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hindu practices Flashcards

1
Q

upanishads

A
  • part of the sruti (oldest texts)
  • said to be revealed by god
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2
Q

what are three types of hindu worship?

A
  • practising yoga
  • finding god in the heart
  • meditation and mantras
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3
Q

quote for practising yoga

A

“with upright body, head and neck lead the mind and its powers into thy heart”

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4
Q

quote for finding god in the heart

A

“when a man knows god, he is free”

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5
Q

quote for mantras and meditation

A

“there are two way of contemplation of brahman: in sound and in silence”

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6
Q

what are two contrasting beliefs about atman (and how do they lead to worship)?

A
  • some believe that atman is always AT ONE with brahman so the aim of life should be to return to the spiritual realm
  • others believe that atman reaches MOKSHA it’s returned to brahman but remains separate because then brahman remains supreme
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7
Q

what does it take for a hindu to reach moksha?

A
  • story of vishnu saving gajendra because he recited mantras
  • human effort: good conduct, knowledge, devotion
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8
Q

where can worship be performed?

A
  • temple
  • a shrine (at home)
  • a sacred space outdoors
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9
Q

what is a murti?

A

the image of a deity used as the focus of worship and offering

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10
Q

what does the bhagavad gita describe about worship?

A
  • path of knowledge through reading holy books
  • path of action through exercises that focus on the mind and heart on god
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11
Q

what are the special features of temples?

A
  • its appearance is intended to create a type of heaven on earth, where worshippers can find a truth within the antaryami
  • it’s decorated with deities to drive off evil forces
  • there is often a special place for certain deities and their guardians eg, nandi the bull for shiva
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12
Q

what happens at temples?

A
  • people should take off their shoes before entering
  • food is prepared
  • offering are presented to deities
  • people walk around the deities chanting mantras
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13
Q

what are shrines?

A
  • miniature temples within the home
  • a sacred place
  • a murti is honoured as a royal guest
  • usually one deity is thought to be the most important
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14
Q

what is a puja?

A
  • giving respect and honour and god
  • takes place at a temple or shrine
  • prayers are usually said in front of the chosen deity and worshippers make offerings of flowers, fruit, rice or money
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15
Q

what is arati?

A
  • main worship ceremony (an offering of light to the deity)
  • there must be something of each element on the tray
  • a diya is lit and passed around the deity with prayers
  • everyone receives blessings
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16
Q

what is a bhajan/kirtan?

A

devotional songs and hymns to god that are sung during worship

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17
Q

what is japa?

A

a way of chanting mantras, which involves counting through the names of deities

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18
Q

what is darshan?

A

asking a deity for blessings (either by touching their feet or touching the steps)

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19
Q

what is a havan?

A

a fire sacrifice to the god agni during special occasions, such as weddings

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20
Q

why are hindu festivals celebrated?

A
  • celebrating a key event or life of a deity
  • the birth, life and achievement of a hindu saint
  • seasonal festivals regarding harvest
  • celebrating family relationships
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21
Q

what is the significance of diwali?

A
  • hindu festival of lights - celebrates the triumph of light over darkness
  • houses are cleaned and decorated in light of the occasion + fireworks and exchanging gifts
  • often celebrates rama and sita returning from exile
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22
Q

what is the significance of holi?

A
  • spring festival of colours
  • worshippers recall the story of prahlada’s victory over holika
  • people smother each other with colour to remember how krishna and the milkmaids played tricks on each other
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23
Q

what is a personal deity?

A
  • some hindus choose a personal deity whose powers are easier to understand than a supreme being
  • ## for them: god = bhagavan and can choose personal deities that they have a natural affection to or consider relevant - as they believe they are under the protection of one god
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24
Q

what is a family shrine?

A
  • most hindus have shrines at home where they can pray and perform pujas
  • family murtis are washed and have their clothes changed regularly
  • they are also offered food as a sign of love and care and also decorated with flowers
  • photographs of loved one who have died are also kept close to the shrine
  • worship usually takes place at dawn and the first word spoken should be OM
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25
Q

what is the symbolism of the swastika?

A
  • it is an ancient hindu symbol of the sun and prosperity
  • the swastika points in every direction showing that god is present in every place and form of life
  • branches all point out from the cenre symbolising that humans are unable to completely understand the truth about brahman
  • has no relation at all to the nazi significance
26
Q

what is a sadhu?

A
  • a hindu teacher or wandering holy man
  • they come from all over india to lead the pilgrims into the water during the kumbh mela pilgrimage
27
Q

what is a sannyasin?

A
  • someone who has reached the last stage of life and has given up all material possessions
  • are treated with great respect because of their example of prayer, meditation and simplicity
  • often carry a mala for japa (cou ting through the names of the different deities using prayer beads)
28
Q

what is a swami?

A
  • a hindu holy man known for teaching scripture
  • they are ascetics and belong to a religious order (a group of followers of a well-know religious teacher)
29
Q

what are gurus?

A
  • holy people, usually men, who have reached enlightenment
  • they spend their lives teaching others how to find self-realisation and reach moksha
  • gurus should be: well-versed in scripture, have overcome all human desires, know about brahman and be honest, trustworthy and sincere
  • hindus often consult their gurus about what actions they should take
30
Q

quote about gurus

A

“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.”
- the pearl is enlightment and the diver is the guru leading others to it
- gurus are able to offer wise advice because they have the required insight

31
Q

two examples of modern gurus in the uk

A
  • well-know female guru known as amma. she portrays the changing role of women in hindu society
  • guru sathya sai baba who is considered to be an avatar of shiva. he taught hindus and others the way to moksha at his ashram in india
32
Q

what is yoga?

A
  • the aim of yoga is to achieve union between the self and the deity through self-discipline and worship
  • involves focusing deeply and only on god - either as the non-personal brahman, a personal deity, or the god within (antaryami)
33
Q

how does yoga help hindus?

A
  • helps them live better lives and reach inner peace
  • helps and guides them to moksha
  • allows them to let go of negative emotions
  • also used as a path to physical well-being (mainly a western concept)
34
Q

what are the four paths of yoga?

A

karma yoga, jnana yoga, ashtanga yoga, bhakti yoga

35
Q

what is karma yoga?

A
  • the path of selfless action
  • for those doing good actions in the world whilst aiming to free their soul from the desire for material possessions (eg. money or success)
  • requires the performing of special rituals such as havan
  • example: improving the environment and giving to charity
36
Q

what is jnana yoga?

A
  • the path of knowledge, understanding and teaching
  • stricter path for those trying to give up material possessions and worldly pleasures
  • the followers hope to reach self-realisation through studying scripture and the teachings of a guru
  • they try to be at one with brahman
  • example: treating people equally and believing that divides of race and wealth are results of human ignorance
37
Q

what is astanga yoga?

A
  • the path of meditation
  • focuses on meditation and finding god within the heart
  • followed by ascetics at kumbh mela
  • example: meditation at places of pilgrimage with mantras and prayer beads
38
Q

what is bhakti yoga?

A
  • the path of personal devotion
  • aims to develop a loving devotion with god by focusing on loving service and worship of a personal god (bhagavan), to reach union with god
  • example: meditating before an image of krishna everyday
39
Q

why do hindus go on pilgrimages?

A
  • it is part of their dharma (religious duty)
  • with the intention of receiving spiritual blessings
  • to offer thanks/ask for help or healing/ask for forgiveness
  • to demonstrate commitment to their religion or duty
  • to become closer to god
  • to offer pilgrimage on someone else’s behalf
40
Q

examples of hindu pilgrimage sites

A

varanasi. vrindavan, haridwar

41
Q

what is the significance of varanasi?

A
  • the most famous pilgrimage site
  • the city is dedicated to lord shiva
  • priests perform holy rituals and brahmins recite sacred texts from sunrise onwards
  • it is considered to be a ‘gateway to moksha’ by hindus
42
Q

what is the significance of vrindaven?

A
  • centre for krishna pilgrimage
43
Q

what is the significance of prayaga

A
  • it is where when the ganges and yamuna rivers meet
44
Q

what is the significance of haridwar?

A
  • centre for kumbh mela pilgrimage
45
Q

what is the significance of badrinath, puri, rameswaram and dwarka?

A
  • they are four ancient pilgrimage sites at the four points of the compass in india
46
Q

what happens at the pilgrimage sites?

A
  • pilgrims often wash in the holy water of a river (especially in the ganges in varanasi): they believe that rivers are where earth and heaven meet so it will be easier for them to cross from the material to the spiritual world and receive blessings. some also take home a container of water for a sick relative
  • pilgrims may wear special clothes, shave their head, walk barefoot and remain celibate as this shows their intention to focus on god
  • they perform pujas in front of deities by circumambulating the the shrine while chanting mantras.
  • many throw the ashes of a loved one into the ganges or go there to die because it is considered to be sacred and wash away all one’s bad karma
47
Q

what is kumbh mela? and what are the key features of the festival?

A
  • the pilgrimage takes place every 3 years
  • there are 4 different sites for the festival, which rotate each time
  • the festival at prayaga (every 12 years) is the largest as it is considered to be the most holy because it is where the ganges and yamuna rivers meet and the mythical river saraswati is thought to join them
  • it consists of bathing at dawn on the day of the new moon, which is said to release people from the repeated cycle of life and death: samsara
  • the timing of the festival is calculated by studying the stars
48
Q

what is the origin of kumbh mela?

A

story of churning the from the mahabharata (samudra manthan)
- the celestial bird garuda flew away with a jar of the nectar of immortality
- four drops fell from the jar and landed at each of the sites of the pilgrimage
- therefore the water of the river ganges was transformed into the nectar of immortality

it is believed that bathing in the river brings purification, especially at the time of the pilgrimage

49
Q

what happens at kumbh mela?

A
  • festival takes place over 55 days
  • it is meant to demonstrate hindu passion and devotion and people see this as a time of special blessing and to recite prayers
  • pilgrims buy garlands of marigold to cat into the river as an offering to mother ganges and also picked up some water with cupped hands
  • there is mass bathing at dawn on the day of the new moon led by garlanded sadhus who have travelled in from all over india
50
Q

what are hindu beliefs on the environment and caring for it?

A
  • they believe that because life is cyclical, all animals and plants are part of one harmonious creation
  • the teaching of ahimsa means non-violence and respectt for ALL life, which means living sustainably and for most, having a vegetarian diet
51
Q

why are most hindus vegetarian?

A
  • killing animals for meat causes them suffering
  • their breath/mouth, which is used for reciting scripture, should not be associated with killing animals
  • not eating meat is a sign of religious purity
  • animals are part of the life cycle therefore should not be harmed
  • certain animals are sacred because of their medicinal properties or association to deities eg. cows
  • in the bhagavad gita, krishna recommends eating pure foods
52
Q

quotes on the environment

A
  • “in the unfolding of his own nature he makes all things blossom into flower and fruit”
  • “he is the creator of all, ever living in the mystery of his creation” - god is present in all beings on earth, therefore they should be treated with respect
  • “all this universe is in truth brahman. he is the beginning and end and life of all” -
53
Q

how is ahimsa applied in the daily life of a hindu?

A
  • they believe they should treat the earth’s resources with respect and not use them excessively
  • they practise sustainability eg. 2300 trees were planted at neasden temple to replace the oak used to build
  • many hindus follow a vegetarian diet
  • they are encouraged to apologise to animals and plants when they use them for food or to make things
54
Q

what are two examples hindus practising ahimsa?

A
  • tree conservation
  • cow protection
55
Q

why are cows sacred in hinduism?

A
  • krishna was a cowherd so caring for cows is following in his example
  • a living cow is more helpful to humans than a dead cow
  • cows provide enough nutrition for a complete diet
  • the vedas state that killing cows is forbidden
  • shiva rides on a bull, a source of power
56
Q

what are goshallas?

A
  • retirement homes for elderly cows, who are looked after by charities
  • example: bhaktivedanta manor cow protection project, which shelters around 50 animals
57
Q

what is the significance of tree hugging and tree conservation?

A
  • tree hugging movements were inspired by an event in rajasthan where 300 people linked arms around a tree to prevent it from being cut
  • vridavan forest project: protects and restores the vridavan forest which is also a pilgrimage site (thought to be where krishna lived)
58
Q

what is dana?

A
  • the concept of giving and caring for the poor - part of dharma - giving money, hospitality and kindness to others
  • includes sewa (selfless service) to those in need: family, locally or even (international) charities
  • each person has dharma towards family, society, the world and all living things
59
Q

quote on dana (caring for others)

A

“the gift derived from good seeks no returning grace but gives because it must be done to worthy ones and time and place” - a gift should be given with no thought of reward

60
Q

what is a traditional hindu story about dana?

A

king and cart-driver:
- everyone thought the king was only generous so he would have a good reputation but his cart driver didn’t wish for fame or wealth
- he asked the cart driver and he said: the universe is supported by god and belongs to god and without this spiritual knowledge giving gifts would never bring peace

61
Q

an example of an important charity

A

sewa international:
- works to improve the status of women in india and enables them to be employed
- brings together women of different socio-economic statuses
- honours women and speaks about their significance in society and strives to empower them

62
Q

how can hindus care for the poor?

A
  • sharing food with others (anna dana) and unexpected guests
  • organising special meals for those in need
  • donating to a charitable cause in memory of a late loved one

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