Hinduism: Practices | OCR GCSE Religious Studies (J625)
Hinduism: Practices
- 102 questions
- 8 subtopics
- Group 1 papers
- Group 1 papers
Hinduism: Practices 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 the four margas: jnana, bhakti, karma and raja yoga, varnashrama dharma, svadharma, sewa and dana, Hindu worship: havan, puja, japa, bhajan and darshan, Hindu temples, shrines, holy people and sacred nature, Hindu pilgrimage to Varanasi, the Ganges and other sites, Holi, Navaratri and Diwali, Maha Shivaratri, Ganesh Chaturthi and Raksha Bandhan and Hindu ethical concerns: animals, environment and society.
Sample questions from Hinduism: Practices
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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The four margas: jnana, bhakti, karma and raja yoga
What is astanga or raja yoga?
Show the answer
Astanga, or raja, yoga is the path of meditation set out by Patanjali in eight limbs. The limbs lead from moral restraint, posture and breath control to samadhi. -
Varnashrama dharma, svadharma, sewa and dana
Why is varnashrama dharma significant for individuals and society?
Show the answer
Individuals know their duties at every stage of life. Society benefits when each person contributes their part, like organs in one body. -
Hindu worship: havan, puja, japa, bhajan and darshan
What is prasad in Hindu worship?
Show the answer
Prasad is food offered to the deity and then shared among worshippers. Prasad is believed to carry the deity's blessing. -
Hindu temples, shrines, holy people and sacred nature
Why do Hindus worship outdoors and at hills and rivers?
Show the answer
Hindus see the divine present throughout nature. Mountains such as Kailasa and rivers such as the Ganges are treated as sacred. -
Hindu pilgrimage to Varanasi, the Ganges and other sites
What do pilgrims do at Varanasi?
Show the answer
Pilgrims bathe at the ghats, the stone steps leading down to the river, and offer lamps at the evening arti. Many bring the ashes of relatives to scatter in the Ganges. -
Holi, Navaratri and Diwali
What story lies behind Navaratri?
Show the answer
The goddess Durga fought the buffalo demon Mahishasura for nine nights. Durga slew him on the tenth day, restoring order to the world. -
Maha Shivaratri, Ganesh Chaturthi and Raksha Bandhan
How is Ganesh Chaturthi celebrated?
Show the answer
Families and communities install clay murtis of Ganesha for up to ten days of worship. The murtis are then carried in procession and immersed in water (visarjan). -
Hindu ethical concerns: animals, environment and society
How did the Bishnoi community put Hindu environmental teaching into practice?
Show the answer
Amrita Devi and 363 Bishnois were killed at Khejarli in 1730 while hugging trees to save them from felling. The Bishnoi follow rules that protect trees and animals.
The 8 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| The four margas: jnana, bhakti, karma and raja yoga | The paths of knowledge, devotion, action and meditation, Gita II 47 on action, IX 26–28 on offering, VI 5–7 on self-mastery, why XII 5 calls devotion easier, and following more than one path. | 13 |
| Varnashrama dharma, svadharma, sewa and dana | The four varnas and the Purusha Sukta, the four ashramas and how far they are followed today, Gita II 31 on one's own duty, sewa and dana in practice, and their place in social concerns. | 12 |
| Hindu worship: havan, puja, japa, bhajan and darshan | Who stresses the fire ritual, arti and prasad, puja at home and in the mandir, ISKCON chanting, kirtan, Gita IX 13–14, the forms darshan can take, meditation, and the Gayatri Mantra. | 14 |
| Hindu temples, shrines, holy people and sacred nature | The main parts of a mandir and walking round the shrine, the home shrine, worship at hills and rivers, gurus, sadhus and sadhvis, the sacred cow, animals linked with deities, and the tulsi plant. | 12 |
| Hindu pilgrimage to Varanasi, the Ganges and other sites | Tirtha and tirtha yatra, what pilgrims do at Varanasi, the Kumbh Mela, Vrindavan and Mount Kailasa, the Char Dham, pilgrimage and the yogas, its effect on karma, and differing views. | 12 |
| Holi, Navaratri and Diwali | The story remembered on Holi's eve and the coloured powder, the story behind Navaratri and its regional celebrations, the day that follows it, Lakshmi at Diwali, and the sweets and gifts exchanged. | 12 |
| Maha Shivaratri, Ganesh Chaturthi and Raksha Bandhan | How Shaivas keep Shiva's great night and its stories, Bal Gangadhar Tilak's part in the Ganesha festival, eco-friendly murtis, the story behind the sibling festival, and where festival stories come from. | 13 |
| Hindu ethical concerns: animals, environment and society | Ahimsa, karma and the treatment of animals, the Bishnoi and the Chipko movement, the Hindu declaration at Assisi in 1986, goshalas and cow protection in Britain, Sewa International, and women's rights. | 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.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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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.
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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.