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Kazakhstan commanded  for the “5th World Religious Congress” next year

Hindus have applauded Kazakhstan for planning “5th World Religious Congress”, reportedly convening in capital Astana on June 10-11, 2015.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, commended Kazakhstan President Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev and Kazakhstan Senate Chairman Kassym-Jomart Tokayev for reported plans to bring together world religious leaders, politicians and international organizations to discuss the problems facing humanity, to promote a global dialogue between religions and cultures, and to strengthen mutual understanding between religious communities through this Congress.

Calling it a “step in the right direction”, Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out that serious and honest interfaith dialogue in the world was the need of the hour.

Rajan Zed further said that religion was the most powerful, complex and far-reaching force in our society, so we must take it seriously. And we all knew that religion comprised much more than our own particular tradition/experience.

Zed hoped that Hinduism being the oldest and third largest religion of the world would form part of the upcoming Congress. If Kazakhstan needed any assistance on Hinduism, he or other Hindu scholars would be glad to help.

Stressing the merits of interfaith dialogue, Rajan Zed argued that in our shared pursuit for the truth, we could learn from one another and thus could arrive nearer to the truth. This dialogue might help us vanquish the stereotypes, prejudices, caricatures, etc., passed on to us from previous generations.

Main theme of the Congress reportedly will be “Dialogue of religious leaders and politicians in the name of peace and development” and it aims to foster a culture of tolerance and mutual respect.

Country of spectacular Tian Shan or Altay Mountains and steppes, Kazakhstan has large mineral resources and huge economic potential and is the world’s largest producer of uranium.

Hindus condemn Washington DC yoga tax

Hindus are critical of Washington DC imposing tax on yoga, which went into effect today.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who strongly criticized the attempts to regulate yoga in the past by various states in USA, has urged Washington DC to reconsider it and keep the sales tax exemption on yoga.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, in a statement in Nevada today, said that yoga was one of the six systems of orthodox Hindu philosophy whose traces went back to around 2000 BCE. Yoga never had any formal organization and yoga practice had been handed down from one guru to the next.

Rajan Zed further said that yoga, referred as “a living fossil”, was mentioned in ancient Hindu scriptures Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita. The Bhagavad-Gita, one of the most popular Hindu scripture, was considered a comprehensive yoga-shastra (treatise on yoga). Mahabharata, also an ancient Hindu scripture, said that one unconversant with yoga could never have happiness while Yogabija Upanishad pointed out that one became liberated from bondage only through yoga. Why to tax such a liberation powerhouse, Zed asked.

Zed stressed that yoga was a mental and physical discipline by means of which the human-soul (jivatman) united with universal-soul (parmatman). Some sages had described yoga as the silencing of all mental transformations, which lead to the total realization of the Supreme Self. Some had used yoga attempting to gain liberation by removing all sensory barriers. For Patanjali, author of the basic text, the Yoga Sutra, yoga was a methodical effort to attain perfection, through the control of the different elements of human nature, physical and psychical.

Yoga was the repository of something basic in the human soul and psyche and regulating it was kind of a religious infringement, Rajan Zed added.

About 21 million Americans, including many celebrities, are said to practice yoga.

Council of the District of Columbia (DC) is the central and chief policy-making body for the DC. Vincent C. Gray is DC Mayor; while Phil Mendelson, Kenyan McDuffie and Nyasha Smith are Chairman, Chair Pro Tempore and Secretary respectively of the Council.