The following is the text of message received by www.hindutemplehouston.net
on July 3, 2001
Namasthe- B. K. Nirmal ---Hindu temples and Indian Associations in Houston---
You are indeed doing a great job by giving every minute details of activities of Hindus every where in Hoston--
May God bless you-- People like you are indeed the "salt" of this earth-My name is Ed Viswanathan...
I am an engineer from Kerala and author of an international best seller on Hinduism by name AM I A HINDU?[ISBN 1-879904-06-3 HALO BOOKS, USA and RUPA PRESS in India, which has sold millions of copies around the globe..At least four universities in USA are medium of instruction to teach students about Hinduism.
I wish to send you a copy of my book, as well as FREE educational flow charts on Hinduism, kindly reply with your postal address . These FLOW CHARTS are unique and never ever published in any book or in any magazine--
You may ask, why I am doing this? good question. I wanted my FLOW CHARTS and book to be read by every Intelligent Indian, who I think have leadership potential, on earth as possible, especially since it is selling extremely well all over the globe
This book is one of a kind with 90 chapters and hundreds of questions and answers. It is in the form of thought provoking dialogue between 14 year old American born Indian teenager and his middle aged father on all aspects of Hinduism. Almost all the papers and magazines in India have written excellent reviews on this book. In USA many magazines [LIBRARY JOURNAL, BOOKLIST etc] have recommended this book for all
libraries . I happened to write and published this book after an accidental conversation about "world religions" I had with a friend during a very monotonous drive to a Nuclear plant in 1984. I published the very first edition of the book in 1988 in India and now the book is published simultaneously by HALO BOOKS, USA and RUPA PRESS, India.
I actually wrote this book to meet my own personal needs. I never ever saw a book on Hinduism describing every aspects of it in one book and so I wrote one....I never ever thought people will love my book....In fact, when I was preparing my manuscript, many told me that with thousands of books on Hinduism written by great saints occupying every bookshelf in India, people will be give very little importance to my book....Lo and behold! To my total amazement the first edition of book [published in 1988 in India ] as sold out in a couple of months....This book was republished in 1992 in USA to meet the demand of orders from people living all over the west. I never ever thought copies of the book to sell when it was initially published in 1988, in India.
But now it is selling beyond my wildest dreams all over the globe...
When His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj invited me to address International Youth Convention during the Cultural Festival of India, on July 24th 1991 at Edison, NJ, I was overwhelmed with joy and surprise. So, now I am sending complimentary copies of AM I A HINDU? at random to very bright Indian youngsters all over the globe.
Now a days I receive more than 400 e-mails a month and after publishing the book. Surprisingly most of the e-mails come from Indian students studying in the universities in the west. There is great interest in Hinduism and everything connected to India, all over the globe today. So far, I have received more than 20,000 letters including one from president Clinton and another from Mr. Walter Isaacson, managing Editor of Time magazine, after publishing my book.
Thank you for reading this e-mail..........
book recently got translated into Indonesian language
Anak Bertanya, Bapak Menjawab
Judul buku : Apakah Saya Orang Hindu?
Pengarang : Ed. Visvanathan
Penerjemah : N.P. Putra, Sang Ayu Putu Renny
Penerbit : PT Pustaka Manikgeni, Denpasar
Tebal, tahun : XII + 247 hal, 2000
Harga : Rp 18.500,-
REVIEWS: My book AM I A HINDU? has received many rave reviews from many papers and magazines published in India as well as from the LIBRARY JOURNAL and BOOKLIST magazines in USA. Both LIBRARY JOURNAL and BOOKLIST magazines recommended my book for all libraries. THE HINDU TIMES, NEPAL wrote: ..."we treat this book as a valuable contribution to the world of religions"... THE HINDU, MADRAS wrote, "...the need of the hour not only for those overseas but even here in India..";...HINDUISM TODAY wrote..." Viswanathan has indeed done his homework and his well crafted answers should prove useful to many who like their Hinduism liberal..."; Mr. Walter Isaacson, MANAGING EDITOR, TIME magazine wrote "...the book is extremely interesting to me, and I plan to share it with others who may be curious about Hindu religion"
From Library Journal------ This primer,
serving some of the vast sweep of Hindu belief and practice, takes the form of dialog between a Hindu father and his American-born son. The son wants to understand his family's religious traditions and discover what is relevant for him today. The book is useful not only to American Hindus but to those who want a nontechnical introduction to Hinduism as lived today. The book also explains how Hinduism engages in dialog with Western science and culture. Recommended for large public libraries and undergraduate collections. In India the book is available with RUPA & COMPANY, P.O. BOX 12333, 15 BANKIM CHATTERJEE STREET COLLEGE SQUARE, CALCUTTA 700 073, INDIA 033 241 6597/241 7401/033-241-0691 FAX RUPA & COMPANY, G1&2 GHASWALLA TOWER,P.G. SOLANKI PATH LAMINGTON ROAD, BOMBAY 400 007 INDIA 022-308-2631 022-308-8212 RUPA & COMPANY, 7/16 ANSARI ROAD, DARYAGANJ, NEW DELHI 110 002 INDIA 011-327-8586 327-7294
Del.rupaco@axcess.net.in RUPA & COMPANY, SEAGULL BOOK STORE, 31A S.P MOOKERJEE ROAD CALCUTTA 700 025,INDIA 476 5865 280 5143,
Seagull@giasc101.vsnl.net.in RUPA & COMPANY, BEING HAPPY!, EBD BUSINESS CENTER 49, RAJPUR ROAD, DEHRA DHUN 248 001, INDIA 650 346, 650 373 657 748
Sdutt@nda.vsnl.net.in
HINDUISM is the TRUE CULTURE OF INDIANS in India. Hindu scriptures deal with the history and culture of India.
Believe it or not,
I am totally amazed WHEN I SEE HINDUS CONVERTING TO ISLAM OR CHRISTIANITY????
How can anyone give up his/her culture and accept someone's else culture????
How can anyone give up on HINDU CULTURE and accept JEWISH CULTURE???
That is exactly what a Hindu is doing when he convert to Islam or Christianity!!!
HALO BOOKS, USA and RUPA PRESS in India. RUPA PRESS, P.G. SOLANKI PATH,LAMINGTON ROAD, BOMBAY 400 007; 15 BANKIM CHATTERJEE STREET, CALCUTTA 700 073; 135 SOUTH MALAKA, ALLAHABAD 211 001; 7/16 ANSARI ROAD, DARYAGANJ, NEW DELHI 110 002 The Hindu, Madras wrote, "----the need of the hour not only for those overseas but even here in India---". The Hindu Times, Nepal wrote, "---We treat this book as a very valuable contribution to the world of religions---" Mr. Walter Isaac son, Managing Editor of Time Magazine wrote, "---this book is extremely interesting to me, and I plan to share it with others who may be curious about Hindu religion---" Hinduism Today wrote, "---Viswanathan has indeed done his homework and his well crafted answers should prove useful to many who like their Hinduism liberal----" Editor-in Chief Lisa Peschel, The Llewellyn News Times wrote, " ----The very best introduction to the tenets of Hinduism I have yet to read----" Both LIBRARY JOURNAL and BOOKLIST magazines highly recommend this book for all libraries.
1----INVENTION OF ZERO In India, concept of ZERO was originated from the SANSKRIT word SHUNYA means NOTHING. In the BRAHMA-PHUTA-SIDDHARNTA of BRAHMAGUPTA dated 7th century BC, the ZERO is described and it was rendered into ARABIC BOOKS around 770AD. From these it was carried to Europe in the 8th century. Sanskrit tests of 4th century explains ZERO as SHUNYA or NOTHING. PINGALAS's CHANDAH SUTRA of 2nd century explains ZERO. Apart from that an inscription of ZERO on SANKHEDA COPPER PLATE was found in Gujarat India dated 585-586 AD.
2---PI -IS A CONTRIBUTION OF INDIA TO THE WORLD---A Sanskrit text named BAUDHAYANA SHULBA SUTRA of the 6th century mentions the value of PI as 3. ARYABHATTA in 499 AD worked out the value of PI as 3.1416. In 825 AD one Arab mathematician MOHAMMAD IBNA MUSA said: This value has been given by the Hindus [Indians ]. Now the value of the PI is 3.1428571
3---GEOMETRY Believe it or not the word GEOMETRY came from a SANSKRIT word named GYAAMITI meaning MEASURING THE EARTH. The word TRIGONOMETRY came from the word TRIKONAMITI meaning MEASURING TRIANGULAR FORMS. Scientific world teaches EUCLID invented GEOMETRY in 300 BC. Fact of the matter is GEOMETRY was part and parcel of INDIAN SCIENCE thousands of years before EUCLID.
All Hindu fire alters are complex forms of Geometrical forms. All Buddhist as well as Hindu Mandalas and YANTRAS are complex forms of Geometrical shapes. The writings of sage SURYA SIDDHANTA of 4th century BC describe amazing details about TRIGONOMETRY which was introduced to Europe by BRIGGS in the 16th century.
4. ----ARABIC NUMERALS Arabic numerals are actually Hindu numerals and even many Arab mathematicians will admit that.
5----PYTHAGORAS' THEOREM Years before Pythagoras, his theorem was worked out by BAUDHAYANA in BAUDHAYANA SULBA SUTRA . He wrote in his writings, : THE AREA PRODUCED BY THE DIAGONAL OF A RECTANGLE IS EQUIVALENT TO THE SUM OF AREA PRODUCED BY ITS OWN TWO SIDES.
6-----DECIMAL SYSTEM: just read what LA PLACE ---one of the architects of CALCULUS about India's invention of Decimal system. LA PLACE wrote : IT WAS INDIA THAT GAVE US THE INGENIOUS METHOD OF EXPRESSING ALL NUMBERS BY MEANS OF TEN SYMBOLS [DECIMAL SYSTEM]... A PROFOUND AND IMPORTANT IDEA WHICH ESCAPED THE GENIUS OF ARCHIMEDES AND APOLLONIUS, TWO GREATEST MEN PRODUCED BY ANTIQUITY. 7---REVOLUTION OF EARTH. Copernicus published the THEORY OF REVOLUTION OF EARTH in 1543. A thousand years before him, ARYABHATTA in the 5th century AD stated EARTH REVOLVES AROUND SUN.....In his treatise, Aryabhatta wrote:
1. EARTH IS ROUND
2.. IT ROTATES ITS OWN AXIS ...
3. IT ORBITS AROUND SUN....
4 IT IS SUSPENDED IN SPACE
5 LUNAR AN D SOLAR ECLIPSES ARE DUE TO INTERPLAY OF SUN, MOON & EARTH
8---LAW OF GRAVITY In 1687, Sir Isaac Newton RE-discovered the LAW OF GRAVITY. Years before that an ancient Indian Astronomer, BHASKARACHARYA wrote in his book, SURYA SIDHANATA that OBJECTS FALL ON EARTH DUE TO A FORCE OF ATTRACTION BY EARTH. THERE FORE, THE EARTH, PLANETS, CONSTELLATIONS, MOON AND SUN ARE HELD IN ORBIT DUE TO ATTRACTION
9----TIME AND CALENDER We use today, JULIES CAESAR CALENDER which POPE GREGORY
converted into the YEAR OF THE LORD. Where as 1500 years before in India, BHASKARACHARYA calculated the time taken by earth to orbit around Sun to 9 decimal places. BHASKARACHARYA'S YEAR ---365.25875684 DAYS MODERN CALENDER YEAR------- 365.2596 DAYS Difference between two calenders ---0.00085 days.
10----TIME MEASUREMENTS India gave the smallest measurement of TIME as KRATI ---- 34,000th of a SECOND Indian gave the largest measurement of TIME as --- 4.32 BILLION YEARS
11---SURGERY & PLASTIC SURGERY In India SHUSHRUTA [ 600 BC] is known as FATHER OF SURGERY. It is said that he used cheek skin to perform plastic surgery to restore or reshape nose, ears, lips with incredible results. He used 125 kinds of surgical instruments which included SCALPELS, LANCETS, NEEDLES, CATHETERS, RECTAL SPECULUM. He conducted 300 types of operations such as extracting solid bodies, excision, incision, probing, puncturing, evacuating fluids, suturing. Ancient Indians are also the first to perform amputations, caesarean surgery and carnival surgery. -----Details about GANDHARI'S DELIVERY IN THE EPIC MAHABHARTA MAKE FEEL ANCIENT INDIANS KNEW ABOUT TEST TUBE BABIES!!!!
12----WORLD'S FIRST UNIVERSITY World's first university was called TAXILA or TAKSHASHILA university, located in the North-west region of India. Minimum entrance age was 16 and one time it had 10,500 students. Syllabus contained 68 different subjects. Students even from Babylon, Greece, Syria, and China attended this university
13----HIGHEST PREFIXES Highest prefixes used to day is TEN TO THE POWER OF 30 ----- DECCA Highest prefixes used during 100 BC in India was TALLAKSHANAM --- TEN TO THE POWER OF 53
14----VETERINARY HOSPITALS India had veterinary Hospitals under emperor ASOKA or ASHOKA who converted from Hinduism to Buddhism. H.G. WELLS who normally had a contempt for kings and emperors made an exception to ASOKA and praised him in his book on World History. WHAT IS HINDUISM?
Hinduism is not an organized religion like Islam or Christianity. ---It the true culture of Indians in India.----Many call it A WAY OF LIFE. Once again, it is not an organized religion like Christianity or Islam. It has no founder. ----It has no Pope.---It has no hierarchy. Just a lot of scriptures.
In Hindu scriptures, you are actually studying about the HISTORY AND CULTURE OF INDIA, like in 66 books of the Holy Bible you are actually studying about the CULTURE AND HISTORY OF JEWS.---As far as I know, HINDUISM AND JUDAISM are mothers of all modern religions in the world.---JAINISM [ may be it co-existed with Hinduism since antiquity- there are few proofs in that regard] , BUDDHISM, ZOROASTRIANISM etc came from Hinduism.---ISLAM and CHRISTIANITY came Judaism.
WHO IS ITS FOUNDER? No body in particular.---It is the research output of countless learned men called RISHIS who were Christ like masters.---Hinduism has no hierarchy.---It has no Pope.---It has only many scriptures. WHEN DID HINDUISM TAKE BIRTH? Nobody knows.---If you go by Hindu mythological stories, Hinduism is trillions of years old.---If you go by Max Muller, the German philosopher, it is at least 8000 to 9000 years old.---Hinduism might have started as Dravidian civilization and later merged with Aryan civilization.---Studying the relics of Mohenjadaro and Harappa excavations that what I conclude.
Hinduism has the strange capability to ABSORB AND GROW FROM ALL QUARTERS and that is why in it you can see relics of all other civilizations like Egyptian, Celtic, Mayan, Greek, Roman etc.---I always state that HINDUISM IS THE AMALGAMATION OF DRAVIDIAN, ARYAN, GREEK, ROMAN, CELTIC, EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATIONS---To me it does not matter the exact date it was born, since nobody can prove or disprove the exact date.---I am more concerned about what it has to give to the world.
WHAT WAS THE ORIGINAL NAME OF HINDUISM? SANATHANA DHARMA or RIGHTEOUSNESS FOREVER was the original name of Hinduism.---It was Persians who invaded India during 6th century B.C. who gave the name HINDUISM meaning the RELIGION OF PEOPLE LIVING NEAR RIVER INDUS. In Persian the letter H and S are pronounced almost the same so they mistook the word SIND [ Sanskrit name for Indus] to H and then started calling HINDUS and HINDUISM.
WHAT IS THE LANGUAGE IN WHICH THE HINDU SCRIPTURES WERE WRITTEN? SANSKRIT older than Hebrew and Latin.---The first words in English language came from Sanskrit.---The word MOTHER came from SANSKRIT word MATA and FATHER came from SANSKRIT word PITA as per the PBS video THE STORY OF ENGLISH. By the way, HEBREW language originated from the Language of the Canaanite.
WHO IS A HINDU? Hindus believe anyone who search after truth is a Hindu. There is ONE AND
ONLY GOD and ONE TRUTH. -- The very first book of Hindus named RIG-VEDA proclaim, " EKAM SAT, VIPRAH BAHUDHA VADANTI" ( There is only one truth, only men describe it in different ways). So a Jew or a Christian or a Moslem who is in search after truth is automatically a Hindu.
WHAT ATTRACTS ONE TO HINDUISM? The concepts of UTMOST FREEDOM OF THOUGHTS And ACTIONS. That what attracts many to Hinduism.--I have not seen in any other religion in the world the FREEDOM OF THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS, I see in Hinduism .--- Nobody will ever have the fate of SALAMAN RUSHDIE in Hinduism.--You can write anything and say anything as a Hindu.---No Hindu is ever banished from Hinduism.---No Hindu is ever crucified in Hinduism since he/her wrote a scripture full of lies or preached a wrong philosophy.
WHAT IS THE HINDU CONCEPT OF GOD? Hindus believe in ONE AND ONLY GOD BRAHMAN which expresses itself in millions of forms.---Hindus do not believe God has human form or any other form.---God is nameless and timeless.---But there is nothing wrong to worship a God with name and form [nama-roopa], since man cannot conceive anything without any name and form.
50 most popular book in Hinduism----- * It is the third most popular book on Hinduism on Internet. * It has surpassed in sales almost all other books in Hinduism in India * It is sought after by university students all over west. *At least four universities in USA are using this book for medium in instruction In Hinduism. * Many Indian papers and magazines quotes this book in their editorials and articles * Some Hindu magazines publish condense versions of chapters of this book every now and then * Almost all Hindu temples, Chinmayananda missions, Gita study groups etc in the west are using this Book in their youth classes.
once again If at all you wish to have FREE educational flow charts on Hinduism, kindly write back with your postal address IF YOU FEEL THIS E-MAIL IS INTERESTING, KINDLY FORWARD THIS E-MAIL TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS IF NOT INTERESTED, KINDLY EXCUSE ME FOR THIS E-MAIL I thank you for your patience and reading this long ED VISWANATHAN
edvis9@hotmail.com or
edvis9@yahoo.com or
arvind-4@msn.com