FoxChild@Learn
componentCode:
June 2020
Q1.1: Which one of the following is the Hindu term for the cycle of birth, death
and rebirth?
Put a tick () in the box next to the correct answer. A Ahimsa B Saguna C Samsara D Tri-guna
Answer:
beliefs, practices and sources of authority Answer: C Samsara
Q1.2: Give two reasons why Hindus might believe in spiritual worlds.
Answer:
beliefs, practices and sources of authority Brought up to believe in them / their form of Hinduism includes belief in them / they have had visions or religious experiences which have made them believe this / Vishnu created spiritual worlds and lives there; it is in the holy books / Krishan created spiritual worlds for his devotees / hope to be reborn in a higher world (loka) / taught that they exist, etc.
Q1.3: Explain two ways in which belief in the Hindu virtues influences Hindus today.
Answer:
influence on individuals, communities and societies To be a ‘detailed explanation’ the ‘influence’ of the way must be included. The Hindu virtues listed in the Specification are ahimsa (non-violence), respect, empathy, mind/sense control, humility, and love. General responses about virtues as a whole might include: • Affects their behaviour towards others, eg to be kinder / ‘Do not do to another what you do not like to be done to yourself; that is the gist of the law – all other laws are variable’ – Mahabharata / ‘That is the whole purpose of human existence here on earth: to benefit other people through one’s life, one’s possessions, one’s thoughts and one’s words’ – Bhagavata Purana. • Affects their whole personality / eg to be calmer, more gentle, show patience in the face of • Might make them focus harder to meet the virtues as they will see them as a way to achieve moksha / ‘Abstention from injury, truthfulness, justice, compassion, self-restraint, monogamy, amiability, modesty and patience, the practice of these virtues is the best of all spiritual paths, thus declared Manu the Great Lawgiver’ – Mahabharata, etc. Specific to virtues responses might include: • They will be vegetarian / to cultivate virtues of ahimsa, respect for life, compassion, etc. • They might refuse to fight in battle / due to virtues of ahimsa, respect for life, compassion, etc. • They might be better students / as they show greater self-discipline and attention to study. • They might be very truthful in word and honest in deed / because truth is a virtue. • They might treat all others respectfully / from their first meeting, rather than waiting for them to earn respect, etc.
Q1.4: Explain two Hindu beliefs about moksha.
Refer to sacred writings or another source of Hindu belief and teaching in your answer.
Answer:
beliefs, practices and sources of authority Relevant and accurate reference to sacred writing or another source of Hindu belief and teaching – 1 mark • ‘Moksha is liberation from samsara’ / it is the aim of life for Hindus. • Requires good karma, but also insight and knowledge of the Self/Absolute reality – cannot have one without the other. • Moksha is about seeing things as they really are – cutting through maya (illusion) / e.g. the recognition and understanding that the atman is Brahman / ‘By realising God, one is released from all fetters’ (Vedas). • Takes thousands of lifetimes to achieve moksha. • Can achieve moksha through good actions / e.g. karma yoga / by doing good for others / always • Achieved via the four pathways to union with the divine (yogas) / i.e. jnana, bhakti, karma and • Can achieve moksha through personal effort / e.g. jnana yoga – studying the scriptures / karma yoga – good actions / ‘The desire for liberation arises in all human beings at the end of many births through the opening of their past virtuous conduct’ – Paingala Upanishad 2:11. • Can achieve moksha by taking refuge / e.g. via bhakti yoga showing devotion to Vishnu / where whole life is surrendered to Vishnu and all reliance placed on the grace of God. • Can be achieved before death / called jivanmukta / see this in sadhus/sages/saints / ‘When all desires stationed in the heart are dispensed with one becomes liberated undoubtedly, even while living’ – Garuda Purana 1.236.12, etc.
Q1.5: ‘Vishnu is the most important member of the Tri-murti.’
Evaluate this statement. In your answer you should: • refer to Hindu teaching • give reasoned arguments to support this statement • give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view • reach a justified conclusion.
[SPaG 3 marks]
Extra space
Q2 Hinduism: Practices
Answer:
In your answer you should: • give reasoned arguments to support this statement • give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view [SPaG 3 marks] significance and influence understanding of relevant evidence and information. References to religion applied to the issue. relevant evidence and information. Clear reference to religion. evidence and information. evidence and arguments must be credited.
Arguments in support
• Most Hindus follow Vishnu as Supreme Lord / so He has clear authority over others / as they are just manifestations of Him. • Scriptures say he is / ‘Of all types of worship, worship of Vishnu is supreme’ – Padma Purana. • Vishnu has sent avatars to help humans, no other deity has / so Vishnu is listening and answering humans more closely. • As the sustainer, that role is more important than the roles of the other two / not least because we all want to stay alive. • Most images of the Tri-murti show Vishnu centrally / suggesting greater importance, etc.
Arguments in support of other views
• Vishnu is part of the Tri-murti, which suggests equality / or Vishnu would be alone. • Each has an important role / Brahma is the creator / Shive is the destroyer / the cycle of life needs all / so all are equally important • Scriptures say they are all important / ‘These are foremost forms of the supreme, the immortal, the bodiless Brahman. To whichever deity each man is attached, in its world he rejoices. Yet, it is said, this whole world is Brahman. These deities, which are its foremost forms, one should meditate upon, worship, but then deny (reject the gods' individuality). He thus unites with the universal, and attains union with the Soul’ – Maitrayaniya Upanishad 4:5. • Shaivites believe Shiva to be the Supreme God and creator / so He has clear authority over others / as they are just manifestations of Him. • Vishnu is simply a manifestation of Brahman / so is no more important than any other manifestation / just different. • The holiest sites in Hinduism are not solely Vishnu’s / in fact are more associated with Shiva / eg Varanasi, Mt Kailash. • If a follower of Smartism, then all deities are seen as equal / all manifestations of the Ultimate [Plus SPaG 3 marks] Q2 Hinduism: Practices
Q2.1: Which one of the following is not a form of Hindu worship?
Put a tick () in the box next to the correct answer. A Darshan B Havan C Maya D Puja
Answer:
beliefs, practices and sources of authority Answer: C Maya
Q2.2: Give the names of two Hindu festivals.
Question 2 continues on the next page
Answer:
beliefs, practices and sources of authority Holi / Diwali / Raksha Bandan / Jaganatha / Dusshera / Krishna Janamashtami / Ganesh Chaturtha / Navaratri / Ram Navami, etc.
Q2.3: Explain two contrasting focuses of worship for Hindus.
Answer:
similarities and differences within and/or between religions and beliefs First contrasting focus Second contrasting focus Each contrasting focus to come from different bullet points • One God - Brahman – Ultimate Reality / personal or non-personal God / part of every living being / aim of Hindus to be reunited with Brahman / can devote life to understanding this deity (jnana yoga) or to connecting with this deity (astanga yoga). • Tri-murti – one of as in Shaivism or Vaishnavism / all, as in Smartism / devotion and puja made to this focus / seen as highest form of deities – ‘These are foremost forms of the supreme, the immortal, the bodiless Brahman. To whichever deity each man is attached, in its world he rejoices. Yet, it is said, this whole world is Brahman. These deities, which are its foremost forms, one should meditate upon, worship, but then deny (reject the gods' individuality). He thus unites with the universal, and attains union with the Soul’ – Maitrayaniya Upanishad 4:5 / represent the key aspects of Brahman – birth, death and rebirth / can give full devotion to this level of deity / can devote life to understanding this deity (jnana yoga) or to connecting with this deity (astanga • Deities – eg Ganesha for good fortune, Lakshmi for family, etc / can identify more readily with this level of deity / regular worship to at home or temple shrine, or occasional worship to deity. • Guru – many Shaivites become disciples to a Saddhu or guru to build good karma and achieve moksha more quickly / disciples do without seeking explanation as their teacher bids / for those following some sadhus, this includes attending to all their needs / stay at ashram to study the • Elders – eg those in retirement stage of life / provide advice and their greater understanding of • Holy land, hills and rivers – visiting these places can bring merit / being at these places aids prayer and meditation / many have links to deities, eg Vrindavan sacred forests linked to Krishna, Mt Kailash linked to Shiva / it is believed that to bathe in the Ganges washes a person clean of many/all sins / ashes from cremation are scattered in the Ganges to speed rebirth and/or moksha / ‘Like a moonless night, like flowerless trees, such are the countries and regions deprived of the benefits of the Ganga’ – Mahabharata. • Sacred plants and animals - many plants symbolise religious concepts, eg banyan tree has many roots (many paths to moksha), lotus (moksha) / many plants relevant to worship, eg tulsi leaves (sacred plant of Tulsi, who links to Vishnu, has healing properties) / The Vrukshayurveda lists many plants and what to do to get good merit from them, eg ‘He who plants five or six mango trees attains the abode of Garuda and lives happily forever like gods’ / all deities are linked to an animal as their vehicle, eg Ganesha and the mouse – supposedly shows strengths or weaknesses of deity / sacred cow – giver of life, so protected / sacred monkeys at all temples. • The murti – images of God created through very specific processes / represent the deity and contain the presence of the deity within them / ‘It is much more difficult to focus on God as the unmanifested than God with form, due to human beings needing to perceive via the senses’ – Bhagavad Gita 12.5 / ‘A yogin perceives god within himself, Images are for those who have not reached this knowledge’ – Jabaladarsana Upanishad / allow a person to learn because of the symbolism within the murti / worship is directed at the murti / a place cannot be labelled a temple without having murtis • An aim of worship may be the focus / e.g. the worshipper focuses on achieving moksha / or on having a better rebirth / or on being born into a higher realm (loki) or world / so in any worship they focus on the intent behind the worship, etc.
Q2.4: Explain two ways in which Hindus show their devotion to the deities
during pilgrimage. Refer to sacred writings or another source of Hindu belief and teaching in your answer.
Answer:
beliefs, practices and sources of authority Relevant and accurate reference to sacred writing or another source of Hindu belief and teaching – 1 mark • A person might work hard on the journey / eg prostrating their way from their home to the pilgrimage site believing this to be more likely to remove sin / ‘Flower-like the heels of the wanderer, His body growth is fruitful: All his sins disappear, Slain by the toil of sacred journey’ – • Might attend temples (generally for worship or specific temples for specific deities) / make darshan (personal worship) / pray to the deity/deities. • Make offerings to the deities – seeking help, giving thanks etc / ‘Pilgrimages may be undertaken for many personal reasons, such as penance for sin or spiritual regeneration’ – Swami Chidanand Saraswati / place garlands and flowers into the Ganges or other holy water. • Will take prashad from worship – a portion of food or flowers which have been blessed by the deity / might take this home for someone who has not attended. • Might take ashes of a relative to empty into the Ganges, showing love to the relative but also belief in the compassion of Mother Ganga. • Might bathe in a holy river, eg the Ganges to be washed clean of sin / at Kumbh Mela they try to be the first into the Ganges as that is meant to achieve moksha / take water from the Ganges home with them / bathe in the Ganges at its start point in the Himalayas. • Might do everything with God in mind / so that every aspect of the pilgrimage is focused on God / ‘A pilgrim must go with total surrender, with a total faith in God, that it is only by God’s grace that he can finish the pilgrimage’ – Ma Yoga Shakti. • Might spend time with a guru or elder to learn more about their religion. • Might read scriptures in temples / so that they are surrounded by the special atmosphere / thinking they will gain greater insight in this special place. • Might join in the singing of kirtans / to feel a connection to the deity. • Might give to charity or volunteer their services to help others / as this brings greater karma / means their pilgrimage is not a selfish enterprise, etc.
Q2.5: ‘For a Hindu, devotion (bhakti yoga) is the best way to achieve union with the
divine (God).’ Evaluate this statement. In your answer you should: • refer to Hindu teaching • give reasoned arguments to support this statement • give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view • reach a justified conclusion.
Extra space
Question . number .
Question . number .
Question . number .
Copyright information For confidentiality purposes, all acknowledgements of third-party copyright material are published in a separate booklet. This booklet is published after each live examination series and is available for free download from www.aqa.org.uk. and AQA will be happy to rectify any omissions of acknowledgements. If you have any queries please contact the Copyright Team. Copyright © 2020 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
206g8062/14
Answer:
In your answer you should: • give reasoned arguments to support this statement • give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view significance and influence understanding of relevant evidence and information. References to religion applied to the issue. relevant evidence and information. Clear reference to religion. evidence and information. evidence and arguments must be credited.
Arguments in support
• Devotion is love / requires only that a person does something for the deity out of love, eg • Devotion motivates a person to focus on the deity / so they learn from that deity / by being thus motivated, all other yogas are practised / eg jnana because they want to learn more from the scriptures, karma because they want to act in the way their deity does ie help others, astanga because meditation allows insight into religious truths, etc. • Devotion does not rely on wealth, intelligence or self-discipline/bodily health / just love / so can be done by anyone / is the yoga which every person can do effectively. • Bhakti makes a person a nicer person / who helps the world and reaches moksha as a result of all that / ‘Bhakti softens the heart and removes jealousy, hatred, lust, anger, egoism, pride, and arrogance. It infuses joy, divine ecstasy, bliss, peace, and knowledge. All cares, worries and anxieties, fears, mental torments, and tribulations entirely vanish. The devotee is freed from the Samsaric wheel of births and deaths. He attains the immortal abode of everlasting peace, bliss, and knowledge’ – Swami Sivananda / etc.
Arguments in support of other views
• Anything a Hindu does in their religious practice is valuable / make offerings to the deity / make pilgrimage / help others / study scripture / focus on achieving moksha / all are rewarded. • There are four kinds of yoga / bhakti, jnana, astanga and karma / so they should be able to do • They might find their personality suited better to a different form of yoga / eg to jnana yoga • They might find they can do more through actions (karma yoga) / so put their energy into that. • Rabindranath Tagore said that all religions and forms of religion are the same / just different paths to the same goal / so all forms of yoga must be equal. • They might not have the opportunity to do this kind of yoga / eg might not have a teacher for jnana yoga, etc.