1. All About Latitude and Longitude Equator Prime Meridian Bailey Middle School Mr. Gillespie © August 2012 (reviewed by Mr. White, Ms. Everett, Ms. Rozvodovska and Ms. Stephens) © Mr. Gillespie, December 2012

2. Learning from a Social Studies Reading: Introduction to Hinduism 18 Now, you will begin the reading on Hinduism. Following each section of the reading you’ll answer a few questions. Section 2 :

3. A. What background information should we know as we begin our study of Hinduism? Hinduism is the world's third most popular religion, with about one billion followers. The religion originated in northern India, near the river Indus, about 4,000 years ago and is the world's oldest existing religion. Unlike Islam or Christianity, the origins of Hinduism cannot be traced back to a single person.

4. 1: About how many people in the world practice Hinduism? 2. Which major country is predominantly Hindu? (see map) 3. What is the dominant religion in Australia and Brazil? Questions

5. B. What is the symbol of Hinduism? Aum is the main symbol of Hinduism. It is the sound heard in deepest meditation, sitting quietly, and is said to be the name most suited for God. Om (or Aum) This is the most universal of Hindu symbols and its sound is used in meditation. In Hinduism, the word “Om” is the first syllable in any prayer. More specifically, Om is used to symbolize the universe and the ultimate reality. Some people say that this symbol represents the three aspects of God: the Brahma (A), the Vishnu (U) and the Shiva (M).

6. 4: What is Aum? 5. When might a Hindu use Aum? Questions

7. C. Where does the name Hindu come from? The word "Hindu" comes from the name of the river Indus, which flows 1,800 miles from Tibet through Kashmir and Pakistan to the sea.

8. . 6: What is the term Hindu named after? 7. If the birth of Indian civilization took place around the Indus river, explain how it is in Pakistan today? Questions

9. D. How is Hinduism different from other faiths? Hinduism has no founder, single teacher nor any prophets. It is not a single religion. Hinduism is the practices of a variety of different religious groups, which come out of India.

10. 8. How is Hinduism different than Christianity or Islam?

11. E. What do Hindus believe? For many Hindus, religion is a matter of practice rather than of beliefs. It's more what you do, than what you believe. Hindus believe in a universal soul or God called Brahman. Brahman takes on many forms that some Hindus worship as gods or goddesses in their own right. Hindus believe that there is a part of Brahman in everyone and this is called the Atman. Hindus believe in reincarnation - a belief that the soul is eternal and lives many lifetimes, in one body after another. The soul is sometimes born in a human body, sometimes in an animal body and sometimes in a plant body. Hindus believe that all forms of life contain a soul, and all souls have the chance to experience life in different forms. Every soul is sacred.

12. 9: What is Brahman? Questions

13. 10. What is the Atman? Questions

14. 11. What is reincarnation? Questions

15. 12. How does the photo below illustrate the relationship between Brahman and the Atman? Questions

16. F. What is Samsara? Samsara means going through the cycle of repeated births and deaths (reincarnation). Hindus believe that existence of this cycle is governed by Karma.

17. 13. What is Samsara?

18. G. What is Karma? Hindus believe that the soul passes through a cycle of successive lives and its next life is always dependent on how the previous life was lived. Karma is the cause of our particular destiny. Misfortunes in our present life are the result of acts that we have committed in the past. In the same way, our actions in our present lives will determine our fate in the lives that follow. Hindus therefore aim to live in a way that will cause each of their lives to be better than the life before.

19. 14. What do Hindus believe happens to a person who does harm to others in this world? 15. According to Hindu ideas, why might a person suffer misfortunes in their next life?

20. H. What is Moksha? The spiritual goal of a Hindu is to become one with Brahman, the universal soul. This freedom is referred to as moksha. Until moksha is achieved, a Hindu believes that he or she will be repeatedly reincarnated in order that he or she may work towards self-realization of the truth (the truth being that only Brahman exists, nothing else).

21. 16. What is the goal of a religious Hindu? 17. What happens to a person who does not achieve Moksha?

22. 9. What is the Hindu way of life? For many Hindus there are four goals in human life. 1 Moksha - the release of the soul (Atman) from the cycle of rebirth. The individual soul (Atman) unites with Brahman the universal soul. There are different ways to Moksha: spiritual - involves acquiring spiritual knowledge through yoga, spiritual practice, and quiet meditation devotion to god working selflessly for the good of society 2 Dharma - the code for leading one's life. Respect for elders is considered important and many consider marriage as a son's religious duty. 3 Artha - the pursuit of material gain by lawful means. 4 Karma- through pure acts, knowledge and devotion, you can reincarnate to a higher level. Leading a “bad” life will result in being reborn in a lower state, perhaps as an animal.

23. 10. How do Hindus achieve Moksha? There are four different paths to achieve Moksha, which a Hindu can take. The Hindu can choose one or all four of the paths. 1 The path of knowledge: Spiritual knowledge -leading to the knowledge of the relationship between the soul (atman) and God (Brahman)

24. 10. How do Hindus achieve Moksha? There are four different paths to achieve Moksha, which a Hindu can take. The Hindu can choose one or all four of the paths. 2 The path of meditation: The idea is to concentrate so you can reach the real self within you and become one with Brahman

25. 10. How do Hindus achieve Moksha? There are four different paths to achieve Moksha, which a Hindu can take. The Hindu can choose one or all four of the paths. 3 The path of devotion: Choosing a particular god or goddess and worshipping them throughout your life in actions, words and deeds.

26. 10. How do Hindus achieve Moksha? There are four different paths to achieve Moksha, which a Hindu can take. The Hindu can choose one or all four of the paths. 4 The path of good works: This involves doing all your duties correctly throughout your life.

27. 11. Why are there so many Hindu gods? Hindus actually only believe in one God, Brahman, the eternal origin who is the cause and foundation of all existence. The gods of the Hindu faith represent different forms of Brahman. These gods are sent to help people find the universal God (Brahman). Most Hindus have a personal god or goddess such as Shiva, Vishnu, or Lakshmi to whom they pray regularly. The three most important Hindu gods are: Brahma - known as the Creator. (Note: Brahma is not the same as Brahman, the universal soul.) Vishnu - known as the Preserver Shiva - known as the Destroyer Other Hindu gods include: Lakshmi - Goddess of Wealth - Wife of Lord Vishnu. Lakshmi is the goddess of light, beauty, good fortune and wealth. Ganesha - Son of Shiva. The Hindu god in a human form but with the head of an elephant.

28. 11. Why are there so many Hindu gods? Hindus actually only believe in one God, Brahman, the eternal origin who is the cause and foundation of all existence. The gods of the Hindu faith represent different forms of Brahman. These gods are sent to help people find the universal God (Brahman). Most Hindus have a personal god or goddess such as Shiva, Vishnu, or Lakshmi to whom they pray regularly. The three most important Hindu gods are: Brahma - known as the Creator. (Note: Brahma is not the same as Brahman, the universal soul.) Vishnu - known as the Preserver Shiva - known as the Destroyer Other Hindu gods include: Lakshmi - Goddess of Wealth - Wife of Lord Vishnu. Lakshmi is the goddess of light, beauty, good fortune and wealth. Ganesha - Son of Shiva. The Hindu god in a human form but with the head of an elephant.

29. 11. Why are there so many Hindu gods? Hindus actually only believe in one God, Brahman, the eternal origin who is the cause and foundation of all existence. The gods of the Hindu faith represent different forms of Brahman. These gods are sent to help people find the universal God (Brahman). Most Hindus have a personal god or goddess such as Shiva, Vishnu, or Lakshmi to whom they pray regularly. The three most important Hindu gods are: Brahma - known as the Creator. (Note: Brahma is not the same as Brahman, the universal soul.) Vishnu - known as the Preserver Shiva - known as the Destroyer Other Hindu gods include: Lakshmi - Goddess of Wealth - Wife of Lord Vishnu. Lakshmi is the goddess of light, beauty, good fortune and wealth. Ganesha - Son of Shiva. The Hindu god in a human form but with the head of an elephant.

30. 11. Why are there so many Hindu gods? Hindus actually only believe in one God, Brahman, the eternal origin who is the cause and foundation of all existence. The gods of the Hindu faith represent different forms of Brahman. These gods are sent to help people find the universal God (Brahman). Most Hindus have a personal god or goddess such as Shiva, Vishnu, or Lakshmi to whom they pray regularly. The three most important Hindu gods are: Brahma - known as the Creator. (Note: Brahma is not the same as Brahman, the universal soul.) Vishnu - known as the Preserver Shiva - known as the Destroyer Other Hindu gods include: Lakshmi - Goddess of Wealth - Wife of Lord Vishnu. Lakshmi is the goddess of light, beauty, good fortune and wealth. Ganesha - Son of Shiva. The Hindu god in a human form but with the head of an elephant.

31. 12. Where do Hindus worship? Most Hindus worship every day at home and have a shrine there. A shrine can be anything from a room, a small altar or simply pictures or statues. Family members often worship together. At the shrine, Hindus make offerings to a god or goddess. The Hindu building for communal worship is called Mandir (Hindu temple). The temples are dedicated to different gods and are the focus of religious life.

32. 13. What is Hinduism's holy book? Hinduism does not just have one sacred book but several scriptures. The most ancient sacred texts of the Hindu religion are written in the Sanskrit language and called the Vedas. The Vedas guide Hindus in their daily life. The word Veda means knowledge. It is believed that the Vedas were orally revealed by the creator god Brahma to certain wise men. Other Hindu scriptures: Ramayana - Contains the story of Rama and his devoted wife Sita. She is kidnapped by the demon king Ravana but is later freed by Rama with the help of the monkey god Hanuman. The poem is about how good will always triumph over evil and Rama and Sita are held up as role models for the perfect husband and wife. Mahabharata - An epic poem telling the story of a war between two branches of a family. The Bhagavad-Gita forms part of this poem and means "The Song of God." In the Bhagavad-Gita, the god Vishnu in human form as Krishna (one of several avatars of Vishnu) teaches mankind the way to lead life and reveals the true nature of God.

33. 13. What is Hinduism's holy book? Hinduism does not just have one sacred book but several scriptures. The most ancient sacred texts of the Hindu religion are written in the Sanskrit language and called the Vedas. The Vedas guide Hindus in their daily life. The word Veda means knowledge. It is believed that the Vedas were orally revealed by the creator god Brahma to certain wise men. Other Hindu scriptures: Ramayana - Contains the story of Rama and his devoted wife Sita. She is kidnapped by the demon king Ravana but is later freed by Rama with the help of the monkey god Hanuman. The poem is about how good will always triumph over evil and Rama and Sita are held up as role models for the perfect husband and wife. Mahabharata - An epic poem telling the story of a war between two branches of a family. The Bhagavad-Gita forms part of this poem and means "The Song of God." In the Bhagavad-Gita, the god Vishnu in human form as Krishna (one of several avatars of Vishnu) teaches mankind the way to lead life and reveals the true nature of God.

34. 14. What are the practices of Hindus? A. Worship: This is an important part of the faith. Offerings are usually made in front of statues or pictures of gods. B. Cremation: The dead are burned not buried C. Compliance with the rules of the caste system: The caste system is the way society is divided into different groups in India. Each group has rules of conduct to be obeyed. Caste is a matter of birth. You cannot apply to become a member of another caste and a change of job won't affect it. Change can only come about by rebirth and the caste into which you are born depends on the acts committed in your previous life ( Karma).

35. 15. Is pilgrimage an important aspect of Hinduism? Yes. Popular pilgrimage places are rivers, temples, mountains, and other sacred sites in India. These are sites where the gods may have appeared in the world. Along the banks of the Ganges River in eastern India is a very popular destination for pilgrims.

36. 16. What is the Divali Festival about? The true meaning of Divali is to bring light to the darkness, truth where untruth exists, and life where death prevails. Most of all it is a time to awaken our minds and a triumph of intelligence over ignorance. Lakshmi the goddess of light, wealth and beauty is worshipped during the festival. Divali is one of the most important Hindu festivals and lasts a week in late October or early November.