Hinduism Questions

unit 3

UNIT 3
4 Mark
Do you think that making offerings to Gods is a waste of good food?
Yes I agree
1. Because there are other ways to worship God
2. Means of showing off
3. Out-dated superstition
No dont agree
1. Prashad = Sacred Food
2. It is not wasted as it gets distributed to devotees after being offered
3. Mark of respect to god
Do you think that offerings used in Hindu temple worship are important?
Yes I agree
4. Personal sacrifice is a mark of respect
5. Distributed as prashad
No dont agree
4. You dont need offerings to worship god
5. You can make offerings in the home
6. Showing off causes bad karma
Do you think that festivals should be mainly for fun?
Yes I agree
1. Many Hindu festivals have a fun element
2. Fun is the best way to remember important beliefs
3. Fun enables everyone to take part
No dont agree
1. It is easy to forget the real meaning behind festivals

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2. Some Hindu festivals deal with serious matters which should be taken seriously
3. The main purpose of festivals is to hand on the Hindu tradition and dharma
Do you think that pilgrimages are important to Hindus?
Yes:
1 People may draw on the spiritual power of sacred places and gain blessings
3. Hardship and self-sacrifice may lead to spirituality
4. The distractions of the mundane world are left behind
5. It may be an act of thanksgiving
6. It may remove sin or bad karma/generates good karma
7. It may hasten ones progress towards moksha

Should Ayodhya matter to Hindus more than any other place of worship?
Answers which agree that Ayodhya matters to Hindus more than any
Other place of pilgrimage are likely to use such reasons as:
1. It is especially important to the many devotees of Lord Rama
2. Many Hindus regard it as especially important because it has been
a place of contention with Muslims
3. It is celebrated during Diwali, the most important festival for
Many Hindus
Answers which do not agree that Ayodhya matters to Hindus more than
any other place of pilgrimage are likely to use such reasons as:
1. Most Hindus recognise Varanasi as more important
2. No place of pilgrimage is any more or less important than another
3. It is not the importance of the place that matters, but the
devotion of the pilgrim

You cant worship God without a statue?

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Reasons for:
1. Statues provide an invaluable focus for the mind during worship
2. A wide variety of beliefs & associations can be expressed using statuary
Reasons against:
1. Statues can be a distraction from effective worship of Nirgun Brahman

2. They are too anthropomorphic (giving human qualities to inanimate objects)

The water of the Ganges is the purest on earth?
Reasons For
1. It is free of pollution as it flows from Shivas hair
2. It is revered as a divinity in itself and so must be pure
Reasons Against
1. It is very clearly full of pollutants
2. As all water has its source in the Ganges, all water must be equally pure
8 Mark
Outline what happens in the arti ceremony?
1. Arti is the singing of prayers to God by the devotees who are calling God to their hearts.
2. A lamp or tray of Divos (candles) are light and is moved in a circular clockwise direction
(representing cycle of creation) during the ceremony.
3. It is waved in front of the murti of God, accompanied by a song praising the deity.

4. A bell is also rung at the same time.

Explain why many Hindus go on a pilgrimage?

1. It helps you get good karma
2. It helps Hindus remind of important stories people or events
3. Some pilgrimages offer the possibility of final escape from the cycle of births and deaths
4. Some go on a pilgrimage to get closer to their chosen deity

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Explain why murtis are important in Hindu worship?

1. Although we consider God to be then entire Mandir, the Murti is installed to help Hindus
understand and concentrate during their prayers.
2. Most mandirs will perform 5 artis, 3 thaals, and change the clothes of the murtis daily.

3. Spiritual leaders will perform a MURTI PRATISHTA to install the murti and make sure that God
fully resides within the murti.

Why do Hindus celebrate Navratri?

1. To celebrate the taming of nature and sowing of crops;
2. To celebrate the defeat of the demon Ravana by Lord Rama; 9 days of fighting. 10th
day won
3. To celebrate the victory of Durga over the buffalo-demon; 9 days of fighting. 10th day
won
4. It represents the triumph of good over evil e.g. Rama over Ravana and Durga over the
buffalo- demon;
5. As an expression of devotion to Shakti through Saraswati, Lakshmi, Durga and Kali;
6. To symbolise the defeat of personal demons such as hatred and the removal of
unhappiness at Dasserah 10th day.

Why do Hindus celebrate Diwali?

1. To celebrate the triumphant return of Rama and Sita to Ayodhya
2. To celebrate the defeat of evil and ignorance by goodness and wisdom
3. It marks the beginning of the New Year
4. It is an opportunity to start a new and review current ventures
5. It may bring wealth via the Lakshmi puja

Describe how offerings are used in Hindu temple worship?

1. Offerings made to murti via priest
2. Raw food offered on left and cooked on right

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3. Goods are then distributed to worshippers as Prasad

4. Prayer accompanies the giving of offerings Offerings may be symbolic

Explain the importance of Darshan in Hindu Worship?

1. It is the point at which the worshipper is granted sight of the god/goddess
2. It is the point at which grace and blessings are received
3. It is the point at which offerings become Prasad

4. It is the most important part of temple worship

Outline how puja is practised in the home?

1. Worshipers will bathe and dress in clean clothes
2. A bell is rung and the deity is invited to be present
3. The deity is welcomed and offered water
4. The deity is bathed and dressed
5. Flowers are offered to the deity
6. Incense is burnt
7. The arti ceremony is performed
8. Offerings of food (mainly) are made and shared as prashad

Outline how Hindus worship in temples?

1.

Removal of shoes on entering

2.

Prostration before a deity

3.

The making of offerings

4.

The circumbulations of the girba griha (inner sanctum where murtis are)

5.

Prayers or devotion

6.

Havan or Fire sacrifice Yagna

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Explain why yatra (pilgrimage) is important for many Hindus?

1. People may draw on the spiritual power of sacred places
2. They may gain blessings
3. Hardship and self-sacrifice may lead to spirituality
4. The distractions of the mundane world are left behind
5. It may be an act of thanksgiving
6. It may remove sin or bad karma/generates good karma
7. It may hasten ones progress towards moksha
8. It may be a curative activity

Describe the two things a Hindu might do in Varanasi?

1. Varanasi is a pilgrimage site where Hindus go to do a yatra.
2. It is famous for being the home to Shiva and where Buddha attained Nirvana.
3. The first thing you may do here is to bathe in river to wash away your sins, to help you
achieve Moksha.

4. Secondly you can do seva or charity to help you get good karma so that you can attain
Moksha.

Outline what Hindus do while on pilgrimage?

1. Serve the poor,
2. Do seva,
3. Bathe in the holy river,
4. Visit the mandirs/holy sites,

5. Pradakshina of the city & think of God.

Describe what a pilgrim would see in Vrindavan?

1. Vrindavan is where Krishna grew up, and so is a famous pilgrimage site.
2. Here you could see where the Raas Lila was played with the gopis.
3. You could see the river Yamuna, as well as more than a 1000 temple.

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4. You can see where Krishna grew up. You can also witness the location of many divine incidents
like the lifting of Mt. Goverdhan.

6 Mark
It is better to worship in a temple than to worship at home
Reasons for:
1. Temples are places of much deeper spiritual importance than homes
2. Temples have better atmosphere
3. There are priests at temples to conduct important rituals
Reasons against:
1. God is everywhere, so true worship can be done anywhere
2. Home may be better atmosphere for the person rather than a busy Mandir
Do you need to make offerings to worship God?
Answers which think offerings are necessary are likely to use such evidence as:
1. Giving offerings is a mark of respect to God
2. Giving offerings is a sign of personal sacrifice
3. Giving offerings is a means of sharing with others through the distribution of Prasad
Answers which think offerings are not necessary are likely to use such evidence as:
1. The central point of worship is spiritual and does not relate to material objects
2. There is a temptation for some to be ostentatious in giving offerings
3. Making offerings is related to outdated superstition
You do not need a temple to worship God?
Reasons for:
1. Much Hindu worship is based in the home
2. Some Hindus do not see bhakti as the main focus of their lives
3. Many sadhus carry out their devotions in the open air
Reasons against:
1. The temple may be easier to focus ones mind

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2. A pujari in the temple can lead people into the right way of worship
3. The atmosphere in the temple helps the devotee to become closer to the divine

The Ganges is the gateway to moksha

Reasons for:
1. Many Hindus symbolise this by scattering the ashes of the dead in the Ganges
2. Many Hindus believe that having a bathe in the Ganges leads to religious purity
3. The goddess ganga is associated with lord Shiva from whom spiritual enlightment is
derived
Reasons against:
1. Moksha does not come from ritual acts associated with the ganges
2. The ganga is symbolic moksha come from the moral and religious purity of the devotee
3. Many Hindus believe the water of the ganga cannot wash away bad karma

Holis Just an excuse for a party!

Reasons for:
1. It could be seen as little more than an exuberant celebration of the arrival of spring.
2. Customs such as lighting bonfires and throwing coloured powder over one another
tend to lead to having fun rather than devotion.
3. The temporary suspension of caste and rank barriers is bound to lead to joyful play in
itself
Reasons against:
1. The colours and the fire offerings have profound religious meanings.
2. The fun and frolics are not the reasons for celebrating holi, merely pleasant
consequences.
3. Removal of rank barriers removes bitterness and leads us to celebrate the creation of
goodness and life itself by god.