We are Running Out of Time to Raise Money for our upcoming Move. We have Raised $20,000 already. Our Goal is to Raise $300,000 by July 13th.
Please Support our efforts to Relocate to a Property where we are Permitted to Practice our Hindu Faith. Donate Today |
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From our fundraising message below: "...We believe government should not dictate which religion a person follow nor should it limit or deny people's inalienable right to practice the religion of their own choosing..."
May 1st, 2021
The Soma Matha Spiritual Center is a Hindu organization facing difficulties now due to our faith. For the past 15 years, we have been offering prayer services and spiritual teachings in Virginia. Five years ago, we purchased a property near Richmond, Virginia for our Temple and teaching center. Now we have to sell the property because it has not been possible to get government permits to operate legally as a Hindu organization in this locality. Many of our neighbors have been very vocal in their opposition to our presence here and government officials have not allowed us to submit an application for a conditional use permit needed for public prayers and teachings. Just after we purchased the property, we invited around 5 friends for a "vastu shanti puja" to bless the land. Soon after, we received a zoning violation notice threatening fines and jail time if we held other public prayers at the property. Many of our Christian neighbors routinely conduct house blessings and bible studies in their homes without government permits. Christians are apparently not held to the same standards in this locality. One of our neighbors told us that he believed we "have no legal rights in this county" because we belong to a "false religion." Others have said that they want us gone because they fear that we are a terrorist organization. Because we have been forced to stop our teachings and prayer services, donations have decreased and we have been struggling to pay the bills and to even afford food for the volunteers living here. Difficulty to attain government permits to operate is a problem which is quite common for Hindu temples and organizations in North America. Many Hindu organizations face similar difficulties due to the complaints of ignorant and prejudiced neighbors. Federal and local laws in every state in America permit people's free choice of religion and their right to practice without undue burden or harassment. In practice, however, many minority faiths continue to face this sort of difficulty. We have witnessed Buddhist and Islamic organizations facing similar difficulties here in Virginia, but this is a problem which is widespread throughout the nation.
Please help us to exercise our right to practice our Hindu faith publicly and to continue to offer teachings on the healing practices of the Hindu Dharma like spiritual Yoga, Mantra, Puja, Meditation, Ayurveda, Vedic Astrology and Vastu Shastra. We as Hindus do not believe our path to be the best or the only way to the Divine, nor do we try to convert others to our faith. We believe all the religious faiths help lead people to the light of the Divine in unique and valuable ways. We simply offer teachings from our own tradition and practice for the peace and prosperity of every living being the world. We believe that it is a basic human right for people to be allowed to assemble to practice their religion which should never be denied or restricted. People praying or meditating in groups has a healing effect on world consciousness irrespective of the denomination of the congregants. Today the world is facing many difficulties and people are suffering greatly. Group prayer is essential to ease human suffering now. We believe that people of all faiths should be encouraged and aided in their efforts to ease human suffering through public worship. We believe government should not dictate which religion a person follow nor should it limit or deny people's inalienable right to practice the religion of their own choosing.
Time is running out for us to raise money for our move. As of May 1st 2021, we have only raised about $20,000 of our goal of $300,000. We cannot afford to remain here if we are not allowed to offer services. The property will be listed for sale on the 13th of May. If we get offers for the property quickly, it could be possible that we will need to move within the next 2 months. Because we still owe much for this property, we will not get enough from the sale of the property to buy a suitable property for our temple and teaching center. It will likely be possible for Swamiji to relocate to another property to live as we continue to raise money for our center. It is a great loss and setback to have to sell this property, which has provided housing for Swamiji and other disciples and volunteers, and which offered sufficient space to welcome the public and to build a dedicated Temple building in the future. For a space for public teachings we need sufficient land to construct a temple building and parking etc. We intend to have gardens there to grow fruits and flowers needed for offering in puja ceremonies and space to keep cows for necessary milk and ghee offerings. This is very important to us since it is not generally possible to find sources for humanely produced dairy in America. The cow is a sacred animal to Hindus and its milk and ghee are essential offerings in nearly every religious ceremony, which must be procured in ways that respect, protect, and give back to the animals that give so much to us.
The Soma Matha Spiritual Center is a Hindu organization facing difficulties now due to our faith. For the past 15 years, we have been offering prayer services and spiritual teachings in Virginia. Five years ago, we purchased a property near Richmond, Virginia for our Temple and teaching center. Now we have to sell the property because it has not been possible to get government permits to operate legally as a Hindu organization in this locality. Many of our neighbors have been very vocal in their opposition to our presence here and government officials have not allowed us to submit an application for a conditional use permit needed for public prayers and teachings. Just after we purchased the property, we invited around 5 friends for a "vastu shanti puja" to bless the land. Soon after, we received a zoning violation notice threatening fines and jail time if we held other public prayers at the property. Many of our Christian neighbors routinely conduct house blessings and bible studies in their homes without government permits. Christians are apparently not held to the same standards in this locality. One of our neighbors told us that he believed we "have no legal rights in this county" because we belong to a "false religion." Others have said that they want us gone because they fear that we are a terrorist organization. Because we have been forced to stop our teachings and prayer services, donations have decreased and we have been struggling to pay the bills and to even afford food for the volunteers living here. Difficulty to attain government permits to operate is a problem which is quite common for Hindu temples and organizations in North America. Many Hindu organizations face similar difficulties due to the complaints of ignorant and prejudiced neighbors. Federal and local laws in every state in America permit people's free choice of religion and their right to practice without undue burden or harassment. In practice, however, many minority faiths continue to face this sort of difficulty. We have witnessed Buddhist and Islamic organizations facing similar difficulties here in Virginia, but this is a problem which is widespread throughout the nation.
Please help us to exercise our right to practice our Hindu faith publicly and to continue to offer teachings on the healing practices of the Hindu Dharma like spiritual Yoga, Mantra, Puja, Meditation, Ayurveda, Vedic Astrology and Vastu Shastra. We as Hindus do not believe our path to be the best or the only way to the Divine, nor do we try to convert others to our faith. We believe all the religious faiths help lead people to the light of the Divine in unique and valuable ways. We simply offer teachings from our own tradition and practice for the peace and prosperity of every living being the world. We believe that it is a basic human right for people to be allowed to assemble to practice their religion which should never be denied or restricted. People praying or meditating in groups has a healing effect on world consciousness irrespective of the denomination of the congregants. Today the world is facing many difficulties and people are suffering greatly. Group prayer is essential to ease human suffering now. We believe that people of all faiths should be encouraged and aided in their efforts to ease human suffering through public worship. We believe government should not dictate which religion a person follow nor should it limit or deny people's inalienable right to practice the religion of their own choosing.
Time is running out for us to raise money for our move. As of May 1st 2021, we have only raised about $20,000 of our goal of $300,000. We cannot afford to remain here if we are not allowed to offer services. The property will be listed for sale on the 13th of May. If we get offers for the property quickly, it could be possible that we will need to move within the next 2 months. Because we still owe much for this property, we will not get enough from the sale of the property to buy a suitable property for our temple and teaching center. It will likely be possible for Swamiji to relocate to another property to live as we continue to raise money for our center. It is a great loss and setback to have to sell this property, which has provided housing for Swamiji and other disciples and volunteers, and which offered sufficient space to welcome the public and to build a dedicated Temple building in the future. For a space for public teachings we need sufficient land to construct a temple building and parking etc. We intend to have gardens there to grow fruits and flowers needed for offering in puja ceremonies and space to keep cows for necessary milk and ghee offerings. This is very important to us since it is not generally possible to find sources for humanely produced dairy in America. The cow is a sacred animal to Hindus and its milk and ghee are essential offerings in nearly every religious ceremony, which must be procured in ways that respect, protect, and give back to the animals that give so much to us.
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Help us to practice our Hindu dharma in America. Donate Today. All donation to the Soma Matha, as a registered not-for-profit Hindu "Church," are tax deductible. |
