TULSI GABBARD,AN AMERICAN VEDIC HINDU

Tulsi Gabbard is the first Hindu American in the United States Congress.

Here is an excerpt from one of her recent interviews with Aziz Haniffa in Washington, DC

Aziz: You have been embraced by the Indian-American community, particularly the Hindu-American community, like no other Indian-American Congressional candidate has. And you are not even Indian American. What's your take on this unprecedented and enthusiastic embrace?

Tulsi-That question would probably be best asked of my supporters from

that community. However, I suspect it is because they appreciate the

timeless and universal nature of our Hindu Dharma.

Aziz-Your dad is Catholic. Your mom, I believe, is Hindu. So does your

Hinduism flow from your mom? How deep is it?

Tulsi-I grew up in a multicultural, multi-religious household.My father is of Samoan/Caucasian heritage and he is a deacon in the Catholic church.

However, he also likes to practice mantra meditation, including kirtan. My

mother is Caucasian and a practicing Hindu.

Aziz-Are you a practicing Hindu?

Tulsi-Yes, I am a practicing Hindu. Some people are Hindus because they were born into a Hindu family, but may not have seriously studied or applied the Vedic teachings and practices. In that sense it's very much like many people in America who consider themselves Christians because they were born into a Christian family. But that's not my situation.I fully embraced Sanatan Dharma after serious deliberation and contemplation in my later teens -- it's not because my mother was a Hindu.I'm a Vaishnava in the Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Sampradaya. As a Vaishnava, my perspective of Hinduism or Sanatan Dharma comes from the Bhagavad Gita.I have been studying the Bhagavad Gita since childhood and have, especially beginning in my teenage years, been trying to apply the Bhagavad Gita's principles of karma yoga and bhakti yoga to every aspect of my life.  And of course I am very familiar with the Mahabharat, Ramayana etc.

On my two deployments to the Middle East, I daily practiced my japa

meditation and contemplating on the truth of the Bhagavad Gita. By doing this, I was able to achieve great inner peace, despite being in an environment of fighting and death. One of the first things I saw when I

arrived in Iraq was a giant sign at the gates of our base that read, 'Is

today the day?'I saw that sign every day and it was a constant reminder that today could be the day that I have to leave this world. This forced me to constantly remember and contemplate upon the truth of my eternal identity as taught in the Bhagavad Gita.

First thing in the morning and the last thing at night, I meditated upon the fact that my essence was spirit, not matter, that I was not my physical body, and that I didn't need to worry about death because I knew that I would continue to exist and that I would go to God.

Even though there is excitement that you are a Hindu American and when

elected to Congress will be the only Hindu American in Congress, you will first have to represent your constituency. How will you serve this community that has become so excited over the real possibility of having the first Hindu American legislator? More broadly, how will you serve, besides your constituency, the Indian-American community, particularly the Hindu Americans, who have supported your strongly with fundraising, etc.?

If I am elected to Congress, I will be representing all people of Hawaii, as

well as all the people of our country -- including Hindus, Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, everyone. The fact is, people of every religion in our

country want the same thing -- they want elected officials who know they

are servants of the people, and not special interests.Of course, since I'm a practicing Hindu, they also know that the more unique concerns of Hindu and Indian Americans are near and dear to my heart.

Issues such as the plight of Kashmiri Pandits and human rights abuses of

Hindus and other religious minorities in Pakistan are of concern to me.

Many people in America, including some in positions of power and influence, view Hinduism as foreign and even mysterious.

Lack of familiarity and understanding can breed fear and bigotry, so I

won't shy away from opportunities to increase understanding and appreciation of Hinduism and Hindus.

Especially in today's world where religious misunderstanding and intolerance are at the root of many tragic and unnecessary conflicts, we all need to do whatever we can to increase understanding and tolerance of all religions.

Read directly from

http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/slide-show-1-meet-tulsi-gabbard-the-first-hindu-american-in-us-congress/20121107.htm