Topic: Religion &amp; Belief

A young Hindu called Pranathi explains how all the items on a puja tray are used during worship.

Curriculum Mapping

Component 1: The study of religions: beliefs, teaching and practices: Hinduism - Different forms of worship: puja and arati - The rituals of puja and arati and their significance for Hindus.

Transcript

Holy Cribs – The Vimana and Puja Tray

Pranathi: A murti is a statue of a deity, a god or goddess. And Hindus like me use these to help us worship. This is Ganesha, the elephant headed God of wisdom, and he has his own vimana or shrine, which is a small space dedicated to him containing all the things we use to worship him. The murti's are treated as honoured guests and they'll be washed, decorated and given offerings of food every day as signs of respect to the deities they symbolise. Each one of the deities represents one aspect of the personality of the one unseen spirit. Brahman Puja is the name we use for worship or prayer. We often use a tray to hold all things we use in puja. There might be fruit, rice, flowers. Water, a lamp, ash, Kumkum, powder, incense, a bell, all kinds of things to touch, taste, smell here and look at. All five senses are involved as a symbol that the whole person is devoted to the deity. We ring a bell to wake up the murti and to bring people to join in the puja. We have a lamp because light symbolizes enlightenment or understanding. We often use a lamp that burns ghee, which is clarified butter and it smells great. Incense smells great, too. And we burn it in the Mandir and in our homes to purify the air, hiding any nasty smells. It also creates the sort of atmosphere that I've grown up associating with worship. So it helps me get in the right frame of mind. The flowers also smell nice and bring color to the Vimana. A water pot called a kamandalu, and the spoon are used to wash the muthi. And a red powder called kumkum and sandalwood paste are used to anoint the muthi and to make the tilaka marks on our foreheads to show we have been blessed. Prasad is food like fruit nuts or sweets that are offered to the murthis and then shared out to the worshippers after puja. We believe that the deity blesses the food during the puja, so when we eat the Prasad, we receive the blessing.

Hinduism: The Puja Tray

Video length - 03.00

Holy Cribs: The Mandir

Pranathi gives TrueTube a tour of The Shree Ghanapathy Mandir in South London, explaining its most important features and her beliefs as a Hindu.

Curriculum Mapping

Component 1: The study of religions: beliefs, teaching and practices: Hinduism - Different forms of worship: puja and arati - The rituals of puja and arati and their significance for Hindus.

Transcript

Holy Cribs: The Mandir

Pranathi: Welcome to the Shree Ghanapathy Temple. My name is Pranathi and I'm a Hindu. This is a temple or mandir and my dad is one of the priests here, so it's like a second home to me. We come here to worship Brahman, the one supreme spirit which we believe lives in all things. We worship many forms of Brahman, but this temple is especially dedicated to Lord Ganesha. Traditional mandirs usually have a gateway or a tower called a gopuram, which lets you know you're entering a special place. You may also find a statue of an animal or god outside. This is Ganesha, the elephant headed god of wisdom. This is the normal entrance for the mandir. The word mandir comes from the word 'house' in the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit. We think of the temple as a home for the deities, what we call the gods and goddesses that are inside. When we come into the temple, we respect it like you would when entering the home of a very important person. The entrance area of the mandir is called an ardhamandapa. It's where we take off our shoes and leave them in these racks. This is so we can keep the inside of the building as clean as possible, as another sign of respect. Also, some girls and women like to cover their heads when they come into the mandir. As people enter, they will often ring a bell to announce their arrival, just like you would ring on someone's doorbell.

On special occasions, we will open the main doors of the temple and you'll often see people bending down to touch the steps before they enter. In India, it's tradition that we touch the feet of those we respect, and the step represents the feet of the deities. By the door, this is Bhairavar. He is the protector or guardian of our temple. This is the mandapa, the main prayer hall of the mandir. All around the mandapa, there are deities. Each one has a shrine or vimana, which is a small area of worship. A statue of a deity is called a murti. We treat them as honoured guests, and so they are washed, decorated and given offerings of food every day, as signs of respect to the gods or goddesses they represent. I said outside that we worship one supreme spirit called Brahman who was a part of all things. So each one of the deities is Brahman in human or animal form. They show us many different ways to understand Brahman.

This mandir is dedicated to Ganesha, but most mandirs will have a murti of Ganesha near the door. He is a very popular deity because he removes obstacles or problems in people's lives. This is Shiva with his wife, Parvati. We also have murtis of Vishnu and we believe he has come to Earth in different forms. So here he is, as Krishna with Radha. And as Rama with Sita. Puja is the Hindu name for worship or prayer.

A tray is often laid out with various objects to help Hindus in their worship. Fruit, rice, flowers, water, a lamp, holy ash and kumkum powder, incense, a bell. There will be items to touch, taste, smell, hear and look at. All five senses are involved as a symbol that the whole person is devoted to the deity. Prasad is food like fruit, nuts or sweets that is offered to the murtis and then shared out after the puja. We believe that the deities bless the food during the puja. And so if we eat the prasad we will be blessed too. Take a sniff. Incense is burned in mandirs to purify the air, hiding any nasty smells. It also creates an atmosphere that always makes me think of puja. So it helps me to get in the right frame of mind to pray. The main shrine at the front of the mandapa is called a garbha griha, which means womb house. It symbolises the womb or heart of the body because we believe it gives life to the whole mandir. Inside the garbha griha will be a murti of the main deity that the mandir is dedicated to; the deity that most people come to this mandir to worship, which in our case is Ganesha. There is a space or corridor around the garbha griha called the pradakshina. This is so people can walk clockwise all around it. It shows that just like the shrine is at the centre of the circle I'm making as I walk around it, Ganesha is at the centre of my life. Directly above the garbha griha, some mandirs have a spire on the roof called a shikara, or they might even have several shikaras above all the different shrines. They symbolise the Himalayas, the mountains in India, where the deities were believed to live. In fact, shikara means 'mountain peak'. Some mandirs have flags, and the colour of the flags show which deity the mandir is dedicated to. So orange for Shiva and his family, which includes his son Ganesha; and red and white stripes for Swaminarayan.

Our priests traditionally come from the Brahmin varna, the top varna or caste in the Indian class system. He's called a pujari, someone who leads puja. This is the arti ceremony. The pujari uses a lamp with five wicks to symbolise the five traditional elements of earth, air, fire, water and space. He waves it in front of the murtis while chanting a prayer. And people ring bells and blow a shankha. A shankha or conch is a huge seashell. And if you blow into it properly, it makes... That sound. The lamp is blessed by the deities during the arti prayer, and then it's taken round the mandapa for us to pass our hands over the flames and then touch our heads to show that we are accepting the deity's blessing.

Mandirs are usually full of decorations and symbols. This one is called the Om, which represents Brahman, the one unseen spirit. The lotus flower grows out of a muddy riverbed to float on the surface, looking all beautiful. So it symbolises that we should try to be pure, even when the world around us is often polluted. And the swastika which represents the sun and God's blessings. Although this one is often misunderstood because it was used by the Nazis in the Second World War, it's a shame because the symbol of blessing was turned into a symbol of hate. But that's not what it means to me. Many mandirs have a hall or other rooms attached that can be used for meetings, education, festivals and lots of other events. And that's it. Thanks for coming to the Shree Ghanapathy Temple. Don't forget your shoes. Thanks for coming, guys. Bye.

Holy Cribs: The Mandir

Video length - 08.24

A young Buddhist called Hivin guides us through how he meditates at his local London Vihara.

Curriculum Mapping

Component 1: The study of religions: beliefs, teaching and practices: Buddhism - Different forms of Buddhist worship/meditation - Different forms of worship/meditation and their significance. - Meditation

Area of Study 1 – Buddhism- Section 1: Buddhist Beliefs - Section 3: Living the Buddhist Life- Meditation: the nature, purpose and significance of meditation in Buddhism

Component Group 1 - Buddhism-Belief sand teachings & Practice - Practices - Worship •The role and significance of different forms of worship including: •• Meditation •• Chanting •• Puja and devotional ritual •• Mantra •• Malas •• Offerings •• The significance of worship in the temple •• The significance of worship in the home •The purpose of devotional ritual

2.1 Unit 1 - Buddhism - Core beliefs, teachings and practices - Practices Meditation Practices  Significance and importance of meditation (Dhammapada 282)  Types of meditation – breathing (samatha)  Loving kindness (mettabhavana)  Insight meditation (vipassana)

2.3 Component 3 (Route A) - Option 1: Buddhism - Practices 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

Transcript

Holy Cribs: Meditation

Hivin: Buddhists like me call worship puja, and the most important kind of puja we do is meditation. Meditation is concentrating or thinking deeply about something, and it helps us to learn how our minds work so we can be more like the Buddha and see the world for what it is and live happier lives. It sounds simple and it sort of is... but it's really difficult to do it well.

There are two main kinds of Buddhist meditation. Samatha is about calming and stilling your thoughts getting into a peaceful and clear state of mind. Vipassana means insight, and this is the main aim of Buddhism. Being able to see things clearly, seeing them for what they are and then being able to let go, because they don't really matter. There are different ways to meditate, but this is how I do it.

You sit down cross-legged, put one hand above another, and then you breathe in and out. Breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth, and then you control your breathing. The meditation that we do in here is 'loving-kindness' meditation. You go through the five precepts, which is guidance given by the Buddha in order to live a noble and purposeful life. And then you give blessings to your family, to your friends, to your loved one, to your neighbours. Then we have five minutes of silence where you contemplate on your breathing and your thoughts and really try and clear your mind of any neighbouring thoughts.

Buddhism: Meditation

Video length - 02.20

A young Buddhist called Hivin shows us how he uses chanting when he worships at his local London Vihara.

Curriculum Mapping

Component 1: The study of religions - beliefs, teaching and practices: Buddhism- Meditation, the different aims, significance and methods of meditation - Samatha (concentration and tranquillity) including mindfulness of breathing.

Area of Study 3 – Buddhism- Section 3: Living the Buddhist Life- Chanting: the nature, purpose and role of chanting in Buddhism as a devotional practice and to gain mental concentration including Dhammapada 1–2, confidence and joy; the divergent understandings of the importance of chanting in Buddhist life today, with reference to Theravada Buddhism, including Tiratana: Dhammapada 190, and Mahayana Buddhism, including Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Transcript

Holy Cribs: Chanting

Hivin: When Buddhists like me worship - what we call puja - we often use chanting instead of the songs or hymns you might get in other religions. The chants we use are short phrases called sutras, which come from our holy books, and they're in an ancient language called Pali, which was spoken when the Buddha was alive, over 2500 years ago. Chanting helps me to get into the right frame of mind to meditate.

(Chanting)

First, I'm concentrating on the words, but as I repeat them, the words become less important than the sounds. And then if I'm doing it right, I even forget about the sounds, and my mind is free from all other thoughts.

(Chanting)

Now my meditation can begin.

Buddhism: Chanting

Video length - 01.35

Holy Cribs: The Vihara

A young Buddhist called Hivin welcomes TrueTube to his Vihara in West London. We’re given the full tour while learning about Buddhist beliefs and worship, and even get to see the monks who live there.

Curriculum Mapping

Component 1: The study of religions - beliefs, teaching and practices: Buddhism - 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.

Area of Study 3 – Buddhism - Section 3: Living the Buddhist Life - Features of Buddhist places of worship: the divergent nature, history and design of Buddhist places of worship, including temples, gompas, viharas, shrines in Theravada, Mahayana and Triratna Buddhism; how and why the places of worship are used, including reference to the shrine room, shrine facing east, and the library, showing the importance learning, including reference to the Kimsila Sutta. Puja: The nature and purpose of puja in the vihara and the home, including reference to Mangala Sutta; examples of the different types; when each type might be used and why; the importance of having different types of worship and their use in different Buddhist contexts.

Component Group 1–Beliefs and teachings & Practices - Buddhism-Practices - Sacred and significant places and spaces for Buddhists •The importance ,features and functions of: •• Temples •• Gompas and viharas •• Shrines •• Sites of pilgrimage •• Artefacts and offerings •• Retreats •The events that take place in different significant places, including Bodh Gayaand the Deer Park at Sarnath •The meaning and significance of key artefacts and offerings made at different significant places,includingthedifferentimages of the Buddha and his hand positions( mudras) • The purpose and form of retreats • The importance of undertaking pilgrimages • Common and divergent emphases placed on significant places and spaces by different Buddhist groups, including the role and importance of retreats •Different interpretations and emphases given to sources of wisdom and authority by different Buddhist groups

2.1 Unit 1 PART A - Part A - Buddhism - Core beliefs, teachings and practices - Practices Places of 'Worship' and Puja  The importance of features and functions of a vihara/home shrine  Diversity of practices in Theravada and Mahayana puja (Buddha, buddhas, bodhisattvas, mudras, mantras, mandalas)  Dana (giving) – opportunity to make offerings of food to monks.  Examples of the work of sanghas in Wales (Swansea, Cardiff, Raglan)

2.3 Component 3 (Route A) - Option 1: Buddhism - 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)

Transcript

Holy Cribs: The Vihara

Hivin: Hello and welcome to the London Buddhist Vihara. My name is Hivin and I'm a Buddhist. My religion is called Buddhism and our holy building is often called a temple, but the proper name for it is a vihara. And I'm going to show you around. Come on in. The first thing we do is take off our shoes and leave them on this rack. We do this to keep the inside of the building as clean as possible, as a symbol of purity. A vihara is a Buddhist monastery, a place where Buddhist monks live and we do have monks living here. The proper name for a monk is a bhikkhu. Bhikkhus are people who have decided to devote themselves into a spiritual life of simplicity and meditation. Come with me. This is a shrine room. It's the most important part of a vihara or any Buddhist temple. We come here to do puja, which means worship, and to meditate in front of a shrine which contains a statue of the Buddha. The Buddha is not a god. He was a man named Siddhartha Gautama, a royal prince who lived in Nepal about 2500 years ago. The title Buddha means enlightened one or awakened one because we believe that he discovered the truth about the world, how to live a happier and better life. We follow the Buddhist teachings, what we call the dhamma, and we give offerings of flowers, candles, incense, fruit and rice to a statue to show our respect for him. During puja, everyone sits on the floor as a sign of humility and equality. There might be clean sheets spread out on the floor or mats or cushions for people to sit on, so we are comfortable and ready to begin. We often chant words or phrases called sutras, which come from our holy books. This helps us to get into the right frame of mind for meditation, which is a very important part of Buddhism.

Meditation is concentrating or thinking deeply, and there are lots of different ways to do it. Meditation helps us to learn how our minds work so we can be like the Buddha and see the world for what it is and how to be happier. I can't control what goes on out there, but I can learn to control what goes on in here. We use bells to start or end a meditation and they can come in lots of different shapes and sizes. Like this bowl shaped one here. These are used because if I hit it. The sound goes on for ages, getting quieter and quieter, and I love it. It really helps me calm down and concentrate on my meditation. Buddhism has a lot of symbols to help us remember the dhamma, the Buddhist teachings, and to help us meditate. The eight spoked wheel is probably the most important and the best known. It's called the Dhamma Wheel, and it represents the noble Eightfold Path; eight principles that the Buddha taught us to live by: Right Understanding; Right Thought; Right Speech; Right Action; Right Livelihood; Right Effort; Right Mindfulness; and Right Concentration. This is a stupa. Really big ones are put up in places that are special to Buddhists, like where the Buddha was born or died or visited. Sometimes there are holy books or holy objects inside. For instance, things that used to belong to the Buddha, like clippings of his hair. Little stupas like this may also have something inside, but the shape itself has lots of different meanings. The eight rings around the top are another reminder of the Eightfold Path, which points towards the sky to symbolise the journey towards enlightenment. Which is when you know the truth about the world like the Buddha did. Some

Buddhists use a prayer wheel. It has sutras, words from a holy books, written around the outside and you hold the handle and spin it around. As it turns, the words are spread out into the air to bless everyone around. You sometimes get big ones to touch the walls or even turned by windmills or water wheels. Sutras are also written or printed onto flags which are hung up outside so that the wind can carry the blessings away to everyone. And we also have the stripey flag. The colours all have a meaning. Blue stands for peace and compassion. Yellow for the dhamma. Red for blessing. White for purity. Orange for wisdom. And all five together stand for unity. Mandala means circle or centre. Some Buddhists use these patterns to help them meditate. They are full of symbols with lots of different meanings. You see lotus flowers a lot in Buddhist art. Lotus flowers symbolise purity because they grow out of the mud at the bottom of lakes and rivers and float above it all, looking beautiful. It reminds us to be pure in an impure world. Welcome to our library. We have lots of holy books and books about the holy books. The most important are called the Tripitaka because that's where we find the teachings of the Buddha. My favourite is called the Dhammapada. These books were originally written in Pali, which was a language that used to be spoken during Buddha's time. And traditionally they were written on palm leaves. So we get these old odd shaped books with long, thin pages. And this is our meeting hall. We have lots of events here, like festivals and fundraisers for charity. Everything we do in the vihara is to help the Sangha, the community, and to support the bhikkhus who teach us and help us to become better Buddhists. Thanks for coming. You're welcome anytime. Bye.

Holy Cribs: The Vihara

Video length - 06.38

Sikhism: The Five Ks

A young Sikh explains the importance and meaning of the five symbols that Sikhs wear – the Five Ks.

Curriculum Mapping

Component 1: The study of religions: beliefs, teaching and practices - Sikhism- The Sikh initiation ceremony (Amrit Sanskar) -This includes the meaning and importance of the Khalsa and the five Ks, and the different perspectives of sahajdhari and amritdhari Sikhs.

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  Wearing of the 5k’s and their symbolism and significance – kesh, kangha, kirpan, kara, kacch.

Component 3 (Route A) -Option 5: Sikhism - Practices: Ceremonies - The different views of khalsa and non-khalsa (sahaj-dhari) Sikhs towards Khalsa and the Five K's

Transcript

Holy Cribs: The Five Ks

Arvinda: People who want to show their commitment to Sikhi go through a special ceremony called the Amrit Sanskar to become a member of the Khalsa, which means brotherhood. They also wear five symbols which are called the 5 Ks, because they all begin with K in Punjabi, the language the Sikh Gurus would have spoken. This tradition was started by Guru Gobind Singh ji, who wanted his people to stand up for what they believed. To declare to the world that they were Sikh and proud of it. The first K is called Kesh, which means uncut hair. This symbolises that Sikhs should respect God's perfect creation and never harm it. Men keep their hair tied up neatly in a turban and will let their beard grow. Some women choose to wear a turban as well, although they don't have to. Guru Gobind Singh ji wanted the Sikhs to have respect for each other and respect for themselves. So he told them to carry a Kangha, a comb as a reminder that they should keep themselves clean and tidy at all times. The Kara is a steel bangle that Sikhs wear on their right wrist if they're right handed and on their left wrist if they are left handed. They still remind Sikhs that they should be strong and the circular shape reminds them that there is one eternal God. The Kara is also a reminder to Sikhs that they should not do anything wrong. So if their hand stretches out to steal something or hit someone, the Kara is there to make them think again. The Kachera are, and there is no easy way to put this, underwear.

Back when Guru Gobind Singh ji was alive, not everyone bothered to wear underwear. They might wear a loose wrap or even a long shirt. But the Guru said the Sikhs should cover themselves decently by wearing shorts with a drawstring waist. It is another symbol of self respect and respect for other people. The Kirpan is probably the most misunderstood of the 5 Ks. Originally, it was a long, sharp, single edged sword that Sikhs would carry so they could defend themselves and others from persecution. These days, Sikhs usually carry a very small, short and blunt Kirpan that would be of little use as a weapon. But the symbolism is the same. Sikhs should be ready at all times to stand up for what they believe is right and stand up for the defenseless. This doesn't mean literally fighting, although it might. It's more about standing up for what is right and speaking out against what is wrong. Guru Gobind Singh ji knew that it is important for Sikhs to have freedom to express themselves, to be proud of who they are and what they believe.

Sikhism: The Five Ks

Video length - 03.08

Holy Cribs: The Gurdwara

Arvinda Singh, a young Sikh, gives TrueTube a tour of his Gurdwara, the Sri Guru Singh Sabha in Southall. He shows us the prayer hall, the dining hall and even the Guru Granth Sahib’s bedroom!

Curriculum Mapping

Component 1: The study of religions: beliefs, teaching and practices - Sikhism - The nature of God linked with the worship of God in Sikhism. The Mool Mantra and how Sikhs pray and meditate mainly at home. Worship in the gurdwara The features of the gurdwara and its role in the Sikh community. To study the building’s design and function and identify the main features, external and internal. Worship in the Gurdwara - This covers how Sikhs show their respect when they are in the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib. The Langar -This covers the practice of eating together. It links the topics about equality, sewa and the gurdwara together.

Area of study 2 - Section 3: Living the Sikh Life - Sikhism - Features of the gurdwara: the nature, history and purpose of the design of the Gurdwara as the ‘Door/Gate of the Guru’, including Rahit Maryada Chapters 4–6; how and why objects of devotion are used within the gurdwara: Guru Granth Sahib, Takht, Chanani, Chaur, the langar hall, four doors, and the Nishan Sahib; divergent understandings of the importance of these features in Sikh life today. The gurdwara: the role and importance of the gurdwara within the Sikh community including reference to Guru Granth Sahib 1391; activities that take place within the gurdwara and why; the nature and importance of visiting Sikh historical gurdwaras: the Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar (the Golden Temple); divergent understandings of the importance of making such visits including reference to Guru Granth Sahib 4. Langar: the history of langar including Guru Granth Sahib 967; the nature and purposes of langar; the significance of langar for Sikhs today, especially as an expression of sewa.

2.1 Unit 1 PART A - Sikhism - Core beliefs, teachings and practices - Practices Worship  Features of the gurdwara  Role of Guru Granth Sahib in worship  Features of service; role of granthi and epilogue  Distribution of karah prashad  Role of langar in the gurdwara – concept of equality and selfless service (Guru Granth Sahib 349).

Component 3 (Route A) -Option 5: Sikhism - Practices: The gurdwara: practices in Britain and elsewhere ➢ The importance and the role of Bhatra and Ramgarhia gurdwaras in Britain as places of worship, social and community functions ➢ Religious features: artefacts, Guru Granth Sahib, langar (as an expression of sewa - selfless service to others) and associated practices Worship ➢ The role and importance of prayer in the home ➢ Significance of the practice of meditating on the name of God

Transcript

Holy Cribs: Gurdwara

Arvinda: Sat sri akal ji! Welcome to Sri Guru Singh Sabha Southall! My name is Arvinda Singh and I'm a Sikh. Our religion is often called Sikhism, but we like to call it Sikhi. This is the Gurdwara. This is our holy building where we come to worship Waheguru, which is the name of God. I'm going to give you a tour now. Just before we go inside, I want to show you the Nishan Sahib. This is a special flag in front of every Gurdwara. This is usually yellow or orange in colour and has a blue symbol on it called the Khanda.

Right then. Come on in.

The first thing we do is cover our heads. A lot of Sikhs, especially men, wear a dastar or a turban, but everyone else wears a headscarf such as these. We also take our shoes off and put them in the shoe rack. The last thing we do is wash our hands. This is a sign of respect, but we will need clean hands later because there will be food. The word Gurdwara means door to the Guru in Punjabi, it is where we come to pay our respects to Waheguru and our holy book the Guru Granth Sahib ji. We cover our hair, take our shoes off and wash our hands as a sign of respect. The main part of the Gurdwara where we listen to the Guru Granth Sahib ji is called the diwan hall or the prayer hall. But we'll need to be very quiet. The Guru Granth Sahib ji is treated like royalty, it sits at the front on a raised platform called the takht, which means throne. The canopy above it is called a palki. And the cushion it rests on is called a manji sahib. When we come here, we always pay our respects to the Guru Granth Sahib ji. We walk down to the front, bow and maybe give an offering. It's usually money, but it can be food or a new cloth to wrap the Guru Granth Sahib ji in when it isn't being read. Some people like to walk clockwise around the takht as a symbol that the Guru Granth Sahib ji, is a centre part of their lives. Then being careful not to turn our backs to the Guru until we are a little distance away, we go and sit down. Everyone sits on the floor as a sign of equality. Men sit on one side, usually the right, women on the other side. This is so that we are concentrating on Waheguru and the words of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji and not on each other. Services can go on for hours, so people often come and go as they like. There's no particular day for worship. The Gurdwara is open every day, but it gets crowded on a Sunday when most people are off work. Mostly we sit and listen to the words of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji. The person reading it is called a granthi. The granthi isn't a priest and can be any man or woman who can read Gurmukhi. That's the Punjabi alphabet and it was used to write the Guru Granth Sahib Ji, because Sikhi began in Punjab in the north of India.

As the granthi reads, he or she waves a fan made of hair or feathers called a chauri. In India, important people will be fanned to keep them cool and to keep flies off them. It became a symbol of respect even when it isn't hot. So now it's done for the Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Every day the granthi gives a special reading called a hukam. He or she opens the Guru to whichever page it falls open and reads the words. The idea is that this isn't random. Waheguru chooses which words are most suitable for people to hear. Sometimes we have musicians called ragis who sing hymns called bhajans. And often these words come from the Guru Granth Sahib ji. Singing hymns like this is called kirtan. The drums are called tabla, and the keyboard is called a vaja or harmonium in English and works by pumping air through it by hand.

Arvinda At the end of the service, everyone stands to say a special prayer together called the Ardas. There's always a big bowl of karah parshad. This is a sweet porridge made with lots of sugar and butter. It is a symbol of Waheguru ji's blessings as everybody shares from the same bowl. And it's very delicious.

Gurdwaras are often very beautifully decorated. This symbol the Khanda, was the one on the Nishan Sahib outside. And this is Gurmukhi writing. It says Ik Onkar, which means there is only one God. And those are the very first words of the Guru Granth Sahib ji. Those words were written by Guru Nanak dev ji. He was the very first leader of the Sikhs beginning in the year 1500, and he was given the title Guru, which means teacher, Sikh means pupil. There were ten Gurus in all who led the Sikhs, one after the other for about 200 years. Then the last Guru, Guru Gobind Singh ji, said that after his death, the writings of the first five Gurus and the ninth Guru would become the 11th and final Guru, the Guru Granth Sahib ji, which is why we give it so much respect. The Guru Granth Sahib even has its own room with a bed where it's kept overnight when it isn't being read. Gurdwaras have other rooms that could be used for community activities like this library. And every Gurdwara has one of these: a Langar or a dining hall. Anyone and everyone can share a free meal here. This is another symbol of equality. Back in the day in India, upper class people wouldn't mix with working class people and definitely wouldn't eat with them. So Guru Nanak dev ji started the Langar to encourage equality. The food here is always vegetarian so that everyone, no matter what their religion or if they just don't eat meat, can share the same meal. The people cooking food, serving it and washing up the plates are all volunteers. We call it seva, doing work to help other people. So next time you're passing by a Gurdwara, make sure to put a headscarf on and come and enjoy a free meal. Thank you for coming to the Gurdwara. Goodbye.

Holy Cribs: The Gurdwara

Video length - 07.18

Zack welcomes TrueTube to a North London Reform Synagogue for a tour of all its main features. Taking us from the door to the Ark, he talks about his beliefs and what happens during a service at the synagogue.

Curriculum Mapping

Holy Cribs: The Synagogue

Zack: Welcome to Alias Reformed Synagogue. My name is Zack. I'm Jewish, and my religion is called Judaism. This is where I come to worship. And it's often called a synagogue, which is a Greek word, meaning assembly, because this is where we all get together on the Shabbat, our holy day, which is on a Saturday. But Jewish people are more likely to call it a shul, which is a Yiddish word for school, or a Beit Knesset, which is Hebrew for House of gathering or Beit to Phila, which means House of Prayer or Beit Midrash, which means House of Learning. We have lots of different names for this building because it's used for lots of different things by the local community. In most schools, men are asked to cover their heads as a sign of respect for God. They usually wear a skullcap like this called a yarmuk or. Some shawls ask women to cover their heads as well. And in synagogues that would call themselves orthodox or conservative, married women cover their heads whenever they are outside the house with a hat, scarf or wig. Unmarried women often choose to cover their heads as well. This is the main room called the Sanctuary, where we have our services on the Shabbat. All synagogues are built to face the city of Jerusalem, where there used to be a huge temple. It was the center of Jewish life and people used to travel hundreds of miles to worship and celebrate festivals there. It was destroyed by the Romans nearly 2000 years ago, and only the Western Wall remains. So our synagogues are full of symbols and reminders of the temple we've lost. Orthodox and conservative Jews will separate men and women during services so that they are concentrating on worship rather than on each other. Women often sit upstairs in a gallery or balcony or downstairs in an area separated from the men by a barrier or screen called America. In a reformed synagogue like this, men and women sit together. Some Jews like to wear a special shawl called a tallit to pray. It can be quite difficult to get on because I've got to get this bit at the back has these fringes called Sits It, which represent the 613 Commandments in our holy book, which is called the Torah. And the Torah is kept in here. This is the Ark or our on Kadesh. It's the most important part of any synagogue because the Torah scrolls are kept in here when they're not being used in this jewel on the wall above the ark. We have some words from the Book of Psalms in Hebrew. Other schools will often have two plaques. These symbolize the original Ten Commandments, which were carved onto two stone tablets. According to the Torah. Moses brought them down from the top of Mount Sinai, where he was given the commandments by God. Here we have the first ten letters of the Hebrew alphabet to represent the Ten Commandments. There's also a lamp called the Tam ed, which means eternal light. And it's always lit to symbolize God's presence. Back in the day, it would have been an oil lamp. But these days it's usually electric. And the lamp in the temple would have looked like this, only much bigger. An oil lamp would seven branches called a menorah, and many shawls will have one. It's often used as a symbol for Judaism, but the star of David is probably the most common Jewish symbol. It's named after King David, the most famous Jewish king who killed a giant called Goliath when he was just a boy. We use these symbols to decorate our shores, and we might also use pictures or patterns of plants or trees. But you won't often find any pictures of people or animals. This is because we worship one God who cannot be seen, and so we won't usually have any pictures of God or anything that could be mistaken for God. During a service, the doors of the ark will be opened so that everyone can see the scrolls inside. In some shawls, there might be a curtain called a prophet over the doors. So that will be drawn back as well. The scrolls are treated with maximum respect like they're important people and are dressed when they're not being used. They're wrapped in a cloth cover called a mantle. A metal breastplate might be hung on the front to represent the breastplate that was worn by the temple priests in Jerusalem. And the walls are topped with decorations called nym, which means pomegranates because they're often made to look like pomegranates. People used to believe that there were 613 seeds in each pomegranate, one for each of the commandments in the Torah. During the service, one of the scrolls is chosen, undressed and carried over to a big reading desk on a raised area called a Bimmer. It's always at the front or the middle of the room so that everyone can hear the words of the Torah when they're being read out loud. Two scrolls are in Hebrew. They are written out by hand and made of natural materials. The scroll itself is made of animal skins, the ink from oil and charcoal and the rollers from wood. When we read the Torah, we follow the words with a pointer like this called a yard that so we don't damage the scroll with sweaty or greasy fingers. The word Yad means hand because the tip is often shaped to look like a hand with a pointy finger. Hebrew is read from right to left, the opposite direction to English. The rabbi will then give a sermon or talk about the reading. The word rabbi means teacher because that's their job to teach us about the Torah and how to live as Jews. The rabbi will often run midweek classes at the show and also spends a lot of time giving help and advice to the community. In Orthodox synagogues, the rabbi doesn't usually organize the service that's done by someone called a Hazan, which means singer because they lead the prayers and hymns in orthodox and conservative schools. The Rabbi and Hazan will always be men in reform schools. Both the Rabbi and Hazan can lead and organize the service in these synagogues. They can be men or women. At the end of the service, the scroll is wrapped up again and put back in the ark. There are lots of other rooms in the show that are used for all kinds of things during the week. Many people come here to ask for the rabbi's advice on things. There's a nursery of youth club and I come here to learn how to read Hebrew. Thanks for coming by.

Transcript

Holy Cribs: The Synagogue

So our synagogues are full of symbols and reminders of the temple we've lost. Orthodox and conservative Jews will separate men and women during services so that they are concentrating on worship rather than on each other. Women often sit upstairs in a gallery or balcony or downstairs in an area separated from the men by a barrier or screen called America. In a reformed synagogue like this, men and women sit together. Some Jews like to wear a special shawl called a tallit to pray. It can be quite difficult to get on because I've got to get this bit at the back has these fringes called Sits It, which represent the 613 Commandments in our holy book, which is called the Torah. And the Torah is kept in here. This is the Ark or our on Kadesh. It's the most important part of any synagogue because the Torah scrolls are kept in here when they're not being used in this jewel on the wall above the ark. We have some words from the Book of Psalms in Hebrew. Other schools will often have two plaques. These symbolize the original Ten Commandments, which were carved onto two stone tablets. According to the Torah. Moses brought them down from the top of Mount Sinai, where he was given the commandments by God.

Here we have the first ten letters of the Hebrew alphabet to represent the Ten Commandments. There's also a lamp called the Tam ed, which means eternal light. And it's always lit to symbolize God's presence. Back in the day, it would have been an oil lamp. But these days it's usually electric. And the lamp in the temple would have looked like this, only much bigger. An oil lamp would seven branches called a menorah, and many shawls will have one. It's often used as a symbol for Judaism, but the star of David is probably the most common Jewish symbol. It's named after King David, the most famous Jewish king who killed a giant called Goliath when he was just a boy. We use these symbols to decorate our shores, and we might also use pictures or patterns of plants or trees. But you won't often find any pictures of people or animals. This is because we worship one God who cannot be seen, and so we won't usually have any pictures of God or anything that could be mistaken for God. During a service, the doors of the ark will be opened so that everyone can see the scrolls inside. In some shawls, there might be a curtain called a prophet over the doors. So that will be drawn back as well. The scrolls are treated with maximum respect like they're important people and are dressed when they're not being used.

They're wrapped in a cloth cover called a mantle. A metal breastplate might be hung on the front to represent the breastplate that was worn by the temple priests in Jerusalem. And the walls are topped with decorations called nym, which means pomegranates because they're often made to look like pomegranates. People used to believe that there were 613 seeds in each pomegranate, one for each of the commandments in the Torah. During the service, one of the scrolls is chosen, undressed and carried over to a big reading desk on a raised area called a Bimmer. It's always at the front or the middle of the room so that everyone can hear the words of the Torah when they're being read out loud. Two scrolls are in Hebrew. They are written out by hand and made of natural materials. The scroll itself is made of animal skins, the ink from oil and charcoal and the rollers from wood. When we read the Torah, we follow the words with a pointer like this called a yard that so we don't damage the scroll with sweaty or greasy fingers. The word Yad means hand because the tip is often shaped to look like a hand with a pointy finger. Hebrew is read from right to left, the opposite direction to English. The rabbi will then give a sermon or talk about the reading. The word rabbi means teacher because that's their job to teach us about the Torah and how to live as Jews. The rabbi will often run midweek classes at the show and also spends a lot of time giving help and advice to the community.

In Orthodox synagogues, the rabbi doesn't usually organize the service that's done by someone called a Hazan, which means singer because they lead the prayers and hymns in orthodox and conservative schools. The Rabbi and Hazan will always be men in reform schools. Both the Rabbi and Hazan can lead and organize the service in these synagogues. They can be men or women. At the end of the service, the scroll is wrapped up again and put back in the ark. There are lots of other rooms in the show that are used for all kinds of things during the week. Many people come here to ask for the rabbi's advice on things. There's a nursery of youth club and I come here to learn how to read Hebrew. Thanks for coming by.

Holy Cribs: The Synagogue

Video length - 06.55

The Torah is the Jewish holy scripture, and the scrolls play a central role in services at the synagogue. Zack and his rabbi demonstrate how the Torah is read, and the way a scroll is “dressed” afterwards to show its importance.

Curriculum Mapping

Component 1 - The study of religions: beliefs, teaching and practices - Judaism - Introduction to Judaism - Introduction to the idea of common and divergent views within Judaism. The synagogue and worship. Shabbat in the home and synagogue and its significance. Worship in the home and private prayer. The synagogue and worship - The written law (Tenakh) and the oral law (Talmud) and their study, use and significance in daily life.

Area of study 2 - Section 3 -Living the Jewish Life - Judaism - The nature and purpose of Jewish public acts of worship: the nature, features and purpose of Jewish public worship, including interpretations of Psalm 116:1219; the nature, features and importance of synagogue services for the Jewish community and the individual. Features of the synagogue: the nature, history and purpose of the different design of the synagogues in Liberal, Reform and Orthodox Judaism, including facing Jerusalem, layout of seating the Ark and the bimah and with reference to Proverbs 14:28; how and why the synagogue is used by the different communities, including reference to Exodus 27:20–21; how and why objects of devotion are used within the synagogues, including a yad, Torah Scroll, ner tamid and menorah. Section 3: Living the Jewish Life -The nature and purpose of Jewish public acts of worship: the nature, features and purpose of Jewish public worship, including interpretations of Psalms 116:12–19; the nature, features and importance of synagogue services for the Jewish community and the individual.

Component Group 1 - Judaism - Practices -Worship• The structure of the synagogue service •The importance of the synagogue, in relation to the following religious features: •• Design •• Artefacts •• Synagogue services •• The role of the synagogue within the Jewish community •• Worship in the home •• The place of worship in the home •The significance of the Ark, the Bimah, the lack of representation of G-d, the Ner Tamid and the Mikveh • The nature and importance of the Torah readings, other readings, prayers and sermons •The connection between the synagogue and the Temple • Issues related to worship and the synagogue, including the length and structure of synagogue services and different uses of Hebrew in the service • Common and divergent emphases placed on the features of a synagogue by different Jewish groups, including separating women and men in an Orthodox synagogue •Different interpretations and emphases given to sources of wisdom and authority by different Jewish groups Prayer• The role and importance of prayer in Jewish worship, including the Amidah (the standing prayer) • The role and importance of private prayer for Jews • The importance of: •• The three daily periods of prayer •• The concept of spontaneous prayer •• Recitation of the Shema •• Recitation of Grace after meals •• Teaching children to pray •• The direction faced when praying •• Prayer and the observance of the Mitzvot in the home • The importance of prayer for praise, confession, thanks giving and supplication.

2.1 Unit 1 PART A - Judaism - Core beliefs, teachings and practices - Worship in the home and synagogue  The importance of the synagogue: internal features- aron hakodesh (ark), ner tamid, bimah, Torah, Ten Commandments, seating  Reading of the Torah during synagogue worship  Diverse practices within Orthodox and Reform synagogues – worship and the role and gender of the Rabbi  The importance of the home for worship in Judaism: challenges and benefits of observing Shabbat (Exodus 20:8-10)

Component 3 (Route A) - Option 4: Judaism - Practices - The Synagogue ➢ Features of different synagogues in Britain: significance of bimah, aron hakodesh, Torah scrolls, ner tamid, seating, minyan; Exodus 20:4-5

Transcript

Judaism: The Torah Scroll

Zack: The reading of the Torah is the most important part of a service in a synagogue because we believe that it contains God's words. So a Torah scroll is treated with great respect, almost like a king. And before it's put away, it will be dressed in a robe and a crown. This is to protect it, but also to remind us of how important it is. Dressing or undressing. The Torah is called Galilee in Hebrew, and it usually takes two people to do it. One person rolls up the scroll and carefully lifts it up by the bottom handles of the rollers. Then another person can start the dressing by tying a sash or belt around the middle to keep the two rollers together.

This belt is called a Haggadah or a garter. Then the scrolls are covered with a mantle which is usually made from a rich material like velvet and often beautifully embroidered. There were two holes in the top for the handles of the rollers to poke through. In some shawls, a brass plate or hosen in Hebrew is added over the mantle. This is like a silver apron or bib on a chain and represents the breastplate that the priests used to wear in the temple in Jerusalem before it was destroyed nearly 2000 years ago. Sometimes the Yad the pointer will be hung over the top. Finally, the top of the tallest bar will be adorned with a crown. This might be an actual crown called a kettle that fits over the top of both roller handles or two finials or decorated caps that go on each handle. These are called Raman, which means pomegranates in Hebrew because they are often made to look like fruit called pomegranates. People used to believe that there were 613 seeds in each pomegranate, one for each of the commandments in the Torah. Now the scroll is carried very carefully to the Ark or the A1, which is a special cupboard at the front of the show where all the scrolls are kept and then the doors of the ark are closed.

Judaism: The Torah Scroll

Video length - 02.28