Source

LONDON, ENGLAND, June 22, 2003: The London Examination Board has agreed that the belief in the “Divinity of man” is the central concept of Hinduism, replacing the belief that the hereditary caste system was the “central” belief of Hinduism. “Even at short notice the board has agreed that our candidates do not have to answer questions on caste [on the official Hinduism exam], and that they will not be disadvantaged for ignoring all ‘caste questions’,” says Dilip Lakhani of the Vivekananda Center London



In the process of tackling the issue of caste, the Vivekananda Center London had requested some Hindu organizations in the U.K. to support this stand. Most rose to the occasion and immediately issued letters of support, one being the Swaminarayan Fellowship temples, which gave immediate and full backing. However, a few organizations continued to support the idea of caste (which strictly means hereditary caste as far as the syllabus is concerned) and notified educational bodies of their opinion. “First we must learn about the treasures we possess, only then can we hope to portray them correctly to the West. The very poor image the West has of Hinduism is to a large extent our own fault,” says Mr. Lakhani.

Post Views: 207