Invoking Ahimsa (non-violence) and Shanti (peace) globallyToday, the Mid East issues have become the problems primarily of the Abrahamic faiths. As a Hindu, I have often wondered if including the views of the Dharmic (eastern) traditions would help or hinder the process? What if the Dalai Lama was included in the dialogues? What if the Hindu spiritual leaders were consulted? What would they say about peace and its practice at the ground level? Ahimsa, non-violence in all aspects, is the first value of Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga. Could these Yogic values of the Hindu and eastern Dharmic faiths (Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, Sikh) beneficially augment the attempt to forge peace between the Jewish state and the Palestinians? By Anju Bhargava | September 16, 2010; 09:18 PM ET | Comments (3) Pluralistic diversity mattersIn all this rhetoric the focus seems to be on the religious identity rather than the governance actions that President Obama or for that matter any leader is actually taking.....It is in the country's best interest to leverage this talent and creatively develop solutions to strengthen America. We can learn a lesson from some segments of Corporate America which are able to encourage diverse thinking, are able to harness diverse workforce exceedingly well, resulting in higher productivity through improved work environments. By Anju Bhargava | September 5, 2010; 01:59 AM ET | Comments (3) A metaphorical journey... of transformationTaking a spiritual journey is part of our everyday vocabulary - whether done metaphorically or in reality. What is a spiritual journey? As a Hindu it is letting go, dropping all thoughts, it is to see the unvarnished reality - the Truth - As Is, unfiltered without the prism of our internal programming, a Yoga (union of the finite with the infinite). It is to bring a transformational change within one self, to discover the joy and peace of divinity. By Anju Bhargava | August 17, 2010; 12:46 AM ET | Comments (1) Depends..... on the lens you are wearingBoth are right. And both are wrong. It just depends on the lens you are wearing. And, it depends on how you define God, religion and religious identity which is often influenced by the history, the philosophy and the practice of its people. By Anju Bhargava | July 16, 2010; 01:56 AM ET | Comments (2) Memorial Day ReflectionsAs I reflect on Memorial Day today my heart is full of gratitude for America's diverse men and women who made this country strong, and for the many who have died in its service. Some immigrants and many the progeny of immigrants.......My life has been touched in many ways by the people who served and are serving in the armed forced and by the annual Memorial Day Parade we celebrate in our town, Livingston, N.J. By Anju Bhargava | May 31, 2010; 12:49 PM ET | Comments (0) Choice and KarmaIn the context of abortion, what is important to me is the intent, the motivation, behind the decision. The Hindu scriptures do not take an explicit position on abortion. Our ancient texts show considerable liberalism for women. Constraint, over the centuries, came primarily from the society. By Anju Bhargava | May 19, 2010; 12:13 AM ET | Comments (5) Hindu American community buildingAt over 2.2 million, Hindus in America now form the fifth largest religious group, after Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism. However Hindus are often mischaracterized in textbooks and academia and are not well understood by the majority. By Anju Bhargava | May 2, 2010; 11:23 PM ET | Comments (1) |