Gita wisdom along with Bible in Texas schools sought

India Post News Service

CHICAGO: Indians feel that it is fine to incorporate Bible teachings in Texas elementary public schools as long as wisdom from ancient Sanskrit scripture Bhagavad-Gita is included.

Rajan Zed, who has read invocations in Fort Worth City Council and US Senate and US House of Representatives, said that Bhagavad-Gita is a historically significant document, recognized throughout the world, and was a treasure that should be taught in elementary public school classrooms in Texas. This sacred text was plainly the word of God spoken by Lord Krishna himself.

Various well-known Americans; including essayist-philosopher Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), theoretical physicist credited with being the “father of the atomic bomb” J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904-1967), novelist-philosopher Aldous Huxley (1894-1963), essayist-poet Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), theoretical physicist Albert Einstein (1879-1955), etc.; were influenced by Bhagavad-Gita. It had inspired, fascinated, touched and impacted millions of readers worldwide over the centuries;

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, noted.

This philosophical and intensely spiritual poem Bhagavad-Gita considers the nature of action, the religious and social duty, the human relationship to God, the means of liberation, the nature of sacrifice, Rajan Zed observed

Awareness about other religions created by such instruction from Bhagavad-Gita in now religiously diverse Texas public school classrooms would make students of the state well-nurtured, well-balanced, and enlightened citizens of this country

Hinduism is the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about 1.2 billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about three million Hindus in the USA. There are large Hindu populations in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, Midland-Odessa, and other areas of Texas.

There is reportedly a proposal to use Bible teachings in Texas elementary public schools as an option.