Hindu practices Flashcards
Puja
worship
Bhakti
to give love and devotion to Brahman or a deity
Murti
a statue or image of a deity used in worship
shrine
a sacred space usually in the home used for wordhip
mandir
temple
darshan
viewing a holy image or statue or site
guru
holy teachers who offer guidance and teaching
pilgrimage
a journey to/around a sacred place or a place of religious importance
pilgrim
a person who goes on a pilgrimage
penance
doing something to make up for something/rid yourself of bad karma
yoga
spiritual pathway a person follows through life
karma yoga
the path of selfless action
astanga yoga
the path of meditation
bhakti yoga
the path of devotion
jnana yoga
the path of knowledge
festival
religious celebration, usually remembering a particular event or deity
diwali
hindu new year festival in october/november. celebrating the deity lakshmi and the story of rama and sita
Holi
Hindu spring festival in February/March. Celebrating good overcoming evil and the story of Prahlada
Ahimsa
Non-violence towards humans,animals and the environment
Stewardship
the belief that the world belongs to god and humans have a responsibility to care for it
Sustainability
Only using natural resources at a rate at which they can be replaced
Goshalla
A cow sanctuary, caring for cows that are sick and/or old
Tree Hugging
A form of protest where people link arms around a tree to prevent it being cut down
Social Justice
Ensuring that society is fair to all people
Inclusion
Ensuring that all people are equally valued and included in society
Dana
Giving: 4 ways to give; give to family, give to society, give to the world, give to God
Sewa
Selfless service: Hinduism teaches that part of dana is selfless service to those in need
Arati ceremony
Main ceremony to happen in a temple. Hindus show love & devotion to the deities by waving candles at murtis and singing prayers. Symbolises receiving blessings from deities, offering everything they have to the deity as sometimes offering are made in the ceremony
Havan ceremony
Fire sacrificed performed to the deity Agni (God of fire). The fire cleanses bad energy and allows them to focus more on Brahman and less on material in the world.
Japa/Mantra
Mantra is a chant and Japa describes the action of changing. A string of beads is used to count how many times the prayer is sang through. Japa focuses the mind on God and forget everything else in the world.
Bhajan/Kirtan
Singing hymns or prayers. Kirtan is singing a song to tell a story (like Rama and Sita). Normally done as a group event
Ashram
A place where Hindus live together away from the rest of society
Sadhu
An ascetic
Circumambulation
Walking around a holy site, often whilst chanting or praying
Celibacy
Giving up sexual activity whilst on pilgrimage as a sign of commitment to God
Varanasi
Pilgrimage site, where Earth and heaven meet, built on the river Ganges, believe to be founded by Shiva, lots of people go when close to death as it will give their atman a greater chance of reaching Moksha
Ghat
A series of steps leading down to a body of water
