Connector You are sleeping and you see the lord Shiva coming to you… Describe him to your neighbour and talk about your feelings at the time..

HINDUISM, FAMILY LIFE AND SOCIETY HL – Story of Ganesha – open up and read story

Learning Outcomes All must produce a chart showing the roles and duties of the 4 families Most will complete a level 4 assessment piece of work Few will reflect on the Caste system in the modern world

Big Picture Learn about Hindu family and the Caste system Head Shoulders Knees and toes E learning Worksheet Assessment

The Caste System The system of dividing up society into different groups (castes) affects all aspects of a Hindus life – especially in India. Traditionally, a Hindu should marry someone of the same caste (if not their children will be outcastes) and should do a job which follows the duty of their caste. According to the Bhagavad Gita “it is better to do your own duty badly than to do another man’s well”

The Hymn of the Primal Man (Purusa Sukta – from the Laws of Manu) The Laws of Manu is an ancient Hindu holy book that contains laws and guidance about how to live as part of society. One section is entitled the Purusa Sukta – the Hymn of the Primal Man. It divides society up into 4 groups known as the 4 Varnas.

The Hymn of the Primal Man Brahmins: “From his head and mouth came the brahmins” (priests) Kshatriyas: “from his arms the kshatriyas (warriors and rulers) came” Vaisyas: “his thighs became the vaisyas” (merchants and workers) Shudras: “from his feet came the shudras” (serving caste)

Sing (to the tune of head, shoulders, knees and toes) Brahmin Kshatriya Vaishya Shudra

Brahmins: Priests and religious teachers Kshatriyas: Rulers and warriors Vaishyas:merchants and skilled workers The Untouchables (outcastes) Shudras: Labourers

Each of varnas (caste groups) make up a different part of traditional Hindu society. Just like the parts of the body, each group has a different role to play. Dharma means duty; each varna has a different social duty ~ Eg. The Kshatriyas have a duty to rule and fight to protect the community. The Brahmins must perform religious rituals such as puja; in order to do this they must remain pure by not doing ‘polluting’ tasks.

Anyone who does not belong to one of the four varnas is considered to be an outcaste. Over the years, this group have been given many different names – including the Untouchables and the Dalit (the oppressed).

This clip shows that the Caste system is complex. The lowest caste people might be viewed as untouchables, but their roles are essential to the society they live in. The comments below were put on youtube about the clip: “I think the Caste System only causes harm to people (mostly to the Untouchables - I really pity them), at the same time it benefits some of the people. lovekpop4ever1lovekpop4ever1 2 days ago “They accept this as their place in life. They don't think about materialism the same as we do.” SuzLa1SuzLa1 1 month ago What would your comment be?

ASSESSMENT All must complete level 3 Level 3 – Describe a Hindu belief Level 4 – Explain the Hindu Caste system? Level 5 – Imagine you were an untouchable write a diary entry about a day in your life. Include factual information explaining your job and some more personal thoughts about how it would feel to be a member of this group. Level 6 – To what extent do you agree with the Hindu Caste System THERE ARE KEY WORDS ON YOUR WORKSHEET TO HELP YOU

BONUS The Bhagavad Gita teaches that “it is better to do your own duty badly than to do another man’s well.” What do you think this means? (You should try to use the terms dharma, varna, samsara, karma, atman and Moksha in your answer as well as expressing your own opinion)

A few years ago, during great floods in India the Brahmin priests refused to help with the clearing of the bodies that were spreading disease. Their explanation was that as priests they needed to remain unpolluted by physical contact with the dead in order to be able to carry out their religious duties and rituals. Do you think they were right?