Hinduism examinations in London

[Guest guest]

Dear List

 

We are active in the field of Religious education in Hinduism. This year we are fielding

a total of 170 candidates from 14 centres in the UK for various examinations on Hinduism.

 

The London Board examination on Hinduism (the Advanced/Supplementary level)

took place today. Our candidates seem to have done well.

 

Let me share some of the questions that came up:

 

Identify the key beliefs and practices of at least ONE type of Yoga.

Consider the relationship between belief and practice of Yoga.

 

Our candidates had a field day writing up the Patanjali Yoga sutra and using Sw Vivekananda's

material on Raja Yoga as well as comments about relationship between belief and practice....

 

What is meant by the 'problem of suffering'? Give an account of two theodicies

and consider the view that they fail to solve the problem of suffering.

 

The paper would allow the candidates to express the Abrahamic views of suffering as caused by natural

and moral evil and the Hindu interpretation that suffering is purely Subjective and not objective

phenomenon which is then categorised as Physical (tax for having a body). Mental (longings and desires)

and spiritual (looking for Freedom)......they would then have reconciled 'suffering with belief in God' .....through

Christian theodicies like the Augustinian..... then moving on to the Hindu teachings of Maya and Leela..

 

What is meant by the term 'miracle'?

Comment on the view that arguments against miracles are stronger than

those in support of them.

 

These youngsters are brought up on Swami Vivekananda's teachings about 'miracles'.... They will

end up with suggestions that if by miracle we mean something that asks us to switch off our

rationality then we will resist it... If by miracle we mean God doing some card tricks then we

will reject that too. The only miracle they would talk of: Is that even though essentially

we are God (Atman) and essentially the universe is God (Brahman) we do not see this God.

 

 

Identity the key features of a religious and scientific interpretation of the

origins of the Universe. To what extent does one of these interpretation give

a better explanation than the other?

 

Our candidates would have focused on the Scientific explanation with theory of Big Bang will explanation

and evidence, then they would comment on the beliefs from the Genesis.... They would then go on to

talk about the teachings of Hindu Puranic stories.....They will then progress further and talk about

the ideas from the PurushSukta and the Chandogya Upanishad.....and finally they would dare take in the

Nasadiya Sukta saying...What was there before? Neither existence nor non-existence.... when

darkness covered by darkness.... who was there? Maybe the one surveying from the highest heaven

knows or perhaps knows not!

 

You can see that we are having a lot of fun portraying Hinduism using

 

the excellent material left by Swami Vivekananda : )

 

jay (dilip)

Vivekananda Centre London