Topic: Customs &amp; Traditions

An Anglican vicar often wears special robes called “vestments” during services, so we arranged a short fashion show to explain what each one is called!

Transcript

Holy Cribs – The Vicar’s Vestments

Shanice: Church of England vicars often wear a white collar to let people know who they are and what they do. This is called a clerical collar or a Roman collar, but most people just call it a dog collar because that's what it looks like. For church services, a vicar often wears special clothes called vestments, which make every service and occasion. Over her everyday clothes, the vicar wears a long black gown or coats called a cassock. This is a sort of uniform that vicars and priests have worn for centuries. Over that, she wears a white gown called a surplice, and that's a symbol of purity. Around her neck, she wears a long scarf called a stole, and that's to show that she is an ordained priest. In other words, she's done all the training, had some experience, and is blessed by God to serve his people. The vicar wears different colour stoles at different times of the year. Most of the time it's green. But she wears a purple one during Lent, which is the time leading up to Easter. And Advent, which is the time leading up to Christmas. On Easter Day and Christmas Day, she wears a white stole and she'll wear that for weddings and funerals as well. There's also a red or brightly coloured one to wear on a festival called Pentecost and at other special occasions. But she's most comfortable like this.

Christianity: The Vicar’s Vestments

Video length - 02.08

Shanice demonstrates what happens during Holy Communion and explains why sharing bread and wine in this special ceremony is so important to Christians.

Curriculum Mapping

Component 1: The study of religions: beliefs, teaching and practices - Christianity - The sacrament of Holy Communion/ Eucharist and its significance for Christians, including different ways it’s celebrated and different interpretations of its meaning

Area of Study 3 – Christianity - Section 3: Living the Christian Life - The role of the sacraments in Christian life and their practice in two denominations: the role of the sacraments/ordinance as a whole; the Eucharist in at least two denominations.

Component Group 1 - Christianity - Practices - Sacraments• The meaning of the word sacrament • The role and meaning of the sacraments •The role of Baptism and Eucharist in the life of a Christian •Common and divergent attitudes towards the practice and meaning of Baptism by different Christian denominations •Common and divergent attitudes towards the practice and meaning of the Eucharist by different Christian denominations •Common and divergent attitudes towards the Sacraments,including which practices are considered by different Christian denominations to be a sacrament •Different interpretations and emphases given to sources of wisdom and authority by different Christian denominations

2.2 Unit 2 PART A : Christianity - Core beliefs, teachings and practices - Practices Life’s Journey: Sacraments and key acts of worship:  Baptisms (Mark 1:9-11); Infant and Believers' Baptism; reasons and rituals  Eucharist/Communion (1 Corinthians 11:23-26): diverse Christian interpretations and associated practices

2.2 Unit 2 - PART A - Christianity - Core beliefs, teachings and practices -- Practices Life’s Journey: Sacraments and key acts of worship:  Baptisms (Mark 1:9-11); Infant and Believers' Baptism; reasons and rituals  Eucharist/Communion (1 Corinthians 11:23-26): diverse Christian interpretations and associated practices  Confirmation - preparation and ceremony (Acts 2: 1-13)  Significance of a religious wedding (Mark 10:7-9): matrimonial symbols and vows 2.1 Unit 1 PART A - Christianity - Core beliefs, teachings and practices - Practices - Church - Importance of prayer, communal and private - Matthew 6:5-13, Matthew 18:20

Transcript

Holy Cribs: Holy Communion

Shanice: The Christian church is divided up into different groups called denominations. There's the Roman Catholic Church, the Methodist Church, the Baptist Church, and the Presbyterian Church, just to name a few. I'm from the Church of England, also called the Anglican Church. All Christians follow the Bible's teachings. But one church might have slightly different understandings of it to another or worship in a different way. But all churches have a regular service when Christians will gather together to share bread and wine. In the Church of England, this is usually known as Holy Communion. But it can also be called the breaking of the bread, The Lord's Supper, Mass or Eucharist. We do this because Jesus told us to. It all goes back to the Last Supper, the last meal that Jesus ate with his disciples before he was crucified. He asked them to share the bread and wine as a way to remember him when he was gone. The bread represented his broken body and the deep red colour of the wine represented the blood he was to shed on the cross. In the Church of England, we use real wine, but other churches might use red grape juice instead. And we use wafers which are small round disks of white rice paper. But some churches use real bread or crackers. The priest will say special prayers over the bread and wine, asking God to bless them. In the Church of England, people usually go up to the front of the church where they stand or kneel at a rail in front of the altar. They are given a wafer or a small piece of bread from a special plate called a paten. Then each person is offered a large cup called a chalice, and they take a sip of wine. In other churches, like the Baptist church, everyone stays in their seats and the bread and wine or grape juice are passed along the rows from person to person. However it's done, the reasons for doing it are the same, to remember the sacrifice that Jesus made of himself on the cross. It's a reminder to Christians that they should be doing their best to live as Jesus would want them to.

Christianity: Holy Communion

Video length - 03.07

Watch Azeen practise and describe a rak’ah – the positions that Muslims perform during prayer.

Curriculum Mapping

Component 1: The study of religions: beliefs, teaching and practices – Beliefs and teachings - Islam - Salah and its significance: how and why Muslims pray including times, directions, ablution (wudu), movements (rak’ahs) and recitations; salah in the home and mosque and elsewhere; Friday prayer: Jummah; key differences in the practice of salah in Sunni and Shi’a Islam, and different Muslim views about the importance of prayer.

Area of Study 3 – Islam Section 1: Muslim Beliefs - Salah as one of the Five Pillars, including reference to Surah 15: 98–99 and 29: 45: the nature, history, significance and purpose of Salah for Sunni and Shi’a Muslims, including different ways of understanding them; how Salah is performed including ablution, times, directions, movements and recitations, in the home and mosque and Jummah prayer."

Component Group 1–Practices - Islam - Public acts of worship - Salah as direct communication with Allah - Component Group 1–Practices - Islam - Public acts of worship - Salah as direct communication with Allah. The importance of practices - Islam as a way of life, lived in total submission to Allah • The importance of the Five Pillars of Islam to Sunni Muslims • The meaning of the Five Pillars: •• Shahadah: sincerely reciting the Muslim profession of faith •• Salat: performing ritual prayers in the proper way five times each day •• Zakat/Zakah: paying an alms (or charity) tax to benefit the poor and the needy •• Sawm: fasting during the month of Ramadan •• Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca • The analogy of the house and pillars

2.1 Unit 1 PART A - Part A Islam - Core beliefs, teachings and practices - Practices - The Five Pillars of Sunni Islam -Prayer/ Salat  Adhan call to prayer, praying at mosque and Friday Jummah prayer (Qur'an 15:9899, 29:45)  Praying at home, private prayer (Du'ah)  The preparations and intention for prayer: wudu and niyyah  The significance and symbolism of the different prayer positions that make a rakat (sequence of prayer) Obligatory Acts  Shahadah: the Muslim profession of faith in Allah and the prophet Muhammad; occasions when the Shahadah is recited, e.g. aqiqah ceremony, conversion to Islam  Zakat: paying an alms (or charity) tax to benefit others, what zakat tax may be used for, and additional charity (saddaqah)  Sawm: Fasting during the month of Ramadan. How and why Muslims fast during Ramadan and rules about halal and haram diet (Qur'an 2:183)

2.3 Component 3 (Route A) - Option 3: Islam - The Five Pillars of Sunni Islam: practices in Britain and elsewhere - Salah: the practices of prayer in Islam in the mosque and at home, including Jummah prayer: Qur'an 15:98-99, Qur'an 29:45

Transcript

Holy Cribs – Prayer Positions

Azeen: Salah the duty to pray five times a day. We could do it anywhere as long as we've done a wudu and the place we're in is clean and we've got the space to do the movements I'm about to show you. In the prayer hall of a mosque. The carpet is often marked with rectangles for people to stand in or lines across a floor, so everyone has enough space to pray and do the movements without bumping into the people around them. At home I just use a prayer mat. When we pray, we must face the direction of the Ka'bah, which is a cube shaped holy building in the center Makkah in Saudi Arabia. This direction is called the qibla and in a mosque you could tell the qibla by facing the mihrab, which is an archway in the wall at the front of the prayer hall. We pray five times a day. And as well as saying the words in Arabic, we also show our devotion to Allah. First, I should have the intention to pray, which is called the niyyah. So I focus and get myself into the right frame of mind. Then I say Bismillah and the prayer begins. I raised my hands and then lowered them while I say Allahu Akbar. This is called takbir. I'll stand and this is called qiyam. Then I bow from the waist. This is called ruku. Then comes sujud or sajdah, when I kneel down and put my forehead on the floor. This is called prostration in English. I return to the kneeling position called jalsa. Then I prostrate again. And finish in the kneeling position. And that series of movements is called a raka'ah. I'll stand and do more rak'ah's and the number depends on which prayer I'm saying. Each of the positions goes a bit further in showing total submission to Allah. When the prayer is finished and I'm kneeling at the end of the final rak'ah I turn to my right and then my left to say, salam. Peace be with you. After the prayer in Arabic. I can also say my personal prayers in English. And this is called du'a.

Islam: Prayer Positions

Video length - 02.55

Before Muslims pray, they should always perform a special wash called wudu. Watch Azeen as he demonstrates and describes how he does it.

Curriculum Mapping

Area of Study 3 – Islam - Section 1: Muslim Beliefs - Salah as one of the Five Pillars, including reference to Surah 15: 98–99 and 29:45: the nature, history, significance and purpose of Salah for Sunni and Shi’a Muslims, including different ways of understanding them; how Salah is performed including ablution, times, directions, movements and recitations, in the home and mosque and Jummah prayer."

Component Group 1–Practices - Islam - Public acts of worship - Salah as direct communication with Allah. The importance of practices - Islam as a way of life, lived in total submission to Allah • The importance of the Five Pillars of Islam to Sunni Muslims • The meaning of the Five Pillars: •• Shahadah: sincerely reciting the Muslim profession of faith •• Salat: performing ritual prayers in the proper way five times each day •• Zakat/Zakah: paying an alms (or charity) tax to benefit the poor and the needy •• Sawm: fasting during the month of Ramadan •• Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca • The analogy of the house and pillars

Transcript

Holy Cribs - Wudu

Azeen: When Muslims pray, we do a special wash called wudu as a symbol that we are pure and ready to speak to Allah. We wash our hands, face and feet three times, but it's done in a particular way, in a particular order. We sit here in front of one of these taps because if possible, we prefer to do our wudu using running water so we're not washing ourselves in water that someone else might have washed in. First I say Bismillah, which is a short prayer in Arabic. In English it goes in the name of Allah, the compassionate, the merciful. I'll wash my hands thoroughly. First, the right three times. Then the left three times. I rinse out my mouth three times. I rinse my nose by snuffing water into my nostrils and blowing out three times. I wash my face three times, all of it from the bottom of my chin to my hairline. Starting with my right arm. I wash from the wrist to the elbow three times. And then I'll do the same with my left arm. I run my wet hands over my hair. Then wipe my ears inside and out. And then the back of my neck. Then I wash my right foot three times up to the ankle. And my left foot three times. Finally, I say the Shahadah, which is another short prayer in Arabic. In English it goes. I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. And now I'm ready to pray.

Islam: Preparing to Pray

Video length - 02.49

Published date - Jun 2022

Humanism is a non-religious belief system. Humanists are people who shape their own lives in the here and now, because they believe it’s the only life we have. They make sense of the world through logic, reason, and evidence, and always seek to treat those around them with warmth, understanding, and respect.

And just like with other belief systems, they have important ceremonies too. Watch Ivy experience her naming ceremony, with the key features explained, while her parents discuss the Humanist principles they want to instill in her.

Humanists UK

A Humanist Naming Ceremony

Video length - 08.12

Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

Hijab & Me – Three young Muslim women called Ambar, Ilhan and Athena give their personal (and very different!) opinions on what it means to wear hijab, and the status of women in Islam.

A film by Kim Roden

Created in collaboration with the Advocacy Academy

Shortlisted for Best Short Form Documentary at the Broadcast Digital Awards 2020.

Nominated for the Educational Film Award at The Learning On Screen Awards 2020.

Nominated in the Children’s Broadcasting category at the Sandford St Martin Trust Awards 2020.

Nominated for the Content for Change Award at the Children’s BAFTAs 2019.

Curriculum Mapping

TrueTube films are designed for use in a number of ways. Some ideas of where this film could link to your curriculum are below:

AQA

Component 2: Thematic studies:Theme A: Relationships and families- Sex, marriage and divorce - Islam - Gender roles, Gender equality, Gender prejudice and discrimination including examples.

Edexcel

Area of Study 1 -Section 2: Marriage and the Family -Islam - Muslim teaching about the equality of men and women in the family: divergent Muslim beliefs, teachings and attitudes about the role of men and women in the family with reference to the Qur’an, including Surah 4 and the time of Muhammad.

OCR

Component Group 2–Religion, philosophy and ethics in the modern world from a religious perspective - relationships and families - religious teachings about the nature and purpose of families in the 21st century, sex, marriage, cohabitation and divorce. Issues related to the nature and purpose of families; roles of men and women; equality; gender prejudice and discrimination.

WJEC

PART B- Theme 1: Issues of Relationships - Issues of equality: gender prejudice and discrimination - Diverse attitudes within Islam toward the roles of women and men in worship and authority  Teachings: Qur'an 2:228, 40:40, 4:1

Eduqas

Component 1 (Route A):Religious, Philosophical and Ethical Studies in the Modern World : Theme 1: Issues of Relationships:Issues of equality: gender prejudice and discrimination

Transcript

Hijab & Me

Ilhan I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

Ambar Sorry. Yeah.

Athena Okay. Should I start now?

Ambar A hijab, literally is an Arabic word, meaning curtain or barrier. Um, but for a lot of people it means lots of different things.

Ilhan A lot of people do see it as the covering of a woman's hair.

Ambar So for me, for example, to wear the hijab would be to dress modestly. So this could be interpreted as wearing the hijab.

Athena But the real hijab is meant to be the one that covers your whole body. What I'm wearing today is a jilbab, which is the orange colour, and the niqab is anything that covers the face.

Ambar We come in all different shapes and sizes. We dress different ways. Lots of women think different things about hijab, and that's because the ground is open to interpretation.

Ambar And tell the faithful women

Athena To cast down their looks

Ilhan and to guard their private parts,

Athena to make their outer garments.

Ambar Hang low over them.

Ilhan So as to be recognised and not insulted.

Athena I interpret the verse about the hijab as the covering from the opposite gender. Normally girls wear it outside in public, if they were to come across men. If you're at home with other girls or with your family, you don't have to wear hijab. But if you're on camera, then hijab is something that you have to wear.

Ilhan For me, it's not about I'm not going to look at me because really and truly, if men wanted to look, even if you're wearing a bin bag, they are going to look.

Ambar It doesn't say in the Quran that women have to cover their hair specifically.

Athena It's something that I believe we have to do as believing women. And if you don't wear the hijab, you do gain a sin from it.

Ilhan One of the reasons I like to wear it is it's kind of a religious tradition. It's something that's been done for many years. It's always inspired me ever since I was a little girl. So these are my four sisters.

Ruqiya I want to do it myself. My name is Ruqiya.

Ilhan When you're a child, your mum usually puts on the small pull on ones, but when you start to get a bit older, you wear the wrap ones. And at first it is hard to wrap it so that it looks nice on you.

Ilhan It's messy. Maybe fold it a bit, at the front.

Ilhan It makes you feel more grown up. It's quite an exciting experience. Set, go.

Ilhan I feel like we're all part of one massive community of Muslim women all over the world who also wear it. It makes me feel empowered.

Athena When I first wore my jilbab, I felt like a princess, like, I'm not going to lie, I felt like a princess because jilbab just made me feel modest and happy and girly, and I'm a very, very girly person. Growing up, I had a huge crisis in who I was as a person, because my parents didn't want me to wear the hijab. I would do my hair in different ways, my makeup in different ways. Modesty is a very important factor of your religion, and it was something that I wasn't practising, and it felt like that was the one thing that was keeping me back. So on my 17th birthday, I decided that I would start wearing the hijab. I remember spending two hours trying to play with it and putting the pins in the right place. I went downstairs and I told my mum and I told my dad, I'm going to wear this. My dad was like, how am I going to take you to school? It was a time when I was getting ready to basically come out and say, this is who I am, and whether they accepted me or not was something that I would have to face. Every person has their identity of what they like. It could be how they choose to dress or what brands they like. For me, and for majority of Muslim girls, our identity is Islam. We want people to know we're Muslim, to dress the way I'm dressing, it's hard, but we want to do it.

Ilhan I was always around other people who were wearing headscarf. However, being a black Muslim, I would sometimes look at my black community and see how hair is a big part of the culture. Braids, weaves, extensions.

Athena As a woman, you want to appear attractive. You want to do your hair. You want to do your makeup. It's natural. You'll find that we have hair straighteners. We do keep up with the latest makeup trends. We still do these things, but we just don't do it in public.

Ambar I only wear the headscarf when I'm praying or when I'm reading the Qur'an, so when I'm praying, I'm obviously praying towards God, and the same with when you're reading the Qur'an, because it is the word of God that's been passed down all the way from the time of the prophet. It's a symbol of me showing respect, but I don't feel like I need to wear it all the time to show that, it's only in those specific circumstances.

Athena What I would tell a Muslim woman who chooses not to wear the hijab, is that ideally we should try and wear the hijab, but her prayer may be better than mine, her character may be better than mine. So we are told not to judge other Muslim women.

Ilhan When it comes to prayer. Men and women are separated as a way of making sure that your focus is on the prayer, rather than looking around at who's in the room.

Athena For example, for having a wedding, we're told to have it so that men and women don't mix because we believe that they might have lustful thoughts about one another.

Ilhan Because I'm Somali, we like to wear these kind of, like, dresses, that are actually quite see through. It's okay that they're see through, because it's just women in the room, so it just makes it more fun.

Ambar I know a lot of Muslims think that splitting off men and women is something that should happen, but I don't agree with that at all. And I think that the emphasis that some Muslims give within the community on not being attracted to the other sex or not being attracted to the same sex, even. It can be so dangerous for young Muslims who are going through this period in their life, and they have questions about themselves, about their body, about their sexuality. Young Muslims need to be able to talk about it without feeling that they're doing something wrong, because it's not. It's quite normal.

Ilhan A lot of people assume that it's only Muslim women who have to observe hijab. The Qur'an actually addresses the men's hijab, before the women's hijab. Men are encouraged to cover their awrah, which is from their belly button to just below their knees. Even though the Quran does talk about men and women's hijab, a lot of pressure is put on the girls to make sure that they're covering up properly.

Ambar Some Muslim men, the way that they're interpreting the Qur'an, they are purposefully cherry picking the passages that give rights to men and just ignore the rights of women. I think that is the main issue. Um, and until we actually tackle that, then it's going to remain an issue for a while.

Ilhan Because I wear a headscarf, people can see that I'm Muslim. You do face some Islamophobia.

Ambar The Qur'an was being revealed 1400 years ago in a time that was very different to us. Women were told to cover up those parts of their body, to protect them from the kinds of things that were going on at the time. And I think given the current society with what's going on, there are Muslim women who are being identified as wearing the hijab, wearing the niqab, and they're being attacked because of it. So as a form of garment that was initially introduced to protect them, it's now actually having the opposite effect.

Ilhan My grandma's always being like, be careful, there's people out there that don't like Muslims. Imagine your grandmother having to tell you to be careful, because there are people who don't like you specifically because of what you choose to believe. It's like very specific to you as a person and you and your beliefs. And so, yeah.

Athena I do have a YouTube channel. Hateful comments always come with YouTube and so do positive ones. Some girls told me that I have to cover my eyes, or that I'm drawing too much attention to myself by being online in the first place. So, for them, Muslim women shouldn't be online. They should be hidden, they should be at home. And then you get the other spectrum. Why are you covering your face? Why are you covering your hair? Especially as women, we always get people telling us what to wear, how to dress. You have to learn to be confident in who you are as a person.

Ambar I think some of the things that people get wrong about Muslim women specifically is that we're oppressed.

Athena Whatever form of hijab you choose to wear is oppressive.

Ilhan To me, what I see as more oppressive is people trying to, like, plant ideas into my mind that I must feel uncomfortable, but really, it's them feeling uncomfortable.

Athena I don't get pressure from my family. I don't get pressure from my husband. For me, my main thing that empowers me is my religion and being able to practice my religion freely.

Ambar Women have Quranic rights that are drawn out in the Qur'an, and whether or not people pay attention to that is one thing, but nonetheless they are there.

Athena Before Islam came, girls were being buried alive, they were either sold off or married off to people that they didn't know.

Ilhan After Islam came about, women started to have the rights to education,

Ambar the right to marry, to choose who they could marry. They had the right to divorce.

Athena Having a voice,

Ilhan the right to inheritance, and the right to ownership of property.

Ambar It was a liberating religion.

Ilhan One of the women that I find really inspiring is Khadija, who was the Prophet Muhammad's first wife.

Athena Khadija was a businesswoman.

Ambar She was the one who bankrolled the religion, essentially.

Ilhan She even asked for the prophet's hand in marriage.

Ambar And she was also the first person to actually believe him when he was saying that he was getting these verses from God.

Athena The great women of Islam, they give us an example of how we should be.

Ambar What I want people to understand about women in Islam is that, hmm, that's a tricky one.

Ilhan Even though the hijab does hold great importance, it is just a piece of fabric. It is just a cloth that is around my head.

Ambar You are from a different background, different culture, and, but that doesn't mean you're an alien.

Ilhan If you are able to see us as normal people, who live our lives and are struggling just as much as everyone else, I think that would be great.

Hijab & Me

Video length - 09.29

Published date - Sep 2019

Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

Alien Abduction: Hinduism – Orbiting Earth at this very moment, the alien survey ship “Pantheon” is abducting people to collect data about their belief systems. Rupal is beamed into the interrogation chamber to answer questions about Hinduism.

Curriculum Mapping

TrueTube films are designed for use in a number of ways. Some ideas of where this film could link to your curriculum are below:

AQA Component 1: The study of religions: beliefs, teaching and practices: Hinduism - What is Hinduism? How Hinduism is a variety of practices and beliefs that have developed over time but there are central tenets of the faith. It is a faith found in India but also in other parts of the world, including the UK. Ideas about the nature of God and existence: Beliefs about Brahman -Brahman: ultimate reality as divine consciousness (nirguna) and manifestation of God in form (saguna); spiritual worlds. Beliefs about the nature of human life: the concepts of atman, samsara, karma and moksha. - The concept of atman, as individual, eternal inner self, distinct from material mind and body. The cycle of birth and death (samsara), moral action and reaction (the law of karma), and types of liberation (moksha)

Edexcel

Area of Study 1 -Section 1: Beliefs and Teachings - Hinduism- The nature of Brahman: the nature of Brahman as spirit, ultimate reality or absolute truth; how the characteristics of Brahman are shown in Hindu scriptures - The nature of the individual and life within Hinduism: the nature and importance of the atman (eternal self), karma, the cycle of samsara, moksha; divergent Hindu understandings of the nature of the individual and life Area of Study 3 -Section 2: Philosophy of Religion - Revelation as proof of the existence of God; revelation as shown in the scriptures including in the Vedas Area of Study 3 - Section 3: Living the Hindu Life - Hindu sacred festivals: the nature, history, purpose and significance of Hindu sacred festivals; the origins and meaning of specific festivals, including Diwali

OCR Component Group 2–Religion, philosophy and ethics in the modern world from a religious perspective - the existence of God, gods and ultimate reality, and ways in which God, gods or ultimate reality might be understood; through revelation, visions, miracles or enlightenment

WJEC Component 2 - Religion, philosophy and ethics in the modern world from a Hindu perspective - The existence of Ultimate Reality and Deity - Key philosophical and ethical concepts: • The nature of deity and Ultimate Reality in Hinduism • The existence of evil in the world •Human suffering • Hindu understandings of the concept of deity-God,gods and Ultimate Reality including: •• Different Hindu teachings and beliefs about what Brahman is like •• Different Hindu teachings and beliefs about Brahman’s relationship with the world •• Different Hindu teachings and beliefs about Brahman’s relationship with humanity •• The role and significance of other deities •• Reasons for different views •The relationship between concepts of deity and Ultimate Reality • Hindu beliefs and views on Brahman and goodness

Eduqas Component 3 (Route A) - Option 2: Hinduism - Beliefs and teachings - Nature and features of Brahman/Bhagavan ➢ As spirit, ultimate reality, absolute truth; Chandogya Upanishad 3:14.1 ➢ Everywhere and within the heart; Katha Upanishad 5:2 ➢ A personal and loving God; Bhagavad Gita 14.27 ➢ Belief in Brahman as nirguna (without qualities) and saguna (with qualities) Bhagavad Gita 11.8 ➢ Diversity of views within Hinduism: monist and monotheist Hindu Gods/deities ➢ Nature and role of the trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and their consorts); Kūrma Purana 1.6, 1.9 ➢ The importance of Krishna and Shakti ➢ The nature and role of avatara; Bhagavad Gita 4.5 ➢ Importance and role of murti in worship; Bhagavad Gita 12.5 ➢ Diversity of views towards trimurti: Vaishnavism and Shaivism The Eternal Self ➢ Atman; trapped in matter, distinct from body and mind: Bhagavad Gita 2.12, 2.17 ➢ Diversity of views: Advaita Vedanta and Dvaita Vedanta ➢ Karma (action and reaction), samsara, reincarnation: Bhagavad Gita 2:22, Moksha: Bhagavad Gita 2.13, 8.6, 15.9, 2.15 Human Life ➢ Four aims: (dharma as duty/righteousness, artha, kama and moksha); sanatana dharma and varnashramadharma: Bhagavata Purana 1.2.6, The Mahabharata, Book 9.60 ➢ Free will and responses to suffering and maya: Bhagavata Purana 5.5.8, cycle of birth and death, Bhagavad Gita 2.60 – 63 ➢ Importance of knowledge of human life. Practices - Places of worship in Britain and elsewhere ➢ Features and importance of daily puja in the home ➢ Features and importance of congregational puja in the mandir ➢ Diversity of views and practices: Vaishnava and Shaiva bhakti ➢ Hindu mandirs in Britain compared to those in India ➢ Features and importance of worship at outdoor shrines Worship/meditation ➢ The significance of different forms of worship/meditation; havan, puja, arati, darshan Bhagavad Gita 9.26, bhajan/kirtan, japa: Bhagavad Gita 3.19, 4.38, 6.11–12 ➢ The importance of focuses of worship and representations of the divine; one god, other deities, holy land, plants and animals: Bhagavad Gita 16.24 ➢ Honouring Gurus and elders Festivals: practices in Britain and elsewhere ➢ The diverse origins, features and meaning of: ➢ Diwali – with reference to how this festival is practised by different Hindu communities in Britain ➢ Holi – with reference to how this is practised by different Hindu communities in Britain ➢ Raksha Bandhan: myths of King Bali and Lakshmi (Vishnu Purana) and Indra and the demon (Bhavishya Purana)

Transcript

Speakers Alien Abduction: Hinduism

Robot Survey ship Pantheon orbiting planet: Earth. Dominant life form: Human. Belief system: Various. More information required. Scanning for samples. Welcome to survey ship Pantheon, our mission is to investigate the culture of your planet, and you have been selected to represent your belief system. Please state your name.

Rupal Patel Rupal Patel.

Robot Religion.

Rupal Patel Hindu.

Robot Holy book.

Rupal Patel There are lots, um, but the key ones are the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita.

Robot Holy building.

Rupal Patel Uh, the mandir or also known as a Hindu temple.

Robot Symbol.

Rupal Patel The om.

Robot You will now be asked a series of questions from the categories on screen. You have 30 of your Earth seconds to provide a satisfactory answer to each one. Failure to comply will result in matter dispersal. Standby. Choose the first category.

Rupal Patel Uh, God.

Robot What do you believe about God?

Rupal Patel Um, Hindus believe there's one supreme god. Um, he's the all doer. He's come down on this Earth, and he's known by different by different names. We call him Bhagwan. Um, he is ultimately the creator, sustainer, and the destroyer. Um, also known as Brahma, Vishnu, Shiv, and seen in Hindu temples in lots of different forms.

Rupal Patel Uh, life after death.

Robot What do you believe will happen to humans after death?

Rupal Patel Um, Hindus believe that each life form has an atman, um, this, in essence, is an immortal soul. Following death, the atman moves into a new life form, and this cycle of birth, death, and rebirth we call reincarnation. Um, during each life we do lots of good things, lots of bad things, which is called karma, and we're trying to do lots of good things to move up and, um, have a better life. Um, and ultimately, our chief aim is to go and live with God by having lots of good karma.

Rupal Patel Beginnings.

Robot How did your religion begin?

Rupal Patel Um, Hinduism is unique in that it doesn't have a single founder. Um, we see it as an eternal religion and never really started, but it was it was revealed to us. Um, it was revealed through, um, scriptures or religious texts like the Vedas, um, and also, um, through the incarnation of God on this Earth, um, for example, for some Hindus, um, Lord Krishna.

Rupal Patel Everyday life.

Robot How does your religion affect everyday life?

Rupal Patel For me, I will start each day, um, by praying to God in front of my home Mandir, um, and that we call a puja. Um, I have a strict vegetarian diet, Hindus believe in non-violence. Um, our scriptures also give us lots of detail in terms of our duty to our family, our duty to society, our environment. In essence, we're trying to be good people and get lots of good karma so we can go and, um, sit or be with God. Um, yeah. Festivals.

Robot What is the most important festival in your religion?

Rupal Patel Hinduism is full of lots and lots of festivals, including Holi, Ankot, um, the most, one of the most popular and well known is, is Diwali, which is the Festival of Light. We have loads of fireworks, we light diyas, um, and in essence, we're, um, marking the return of, um, Sita and Rama from 14 years in exile. Um, for us, it marks, well we're celebrating, um, the defeat of darkness, um, with with, with light.

Rupal Patel Rites of passage.

Robot What happens at a Hindu funeral?

Rupal Patel Hindus are generally cremated. Um, that's the burning of a body. We feel that the at- it helps to release the atman from from the body. Um, we wear white, we sprinkle water over the body, we sing lots of prayers. And following the cremation, the ashes will be distributed in water, ideally the river Ganges. Just like, um, the, a river flows into the sea, we're aiming for the atman to to go back to God.

Rupal Patel Random.

Robot Why do so many Hindus have a dot on their foreheads?

Rupal Patel The dot is a chandlo, um, it's traditionally made out of red pollen paint, um, and it's a mark of our faith and our commitment to God. Um, we will apply it, um, during puja or during worship, and often you'll see married women wearing a chandlo, and that's a marker of their commitment to their husbands.

Robot Thank you. Your answers are satisfactory. Matter dispersal beams. Powering down. You will now be returned to Earth, human.

Rupal Patel Thank you.

Robot Goodbye

Alien Abduction: Hinduism

Video length - 5.33

Published date - Jul 2013

Keystage(s) - 3

Published date - Jul 2013

Alien Abduction: Buddhism – Orbiting Earth at this very moment, the alien survey ship “Pantheon” is abducting people to collect data about their belief systems. Srivati is beamed into the interrogation chamber to answer questions about Buddhism.

Curriculum Mapping

TrueTube films are designed for use in a number of ways. Some ideas of where this film could link to your curriculum are below:

AQA Component 1 - The nature, use and importance of Buddhist places of worship - Temples, shrines, monasteries (viharas), halls for meditation or learning (gompas) and their key features including Buddha rupa, artefacts and offerings. Puja - The significance and role of puja/devotional ritual, including chanting, mantra recitation, use of malas. Meditation, the different aims, significance and methods of meditation - Samatha (concentration and tranquillity) including mindfulness of breathing. Festivals and retreats and their importance to Buddhists in Great Britain today, including the celebrat-ions, origins and significance of - Wesak Ethical teaching - Kamma (karma) and rebirth. Compassion (karuna), Loving kindness (metta).

Beliefs and teachings and practices -The relationship between beliefs and practices in Buddhism. Religious, philosophical and ethical studies in the modern world: Theme B - Religion and life - The origins and value of human life - Religious teachings, beliefs and attitudes about death and an afterlife.

Edexcel Living the Buddhist Life - Meditation: the nature, purpose and significance of meditation in Buddhism; the different types of meditation: samatha (concentration), metta bhavana (loving kindness) and vipassana (insight); meditative practices, including mindfulness breathing and zazen; divergent understanding of the nature and importance of visualisation of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas, including Amitāyus Meditation Sutra; how the different practices are used by Mahayana and Theravada Buddhists and the benefits from their use. Puja: The nature and purpose of puja in the vihara and the home, including reference to Mangala Sutta; examples of the different types; when each type might be used and why; the importance of having different types of worship and their use in different Buddhist contexts. Area of Study 1 – Buddhism - Section 1: Buddhist Beliefs - Buddhist ethical teachings: divergent Buddhist understandings of the nature, purpose and importance of kamma, including Dhammapada 181–187 and the Khuddakapatha, merit and rebirth, karuna (compassion), metta (loving kindness), pancha sila (the five precepts) and the paramitas (six perfections); the divergent applications of each of these ethical teachings in Buddhist life today.

OCR Buddhism-Beliefs and teachings & Practices (J625/04) - Buddha and Enlightenment • The life of Buddha •• The early life of Buddha •• The Four Sights •• Defeat of Mara •• Enlightenment •• Nibbana • Issues related to the life of Buddha, including the importance of Buddha for Buddhists in the modern world • Common and divergent emphases placed on the life of Buddha by different Buddhist groups •Different interpretations and emphases given to sources of wisdom and authority by different Buddhist groups

WJEC 2.1 Unit 1 PART A - Part A Christianity - Core beliefs, teachings and practices - Practices - Morality  Divine command/absolutist and situational/relativist approaches to ethical decision making  Teachings of Jesus (Matthew 7:13-14 Matthew 25:31-46)  Love / agapé (Luke 10:25-37; John 13:34-35)  Forgiveness (Matthew 6:5-13; Matthew 18:21-22; Luke 23:34 Matthew 5:43-44)  Treasures on earth / in Heaven (Matthew 6:19-21; Luke 16:19-31)

Eduqas Component 3: Study of a World Faith - Option 1:Buddhism - Beliefs and teachings - The Buddha ➢ Stories of his early life: pre-birth, birth, prophecy, palace ➢ The Four Sights: old age, sickness, death, the holy man ➢ His Enlightenment following renunciation and meditation The Dhamma/Dharma ➢ Dependent origination/conditionality (pratityasamutpada) ➢ Three Marks of Existence (lakshanas);Suffering/unsatisfactoriness (dukkha), impermanence (anicca); no fixed self, essence or soul (anatta): The Story of Nagasena and the Chariot (The Milindapanha) The Four Noble Truths ➢ Suffering (dukkha); types and causes of suffering; Three Poisons (ignorance, greed, hatred): Dhammapada 1, 5 Interpretations of nirvana, samsara and enlightenment; Practices - Buddhist places of worship in Britain and elsewhere ➢ The importance of features and functions of temples and viharas; statues, shrines, stupa and meditation area. Mahayana and Theravada Buddhist temples in Britain compared to those in countries where Buddhism is widely practised. ➢ Offerings: food, light, flowers, incense, offerings of food to monks (dana) Meditation ➢ The significance of meditation; Dhammapada 282, Surangama Sutra ➢ Mindfulness of breathing (samatha meditation) ➢ Loving kindness (mettabhavana meditation) ➢ Insight meditation (vipassana meditation) ➢ The importance and role of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas; example of Gautama Buddha (enlightenment through meditation). Buddhas and bodhisattvas as the focus of devotion and meditation Devotional practices ➢ The role and significance of chanting; chanting the Triratna (importance of Three Jewels): Dhammapada 190 ➢ Use of malas to count mantras or breaths in meditation (Japanese and Tibetan forms of Buddhism) ➢ Role of mantra recitation to evoke enlightenment ➢ Significance of puja – indevotional ritual in different Buddhist contexts; veneration rather than worship. Use of mudras to identify with buddhas and bodhisattvas Death and mourning ➢ The significance of ceremonies and rituals associated with death and mourning as practised in Theravada communities: transferring to rebirth. Cremation practices and almsgiving

Transcript

Alien Abduction: Buddhism

Srivati Srivati.

Robot Religion.

Srivati Buddhist.

Robot Holy book.

Srivati We've got many holy books. Um, a particularly large collection is known as the Pali Canon. I like the Dhammapada.

Robot Holy building.

Srivati They go by different names, often Buddhist temple, Buddhist Vihara. We call ours the Buddhist centre.

Robot Symbol.

Srivati The eight spoked wheel. That represents eight excellent teachings on how to lead a good Buddhist life.

Srivati As I'll ever be.

Robot Stand by. Choose the first category.

Srivati Well, let's start with God.

Robot What do you believe about God?

Srivati Well, I've not been taught, we're not taught in Buddhism that there there is a god. Some people think that we see our Buddha as a god, but he was a human being. Just a very extra special one. Life after death.

Robot What do you believe will happen to humans after death?

Srivati I believe, along with most Buddhists, that when we die, our body is finished. We can cremate or bury it, but that our consciousness, that's like our thoughts and feelings, that can take rebirth in a new human body. And it makes a difference how we've behaved in this life, so if I'm full of anger and getting annoyed and being impatient, then I won't have such a good life in the sense that there'll be plenty of problems for me to deal with, but if I'm practising patience, being kind, it'll turn out better. Beginnings.

Robot How did your religion begin?

Srivati It began 2500 years ago in northeastern India, with a man called Siddhartha Gautama. He was a prince, and he was really concerned about why there was so much and is so much suffering in the world. So he tried all kinds of things, trying to get answers and understanding. In the end, he gained enlightenment, which is hard to describe, but people were aware that he was so different. He became known as the Buddha, the fully awakened one, because he understood how things are. Everyday life.

Robot How does your religion affect everyday life?

Srivati Well, ideally it would affect every moment of daily life. Everything from what I say, what I do, even what I'm thinking, and there are lots of Buddhist teachings to help with that, including the Noble Eightfold Path, but especially the practice of the Five Precepts. For example, the first precept is about non-harm or non-violence, which means I'm vegetarian. Also really important is the practice of meditation, because that gives you a direct way of working with your mind, developing your awareness, and becoming more kind as well.

Srivati Festivals.

Robot What is the most important festival in your religion?

Srivati I think our most important festival is Buddha Day. In other parts of the world, it's called Wesak or Vaisakha and it's a celebration of when the Buddha gained his enlightenment. We do lots of different things on a day like that, we might meditate together, listen to a talk, definitely do a puja which is like Buddhist devotion, and that can include chanting mantras, making special offerings, for example, of flowers, candles and incense. And definitely it's a chance to come together as a spiritual community, which we call Sangha.

Srivati Rites of passage.

Robot How did you receive your name?

Srivati I received my name at my ordination ceremony. Ordination is like a training, and it's in order to become a more fully committed member of a particular Buddhist group. And the name itself has a meaning, so Srivati, my name, means she who is full of beauty, radiance and loveliness, which has always felt like a tall order, especially because it's about how positive I am, the more positive, patient, kind I am, the more lovely I'll be.

Srivati Random.

Robot Why do Buddhists shave their heads?

Srivati Well, as you can see, not all of us do. The shaven heads go with the people who practice in a monastic tradition. That means people who are known as monks and nuns. The nuns are the women, and they shave their heads basically to keep life really simple. That's how they manage their hair. And it also helps them from not getting vain about their appearance. So really, Buddhists can look all kinds of different ways. They may have hair or not. They wear may wear robes or not, just ordinary clothes. You can't necessarily recognise a Buddhist when you see one on the street.

Robot Thank you. Your answers are satisfactory. Matter dispersal beams powering down. You will now be returned to Earth, human. Goodbye.

Srivati Goodbye.

Alien Abduction: Buddhism

Video length - 6.09

Keystage(s) - 3