Nora, Thomas and their Teacher are standing outside a Sikh temple.
THOMAS: This place looks fancy!
NORA: Yeah, where are we?
TEACHER: Well, today we’re going to learn about a religion called ‘Sikhism’. People who follow Sikhism are called Sikhs, and this is where they come to worship! This building is called a ‘gurdwara’.
We see a Sikh man and his daughter approach the gurdwara. The man is wearing a turban, and the girl is wearing a chunni (headscarf).
TEACHER: People who have been initiated into the Sikh faith aren’t allowed to cut their hair. They cover their heads with turbans or headscarves.
The man and girl enter the gurdwara.
NORA: Can we go inside too?
TEACHER: Yes, everyone is welcome in the gurdwara! But we should cover our heads first.
Cut to the interior of the gurdwara, with the Sikh holy text in the centre. The kids and the teacher are barefoot and have their heads covered.
TEACHER: This is the Sikh holy text. It’s called the ‘Guru Granth Sahib’. It is kept on a raised platform under a canopy in the gurdwara. All Sikhs take off their shoes when they are near it as a sign of respect.
THOMAS: So, do Sikhs pray when they come to the gurdwara?
TEACHER: Yes, Sikhs believe in one god who guides and protects them. In the gurdwara they chant, say prayers and listen to teachings from the Guru Granth Sahib. Afterwards, they all come together for a communal meal called a ‘langar’.
NORA: Oh great, I’m getting hungry!
TEACHER: No time to eat though, we’ve got to get to our next stop!
Cut to the exterior of a Buddhist temple. The kids and teacher no longer have head coverings on, and they are wearing their shoes.
THOMAS: Wow that was fast!
TEACHER: This is a Buddhist temple! Buddhists are people who follow Buddhism. They don’t believe in a god, but they try to live a good life by following the teachings of a man called the Buddha who lived nearly 2,500 years ago in India.
*Cut to the inside of the temple. We see a statue of the Buddha at the centre. *
TEACHER: Buddhists use the statue of the Buddha to help them focus on his teachings during 'meditation’. Meditation is a way of making the mind and body become peaceful and focused.
*We see a Buddhist monk enter and kneel to the Buddha. *
NORA: Look, he’s wearing a special outfit!
TEACHER: Yes, he’s a Buddhist monk. The colour of monks’ and nuns’ clothes are usually autumnal in Buddhism - yellow, orange, brown, and maroon. They also have shaved heads to show they have stopped worrying about the way they look.
We see a monk reading a book.
TEACHER: Buddhists have a holy text called the ‘Tripitaka’. It contains the teachings of the Buddha, and rules to live by.
THOMAS: That’s like the Sikhs - they had a holy book too!
TEACHER: Well remembered Thomas! Lots of religions have holy books to guide their followers.
Sikhism
Sikhism is one of the five biggest religions in the world.
If you follow Sikhism, then you are a Sikh.
Sikhs do not cut their hair as they believe it is a gift from god.
They keep their hair covered, usually with a turban or head covering.
What do Sikhs believe?
Sikhs believe in one god.
They believe that we should all lead a good life through our actions and words. This is done by keeping god in your heart and mind.
Sikhs believe that god has no body, but that he is everywhere and in everything.
How do Sikhs worship?
Their holy book is called the Guru Granth Sahib.
Sikhs believe that the book itself is a teacher, and they treat it with the upmost respect.
Their place of worship is called a Gurdwara.
Everyone is welcome in a Gurdwara, but heads should be covered and shoes should be removed.
Buddhism
Buddhism is another big world religion.
Buddhists do not believe in one god.
If you are a Buddhist, you follow the teachings of a man called Siddharta Guatama who lived over 2,000 years ago. He later became known as Buddha.
He was an Indian prince, but he saw how poor people were suffering in the world and wanted to help them.
Eight ways to goodness
He gave up his life as a prince and spent his time trying to be a good person and teaching others about what he had learned.
He told people that there were eight things that they could do to live a good life.
This is called the Eightfold Path and Buddhists today try to follow it.
Meditating and worshipping
Buddhists believe that they should focus on good thoughts and actions.
They spend time mediating to try and better understand Buddha’s teachings.
Buddhists can worship at home or in a temple.
Now that you have learned how Christians respect Sikhs and Buddhists, learn about respect for Islam and Judaism.
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