Hinduism: Beliefs and Teachings | OCR GCSE Religious Studies (J625)
Hinduism: Beliefs and Teachings
- 126 questions
- 10 subtopics
- Group 1 papers
- Group 1 papers
Hinduism: Beliefs and Teachings is examined in Component Group 1, the Hinduism beliefs and teachings & practices paper (J625/05), if Hinduism is one of the two religions studied.
It covers atman, the eternal self, samsara, maya, detachment and moksha, Hindu teaching on karma, lokas, devas and asuras, prakriti, the gunas and the cycle of creation, saguna Brahman, the Trimurti and the Tridevi, avatars of Vishnu and the murti, Brahman as impersonal, indwelling and personal, dharma and the four aims of life and Hindu virtues, free will and suffering.
Sample questions from Hinduism: Beliefs and Teachings
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
-
Atman, the eternal self
How does Uddalaka use salt dissolved in water to teach Svetaketu about Brahman?
Show the answer
The salt cannot be seen, yet every sip of the water tastes of it. Brahman likewise cannot be seen but pervades everything, including Svetaketu himself. -
Samsara, maya, detachment and moksha
How are samsara, maya, detachment and moksha connected?
Show the answer
Maya leads people to cling to the world, which keeps them in samsara. Detachment weakens that clinging and opens the way to moksha. -
Hindu teaching on karma
What is prarabdha karma?
Show the answer
Prarabdha karma is the portion of past karma that has begun to ripen in the present life. Prarabdha karma shapes a person's birth, body and circumstances. -
Lokas, devas and asuras
What is Brahma-loka?
Show the answer
Brahma-loka, or Satya-loka, is the highest realm within the universe and the home of Brahma. Bhagavad Gita VIII 16 teaches that even Brahma-loka lies within samsara. -
Prakriti, the gunas and the cycle of creation
How do prakriti, purusha and the gunas together produce the material world?
Show the answer
The world begins when the balance of the gunas in prakriti is disturbed in the presence of purusha. Prakriti then unfolds into mind, senses and the physical elements. -
Saguna Brahman, the Trimurti and the Tridevi
Why is Brahma rarely worshipped compared with Vishnu and Shiva?
Show the answer
Brahma's work of creation is seen as complete for this cycle, so he receives little worship. The temple at Pushkar in Rajasthan is one of very few dedicated to him. -
Avatars of Vishnu and the murti
How does the Bhagavad Gita present Krishna?
Show the answer
Krishna appears as Arjuna's charioteer and reveals that he is the Supreme Lord. Krishna teaches the paths to liberation before the battle of Kurukshetra. -
Brahman as impersonal, indwelling and personal
What do Hindus mean by Bhagavan and Ishvara?
Show the answer
Bhagavan and Ishvara both mean the Lord, Brahman understood as a supreme person. Many devotees believe Bhagavan lives eternally in a spiritual realm beyond the material universe.
The 10 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Atman, the eternal self | Bhagavad Gita II 22 on death, Uddalaka's teaching to Svetaketu and the salt dissolved in water, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad III.7, Advaita, Dvaita and Vishishtadvaita views, and the yogas as routes to liberation. | 12 |
| Samsara, maya, detachment and moksha | How karma governs rebirth, Krishna's teaching in Gita II 11–13 and II 27, the jivan mukti and who accepts it, detachment without abandoning the world, and why human birth is precious. | 12 |
| Hindu teaching on karma | Karma as cosmic justice, sanchita, prarabdha and kriyamana karma, sakam and nishkam action, Bhagavad Gita III 3–9 and 29–30, why good karma still binds, and karma in an everyday moral choice. | 13 |
| Lokas, devas and asuras | How the lokas are divided, Brahma-loka, Vaikuntha and Shiva-loka, how karma decides rebirth, why even the devas are not liberated, the churning of the ocean, and the devas compared with Brahman. | 12 |
| Prakriti, the gunas and the cycle of creation | Prakriti and purusha, how the three gunas shape things, Gita XIII 19–20, the Trimurti in the cosmic cycle, the length of a mahayuga, Aum, the Nasadiya Sukta, and the Katha and Chandogya Upanishads. | 14 |
| Saguna Brahman, the Trimurti and the Tridevi | Saguna and nirguna Brahman, how the deities relate to Brahman, why Brahma is rarely worshipped, Shakti, Vaishnavas, Shaivas and Shaktas, Krishna lifting Govardhan Hill, and shruti and smriti. | 12 |
| Avatars of Vishnu and the murti | Why Vishnu descends in Gita IV 7–8, the ten avatars, Rama upholding dharma in the Ramayana, Krishna in the Gita, Shaiva and Vaishnava views, the Buddha and Jesus, prana pratishtha, and the Shiva linga. | 12 |
| Brahman as impersonal, indwelling and personal | Brahman as eternal and omnipresent, antaryami, Bhagavan and Ishvara, the Kena and Chandogya Upanishads, moksha for Advaitins and for devotees, and the disagreement between Shankara and Ramanuja. | 12 |
| Dharma and the four aims of life | The four Purusharthas, artha and kama, dharma's dependence on context, its links to varna, the ashramas and karma, Sanatana dharma, the Katha Upanishad on the good and the pleasant, and Gita II 62–65 on desire. | 13 |
| Hindu virtues, free will and suffering | Free will, suffering through karma and samsara, the yamas, ahimsa, daya, dama and dana, the thunder in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Gita XVI 1–3 and VIII 8–12, and Mahabharata V 39. | 14 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
-
Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
-
Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
-
Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
OCR GCSE Religious Studies Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,800 questions with their answers.