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A financial update summarizes income, expenses, and support needs, including a contribution for computer purchases and a volunteer training program.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & 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rigidly struc-tured,despotically ruled Hinduhome.We had well-preservedtraditions,well-developedcustoms,and well-formulatedexpectations—along with agreat deal of love,understand-ing,and exhortation.Yet inspite of the outward appear-ance of peace in our simplehome.I sensed tension and dis-satisfaction.An air of help-lessness permeated every as-pect of our lives.  \nwas eaten with great reverenceand delight.  \nI remember being told,overand over,that our unhappinesswas because of our karmacoupled with divine wrathagainst our family.I could notunderstand what we had doneto deserve this or what could bedone to change it.  \nOn one occasion,when Itried to find an answer to thispuzzling question,my father wasvery upset at my audacity.No oneshould question the rights of gods.And so we remained poor andmiserable.Our lives never changedfor the better.\"Must be our fate,\"my elder brother used to say.  \nMy father claimed to find suffer-ing ennobling whenever he was in aphilosophical mood and was notunder any direct adversity.Sorrowmust be welcomed as a brother,heused to remind us,because suffer-ing rightly endured would bring de-liverance from the maya of thisworld and would ensure a gloriouslife in the future.  \nMahendra P.Singhal  \nWe went through the usual visitsto the temples on set days.Therewere several temples,dedicated todifferent gods,that we used to visitat least once a year.  \nA particular temple of Shiva,oneof the three primary Hindu gods,sat atop a small mountain and couldonly be reached by climbing whatseemed an endlessly long stairway.We would buy our usual offering—a large quantity of special Indiansweetmeats—and we would offer itto Shiva as our annual peaceoffering.The priest would blessthe offering,keep a small portionfor the god,and retum the rest tothe family.The returned offering  \nThe idol of Shiva was fright-ening.He was shown sittingon top of the world holdinghuman skulls in his hands,water running from his hair,and eyes staring at you with adreadful message:worship meor you will be destroyed.Icame away from the templefearing what the future mighthold.The picture of Shivahaunted me for days after thepilgrimage.  \nOne year,I asked to beexcused from the trip.Myfather was very upset at thisdisplay of disrespect,and I waspunished and deprived of foodfor three days.When that yeardid not go well,I was blamedfor every unhappiness,everyunwelcome situation.  \nWe used to go to a Hanumantemple in our neighborhood justbefore our school's annual exami-nations.This Hindu god is wor-shiped for strength and guidance.Even in those days,I was not sureif he was responsible for my goodgrades because not all the membersof our family benefitted equally.Once a year we worshiped La-kshmi,the goddess of wealth.Herannual festival(Divali)was alwaysa busy time.We used to paint ourhouse,clean out all the junk,and onthe special night,we prayed for herblessing to come upon the family.But our lives never changed.  \nSCP Newsletter  \nAnother god we worshiped oncea year was Ganesha,the god withthe head of an elephant and thebody of a man.A son of Shiva.heis reverenced for averting dangers.It was on one of Ganesha's cele-brations that I became disturbedabout our gods and our obeisanceto them.  \nstudy.my teacher would quotefrom the Rig Veda:\"To many it isnot given to hear of the Self.Many,though they hear of it,donot understand it.Wonderful is hewho speaks of it.Intelligent is hewho leans it.Blessed is he whounderstands it.\"Obviously,hethought I was not ready to movethrough the stages necessary toreach an understanding of Brah-man.of the world,and of myself.  \n# SCP Financial Update\n\nAs we enter mid-summer,we findwe're in our typical summerstance—a little behind financially.full of enthusiasm and busy asbeavers.  \nSweets had been offered toGanesha.We had been asked toclose our eyes and pray for hisblessings on the home.I don'tknow why,but I could not closemy eyes.I was ","cbCaikPE1F1hDVL0","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaikPE1F1hDVL0","pdf",1457440,"English","# SCP Newsletter\n## The Choice and the Price\n## SCP Financial Update\n## Speaking Out","[{\"question\":\"What central conflict does the narrator describe in “The Choice and the Price”?\",\"answer\":\"The narrator questions why their family’s suffering continues despite devout Hindu worship and attempts to understand divine reasons for unhappiness.\"},{\"question\":\"What event prompts the narrator to lose faith in the Hindu deity during worship?\",\"answer\":\"A mouse descending on the offerings causes horror, leading the narrator to doubt the god’s ability to protect the home.\"},{\"question\":\"What does the financial update report and what additional support is mentioned?\",\"answer\":\"It states SCP is about $19,100 behind and notes a December period where giving caught them up, plus a $25,000 contribution designated for Access Telephone ministry for computer purchases and volunteer training.\"}]","SCP Newsletter - Vol.12 No.3 - The Choice and the Price | PDF",1789958617,13]