Posted by Bansi Pandit on November 14, 1997 at 20:00:49:
In Reply to: HINDUISM posted by Mick on October 08, 1997 at 15:48:59:
: I AM GIVING A PRESENTATION TO SEVEN YEAR OLD CHILDREN
: ON THE HINDU RELIGION. I CAN FIND NO RELEVANT
: INFORMATION. CAN ANYONE OUT THERE TELL ME WHAT A HINDU
: BELIEVES IN. ANY HELP GREATLY RECEIVED
: CHEERS MICK
Response:
Dear Friend:
There is not really much available here in the US on Hinduism in the language of the 7-year olds. I have put the following ideas together to assist you in preparing a short presentation for your 7-year olds.
1. Hinduism is the religion of over a billion Hindus, who live mostly in India, but have large populations in many countries of the world.
2. Hinduism does not have a single founder, nor does it have a single scripture. The principles of this religion are based upon the spiritual experiences of numerous sages and saints of the ancient, medieval, and modern times. Thus, Hinduism is not a tradition of personalities but of principles.
3. The major scriptures of Hinduism are the Vedas, Epics, Agamas, Darshanas and the Bhagavad Gita.
4. The Vedas include religious teachings, general rules for social and individual behavior, and prayers that the devotees use to worship God. The epics illustrate the religious principles through actual stories of saints, kings, heroes, holy men and women. Agamas and Darshanas provide specific guidance for religious rites and ceremonies and prayers. The Bhagavad Gita is a summary of all Hindu teachings and is popularly referred to as the Bible of Hinduism.
5. All original Hindu scriptures were written in Sanskrit. This language is not a spoken language any longer. For this reason, most of the Hindu scriptures have been translated into many other languages, including English.
6. Hindus believe that this whole universe is God’s family. All people of all religions are His children. All animals and birds are His pets. Therefore, we must love all people of all religions, all cultures, regardless of their color, gender, geographic location or religious association.
7. We must also love all animals and birds. We must not harm anyone. This Principle of total harmlessness towards all creatures is called Ahimsa in Sanskrit. Ahimsa means non-violence in thought, word, and deed.
8. Hindus believe that there is only one God, who is the real mother and father of all the people of the world. Therefore, Hindus worship God both as Heavenly Father and Divine Mother of the Universe.
9. Hindus believe that everyone who is born on this earth is sent here by God. Since God is Himself invisible, He sends mother and father to love the child and nourish him or her on behalf of God. There is only one God, there is only one mother, and there is only one father. Hindu scriptures, therefore, say, “Honor your mother as God, and honor your father as God.”
10. Hindus believe that whenever there is unrighteousness on the increase, God takes a physical form and incarnates on earth to restore righteousness. The incarnations may appear as saints, sages, and holy men and women. These incarnations appear in all religions.
11. “As you sow, so shall you reap” is the cosmic law that governs all human actions. Those who perform good actions experience good things in life and those who perform bad actions eventially suffer pain and misery in the world.
12. Hindu scriptures teach that one’s guests should be also treated like God. For this reason, Hindus are well known throughout the for their hospitality.
13. Hindus say that God’s power is infinite and He cannot be limited by one name. Just as the same man is called father by his children, husband by his wife, president by his employees, a sportsman by his teammates, God is called by various names by His devotees.
14. Hindus believe that God is invisible, but can take any form to please His devotees. Thus, Hindus worship God in many forms.
15. Hindus believe that because of ignorance of God and His natural laws, physical and spiritual, people commit sins. Thus ignorance is the disease that causes pain and suffering in the world. Knowledge and learning is the treatment for this disease. Thus Hindus consider education as their highest priority. The primary goal in life of a Hindu is to have his or her children attain the best education at the top educational institutions. Because of the emphasis on education, in Hindu tradition a teacher is respected the most and is given the highest honor in the society. In Hinduism, the guru-disciple (teacher-student) relationship is viewed as the most sacred relationship in life.
16. Hindu culture reveres the old age and treats all elders with great reverence. The blessings of the elders are constantly sought by the younger generation at all times.
17. Worship is not a weekend affair for Hindus. They worship God everyday in their home shrines. Every Hindu family maintains a small shrine (or a corner of a room, if a separate room is not available) in the home for regular morning and evening worship everyday. On weekends and other holy days during the year, Hindus visit temples and offer their prayers. In Hinduism, God is remembered daily through chanting of scriptures, singing of sacred songs (bhajans), and repetition of God’s names.
18. Festivals are an important part of Hindu culture. There are several festivals celebrated during the year with great religious fervour. Most of the festivals of Hindus are associated with Hindy mythology.
19. Vegetarianism is the preferred lifestyle of all Hindus.
20. Marriage is a major commitment in Hinduism. Divorce is an exception and not a rule. The nuclear family also includes grandparents.