Hinduism in American Classrooms

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>****************************************************************** >Hinduism in

American Classrooms > >http://www.sulekha.com/column.asp?cid=181242 > >Rajiv

Malhotra ~ Mar 18, 2002 > >Dave Freedholm teaches world religion and philosophy

at a nationally >recognized independent college preparatory school in the U.S.

Recently, he >was a delegate to the World Congress for the Preservation of

Religious >Diversity in Delhi, India. A frequent speaker on Hinduism and

religious >pluralism, Dave is currently co-authoring Hinduism: An Introduction

for High >School Students with Prof. Arvind Sharma. > >I consider his views

interesting for two reasons. First, as a teacher he has >important things to

say about the way schools portray India and its >traditions. Second, as he

identifies himself as a Hindu, his insights may >also reflect the views of many

'Euro-American Hindus', i.e. the over 15 >million Americans who now practice

Hindu activities, such as yoga, >meditation, and kirtan, amongst others.

Neither of these perspectives has >been given much coverage by the Indian

media. > >Rajiv: > >Why are you interested in the way Hinduism is portrayed in

American >textbooks? > >Dave: > >Any treatment of India in courses on world

history, social studies, or in >any other discipline, inevitably includes an

analysis of Hinduism. Thus, >portrayals of Hinduism greatly affect America's

understanding of India. This >is a point that many 'secular' Indians seem to

ignore, hoping that they can >construct an image of an India apart from

religion. But, it seems to me, >such efforts are doomed to fail. The importance

of understanding the role >religion plays in the world, especially after

September 11, has never been >more apparent. This is reflected in the U.S. by

increasing interest in >studying world religion in secondary schools, public

and private. It is >important to note that 'teaching about' religion is not the

same as >preaching or promoting any given religion. Rather it is a distant and

>objective view. While I understand religion is deliberately excluded from >the

education system in India just as it has been in the U.S., I hope that >they too

will consider the importance of giving students a fair and >sympathetic

introduction to the world's religion in a neutral manner. > >Given the surge in

interest in teaching world religion, it is about time >that America's education

system takes a serious look at the way Hinduism is >currently portrayed in its

textbooks. As a teacher in a religiously >unaffiliated, independent high

school, I have been able to teach world >religion and world philosophy to

American high school students for some >time. Over the years, I've become

increasingly dissatisfied with the ways in >which Hinduism is treated in the

textbooks books I've used and reviewed. > >Rajiv: > >Why? In what ways are

these portrayals different from your own understanding >and experience of

Hinduism? > >Dave: > >I've spent years studying theology in general and

Hinduism in particular in >an academic way. Also, I've been a practitioner of

Hindu spirituality for >some years. I'm one of the millions of Americans who

practice yoga, kirtan >and meditation. I've made several trips to India,

including a pilgrimage to >the source of the Ganges river. Last year, I led a

group of high school >students to India and Nepal. > >In all my encounters with

Hindus and Hinduism, both in the U.S. and abroad, >I've never recognized the

'Hinduism' that is described in many American >textbooks. Also, it has

surprised me to find so many Indian Hindus who seem >reluctant to identify

themselves as such, as if there were some taboo >associated with it. I wonder

if the negative stereotypes often connected >with Hinduism have resulted in

this suppression of identity, especially with >young people growing up in a

'Westernized' world. > >Rajiv: > >How does the treatment of Hinduism in

textbooks differ from the treatment of >other religions? > >Dave: > >When

scholars examine the world's religions they usually attempt to >distinguish

between their 'universal' theological/philosophical foundations >and the

particular historically and culturally bound social structures of >societies

that practice those religions. To take Christianity as an example, >biblical

scholars, using a sophisticated hermeneutics, extract a 'universal' >Pauline

theology from the social context of Paul's letters that presumed >slavery, the

subjugation of women, etc. Pauline statements that seem to >support this social

order are reinterpreted in light of passages that are >deemed to reflect more

universal values. > >Rajiv: > >What are specific examples of the way

Christianity's core theology is kept >separate from social ills in its history?

> >Dave: > >Any particular historical and/or social outworking of Christianity

is >interpreted in context, and distinguished from universal Christian

theology. >Hence, the feudal system in medieval Europe, which was widely

justified via >Christian theology and texts, is not used as a defining

characteristic of >Christianity or an interpretive key for its theology today.

The same could >be said for the system of slavery upon which 'Christian'

America was built. >In fact, as time moved on, Christian theology and biblical

interpretation >were later used to overturn these systems. > >Likewise, unjust

social and economic structures in predominantly Christian >countries today are

not used as defining characteristics of Christianity or >Christian theology. To

give one more example, Christian theologians today >have repudiated the

anti-Judaism which was widely practiced in Christian >societies for a long time

and culminated in the Holocaust by arguing that >anti-Judaism is not a part of

'genuine' Christianity as properly understood. > >Most Christians today (and

most scholars of religion) would be scandalized >if the feudal system, slavery,

capitalist exploitation or anti-Judaism were >used to define the essence of

Christianity. They would understand these >things to be historically and

socially bound and not part of Christian >universal ideals. In short,

descriptions of Christianity in textbooks would >distinguish the core or

essence of Christian theology from specific social, >historical and political

contexts. However, Hinduism is not treated in the >same way. > >Rajiv: > >To

look for a moment at other examples, isn't the same true in the portrayal >of

Islam post-Sept. 11? Don't many scholars of Islam and many Muslims assert >that

it is wrong to portray 'genuine' Islam by appealing to social policies >of the

Taliban or to the violent jihad of bin Laden? > >Dave: > >Absolutely. Muslims

would be up in arms if American schoolchildren were to >be taught about Islam

through that negative lens. > >Rajiv: > >Yet, you take the position that the

same even-handed treatment isn't given >to Hinduism, is that right? > >Dave: >

>That is unfortunately the case. Let's look at the example of caste again.

>When it comes to portraying Hinduism, scholars use 'caste' (itself a >European

construct) as a (and sometimes the) defining characteristic of >Hinduism and

Hindu theology/philosophy. As Ronald Inden has emphasized, >caste has become an

'essence' in defining Hinduism and India. Little or no >attempt is made to

understand caste as a context-bound social structure >apart from the more

universal elements of Hindu thought. > >Also, textbooks often ignore attempts

by Hindu reformers and thinkers to use >Hindu theology itself to combat what

many see as an unjust social system >that has little to do with 'genuine'

Hinduism. The sophisticated >theological, historical and sociological

interpretation given to >Christianity (and other religions) is often denied to

Hinduism. Instead, >'caste' is used as a club against Hinduism, in order to

prove its >backwardness when compared to other religions. > >Rajiv: > >In your

research on the hardened, four-tier 'caste system', that is seen as >essential

to Indian society, what did you find to be the historical factors >that gave

shape to it? > >Dave: > >It does seem that the caste system, as understood

today, was foisted on >Indian society by its Western (Christian) oppressors,

the British. A number >of scholars have done work on this recently (see e.g.,

Dirks, Hobson and >Kishwar). The British were frustrated in their attempts to

understand and >govern in the midst of the very diverse community-bound,

self-governing sets >of social customs and laws which existed in Indian

society. The British >wanted to find a 'universal' set of 'Hindu' laws and

customs (like their >own) that they could use to govern (read 'subjugate')

India. Finding no >simplistic universal laws similar to, say, the Ten

Commandments, they >established their idea of 'Hindu Law' based on their

interpretation of the >Manusmriti. > >As Madhu Kishwar writes, “A policy

decision was taken at the highest levels >in the India Office to keep this

particular document in circulation and >project it as the fountainhead of Hindu

jurisprudence, for the purpose of >perpetuating the illusion that the British

were merely enforcing the >shastric injunctions by which Hindus were governed

anyway, and that they had >inherited the authority to administer this law.” >

>Censuses were conducted by the British to confirm and solidify the system

>that they themselves had identified and established as a norm. They then

>promoted this myth to the Indian population and to people abroad (with the

>aid of Western scholars) until it became accepted as a historical,

>sociological and philosophical 'truth'. > >Rajiv: > >What was the impact of

all this? > >Dave: > >'Caste' was used to justify Christian proselytizing and

for continued >domination over the Indian population, and this continues to be

the case >today. Also, the ills of contemporary Indian society (poverty, caste,

etc.), >which were exacerbated in part due to centuries long foreign occupation,

>exploitation and domination, are blamed primarily on Hindu thought. Thus, >some

Western scholars, ignoring the historic subversion of Indian society >and

Hinduism by the West, align themselves with the 'oppressed' against the

>'evils' of Hinduism. The victim is made to feel guilty and hence the 'Hindu

>shame' I find amongst some Hindus. > >Rajiv: > >Have you been able to identify

what modern Hindu leaders and thinkers have >done, or are doing, to reform the

caste system? > >Dave: > >Efforts within Hindu society to reform itself, and to

provide a new vision >of Hinduism, are too often ignored or downplayed. Many

leading Hindu >religious leaders and thinkers (the list here would be

tremendously long) >have repudiated the caste system and tried to articulate a

Hindu theology >that is far more universal in character. Gandhi is an obvious

example. Also, >the great representative of Hinduism in the West at the turn of

the 20th >century, Swami Vivekananda, came out definitively against the caste

system. > >Vivekananda spoke candidly of the problems caused by inequality in

Indian >society, and of the need for reform. But he refused to see caste and

other >social problems as being inherently a part of Hinduism, seeing them

rather >as a perversion of its ideals. He challenged his fellow Hindus to

strive for >the ideals embodied in their tradition, saying: “Religion, the

common >inheritance, the universal birthright of the race, must be brought free

to >the door of everybody.” > >Likewise, most modern Hindu leaders have

advocated societal reforms and an >end to discrimination based on caste.

Furthermore, such discrimination has >already been legally abolished by the

Indian constitution. It is natural >that it will take time to end the problems

just as the abolition of slavery >did not end racism and prejudice in the U.S.

It takes time to eliminate >ingrained prejudices and patterns of behavior. >

>Rajiv: > >What have you seen in India in terms of reform of the caste system?

> >Dave: > >I am a great admirer and supporter of the work of Pujya Swami

Chidanand >Saraswatiji of Parmarth Niketan in Rishikesh. He is one of the most

admired >Hindu leaders in India today, and runs numerous charitable projects,

such as >medical clinics for the poor, earthquake relief, orphanages,

environmental >projects, schools for the poor, etc. All of these services are

open to >everyone regardless of gender, caste, ethnicity or religion. At

Parmarth >Niketan, there is an orphanage for young boys from all castes and

>backgrounds. They are given a well-rounded education, including training in

>Sanskrit and Indian culture. Last fall, the ashram conducted a sacred thread

>ceremony for boys coming of age. This ceremony has usually been reserved for

>high caste boys, but it was performed for any boy who requested it, no >matter

what his background. I found no distinctions based on caste. This is >just one

example of many similar reforms going on from within the tradition. > >Rajiv: >

>Why have such views and efforts within Hindu society been ignored? > >Dave: >

>Attempts by Hindus to define themselves are seen as invalid or irrelevant,

>because they are not consistent with the construct of Hinduism in place

>today. As Madhu Kishwar says, “People in India have demonstrated time and

>again that they are willing to accept changes in their customs, provided

>those who propose change take the trouble to win the confidence of the

>community, rather than attack or humiliate the community as hostile

>outsiders. The success of the 19th century social reformers is testimony to

>this inherent flexibility of Hindu communities. In recent decades, the work

>of Swadhyaya in parts of western India, the Radhasoamis in Northern India,

>and many other reform movements have carried forward the same tradition.” >

>Rajiv: > >Is caste central to portrayals of Hinduism in American textbooks? >

>Dave: > >Yes, absolutely. In recent years, Hindus in the U.S. have examined

the >portrayals of India and Hinduism in textbooks. First of all, American

>students are taught very little about India and Hinduism, especially in

>public schools. When India and Hinduism are mentioned in world history

>textbooks, caste is often one of the few things taught. To give just one

>example, students in New York State are required to take an exam in world

>history. The world's major belief systems are an area of examination. In

>reviews and sample essays in this area, caste is offered as the defining

>characteristic of Hinduism. In religion textbooks used in many major

>colleges, caste is the central part of almost every treatment of Hinduism. >

>Rajiv: > >What other problems exist in the way India and Hinduism are

portrayed in >American textbooks? > >Dave: > >My review of many different

textbooks shows that Indians' own achievements >are underemphasized, if

mentioned at all. What is emphasized are the >'benefits' brought by outsiders

entering India by invasion or other means. >This has been called “the invasion

theory of India.” Under this picture of >Indian history, the British period is

mainly the history of the British, as >it played out in India. The Islamic

period is mainly about Islamic rulers >and what they were doing in India -- and

so on. Indians do not seem to have >their own history. > >This reminds me of the

earlier accounts of African-American history, in >which African-Americans were

seen as objects in the lives of their masters, >and not as having a history of

their own per se. Recently, many eminent >African-American scholars have got

organized and changed the way the history >of African-Americans is understood

and written in textbooks. Indians have >not attempted this seriously, it seems.

> >Rajiv: > >So what should be done about this? > >Dave: > >Well, based on what

we have discussed, the problem seems clear. Rather than >looking for what is

universal in Hindu beliefs and practices, textbooks must >focus on and define

Hinduism based on a social structure that is >tangentially related and is not

at its philosophical core. It would be like >making the crusades in medieval

Europe, or racism and segregation in 20th >century America -- societal ills

that were justified by some with appeals to >Christian theology -- as the

defining characteristics or essences of >Christianity. > >It is important to

identify the universal principles and practices that are >essential to Hinduism

across cultures and nations, especially now that >Hinduism is being practiced

outside of India and Indian culture. In the >U.S., the Indian-American

community continues to grow and there are now many >second and third generation

Hindus who have grown up in American society. >The same is true in the U.K.,

Australia, Canada and elsewhere. As well, >increasing numbers of Euro-Americans

have begun practicing Hinduism. In >fact, I'm happy to be identified as a Hindu.

What does it mean to be a Hindu >in cultures where caste is irrelevant? >

>Rajiv: > >What is at stake here? > >Dave: > >In the end, it seems incumbent on

scholars to reassess the way they >interpret Hinduism, especially with regard to

caste. Will interpretations of >Hinduism be done with the same

theological/philosophical, historical and >sociological sophistication and

subtlety afforded other religions? Further, >will they allow Hindus to offer

interpretations of their own faith that >reflect new self-understandings and

self-interpretations in light of new >historical and social settings and

concerns? Or will they continue to insist >that Hindus and Hinduism conform to

the images that were, and still are, >made by those outside the community? >

>Rajiv: > >When I raise these issues with Indians, they seem convinced that

there >already exist many excellent books on India and Hinduism. So why are

these >not being used in schools? > >Dave: > >There are some excellent books on

India and Hinduism. Unfortunately, none >are especially well-suited to the

particular needs of U.S. secondary school >students and teachers. For example,

books intended for use within a faith >community would not work well in

American schools which emphasize the >neutral, academic study of various

religions. As well, it is important to >consider just how materials on India

and Hinduism might be used within >existing school curricula in the U.S. It is

important to understand the >system in place and discover ways to make an

impact within the institutions >that exist and that are very powerful. >

>Rajiv: > >What have other religions and nationalities done in similar

circumstances? > >Dave: > >Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, each have several

very well funded and >professionally run organizations, whose sole purpose is

to bring American >educators together, to ensure an authentic and sympathetic

understanding of >their faiths in schools. They lobby, they fund new

publications that meet >academic standards and norms, they participate in

educational conferences, >and they have representatives on education boards. In

other words, they are >involved, as opposed to assuming that all is well in the

hands of third >parties. > >Rajiv: > >Thanks for speaking candidly about your

professional views as well as some >personal beliefs. This takes courage,

commitment, and clarity. Yours is an >interesting perspective that deserves to

be integrated along with various >other perspectives, if there is to be a truly

'global' Hinduism. > >Dave: > >I am delighted to be able to explain to an Indian

audience how many >non-Indians feel about these matters. > > > >