LONDON, ENGLAND, March 7, 2005: Jay Lakhani announced today the release of Hinduism For Schools, written by Seeta Lakhani and edited by Jay. The 133-page, all-color book is replacing the material used in UK public schools to teach Hinduism. The book is produced to a high standard of writing, illustration and color printing on glossy paper. It is one of the best general introductions to Hinduism.
Jay Lakhani writes:
Though this book is primarily written for use by schools teaching Hinduism, it can also be used by lay readers looking for a structured understanding of this subject. Each chapter is divided into the main text, breadth of vision and a memory guide. The breadth of vision incorporates material that offers deeper insights into Hinduism.
So far, the portrayal of Hinduism in the West has been extremely poor. The special features of Hinduism, such as the divinity of man, pluralism, rationality and religion, or the links between science and religion, rarely get a mention. Most books portray Hinduism as a cultural phenomenon: “just a way of life,” incorporating hereditary caste, many Gods and Goddesses, idolatry, sati, Kali, etc. This book is a robust attempt to dispel such poor portrayals of Hinduism, a religion that has a crucial role to play in reviving and refreshing the message of spirituality throughout the modern world.
The two most serious challenges faced by world religions today are: First, in a world that has become a global village, to find a way that religious communities can coexist peacefully and with full dignity. Secondly, to make religions relevant in a modern, secular society. Hinduism has important contributions to offer in both these areas. In response to the first of these challenges, this book develops the theme of religious pluralism in detail. The second challenge faced by the world religions is the struggle, taking place at a deeper level. It is the struggle between religious and non-religious worldviews. What 9/11 revealed is not a conflict between two world religions but a conflict between religious and non-religious worldviews in the guise of a hard-line religion fighting a materialistic Western world. The way to resolve this challenge is to subject all religious teachings to the acid test of rationality. Why religions are not expected to abide by the standard of reason, no one knows.
The new discoveries at the cutting edge of modern science are very exciting and are beginning to reveal a spiritual dimension to hard sciences. Some of these discoveries are like the distant echoes of the Hindu philosophy. Werner Heisenberg, the founding father of modern physics, has commented that: One cannot always distinguish between the statements made by Eastern metaphysics and the pronouncements of modern physics. This book and the next one in the series, Advanced Hinduism, explores these links.
The source of our authority and inspiration for presenting Hinduism comes from Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902). The late Professor Ninian Smart paid tribute to Vivekananda by saying that it is with Vivekananda that Hinduism as an “all-India religion” came into being. The most comprehensive and comprehensible face of Hinduism becomes visible through the lectures delivered by him. A unique feature of Hinduism is that it places equal, if not greater, emphasis on contemporary exponents of Hinduism, like Vivekananda. Most texts on Hinduism continue to present the historic rather than the contemporary expression of religion. The fixation some Western authors have on the teachings of Manu for example, reflect their own idiosyncratic approach. Hinduism prides itself as being a “living religion,” constantly evolving and refreshing the message of spirituality through contemporary spiritual giants. This book is a contemporary version of Hinduism in contrast to what have now become the antiquated forms.
The book is available for sale at the Swaminarayan Temple in Neasden, London. It can also be ordered by e-mailing “source” above, the Vivekananda Centre London. Cost by mail is ten pounds (UK), with 3 pounds postage and handling for delivery in the UK. For delivery by seamail or airmail outside UK, contact “source.”
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