Lesson video

Hi, I'm Mrs. Afshan, and welcome to our lesson.

Today, we are going to explore a really interesting story from Hindu dharma.

It's called Tenacious Race Around the World.

Let's find out how a story can help us understand the idea of dharma, doing what is wise and kind.

The lesson is called Dharma, Tenacious Race Around the World from the unit choices, do we need rules to live by? The outcome of today's lesson is I can explain why Hindus act with compassion towards all living things.

But before we start our lesson, let's look at some key words that will come across in today's lesson.

The words are dharma, wisdom, and compassion.

Let's say together one more time.

First, it'll be my turn, and then it'll be your turn.

The first word is dharma.

Dharma.

The next word is wisdom.

Wisdom.

And finally, compassion.

Compassion.

Let's look at what these words mean.

The word dharma is enacting with love and kindness to all living things.

Wisdom is knowing what is right and making good choices.

And finally, compassion is caring about others and wanting to help them.

Our lesson today has two cycles.

First, let's look at what is the story of Ganesha's race.

Let's get started.

Before we start our lesson, let's meet Sofia who's going to help us understand what philosophy in religious education is all about.

Sofia says, philosophers ask big important questions and try to answer them by thinking carefully.

You can use philosophy to share your ideas and understand other people's thoughts too.

In this lesson, we'll use a story to help us understand how Hindus make good choices and why they try to show compassion towards all living things.

Have you ever had to think really deeply to help a friend to solve a problem? Great thinking.

That means you have used wisdom.

Wisdom involves thinking carefully about a question, thinking about what would happen next, and then making a wise choice.

Wisdom is like a light bulb, sparking good ideas in your head.

It could also be like a treasure chest of good ideas and kind thoughts.

Wisdom is like a superhero power that helps you to help others.

Time for a check.

What is wisdom? Is it knowing which sweets to choose? Or knowing what is right and making good choices? Or is it knowing all the words in a book? What do you think? That's correct.

Wisdom is knowing what is right and making good choices.

You got that right.

Well done.

Sofia wants to find out more about wisdom.

She wants to know how it can help people make good choices.

She asks, Het, I know you are Hindu.

Do you have any stories that help you to make good choices? Het replies, yes, my favourite story is Ganesha and the race around the world.

Let's listen to the story.

A long time ago, there were two brothers named Ganesha and Kartikeya.

They were the sons of the Great God, Shiva and the Kind Goddess, Parvati.

One day, Shiva and Parvati gave their sons a fun challenge.

Let's have a race said Shiva with a smile.

Go around the whole world.

Whoever comes back first will win a special price.

Kartikeya loved adventures.

He also loved to win things.

He quickly jumped onto his big, beautiful peacock and flew into the sky.

Zoom, he was off flying fast over mountains, oceans, and forests.

Looking behind, he saw Ganesha far behind.

"I'll beat him easily," he said, he hasn't even set off yet.

Ganesha looked at his little mouse.

The mouse was small and slow.

He knew it couldn't race around the world like Kartikeya's peacock.

Time for another check.

What animal did Ganesha have to ride on? Is it a monkey, or a peacock, or is it a mouse? What do you think? That's correct.

A mouse is the right answer.

Well done.

But Ganesha didn't worry.

He was not fast, but he was very smart.

Ganesha sat down.

He let his mind become still, calm and balanced.

He thought then smiled.

He saw his parents standing in the shade of a tree.

Calmly and slowly, he walked in a circle around his parents.

Just then, the air fist and crackled, Kartikeya came back on his peacock.

He saw Ganesha was still there.

I won, shouted Kartikeya, the race is mine, but Shiva and Parvati looked at Ganesha.

Why did you not race around the world like we had asked you? That was your duty.

Ganesha looked up and said, "But Mother and Father, you asked me to go around the world.

You are my world, so I walked around you." Shiva and Parvati smiled with love.

Ganesha had used his heart and his wisdom.

"Ganesha won the race," said Shiva proudly, "He showed us how much he loves us and how wise he is.

He didn't just try to follow the rules.

He thought about what they meant." Ganesha was given a sweet treat and a big hug.

From that day on, everyone remembered how wise and loving Ganesha was, and they still do today.

Let's see if you got that.

Ganesha won the race because he made a wise choice.

True or false? What do you think? True.

That's correct.

Ganesha didn't race around the world like his brother.

Instead, he walked around his parents because he knew they were very important to him.

This showed he was wise and that's why he won the race.

Great.

Time for our task.

Retell the story of Ganesha and the race around the world in your own words by writing captions for the pictures.

Look at the pictures very carefully and write the captions for them.

You can post the video now and come back when you're ready with your captions.

You may have written for the first picture.

Two brothers, Ganesha and Kartikeya were challenged by their parents to race around the world.

The second picture is showing Kartikeya rode his fast peacock and went quickly.

Ganesha started thinking.

And finally, the caption for the last picture.

Ganesha made a wise choice.

He walked around his parents in a circle and won the race.

Well done if you wrote your captions for the pictures too.

Great work.

We just now looked at the story of Ganesha's race.

Let's now go and find out how do Hindus make good choices.

Sofia and Jun are talking about the story of Ganesha's race.

I love that story.

I loved it when Kartikeya rushed off on his peacock, says Jun.

I want to know how it helps Hindus to make good choices.

What questions does it make Hindus ask? Wonders Sofia.

Let's join them on this journey and find out how Hindus make good choices.

Hi, Het, what big question does Ganesha's race make you think about? She asks.

Het replies that the big question the story made him think is, is it better to be fast or to be wise? What do you think? Let's find out from Het.

Kartikeya thought he could win because he was fast, so he just rushed off.

Ganesha was wise.

He knew he couldn't win, so he used his intelligence to think of a better way.

He acted out of love for his parents.

Time for another check.

True or false? Being fast is more important than being wise.

What do you think? Is it true or false? That statement is false because being wise is more important than being fast.

In the story, Ganesha showed compassion towards his parents by walking around them and that wise choice helped him win the race.

Het explains, sometimes we have to choose between doing something fast and doing something wise.

In this story, Ganesha had to make a wise choice.

Can you think of a time when you might have to choose between fast or wise? Talk to a person sitting next to you and share your idea.

Great thinking and sharing.

Well done.

Sofia finds out more about how Hindus make good choices.

She speaks to Dhanu, who also has a Hindu worldview.

Let's find out.

Sofia asks, what does this story teach you, Dhanu? Dhanu replies and shares that the story teaches her that although rules are important, sometimes people need to act with love and be wise.

She continues and explains.

Ganesha didn't break the rules, but he also didn't just follow them without thinking.

He acted out of his love for parents.

Loving and caring for other living things is called compassion.

Hindus call this kind of action dharma.

Let's join Dhanu and find out a little bit more about dharma.

Here, Dhanu explains what dharma is.

She says, dharma means doing what is right.

It means making a choice based on love and kindness to all living things.

Dharma is not just a list of rules that we can look at.

Instead, dharma is about being wise.

It is asking the question, what is the most loving thing I can do in this situation? Thank you, Dhanu.

Let's see if you got that.

What is dharma? Is it doing what is wise and loving? Or running very fast? Or is it following a list of rules? What do you think? That's correct.

Dharma is doing what is wise and loving.

That's the correct answer.

Well done.

Sofia now asks Het.

Can you tell me about a time you used Dharma to make good choices? Let's see what Het replies and shares.

One time I saw a bird with a hurt wing in our garden.

I told my parents and we gave it some water and helped keep it safe.

That was me using dharma to show compassion.

Let's see if you got that.

What is the best definition of compassion? Is it to only care about yourself or to care for people you know and like? Or is it to care for all living things? What do you think? That's correct.

It is to care for all living things.

Well done.

Time for our next task.

Read the instructions carefully.

Here we have a situation.

A new child has arrived in your class.

Your teacher has asked you to look after them for the day.

At lunchtime, your friends go outside to eat their lunch.

It is a lovely sunny day, but the new child has school dinners.

What would be the wise choice to make here? Can you explain what you might do? Can you use the word dharma to explain why you made that choice? You can post the video now and come back when you're ready with your answer.

Let's check your answer.

You might decide to eat your lunch inside with the new child.

Perhaps you could go outside after and play with your friends.

Maybe you could introduce them to the new child.

Dharma is acting out of love and compassion.

It is making the wise choice.

Helping the new child feel happy is acting out of love.

Well done if you explained your answer.

Let's quickly recap our learning.

Today, we have learned that wisdom helps Hindus think carefully and choose what is best for themselves and others.

In the story, Ganesha wins the race by being wise and respecting his parents, not by racing fast.

We've also learned that Hindus follow dharma, meaning they do what is right and kind, which guides them to act with compassion towards all living things.

Today, we've learned that being wise doesn't mean knowing all the answers.

It means stopping to think and choosing what's best for yourself and others.

That's what dharma is all about, acting with love and kindness.

Thank you.

You've done some brilliant thinking today.

Great.

We come to the end of today's lesson and I'll see you in our next lesson.

Goodbye.