Hindu scriptures taught by University of Wyoming

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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The University of Wyoming’s (UW) prestigious Summer High School Institute (HSI) reportedly taught ancient Hindu scriptures Mahabharata and Ramayana in its Laramie (USA) campus.

The curriculum of this class titled “The Hindu Epic” included: “This course will examine how the great ancient epics, The Mahabharata and the Ramayana,…still shape ideas about identity and devotion in the modern world”. It also included learning about Hindu gods, Hindu worship, etc.

Grace Henderson, who was among over 80 top sophomores from 50 Wyoming school districts attending HSI, was quoted on the UW website in the related newsitem: My favorite class is the ‘Hindu Epic’.

Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, applauding University of Wyoming for including Hindu scriptures in this prestigious program, called it “a step in the right direction”.

Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out that opening-up the top Wyoming highschoolers to major world religions would make them well-nurtured, well-balanced, and enlightened citizens of tomorrow. It also made a good business sense to know the beliefs of “others” in a global community. Moreover, students should have knowledge of the entire society to become full participants in the society, Zed added.

Highly selective 26-years old HSI, a three-week summer residential program ending June 30, “is designed to offer intellectually talented high school students a challenging and enriching educational experience on the University of Wyoming campus”. It is said to be a gathering of “Wyoming's most intellectually talented sophomores” and “gifted students”. “The primary purpose of the program is to draw talented Wyoming high school sophomore students to the university for an intensive examination of unanswered questions and unresolved challenges”, according to HSI webpage. “The Hindu Epic” class was taught by Assistant Professor Barbara Logan, while Duncan Harris and Rene Sanchez were Director and Project Coordinator respectively of HSI.

Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal.

University of Wyoming in Laramie, founded in 1886, is a nationally recognized research institution, ranked among the nation's top colleges and universities and is stated to be one of the top "adventure colleges”. With about 13,000 students from all 50 states and over 90 countries, it offers 190 areas of study. Notable alumni include Vice President Dick Cheney, quality control pioneer W. Edwards Deming and novelist Cheryl Holt. David J. Bostrom heads its Board of Trustees while Tom Buchanan is the President.