YEAR 5: SPRING 1 – HOW CAN BRAHMAN BE EVERYWHERE AND IN EVERYTHING?RE: UNDERSTAND THE HINDU BELIEF THAT THERE IS ONE GOD WITH MANY DIFFERENT ASPECTS

TO RECALL, UNDERSTAND, DESCRIBE AND EXPLAINRecall/Vocabulary:

Understand/Describe/Explain:

Unique Universal soul or God called Brahman Atman Eternal self Spirit Brahma

Vishnu Shiva Gods Goddesses Reincarnation Soul Karma Moksha

Dharma Artha Puja Murti Mandir Vedas Caste

Hindu beliefs● Hindus believe in a universal soul or God called Brahman.

● Brahman takes on many forms that some Hindus worship as gods or goddesses in their own right.

● The three most important Hindu Gods (forms of Brahman) are :

- Brahma (known as creator)

- Vishnu (known as preserver)

- Shiva (known as destroyer)

● Hindus believe that there is a part of Brahman in everyone and this is called the Atman.

● Hindus believe in reincarnation - a belief that the soul is eternal and lives many lifetimes, in one body after another. The

soul is sometimes born in a human body, sometimes in an animal body and sometimes in a plant body etc.

● Hindus believe that all forms of life contain a soul, and all souls have the chance to experience life in different forms.

● Hindus believe in Karma - Karma is the cause of our particular destiny. Misfortunes in our present life are the result of acts

that we have committed in the past. In the same way, our actions in our present lives will determine our fate in the lives

that follow.

Hindu practices● For many Hindus there are four goals in human life (purusharthas)

- Moksha - the release of the soul (Atman) from the cycle of rebirth.

- Dharma - the code for leading one's life.

- Artha - the pursuit of material gain by lawful means.

- Karma- through pure acts, knowledge and devotion, you can reincarnate to a higher level. The opposite achieves the contrary result.

● Most Hindus worship (puja) every day at home and have a shrine there. A shrine can be anything from a room, a small altar or simply pictures

or statues. Family members often worship together. At the shrine, Hindus make offerings to a murti. A murti is a sacred statue of God, or a god

or goddess.

● The Hindu building for communal worship is called Mandir (Hindu Temple). The temples are dedicated to different gods and are the focus of

religious life. Outside India, people mainly gather at the mandir at the weekend.

● The most ancient sacred texts of the Hindu religion are written in Sanskrit and called the Vedas. Hinduism does not just have one sacred book

but several scriptures.

● The practice of Hinduism consists of rites and ceremonies centering on birth, marriage, and death. There are three basic practices:

- Worship (called Puja). This is an integral part of the faith. Offerings (puja) are usually made to representations of the gods.

- Cremation. The dead are burnt not buried

- Compliance with the rules of the caste system. The caste system was 'a division of society to preserve society' similar to the society in

ancient Egyptian times. Each group had rules of conduct to be obeyed.

Hindu Gods and their roles

HINDU GOD IMAGE ROLE

Brahma The Creator – First member of the Hindu

trinity because he periodically create

everything in the universe.

Vishnu The Preserver – Second member of the Hindu

trinity because he maintains the order and

harmony of the universe.

Shiva The Destroyer – Third member of the Hindu

trinity because tasked with destroying the

universe in order to prepare for its renewal at

the end of each cycle of time.

Ganapati The Remover of Obstacles – Shiva’s first son.

Most households have a picture or statue.

Rama Most beloved - He is portrayed as an ideal

son, brother, husband, and king and as a strict

adherent to dharma.

Krishna The Teacher - The teacher of the sacred

scripture called the Bhagavad Gita and as the

friend and mentor of prince Arjuna in the epic

the Mahabharata.

Saraswati Goddess of Learning – She is worshipped as

the goddess of learning, wisdom, speech, and

music. Hindus offer prayer to Saraswati before

beginning any intellectual pursuit

Lakshmi Goddess of Good Fortune – Lakshmi is the

goddess of good fortune, wealth and

well-being. She plays a role in every

incarnation.

Durga Devi Goddess of Morals - Durga Devi is a powerful,

even frightening goddess who fights fiercely in

order to restore dharma (moral order).

Indra King of Heaven and Lord of Gods – Indra

wields a thunderbolt and is a protector and

provider of rain.

Surya God of the Sun – A golden warrior who is

shown on a chariot pulled by seven white

houses.

Agni God of Fire – Holds a special place in Hindu

fire rituals as the sacrificer.

Hanuman The Monkey King and Devoted Servant – He

earned his path by performing feats of

strength, devotion and courage while helping

Rama.

EXIT ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS: HOW CAN BRAHMAN BE EVERYWHERE AND IN EVERYTHING?EXS: GDS:

● Who are you and what do you mean to different people?

● Do you behave differently in different roles? What stays the same?

● What do Hindus teach children about God?

● How can Brahman be everywhere and in everything?

● What is the purpose of having so many Gods in Hinduism?