GEMS FROM THE OCEAN OF HINDU THOUGHT

VISION AND PRACTICE

BEACH 10: HINDUISM FOR THE NEXT GENERATION

Wave 8: Frequently Asked Questions

Q.1: How can we (of Hindu origin but residing outside of India) motivate the next generation to learn about the Hindu way of life and believe in it?

The only way seems to be by ourselves living the Hindu way of life and believing in it. Without any effort to correct our own individual behaviour not only in temples and during special functions but in terms of our daily life all the 24 hours, we cannot expect to be able to transmit to the next generation any Hindu values of life by sheer word of mouth.

If there is an altar in the house, -- if there is not, the first thing is to create one – let us discipline ourselves to spend a few minutes (preferably half an hour, compromising it to a minimum of at least 10 minutes) daily – every day at the same time, this is important – for both a silent meditation and a recitation of God’s names as suggested in Hindu Life

It is important that all the members of the family be present together at this time of prayer. One should not hesitate on this score that back home in India one did not do such things. In the Christian world there is a commendable practice that when you sit together for meal you thank the Lord and pray together, at the beginning of the meal. The Hindu non-resident’s substitute for this could be a common prayer at the altar either in the morning before one goes to work or in the evening time before all sit for dinner. This channelisation in cultural habits is a must if we want our children to imbibe something from the Hindu culture.

Any effort on our part to teach something which we do not ourselves do or understand will not be productive. It will actually turn out to be counter-productive.

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Copyright © V. Krishnamurthy July 2, 2002