ARYA PRATINIDHI SABHA AMERICA

17^th ARYA MAHA SAMMELAN, DALLAS, TX

ABSTRACTS & BIOS of the SPEAKERS

KEY NOTE SPEECH

BELIEFS AND PRINCIPLES OF HINDUISM

by

Dr. Harish Chandra; B. Tech. (IIT Kanpur), Ph. D. (Princeton, USA)

Dayananda Institute of Vedic Studies, India

Hinduism is an offshoot of Sanatana Dharma – the eternal principles that holds the mankind. Sanatana Dharma has its principal statements as:

1. Every conscious living being is a bundle of body and soul. While the former is made of matter, the latter is void of matter, and thus, is eternal.
2. Creation is a perfect design of God – an infinite, formless consciousness.
3. Man-made things decay if left alone for some time. Nature exhibits devolution instead of evolution as is stated by the Second Law of Thermodynamics. Thus, constant intervention from God makes the earth sustainable.
4. While the nature follows the laws of nature, the souls are administered by the Law of Karma. Its principal corollary is life before birth and life after death too.
5. The ultimate objective of the human life is to be with God while in the human form to know Him first hand. The only way this can be achieved is through the practices of Patanjali’s Yoga that leads to success in meditation.
6. One visible aspect of spirituality leads one to understand that we are like a child of God and so are other creatures. Therefore, no human being should consume meat, fish and eggs. That is unethical, unhealthy and unnecessary, and thus, vegetarianism should be the way of life for all human beings.
7. Being God’s child, all humans are equal. This should lead to a new world order of humanism based on universal love, brotherhood and peace.

While stating the above principles, the key note speech brings out key action plans that every true Aryan, particularly the youth, should intend to achieve in true earnest.

DR. HARISH CHANDRA

Dr Harish Chandra obtained his B.Tech. in aeronautical engineering from IIT, India, and a Ph.D. from Princeton University, USA. He worked as an Advisor to the Engine Research Department of Volkswagen, then as Head, Basic Engine Research, in the Indian Automotive Research Institute in Pune, India and as a Visiting Scientist in the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. During his world-class research career, he published about 25 research papers in international journals and obtained two patents on advanced engine concepts. Through the Center for Inner Sciences, he brings the virtues of the classical Indian wisdom to one and all through his lectures, talks, workshops, books and articles.

RELEVANCE OF TEN COMMANDMENTS OF ARYA SAMAJ

FOR THE YOUTH

by

Dr. Prem Chand Shridhar

Rishi Dayananda culled out ten principles from the Vedas and promulgated them as his Ten Commandments of Arya Samaj. These constitute the foundation pillars of the entire fabric of Arya Samaj to reach its goal of “Make the Whole World Noble”. They are superb formulae for attaining tranquility and assuring peace for the individual and collective happiness as well as security.

These principles are very lucid and succinct from which the followers of The Samaj draw their inspiration and strength. They are regarded as the moral tenets of The Arya Samaj to be adhered to, in words and deeds. The first two describe the attributes of the Almighty, and the third states that the Vedas are the scriptures of true knowledge. Principle 5, 8 and 10 exhort the people to be righteous and promote Vidya (spiritual and moral science) and subordinate oneself to the laws of the society. The remaining four have the universal appeal and may well form part of the code of conduct of any religion. Thus, these ten principles have all relevance for our youths, who have to shoulder the responsibility of protecting and propagating of message of Vedic culture.

DR. PREM CHAND SHRIDHAR

Dr. Prem Chand Shridhar is a very energetic Vedic scholar and zealous missionary for Arya Samaj. He has been a Pracharak for Arya Samaj for nearly 35 years. He has traveled all over India, Kenya, England, Canada and U.S.A. spreading the divine knowledge of Vedas and the message of Swami Dayanand Saraswati. He holds a Ph.D. from Delhi University in Rig-Veda and several other degrees. He has published a number of articles and books on Vedas, Vedic Culture, and Arya Samaj and has presented papers at many conferences in India and abroad. He was a Visiting Professor at Hindu University of America in Florida and is a member of Hindu Writers Forum and World Association for Vedic Studies. Dr. Shridhar is excited about the challenges and opportunities the Arya Samaj Greater Houston and the Hindu community in Houston offer. He is spreading Swami Dayanand's message throughout the region and showing people how to change their lives for the better. He is especially keen to give our children Naitik Shiksha and a background to a very rich heritage and culture to which they belong.

BACK TO THE VEDAS & FORWARD TO THE VEDAS

by

Dr. Usha Sharma

The third principle of Arya Samaj is “The Vedas are the scriptures of all true knowledge. It is the paramount duty of all Aryans to read them, teach them, recite them and to hear them being read”. This is a universal principle because Vedas are the earliest and true knowledge of God. Vedas are divided as mandalas, sooktas, mantras, adhyayas, prapathakas, and kandas. Rig Veda is Gyan Kaand for knowledge, Yajur Veda is Karam Kaand for action, Saam Veda is Upasna Kaanda for meditation, and Atharav Veda is full of science.

God is one, He is singular, but His names are plural. He is the creator of cosmos, none is superior to God. He is only one lord of the universe. He is unique and almighty. From the Vedas we can learn and practice these principles for leading a noble life. So, let us get back to our roots in the Vedas and move forward with these principles to “Make the world noble”.

DR. USHA SHARMA

Dr. Usha Sharma’s discourses on Vedas and Upanishads draw large audiences in India and abroad. Fluent in seven languages, she is a powerful speaker with a divine voice to chant and sing the Vedic hymns and Bhajans. Retired after teaching at the Universities of Delhi and Haryana for 29 years, she is now devoting her life to spread the message of the Vedas and Upanishads. She has written several books on the Vedas and has been honored with many awards, including Ved Vidushi, Bharat Mata ki Suputri, Vedas Ushas, Arya Meera, and many overseas awards.

COMMUNICATION OF VEDIC VALUES TO NEXT GENERATION

by

Jai Maha Dev

Talk will commence with applicable Ved Mantra, its translation/elucidation. The intention is to delve into the following areas:

· Essential Vedic Values.

· Basis and Basics of Communication (Respect, Cooperation, Humility, Upasana).

· What is worship and its role in communication?

· Talking the Talk and Walking the Walk.

· A picture is worth a thousand words, but a good example is worth a thousand pictures.

· Being a facilitator, and not a dictator.

· Seeing the ‘big picture’ and our place in it, and our place beyond it.

· What is the Ultimate Goal of this generation, the next, and every generation to follow?

· Reaching the Goal together doesn’t mean reaching It at the same time; it means ‘reaching for the same Goal’ together (in other words, it means having the common goal of perfecting our nature).

JAI MAHA DEV

Mr. Jai Maha Dev is established on the path of perfecting his nature, of raising his consciousness, and realizing the Truth. He has studied for the last 33 years under the guidance of his preceptor, Dr. T. R. Khanna, a Vedic scholar. His family started publishing a Vedic journal called the Light of Wisdom in 1986. The name of the journal was later changed to Gyaan Jyoti. The journal was discontinued in 2001, but the articles written by Dr. Khanna and Mr. Jai Maha Dev continue to be published in various Vedic and cultural publications in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and India. Also, whenever the occasion presents itself, he has spoken at various Arya Samajs here in the US and Canada, and continues to publish articles over the Internet through the Aditya Dham website. He started the Aditya Dham website, one of the first Vedic websites to appear on the Internet, in April of 1996. Currently he is semi-retired, living as a Vanaprasthi, spending much of his time in seclusion and contemplation.

HOW VEDIC VALUES CAN BE APPLIED TO

MEET THE NEEDS OF THE YOUTH

By Acharya Sonerao

As we all know if the appetite is not there, the food, no matter how delicious and tasty, will not be relished. The best way to create that appetite is by loving the children and offering your helping hand to them. They will appreciate you and later will listen to you. There should not be much importance given to the outer decoration but inner nature development. Stories play a very important role in the lives of children. Let ennobling and uplifting stories be the powerful means of communication of Vedic values to the youth. The best time to apply the Vedic values to our youth is the time before they are grown up. For that the parents must understand the importance of Vedic values first. Parents, no matter how busy they are, must find time to teach their children the Vedic values and lead by example. Remember, the education of a child begins and ends at home. So, application of the Vedic values at home by the parents and elders of youth is the most important ingredient for meeting the needs of the youth.

ACHARYA SONERAO

Sonerao Acharya ji teaches in the DAV schools at Arya Samaj Greater Houston to enhance religious and moral education. Before coming to the United States, he was in United Kingdom for over six years as a Vedic scholar preaching the ideals of the Vedas. He obtained his degree of Shastri from G.N.D. University Amritsar, Saahityaacharya from Punjab University Chandigarh and MA Sanskrit Degree from Meerut University. After his formal education he became Acharya in a Gurukul, and then a Sanskrit lecturer for several years. He finally gave up his lectureship to become a full time Dharma Prachaarak and went to Nairobi in East Africa. After spending almost two years in East Africa he went to United Kingdom where he worked with the Arya Samaj Vedic Mission and Vishwa Hindu Parishad UK as a Minister of Hindu Religion. Acharya ji is passionate about the teachings of the Vedas. He is very learned and knowledgeable. A scholar of Sanskrit, he is fluent in several languages. He is an accomplished public speaker who can speak on various topics extempore, and sings devotional songs & hymns in a melodious voice.

FINDING THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

by

Lawrence W. Brown

The talk will address taking pride in who and what you are. Hinduism has many gifts for us and many gifts America needs that only we can bring. We will discuss those first. Next, we have to discuss ways to resist efforts to convert you to Christianity. First, we have to understand the heart of Christianity – which is rooted in their theology. For Christians, salvation comes through faith in doctrine, not through the practice of its rituals or even through being a kind and moral person. As much as time permits, we’ll raise Christian objections to our faith – and offer answers in refutation. Finally, we’ll discuss ways you can – as Hindus – bring your gifts to the communities where you live… ways to stand up – and speak up – and clear a space for yourselves as American Hindus.

LAWRENCE W. BROWN

Mr. Lawrence Brown has been a teacher of geography and ancient history for 30 years. He enjoys the company of young people and they seem to enjoy his. He has published 5 books including a geography textbook with Addison-Wesley and a book on Hindu theology with Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Mumbai. He has been a speaker at both the 1999 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Cape Town and the 2004 Parliament in Barcelona. Although his personal theology is Hindu, he is ordained as an interfaith minister. He is a founding member of a regional Interfaith Coalition; he has both produced and been a guest on religious television programming for over 15 years – most recently doing a 10 program series of debates defending Hinduism against an Evangelical Christian pastor.

APPLYING VEDIC VALUES TO OUT SIDE WORLD

(CREATING A POSITIVE IMAGE OF VEDIC VALUES)

by

Jai P. Agarwal

The collective wisdom of thousands of years of Vedic tradition and Value System is significant in the vast and exemplary contribution it can make towards global harmony, development and peace. Vedic Values or True Life Values, such as; adherence to the divine law of existence or Dharma of all humans across the world as enshrined in the revealed store house of all knowledge, the Vedas; the divine Moral Code of Maharishi Patanjali; mental equipoise (sama); Seva of all deserving hungry fellow beings (guests-athiti); performance of regular agnihotra for purification and healing of the environment; one's duty towards humanity; and finally belief in the existence of the Supreme Power.

The Vedic Values that are so sacrosanct and inviolable should be taught in schools and colleges the world over. Such value system should be made part and parcel of human life in the society for fulfillment of our dream of a Global Society. Among other salient features the most important is the human factor. Men of integrity, knowledge and commitment are the need of the time. Arya Samaj recognizes the value of the human factor, particularly the role of properly educating children and adults alike in human life values, as the most important for achieving success.

JAI P. AGARWAL

Mr. Jai P Agarwal is a professional by education-turned researcher and writer on theology. Having retired from the government as Chief Engineer ten years ago, Mr. Agarwal has been devoting his full time and energy to the study of the Vedic sciences and art of Yoga Practice leading to formal study of the nature of God and the foundations of religious beliefs including development of India’s spiritual philosophy from the Vedic times to Swami Dayananda Saraswati and thereafter. Both, Mr. Agarwal and his wife now live in Ann Arbor MI, USA with his son and family, and keep on visiting India. Mr. Agarwal is now fully disposed to the work of research/study and dissemination of the knowledge of the Eternal Vedas, and science & practice of Yoga in India and abroad. He is also the founder president of ‘The Institute of Vedic Research & Studies’ Lucknow, India. He has delivered lectures on subjects connected with the Vedic Hindu philosophy and Yoga at several places in India and the US. With an irrepressible will and unfailing determination, Mr. Jai P Agarwal is also a spiritually inclined soul, with an irrevocable faith in melody of Truth of the Eternal Vedas, which remain with him as the perpetual source of inspiration, success, happiness & nobility!

TEACHING VEDIC VALUES AT THE MONTESSORI LEVEL

by

Arti Khanna

Arya Samaj Greater Houston established the DAV Montessori School in the year 2000, with a vision to provide Academic Excellence and Spiritual Growth to children ages 2 to 7 years of Indian – American Heritage. This school provides a unique combination of Montessori education, along with an opportunity for the students to learn Vedic Mantras, Prarthana Shlokas, Bhajans, yoga and Hindi or Gujarati reading & writing. It is a well established fact that the Montessori method of education develops the child to be an independent, self disciplined and a responsible citizen. We believe that combining this education with imparting our Vedic values, culture and heritage will help prepare the students to face the challenges of today’s world.

ARTI KHANNA

Mrs. Arti Khanna is Director, DAV Montessori School in Houston. She has over twelve years of experience as an Early Childhood Montessori teacher in the Houston area. She has been closely associated with the American Montessori Society’s Houston center through their continuing education and certification programs. She received a BA and B. Ed from Delhi, India and a Diploma in Early Childhood from the American Montessori Society, Houston. Mrs. Khanna and her whole family are ardent believers in communicating the Vedic values to our next generation and are fully committed to the application of these values in daily life.

RESPONSIBILITY OF PARENTS TO LEAD

BY EXAMPLE IN THE LEARNING OF VEDIC VALUES

By Professor Balvir Acharya, Haryana (India)

To acquire values and their subsequent inculcation in life is most essential. The use of the mind, speech, and actions in a harmonious way dictates one’s code of conduct. This is what forms the personality of a human being. A high code of conduct in one’s own life is very essential. This also creates an example for making the life better and showing the proper path in life for future generations. If we are thinking one thing, saying something else, and behave in an entirely different manner, such a method of conduct will never create an example for society and especially for our children. The teachings of the Vedas are important in our entire life from birth to death. They lead us through the path of life. Following Vedic teachings can lead to a total development of one’s personality, leading to peace, happiness, and a state of bliss (anand) in the family, society, nation, and the world as a whole. We can conclude therefore that if parents lead the life of honesty and justice and provide selfless service to the society, children are influenced the most.

PROFESSOR BALVIR ACHARYA

Dr.Balvir Acharya received his education (Shastri and Acharya) from Gurukul Jhajjar, Haryana and passed his Master's degree from Gurukul Kangri University, Haridwar, India. He did his Ph.D. from Garhwal University Shrinagar (U.P.) and D.Litt. from Agra University, Agra. Apart from the fact that he has to his credit many publications, he combines admirably the twin qualities of an effective incisive teacher and a professor. He is a learned Sanskrit Scholar who is well versed in Vedic literature. He is an avid Preceptor/Preacher of Vedic Hindu Culture, Religion and Philosophy. He has, over a period of time, gained expertise in curing chronic maladies with the help of yogic, Acupressure and Su-jok therapies. His whole-hearted interest in social activities is by no means, less laudatory. Presently, he is a professor in the Department of Sanskrit, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, India and is also the Chairman of Maharshi Dayanand Chair and Head of the Department of Fine Arts.

THE ULTIMATE GOAL AND ASPIRATION OF VEDIC VALUES

by

Dr. Sudhir Anand

Moksha refers to the soul attaining God and experiencing infinite bliss and deep enlightenment. The absolute goal of all souls is to eventually attain moksha. According to the Vedas and Upanishads, after the death of the physical body, almost all souls are reborn as a human being or some other life form; however, a select few are liberated from the cycle of rebirth for a very prolonged period and attain moksha. The means for attaining moksha is to live by the Vedic values i.e. perform karma according to dharma, practice meditation with faith and devotion, further one’s spiritual knowledge and do selfless deeds (Nishkama Karma). Together these things constitute the path of yoga. Over time, when these practices become so intense that a person totally devotes his or her life to seeking God (Eeshwar Pranidhan) and helping others (Nishkama Karma) and not doing any deeds for personal gratification, then during his/her life, the person attains kaivalyam (counter part of moksha in a living person) and after the death of the physical body the person’s soul is liberated i.e. moksha is attained. The talk underscores the importance of Vedic values in attaining this ultimate goal.

DR. SUDHIR ANAND

Dr. Sudhir Anand professionally is a pediatrician and a kidney specialist for children. He is currently a Professor of Pediatrics at UCLA School of Medicine. He grew up in India for the first 23 years of his life and was raised in the Vedic traditions. Both his parents were active in Arya Samaj. His mother Shrimati Sushila Anand for several years was President of the Prantiya Arya Mehila Pratinidhi Sabha and his father Shri Jia Ram Anand was President of Arya Samaj Greater Kailash Part II. His mother performed Havan every morning in their home. His interest in the Vedic religion began since he was a young child and during the college years he spent time during summer vacations at Gurukul Jhajjar. He also had the good fortune of learning from several eminent Vedic scholars: Pandit Harisharan Ji Sidhantalankar, Swami Omanand Ji Saraswati and Swami Satyam Ji. He is currently President of Arya Samaj of Southern California. In year 2000 he wrote a book The Essence of the Hindu Religion: with an introduction to Vedas and Yoga, which is in its third printing. The book is based on the Vedas and other Vedic Scriptures.