Why do we Hindus worship so many Gods while the other religions worship only one God?
Story to explain how the same God can take on different and forms names A student asked his teacher, "How can the same God sometimes be Vishnu or Shiva or the Mother Goddess, or a God in another religion?" The teacher asked the student to come to his
What should we do if someone tries to hurt us?
Once upon a time there lived a very poisonous snake. This snake lived near a small village and used to bite and kill people of the village. Everyone in the village was frightened of the snake. One day, a holy man passed by. He saw how everyone was scared
Should we stand up against injustice?
The law of karma teaches that if we ignore doing something that needs doing, then we have acquired bad karma and will have to bear the consequences of 'not doing something'. If we see injustice and do not stand up against it, then we acquire bad karma.
People moan, 'This is my Karma' when something wrong happens to them unexpectedly. What does karma really mean?
The Law of Karma [An] important thing Hindus believe in is called the law of karma. This law says that everything we do will produce certain results. For example, if we work hard at school, we get good results. If we do not work hard, we get poor results.
What do Sri Ram and Sri Sita teach us?
Rama and Sita teach us how to lead good life Rama was born thousands of years ago as an avatar of Vishnu. Rama was honest, upright and perfect in every way. He lived noble life helping others. Sita, his wife, was loyal, kind and gentle. Every Hindu girl
What does Sri Hanuman teach us?
Hanuman teaches us how to be brave and strong like him Hanuman is the monkey God. He is the God of strength. He is very strong and clever. He can lift mountains. Sometimes Hanuman can be a bit naughty. Hindu children love to listen to the stories of Hanuman.
What is the significance of Puja (or prayers) done at home?
Hindus can worship God in many different forms. Some worship Vishnu, some Shiva, some Rama, some Krishna and some worship God as the Mother Goddess. Worship is carried out in front of an image (called Murti) of their chosen form of God, called the deity.
What is the significance of Puja (or prayers) done at the temple?
Hindus think of the temple or mandir as the home of God on earth. People go to the temple so that they can see the image of God. This is called darshan. An offering of flowers or fruits may be taken to the temple. Shoes are left at the entrance to keep
Why should we share what we have with others?
Hinduism teaches that we must look after our families and members of our community and society. God is in us as well as in everyone, so helping others is the same as helping ourselves. We must not ignore the poor people of the world. We have to do our
Has anyone found God in recent times? If so what was his teaching to us?
The Story of a young man who found God in our times About a hundred years ago lived a young man called Naren. Ever since he was a little boy, he loved to listen to stories about God. When he was a bit older he began to realise that most of the stories
What does Lord Ganesha teach us?
Ganesh is the elephant-headed God who removes obstacles and brings good luck Ganesh is the son of the Mother Goddess Parvati. While protecting his mummy, young Ganesh had to go into battle where his head was chopped off. To quickly save his life, the
What are the Vedas?
The Vedas are considered very important in Hinduism because they tell us how the rishis felt when they experienced God. The Vedas tell us how we can experience God for ourselves. The Vedas were first written in a very ancient language called Sanskrit.
Who is Ramakrishna and what does he teach us?
The story of Ramakrishna About a hundred years ago in India, lived a man called Ramakrishna. Ever since he was a little boy, he was able to experience God. If he saw something beautiful in nature, he would feel a thrill. He would feel connected with the
Who are we, and how are we linked with God?
When we look at ourselves in the mirror, we may think that we are the body we can see. We sometimes think that we are what our minds tell us we are. The mind offers us all sorts of thoughts about what we are: happy or sad, clever or not so clever, kind
Why should we be Good and moral?
Most people are frightened off by the suggestion that our essential Self is God. Some people fear that such ideas may make us big-headed. But that is not true because we also learn that everyone else is essentially God too. In a way this idea, that we
Why do we consider the Ganges water so holy and pure?
The story of the holy river Ganga (Ganges) A long time ago in the heavens, lived a beautiful Goddess called Ganga. She was very playful, very powerful and very pure. Everything she touched became pure like her. A king on earth wanted to bring her down
Does God live only in a Heaven like Vaikunta or Sivaloka?
God does not only live in heaven, He is here too Hindus say that God not only lives in heaven, He is here too. They say that God has been in front of us all the time but we just did not realise it. It is God alone who appears as everything around us,
What are the Holy Books of Hinduism?
Hinduism teaches that the best way we can learn about God is from people who have actually experienced God. We can ask them to help us learn about God. But it is very difficult to find such people. The second best way to find out about God is by studying
What are the holy epics (Ithihasas) and legends (Puranas) of Hinduism?
[These] holy books of the Hindus, contain lots of very exciting and colourful stories. They include epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata. They also include books called the Puranas which contain legendary stories about Gods and Goddesses. Such stories
What does Krishna teach us?
Krishna teaches us about the different ways of becoming spiritual. Krishna is [an] avatar of Vishnu born on earth to help us understand religion. He teaches how we can think about God in different ways and how we can find God using different methods.
What does the symbol Om stand for?
Om is the best name for God All rishis who go into deep meditation and experience God , hear the sound Om. This is why the Om sound is very important for Hindus. They say that it is the best symbol or name for God. Hindus use the word Om at the start
What does the Swastika symbol stand for?
Swastika means: 'Let good luck come to us from everywhere' This symbol is meant to bring good luck. It has a shape that points in four directions. It means : Let auspiciousness or good luck come to us from all four corners of the world. Reference: Primary
What does the Lotus flower signify?
Lotus is a symbol of purity Even though the lotus flower grows out of muddy water, it emerges pure, beautiful and detached. In the same way, Hindus are encouraged to lead pure lives. Reference: Primary Hinduism by Seeta Lakhani (Ch.1, 'What Is Hinduism',
Why do some Hindus put a mark (tilak) on their forehead? What does it signify?
Tilaks are Special Marks on the Forehead Some Hindus put a mark on their forehead; this mark is called a tilak. Different Hindus may use different markings. Some put a round red dot on their foreheads. Some Hindus mark their foreheads with three horizontal
Who is a Guru according to Hindu tradition?
Hindu Teachers are called Gurus Teachers who help Hindus learn about their religion are called gurus. They answer our questions about who God is, and how we may find God. Reference: Primary Hinduism by Seeta Lakhani (Ch.1, 'What Is Hinduism', p.9)
Who is a Swami according to Hindu tradition?
Holy people are called Swamis Swamis are monks. Swamis wear orange clothes. They leave their homes and families and stay in monasteries. They wish to find God by helping others. One swami who became very famous and found God by serving others was Swami
How do Hindus relate themselves to God?
Even though there can be only one God, different people think of God in different ways. Many Hindus like to think of God as a father in heaven. Some Hindus like to think of God as a mother in heaven. Hinduism says that there are hundreds of different
What is the message of Swami Vivekananda to America?
Vivekananda brings the message of pluralism to America A famous person called Swami Vivekananda brought the message of pluralism from India to the West about a hundred years ago. He taught that all religions are different ways of becoming spiritual. No
Can we look upon God as our father?
God as a father figure in Hinduism : Brahma, Vishnu or Shiva (Three in one: Trimurti) Brahma When Hindus think of God as a person who is responsible for creating the universe, they call him Brahma. He is shown with four heads to see in every direction.
Can we look upon God as our mother?
God as a mother There are some Hindus who do not like to think of God like a man. They prefer to think of God as a woman, so they worship God as the Mother Goddess. The Mother Goddess is the source of all power and strength. She is called Shakti, which