Religious_Education_Book 3_Pilot

Religious Education Book 3



Introduction Religion helps us to be better people and to live harmoniously with everyone around us. In this multicultural, multi-religious, ever-changing world that we live in, it is important for all of us to learn about the many faiths that make society so rich and varied. This pilot is an initiative by Gateway College to help young learners understand the principles and practices of some of the major faiths of Sri Lanka and the world. Books in this series Religious Education – Book 1 Religious Education – Book 2 Religious Education – Book 3 Religious Education – Book 4 Religious Education – Book 5



Contents Chapter 1 – Journeys Chapter 2 – Nature’s Blessings



Religious Education Book 3 Journeys Everywhere, every day people leave their homes and go to new places. Often it is to find a better job or a nicer place to live. Or because they want to try out new things. But sometimes it’s also because they can no longer live where they used to. This could be because they don’t feel safe there anymore. Or because there has been a war or a big natural disaster. 1

Religious Education Book 3 People go on long journeys all the time. Religious books are full of such stories. One such story is about a shepherd named Abraham and his wife Sarah who lived a long time ago. Abraham was a good person and God liked him very much. One day God spoke to him and showed him how to go to a faraway land called Canaan. Abraham and his wife travelled there and for generations lived safe and well in Canaan. Journeys such as these are described in many religious books. Another such fascinating journey is the story of Moses and how he led the people of Israel to safety. 2

Religious Education Book 3 At that time, the people of Israel lived in Egypt and they were treated badly. Moses wanted to help the people and free them. So God helped Moses to lead his people out of Egypt. When the Egyptian soldiers came after them Moses was able to part the Red Sea so that the people could escape. For many years they wandered in the desert. During that time Moses passed away. Finally, after 40 years, the people reached their promised land, Canaan. In the different religious traditions, there are many such stories about seeking better lives and finding ways to lead lives of faith and truth. 3

Religious Education Book 3 I Muslims know well the story of the life of the Prophet s Mohammed (pbuh). l The Prophet (pbuh) lived in Arabia in the city of a Mecca. He was very disturbed by how the people of the m city did many bad things and didn’t seem to care at all about leading good lives. While praying for answers he heard a voice that gave him messages from Allah. For 20 years he tried very hard to teach these lessons to the people of Mecca. Although many people heard the truth that he was speaking, there were others who didn’t like it. 4

Religious Education Book 3 So the Prophet (pbuh) too, had to go on a long journey. He left the city of Mecca and went to Medina, where people were very happy to hear him. The first Islamic Medina community was formed there. Some years later, the Prophet (pbuh) and his followers made their way back to Mecca and took over that city so that everyone could walk in the ways of Allah and lead good and fruitful lives. 5

Religious Education Book 3 All the religious leaders and founders were great teachers and all of them travelled to many places during their lifetimes to spread their messages of goodness. The Bible contains many stories from the life of Jesus C and speaks of how as part of his ministry, he travelled h r everywhere. i s He traveled to t Cana, to Samaria, i to Bethany, to a Jerusalem, to n Capernaum and i so on. During t these travels He y met people, helped them, cured them of their diseases and spread the word of God, so that everyone could live happier, safer and better lives. 6

Religious Education Book 3 Once near the city of Jericho as Jesus and his followers were leaving the city, a man called out to Him. This man was blind and he asked Jesus for help. The crowd that was gathered there wanted him to be quiet. But Jesus, being very kind, asked for the man to come to him. When the man came, Jesus asked him what he wanted. The man replied that he wanted to see again. Jesus told the man that his faith will cure him and immediately the man was able to see. 7

Religious Education Book 3 This story helps Christians to understand how Jesus helped people during his travels and also shows how important it is to have faith. Hindus consider all of life to be a spiritual journey that H begins when they are children and continues i throughout their lives. n d Hindu sages such as Tirunavukkarasar, Sambandar and u Manikkavasagar spent much of their lives travelling i throughout South India worshipping and praising Lord s Shiva. m The epics Mahabharat and Ramayana record many journeys taken by important figures in Hindu mythology. One unforgettable journey is the one that Rama and Sita made when they left Ayodhya and went to the forest. Rama is Lord Vishnu in human form. He was the prince of Ayodha and was known for having many good qualities. His father, King Dasharatha, wanted to crown Rama, who was the eldest son, as king. But one of his queen’s, Kaikeyi (mislead by a woman named Kooni), wanted her son Bharatha to be king. She asked the King to send Rama to the forest for 14 years, so that her son Bharatha could be king instead. With a heavy heart, 8

Religious Education Book 3 Dasharatha had to ask Rama to leave because of a promise that he had made to his wife long ago. Rama left because carrying out his beloved father’s decision, was the correct thing to do. Although, he, his wife Sita and brother Laxman, faced many challenges during exile, Rama was finally able to come back to Ayodhaya. 9

Religious Education Book 3 All these journeys are journeys undertaken because of B great love and care for others. Another such notable u journey is the Abhinishkramanaya (renunciation) of d Prince Sidhartha. If this journey hadn’t taken place, d h no one would be a i Buddhist. s Because it m is with this journey that prince Siddhartha stepped on the pathway that would lead to enlightenment. As a young prince, Siddhartha led a life full of comfort. Early stories from his life shows that he was always good and kind, but he was protected from all sad things because his father, the king, feared that he would leave the life of being a prince and enter a spiritual life of a holy man. 10

Religious Education Book 3 I 3 2 4 In spite of all these restrictions, at the age of 29 the prince saw four things that made him realise that life was difficult and painful. These four signs were: 1. an old man 2. a sick person 3. a dead body 4. and a monk. The first three made the prince very sad, because he could see how much suffering there was in the world. But the fourth showed him that there was a path that leads away from this sadness. So, on the night that his 11

Religious Education Book 3 son was born, prince Siddhartha left the palace and began a long journey that lasted six years. During this time he went to many famous Hindu religious teachers of the time. They taught him different meditation practices. After that he began to practise on his own and ultimately attained Enlightenment. It was then that he became known as the Buddha. He took this journey because he wanted to find a way that leads out of Did you know? suffering and he The oldest chronicles of Sri Lanka records that the wanted to share Buddha visited Sri Lanka 3 times. The first visit was it with others so in the 9th month after enlightenment to that they too Mahiyangana, the 2nd was in the 5th year, to could benefit. This Nagadipa to settle a dispute between the Naga kings is called the and the 3rd was in the 8th year after Enlightenment eightfold path to Kelaniya. It is during these journeys that the Buddha visited the 16 sacred sites that are known as the Solosmasthana. and this is something that Buddhists try to make a part of their journey of Kelaniya Temple life. 12

Religious Education Book 3 In this way, you can see that across the different faiths there have been many kinds of journeys. You would also have realised that the messages of religious leaders have travelled far and wide because they were vibrant messages. They are teachings that should pass on to as many people as possible so that their lives can be made better. Whether a person is Christian or Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist, each person is a traveler in the journey of life. And taking as examples the great leaders of the different faiths, you should try very hard to make that journey, one that leads towards goodness and which results in the wellbeing of both yourself and those around you. 13

Religious Education Book 3 You have learnt in this lesson not only about important journeys, but also a little about places that are important in the different religious traditions. Is there any such place that you would like to visit? It can be from your own religious tradition or a place that you want to see and learn about. Pick a place and write why you would like to go there. Place Reasons to visit 14

Religious Education Book 3 Nature’s Blessings We are all a part of nature. Nature is all around us. The air we breathe and the food that we eat connects us to the Earth and to all its wonders. Every tree, every blade of grass makes a difference in our lives. No matter where we are in the world, every day we see the same sun. No matter what our faith or tradition is, when we are thirsty, we all want a glass of water. Without light we wouldn’t be able to see anything or go anywhere. Light and water are very close to our lives and very important to us as well. 15

Religious Education Book 3 This is probably why in many of our celebrations and H religious rituals, water and light play an important i part. n Do you know the story of the river Ganges that flows d through India? u Once upon a time, Vaman, one of the incarnations of i Lord Vishnu wanted to measure the universe. s m He extended his left foot and made a hole in the end of the universe with his big toe. From there the pure water of the universe entered into the world. Lord Shiva kept the water safe in his hair and then the water was 16

Religious Education Book 3 released to flow from the western Himalayas as the river Ganges so that it could meet the needs of the world. Hindus also think of this river as the Goddess Ganga. Water from the Ganges is considered sacred and is used in cleansing rituals. So is the water of Indian rivers Yamuna, Godavari, Saraswati, Narmada, Sindhu, Kaveri, Brahmaputra, Krishna among others. Water plays a big part in Hindu traditions. Water used for Abhishekam (washing the statues of gods and goddesses) is considered sacred. Such water is then used for blessing ceremonies in households. 17

Religious Education Book 3 Elements of nature and respecting nature is very important in Hinduism. Just like water, fire also makes things clean and pure. Lord Siva who is one of the 3 main gods of Hinduism (the other two being Bhrama and Vishnu) brings regeneration to the world by doing away with the old and making way for new things. Fire is a symbol of this. Fire is used during many important pujas. Fire is symbolic of purity and is also a way of connecting to the divine. Hindus also light lamps at the kovils and during pujas as they use light as a part of worship. Hindus light lamps before their gods and goddesses to honour them. 18

Religious Education Book 3 During a puja, camphor is lit in a theepam (lamp) and the smoke is then spread around as a blessing. Hindus also light clay lamps during Deepavali – the festival of lights. These lights are symbolic of good winning over evil. Light is always seen as something that makes darkness go away and brings good things with it. Goodness and light are often associated with each other in many traditions. 19

Religious Education Book 3 B In the first sermon u of the Buddha, the d Dhamma d Chakkapavattana h Sutta the phrase i ‘aloko udapadi’ is s m used. This translates as light arose, and light here means a true understanding of the nature of life. It is to symbolise this, that Buddhists light lamps at temples, when they worship at home and for festivals such as Vesak (which celebrates the birth, enlightenment and attainment of nirvana of the Buddha). Light is often associated with the Buddha himself. Once, when the Buddha was residing in the Purvarama monastery, on a day when the moon was full, the king of Kosala came to pay his respects. 20

Religious Education Book 3 The king was beautifully dressed in his royal garments and they shone. The monk, Kaludayi, an arahat, was there and meditating deeply. This made him glow. The sun was setting and the moon was rising and the light of both could be seen. The monk, Ananda who was also in this room, looked at them all and turned and looked at the Buddha. To his surprise, he saw that the light radiating from the Buddha was even brighter than that of the others. 21

Religious Education Book 3 When Ananda expressed his wonder at this, the Buddha recited a verse (Dhammapada Verse 387) that means; “By day shines the sun; by night shines the moon; in royal garments shines the king; in meditation shines the arahat; but the Buddha in his glory shines at all times, by day and by night.” And Ananda realised that the Buddha shines above all others because he is enlightened through his wisdom and understanding of the nature of life. Respecting nature is important in Buddhism. Buddhists believe in protecting trees as they give food and shelter to all living things. Even when they pick flowers for worship they don’t take from trees that bear fruit. Water too is important in Buddhism. Buddhists use water which has been blessed (pirith pan) for cleansing and to share blessings. When there is a pirith ceremony, fresh, strained water is 22

Religious Education Book 3 put into an earthen pot, the mouth of the pot is covered with a clean white cloth and tied. This pot is kept inside the pirith mandapa (structure) where the monks will sit and chant suthras. The water is blessed in this way. Then it is distributed as a way of sharing the blessing and protection. Water is and always will be a blessing. Most of the time though people take water for granted and only remember how important it is when they are really thirsty. 23

Religious Education Book 3 Once, long, long ago, the prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) I travelled to the desert with his wife Hajar and his baby s son Ismail. After a while he had to return home l leaving them in the desert with only a little water and a a bag of dates. m Soon the water was over and the baby began to cry as he was very thirsty. Hajar went to a close by hill (called Al-Marwa) hoping to find someone. But there was no one around. She ran between Al-Marwa and the hill Al-Safa 7 times. But she found no water. When she came to Al-Marwa for the seventh time, an angel spoke to her. The angel made a hole in the ground and water came out. Hajar now had the water she and Ismail needed. After drinking she built a small well around it. 24

Religious Education Book 3 Even today, Muslims visit the well of Zamzam which is located nearby Mecca. Zamzam water is sacred to Muslims and when Muslims perform the pilgrimage of Hajj, they often visit the well of Zamzam to drink its water. Did you know? .\" The Fanous is a type of Just as water is a blessing, so is light or lantern that light. For Muslims, the light of originated in Egypt and is both the heaven and the earth is traditionally used during Ramadan. It represents hope and a \"light in the darkness”. none other than Allah. This is beautifully explained in the Verse of light. This is the 35th ayat (verse) of the 24th Sura (chapter) of the Quran. This chapter is called Sura an-Nur. This verse explains that Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. His light is like a glowing light 25

Religious Education Book 3 inside a glass. The glass itself shines like a pearly white star. “Allah guides to His light whom He wills. And Allah presents examples for the people and Allah is Knowing of all things.” This shows that Allah is like a light for people because he leads people to all that is good. The Quran also says that Muslims should work during the day when the sun comes out. This is because during the day there is light and people can see. This makes it easy to carry out work. 26

Religious Education Book 3 C Christians know that Jesus began His life’s work with h His baptism. A baptism is a ritual where holy water is r sprinkled on a person's forehead or they are immersed i in water to show that they are now entering a pure s t life. i Jesus was baptised by a man named John. John was a a man who taught others to be good people. He also n baptised people who i wanted to turn away t y from sin and lead good lives. One day, while John was at the River Jordan, Jesus went up to him. Jesus asked to be baptised. So John took Jesus to the river and baptised Him. John placed his hand on Jesus’ back and laid Him down into the water until He was covered. Then he brought Him back up again. As soon 27

Religious Education Book 3 as Jesus was baptised the sky opened up and the Holy Spirit came like a beautiful white dove, and landed right on Jesus’ shoulder. Then a voice Did you know? from heaven said, \"This is my Son, I love Him and I am well pleased with A special candle holder Him.\" called the menorah is very important in Judaism. For Christians baptism with holy water The Jewish people is a very important ritual. celebrate an eight-day holiday called Chanukah in Rituals help many people to remember December. important things in their lives. Every night, families light Sometimes, lighting candles can be a a candle in a nine-branched ritual. menorah. This is in memory of a miracle where a small container of oil burnt for eight days. The 9th candle is used to light the other ones. Have you seen candles lit in churches? Have you ever wondered why? This is because sometimes Christians light candles to show that they are praying for someone. 28

Religious Education Book 3 Some Christians light candles, some don’t. But all Christians accept that Jesus is the Light of our world. The Bible tells this in the Book of St. John, Chapter 8, verse 12. Here, Jesus speaks to the people and says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Jesus also wanted people to be a light to others. He said that when a person lights a candle, he doesn’t hide it. Instead he puts it on Did you know? a candlestick so that the whole house will have light. There is a religion that began in North India Christians should be like called Sikhism. that, they should share Their great religious teachers are called Gurus. their good deeds with There have been 10 Gurus in all. And each one others, so that everyone will chose the person who would be the Guru after him. Because of that the Sikhs compare their Gurus to candles. One candle lights the next one so that the good teachings and practices can continue. lead better lives. 29

Religious Education Book 3 In this lesson you have seen that light is important in all traditions. Light is a symbol of change. Light is goodness. Light is associated with the divine and with the leaders of the different religions. Can you think of ways that you can be a light to others? I can think of one example. If your classmate doesn’t understand a lesson, you can explain it to him. In the box below write down some other things you could do to be a shining light. t T T T t 30

Religious Education Book 3 You also learned about water and the role it plays in the different traditions. Elements of nature are important and matter in the daily lives of people. You should respect nature not only because they are important symbols in religion but also because nature helps everyone in many ways. Can you think of some elements of nature and how they help you? Can you also think of ways you can protect nature? Elements How they help How you can you protect them 31

Religious Education Book 3 Image credits https://www.ritiriwaz.com/the-ten-gurus-of-sikhism/ 32