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Answers Chapter 4: Hinduism (Preliminary) Activities (p. 78) 1 What is the origin of the word ‘Hinduism’? Comes from the Persian word Sindoo, which was the early name given to the northern reaches of the Indus River 2 How has the meaning of the word ‘Hinduism’ changed over time? In time the name came to be associated with a range of religious beliefs and practices. It has only been comparatively recently that the term ‘Hinduism’ has become a collective term for all those related beliefs and practices 3 Who do Hindu followers believe founded their religious tradition? They believe that it has always been there – there is no founder. Perhaps God initiated the tradition through revelation of the Vedas to the ancient sages. 4 Research the Harappan civilisation and outline how different they were from the Aryans. This is best done by searching an internet site for more information on the Harappan civilisation and then making the comparison. Activities (p. 78) 1 What are the Vedas? They are a collection of sacred scriptures. The word ‘veda’ means sacred knowledge. They are believed to be a part of the wisdom that God naturally possesses. This wisdom being revealed to the ancient sages. 2 Why were the Vedas also called Shruti? ‘Shruti’ means ‘what was heard’, so the Shruti are ‘what was heard’ by the sages through the sacred wisdom of God. Oxford Studies of Religion ISBN 9780195568011 © Oxford University Press Australia 3 Why do Hindus call their religious tradition Sanatana Dharma? The term refers to the Eternal Law or Dharma and means ‘the eternal way of right living’. This terminology comes from the ancient Sanskrit language. The implication is that it comes directly from God. Modern Indian usage can use either term ‘Sanatanan Dharma’ or ‘Hinduism’. Activities (pp.79-80) 1 Outline the story of Vishnu as told in the Vedas. Approached by the other gods to deal with the demon God ‘Bali’, Vishnu agreed and took the form of a dwarf. He tricked Bali by asking for the amount of space he could cover in three steps. Bali agreed thinking it would be very little. Then Vishnu changed himself into a giant. His first step covered the whole earth, his second the heavens. For his third step he stood on Bali’s head pushing him down under the earth 2 Why did Vishnu become more popular with time? To answer this question you will need to do some more reading and come up with your own answer. Consider the above story. Think about what it would mean to be considered omnipotent. Also think about his avatars. 3 Name and describe each avatar of Vishnu. Briefly outline the significance of each. I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X Matsya,the fish that saved humanity from the flood Kurma, the turtle carried the world on his back Varaha, the boar raised the earth with his tusks Narasimha, half-lion, defeated evil demons Vamana, the dwarf that defeated he demons Rama fights against evil in the world and upholds virtue and law Parasurama (Rama with an axe) defeated the warrior caste Krishna is renowned as a warrior, a teacher and a lover The Buddha, the ‘enlightened one’ and founder of Buddhism Kalki, who will appear riding a white horse, is yet to come. Activities (p. 82) 1 In what ways s Shiva different from Vishnu? Vishnu is associated with world order whereas Shiva is a god of passion. Shiva represents the turning away from the world. Oxford Studies of Religion ISBN 9780195568011 © Oxford University Press Australia 2 Look at the representations of Shiva in Figures 4.4 and 4.6 on page 81. What are the similarities and differences? The table has been started for you. Similarities both are images of Shiva as Lord of the Dance same body position hair flows out both have one foot standing on the demon of the ego. one hand pointing t the raised foot, indicating liberation from the world of birth and death Shiva Fig 4.4 human holds a trident one hand holding a drum difficult to see facial features Shiva Fig 4.6 stylised no trident difficult to see whether or not he is holding a drum surrounded by ring of fire representing the universe difficult to see facial features Activities (p. 84) 1 Research the significance of each of the following attributes of Ganesha and prepare a visual display identifying the attribute and its meaning: Large ears and head: listen carefully and think big Elephant’s trunk: efficiency and adaptability Large stomach: peacefully digest all that is good and bad in life One leg folded and the other on the ground: the bent leg is not touching the ground, indicating that he is liberated from the world of birth and death; the foot on the ground is trampling his ego Food at feet and rice bowl: prasada - the whole world is at your feet and yours for the asking Rat/mouse: desire, unless under control, can cause one havoc; don’t allow your desires to take over. Axe: used to cut off all bonds of attachment Rope: used to pull you nearer to the highest goal 2 Explain the symbolism of the following when depicting the God Krishna. The following has been started for you. Blue skin: the colour of the shy Yellow garments: these symbolise intelligence Peacock feather: symbol of beauty and knowledge Jewelled crown: a mark of royalty White calf: milk cow Oxford Studies of Religion ISBN 9780195568011 © Oxford University Press Australia 3 Who is Hanuman? Describe this god. Why do you think he is so popular? In Ramayana 11th incarnation of Shiva Sometimes called Bajrang Bali because his body was said to be hard like a vajra (thunderbolt) He is depicted as a monkey – the wisest, strongest and fastest of all apes. He helped Lord Rama in his war against evil by leading a group of monkeys to fight the demon king Ravana The life story of Hanuman can be found on the internet. Example answers for second part: He symbolises physical strength, perseverance and devotion. In the Ramayana it was his task to find Sita (Rama’s wife). He is a helper in time of troubles. He is the epitome of devotion to his master, Lord Rama. Activities (p. 86) 1 What do Hindus understand by the term Dharma? A set of values that supports and sustains normal life – a person’s religious duty. It may be universal or personal duty. 2 Explain the term karma. Sometimes karma is referred to as the law of cause and effect. A person experiences the results of there actions. It is linked to the teaching of reincarnation. Not all consequences happen in one lifetime. 3 What is understood by the term ‘moksha’? Why is it important for a Hindu person to achieve this? Moksha is the liberation from samsara. This is important as it means the knowledge of identity of the innermost Self with the Absolute Spirit. 4 Prepare a poster of the four yogas using dot points to describe the key features. Student work will vary, but key features of the four yogas that could be included are: i Hatha yoga – physical exercises to improve health; preparation for meditation ii Jnana yoga – the path to knowledge iii Bhakti yoga – the practice of worshipping the devine iv Karma yoga – discipline of action based on the Bhagavad Gita Oxford Studies of Religion ISBN 9780195568011 © Oxford University Press Australia Activities (p. 89) 1a, b Name the four Vedas and outline the subject matter of each Rig Veda – contains the most important collection of hymns Yajur Veda – also known as the Sacrificial Veda because it contains the words of the rituals used by the priests when sacrificing an animal to the gods; also gives details about musical accompaniment to these rituals Sama Veda – contains mantras. Uses a musical setting to reflect on the contents of the Rig Veda Arthava Veda – contains incantations and spells as well as hymns 1c Explain the significance of the Upanishads They are concerned with the Ultimate Reality. They teach about one spiritual reality – Brahman, the one Being that is the essence of all things. The innermost self or Atman is the same as Brahman. 2 What are the Samhitas? They are a collection of hymns. 3 Name the two great Hindu epics. When were they written and what are they about? The Ramayana Written 6–5 BCE It highlights highlight the importance of moral values, especially truth. It is the story of Rama, banished by his own father and his struggle with the demons that annoy forest dwellers. The Mahabharata Written 5 BCE It is the longest poem in the world. It is about Hindu life, religion, thought and culture. It is about five brothers who lose their kingdoms to their step-brothers at a gambling match. If they could live in the jungle for 12 years, and then one year incognito somewhere else, they could have their kingdom back. But the step-brothers refused to return the kingdom. Both sides battle each other for 18 days before the five brothers are victorious. The interwoven stories provide guidelines for proper conduct. The Ramayana is a tapestry of Hindu life and lore of ancient times. Oxford Studies of Religion ISBN 9780195568011 © Oxford University Press Australia Activities (p. 92) 1 Why was the time of the epics important to the evolution of Hinduism? It was a turning point in Hindu society, with the emergence of Vishnu and Shiva as the predominant Gods. They were composed at a significant time in the development of Hinduism. It was the time when the class system was starting to develop. The epics gave people a sense of history and tradition, and provided a body of moral teaching. 2 What is referred to as Smriti literature? Remembered tradition – everything except the Vedas 3 Why do you think the ‘Ramayana’ is the most popular epic? It is a heroic story that highlights moral values. 4 What is the great epic tale ‘The Mahabharata’ about? See Activities p.89 q.2 5 The Bhagavad Gita, or ‘Song of the Lord’, is the best known of the Hindu scriptures. Discuss why it is so important to Hindu people. It occurs at a crucial point in ‘The Mahabharata’ when the battle is about to begin. It is the teachings that Krishna gives to Arjuna. It brings together the various strands of Hinduism that had developed at this point: the teachings of the Upanishads, of the Vedic rituals, with devotional worship and surrender to God. Activities (p. 94) 1 What are the four social classes or ‘varnas’ and which had access to the Vedas? Brahmins – the priests and scholars Kshatriyaas – rulers and warriors Vaishyas – traders and farmers Shudras – the labourers Only the first three had access to the varnas. The others were not considered pure enough because of the type of work they did Oxford Studies of Religion ISBN 9780195568011 © Oxford University Press Australia 2 Why were some people excluded? A person had to be born into a particular varna. A person could be excommunicated from a caste. 3 Why were the Laws of Manu a compromise? They are guidelines rather than laws, composed by the Brahmins. 4 Were the same ethics applied to all classes? If this was not the case, explain how they differed. Different rules applied to different varnas. <need an explanation of how they differed> 5 Why did the Brahmins write the Laws of Manu? They were an attempt to guide society toward the ancient Vedic way of the dharma Activities (p. 95) 1 How does family heritage influence the family’s devotional practices? Sometimes a family god/goddess is a result of family tradition being handed down from one generation to the next. Other people may honour a god of individual choice. Whoever the family deity is will determine the requirements of the devotional practice. 2 What is puja and when is it peformed in the home? Puja is worship. It is performed in the home more often than in a temple. Most people only go to the temple on special occasions. Home puja is usually performed first thing in the morning or in the evening. 3 Describe the physical act of puja Prayers are chanted and the god is invited to come and dwell within the image for the duration of worship. Flowers are placed before the image in offering. Then a seat, water and fresh clothes are symbolically offered to the deity. Other offerings include incense and sandalwood paste. Then worship takes place. This includes recitation of the holy names of the deity (if there is time). Incense is held near the deity’s face and a bell is rung. Food is offered and the bell s rung again. Camphor is lit and the flame is waved clockwise in front of the deity, the bell is rung and sacred chanting takes place. The worshippers prostrate Oxford Studies of Religion ISBN 9780195568011 © Oxford University Press Australia themselves in front of the image, then sit, meditate, take some flowers dipped in sandalwood paste and place them on the image while chanting to request the deity to leave. The end of the puja is signalled by ringing the bell with the right hand. 4 Debate the following: Every Hindu should follow the same puja at home? For the debate, the class should read pages 94 and 95. It is suggested that students conduct further research on the different styles of worship for the different deities. They will need to look into why people perform puja in different ways before the topic can be debated. 5 Look at the photograph on page 94 and identify all the elements present. Explain their purpose in the puja. One way of doing this would be to draw up a table such as that below and fill it in accordingly. This one has been started for you. Element purpose Statue of Ganesha Image of deity Fruit offering Bell To alert the deity Container for sandalwood paste Pen and ink Oxford Studies of Religion ISBN 9780195568011 © Oxford University Press Australia