Hindus have welcomed American singer-songwriter-actress Katy Perry’s (Teenage Dream) increasing interest in meditation.In the June issue of Vanity Fair magazine, which will hit newsstands on May five, Perry (Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson), 26, tells Vanity Fair contributing editor Lisa Robinson: “Russell (husband English actor-comedian Russell Brand) is into Hinduism…He meditates in the morning and the evening; I’m starting to do it more because it really centers me…”
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed has invited Perry to explore meditation more to combat stress that her challenging job brings and to increase the powers of her mind. If she needs assistance in her exploration in meditation arena, he or other Hindu scholars would gladly provide, Zed adds.Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that Perry’s augmenting meditation in her life was a “step in the right direction” for her. Finding inner peace through spirituality and meditation would be very helpful to her. He suggested Perry to determinedly seek Self through mediation and have self-control.
Meditation was a condition of profound internal wakefulness; Rajan Zed pointed out, and added that ancient Hindu scripture Taittiriya Upanishad stated: “Meditation is Brahman (the supreme being)”.Zed further said that Lord Krishna told in Bhagavad-Gita: With mind and senses disciplined through meditation, bonded with the Self within, the seeker achieves tranquility and nirvana, the state of permanent peace and joy in me. Zed described pratyahara (withholding), dharna (concentration), and dhyana (intellectual contemplation) as three stages of meditation leading to samadhi (trance).According to its Mission Statement, Vanity Fair is a cultural catalyst—a magazine that provokes and drives the popular dialogue. Graydon Carter is editor-in-chief, while Edward Menicheschi is its publisher. Launched in 1913 and published from New York, it claims audience of 7,076,000. Its publisher, Condé Nast, headquartered in New York, is a subsidiary of Advance Publications Inc., a privately held communications company.Hinduism, which has been associated with meditation for ages, is the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal.
