Unit 4 Hinduism II

The oldest living religious tradition is Hinduism, which is over 4000 years old. Hindus accept the premises or parts of several religions. Yet Hindus hold that no one religion can possibly claim knowledge of the absolute truth. For Hindus, the ultimate reality that other religions may name as God is unknowable. In fact, Hinduism encourages its believers to imagine a god that is best for them, even if that god comes from another religion. While Hinduism initially appears to by polytheistic, they believe that everything is a manifestation of the Ultimate Reality, Brahman. This unit will attempt to examine the origins, beliefs, and major practices of Hinduism to give students a rudimentary understanding of how Hinduism works and relates to other world religions.

PF1.04 - Examine the human search for meaning and purpose as found in the belief systems of Hindu traditions.

HE2.01 - Identify religious leaders who used religion to oppose prejudice and discrimination (e.g., Mohandas K. Gandhi), and describe the ways in which they did so;

PF2.03 - Show reverence for the various dimensions of the sacred as found in Hinduism.

PF2.05 - Recognize the centrality of human dignity and personhood to the world's religious traditions.

PF3.01 - Articulate ways in which people search for the sacred in life.

PF3.05 - Name traditional and contemporary examples of people of faith and integrity;

CM1.07 - Demonstrate an understanding of the moral precepts found in the religions of Hinduism.

CM2.07 - Appreciate traditional and contemporary examples of moral living as found in the various religions of the world;

CM3.06 - Examine the importance of moral precepts for daily living in the religions of Hinduism.

FL1.05 - State the stages of human faith development (i.e. from ego‑centric to group‑centred orientation, and eventually towards acceptance of universal principles and values).

You are required to answer all questions found throughout this unit using the Answer Recording Sheet found below. Download and save it to your Google Docs and work on your answers as you go through this page. You will need to print the questions and your answers as part of your unit submission. If you prefer to work on a hard copy, printed versions of this recording sheet are available at the religion counter.

Diwali: Festival of Lights

Watch the video below on Diwali and have a brief class discussion on the questions that follow.

Class discussion questions:

What did you learn about how and why Diwali is celebrated?

What part of the video made the biggest impression on you and why do you think that is?

Holi: Festival of Colour

Class discussion question:

Why do you think there are different versions of the origins of Holi? Does it compare to other religions that you know of?

What parts of the video made the biggest impression on you and why do you think that is?

Naming a Child - Traditionally, a Hindu child is named by a priest 10 days after birth. The more Orthodox Hindus still continue this tradition, while most name their children before the ceremony. Regardless, a baby is considered a blessing and this is cause for a celebration.

Death and Cremation - When a Hindu dies, a sacred ceremony is performed including cremation by fire. Under the direction of a priest, family members bath and dress the body in new clothing and leave the face uncovered. The body is placed on a funeral pyre and holy songs are sung. The fire is lit by the eldest son or oldest male member of the family. The family collects the ashes and scatters them into a river or body of water.

Shruti - knowledge that is "revealed" or discovered by the seers of Hinduism and is divinely inspired. These texts include:

Vedas - The Vedas are a large body of knowledge texts originating in the ancient Indian subcontinent. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism.

Upanishads - The Upanishads, a part of the Vedas, are ancient Sanskrit texts that contain some of the central philosophical concepts and ideas of Hinduism, some of which are shared with Buddhism, and Jainism.

Bhagavad Gita - The Bhagavad Gita, often referred to as the Gita, is a 700 verse Hindu scripture in Sanskrit that is part of the Hindu epic Mahabharata.

Groups and Institutions

Cultural Impact

Mohandas K. Gandhi is perhaps the best-known Hindu in the world and considered to be the father of modern India. While he was fighting for Indian Independence from England, he found solace and inspiration from the Bhagavad-Gita and based his religions and based his religious ideals on the concepts of dharma (duty), satya (truth), ahimsa (non-violence), and moksha (spiritual liberation). Gandhi used his theory of Satyagraha (Insistence of truth) as a political weapon and insisted that his followers be guided by the following four religious principles: truth, non-violence, self-control, and penance. He also sought to improve the living conditions for women, and "untouchables." By practising spiritual values, Gandhi was trying to change the governance of India as well as peoples' lives. He negotiated the independence of India in 1947. In 1948, he was assassinated by a Hindu radical.

Watch the movie "Gandhi" featuring Ben Kingsley to learn about the life, work, and impact of Mohandas K. Gandhi.

Be sure to complete the UNIT COMPLETION ASSESSMENT and consult with your teacher BEFORE you continue on to the Unit Task.

Choose one of the following task ideas below to demonstrate your learning and complete this unit. It is always advisable to consult with your teacher while you work on this task to ensure you are meeting the expectations and getting the best possible mark. Be sure that all of your work is properly cited with appropriate analysis. As Mary Ward is a Self-Directed Learning system, you may also create and develop your own task in consultation with your teacher.

1. SELF DIRECT! Always recommended! Choose one topic in this unit that you were particularly interested in (i.e. Symbols, Rituals, History, Beliefs, etc . . . or a topic related to this unit that was not covered but worthy of exploring), then choose one style of presentation that you are confident with or would like to develop (i.e. written paragraph, website, documentary, video, slide presentation, art installation, podcast, etc . . . ) and consult/discuss with your teacher what the product will look like. You also have the option to make the task interdisciplinary with another course(s), and/or do a group project.

OR

2. Festivals exist in every major religion that have a connection to nature and the human experience. Conduct some research on Youtube on any Hindu festival, and share your findings in either a video or a slide show, stating the significance of each aspect of the festival.

OR

3. Yogas, or paths, are important methods for people to live a life on a good path. This can take any shape - physical exercise, meditation, reading and research, good works, etc . . . What would be a good path for a student to practice so that they are living a good life as a human, and not just as a student. Discuss the importance and significance of your findings in a 2 page newspaper article, documentary, or presentation.

OR

4. Sacred Texts are a part of most major religions and are often thousands of years old. The Vedas is the oldest sacred text in human history. Do some research on 3 quotes from any Hindu sacred text, and make a parallel between the Hindu texts and any other text you consider sacred. What can you conclude by making such comparisons?

NOTE: All of your work must be properly cited. Work that is not cited properly will be returned to you to be redone with a stronger sense of academic integrity.

Please attach evaluation rubrics below for your task. Consult with your teacher for any clarification regarding your evaluation. Paper copies of these rubrics are available at the religion counter.

Be sure you have answered the following questions and completed the following tasks before submitting your unit to your teacher. This checklist needs to be signed by the religion counter for your unit submission to be accepted.

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