and i'm pretty sure the amrita ashram isn't looking to convert anybody in new orleans.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: R
Date: Sep 24, 2005 2:47 AM
Subject: Amrita Ashram to provide $1 million for Katrina relief
To:
Amrita Ashram to provide $1 million for Katrina relief
Mata Amritanandamayi Centre in America would be donating $1 million in aid to help victims of Hurricane Katrina that devastated New Orleans, Louisiana and coastal areas of Mississippi and Albama.
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11 comments:
Why don't all Hindu organizations involved in relief work lay down one condition, i.e.,scrap joshua project,halt conversions? What prevents them from taking a forthright, plucky stand at the right moment?
The new age gurus(except our Jagadguru SriKanchi Shankracharya and Sri Dayananda Saraswathi)adroitly skirt this vital issue.
As Swami Vivekananda said,when even one person 'converts'know that an enemy of Sanathana Dharmam is born.Like 'rakthabeejan'they multiply to our peril.
I remember reading that 'art of living' Ravishankar refused to put his signature in a petition challenging sonia's Prime Ministership (when she had staked her claim)though he talked big,exhorting his followers to draft one!Why this pusillanimity?Imagine the plight of the 'followers'whose 'gurus'are cowards at heart!
It was the same charade during tsunami relief;many of the Hindu haters and Hindu killers were accommodated in Hindu temples and fed by "casteist,socially retrogade,superstitious pagan Hindus"!Let their 'charitable organizations and ngos' take care of their "special children".It is high time we wake up.We are only looked upon as suckers(rightly so).Gratitude is not democratic;Virtue is not democratic.How much more of blood and money transfusion from "heathen Hindus" to the could- not- care- less people in the name of charity?Spare me such spineless mahathmas!
If only the trust donated that money towards financial and cultural upliftment of Hindus in India (especially the underprivileged ones), we would not have people converting in lieu of a little financial assistance. Maybe, we could also bring back people into their original faith. The money for New Orleans is going to down the drain; the government already has the means, the locals are already helping, and they are not as destitude as some of our people on a normal day. Maybe, if you have the connections, you could convey this to the Mata Trust.
1 million dollars to the americans? when 400 ameircans have 1.3 trillion dollars in wealth. it is the failure of the american system that shows that there are poor and deprived people here in the US. the hype and hoopla of the huuricanes being covered in the media worldwide has got into the heads of people in the hindu spiritual organizations. I wish they used that to declare a war on unhindu practices entrenched in hinduism, like child marriage , casteism etc.
it is also a pity particularly because this Mata has never got a fair coverage in the western media. she has always been described as the saint who "hugs"( and implyng that she does nothing else). how many dollars did Mata donate when 130,000 people died in a cyclone in Bangladesh, in the early 90's?
Gopal
Having known the activities of the MAM trust for last 3 years, I can't agree to the above statements by 'Kalyani' and 'Aks' regarding the MAM trust.
1. The trust dont really take a political stand. This stand has helped the ashram to stay away from the general turmoils of kerala and national politics.
2. The ashram is open to all and access is not restricted by religion. On the same count, they also doesnt distinguish people on the basis of religion when dealing with them. Whoever they are, the ashram deals with them in the "ashram way". The best example of this was during the opening of the ashram univeristy campus in kollam, when the then kerala education misnister 'N Soopy' was welcomed with a "thilakakhuri" and made to light a lamp.
3. Aks, you would want to study the activities of the MAM ashram, before making such a statement.
4. The trust doesnt waste money. Each paisa is accounted for.
And may be Sri Sri doesnt see the logic behind signing a petition. I certainly dont. I think I made my point in the polling booth.
Hi Gopal,
MAM trust didnt really have any money to donate during early 90's. For a figure, I think the trust spent about $20 to $30 million for tsunami relief till now.
The donation is pragmatic - MAM has a lot of followers (and hence donors) bringing in a lot of dollars, and it'd look bad if MAM doesn't contribute to the "biggest human tragedy in the US in recent years". I guess that explains it.
A correction... lot of followes in the US
Off the topic.
Looter brits are displaying diamonds looted from India.
http://specials.rediff.com/news/2005/sep/23sld4.htm
I really wonder MAM cudnt donate anything to the "flood victims" in Andhra, Orissa where 56 ppl died, 1.4 Lakhs lost their homes, some 1000 ppl are missing...and 1800 Crores worth of property is damaged??
Prasank,oh so cleverly chooses to miss my point!I am not asking for a dekko at your accounting system.
You primly pontificate your mata "does not take a political stand".Is that a virtue?Particularly in India where Hindu annihilation is being ruthlessly pursued in the name of "secularism",by the State and its machinery? We Hindus have never been impoverished asking for "charity and donations"!
I AM ASKING FOR JUSTICE.
You say dollars donated by whites are being ploughed back there.Fine.
Why are Hindu temples looted so brazenly to finance churches,madrassas haj subsidies and to fatten up the secular politicians?By your logic, where should it be ploughed back? And your 'matas and pitas',wielding such enormous clout will not take a stand?
When the imperious Karthaveeryarjunan broke into Sri Jamadhagnamunivar's Ashramam and yanked away His 'Nandhini',Sri Parasuramar DID take a stand!Sri Krishna Paramathma DID take a stand and declared "No amnesty for the undeserving!"
Your stand reminds me of 'manufactured mahatma' gandhi who refused to take a stand during Moplah massacre.It takes a razor sharp intellect to see through all shibboleth!Sri Aurobindo rightly called him "the most violent pacifist".But when it came to appeasing the ever petulant and recalcitrant Hindu killers,boy,didn't he take mulish and partisan stand(s)!
I know it is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss;nevertheless I shall have my say.The only 'Maatha'I know is "Sri Lalitha Parameshwari"who is extolled as "Dehaabhimaana Aghyana Nivaarani".Kindly ruminate over its meaning.If 'hugging'or 'breath bellowing'and such gimmicks could bring about lasting peace and enlightnment Sri Aadi Shankara would not have written 'Vivekachudamani'and 'Brahmasutra Bhaashyam'!
ravishankar's special chelas include nagma(dawood's paramour)rhea pillai dutt(sanjay dutt's wife)vijay mallya( who got so 'enlightened' that he went in quest of tipu sultan's sword,undies etc,who, may I remind you ,had all the refusing- to- convert Hindus of Malabar "hung upside down in trees,starved,denied even water,flogged and skinned alive to death".
Do not ever attempt to bury the truth.Even in corporate law there is an important doctrine called "piercing the corporate veil".Regarding this art of living cult leader there are a few whistle blowers.
Have you ever heard the word 'solidarity'?
Hi Kalyani,
I dont think I missed your point. I would like to again make it clear that the ashram does not discriminate based on religion.
Obviously, you feel that hindus must behave in the same way as other religions. But, dont expect others to feel the same way too.
I am sure there are many learned swamis in the ashram who will ruminate over what you wrote. As for me, I am too ignorant to know all that.
All I know is that more than 100,000 Indians today have a house to live in due to the trust's work.
Different swamis have taken different routes to make a change in the Indian society. Instead of seeing what they are doing, please dont see what they are not doing. I would ask you to please analyze the activities of Amrita ashram and see for yourself that they have brought about changes in the lives of so many people.
There are always whistle blowers who denigrate the swamis. Anyone familiar with this blog should have known that a long time ago.
Again, to answer your point directly, there has to be some difference between those missionaries who laid down conditions before charity and ourselfs. I feel this is exactly that.
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