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STO-216 Rama, Sita and Lakshman were living happily in the forest. The three companions didn’t miss palace life, for they were happy to live close to nature and to have the company of the saints who lived there. However, a wicked king had already heard of Sita’s beauty. His name was Ravana and he was […]
Academic Books (especially for Secondary RE teachers and Libraries) A Very Short Introduction to Hinduism by Kim Knott (Oxford University Press) ISBN: 0-19-285387-2 A succinct and accessible introduction to the tradition Hinduism – A Short Introduction by Klaus. K. Klostermaier (Oneworld, Oxford) ISBN: 1-85168-220-1 A Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism by K. K. Klostermaier (Oneworld, Oxford) […]
Word documents for download 1.1 Stereo-types within Hinduism TGD-1.1 Stereotypes about Hinduism 1.2 Relating concepts to values and practices TGD-1.2 Relating concepts to values and practices 2.1 Festival food TGD-2.1 Festival Food 2.2 Stories – related values and concepts TGD-2.2 Stories – related values and concepts 2.3 The Significance of Light TGD-2.3 The Significance of […]
STO-321-sec Author of the Ramayana Thousands of years ago there lived a hunter who lived by robbing and looting. He lived in a jungle with his wife and children and no traveller who passed through the jungle was safe. If need be he never hesitated to kill innocent pilgrims to achieve his object. One day […]
STO-321 The Story of Valmiki (who wrote the story of Rama and Sita) Thousands of years ago there lived a hunter who made money by robbing other people. He lived in a jungle with his wife and children. No traveller who passed through the jungle was safe. The hunter didn’t hesitate to kill them and […]
Download PDF: PCT-307 Hanuman is often worshipped with Rama and Sita, but also alone. He is the patron deity of wrestlers, other sportsmen and soldiers. Hanuman embodies courage and physical strength, and simultaneously humility and devotion to duty. He can assume any form at will and can leap great distances. Hanuman is one of the […]
Download PDF: PCT-306 Rama appeared as the seventh of the ten incarnations of Vishnu, and one of the two most important (the other is Krishna) Rama represents the monarchical aspect of the Supreme. He is renowned for his devotion to dharma (duty) even in the face of great adversity. He is considered the perfect son, […]
Download PDF: PCT-001 What is Hinduism Hinduism is the religion followed by Hindus. It started in India, over 5,000 years ago. Hinduism is the main religion in India. Many Indian people are Hindus. Others are Muslims, Sikhs or Buddhists. There are also quite a few Jews and Christians living in India. India is a very […]
Word document download: ART-1204 Madhva one of the three preeminent Vedantic theologians; the others are Shankara and Ramanuja. Madhva was born around 1239 in a village called Pajaka, situated near the coast on the southerm part of the sate now called Karnataka. He was originally called Vasudeva. There are many references to his being an […]
Word document download: FCT-1201 What is the Hare Krishna Movement? The Hare Krishna movement is the popular name for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Who started ISKCON? In 1965, an elderly monk, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977), travelled alone from India to establish the culture of Krishna consciousness in the […]
Word document download: FCT-1101 The term ‘Hinduism‘ is somewhat arbitrary but broadly refers to the tradition whose members follow the sacred texts called the Vedas or the Vedic scriptures. There are two main categories of Vedic literature: – the shruti (that which is heard) – the smriti (that which is remembered). All traditions accept the […]
Word document download: FCT-0403 Diwali is the most widely celebrated festival in India and continues over a five-day period at the conjunction of the months of Ashwin and Kartik. In the Gregorian (Western) calendar this falls in October/November. As the pleasant, mild winter climate sets in, it is generally a time for feasting, visiting relatives, […]
Word document download: FCT-0401 Hinduism almost certainly has a longer list of festivals than any other religion. Everyday of the year, someone somewhere is celebrating a Hindu festival. For this reason, we cannot list them all here, but will concentrate on a few major ones. Pongal (January 14th or one day on either side) In […]
Download article ‘ART-0101 God, Hindu Concepts of’ as word document Hindu Concepts of God Introduction Hinduism has no single founder, no common creed nor a unified code of practice. It boasts many founders of diverse denominations, many spiritual leaders and many sacred books. It has no traceable beginning and its past recedes into uncertainty. Yet […]
Download article ‘ART-0102 Time, Hindu Ideas of’ as word document ‘Hindu Notions of Time’ I have always been fascinated by the infinite. My twin brother and I, as children of seven or eight, used to stand in our back garden gazing at the clear night sky. On those balmy autumn evenings, we’d pose the perennial […]
Download article ‘ART-0501 Ayodhya’ as word document Ayodhya: The Place of Lord Ramachandra This site is especially sacred to devotees of Rama, but has been more recently the focus of political unrest. For more information, see the Teachers’ Book, pages 50-52, 129, 142. According to tradition, Lord Ramachandra appeared in Ayodhya many thousands – some […]
Chitrakut: Lord Rama’s Forest Home This site is especially sacred to the devotees of Rama. After Lord Ramachandra was exiled from his kingdom, he lived in the Chitrakut Forest for twelve years with his wife Sita and his brother Laksman. The story of how they came here and what they did is recounted in the […]
Pushkar: The Place of Lord Brahma Pushkar is the only prominent site connected to Brahma, the creator. According to Vedic tradition, the empowered creator of the universe, Lord Brahma, chose Pushkar as a site for his temple and it has attracted sages and ascetics for thousands of years. Once Lord Brahma desired to have a […]
Varanasi: The City of Lord Shiva Varanasi is perhaps the most important place of pilgrimage and is closely connected so Shiva. It also relates to the funeral ceremony . Varanasi is situated on the bank of the River Ganges. The name “Varanasi” comes from the two rivers, Varna and Assi, which join the Ganges on […]
9. LIFE OF SACRIFICE Everything within this world is possessed by God. He pervades both the animate and the inanimate. Therefore one should only take one’s fair share, and leave the rest to the Supreme. Isa Upanishad 1 Although Gandhi’s ideas were never put into practice by the rulers of India after independence, they are […]
6. THE TEN AVATARS The ten incarnations of Vishnu are a recurrent theme in Vedic history. Vishnu exists outside the material realm as the creator, and he exists within every being as the Supersoul. He also enters this world as avatar, ‘one who descends’, to restore balance whenever his presence is needed. His descent is […]
2. THE WORLD FOREST “Forest, at one level, means the world. It includes the whole creation. You are also part of that forest. It is not that you are outside the forest. You can re-order it, but you cannot by-pass it.” Banwari The traveller in India soon learns to appreciate the ancient trees which often […]
Extras – Further Reading This selection focuses on books for teachers and for student research. A more comprehensive list (with ISBNs) features on the CD-Rom within the Heart of Hinduism Resource Pack. Academic Books (especially for secondary RE teachers and Libraries) Hinduism – A Short Introduction by Klaus. K. Klostermaier (Oneworld, Oxford) A Concise Encyclopedia […]
Glossary Many proper names are listed under this glossary with the link reference. These include names of places, people, festivals, organisations, and sacred texts. A Adi Shankara – well-known theologian and founder of the advaita school. Also called Adi Shankaracharya. Advaita – non-dualism, the name of the theology equating the soul with God. Advaitin – […]