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Indian American Parveen Chopra introduces Hinduism to NY school students
He educated them on the basics of Hinduism and cleared common misconceptions regarding the faith.
Parveen Chopra, Founder of ALotusInTheMud.com and a former Editor of The South Asian Times. explains the basics of Hinduism to students of Calhoun High School in Merrick using a whiteboard. / Parveen Chopra
Parveen Chopra, Indian American founder of the wellness and spirituality magazine ALotusInTheMud.com, introduced Hinduism to ninth-grade students at Sanford H. Calhoun High School in Merrick, NY.
His presentation on March 24 was part of a multi-faith forum program at the school aimed at promoting an understanding of major world faiths.
Anu Bindra presented on Sikhism in the schools. / Parveen ChopraDuring his presentation to each group, Chopra shed light on the basics of Hinduism and educated students on sacred symbols such as Om and Swastika, including how to distinguish it from the Nazi Hakenkreuz.
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He also informed them that Yoga originated in Hinduism and includes meditation as an integral part, despite the common association of yoga with physical postures. He ended his presentation with a short guided meditation.
Sanaa Nadim was the presenter for Islam in the Suffolk County schools. / Parveen Chopra
Clearing some common misconceptions about Hinduism, such as the belief that it promotes renunciation, Chopra shared that it prescribes four endeavors of life—Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha—and states that the pursuit of material things and fulfilling desires should be in alignment with dharma (righteousness), which will lead to moksha (salvation).
He further shared with the students some common themes in Hinduism and the three other faiths that originated in the Indian subcontinent, namely Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. The reincarnation-karma theory is one such theme, while the pursuit of liberation in this life is another.
Religious presenters with Timothy Dolan, Social Studies Chairperson of the Calhoun High School: (from left) Rev. Tim TenClay, Parveen Chopra, Cheryl Bennett and Daisy Khan / Parveen ChopraAnswering a teacher’s question on the caste system, Chopra acknowledged its ill effects on Indian society for a long time. However, he clarified that according to scriptures, it was originally called Varna Vyavastha and was based on social and economic roles, which over time became rigid and generational.
Interestingly, Chopra observed that only a handful of students could name the Vice President of America, J.D. Vance, and were oblivious to the fact that his wife, Usha Vance, is a practicing Hindu.
“Talking non-stop on my feet for six hours with one coffee and bagel break made me tip my hat to school teachers everywhere who do it day in and day out,” Chopra said of his experience.
Presenters on Christianity on the day were Rev. Tim TenClay and Cheryl Bennett, while for Islam, it was Daisy Khan. Timothy Dolan, social studies chairperson of the school, guided the students.
The Multi-Faith Forum was launched a few years ago to enhance students' understanding of belief systems as part of the 9th-grade global history and geography I curriculum. Each student attends a two-period session in the library and deepens their understanding of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Sikhism.
Student Reflections:
- On Hinduism: “I liked learning words in a new language (namaste) and learning more about meditation in the Hindu station.”
- On Islam: "Learning about fasting in Islamic culture helped me appreciate the importance of gratitude."
- On Sikhism: "I learned that Sikh community centers provide free vegetarian meals to thousands of people and that they emphasize helping others."
Similar programs were also conducted in two Suffolk County schools—Murphy Junior High School (March 11) and Gelinas Junior High School (March 18)—for all ninth-grade students.
From the Indian community, presenters included Anu Bindra (Sikhism), Narinder Kapoor, and Sangeeta Kulkarni (both Hinduism).
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