American Acharya!

[Guest guest]

Hari OM!

 

Dear Ones, Namaskaram,

 

A major feature article appeared today in the Lincoln Journal Star

newspaper about the life and work of Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya

(Dr. Frank Morales), the Acharya of the Hindu Temple of Omaha, and

one

of America's most popular Hindu leaders.

 

The focus of the article is on the ground-breaking work Sri Acharyaji

is doing to welcome thousands of non-Indian Americans to Sanatana

Dharma.

 

In addition to the very favorable article reproduced below, there is

a

beautiful slide presentation on the newspaper's website with audio of

Sri Acharyaji talking about his work to restore Sanatana Dharma

globally. Please see the link below for both the article and slide

presentation.

 

Please forward this very pro-Hindu article to everyone you know.

Thank you.

 

Sanatana Dharma Jayate!

http://www.dharmacentral.com

 

http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2008/03/29/living/religion/doc47e

d42c7851c6414830327.txt

 

Hindu convert a spiritual teacher at temple in Omaha

By BOB REEVES/Lincoln Journal Star

Saturday, Mar 29, 2008 - 12:14:55 am CDT

 

OMAHA — When Frank Morales was only 10 years old, growing up in

Brooklyn, N.Y., he developed a strong interest in spirituality.

 

" I started reading the various scriptures of the world, " he said. He

read the Bible, the Quran, ancient Buddhist texts. Finally, he read

the Bhagavad Gita, a short book that is one of the most revered of

Hindu scriptures.

 

" I felt I'd found what I was looking for, " he said.

 

The Gita tells the story of Arjuna, a warrior in India, who is caught

up in a battle between members of his own family. In a crisis of

conscience, he turns to Krishna, an incarnation of God, for advice.

Krishna gives Arjuna instruction and answers his questions, providing

a clear and logical explanation of the three paths of yoga, or union

with God.

 

The three paths — karma yoga (action), gyana-yoga (knowledge) and

bhakti-yoga (devotion) — form the basis for the practice of Hinduism.

As a young boy discovering them for the first time, Morales felt that

they gave the most understandable explanation of the human situation

and human beings' relationship with God.

 

" I was searching for a truth that was universal, not just sectarian, "

he said. " I wasn't looking for faith; I was looking for philosophy.

It had to be universally applicable. "

 

He went on to study more Hindu scriptures and soon discovered that

there are so many Hindu texts that probably no one person has read

them all.

 

" They were written over many hundreds of years. They're older than

the Bible. They're considered the oldest collection of writings known

to humanity. "

 

At age 14, he made his first visit to a Hindu temple — in Queens,

N.Y. The temple was filled with beautiful artwork and statues

representing many Hindu deities, each of whom is considered a

different expression of God.

 

" It was absolutely stunning; I was overwhelmed, " Morales said. " I

felt I was leaving the world behind, entering a spiritual world. I

finally sat down in front of a statue of Krishna, and in my own mind

I

said, `I'm home. This will be my religion for the rest of my life.' "

 

Morales went on to study philosophy and theology, eventually

receiving

a doctoral degree with an emphasis on Hinduism and Asian culture from

the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He made several trips to

India, and in 1986, after living as a celibate monk for six years, he

was initiated as a Hindu priest.

 

Back in the United States, he became an acharya, or teacher of

Hinduism, and adopted the Sanskrit name Sri Dharma Pravartaka

Acharya.

The word " dharma " means natural law; his name literally means " one

who

sets the dharma in motion. "

 

Morales has become a widely recognized Hindu teacher, especially

through his Web site, www.dharmacentral.com. He is president of the

International Sanatana Dharma Society.

 

Last fall, he became the resident acharya (spiritual teacher) at the

Hindu Temple of Nebraska in Omaha. He teaches several different

classes, including introduction to Hinduism, a study of the Bhagavad

Gita and a youth class. He gives a spiritual talk prior to Sunday

worship at the temple and also leads satsang (meditation and

religious

discourse) sessions weekly in Omaha, and once each month in Lincoln.

 

Most of his students are people of Indian background who want to

learn

more about their religion. But a growing number are people who come

from other religious traditions who want to learn about Hinduism. A

few of those have decided, like Morales did, to become Hindus

themselves.

 

" Hinduism does not look for converts, " Morales said. " But we do like

to teach. Anyone is welcome to come and learn. "

 

Heather Mortensen is one of his students who considers herself a

convert to Hinduism. She grew up in an evangelical Christian family,

but said she had many doubts about the God of the Bible, who often is

depicted as angry and judgmental. She went to www.beliefnet.com to

learn about other religions. " I was super impressed with the Hindu

quotes, " she said.

 

That led her to read the Bhagavad Gita and felt it answered her

questions about God and human destiny. " I was in bliss the entire day

while I was reading it. "

 

Mortensen said she found the Hindu concept of reincarnation most

appealing, because it gives people a chance to keep striving, through

successive lives, to learn and grow closer to God.

 

She began studying with Morales in Wisconsin, and when he came to

Nebraska last fall, she moved to Omaha to continue taking classes

from

him. Mortensen goes to the Hindu Temple regularly to meditate and

participates in Sunday services there with the Hindu community.

 

The temple serves about 1,000 families — predominantly immigrants

from

India and their children — but there are a few converts, like

Mortensen, who regularly attend services.

 

" I'm getting to know them (the Indians), " she said. " They're usually

surprised at first — but I remind them I'm Hindu by telling them my

Hindu name. " Mortensen took the Sanskrit name Tulasi in a ritual in

which she vowed to follow Hindu teachings and practices.

 

On May 29, Morales will lead a ritual in Council Bluffs for 20 or

more

people who are becoming Hindus. He estimates that about 1.5 million

Americans nationwide have converted to Hinduism.

 

Stephanie Guilfoyle, another of Morales' students who lives in Omaha,

was raised Lutheran and converted to Catholicism when she got

married,

but about 10 years ago began studying different forms of Buddhism.

That eventually led her to Hinduism, since the Buddha was himself a

practicing Hindu.

 

" I was searching for the truth — I was searching for the root of all

the traditions I had studied, " she said. " When I read the Bhagavad

Gita, I felt, `This is what all the other religions are saying, but

it's in the purest form, the most undiluted.' "

 

In the Gita, Krishna teaches Arjuna about the nature of the soul and

about the difference between eternal reality and the changing world

of

sensory experience. The ultimate destiny of all people, Krishna says,

is union with God.

 

She described Morales as a gifted teacher who helped the meaning of

the text come alive.

 

John Granger, who grew up in a Catholic family and attended a Jesuit

high school, became an agnostic at age 17 and didn't become a

believer

again until he discovered Hinduism at age 44.

 

" Hinduism seems to fit my spiritual path, but it was a path I was on

anyway, " he said.

 

Granger enjoys the richness of the Hindu tradition, which is

reflected

in the many different deities represented in the Omaha temple. The

temple has 12 separate sanctums, or altars, each with one or more

statues representing different incarnations of God. People from

various parts of India have certain deities that they honor, so

Hindus

of all backgrounds feel comfortable in the Omaha temple.

 

Ram Bishu, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln engineering professor and

chairman of the temple's religious committee, said the temple was

created primarily as a center of worship and teaching for people from

India who live in Nebraska and Iowa. But, he added, " We're totally

comfortable " with people of other religious backgrounds visiting or

participating in prayers and rituals.

 

" Hinduism is not a proselytizing religion, " he said. " We have no

formal way of converting someone to Hinduism. It's a very

individualistic religion. "

 

Bishu noted that many Americans practice yoga as an exercise

technique, or a way of calming their mind, but most are not aware of

the spiritual side of yoga as taught at the temple. Some people may

go

to the temple because they're studying yoga and want to learn more

about its origins and deeper meaning, he said.

 

Many church groups visit the temple seeking to learn about Hinduism

and promote inter-religious understanding.

 

" Hinduism is a religion of tolerance, " Morales said. His goal as a

teacher, he said, is not to preach but to explain the religion and

offer " a supportive environment " for individual spiritual growth.

 

http://www.dharmacentral.com

 

With Love & OM!

 

Krishna Prasad