Download Hinduism Questions Unit 1

Hinduism Questions
UNIT 1
Unit 1
4 Mark
Do You Think that only humans have a soul?
Yes I agree
1. Some religions teach that only human have a soul
2. Plant and animals are not superior enough to have a soul
3. Moksha can only be achieved through the existence of the soul and you need a
human carrier of the soul as it can achieve good karma through selfless actions
No I don’t agree
1. It is prescribed in the scripture that all living beings have a soul
2. The scripture also explain the relationship between atman and Brahman
Do you think that Vishnu is important?
Yes I agree
1. He is one of the Trimurti, the three most prominent gods in Hinduism.
2. He preserves and maintains the order of the universe
3. All avatars come from Vishnu
No I don’t agree
1. The neutral Brahman is the ultimate reality and so worship to Brahman would
be better
2. Worshipping other avatars is a distraction from Brahman
3. Avatars such as brahma and Shiva are just as important as they are also part of
the Trimurti
Do you think that Brahma is important?
Yes I agree
1. He is one of the Trimurti, the three most prominent gods in Hinduism.
2. He is the creator of the universe and all living beings and so is important.
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3. Worship to brahma leads to moksha.
No I don’t agree
1. The neutral Brahman is the ultimate reality and so worship to Brahman would
be better
2. Worshipping other avatars is a distraction from Brahman
3. Avatars such as Vishnu and Shiva are just as important as they are also part of
the trimurti
Do you think that the atman is important?
Yes I agree
1. The soul is eternal and never dies.
2. It travels from body to body-carrying KARMA on it.
3. Its ultimate aim to achieve liberation (moksha) and re-join with Brahman.
No I don’t agree
1. There is no evidence that a soul exists
2. Nothing exists apart form matter and the soul is claimed to be immaterial
Do you think that all living creatures have a soul?
Yes I agree
1. It is taught in the principle Hindu texts
2. There has to be some part of a living creature that survives death
3. Hinduism and other religions teaches that individuals have souls
No I don’t agree
1. There is no evidence for the existence of souls
2. Some religions teach that only human beings have a soul
3. Nothing exists
Hinduism Questions
Does it help to think as God as Female?
Unit 1
Yes I agree
1. In Hinduism, the female principle or shakti represents the power or energy or
energy of the divine
2. Male images of deities tend to encourage male-dominated societies
3. It helps females to identify with God
No I don’t agree
1. It does not matter how the divine are depicted
2. The divine is best represented as the fusion of the male and female principles
3. In Hinduism, the underlying teaching is that divine is Nirguna, without form
Do you think Aum symbol is important?
1. Using the Om symbol avoids ambiguity of using limited human language to
speak to the Transcendent
2. A, u & m can be used to represent the first 3 Vedas, trimurti, or essential
elements
3. The symbol itself is spiritually powerful and protective
4. It is uttered at beginning and end of prayers, mantras and acts of worship
5. It can be used as a name of Brahman
6. It is the first sound in the universe
Do you think Shiva is important?
1. He is the god of destruction and re-creation
2. He is one of the Trimurti
3. He represents one aspect of Brahman
4. He appears in various forms such as Shiva Nataraja, the lingum and Shiva Maha
Yogi
5. Descriptions of his iconic physical form or biographical details should be
credited separately
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Do you think the Trimurti is important?
1. They are the most important/ prominent Gods in Hinduism
2. They represent aspects of Brahman which underlies them Brahma – the
creator Vishnu the sustainer or preserver Shiva – the destroyer
3.
Each has a consort and a vehicle
Should Hindus Worship Ganesh?
1. He is the first son of Lord Shiva.
2. His head was removed by Shiva and replaced with that of an elephant.
3. He helps to remove obstacles from one’s life.
4. He is the doorkeeper of the universe.
5. He is the author of the Vedas.
6. He is accompanied by a rat.
7. His tusks – 1 is broken and 1 is intact representing perfection & imperfection
Do you think Shakti is important in Hinduism?
Yes I Agree
1. Shakti is the source of life in all living beings
2. Shakti is given form in all the goddesses worshipped by Hindus
3. Shakti brings balance into Hindu cosmology
No, I don’t agree
1. Divine power is more powerfully expressed through the male gods
2. The concept of Brahman as neuter is more fundamental
3. Shakti only has real prominence in a few sects such as the Shaktas
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Unit 1
Do you think Hinduism has too many Gods and Goddesses?
Yes I agree:
1.
2.
The multiplicity of deities in Hinduism is confusing
It is a distraction from proper worship of Brahman
No, I don’t agree:
1. It allows people to relate to the Godhead in a very personal way
2. Worshipping different aspects of Brahman can be more suited to particular
situations.
Do you think it is better to worship Brahman directly than to worship avatars?
Reasons For:
1. There is a danger that worshipping avatars could become an end in itself
2. Worshipping avatars is a distraction from or barrier to attaining moksha
Reasons Against:
1. Avatars are an important means by which humans can focus their worship on
various aspects of Brahman
2. Devotion to avatars helps working towards moksha
3. They are in Sagun form.
Do you think Moksh is important?
Yes I agree:
1. It is one of the main aims of the Hindu life
2. It is liberation from samsara
3. It provides life with purpose and meaning
No I don’t agree:
1. There is no proof that anything exists outside samsara
2. If it means identity with Brahman then one’s identity is lost
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3. Living forever inside samsara is a more attractive prospect
Do you think male gods are more important than female Goddesses?
Reasons for:
1. It is clear that male gods, such as trimurti, Krishna, and Ganesh, are more
prominent in Hindu worship and mythology than most goddesses
2. Images of gods are more popular than those of goddesses
Reasons against:
1. Gods and goddesses are equally important in that they are all expressions of the
divinity of the neutral Brahman
2. Some of the most important deities in Hinduism such as durga, lakshmi etc. are
female
Do you think that Hindus need Sagun Brahman?
1. Sagun = Brahman with a form and found in form which is easier for the devotee
to relate to, and focus/concentrate upon.
2. To ordinary people, the Nirguna Brahman is impossible and hard to understand.
3. Relation to the world, and to make BRAHMAN easily understandable we have
the Sagun Brahma.
4. To those less developed spiritually, and to the average men & women, the
concept of God has to be one with a form.
5. This allows concentration to be placed upon a murti or form of God during
worship
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8 Mark
Unit 1
Explain why dharma is important for Hindus.
1. To do one’s dharma is one of the aims of Hindu life
2. It is a means of attaining moksha
3. Sanatan dharma is the eternal law which guides moral behavior
4. One’s varnashrama dharma delineates one’s earthly duties according to birth
and stage in life
5. It forms the basis of many important Hindu texts regarding how one should live
and behave
Explain why samsara is important for many hindus?
1. It supports the Hindu view that life is in a cycle
2. Rebirth may appear to be attractive but humans have to escape the wheel of
time
3. It is important to escape samsara as it is the main barrier to moksha
4. All actions in the world of samsara are subject to karma
Explain why the Aum symbol is important for Hindus?
1. Using the Om symbol avoids ambiguity of using limited human language to
speak to the transcendent
2. A, u & m can be used to represent the first 3 Vedas, trimurti, or essential
elements
3. The symbol itself is spiritually powerful and protective
4. It is uttered at beginning and end of prayers, mantras and acts of worship
5. It can be used as a name of Brahman
6. It is the first sound in the universe
Hinduism Questions
Explain the Hindu belief in Brahman?
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1. Ultimate Reality found with Atman
2. Two forms Sagun (with form) Sagun – murti, avatar etc. easier to focus &
concentrate on
3. Nirgun (without form) Nirgun – internal true nature, focus for Raj & gnan yogis.
4. Advait – atman and Brahman = same
5. Dvait - atman and Brahman = two similar but different things
Explain the Hindu belief in the Trimurti?
1. They are the most important/ prominent Gods in Hinduism
2. They represent aspects of Brahman which underlies them
3. Brahma – the creator
4. Vishnu – the sustainer or preserver
5. Shiva – the destroyer
6. Each has a consort and a vehicle
Explain the importance of Avatars?
1. They are an expression of God’s power
2. They allow humans to relate to the transcendental Godhead
3. They allow us to witness God’s beneficence towards the world
4. Their variety of form allows worshipper to relate to God in a way which suits
the situation and Their personality
5. They allow for the veneration of such individual as Ramakrishna as avatars
Explain why Krishna is important for Hindus?
1. He is one of the most popular avatars of Lord Vishnu.
2. Devotion to Krishna is a way to moksha
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3. He is believed to have the power to overcome evil and bring harmony to the
world
4. His teachings are contained in the Bhagavad Gita
5. As Ishvara Krishna he is important to many bhakti yogis/groups
6. The devotion shown to him by Radha and the gopis is an example to all Hindus
Explain the Hindu beliefs about Ganesh?
1. He is the first son of Lord Shiva.
2. His head was removed by Shiva and replaced with that of an elephant.
3. He helps to remove obstacles from one’s life.
4. He is the doorkeeper of the universe.
5. He is the author of the Vedas.
6. He is accompanied by a rat.
7. His tusks – 1 is broken and 1 is intact representing perfection& imperfection
Explain why female deities are important for many Hindus?
1. Female deities – idea of God as feminine power – shakti
2. Popular with many Hindus, as seeing feminine power as energy driving the
universe
3. Essential nature of every physical object in the universe , Shakti
4. They are often more sensitive to the devotees needs and hence gather more
favour
5. Examples – Lakshmi – pujan at Diwali to ask for wealth...
6. Examples - Saraswati – pujan to attain knowledge
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Explain the Hindu beliefs about Lakshmi?
1. Consort of Vishnu
2. Goddess of Beauty, Prosperity (wealth) and benevolence(love)
3. Wears a red/pink sari
4. Holds a lotus in 2 hands, and money flowing from other 2 hands
5. Money flowing represents offerings to devotees
6. Particularly worshipped at Diwali - Lakshmi Pujan
Explain why karma is important for many Hindus?
1. It is the law of cause and effect
2. It dictates one’s position within and progress through samsara
3. Acquisition of good karma will result in progress of the atman towards
moksha • Acquisition of bad karma will bind the atman to samsara
4. It is the basis of varnashrama dharma and sanatana dharma
5. The law of karma is fundamental to the Hindu view of the empirical universedetermines how we act in the world and how we see it.
6. It is the basis of Hindu ethics
Explain the Hindus beliefs about Moksh?
1. It is 1 of the 4 aims of a Hindu’s life (dharma, artha, kama, MOKSHA.)
2. It is the attainment of the ultimate goal in Hinduism
3. It is liberation from samsara (cycle of birth & death)
4. It may comprise merging with Brahman
5.
It may comprise entering into eternal co-union with God.(i.e. living with God
forever)
6. It may be attained in different ways
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Explain why Moksh is important for many Hindus?
1. Its attainment is one of the aims of the Hindu life.
2. It is release/liberation from samsara.
3. It is union/co-union with Brahman. It represents the fulfillment of all one’s
karmic and spiritual efforts.
4. It provides existence within samsara with purpose and meaning.
5. It is a goal/destiny, which is revealed in the sacred texts.
Explain the Hindu beliefs about Karma?
1. It refers to the law of cause and effect within samsara
2. Karma dictates the nature of one’s rebirth(s) – (if bad now – will pay for it in
next birth)
3. Controlling one’s actions can directly affect the attainment of moksha (if good
now – can liberate from samsara)
4. 3 Types of Karma- Past Present Future What you’ve done shapes your
current birth, what do you do now will shape the next granny
Explain how Atman and Brahman are connected in Hinduism?
1. Atman is divinity of Brahman “residing” in all living creatures
2. The two are only separate within Samsara
3. The ultimate aim of life is to reunite Atman with Brahman
4. Some see atman and Brahman as 1 – (ADVAIT)
5. Some see atman and Brahman as 2 – (DVAIT) they share the same nature but
remain
6. Eternally separate (like a spark and a flame)
Explain why Hindus refer to their religion as Sanatan Dharma?
1. Hinduism is a limiting term which people can often only associate with the
spiritual side of the religion, hence ignoring the social & universal dharmas.
2. Sanatan Dharma is technically a better phrase for the religion as it is more
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ACCURATE.
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3. This is because it talks about the ETERNAL NATURE of the religion.
4. It is revealed by God so will always be eternal, via Vedas
5. Should mention briefly what each of the dharma are and represent.
Outline Hindu beliefs about Ganesh
1. He is the first son of Lord Shiva.
2. His head was removed by Shiva and replaced with that of an elephant.
3. He helps to remove obstacles from one’s life.
4. He is the doorkeeper of the universe.
5. He is the author of the Vedas.
6. He is accompanied by a rat.
Explain how the Gunas might affect one’s chance of reaching liberation (Moksh)
1.
One’s gunic make-up, as dictated by actions in previous lives is central to
having qualities necessary to attain moksha
2.
Sattvic people are more likely that tamsic people to attain moksha
4.
Rajas and Tamas bind us (our atman) strongly to samsara
3.
The gunas pervade all of samsara so our choices of food etc. will affect our
progress towards moksha
Explain how the three Gunas help Hindus to understand human nature?
1. The three gunas – Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas all have differing physical and
mental qualities.
2. Sattva will create a peaceful mind and be best suited for devotional or godcentered practices. This will allow you to do actions leading to Moksha.
3. Rajas will create a very active mind best suited for indulging in the worldly
attractions. This will keep you bound to Samsara.
4. Tamas will create ignorance & inertia and breed laziness and anger
physically. This will also bind you to Samsara.
5. Foods you eat will affect your qualities and hence gunas, e.g. Milk (Sattva),
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Meat (rajas), Rotten food (Tamas).
6. The 3 gunas therefore allow you to determine the characteristics of Human
nature when one has understood how each can pervade someone and change
them physically and mentally. By assessing the foods people eat you can also
predict the type of nature they may behold.
Explain how Karma may affect a Hindu attitude to life?
1.
Karma is the law of cause and effect
3.
GOOD DEEDS = Good Karma, helps for moksha
2.
4.
5.
6.
It shapes decisions by what actions that he does
BAD DEEDS = Bad Karma which binds you to samsara
This helps one of the 4 aims of life Moksha
It is said in the sacred texts e.g. Bhagwat Gita
Hinduism Questions
6 Mark
Unit 1
“Avatars make it easier to believe in God”
1. They are an expression of God’s power
2. They allow humans to relate to the transcendental Godhead
3. They allow us to witness God’s beneficence towards the world
4. Their variety of form allows worshipper to relate to God in a way which suits
the situation and their personality
5. They allow for the veneration of such individual as Ramakrishna as avatar
“It is better to worship Brahman directly that to worship Avatars”
Reasons For:
1. There is a danger that worshipping avatars could become an end in itself
2. Worshipping avatars is a distraction from or barrier to attaining moksha
Reasons Against:
1.
2.
Avatars are an important means by which humans can focus their worship on
various aspects of Brahman
Devotion to avatars helps working towards moksha
“We are who we are there is no point in trying to change ourselves”
Supporting this statement:
1. Our nature is dictated by the karmic effects of previous lives and is, therefore,
beyond our control
2. If we try to change ourselves, we would just have to repeat things in our next
life
3. Our nature is entirely dictated by the karmic effects of previous lives
4. We cannot change the person we are now, only what we may become
5. You can’t change your genetic make-up
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Not supporting this statement:
Unit 1
1. Despite the fact that we carry a ‘karmic burden’ we have the freedom, indeed
the duty, to improve ourselves by our choices and actions
2. Some forms of Hinduism teach that karma can be overcome in this Life
3. Despite our karmic burden we have the freedom to change
4.
5.
It is our duty, (dharma) to make changes to who we are in order to progress
towards moksha
We should try to change ourselves to make life better to achieve good karma
“Lying is always wrong”
Reasons for supporting this statement could be:
1.
2.
Truthfulness is one of the four main duties of all Hindus
Eventually the karmic effects of not telling the truth will catch up with you
Reasons for not supporting this statement could be:
1.
2.
There may be occasions when telling the truth could cause offence or harm to
someone
If one’s reasons for not telling the truth are good then the karmic results may
be positive
“All religions are really following Sanatan Dharma”
Reasons For:
1.
2.
If there is only one God/first cause then everything in the universe must be
operating according to one set of universal imperatives
If there is only one God then all religions must, ultimately, be worshipping
that God
Reasons Against:
1.
2.
It might be that some religions, although important on earth now, are
actually mistaken in their thinking
The Hindus might be mistaken in assuming that the sanatan dharma is as
they believe
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“Moksha is important”
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Yes because
1. It is one of the main aims of the Hindu life
2. It is liberation from samsara
3. It provides life with purpose and meaning – something to live for.
No because
1. There is no proof that anything exists outside samsara- what’s really out
there?
2. If it means identity with Brahman then one’s identity is lost
3. If you merge with God, you are no longer “you” living forever inside samsara
is a more attractive prospect
“Some people are born good others are born evil”
Yes because,
1.
Past karma has shaped future reincarnation
3.
Your body is what is bad not your soul
2.
If you were born to good parents or evil parents they would have an
influence on you
No because
1. Before Brahman every atman is born equal
2. Baby’s are all equal as they have no knowledge
3. You atman is never affected the body is what gets good/bad karma
“Avatars are fairy tale stories”
Yes because,
1. The are hard to believe
2. The perform miracles like lifting mountains that people don’t believe
3. Physically not believable like monkey or
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No because,
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1. They are named in the sacred texts such as the BG
2. They are descended from Brahman
3. The help to moksha 1 of the 4 aims
4. They came to defeat evil
“Everyone can escape from the wheel of life”
Yes because,
1. The wheel of life is samsara
2. Good deeds, karma to achieve moksha
3. Moksha is one of the 4 aims of life and is the ONLY escape
4. Al casts can achieve through bhakti you
No because,
1.
Not enough karma to achieve moksha
3.
Karma and bhakti yoga is only preparation towards jnana yoga
2.
Casts allow you to measure status towards moksha
“Krishna is the supreme Lord”
Yes
1.
This is what is taught in the Gita
3.
Groups such as ISKON worship Krishna as the supreme lord.
2.
No
Many vaishanavites are devotees of Lord Krishna
1.
Krishna is an avatar of Vishnu
3.
The ultimate Brahman is without form or gender
2.
Followers of other religions believe in their own deities
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“Moksha Should be the goal of life for everyone”
Yes I agree
1.
Liberation from samsara is the goal of life for all Hindus
3.
Other human goals are distractions from moksha
2.
Other human goals, such as happiness and pleasure only lead to temporary
satisfaction
No I don’t agree
1.
Not everyone interprets moksha in the same way
3.
Plenty of people find contentment and happiness in other goals
2.
Some people believe that there is no such thing as moksha