First Hindu American Congresswoman takes oath on Bhagavad Gita
Tulsi, 31, was administered the oath of office by the John Boehner, Speaker of the House of Representatives.
"I
chose to take the oath of office with my personal copy of the
Bhagavad-Gita because its teachings have inspired me to strive to be a
servant-leader, dedicating my life in the service of others and to my
country," Gabbard said after the swearing in ceremony on Thursday.
"My
Gita has been a tremendous source of inner peace and strength through
many tough challenges in life, including being in the midst of death and
turmoil while serving our country in the Middle East," she said
explaining the reasons for taking the oath of office on Gita.
"I
was raised in a multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-faith family. My
mother is Hindu; my father is a Catholic lector in his church who also
practices mantra meditation. I began to grapple with questions of
spirituality as a teenager," Gabbard said.
"Over
time, I came to believe that, at its essence, religion gives us a
deeper purpose in life than just living for ourselves. Since I was a
teenager, I have embraced this spiritual journey through the teachings
of the Bhagavad-Gita."
“..In
so doing, have been blessed with the motivation and strength to
dedicate my life in service others in a variety of ways," she said.
Proud
of her Hindu religion, she is not Indian or of Indian heritage. Her
father Mike Gabbard, is currently Hawaii State Senator and mother Carol
Porter Gabbard is an educator and business owner.
At 21, she became the youngest person elected to the Hawaii Legislature.
At 23, she was the state's first elected official to voluntarily resign to go to war.
At 28, she was the first woman to be presented with an award by the Kuwait Army National Guard.
Early
during the Democratic National Convention, Gabbard spoke from stage
along with Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic Party leader in the US House of
Representatives.
Currently,
a Company Commander with the Hawaii Army National Guard, who has
volunteered to serve on two deployments to the Middle East, Gabbard
served as Hawaii's youngest state representative in 2002 and is the
youngest woman in the USA to be elected into such a position.
She was endorsed by the US President Barack Obama during the election campaign.
Having
never visited India so far, Tulsi says she is looking to make her first
trip to India as an elected member of the House of Representatives.
"As
a Vaishnava, I especially look forward to visiting the holy sites of
Vrindavan," she had told agency in an earlier interview.
Tulsi's spiritual lineage is the Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Sampradaya.
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