Year 12 Religious Studies

On Wednesday 24 March 2022, Ms Conway’s Year 12 Studies of Religion class had the opportunity to visit the Sri Venkateswara temple in Helensburgh to extend their knowledge on Hinduism. This temple is held in veneration by all devotees who are bestowed blessings by Lord Shiva (the destroyer) and Lord Vishnu (the protector). The class was led to both the Shiva and Vishnu complexes by a Hindu priest, who was able to give us insight into the Hindu tradition, to seek a deeper understanding of the ways Hindus practice their religion.

We first observed the deities in the Temple of the Shiva complex, which were located among specific Shrines according to the Hindu God. We then attended the Vishnu complex, which comprises deities amongst eight Shrines. We were led to the Shrine of Sri Venkateswara, by the Hindu priest and received a blessing from him. We understood that this deity is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu who is considered as the Supreme God to Vaishnava Hindu’s.

After a brief stop at the Bald Hill Lookout, we headed to the Nan Tien Temple. The Buddhist temple in Wollongong provided us with a tour of the unique visual experience of the buildings, statues, shines and gardens, as well as giving an insight into Chinese culture and the beliefs and practices of Buddhism. Within our guided tour, we were also able to practice a cultural Buddhist activity led by our guide, Bob, who allowed us to experience the tranquillity of mindfulness, through meditation. We began with some breathing exercises to seek peace and free our mind. He later taught us a vital part of this spiritual practice, which was walking meditation which allowed us to develop awareness of our surroundings, body, and thoughts. We then ended our day enlightened by Bob as we were given a deeper understanding on the basic aspects of Buddhism through an interactive talk on the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, Dharma and the 5 Precepts.

Our Year 12 Studies of Religion class is very grateful for the opportunity we were given and we appreciate the effort Ms Conway and Mr Posker-Hill put into organising and managing this excursion as we experienced greater knowledge and understanding about both Hinduism and Buddhism.

– Sarah
Year 12