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MATERIALS ON HINDUISM AND SIKHISM

To review not just one book, but several printed and audio-visual materials at the same time, is a difficult task .Moreover, the material on Hinduism and Sikhism representsonly a small component of 'Man's Religious Quest', a newcourse in religious studies not attempted before in this form .For reasons of space it is impossible to do full justice toall aspects of this material (units in booklet-form,selections in the Reader, radio and television programmes),and I shall mainly concentrate on the specially written units .

Let me say at the outset that I am approaching thematerials from the perspective of someone who has the greatestsympathy for the overall orientation and aims of the course .Designed for a large public, the course possesses an unusualhistorical and thematic comprehensiveness . Its developmentprovided a great challenge for a truly creative exercise ofthe imagination and, given the current trends in continuingeducation, the potential of the course is immense . Onlythe future can tell whether its new approach will have beensuccessful .

Particular course components might be assessed fromeither a specialist's or a student's point of view . I wantto say something about both, but as the material is primarilydirected to students without a previous background inreligious studies, I shall mainly keep their perspective inmind .

Apart from the contributions on Sikhism, very littleattempt has been made on the whole to integrate the audio-visual materials with the written units . Hinduism is treatedin two course booklets, beginning with 'Hinduism in thevillage setting' (units 4-5), followed by 'Hindu patternsof liberation' (units 6-8) . After the introductory units ofthe course, Hinduism is the first religious tradition thestudent encounters, and one wonders whether this encounteris not beset with too many difficulties . The booklet onSikhism ('Sikhism : the voice of the guru', units 12-13)follows one on Buddhism . The respective weight and distribu-tion of these materials in relation to each other must raisesome questions in the student's mind as to the relativeimportance of the religions he is studying .

The authors of the materials on Hinduism are to becongratulated for introducing the student to so many facetsof an immensely diverse cultural and religious tradition .There are no doubt certain parts of the units which can help

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many students in the open University and elsewhere to gaina clear understanding of particular aspects of Hinduism andSikhism. However, if one looks at all the materials together,the profusion of detail, whether linguistic, conceptual,textual, anthropological or sociological, must daunt most,and it seems little wonder that Hinduism appears even moreconfusing to the-newcomer than necessary . This is partly dueto the quite different approaches taken by the three authorsof the units on Hinduism, not necessarily consistent witheach other .

One wonders whether the primarily anthropologicalaccount of 'Hinduism in the village setting' provides thebest possible introduction to either Hinduism or the rest ofthe course . The book has a complex theoretical structure,of great value in itself, but most students will find thistoo demanding to master at the beginning . Besides dealingwith different aspects of ritual, much room is given to thedescription and analysis of the caste system . Unfortunately,caste is also equated with the modern concept of classwithout their respective differences being made clear . Nodoubt students will have been further confused in theirunderstanding of caste through the film material on 'Casteand sect', dealing not with Hindus, as was to be expectedfrom the context and preceding announcements, but with aSikh group, the Ravidasis .

Caste studies are a favourite topic of western anthro-pologists . It is regrettable, however, that no mention ismade of the critique of the caste system by past and presentHindu thinkers . A discussion about the scriptural legitima-tion of caste and the argument of

rather thanwelcome

is primarily a socialwould have provided aanalysis of caste . The booklet on villagedifficult reading, not only because of thecomplexity of the subject but also becauseinterspersed with too many quotations fromand other anthropologists .

modern reformers that castea religious phenomenon,

supplement to the anthropologicalHinduism makesintrinsicthe text isDumont, Pocock,

The valuable conceptual framework established in thefirst booklet on Hinduism is not carried over into the second .In 'Hindu patterns of liberation' selected texts and theirinterpretation (unit 6 : 'The making of early Hinduism'),philosophical and theological developments (unit 7 :'Classical Hindu philosophy and theology'), and two religiousfigures (unit 8 : 'Modern Hinduism : Gandhi and Aurobindo')are dealt with in detail . Lucidly written, these units areeasier to follow in spite of the lack of integration between

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the different parts of the book, especially between classicaland modern Hinduism . Nothing short of a jump will bring thestudent from Vallabha and Caitanya (end of unit 7) suddenlyto Gandhi and Aurobindo (unit 8) . It is equally puzzlingthat the textual study should include one Upanishad and theBhagavad-Gita but no vedic hymns . The decisive authority ofthe Vedas as the criterion of orthodoxy is only mentionedin passing and, more surprisingly, the seminal contributionsof vedic religion and society to the making of laterHinduism have not been touched upon at all .

When it comes to modern Hinduism, the lack of historicalperspective is altogether baffling. Gandhi and Aurobindoare presented as two spiritual giants standing all on theirown, with little connection to the past . Nowhere is thereany attempt to analyse the fascinating phenomenon of modernHinduism as a cross-cultural phenomenon . What are the con-textual features, the social, political and religious events,movements, and figures which help to explain the developmentand dynamic of modern Hinduism? Students learn much that isvaluable, informative and perhaps enlightening about Gandhiand Aurobindo but they are not helped to see the continuityof a living tradition . Nowhere is there any discussion, forexample, why karma-yoga or the Bhagavad-Gita for that matterassume such a central place in modern Hinduism . Nor isthere any reference to the extraordinary influence ofVivekananda and the Ramakrishna Mission in developing a newHindu apologetic and universal world mission for what, untilthen, had remained a primarily ethnically situated religion .It is impossible to understand Hinduism as we know it todaywithout studying the so-called 'Hindu Renaissance' which bynow has even attracted anthropological attention, at leastin the USA, but alas, none of the course units refers tothese significant developments .

There are also few references to Indian studies andHindu self-descriptions in these units . What comes acrossis perhaps more a Hinduism in the eyes of the West . Thereproach of being fragmentary, made by one of the contributorswith regard to anthropological studies, can in fact be appliedto the entire presentation . The most searching question israised by the fundamental dichotomy of the two books whichdivide the practices of 'village Hinduism' from the textualand conceptual approach of the 'patterns of liberation' withtheir highly developed belief system . Social and conceptualsystems are after all closely interrelated ; many practicesof village Hinduism are found in urban Hinduism too, andconceptual schemata may equally be present among thereligiously educated in the village . One must ask how far

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does this division not once again repeat the unfortunatedistinction of an earlier generation between 'popular' and'philosophical' Hinduism, though presented here in moresophisticated form?

'Sikhism : the voice of the guru' largely concentrateson the founder of Sikhism and his teachings . The book has aclear exposition and includes a detailed study of manyscriptural passages in new translations . They mainly focuson the religious experience and spiritual message whichprovided the basis for Sikhism . The discovery of this originalvision may prove an enriching experience for the studentbut the question remains whether such detailed attention tothe scriptures is not achieved at the neglect of social andpolitical aspects in the development of Sikhism . The latterare equally necessary for understanding Sikhism as we knowit, and the discussion of O'Dea's sociological essay on theparadoxes of institutionalization (included in the Reader)are not enough to achieve this although it provides somevaluable insights .

'Man's Religious Quest' has been designed as an inter-faculty arts and social sciences course . Perhaps this helpsto explain the emphasis on anthropological material in theunits and accompanying Reader . But would Hindus and Sikhsrecognize this treatment as a legitimate presentation of theirfaith today? The intensity and flavour of Hindu spiritualityin particular has perhaps not been given enough room althoughit occasionally comes across in certain texts, in Gandhi andAurobindo, and in the 'Hindu Testimony' presented on the radio .

Hinduism and Sikhism will not only be new to the studentsbut also to many tutors teaching this course . Their initialdifficulty in tackling the vast amount of information in theavailable short time has perhaps not been sufficiently takeninto account . To skip parts of the course will be a greattemptation . Instead of achieving an integrated vision,students may well be left with unconnected fragments andimpressions . As so often, more might have been achieved inthe end, had less been attempted at the beginning . However,the entire course represents a new venture which implies achange of scale and emphasis in offering religious studies forthe first time to a much larger group of students . With anongoing assessment of the materials and their communicationto new groups in society, we may hope that in due course thismay lead to still further innovation in what is a growingdiscipline .

Ursula KingUniversity of Leeds