Hindu Practices Flashcards
What is a quote that represents moksha
‘When a man knows; God he is free’
What is a quote that shows how Gods aspect is chosen by the devotee
‘It is the love of the devotee that freezes…’
What is the appearance of the temple designed to represent
create a type of heaven where worshippers can be still and find the truth inside of themselves; antaryami
What does diva symbolise
darkness to light, ignorance to darkness
What might a worshipper do in a Mandir
- Offer gifts
- Circumambulation around the deity
- Puja
Meaning of Puja and examples
giving respect, offerings of flowers or money
Meaning of Arati and examples
an offering of light, ghee flame handed on the tray so worshippers can pass a hand over the flame and touch their eyes
Meaning of Darshan and examples
viewing with respect, greet deity with honour in return for blessings
Meaning of Havan and examples
a fire sacrifice to the fire God Agni, symbolic of sacrifice
What 2 important prayers are repeated during puja
Gayatri Mantra and Arti Prayer
Why is the Gayatri Mantra
oldest of divine hymns and believed to dispel all negative tendencies and awaken the atman
why and what do Hindus do for Lakshmi
-Rangoli pattern left outside door so she brings prosperity to the new year
goddess of wealth
What do lights symbolize in Diwali
- Victory of light over darkness
- Rama and Sita coming home
What happens during Holi
- Bonfires
- throw colour at each other like Lord Krishna
Why is there a bonfire for Holi
to celebrate the good devoted Prahlada over the evil sister Holika`
Why are cows a focus of worship in Hinduism
- cows are a symbol of the ever providing earth
- Krishna was a cow herder and one of his names Govinda means ‘one who brings satisfaction to Cows’
Why is the Banyan Tree a focus of worship in Hinduism
- Represents the Trimurti
- Resting place for Lord Krishna
‘of all trees, I am the Banyan Trees’ Bhagavad Gita
Why is the Himalayas a focus of worship for Hindus
’ of all the immovable things I am the mighty Himalayas’- Bhagavad Gita
The Himalayas referred to as devatama
The divine source of the sacred rivers like Ganga and Hindus
How doe a murti help Hindu worship, God
- Show devotion by feeding, washing and dressing it
- See beyond material and see the divine spirit in it
What is a quote to show why murtis are preferred?
from Bhagavad Gita
’ worship of the unmanifested is exceedingly difficult for embodied being’
Bhagavad Gita
What must a guru be
- well versed
- overcome all human desires
- be sincere and honest
What is a quote to show how Gurus help people reach moksha
’ the pearl is found in the oyster and the oyster is in the sea. The diver brings it up. No one else has the power to do this.’
What are the 4 paths of Yoga
Bhakti yoga - path of love
Karma yoga- path of selfless action
Jnana yoga- path of knowledge
Astanga yoga- path of meditation
What does Karma Yoga consist of
to do good things and free the soul from selfish desires
e.g. giving to charity, cleaning up for environment
What does Jnana Yoga consist of
give up on worldly pleasures to focus on the mind and the nonpersonal nature of God
e.g. believing human divisions are Maya and make no differenced
What does Astanga Yoga consist of
Focus on finding God within the heart through intense meditation
What does Bhakti Yoga consist of
focuses on loving service and worship of a personal God
e.g. meditating before an image of rama and Krishna each day
Why do People go to Varanasi
In order to purify themselves by bathing in the River Ganges
To perform a funeral procession and scatter ashes in the Ganges
Why is the River Ganges special
It is purifying water and flows from heaven
Dying here breaks the cycle of moksha
What is Kumbh Mela
Largest pilgrimage in the world as sadhus lead everyone into a mass bathing
every 12 years at Paruaga mythical river Saraswati thought to join Ganges and Yamuna rivers
Why is Kumbh Mela special
- Mass bathing on the day of the new moon said to release people from moksha
What do Hindus see the environment as
they see it as a natural sequence with everything in a cyclical pattern
(represents tri-murti)
What Hindu principle is applied to the environment
the teaching of ahimsa; treat earths resources with respect
What is an example of Hindu conservation
Neasden temple, 2300 young trees planted in Devon
Hindu pilgrimage sites become sustainable through Green Pilgrim
What is a quote that shows Brahman in nature
’ In the unfolding of his own nature he makes all things blossom into flower and fruit’
What story shows what Hindus should do when something is damaging the environment
Story of Krishna defeating poisonous serpent is a metaphor for damage done to the enviroment and dharma to fix it
Why are cows sacred in Hinduism
- Krishna was a cowherd
- Cows provide for us completely and are docile
- Vedas forbid killing cows
What is a goshalla and name on in the UK
Goshallas are cow retirement homes
Bhaktivedanta Manor
How did the tree-hugging movement start
1730, 300 women hugged tree but were killed
What is the Chipko Movement
group of peasant women hugging trees in 1974
spread throughout India and forced regional government to care more
What is the Vrindavan Forest Project
Lord Krishna lived there so conservation from industrial damage
What is dana
giving anything, could be anna dana (giving food)
What is sewa
selfless service
Quote to show sewa
‘Gift derived from Good seeks no returning grace but gives because ‘it must be done’ to worthy ones and time and place’.
Quote to show how much hindus should give back
‘one may amass wealth with hundreds of hands, but one should also distribute it with thousands of hands’ Atharva Veda 3.24-5
What is Sewa International
an organisation to empower women workers to full time employment
What is Smile Foundation
helps the poor in India through healthcare.skills training and livelihood and education for youth
