Word document download: FCT-1203 His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada appeared in this world in 1896 in Calcutta, India. He first met his spiritual master, Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami, in Calcutta in 1922. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, a prominent religious scholar and the founder of sixty-four Gaudiya Mathas (Vedic institutes) in India, liked this educated […]
Word document download: FCT-1202 The International Society for Krishna Consciousness is a World-wide community practising bhakti-yoga, the ancient science of devotional service to God. These communities, both rural and urban, are centred around temples in which the Lord is served and worshipped in His Deity form. The purpose of these temples is to create a […]
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-1103 Outline The Bhagavad Gita begins with an inquiry.1 With the two armies preparing for battle, Dhritarashtra, the father of the Kurus, was doubtful about the possibility of his sons’ victory over the Pandavas (the sons of Pandu). He therefore asked his secretary, Sanjaya, about the situation on the battlefield. Even whilst […]
Word document download: FCT-1102 Bhagavad Gita means “The Song of the Lord”. It was spoken by Lord Krishna who is considered Bhagavan (the Supreme Personality of Godhead) to his friend Arjuna just prior to the Battle of Kurukshetra. Present day Kurukshetra is located one hundred miles north-west of New Delhi. It is composed of seven […]
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-1001 3000 B.C. The end of Dvarapa-yuga, (the copper age), and beginning of Kali-yuga (the iron age, the age of quarrel); the advent of Lord Krishna; the compilation of Vedic literature by Vyasadeva. These writings include the Bhagavad Gita, spoken originally by Lord Krishna and the Bhagavat Purana, describing His pastimes. Both […]
Word document download: FCT-0802 (a) ISKCON Members are required to refrain from: 1. All meat, fish and eggs, or derivatives thereof. 2. All alcoholic products and other fermented foods, such as vinegar. 3. Onion, garlic and mushrooms. (b) Hinduism in General As there are many different sects within Hinduism, there is an equally diverse range […]
Word document download: FCT-0801 In Hinduism food is so important that the tradition is sometimes called “the kitchen religion”. No function is complete without the free distribution of food. Food and philosophy. Largely influenced by the doctrine of ahimsa, many Hindus are lacto-vegetarian, shunning all meat, fish and eggs, but those less strict will certainly […]
Word document download: FCT-0603 There are a number of ceremonies before birth, namely the purification of the womb (prior to conception) and two ceremonies during pregnancy. After birth, there are further samskaras and we list below seven of the most important. Keep in mind that specific practices and the timings vary considerably and that today […]
Word document download: FCT-0602 Marriage is one of the most important of the samskaras (Hindu rites of passage). It is not only a social institution but also a religious sacrament. It is the only one compulsory for women and for men from the shudra varna. Traditionally, there is no such thing as divorce, though there […]
Word document download: FCT-0601 There are sixteen principle rites of passage which are called ‘Samskaras’ (purificatory rites). They are as follows: 1. Garbhadhana (Conception) 2. Pumsavana (Engendering a male issue) 3. Simantonayana (Parting the hair) 4. Jata Karma (Natal rites) 5. Namakarana (Naming) 6. Niskramana (First outing) 7. Anaprasa (First grains) 8. Chudakarrana (Tonsure) 9. […]
Word document download: FCT-0406 ‘Pongal’ means ‘it has boiled’ and refers to the sweet rice pudding that is prepared and offered to Surya, the sun god. The festival is popular in South India, particularly in Tamil Nadu. The festival coincides with Makara Sankranti, the day the sun enters Capricorn and begins its auspicious ‘northern path’. […]
Word document download: FCT-0405 Raksha Bandhan falls on the purnima (full-moon day) of the month of Shravana. It is sometimes called Rakhi Purnima (in Western India) and Saloni (in the north). By the western calendar, Raksha Bandhan usually falls sometime in August. The central theme of the festival is brotherly protection. ‘Raksha’ means ‘protection’, and […]
Word document download: FCT-0404 Janmashtami celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna. ‘Janma’ means ‘birth’ and ‘ashatami’ means ‘the eighth day’. Krishna was born on the eighth day of the dark fortnight of the month of Shravana. By the western calendar, Janmashtami falls in August or at the very beginning of September. Krishna was born at […]
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-0402 Holi is perhaps the most rowdy and notorious of all Hindu festivals. It occurs on the full moon day of the month of Phalguna (February-March) and is essentially an outdoor festival welcoming the appearance of spring. Observant Hindus light bonfires, and parents carry their babies clockwise round the flames to invoke […]
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 […]
Word document download: FCT-0303 Within the Hindu tradition there is no clear distinction between prayer, the chanting of mantras and the singing of songs and hymns. A mantra is a standard phrase consisting of a number of syllables. It is often chanted repetitively a fixed number of times. At the beginning of each mantra there […]
Word document download: FCT-0302 ‘Mantra’ means “that which delivers the mind” and denotes a prayer or phrase consisting of sacred words. Mantras are usually in Sanskrit and are often recited repetitively. There are numerous Gayatri mantras but the main one, of twenty-four syllables, is sometimes called ‘Savitri’. Many Hindus recite the mantra as part of […]
Word document download: FCT-0301 The arati ceremony is the customary Hindu method of honouring a special guest, welcoming a friend, greeting a returned loved one, or worshipping the Lord. It is central to the process of Deity worship, whether at home or in the temple. Auspicious articles are offered to altar-pictures or the Deities. Worship […]
Word document download: FCT-0201 Hinduism is not a single religion. It is more a family of religions, and their concomitant cultures, which share certain features. This common ground is mostly derived from an acceptance of the Vedic scriptures. These Sanskrit writings of ancient India deal with all aspects of human life and are relevant to […]
Word document download: FCT-0102 The conscious living entity (jiva or atman) is distinct from the body made of inert matter (Prakriti). The Jivas are the eternally subordinate fragmental parts of God (Ishvara). Both the soul and the Supreme are spirit (Brahman). Prakriti, consisting of the three qualities (gunas), is completely subordinate to the will of […]
Word document download: FCT-0101 The soul (atma or atman) exists in all species of life and is the source of consciousness. The atma is eternal and unchangeable, as distinct from the temporary and ever-changing material body. It was not created at any time nor can it ever be destroyed. At the time of death the […]
Word document download: FCT-0002 WHAT IS HINDUISM? Hinduism does not refer to one religion with a single set of beliefs and practices, but is an umbrella term that embraces the religious and cultural life of the Indian sub-continent The name Hindu was given by the Persian invaders to refer to the various beliefs and practices […]
Word document download: FCT-0001 “Hinduism” is a Western term that refers to the diverse religious and cultural traditions stemming from the Vedas, the ancient Sanskrit writings of India. Followers themselves often prefer the term “Sanatana Dharma” (the Eternal Religion) indicating belief in universal and everlasting truths. The tradition, therefore, has no clearly definable beginning, though […]