universe in his Self or in God Himself. This is an ego free state in which oneness of all is experienced. The delusion and attachments of duality are dispelled and the non-dual self is realized. This extraordinary subjective experience is hard to express in words. We have seen how work becomes worship after self – realization. The worshiper, the act of worshiping and the worshiped all become One ☯

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HTCC Quarterly Fiscal Report For the period April 1, 2011 - June 30, 2011 Prepared by Abirami Elangovan, Treasurer, July 11, 2011 Quarterly Revenues Interest Income Interest income Membership: Annual Family Membership Annual Individual Membership

$631.50

$631.50

$150.00 $30.00

$180.00

Donations: Check Donations Hundi Donations/Prayer Services Capital Campaign

$3,700.50 $488.57 $2,301.00

$6,490.07

Facilities Use Donations: Bal Sabha Pongal Group Rawlani, Ramesh and Chandra Sethi, Yash and Anjna Tabla Class Yoga Class

$60.00 $105.00 $77.00 $80.00 $90.00 $135.00

$547.00

Other Revenues: Fifth Anniversary Celebrations : Souvenirs Summer Workshops Joplin Relief—Pass through donations Total Quarterly Revenues

$250.00 $481.00 $1,755.00

Quarterly Expenses Fifth Anniversary Celebrations Lawn and Garden Printing and Mailing Joplin Relief Disbursed as of June 30th, 2011 Utilities Total Quarterly Expenses

$126.56 $343.38 $279.65 $1,250.00 $1,186.61

$2,486.00 $10,334.57

$3,186.20

Net Income for the Quarter

$7,148.37

Thank You! Donor Acknowledgement, May 1, 2011 – July 31, 2011 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. $25 Srikanta, Nanjangud and Hemalatha Aggarwal, Kul and Archana Balakrishnan, Elango and Abhirami $50 - $99 Nair, Satish and Jyotsna Sharda, Sahay Mehta, Prakash $100 - $149 Lavanya, H Palavalli Subramanian, Krishna and Raji Rawlani, Chandra and Ramesh Krishnan, Hari and Latha $150 - $499 Ratneshwar, Srinivasan and Subbalakshmi Basu, Asit and Sandra Loyalka, Sudershan and Nirja

$500 - $999 Mitra, Moonmoon Sehgal, Santosh $1,000 - $1,499 Sahota, Pradeep and Shaku $5,000 + Sharma, Krishna and Sandhya Srinivasan, Bharath and Narasimhan, Manjula

Please donate or pledge generously to our Capital

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Community Calendar (August 27, 2011–December 31, 2011) Unless otherwise indicated, all events are at Shanthi Mandir, 2006 Holly Avenue, Columbia, MO 65202.

Aug. 27 Janmashtami/ Shri Krishna Jayanthi Puja Contact Chandra Rawlani (573) 446 5960

Oct. 8

Navaratri Mahanavami

Aug. 28 Ganesh Idol Making Sunday, 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm Contact V.S. Gopalaratnam (vsgopal@aol.com)

Oct. 9

Dusshera/Vijaya Dashami

Oct. 13

Karva Chauth

Sep.10

Ganesh Chaturthi Puja Contact Chandra Rawlani (573) 446-5960

Oct. 29

Deepavali Puja

Nov. 6

Guru Nanak Jayanthi

Oct. 1

Navaratri/Devi Jaagran Nov. 17

“Sharing the Warmth” Coat Drive

Nov. 20

Interfaith Thanksgiving

Dec. 15

Dhanurmasa Puja

Oct.1

Oct. 2

Volunteer Day for South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) Contact: mizzousasa@gmail.com Sunday Annual COLUMBIA CROP HUNGER WALK Contact: mayukh.ghosh@gmail.com

Oct. 4

Durga Ashtami

Oct. 5

Navami

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

Parking lot expansion and fencing project approved Project slated for completion in Fall The HTCC Board of Trustees approved funding in July for an expansion of the Shanthi Mandir parking lot and addition of a fence to the lot. The Medium Term Plan Implementation Committee (HTCC MTP) is in the process of seeking necessary city approvals and getting more recent quotes to complete the project in early Fall. The additional parking spots as well as the fencing proposed are expected to make visits to Shanthi Mandir safer and, more convenient and secure.

Mandir “Greenthumbs” have been hard at work!

Additional volunteers appreciated Since mid-May, the Mandir “Greenthumbs” have been busy at work clearing weeds, planting flowerbeds, watering, fertilizing and nurturing the flower boxes and the berm in front of Shanthi Mandir. Come heat, come sun or rain a “Greenthumb’s “work is never done. The volunteer team included: Aarti, Abi, Anantha, Bandhana, Chandra, Das, Divya, Gopal, Hemanth, Inder, Kalai, Neeta, Pranavi, Ravi, Shiva, Shuba, Sushama, Tarang, and Venkat under the leadership of Anantha Gopalaratnam. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Anantha at Ananthag@aol.com. Please volunteer when your schedule permits even if you cannot to do so every time the group meets. We will have a variety of task assignments that would be suitable for varied ages and physical abilities of our volunteers. Remember, gardening is a wonderful physical activity that relieves stress, burns calories and is fun when done as a team. More volunteer support would be very welcome.

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 (August 15, 2011) Devotional Programs Open prayer time/Aarti 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)

1st

Tuesday Thursday Saturday Saturday Sunday

6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

7:00 - 8:00 p.m.

9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

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

1st /3rd 2nd 4th

Sunday Sunday Sunday

3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

10:00 a.m. - 1:00 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.

Sunday Sunday

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

Fitness and Cultural Art Programs Tabla classes (instructor fee required) Carnatic vocal music classes (instructor fee required)

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>. Editorial and production assistance from Pranavi Tella 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.

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org