Interesting message from South Africa

[Guest guest]

Dear Jay, thank you for your email letter about London University and

promotion of Hinduism.

 

Whenever I go to India, and when visiting relatives and friends in villages

and towns, I make a point of enquiring about religious education, especially

with regards to the youths. Invariably the answer seems to be in the

negative. The schools do not teach religion. After school children are busy

with lessons or with tv programmes.

 

In South Africa, the Ramakrishna Ashram initiated a programme many years ago

whereby towns and cities across South Africa, where Hindu families have

settled, hold a weekly satsang with parents and children. The satsang

usually lasts for about one hour. Opening prayers, Bhajans, a short

discourse and concluding prayers are the norms. Once a year a rally is held

with various centres holding a joint programme with children preparing stage

plays on given religious subjects, eg. Sabari and Sri Ram, Ratnakar to

Valmiki, Mirabai, Sravankumar, Sant Tukaram, etc. Speeches by children are

encouraged. All these activities have created better awareness about

Hinduism in South Africa.

 

Wet concrete can be moulded and shaped but once it is set then the task is

harder or impossible. Children's minds are impressionable like the wet

concrete. That is the age when parents should take their children to once a

week satsang in their areas. Even if one family were to initiate satsang,

others would join.

 

.......

 

A clay lamp spreads light in all directions except beneath itself. If the

clay lamp is India then let the University of London help spread some light

beneath the clay lamp! If London University initiates a programme about some

degree in Hinduism, we would like to be of some help in whichever way we can

through the use of materials from our web site www.hinduism.co.za/

 

Please convey our fond regards to Swamijee Gautamanandaji.

 

regards

Harshadbhai Master

South Africa