Religious Stories & Teachings Flashcards
What are the 3 types of sewa and what are their definitions?
Man- Mental service. This could be teaching people how to read or understand the Guru Granth Sahib, teaching people how to play musical instruments that are used during worship and teaching people about the history of Sikhism.
Tan - physical service. For example, this could be cooking or serving in the langar, cleaning the gurdwara or helping with gardening.
Dhan - material service. This could be donating one tenth of their income to the sangam or to charities, which is known as daswandh. It could also involve helping others in times of financial difficulty or giving money to the poor.
How does sewa prevent Sikhs from becoming manmukh?
To be a manmukh is to follow one’s mind or desires without regards for anyone else.
Sewa is selfless service, which means to help others without any selfish intentions or desire for rewards. This is the opposite of manmukh.
Doing this helps sikhs become gurmukh, which means to live by the guru’s teachings.
What are the 4 noble truths?
Dukkha- the truth of suffering. Accepting that all life is impermanent and imperfect, and that in itself causes suffering.
Samudaya- the origin of suffering. Knowing that there are things in life that cause suffering such as desire, which is the need for things to be a certain way.
Nirodha- the end of suffering. Understanding that suffering can be ended if we detach ourselves from craving and desire.
Magga- the path to end suffering. Understanding that suffering can be ended if we detach ourselves from craving and desire.
How does right understanding and thought relate to having wisdom (prajna)?
Right understanding is to acknowledge that every that everything we say and do has consequences such as karma.
Right intention means knowing that doing things whilst expecting a reward only causes desire,and desire causes suffering.
Therefore, having the right intention in what one says and does is to avoid being selfish.
How does right speech, action and livelihood relate to have morality (sila) ?
To have right speech means no lying or rude speech.
If one have has morals and ethics, they know what what is right and wrong.
And they would certainly know that lying or being disrespectful through speech or action, is morally wrong, because it hurts others and their feelings.
To have right action is to abstain from doing things that harms others. Anyone has ethics and morals, knows that it is morally wrong to intentionally do things to harm others.
To have a right livelihood, is to avoid occupations that involves harming others such as animals, because it is morally wrong
How does right concentration and mindfulness relate to meditation (samadhi)?
Right concentration is to concentrate on how one lives their life, following the noble eightfold path. This can include meditating and analysing what one does and says on a daily basis.
To have right mindfulness, is to be aware of what ways of living are right and why they are right.
