Paush Amawasya
Virginia (USA): HPI has just become aware of the successful outcome of Hindus in Virginia to change the State’s curriculum for teaching of Hinduism as part of world history. Rakesh Bahadur, with others, spearheaded the effort.
The entire curriculum revision for the State may be downloaded at the URL above. One can then search “Hinduism” to find the changed sections. In the original “Standard,” as these descriptions of what a course should cover are called, there were listed two “essential questions” and six items of “essential knowledge for Hinduism.”
Previously, the essential questions for Hinduism were:
What are the characteristics of the Hindu religion?
How did Hinduism influence Indian society and culture?
The first of these was changed to be:
What are the beliefs of the Hindu religion?
This brings Hinduism in line with Christianity, Judaism and Islam where the term “beliefs” is used and not the undignified and non-religious term, “characteristics.”
The points of “essential knowledge” for “Hinduism” previously read:
- Caste system in religious law based on occupations
- Belief in many forms of one major deity
- Reincarnation: Cycles of rebirth based upon karma
- Karma: Future reincarnation based on present behavior.
- Vedas and Upanishads: Sacred writings
- Spread along international trade routes
This was revised to:
- (Caste system item deleted entirely)
- Belief in many forms of one God
- Reincarnation: Rebirth based upon karma
- Karma: Knowledge that all thoughts and actions result in future consequences.
- Vedas and Upanishads: Sacred writings
- Spread along major trade routes
These changes served to separate religion from social practices (the caste system) and to correctly state the Hindu view of God, reincarnation and karma.
Congratulations to all involved. This is the first time any state’s curriculum has been adjusted to reflect the Hindu point of view on our own faith.
Source: www.doe.virginia.gov
