The Way of the Hindu – Vedanta Media

“This book unfolded in the following way: in my capacity as an assistant minister of the Ramakrishna Vedanta Society of London, England in 1973, my work often consisted of visits to colleges and to both public and government schools. They would request someone to come to speak on the subject of “Hinduism,”—always Hinduism, not Vedanta. An item of the school curriculum, Religious Studies, was compulsory and had been for many years: it consisted of Bible, dogmas and church history. But at the time we are speaking of the Empire had ended and the Commonwealth was forming, with its policy of open immigration to former members of the Empire. The schools now had to teach many children who were not Christians.

Religious Studies teachers fortunately realized that they could not force their curriculum on children of other faiths, and were agitated over their lack of training in non-Christian religions. The demand for information was pressing. The government engaged Hilton Educational Publications to create a set of small books as primers for middle school children (American junior high school age). The company asked a bona fide representative of the faith–Buddhism, Islam and so on, to produce a simple introductory book for both teachers and students.

A request came to us at the London Vedanta center to produce (within 30 days !) an illustrated booklet on Hinduism, for which we would of course be paid. Swami Bhavyananda asked me to write the text, find a suitable illustrator, and make it quick! The final result: a set of five or six books by faith representatives: “The Way of the Jew,” “The Way of the Christian” etc.

That is how “The Way of the Hindu,” was born and the rather remarkable fact is that it is still being printed and used in British schools today.”

-Swami Yogeshananda

1. Introduction