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A Michigan Report
Namaste Everyone,
This is just a little summary to let you all know what all of us
up here in Michigan have been up to. During the past two months, we have
had two excellent guest speakers who spoke at our weekly meetings.
The first guest speaker we had talk to us was Dr. Yash Pal Lakra,
President of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America. Dr. Lakra spoke on
the importance of understanding prayers, rituals, and myths. He
explained the various types of rituals performed in Hinduism such as
greetings and cleansing, becknoning, chanting and meditation. Dr. Lakra
also illustrated how all prayers can be separated into four categories:
petitionary, intercidiary, adulatory, and universal. He also stressed
the different types of devotees: those who desire material things only,
those who are inquisitive, and those who are learned. Along with all of
the above information, Dr. Lakra presented small personal narratives
which really hit home. We had an attendance of over forty people and
everyone there had a wonderful time.
The next guest speaker who came to talk to us was Dr. Purnima
Mehta. Dr. Mehta is a faculty member at a distinguished medical school
here in Michigan. In continuing with the general theme of that month, Dr.
Mehta spoke on various women's issues. Specifically, she spoke on the
conflicts of 1st generation women of Indian-American background:
motherhood and career. Dr. Mehta continually stressed how in Hinduism,
women are totally equal to men. Nowhere in Hinduism does it say that
women should be less than men and that that is one of the great aspects
of Hinduism. She drove this point home with the story of Lord Shiva and
Parvati, and how when Lord Shiva cuts off the head of Ganeshji, Parvati
demands he replace it and Lord Shiva complies. Dr. Mehta said that
historic literature from many areas of the world, such as Iranian, Irish,
Greek, etc., have similar stories of the situation between Parvati and Lord
Shiva, but that it is only the story in Hinduism where the women's voice
is heard and listned to. In all of the other literatures, the women are either
ignored or killed. Dr. Mehta also went on to discuss how Indian women
born in America must integrate both the American and Indian ways of
thinking to find a balance in which to raise healthy children. Then Dr.
Mehta how women could handle raising children and having a successful
career. This discussion also turned out excellently and we had a turn
out of over 40 peeple here also.
I hope that my little summary wasn't too long for you!!!!
Thanks and take care,
Reema
