What are the Beliefs of Hinduism about equality?

WHAT ARE THE BELIEFS OF HINDUISM ABOUT EQUALITY? CONTENTS * Speciesism * Racism * Sexism * Prejudice/ * Discrimination * Forgiveness * Conclusion Speciesism In Hinduism the use of animals are for medical research. Hindus will not eat meat or meat products because of their respect for the animals. Hindus are opposed to any kind of cruelty to animals. Hindus believes that we should respect animals and not harm them. Hinduism says that we shouldn't kill animals but the majority of Hindus do not kill animals but eat meat such as chicken, beef, pork etc. Most Hindus are vegetarian, Butchery and related jobs are restricted to people of low caste. Cows are sacred to Hindus. Some Hindu temples keep sacred animals. Some Hindu gods have animal characteristics- Ganesh has the head of an elephant and Hanuman takes the form of a monkey. In India killing cows are banned. Racism Hinduism teaches that all people are equal. In the Bhagavad Gita it sayd that ; I look upon creatures equally' (Bhagavad Gita 9.29). this means that it doesn't matter if it is a insect, animal or a human you can always be treated equally. Hindu's believe that everyone share a link. Hindu's believe that it wrong to be prejudiced against someone else because of there background. The first leader for stopping racism is Mahatma Gandhi. He wanted to fight the untouchables. He wanted to stop violence.

  • Word count: 891
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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Architecture and decoration of the Parthenon.

Architecture and decoration of the Parthenon The Parthenon is a Doric order temple with a rectangular floor plan with a series of low steps on every side, and a colonnade (8 x 17) of Doric columns around the outside of the entire structure. Although the temple is predominantly Doric there are some aspects of and ionic temple incorporated into it. There is an inner section of the Parthenon were Doric columns give way to ionic. Another example of this is the frieze; it uses ionic components that were borrowed from the ionic design. The frieze itself is a very important aspect of the temple it surrounds the temple, it's relatively small size (3 feet 5inces tall) made it fairly hard to see from the ground, unlike the metopes the frieze has a single subject on all four sides it depicts a procession of horsemen, musicians, sacrificial animals and other figures with various religious functions. On the east side there is a child handing a folded cloth to an older man, on one side of them the gods are present and seated, on the other side two girls are holding something. Most scholars believe that it represents the Panathenaic procession however some think that it shows the procession which took place at the same period as the temple was built and that it shows the over confident Athenians who dared to put themselves where ordinarily only the gods and heroes might be found. The

  • Word count: 692
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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Hinduism and Peace

Hindus believe that peace is created by heightened intellect and intimacy with Brahma. For the individual Hinduism provides core teachings which guide them through life in order to create inner peace for themselves and collective peace for the rest of the world. In order for a Hindu adherent to create inner peace one must meditate, adhere to the Ten Commandments and the most importantly, pray to Brahma. Ahimsa, purity, good actions (karma), reading sacred texts (Bhagavad Gita), performing puja, yoga and undertaking pilgrimages to sacred sites are all ways to create inner peace for the individual and therefore create a better rebirth (with the aim of reaching Moksha). Furthermore the unconditional love for Brahma, positive relationship with nature, respect for all things as well as an understanding of ahimsa (non-violence) and Satyagraha (passive resistance) are considered essential to a Hindu adherent as it creates a sense of self, tranquility, harmony and most importantly it helps the individual achieve inner peace. The key understanding of a Hindu's world view is dharma. The dharma according to the Tattririya Aranyaka states "Dharma is the foundation of the whole universe, upon dharma everything is founded." Dharma helps create harmony and peace through the interaction of humans in differing levels (the four Varnas - castes). Through the four rules of right conduct, right

  • Word count: 1043
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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Analyse and explain the role and function of the leaders in the Mandir

Analyse and explain the role and function of the leaders in the Mandir (ii) Most mandirs are lead by the highest caste, Brahmins who are seen as a leader or teacher who sets an example for the community. They are well educated therefore they are highly respected. However, the leaders could also be Gurus, a spiritual teacher or Swami, a saint. In small village temples, they normally have part-time non-Brahmin leaders but in larger temples, they normally have fulltime Brahmins. A mandir is a house for deity/ deities so the priest's role is to care for them. At dawn, the priest will wake up the deity and carry the image to the shrine room, where it is washed, dried and dressed. At night, the image will be brought back to the bedroom. Everyday, the priest will sound a conch shell to mark the start of the day. There are five daily obligations that he must follow: Firstly, he must worship Brahman everyday. This could be done directly or through other Gods. Secondly, he will have to give reverence to saints and holy men by reading the Vedas, usually consisting of the Gayatri Mantra, which is one of the most popular of Hindu prayers from the Upanishads and is chanted at all ceremonies. Thirdly, he will have to respect his parents and elderly. Fourthly, he will have to give shelter and alms to the poor or holy men and lastly he will have to feed and care for animals, as

  • Word count: 534
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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Ancient Egyptian Religion.

Ancient Egyptian Religion Culminating Performance Task The Gods The Ancient Egyptian religion was based on polytheism, or the worship of many deities. The Egyptians believed that each deity influenced one particular aspect of nature and human activity. Consequently, they worshipped as many as 2000 gods and goddesses. The major deities were worshipped throughout the country, while others had only a local following. These gods were often depicted as animals, humans, or a combination of both. The major gods of the Egyptian religion included Amun-re, Anubis, Osiris, Horus, Thoth, and Isis. ) The chief god was Amun, who, under the title Amun Re, associated the power of the sun deity with his own. He was known as the king of the gods, and was depicted as a man wearing ostrich feathers. 2) Anubis was one of the most ancient of the gods. He had the head of a jackal and his purpose was to oversee the mummification of a body and guide it to the afterlife. 3) Osiris was the king of the underworld and protector of the dead. Portrayed as a man wrapped as a mummy, Osiris served as the judge of the underworld. He weighed the heart of the deceased against the goddess Maat, who represented truth and justice. If the person's good deeds outweighed the bad, his heart would be balanced with Maat and Osiris would welcome the newcomer to the afterlife. However, if the person fell short in

  • Word count: 1842
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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Hinduism - Death and the afterlife AO1, AO2, AO3

In this piece of coursework I am going to describe the teachings and beliefs of Hinduism about death and what might happen afterwards. Hindus believe that when you die, your soul lives on and you are reborn as something else. They believe that Atman (your soul) lives on forever even when you die, and is transferred to something else. This is backed up by a quote which can be found in the Bhagavad Gita. "This soul residing in the bodies of all can never be slain; therefore it does not behove you to grieve for anybody" Bhagavad Gita 2:30 The quote is referring to Atman saying that it can never be killed and won't go away. Hindus believe something called re-incarnation takes place. Re-incarnation is the rebirth of a soul into another body. For example when someone dies there soul would leave there body and enter someone else's. "The death of him who is born is certain; and the rebirth of him who is dead is inevitable." Bhagavad Gita 2:27 This quote is saying that the person will definitely die and will definitely be reborn; this proves what Hindus believe about re-incarnation. Hindus believe that what happens in this life, affects what will happen to them in their next life. This is known as Karma. If they do good things, they will get rewards in their next life and if they do bad things, they will be punished in their next life and could be reborn into a poor family or

  • Word count: 1184
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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What are the differences between the Hindu Creation Story and the Christian Creation Story?

What are the differences between the Hindu Creation Story and the Christian Creation Story? Before you read this short essay I would like to remind that its purpose is not to offend anyone. In comments I make that may be considered offensive are just my opinion. Christian Story (Found in Genesis Ch.1) Long ago, before the earth and all things in it, there was only God. On day one , God said, "Let there be light ." God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. On day two , God made the sky. On day three , God separated the land from the waters and created flowers, trees, and grass . On day four ,God made the sun, moon, and stars. On day five , the birds and fish were created. On day six , God made animals and then He made people to be like Him. He named the man Adam, and Adam named his wife, Eve. God rested on day seven. He saw everything He had made and said that it was good. God made a garden home for the man and woman. It was called the Garden of Eden. He told them they could eat fruit from all the trees in the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The serpent lied to Eve and she ate of the fruit. She gave some to Adam and he also ate of it. They had not been obedient and they had to leave their beautiful home. After that, they had to work hard and had many troubles. Genesis Ch.3 V.16: "To the woman he said, "I will greatly

  • Word count: 1238
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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Describe the worship and lifestyle of two modern Hindu Groups and explain how this reflects and assists belief.

Describe the worship and lifestyle of two modern Hindu Groups and explain how this reflects and assists belief. The nature of worship and the lifestyle is different for every single Hindu groups, infact it varies from person to person within one group, for example the lifestyle of a devout leader of an ISKCON temple will be very different from that of a person of the Hindu faith who visits the temple occasionally after work. However we can take an overall view of the worship and lifestyle of an ISKCON member to explain how this reflects and assists belief. ISKCON members live a God conscious life. Many aspects of Hindu (ISCKON) lifestyle stem from religious beliefs, they try not to eat meant, and if avoiding meat completely is not possible they definitely avoid beef as cows are seen as sacred animals. This vegetarianism is because they believe that as humans they are the most advanced race and must therefore take responsibility for the welfare of lesser species. They also say that you should not be addicted to any intoxicants (drugs, alcohol, tobacco or even chocolate) as they alter who you are and your judgement. In addition they believe that you should only have sex inside marriage (more devout members believe you should only have sex to reproduce, even within marriage). Many also see gambling as wrong as you should not try and foresee life for your own gain. ISKCON

  • Word count: 1152
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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A Place of Hindu Worship - Describe the main features of a specific place of Hindu worship.

A Place of Hindu Worship A)(i) Describe the main features of a specific place of Hindu worship. From the outside, many people can notice the Hindu temple with its prominent dome. As you go up the long flight of stairs you come to a shine of Hanuman decorated with flowers, giving of food and red curtains on the side. Before you get to the temple you face a door with the sun on it representing life as well as Brahman. There is also a notice board with schedules, events and a quote saying "Open the door of your calmness and let the footsteps of silence gently enter the temple of all our activities. Perform all duties serenely, saturated with peace, behind the throb of your heart you shall feel the throb of Gods peace". As in Hong Kong there is little space the entrance couldn't face the east, the direction of the rising sun although if there were it would be. Before entering the main hall all worshipers must remove their shoes. Facilities have also been provided for the devotees for washing their feet. The shrines are at the end of the large hall where the congregation gathers for worship. The worshippers sit on the carpet on the floor, below the level of the shrines. The symmetrical and rectangular prayer hall is well lighted, painted in pink and ventilated by several large and small windows as well as fans. All these windows have been ornamented with circular arches. The

  • Word count: 2096
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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Hindu marriage ceremony

MARRIAGE CEREMONIES . HINDUISM - ARRANGED MARRIAGES, RAMA AND SITA, THE WEDDING Arranged marriages Many Hindus follow the traditional custom of arranged marriages. Parents believe that it is their Dharma to find a suitable marriage partner. They take into account: - caste - horoscope - occupation In arranged marriages, the couple see each other for the first time. In assisted marriages, the parents still help to choose a marriage partner, but the child is more involved. Also the child and the partner see and get to know each other before the wedding. These marriages are good because the parents are likely to know their child well as well as the partner's family. These marriages are bad because the child may want to marry someone else and may not like the family. 2. Rama and Sita - Vishnu came to earth in the form of Rama - Rama was sent to defeat the demons that were scaring and terrorising the people - Son of King Dasharatha - second wife was given 3 wishes. They were used to ensure Bharatha became King and Rama was sent into exile in the forest - Sita, his wife remained faithful and stayed with him. His brother came with him as well - One day Sita asked for a deer from Rama. Rama needed Lakshman's help, so Lakshman drew a circle of protection around Sita and went. - After a while a beggar came and asked Sita for some water. As it was her duty, she

  • Word count: 566
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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