By: Kailash Joshi Ph.D., President- Hindu Community Institute
Rich Hindu wisdom, traditions, and extended family support are a great blessing when it comes to celebrations, the passage of life and matters relating to the quality of life.
I was a beneficiary of this heritage when I was left in deep distress at the sudden passing of my late wife Hem Lata following a serious illness. My family and friends helped with the last rites, new living arrangements, and the disposition of untold household possessions. I will be ever grateful to those who maintained a regular program of bhajans and potluck dinners for over a year. That helped me greatly with my bereavement and restoration of hope.
In May 2018, after years of deliberations, a group of professionals and executives in Silicon Valley founded the Hindu Community Institute, HCI, and launched its inaugural course. On August 18th 2019, twenty Counselors of Hindu Tradition (CHT’s) will receive their certificates and begin serving families and institutions. This Fall the second course will begin with Sunday-classes at Milpitas, CA and online for students from other major cities.
The mission of HCI (www.hinduci.org) is to provide world-class quality of life education to professionals who want to “give back” and “learn to serve”. The curriculum includes counseling skills, the teachings of Bhagavad Gita and best practices from all traditions.
The 300,000 Hindus living in the greater Bay Area now have a network of CHT’s to guide in their celebrations, grieving and life situations. The services are equally available to non-Hindus.
Invitation to Serve and be Served
By: Gaurav Rastogi, Academic Dean- Hindu Community Institute
If you are ready to contribute, we invite you to volunteer, make donations and join the CHT course. If you need to receive guidance on some matters, please call our dedicated line listed on the website (http://www.hinduci.org).
Doing things for others gives great satisfaction. A mother’s joy at feeding her child, devotees making garlands at the temple, or simply opening the door for strangers. But to learn to serve as a lifelong capability, we created the CHT course for professionals from all walks of life.
Since launching HCI, we learned that teaching is a powerful service. More than 30 doctors, academics and experts accepted our request to teach and delightfully, no one declined. ( HCI faculty https://www.hinduci.org/about)
We learned that learning to serve is a lifelong gift to yourself, your community, clients, and to your family. (Join CHT 2020 course https://www.hinduci.org/counselor-course)
We learned that there is a latent yearning to serve. For every US dollar donation, we receive 9-dollars equivalent in volunteer services contribution. We call these “Om Dollars”, and these simplify our fundraising by directly getting us the needed services, and volunteers are happy to build their Om dollar accounts. (Volunteer positions https://www.hinduci.org/join)
In addition to Om dollars, HCI requires US dollar contributions for technical support and to create vital long-term infrastructure. (Donate Uncle Sam money https://www.hinduci.org/donate)
In summary, as the Hindu diaspora becomes mainstream, it needs institutions like HCI to support the rich traditions and serve the wider society. Join us on this exciting journey!
