Hindus Seek to Explain Their Faith to Others

June 1, 2004

Source: Hinduism Today

http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/2004/4-6/18-27_mythbusters.shtml

The April/May/June 2004 issue of Hinduism Today ran a feature section on teaching about Hinduism and Hindus' efforts to educate the public about their faith in societies outside of India. Lavina Melwani writes, "I was assigned by Hinduism Today to investigate just who had come forward in our community to represent and explain Hinduism to the non-Hindus. An appeal in our e-mail news service, Hindu Press International, brought a hundred responses from those engaged to a greater or lesser extent in doing just that. They are on the front lines, talking at schools, churches, Rotary Clubs and interfaith meetings, or bringing people to their local temple, trying their best to put forward our great religion in an understandable fashion. Impressive especially are the efforts of Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden, London, who have introduced their temple and Hinduism to a quarter-million non-Hindu students over the past eight years. There are many traveling swamis and holy men and women of Hinduism who also interact with the non-Hindu public. But this article is an account of those brave modern missionaries who are lay Hindus, ordinary men and women. They are benign souls who denigrate no other faith, nor seek for converts. Rather they provide their friends and neighbors a glimpse into Hindu spiritual life."