hindu practices

• what is a quote that teaches Hindus to practice yoga?

  "with upright body, head, and neck."
• what is a quote that telling Hindus to find God in the heart?

  "when a man knows God he is free."
• what is a quote teaching Hindus to chant mantras and meditate?

  "there are 2 ways (...) in sound and in silence."
• how is respect shown to family murtis?

  they are offered food as a sign of love and care and they are decorated with flowers.
• what quote from the Upanishads teaches Hindus to respect all life?

  "He is the creator of all, everliving in the mystery of his creation."
• what quote from the Upanishads teaches that all of the tri-murti were responsible for creation?

  "All this universe is in truth Brahman."
• why are hills sacred?

  as places of power and heavens on high, they serve as abodes of gods and goddesses.
• how can Hindus care for the poor?

  sharing food with others (including unexpected guests), organising special meals for those in need, and donating to a charitable cause in memory of a loved one who has died.
• what is dana?

  giving, including caring for the poor.
• what is japa?

  a way of chanting mantras, which involves counting through the different names by which the deity is known.
• what is darshan?

  hindus will often touch/kiss the steps of a shrine/the feet of a deity, then ask for blessings in return.
• what is Bhajan or Kirtan?

  devotional songs or hymns to God that may be sung during worship.
• what is havan?

  a fire sacrifice performed on special occasions to the God Agni. The fire is lit with wood and ghee, rice is offered and prayers are said.
• what will worshippers do at temples?

  take off their shoes, prepare food in side rooms, present gifts to deities, walk around the murti saying prayers or chanting mantras.
• what is bhakti?


  (loving devotion to God) is one of the most important duties for Hindus. They can show this through worship.
• what is Puja?

  paying respects to a deity through worship in the home, temple, or open air.
• which quote from the Bhagavad Gita focuses on making offerings to deities?

  "a leaf or a flower"
• where can worship be performed?

  at a shrine, in the home, temple, or in a sacred space outdoors.
• what is the appearence of temples intended to create?

  a kind of heaven on Earth where worshippers can find a truth within themselves to worship within the space of the heart (antaryami).
• why are temples decorated with deities?

  they are thought to drive off evil spirits.
• what is usually at the entrance of a temple?

  a special room for the guardian or vehicle of the deity represented there, for example Nandi the Bull for Shiva.
• what is a shrine?

  a sacred space in the home, in a temple or outdoors, used for worshipping deities.
• what is a murti?

  an image of a deity, used as a focus of worship and offerings.
• what are the 2 paths that Bhagavad Gita describes?

  a path of knowledge through reading books and a path of action through exercises that focus on the mind and heart on God.
• what form of worship do the Upanishads recommend?

  yoga and meditation
• what is 1 belieg about the atman which can lead to worship (in terms of water)?

  the atman is always at one with Brahman. The aim of life should be to return to Vaikuntha, like a drop of water merging with the ocean.
• what is a belief about atman which can lead to worship?

  when the atman reaches liberation and returns the Brahman, it always remains seperate, like a green bird entering a leafy green tree. It can never be the same as Brahman.
• what are examples of human effort that can help achieve moksha?

  good conduct, knowledge, detatchment and devotion to God.
• why do Hindus put a lot of effort into their worship?

  it helps them reach moksha.
• what do the Upanishads say about finding God in the heart?

  "when a man knows God, he is free."
• what does he story of Gajendra teach Hindus?

  how souls are saved by God's grace (as Vishnu saved Gajendra).
• how do Hindus celebrate Diwali?

  lighting firecrackers, filling skies with fireworks, buying new clothes, and exchanging gifts.
• how do Hindus celebrate Holi?


  people wear old clothes and smother each other in colourful powders/liquids.
• what is ahimsa?


  non-violence and respect for all life, a key Hindu teaching.
• what is dana?

  giving money, hospitality, and kindness to others. It inclues selfless service or sewa to those in need within family or through national charities.
• what quote shows that Hindus should give gifts without any reward?

  "the gift derived from good seeks no returning grace."
• how does the story of the king and the cart-driver relate to dana?

  the king was well-known for his genorosity but did it for his reputation, he asked his cart-driver how he was so content and he didn't want welath/fame.
• what is sewa international?

  a charity promoting women's rights in India.
• why are cows sacred in hinduism?

  lord krishna was a cowherd, lord shiva rides on a bull, the vedas state that killing cows is forbidden, cows provide nutrition.
• what are goshallas and their significance?

  retirement homes for cows. The bhaktivedanta manor in hertfordshire run by the members of the Hare Krishna movement.