Study of faiths during PDS trip to India includes surprise encounter

The Dalai Lama caps a journey with many spiritual connections.

By: Rachel Silverman
   This spring break, while their peers spent lazy days strolling down Nassau Street and basking outside in Palmer Square, 22 Princeton Day School students traversed the Indian continent to absorb themselves in the study of Asian religion.
   There, among the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas, they also lucked into a chance encounter with the Dalai Lama.
   "We knew the Dalai Lama was in town," said PDS teacher David Freedholm, who led the two-week India excursion. "But it’s very difficult to get to see him. He’s very, very busy, and his staff kind of guard him jealously," he said.
   "Finally, someone told us if you go into the courtyard, you might be able to get a glimpse of him," the religion and philosophy instructor continued.
   Heeding this advice, the group rushed over to a village square, where they were just in time to watch the holy leader glide over to a Buddhist temple.
   "Everyone was told to kneel along the fenceline. It was a very special chance. Not many people get to see him. Just catching a glimpse of him was a big thrill," Mr. Freedholm said, recalling the group’s excursion to the Tibetan Buddhist colony of Dharamshala.
   Seeing the Dalai Lama was not the students’ only moment of spiritual connection, however, as they also spent time immersing themselves in the Hindu tradition.
   "We lived at an ashram, which is a retreat community, in Rishikesh, a pilgrimage spot on the Ganges River northeast of Delhi," Mr. Freedholm said, referring to a four-day visit to the refuge. "We participated in a variety of activities there. A meditation class, a yoga class, a religious service.
   "I think the kids maybe enjoyed that the most, because they were not just tourists," Mr. Freedholm said. "They got to be a part of the life of that community and see it from the inside."
   A several-day tour around New Delhi rounded out the trip itinerary and added even more Asian religious traditions to the mix.
   "We were able to hit a number of other faiths as well while in Delhi," Mr. Freedholm said, citing a Baha’i temple and Islamic mosque among the destinations. "India is a nice place to get a sense of a number of religions," he continued. "India has a pluralistic tradition, much like the U.S., so you have Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Jainism and Sikhism, among others," the Princeton Theological Seminary graduate explained.
   For Mr. Freedholm, who has traveled the Indian subcontinent seven times, this trip constituted yet another return to old stomping grounds.
   "We took the first group to India and Nepal in spring of 2001," he said, referring to an earlier PDS trip he chaperoned. "After Sept. 11, we wanted to go back, but everyone got skittish about traveling."
   Though the hiatus took longer than anticipated, Mr. Freedholm said this recent trip was well worth the wait.
   "India’s just so different in nearly every respect," he explained. "The kids were kind of wide-eyed for a while. They can’t kind of believe what they’re seeing," he said. "There are so many cultural things that have to be explained and unpacked."
   The PDS community provides students ample opportunities to explore the nature and belief systems of various Asian religions.
   "We have a one-year religious requirement here," Mr. Freedholm said. "In ninth grade, students can take either World Religions or The Bible. Later, in 11th or 12th grade, they choose between Ethics or World Philosophy," he said.
   "Taking students to India only gives them a wider way to experience a religion as it appears in a culture vastly different than ours," Mr. Freedholm continued. "Some of the kids may fall in love with India — like I have," he added softly.