The VFA Journal and Newsletter    

        The Vedic Friends Association offers an email VFA-Members Newsgroup for sharing news and views among all its members. This is for helping people stay in touch with each other and for discussion of various issues that come up. In this way, everyone can offer contributions of information and news to one another, as well as ask and answer each others questions regarding the Vedic knowledge. To sign up for being a part of it, join our free association. HOWEVER, there is a special purpose for this forum and everyone should read this description below to bare this in mind and to abide by it when posting messages to one another before joining.       

        The  Vedic Friends Association also offers an email Monthly Journal for all of our friends and associates. This will cover a variety of topics for your information and personal or spiritual development. Articles will include topics on spirituality, the origins of Vedic culture, the basis of Vedic spiritual knowledge, Vedic astrology, Ayurveda, and much more. 

        The VFA aims to be an ongoing process by which everyone can get deeper insights into the purpose of life and the universe. The email Journal and Newsgroup will be part of that process.  

        Samples of information that our VFA Journals contain can be viewed in a few of the early editions below:

VFA Journal # 1: Has 1) a short description of our S. D. Youngwolf's trip into India and his adventure of helping show the significance of Vedic culture and the similarities it has with the traditions of the America Indian culture here in the U.S.; 2) an article by Vrin Parker on the history of India and the world's future and a few points on what needs to be done to help preserve and protect the Vedic culture as we know it; 3) an article on the value of Vitra in the Vedic system, provided by Yogi Harinam baba Prem Tom Beal, our member teacher on yoga and kundalini; and 4) we conclude with an article called "Why Understand the Creation of the Universe" by Stephen Knapp.

VFA Journal # 2: In this edition of the journal we explore the Dangers of meat consumption, how the Vedas recommend and condemn the slaughter of animals, especially for meat consumption, verses in the Bible that recommend vegetarianism, and quotes from noteworthy persons on the need for vegetarianism. 

VFA Journal # 3: This edition contains "Meditation: A Short Course To Higher Consciousness" by Stephen Knapp. It covers the basics of meditation, its purpose, techniques for deep meditation, pranayama exercises, and the use of mantras such as om and Hare Krishna,

VFA Journal # 4: This edition offers articles that include 1) "The Myths of Meditation! New Light on Dhyana" by Yogi Harinam Baba Prem Tom Beal; 2) "Preaching in India's Northeast for Cultural Preservation" by Stephen Knapp, which looks at some of the activities of the VFA in the description of our trip to Assam and the "North East India Janajati Faith & Culture Protection Forum" which took place on the 14th and 15th of December, 2002; and 3) "HIDDEN FROM HISTORY--The Canadian Holocaust," which in our concern for native cultures looks at the shocking and disturbing planned extermination of the indigenous people of Canada by the Church. 

 

The Purpose of the VFA-Members Newslist

    The VFA-Members newslist is for sharing news and views with other VFA members. However, in participating in the VFA-Members forum, please keep the following points in mind regarding mutual respect for one another and try to live up to this ideal when communicating with others on this forum.
 
    All of us who have received the benefit of some form of Hindu/Vedic wisdom hold a common ideal in the eternal right of the individual to cherish and practice the form of meditation that they have chosen.  We are trying to embody this Sanatana Dharma or Vasudaiva Kutumbakam vision in a world where harsh, repressive and monolithic structures of religion or government, threaten such a broad and universal view.  Repression often begins with sincere discipline and ends up as "absolute power corrupts absolutely."
 
    So the Vedic Friends Association was conceived as a non-authoritarian confederation of Vedic thinkers who could demonstrate the model of unity in diversity in the way we interact with one another and the world.  We could as easily have called this group the "Vedic Ambassadors Association", since our only goal is to associate together effectively without the oppressive, overly authoritative structures that are so damaging to diversity and creativity.
 
    Therefore, our number one purpose is to softly and by friendly association inspire a new kind of leader and role model, who has a vision of him or herself as a global ambassador of the most universal principles of Sanatana Dharma living.  It is for this reason, that our conversations must not degenerate into quarreling and offensive behavior on matters of philosophy.  The tension of philosophical debate can be vital and invigorating to our cause since it is one of the great ideals of the Vedic Rishis to test great ideas in the fire of loving and respectful disputation.  Unfortunately, due to our distance from one another and the abrupt nature of email communication, it is all to easy for such discussions to degenerate into hurtfulness or sectarianism.  If we lived close to one another and ate together, saw each others' faces and families, it would be easier for us to treat each other with respect and affection.
 
    But even in these awkward circumstances and under less than ideal conditions, we must learn how to speak with one another and the world with the skills of a diplomat, the truth of a sage and the vision of our global purpose. To do this we need to learn new communication skills.  It may help if you think that your participation in this forum is an opportunity to be mentored in the role of being a Vedic Ambassador.  If we the founders cannot teach that skill, and if a respect and receptivity to that purpose does not remain present in everyone's mind, then our conversations can easily descend into bickering and small mindedness.
 
    Of course we believe so much in all of you that we envision that once we set this premise of being a Vedic Ambassador, each of you will come forth with important views and qualities from which we will all learn and be inspired.  This is our true belief, that all the differing views of the "Vasudaiva Kutumbakam" vision are a valuable spiritual biodiversity that we must learn to promote together.
 
    To do this we must learn the difference between:
 
1.  Our personal opinion or viewpoint.
 
2.  Our personal source of spiritual inspiration.
 
3.  Our own sampradaya, guru or tradition.
 
4.  The provable facts of a material reality.
 
5.  Our role as an Ambassador of Vedic Cultural Vision.
 
    Furthermore,
 
6. It's counter productive to make long didactic, rambling  presentations (or emails). It is better that one seriously edit themselves (or find a good coach or editor) and learn to control themselves. 
 
7. When you speak, examine your intention.  One should learn to speak not for their own sense gratification or sense of righteousness, making themselves right and others wrong. We should learn to speak in a way that will inspire others.
 
8. Remember, most people are not inspired by institutions and philosophical dictums, at least not intelligent people.  When it comes down to it, people are inspired by people, by how they treat and speak to others.  Our work has to be about reaching out in friendship to offer knowledge and to create understanding so people everywhere may live peacefully. 
 
9. Many people have a limited attention span and memory.  When you make a presentation always remember -  less is more. If you make  2 or 3 good points that people will remember and be inspired by when you are finished, consider yourself successful.  
 
10. Be concise and thought provoking. Sharing an appropriate story is always a good way into people's hearts and minds. Don't spoon feed people nor beat people over the head with  philosophy.
 
    This VFA-Members forum is not dedicated to promoting our personal views or the views of our particular sampradaya or guru, even though these are inevitably there in the background. Neither are we here to demean those of anyone else.  Here we are trying to find a common platform of action with each other, from which we can demonstrate to the world the Vedic ideal of Diversity in action.  In addition, if we are successful in building relationships of trust with one another, your "Vedic Friends" will someday be you trusted allies in building a cohesive world based on the values we all cherish. 
 
    In other words, we should use this forum as an opportunity to develop valuable and influential friends who are fellow Vedic Ambassadors aimed at accomplishing real projects on our planet that embody our universal Hindu/Vedic ideals and values.  We are not here to debate with each other but rather to find a way to work together toward our common goals, in spite of and in appreciation of our acknowledged differences.
 
    IN SUMMARY, the VFA forum is dedicated to creating an unofficial global federation of Vedic practitioners who are able to act as ambassadors of universal Hindu /Vedic Culture based on the principle of friendly association.  Please adopt this as the tone and purpose of all your communications on this forum.  Take the time to speak respectfully to one another.  Avoid private language that is only used in your group or society.  Greet one another in a universal way, not as a way of enrolling the other person in your view or jargon.  Imagine that what you say here will be broadcast on international television to billions of people and shape the opinions of the world.  View this forum as official training to be a global representative and ambassador of all Hindu/Vedic people.  Hold that greater vision in all that you say and do in this VFA forum.  Speak the truth as you see it in the careful words of a world class diplomat who is building support from diverse people to achieve important and vital goals.  Discuss the things you are doing in the world each day to make the Sanatana Dharma culture more real in our troubled world.  Receive criticism from the elders of this forum with appreciation and the knowledge that they are your friends and not your authorities.
 
    WE who have dedicated ourselves to VFA can only hope that you will be inspired and attracted to behave in these ways.  We believe in you all and bow at your feet with respect and admiration.  We see you as the potential leaders of a new kind of world where the great values of the noble Vedic/Hindu/Aryan culture stand again for what is good and true.  We believe that through this association we can relight the fire of a Hindu Renaissance that enriches life on our planet and sets an example to everyone that the diversity of Hindu culture can stand in respectful unity in the face of the tremendous pressures of modern life.  If we can do this, others will believe it is possible.  That is acharya or one who teaches by their personal example.  We of VFA believe that you can be the leaders of a new world view that is not oppressive and monolithic but one that is held together by spiritual friendship and mutual respect based on the inspiration of Vedic culture.

 

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