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The Gospel of Luke – The Crucifixion – In the second of three dramatised extracts from Luke’s Gospel that tell the Easter story, we see Jesus’ trials and his crucifixion at Golgotha – the Place of the Skull (Luke 22: 54 to 23:49).
Courtesy of The Lumo Project.
The Gospel of Luke – The Last Supper – In the first of three dramatised extracts from Luke’s Gospel that tell the Easter story, we see the events leading up to Jesus’ arrest – from his triumphal entry into Jerusalem to the Last Supper (Luke 19:36-48; 20:19-26; 21:37 to 22:34; and 22:39-54).
Courtesy of The Lumo Project.
I Am Pagan – The number of Pagans in the UK has doubled in recent years, and you probably follow some Pagan traditions yourself without even realising it. Nick Taylor – a practising pagan himself – talks us through the eight Pagan festivals, their links to the natural year, and the influence they’ve had on many British traditions.
Forced Marriage – Sameem Ali was forced to marry a man she hardly knew at the age of 13, but eventually escaped her abusive family. She is now an author, a local government councillor and campaigns for better education about the problem of forced marriage. Here she tells her story and makes it clear: “Forced marriage is not part of my culture”.
The Sikh Naming Ceremony: Naam Karan – Do you know what your name means, or how your parents chose it? Sikh names usually have special meanings, and they are chosen with the help of the Guru Granth Sahib – the Sikh holy book. Ajmeet goes to a gurdwara to find out exactly what happens at a Naam Karan – the Sikh naming ceremony.
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
Area of Study 1 - Sikhism - Section 3: Living the Sikh Life - Birth and naming rituals and ceremonies: the celebration and significance of Naam Karan and Hukamnama; the significance of Amrit sanskar (the initiation ceremony) for Sikh families, including reference to the Rahit Maryada Chapters 11 and 13; divergent understandings of these ceremonies between khalsa and non-khalsa Sikhs; the significance of the names Singh and Kaur in the naming and Amrit ceremonies, and for Sikh identity today.
WJEC
2.1 Unit 1 PART A - Sikhism - Core beliefs, teachings and practices -Practices - Ceremonies Naming a Sikh child – meaning and significance The significance and use of the names Singh and Kaur Sikh initiation ceremony (Amrit Sanskar) – importance and significance in a Sikh’s life and consideration given to the perspective of non-khalsa Sikhs Meaning of the main features of the initiation ceremony
Eduqas
Component 3 (Route A) - Option 5: Sikhism - Beliefs and teachings -Practices: The meaning and significance of birth and naming ceremonies ➢ The significance of Amrit Sanskar: (the initiation ceremony): Bhai Gurdas Var 3.11. The significance and use of the names Singh and Kaur
The Sikh Naming Ceremony: Naam Karan
Harinder My name's Harinder. Har means God. I understand my name in full means he or she of all strengths.
Harchand My name is Harchand Singh Greval. Har is name of God, uh, Chand is a means moon and Singh is lion.
Harinder This is my niece, Manpreet Kaur. Her name means the love of our hearts and minds.
Aman My name is Aman Chopra and my name is meaning is, uh, you know the peace. It's a peaceful environment, we can say that.
Harinder This is my daughter Pia Kaur, and her name means beloved.
Ravinder My name is Ravinder. Ravinder, Rav means son. And inder means God, so it the son of God.
Ajmeet My name is Ajmeet Singh. Ajmeet means today's friend and Singh means lion. It lets everyone know that I'm a Sikh. When I was just five days old, my parents brought me to the Gurdwara, the temple, and I was named in a special ceremony called Naam Karan, which means name making. Obviously I can't remember it, so I've come to the Gurudwara to find out exactly what happens.
Ajmeet Babies are brought here because it's the centre of the Sikh community, and because this is where the Guru Granth Sahib, our holy book, is kept. It plays a very important part in the naming ceremony. My friend Harjinder Singh explains.
Harjinder Whenever you enter the diwan hall, as we call it, or the prayer hall, if you want to say it in English, you always see a throne like contraption at the end of it. It is a throne, and on that throne sits the holy book. When it's not in use, when it's not being read, it is covered by by wonderful kapre, by wonderful cloth. We sit on the floor. The guru sits a bit higher.
Ajmeet Can you tell me a bit about the history and the importance of Guru Granth Sahib Ji?
Harjinder The Guru Granth is the most important item in Sikh teachings. The guru, the teacher, granth, book, is our Pope, our bishop, our, even our king. So whether you are dealing with a name giving ceremony, as we're discussing today, or it is about a death or a or a marriage or what have you, the central point in the ceremony is always going to be the guru grant. The granthee, the man who looks after the grant, the book. In other words, he puts the Guru Granth Sahib on its side and opens it at random, and then the hymn that you find on the top left hand side of the page is the hymn that leads that that ceremony or that day.
Ajmeet This is Pritpal Singh, Gurmeet Kaur and their baby daughter Garnaev Kaur. Garnaev had her naam karan here just a few weeks ago. There is no set time for the naming ceremony to take place, but it usually happens as soon as possible after the birth. So what did you do on the day of your daughter's naming ceremony?
Pritpal In a Sikh household, when a baby is born, when the both the mother and the child, they are healthy enough, they are good enough to go to the local gurdwara, we just go there and to have the naming ceremony done.
Ajmeet The whole family went to the gurdwara to introduce the new baby to the community and to present her to the Guru Granth Sahib.
Ajmeet We all bow to the book to show our respect, and it's never too early to learn.
Pritpal We offered a Ramallah, a piece of cloth, to Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy scriptures.
Ajmeet The family usually gives a gift. It might be food for everyone at the Gurudwara to share, or a donation of money. Pritpal's family gave a Ramallah that's a cloth which is used to wrap up the Guru Granth Sahib to protect it when it isn't being read. The Granthi opens the Guru Granth Sahib at random, and the first letter of the first word on the page will be the first letter of the baby's name.
Pritpal We were blessed with at this time Gur poorai kirapaa dhhaaree, so the letter was G, at the end we decided Ganeev which means a priceless worth. The first letter is Ganeev and the full name is Geneev Kaur.
Ajmeet Sikhs are also given the names Singh and Kaur.
Gurmeet Sikhism believes in equality. Our 10th guru gave a boy's name Singh, which means lion and the girl's name Kaur, which means princess.
Pritpal That'll be very important because then the people will not get discriminated because their background or their, uh, class status by the surname. At the end, uh, of the ceremony we had, we were blessed with the Karah Parshad, which is a holy, uh, food. Um, and, uh, it's like a small pudding, very sweet, but delicious.
Ajmeet The sweet taste is a reminder of God's blessings. Everyone is given a piece of karah parshad from the same bowl to show that we are all equal and all part of the same community, which we call the Sangat. And that's the Naam karan. Sikh names are special because they're chosen with the help of the Guru Granth Sahib, and our names show that we are all part of the Sikh community, just like little Geneev Kaur.
Bat and Bar Mitzvah – When does someone become an adult? Emily recently had her Bat Mitzvah at an Orthodox Synagogue and is now a Daughter of the Commandment and responsible for her own actions. She talks about the ceremony and compares it to her friend Ben’s Bar Mitzvah.
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 - Judaism – Practices - Family life and festivals - Rituals and their significance: • Ceremonies associated with birth including Brit Milah; Bar and Bat Mitzvah.
Edexcel
Area of Study 3 -Section 3: Living the Jewish Life -The importance of ritual for Jews today: the nature, features and purpose of the Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies
OCR
Component Group 1 - Judaism - Practices- Rituals • The meaning and importance of rites of passage • The form and meaning of Jewish birth ceremonies including: •• The welcoming of a baby girl •• The connection between Brit Milah and the covenant with Abraham •• The circumcision •• The roles of the father •• Mohel and Sandek •• The importance of birth rituals for the community • The form and meaning of Bar/Bat Mitzvah including: •• The preparation •• The nature of the service •• Subsequent preparations •• The meaning and nature of Bat Chayil
WJEC
.2 Unit 2 PART A - Judaism- Core beliefs, teachings and practices Beliefs –Practices -Jewish identity Symbols: the mezuzah and Magen David Brit Milah ceremony and symbols (including the roles of the mohel and sandek) Bar/Bat Mitzvah as ceremonies marking Jewish identity; Ceremony, significance and symbols The use and importance of the tallit, tefillin and kippah; symbolism and significance of each Festivals and commemorations: Yom Hashoah, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Pesach; significance, preparation and celebration of these festivals (Exodus 12:14)
Eduqas
Component 3 (Route B) Study of a World Faith: Judaism: Practices : Rituals ➢ The role and importance of Brit Milah: Covenant, identity, features of the ceremony ➢ Bar Mitzvah: Law and personal responsibility, features of the ceremony
Bat and Bar Mitzvah
Emily Here's a question for you. At what age do you think we become an adult?
Passer-by I think at the age of 18.
Passer-by 16.
Passer-by Uh, 18.
Emily Different people think different things. Yes. At 21, you can become a member of parliament. Hello. At 17, you can drive. You can drink alcohol when you're 18. For Jewish people, the answer is simple. When Jewish boys are 13 and Jewish girls are 12, we have to take responsibility for everything we do. So as far as our religion is concerned, we are adults and we have a special ceremony known as a bar mitzvah for boys and a bat mitzvah for girls.
Emily My name's Emily and I'm 12. I had my bat mitzvah last month. This means I am now, according to Jewish tradition, an adult. Girls have their bat mitzvah one year earlier than boys, as it is believed that girls mature slightly faster than boys. Bar means son and mitzvah means commandment, or rule, so bar mitzvah means son of the commandment, which basically means a son who must obey God's rules. Bat mitzvah means daughter of the commandment. We believe that before I became bat mitzvah'd, God would hold Mom and Dad responsible for anything I did. But now I'm old enough to take that responsibility for myself. Bye, mom.
Emily This is my synagogue where my bat mitzvah took place. My preparation began by learning a piece of Hebrew called the Eishet Chayil. For boys however, they have to learn from this. This is the Torah. It's precious to the Jews, as the New Testament is to Christians and the Qur'an to Muslims. During all bar mitzvahs, the boy will be expected to read from the Torah. The difficult thing is that we both have to read in Hebrew, which is the traditional Jewish language. I had to practice for weeks, but with the help of my rabbi, who is the leader and the teacher at the synagogue, I got there in the end.
Emily What's the importance of the reading?
Rabbi Yehuda The bat mitzvah girl will prepare reading the Eishet Chayil, a poem from the Bible, which explains the importance of a Jewish woman and what her ability can be, and what the bat mitzvah girl should strive to be. The Bar Mitzvah boy will read a Torah portion. The first Torah portion, which he can read, now that he is part of the congregation.
Ben (Ben reads from the Torah)
Emily This is what I wore on my bat mitzvah, but boys have to wear tallit and kippah. Hi, Ben. How was your bar mitzvah?
Ben Yeah, I was a bit nervous, and it, because there was a lot of people here, my family, my friends, and I was also very excited to have my big day. I stood on the bimah. I had to read from the Torah with the yad. I like to use the yad because I like to go through the Hebrew reading. It took me a year to prepare it.
Emily At the end of my Bat mitzvah, everyone threw sweets at me.
Ben Me too.
Rabbi Yehuda It is on a bar mitzvah boys day or a bat mitzvah girls day, that we want them to be showered with as many blessings as possible, and so to symbolise this, we throw sweets at them.
Emily And now it's party time when everyone comes together to sing, dance and celebrate becoming an adult.
Emily Who's had their bat mitzvah.
All I have.
Emily Did you enjoy it?
Friend 1 I really enjoyed mine because I had mine together with my brother, because we're a year apart. I don't feel that much different, but my parents definitely give me more freedom now, and they treat me a bit more like an adult, I think.
Friend 2 I was given a bit more respect and trust as well, to look after my sisters and to go out with my friends and everything. So that was good
Emily For Jewish people. The bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah are important events in a young person's life, and a celebration that we will always remember. This is because the bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah are about becoming a young adult, taking responsibility for themselves, maturing and continuing life's journey. And although the ceremony is about becoming an adult, we can still behave like children sometimes afterwards if we really want to.
The Magdalenes – Imagine if you were abducted and held prisoner against your will: if your possessions were taken, your hair was cut; you were forced to wear a uniform and answer to a new name. For women like Gabrielle O’Gorman who were sent to the Magdalene Institutions in Ireland, this was a reality. Gabrielle tells her story, and revisits the now-derelict Institution she was sent to as a teenager.
This film, made by Nick Carew, was funded by the University of Kent, and completed with the help of the Women’s Studies Centre at University College Dublin who led an Irish Research Council project on the Magdalene Institutions.
The Problem of Evil – If God is all-powerful, all-knowing and he loves us, why do bad things happen to good people? Here’s a very general introduction to the various complicated ways in which different religions have attempted to solve the Problem of Evil.
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 -Religious, philosophical and ethical studies in the modern world: Theme E - Religion, crime and punishment- The problem of evil/suffering and a loving and righteous God: the problems it raises for Christians about the nature of God, including reference to omnipotence and benevolence, including Psalm 103; how the problem may cause believers to question their faith or the existence of God; the nature and examples of natural suffering, moral suffering. Good and evil intentions and actions. Good and evil intentions and actions, including whether it can ever be good to cause suffering.
Religious, philosophical and ethical studies in the modern world: Theme C - Evil and Suffering as an argument against the existence of God.
Edexcel
Section 1: Christian Beliefs Section: The problem of evil/suffering and a loving and righteous God: the problems it raises for Christians about the nature of God, including reference to omnipotence and benevolence, including Psalm 103; how the problem may cause believers to question their faith or the existence of God; the nature and examples of natural suffering, moral suffering. 2: Crime and Punishment - teachings about good, evil and suffering: Teachings about the nature of good actions, how they are rewarded, and the nature of evil actions; non-religious attitudes (including atheist and Humanist) about why people suffer, including believing in religion.
OCR
Component Group 1 - Beliefs and teachings - Islam - Jihad - Judaism -Nature of G-d - The Question of G-d - Key philosophical and ethical concepts: • The nature of G-d in Judaism • The problem of the existence of evil •Human suffering - Buddhism - The Question of Ultimate Reality (dhamma) Key philosophical and ethical concepts: • The nature of Ultimate Reality in Buddhism • The existence of evil in the world •Human suffering - Hinduism - The question of deity Key philosophical and ethical concepts: • The nature of deity and Ultimate Reality in Hinduism • The existence of evil in the world •Human suffering - Christianity - The problem of evil and suffering and a loving and righteous God.
WJEC
PART B - Theme 2: Issues of Good and Evil - Crime and Punishment PART B - Theme 2: Issues of Good and Evil – Forgiveness PART B - Theme 2: Issues of Good and Evil- Good, Evil and Suffering
Eduqas
Component 1 (Route A) Religious, Philosophical and Ethical Studies in the Modern World -Christianity - Theme 3: Issues of Good and Evil - Good, Evil and Suffering ➢ Philosophical perspectives on the origin of evil: Original Sin (free will) and 'soul-making' (Irenaeus and John Hick) ➢ Philosophical challenges posed by belief in God, free will and the existence of evil and suffering.
Component 1 (Route B) Foundational Catholic Theology- Theme 1: Origins and Meaning - Theme 2: Good and Evil - Good, Evil and Suffering ➢ Catholic perspectives on the origin of evil: Original Sin and evil as a “privation”, with reference to St Augustine, The Enchiridion (3.11) ➢ Alternative Christian and non-Christian views on the nature and origin of evil and the difference between moral and natural evil. ➢ Catholic beliefs about the relationship between God’s goodness and the goodness of the created world ➢ Philosophical and non-religious challenges posed by belief in God’s goodness, free will and the existence of evil and suffering ➢ The meaning of suffering and Catholic ambivalence towards it, with reference to the significance of Christ’s suffering and death and Isaiah 53
The Problem of Evil
Religions say that God loves us completely. They also say that he's omniscient, which means he knows everything and he's omnipotent, which means he can control everything. This is a problem. Every day bad things happen to good people. So if God loves us and he knows about these bad things that happen, and he could stop them from happening, why doesn't he do something about it? This is known as the problem of evil.
Let's take a look at what the word evil actually means. There are two types of evil. First, there's moral evil, and these are things that people choose to do, such as murder, stealing, kidnapping. And second, there's natural evil, these are things that nature does, like tsunamis, earthquakes, and hurricanes. Different religions have come up with various explanations to help their followers understand why a loving God would let evil things happen to them. The attempt to solve this problem is known as theodicy, and here are a few examples of them.
If God controlled everything we did, we'd be just like puppets on a string. Most religions believe that rather than keeping us as puppets, God set us free by allowing us to choose our own path and make our own decisions. And this is called free will. So you can use your free will to do whatever you want, and some people use it to do good things like helping other people. You dropped this. Oh, thanks very much. Unfortunately, other people use it to do bad things. Oi! Some religions, like Judaism, Christianity and Islam, see life as a test. When we come to the end of our life, we'll be judged. God will look at all the good things we did and all the bad things we did, and decide if we deserve to go to heaven or to hell. By giving us free will, God will be able to see whether we chose to do good or chose to do bad.
Okay, so this might explain moral evil, but it doesn't explain why natural evil happens, like earthquakes and tsunamis, which kill thousands of people. Some people believe, however, that this is part of the test and gives people a chance to prove that they are morally good by helping and responding to those people in need.
Earthquake appeal!
Other religions such as Buddhism, Sikhism and Hinduism believe that rather than going to heaven or hell when you die, your soul will be reborn into a new body, and this is called reincarnation. These religions believe that people who do evil things could be punished in the next life, and that's known as karma.
Shh!
So if something bad happens to us, it's because we did something bad in the past or even in a past life. Might even be something as small as killing a fly. These people believe that all life is valuable, which is why a lot of people who believe in karma are vegetarians. These people also believe that natural evil is caused by human actions. So if we don't learn to take care of the planet, we'll be punished through things like earthquakes and tsunamis. With the law of karma, good is rewarded and bad is punished.
Some Christians believe in the idea of original sin. This comes from the Bible, when Adam and Eve are in the Garden of Eden, and Eve disobeyed God by eating fruit from the forbidden tree. Because Eve did this evil act, and she's the mother of all mankind, it means that each of us has a little bit of evil in us and sometimes do bad things. It also explains why sometimes people need to be punished through things like natural disasters. The final group we're going to look at is atheists. For atheists who don't believe in a god, there is no problem of evil. Atheists are scientific and rational in their view of the world, and because they don't believe in a God, they look for other reasons as to why people do bad things. These reasons might include problems in society, a person's background, or even their biology.
Now, people who don't believe in God often use the problem of evil to support their argument. If God is all loving, omnipotent, and omnipresent, then why do injustices happen in the world such as war and famine, tsunamis and earthquakes which kill thousands upon thousands of innocent people? Atheists often say that the easiest way to explain this is that there is no god. No god, no problem.
The problem of evil, bad things happening to good people is something that people have thought about for hundreds and hundreds of years. But what's going on here? Is it free will? Punishment? Original sin? Karma? Or perhaps you believe there is no God, maybe you've got another explanation of your own. It may be difficult to come to an exact answer, but it does make for a very interesting discussion. So why do you think there's evil and suffering in the world?
Oh, I think it's...
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.
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).
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
Alien Abduction: Buddhism
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.
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.
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. Are you ready?
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.
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