P art 3: H o w t o t e a c h a b o ut Hi n d ui s m, Getti n g t o t he Heart of Hi n d uis m: A Co mprehensive Guide for R E Teachers 1 4 p a g e s fr o m t h e 8 0 p a g e ori gi n al I N S E T G ui d e Specially produced for Hertfordshire Pri mary Teachers for a Conference on 7th October 2009 Part 3: H o w t o Teac h a bout Hinduis m Br o a d G ui d eli n e s T e a c hi n g I d e a s P u pil s W or k s h e et s F or fr e e a d vi c e a n d i nf or m ati o n o n t e m pl e s vi sit s, g u e st s p e a k er s a n d I N S E T, pl e a s e d o c o nt a ct: I S K C O N E d u c ati o n al S er vi c e s, B h a kti v e d a nt a M a n or, Hilfi el d L a n e, Al d e n h a m, W atf or d, H ert s., W D 2 5 8 E Z, U. K. tel: +44 (0)1923 – 859578 f a x/t el: + 4 4 ( 0) 1 9 2 3 – 8 5 1 0 0 5 e- m ail: i e s @ p a m h o. n et W e b- sit e: htt p:// w w w.i e s.i s k c o n. c o m/ P art 3: H o w t o t e a c h a b o ut Hi n d ui s m, Br o a d G ui d eli n e s S e cti o n 3 Teaching about Hinduis m T h e f oll o wi n g ar e g e n er al g ui d eli n e s o n t e a c hi n g a b o ut t h e tr a diti o n. • W h e n t e a c hi n g Hi n d ui s m, d o n ot n e gl e ct t o e x pl or e t h e i n n er lif e, t h e pr e d o mi n a nt w orl d- vi e w a n d it s att e n d a nt v al u e s. F o c u si n g m er el y o n e xt er n al f e at ur e s m a y h el p p ortr a y t h e tr a diti o n a s str a n g e - e v e n pri miti v e a n d s u p er sti ti o u s. Tr y, t h er ef or e, t o consistently cross-relate practice s t o k e y c o n c e pt s a n d c or e v al u e s. • C o n s e q u e ntl y, w h e n r e citi n g st ori e s at pr i m ar y l e v el, e x a mi n e t h e v al u e s t h e y p ortr a y. I n pr e s e nti n g e x oti c a n d u nf a mili ar pr a cti c e s, b e gi n b y e x pl ori n g a c c e s si bl e concepts, such as p e o pl e, b el o n gi n g, s h ari n g, t h e f a mil y, c el e br ati n g t o g et h er , et c. • W h e n di s c u s si n g c o n c e pt s ( e s p e ci all y i n Y e ar s 5 a n d 6), b e gi n wit h t h e n oti o n of t h e s elf b ef or e moving onto perceptions of G o d. Wit h o ut st u d e nt s gr a s pi n g t h e i d e a of a n et er n al s elf, it s h ar d f or t h e m t o r e l at e m e a ni n gf ull y t o a S u pr e m e S elf. • E x pl or e t h e i d e a of G o d i n t hr e e pl a c e s ; every where, wit hi n o ut h e art s, a n d o ut si d e of o ur s el v e s a n d t hi s w orl d. T hi s c a n b e m o st m e a ni n gf ul i n a n e x p eri e nti al a p pr o a c h, a n d i s hi g hl y r el e v a nt t o e n vir o n m e nt al i s s u e s. • D o n ot c o nfi n e Hi n d ui s m t o I n di a ( wit h it s oft e n st er e ot y p e d i m a g e s). A s wit h ot h er r eli gi o n s, Hi n d ui s m h a s pr a ctiti o n er s w orl d- wi d e. • N e v ert h el e s s, I n di a n art, m u si c, d a n c e, cr aft s et c. ar e attr a cti v e f e at ur e s of t h e tr a diti o n a n d c o ntri b ut e t o w ar d s e x citi n g l e ar ni n g. M a k e g o o d u s e of t h e si g ht s, s o u n d s, s m ell s a n d t a st e s! ( At l e a st u ntil m or e r e c e ntl y, t h e li n k b et w e e n Hi n d u r eli gi o n a n d c ult ur e h a s b e e n al m o st i n s e p ar a bl e). • Diff er e nti at e b et w e e n ( 1) tr a diti o n al b eli e f s a n d values, and (2) modern practices. T h e y ar e oft e n q uit e diff er e nt, e s p e ci all y wit h i s s u e s of e mi gr ati o n a n d a c c ult ur ati o n. • T a k e i nt o a c c o u nt t h e m a n y t y p e s of Hi n d u s - li b er all y u s e w or d s li k e ‘ s o m e’, ‘ m a n y’ or ‘ m o st’, e. g. “ M a n y Hi n d u s ar e f ull y v e g et ari a n”. • B e w ar e of u si n g vi ol e nt st ori e s wi thout understanding t h e c o n c e pt s b e hi n d t h e m. T h e y c a n e a sil y b e mi s u n d er st o o d. S el e ct st ori e s w hi c h affir m v al u e s y o u ar e s e e ki n g t o i n stil i n y o ur a g e gr o u p s. • B e w ar e of u si n g t er m s t h at mi g ht c a u s e of f e n c e. F or e x a m pl e, i n st e a d of “t h e g o d s”, w e a d vi s e y o u t o u s e t h e w or d ‘ d eiti e s’ ( si n c e it i s i n cl u si v e of G o d, g o d s a n d goddesses and therefore acco m modates the br e a dt h of Hi n d u b eli ef).