Sanskrit Schools in UK....

[Guest guest]

" Swami Yogeshananda " <yogeshananda

" Vivekananda Centre " <vivekananda

Friday, January 26, 2001 04:28

Re: Assemblies

 

> Dear Jay,

> Fantastic. Could you tell us a bit more about why this set of Christian

> schools have had this kind of requirement and interest?

> Namaste, Yogeshananda

>

================================

Dear Maharaj

 

The schools were started about 35 years ago. A person called

Mr Mclaren visited India at that time and came under the

guidance of one of the Shankracharya of South India.

It appears as if Mr Mclaren had some kind of advaitic

spiritual experience and that has been the basis of the movement.

 

He returned ( I assume he was very wealthy) - set up small classes and

started a movement called School of Economic Science. Slowly it

grew from there. The members of the movement decided to start

a school to teach their own children some of the Vedic ideals (even

though most were main stream Christians). They have developed

a great deal of love for Sanskrit too. This is the only school I know which

makes it compulsory for all youngsters to learn Sanskrit from the age of

4 till the age of 16 (some go on till the age of 18 for Advanced level

Sanskrit).

It is this school that sets up the GCSE Sanskrit syllabus, the marking

and it is this school that provides the candidates doing Sanskrit in the

country.

 

Mr Maclaren has passed away but the schools continue to prosper and

expand. These days the running is done by wealthy bankers rather than

those who are spiritually oriented but these things happen.

 

My daughter has been going to this school from the age of 5 hence I am

aware of the background. These people order all their vedic literature from

the Vedanta Centre in Bourne End but as a matter of principle will not

visit the Vedanta Centre. Another curious thing I found is that all members

of this movement will have read the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna!! I found

out all this by accident. The members will not mix with the Ramakrishna

movement

or even the Raman Maharashi movement (even though they are fully aware of

the adviatic teachings of these great masters). They keep themselves

to themselves.

 

The headmasters and mistresses of the schools have attended most of

Vivekananda Centre programmes but have always maintained a

little distance. Last Friday was the first time they had invited me to

address

the pupils. Hence I was very pleased. The ice has been broken but the

main SES movement is strongly 'introvert' hence I have to wait and see

what reaction my talks will produce...

 

 

regards

jay