Hinduism Practices Flashcards
Why Hindus worship?
Some Hindu thinkers teach that atman, or the soul, is always one with Brahman. While some
Hindus think that the atman and Brahman always remain separate.
Hindu thinkers debate whether the atman achieves moksha by a person’s own efforts, or by
the grace, through Brahman or another deity.
Stories from Hindu tradition- Hindu worship
A king in South India failed to welcome a wise man so was turned into an elephant called
Gajendra as punishment.
When Gajendra was bathing in the lake, a crocodile attacked him. Gajendra remembered
a prayer to Vishnu and recited them. Vishnu came and saved him on his giant eagle,
Garuda, and took him straight back to vaikuntha, the spiritual realms.
Where Hindus worship
Hindu holy books teach about ways of finding and worshipping God. The Upanishads
recommend performing yoga and meditation. The Bhagavad Gita describes a path of
knowledge, following through reading holy books, and a path of action, followed through
exercise that focus the mind and heart on God.
All these types of worship can be performed at home, at a shrine or in any sacred space
outdoors. Hindus generally agree that the way a person worships is not as important as the
love and devotion in their heart when they worship.
Every village and town in India has at least one temple or mandir. The appearance of a
temple is intended to create a kind of heaven on Earth, where worshippers can be still and
find the e truth within themselves, that is , worship in the space of the heart. A highly
decorated temple is thought to drive off evil forces.
Inside the temple you would expect to find a murti (image of a deity) and a shrine
dedicated to that deity. You would also find side rooms for preparing offerings, and a
special room at the entrance for the guardian or vehicle of the deity
How Hindus worship
Bhakti means loving devotion to God. It is one of the four paths of yoga and uses the
emotions to reach union with God.
Puja
means ‘giving respect and honour’ Hindu worship, be it in the temple, a shrine at home,
in the open air is called puja. Prayers are said in front of the chosen deity, represented by the
murti, worshippers make offerings of flowers, fruit, rice and money.
Ceremonies
The main ceremony of worship is called arati. During puja, an arati lamp and arati tray will
usually be used. An arati tray will usually have representations of the four elements: earth,
fire, air and water. The lamp is always lit and passed round the deity with prayers and songs.
Then the flame is handed round on a tray so that worshippers can pass their hands over the
flame, and touch their eyes to receive the blessing of the deity.
Hindus will often touch or kiss the steps of a shrine or the feet of a deity, or offer a greeting as
a sign of respect and honour. This is known as darshan. They will sign hymns, known as bhajan
or kirtan and chant mantras. Japa is one way of chanting mantras, using a string of beads to
focus the mind.
Havan is a fire sacrifice that is performed on special occasions to the god Agni. It is a symbol
of the rituals of animal sacrifice in ancient Hindu scriptures and is often used in Hindu
marriages.
Personal deities
Bhagavan means a personal lord that Hindus worship to make the Supreme Being easier to
access and understand. They choose personal deities based on natural affection or
connections to their daily life.
Family murtis at home shrines are treated with great respect. They are washed, have their
clothes changed and are offered food as a sign of care. Photographs of loved ones who
have died are also put in the shrine. A bell is rung to tell the deity when worshippers are
ready.
Home shrines are the cleanest rooms in the house. Hindus worship at dawn – the sound of
God, OM, should be the first thing spoken each day.
The Swastika
The swastika is an ancient Hindu symbol of the sun and
prosperity. Today its crooked branches symbolises that the
human mind is unable to understand the truths about
Brahman. It also points in every direction, to show that God is
present in every place, form and life.
Festivals are generally considered to fall into four main categories, though many cover more than one aspect:
•Celebrating a key event in the life of a deity
•Celebrating the birth, life and achievements of a Hindu saint
•Seasonal celebrations of life and nature
•Joyful celebrations of family relationships and the cycle of human life.
Diwali
5 days
September/ October
Celebrates a key event in the life of a deity
The goddess Lakshmi - to bring prosperity, or the story of Rama and Sita - to mark the victory of light over darkness, and good over evil.
It is also the start of the Hindu New Year.
Houses are spring-cleaned and decorated to welcome Lakshmi, lights are lit to light the path to the home. Gifts and new clothes are bought and exchanged.
Lamps and fireworks are lit to show the victory of good over evil.
Holi
2 days
February/March
Celebrates a key event in the life of a deity
The victory of Prahlad and Vishnu over the demon Holika. It also remembers the story of Krishna and the milkmaids.
Fires are lit to remember the story of Prahlad being protected by Vishnu.
People wear old clothes and throw coloured paint to remember the fun that Krishna and the milkmaids have.
Everyone can join in and normal standards of behaviour are forgotten.
Karma Yoga
• This is the path of unselfish action by
doing the daily work and particularly
the duties of your stage in life and
caste, without the desire for reward
or selfish gain.
• Talent and fulfilling your own
potential for the good of society is
considered to be the path of karma
yoga.
• Gandhi, who worked tirelessly and
selflessly in campaigns for Indian
independence and the upliftment of
the untouchables, was seen as the
ideal karma yogi
Bhakti yoga
• Bhakti is loving devotion, so Hindus
who choose this path choose to
express their beliefs through a loving
relationship with a personal deity.
• Yogis following this path will sing and
chant God’s name.
• The yogi is surrendering to their chosen
deity and feels the experience of
complete peace and love of God. By
doing this they get refuge from God
and believe it will lead them to
moksha
Jnana Yoga
• Jnana is the path of knowledge and
understanding.
• This is achieved through deep
meditation and an experience of
oneness with the supreme spirit,
Brahman.
• Yogis following this path focus on the
limitations of this temporary life and
so instead focus on what is eternal.
• They believe that through this
understanding and knowledge, they
will gain true wisdom, knowledge and
happiness.
Astanga Yoga
• This is also known as ‘royal yoga’ and
is regarded by many Hindus as the
highest form of yoga as it is fulfillment
of all of the other three ways.
• This is a form of self-control over both
the senses and the mind.
• Raja yoga involves deep
contemplation of Brahman.
• When success is achieved, the yogi’s
personality is transformed and they
are freed from anger, greed, envy
and sadness
A guru is expected to possess four qualities. He must:
• Be well versed in the scriptures
• Know about Brahman
• Have overcome all human desires
• Be honest, sincere and trustworthy.
A sadhu
is a wandering holy man. They are often seen at Kumbh Mela, leading the
procession of pilgrims into the water.
A sannyasin
is a religious hermit who has reached the last stage of life. They give up all
possessions and contact with family, and own only a begging bowl, stick and prayer beads.
They are highly respected as an example of austerity, meditation and prayer.
A swami
master of the senses’. They are know for being highly knowledgeable about
the Hindu scriptures and belong to a religious order.
Mata Amritanandamyi (known as Amma)
is a holy teacher who travels the world showing
love by hugging people.
Sathya Sai Baba
was a popular modern guru
who had 15 million followers worldwide. He had
an ashram in India where thousands of Hindus
would wait daily in the hope of seeing him.
Hindus go on pilgrimage for the following reasons:
To make amends for something they have done wrong.
To strengthen their faith and become closer to God.
To show how committed they are to their religion or a particular deity.
To make a spiritual journey on behalf of someone unable to do it for themselves.
To ask for help or healing
To find out about a holy place.
Because members of their family have always gone on a particular place on pilgrimage
To say thank you for something good that has happened.
Pilgrimage is part of their dharma or religious duty.
Because pilgrimage is open to everyone and there are no division of age, class or
gender.
Pilgrims do some of the following on pilgrimage:
Make offerings to God
Circumambulator the temple
Say prayers
Chant mantras
Spend time in the presence of the deity
Leave ashes of a loved one
Wash in holy water
Collect samples of water/earth etc.
Buy and wear special clothes
Shave heads
Walk barefoot
Remain celibate
Focus on God
Hindus go to the following places on pilgrimage:
Varanasi is the point where two holy rivers meet, the Ganges and the Yumana rivers. It is
considered the ‘City of Lord Shiva’ It’s where many Hindus go to reflect on the temporal
nature of this life and the ultimate goal of Moksha. Varanasi is considered, ‘the Gateway to
Moksha’, and death in the city is believed to bring immediate salvation. The city is famous for
its ghats, where the deceased are cremated at the edge of the river.
Kumbh Mela is the site of the world’s largest pilgrimage. It takes place in four different sites,
every three years, with a large festival at Prayaga every twelve years. This is a very holy river
crossing, where the Ganges and Yamuna rivers meet the mythical river Saraswati.
The festival remembers the spilling of the nectar of immortality during a battle between gods
and demons. Therefore, bathing in the water here brings purification.
If pilgrims bathe in the Ganges on the day of the new moon, they are believed to be
released from the cycle of samsara. Pilgrims make offerings of garlands of marigolds by
dropping them in the river for Mother Ganges. They also offer water by scooping it from the
river and letting it fall back through their fingers. Traditionally, naked sadhus smeared in ashes
and wearing marigold garlands, lead the procession into the river.
As well as the festivities, the Kumbh Mela is about devotion and passion. Hindus do not forget
their duty to pray and receive special blessings
Ahimsa
If God is present in everything Hindus believe they should everything respect. This is covered
by the key teaching of ahimsa – non-violence. Hindus believe that they should ‘tread
carefully on the earth’ meaning they should not use the world’s resources more than needed.
When Neasden Temple was built, 2,300 tress were planted in Devon to compensate for the
wood used.
The Divine Goddess
Within Hinduism the most common term for‘goddess’ is‘Devi’
, but this same power is also
commonly referred to as Shakti and Durga, among other names. Shakti is seen as the
female creative power alongside Brahman which is seen to have brought the universe into
being.
The earth provides all the nourishment and medicine needed to sustain creation. For this
reason, many Hindus see the earth as the Goddess Devi, the mother of us all.
Most Hindus are vegetarian because
• Killing animals for meat causes them to suffer
• Their breath which is used for uttering Holy scriptures, should not be linked to the killing of
animals.
• Animals are part of the life cycle and should not be harmed.
Cows are held to be sacred by Hindus for these reasons:
• Lord Krishna was a cowherd so many want to follow his example
• Cows give us enough nutrition for a complete diet.
• The cow looks after us better when alive than when died.
• The Vedas forbids the killing of cows.
• The bull is the animal on which Shiva rides and is a source of power.
Hindus look after cows that are old. In India, there are retirement homes for cows that are
old called goshallas, and charities to care for them
The Bhaktivedanta Manor Cow Protection Project
In the UK, there is a Hindu centre for cow protection that is run by the Hare Krishna
movement in the fields around their temple. It is called the Bhaktivedanta Manor Cow
Protection project. It stops cows being slaughtered unnecessarily, has a dairy farm and
visitor centre, and acts as a goshala shelter for cows.
Chipko movement
The Chipko movement was inspired by
women who hugged tress in the 1700s to try
and stop them being cut down for fuel.
In 1974, a group of peasant women in India
hugged trees to protest about them being
cut down. The movement spread
throughout India and meant that the
government considered the needs of forest
dwelling people when it made plans to cut
down trees for profit. In 1987, the Chipko
Movement won the Right Livelihood Award.
The Vrindavan Forest
The Vrindavan Forest is important to
Hindus as they believe that Lord Krishna
(the avatar of Vishnu) lived in the forest in
northern India. This means that it is a
place of pilgrimage for devotees of
Vishnu and Krishna.
Industrial development in India meant
that the forest was under threat in the
1980s. The Vrindavan Forest Project aims
to protect and restore the forest.
Dana
Dana is the duty to give to others. This applies to hospitality and kindness, as well as money.
Each person has a fourfold dharma, or duty, towards family, society, the world and all living
things. Dana includes selfless service (sewa) to those is need.
In modern times, dana is often taken on by charities such as Sewa International, as well as
smaller acts in the local community and family. Caring for the poor is an important part of
Hindu dharma. One of the commonest forms of giving is sharing food with others, known as
anna dana.
It is part of a Hindu’s religious duty to offer food and hospitality to any unexpected guest. To
refuse hospitality to those who come to you door is an unpardonable act. Some Hindus even
arrange special meals for the needy, or donate to charity in memory of loved ones.
Stories from Hindu tradition- Dana
- King Rantideva was known for his generosity. When the country was suffering a famine, he
shared the suffering by fasting for 48 days. He was about to break his fast, but on hearing
the cries of hungry and thirsty people, gave his own water and food to them. - A King that was generous and did good works had a cart-driver who did not care about
wealth. He asked the cart-driver for the secret to his peace, in return for lots of gifts. The
cart-driver said that he did not want the gifts as the universe is supported by the Supreme
Being. This means that without having that spiritual knowledge, giving gifts can never bring
inner peace.
Sewa International
works to improve the status of women in India. One of its goals is to
organise women workers for full employment. A festival was held on International Women’s
Day in 2016 to honour women who had done exemplary work. The presence of over 1200
from different areas and social castes in India illustrated the progress that the charity had
made.
