Lokvani Article on WAVES Conferance

[Guest guest]

Click Link Below for complete article, including Photos on the WAVES

Conferance.

 

 

http://www.lokvani.com/lokvani/article.php?article_id=410

 

 

International Conference Highlights India's Contributions

to the World

Balram Singh

 

The Center for Indic Studies (CIS) of UMass Dartmouth

hosted

the International Conference on India's Contributions

and

Influence in the World on July 12-14, 2002. The

conference was

coordinated by the World Association for Vedic Studies

(WAVES) Inc., which has organized such biennial

conferences

since 1996. This was the fourth of such WAVES event; the

three

previous ones were at Atlanta (GA) in 1996, at Los

Angeles

(CA) in 1998, and at Hoboken (NJ) in 2000.

 

The conference attracted many international scholars on

Vedic

literature and Indic civilization, with nearly 200

abstracts

submitted for presentations to run in the course of

three days.

UMass Dartmouth with its beautiful and serene campus

provided its auditorium, lecture halls, parking, housing

facilities

for almost four days to the Center for Indic Studies to

host this

conference.

 

Academic scholars and non-academic practitioners alike

presented Vedic and Upanishadic ideas of understanding

and

Ahimsa to address some of the most pressing global

problems

in today's world. Dr. Francis Clooney of Boston College

presented ideas on how today's global audience with

diverse

religious, philosophical, and cultural interests, can

still learn from

the language, methods, and conclusions of the Upnishads.

Professor Hope Fitz of Eastern Connecticut University

stated

that "never has there been a time when ahimsa, basically

nonharm and compassion, was needed more than it is

today."

She elaborated principles of ahimsa as practiced by

Gandhi as

well as in the Jain and Buddhist traditions

 

The inaugural address presented by Dr. Kalyanraman

highlighted incrementally acceptable theory and

existence of on

Sarasvati Civilisation. Dr. Frawley followed up on this

in his

lecture on the Rigveda and the Ocean, referring to the

significance of the discovery of the course of River

Sarasvati

over 1,600 kms. from Manasarovar to Gujarat (with an

average

width of a staggering 6 to 8 kms. of palaeo-channels of

the river,

as seen from the satellite images) and the discovery of

over

2,000 archaeological sites of the civilisation (i.e. 80%

of the

so-called sites of Harappan culture). The Rigveda was

composed on the banks of River Sarasvati, the same river

along the banks of which Balaram (elder brother of

Krishna)

goes on a pilgrimage for 40 plus days visiting the

ancient

pilgrimage sites, r.s.i a_s'rama-s and offers homage to

the

r.s.i-s and pitr.-s (as described in the S'alya Parva of

the

Maha_bha_rata in 200 s'lokas). The continuity of this

Sarasvati

culture in Bha_rata was elaborated by presenting

emphatic

cultural markers, for example, wearing of the sindhur by

married

women

 

"What I would like to do is bring India to the West,"

said French

journalist and author Francois Gautier. "I believe India

is going

to be the spiritual leader of the world. That is why I

fight for

India." Other scholars from China, India, Nepal, the

Caribbean,

Germany, Netherlands, UK, Canada, and the U.S., as well

as

artists of all kinds were also in attendance. A general

theme

running throughout the conference reflected on the deep

scientific and systematic nature of life of Vedic

tradition people,

and the culture of celebrated diversity commonly visible

even in

today's India.

 

Dr. B. K. Modi, President of Indian Council of Religious

Leaders, presented a general overview of India and

Hinduism

as an epitomy of Arts and Sciences of Human Welfare. Mr.

Rajiv Malhotra, President, Infinity Foundation,

presented ideas

for repositioning Hinduism in the American education

system.

He was particularly critical of Western academicians who

after

learning many ideas from the Indic traditions end up

trashing the

source of their information.

 

One of the non-academic, nevertheless most attractive

items of

the conference was 'Nrityamala' - A Garland of Dance was

featured on Saturday July 13th evening in the Main

Auditorium

of UMass Dartmouth. The event included spectacular

presentations of Indian Classical dance and music. Dr.

Sadhana Upadhayaya, Amrita Saigal, Amudha Pazhanisamy,

Prafula Velury, Sunanda Narayanan, Kripa Iyer and

Sudarshan

Belsare made presentations. The event was coordinated by

Mrs. Ranjani Saigal of Eastern Rhythm dance school.

 

Ayurveda and Health, and Consciousness sessions

attracted

the most delegates. Several presentations emphasized the

scientific nature of Ayurveda, and the opportunity for

an

enormous market for Ayurvedic medicine in the west.

Consciousness studies are becoming popular in Psychology

departments on most US universities. According to Don

Salmon

of Salem, South Carolina, "when compared to Indian

Philosophy/Psychology, the western psychology,

neuroscience,

and consciousness studies combined do not correspond to

even significant fraction". Dr. Koenraad Elst of Belgium

presented a lecture entitled "Hindu Influence on

Christianity"

outlining some of the philosophical elements of

Christianity

including the doctrine of incarnation have their roots

in

Vedic/Buddhist traditions.

 

The last part of the program was a very lively panel

discussion

on Current Global Influences of Vedic Thoughts and Hindu

Practices; panelists consisted of Dr. Deen B. Chandora,

Dr.

Konraa Elst, Mr. Francois Gautier, Mr. Rajeev Malhotra,

and Dr.

Bal Ram Singh, with a very heavy participation from the

audience. Issues related to Hindu vs. India, ways to

include

other groups who follow Indic tradition of dharma and

accept

diversity of cultures and religions, less than adequate

representation of practicing Indians to be involved in

academic

Indic scholarship, and need for an assertive

Indian/Hindu point

of view were discussed.

 

The proceedings of the conference with all the edited

papers

presented in full-length is planned to be published and

will be

available for public perusal and dissemination. Further

details

can be accessed at the website:

www.umassd.edu/indic/waves.

 

(Dr. Balram Singh is the founding faculty member

of the Indic Studies department at the University of

Massachusetts in Dartmouth)