Laura: [00:00:00] Have you ever wondered how people learned what mattered before teachers, before schools, before the internet? Long ago, people shared their most important ideas in special books and scrolls. Stories meant to be remembered, protected, and passed on.

Hi friends, I’m Laura, and today on Faithfully Explore, we’re discovering Sacred Scrolls, Books That Changed the World. We’ll meet books that helped people learn how to live, how to treat others, and how to understand the world around them. These stories are ancient, but their ideas are still alive today.

Faithfully Explore! Intro: faithfully Explore! is the name. Learning together is our aim. Beliefs around the globe we’ll track, filling up our Belief Backpack.

Laura: Our first stop is [00:01:00] the Torah, the holiest book of the Jewish people. The word Torah means “teaching” or to “show the way” in Hebrew, and it’s exactly that- a guide for life. It’s so important that it’s lovingly handwritten on scrolls of parchment and kept in synagogues, which are Jewish places of worship.

The Torah includes five big chapters or books, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Jewish tradition says these were revealed to the prophet Moses over 3000 years ago. The Torah starts with stories about the creation of the world, and it tells the history and laws of the Jewish people.

Guess what? Christians also consider these five books sacred. They call them the Old Testament. But more on that soon.

Let’s peek inside the Torah. It’s [00:02:00] full of stories and teachings. One famous story is about a man named Noah who builds a giant boat or an ark to save his family, and two of every animal from a giant flood. Another story is about young David who was brave and trusted in God so much he defeated a giant warrior named Goliath with just a sling and a stone. The Torah also includes the 10 Commandments guidelines for living with honesty, kindness, and faith.

Oh, and here’s something really cool because the Torah scroll is so sacred, no one touches it directly with their fingers. The oils on our skin could damage the delicate writing. Instead when reading it, Jewish readers use a special pointer called a yad, which means hand. A yad [00:03:00] is like a little stick, often decorated and shiny with a tiny hand shape at the end. It helps follow the words without ever smudging the ink.

Next stop on our tour, the Bible. The Bible is actually a collection of books, 66 books in many Christian traditions, all wrapped into one. In fact, the word Bible comes from a Greek word, meaning “books or scrolls”. It was written by dozens of authors over many centuries. No wonder it’s so rich with stories, poems, letters, and wisdom.

The Bible has two big parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is largely the same as the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh, so it includes the Torah we just talked about and other writings and prophets cherished in Judaism. The New Testament is what makes the Christian Bible distinct. [00:04:00] It tells the story of Jesus and the early Christians.

For Christians, Jesus is a teacher and savior. So the New Testament includes four books called the Gospels which means “good news” that describe Jesus’ birth teachings, miracles, and the way he cared for people. Do you know the Christmas story? Jesus being born in a manger in Bethlehem with shepherds and wise men visiting. That comes from the Gospels. There are also letters and other writings guiding Christians on how to live with love and faith.

One thing that makes the Bible so influential is that it’s everywhere. It’s been translated into over 2,500 languages and printed more than any other book ever.

That means people all around the world can read it [00:05:00] in their own language.

Adhan: الله

Laura: Did you hear that beautiful call? It’s inviting us into the world of Islam. The holy book here is the Quran. The Quran means ” recitation” , because it’s meant to be spoken or sung aloud in a melodic way. Muslims believe the Quran was revealed to the prophet Muhammad over 23 years through the Angel Gabriel.

The Quran is written in Arabic, and even today, Muslims learn it and recite it in the original Arabic language, no matter what country they live in. It has 114 chapters, which in Arabic are called Surahs, and each chapter is made of verses kind of like poetic lines. Every chapter of the Quran, well except one, begins with the phrase Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim, which means “in the name of [00:06:00] the God, the most merciful, the most kind.” It’s a reminder that God is compassionate and loving.

Inside the Qur’an, you’ll find stories of earlier prophets and people. Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and others, because Islam honors many of the same figures you find in the Torah and Bible. You’ll also find guidance on how to live: be honest, be kind to your parents, help the poor, treat others fairly. There are verses describing the wonders of nature as signs of God and verses about having patience and faith.

Here’s a fun fact. Many Muslims, including kids your age, work hard to memorize the entire Quran. Yes, all 600 plus pages of it! A person who memorizes it is given this special title, Hafiz. It’s a way to carry the [00:07:00] sacred words inside you, wherever you go.

When Muslims read or recite the Quran, they treat it with great respect, often keeping it on a high shelf or with a special cover and washing their hands before touching it. During the Holy Month of Ramadan, families try to read the entire Quran a bit each night, and if you have ever heard it recited aloud, it might sound like singing the words flow in a rhythmic, soothing chant.

This next book will take us to Ancient India and a battlefield. Uh oh. So let’s get brave and strong like a warrior. We’re going to do a yoga pose called warrior. Ready? Step one foot forward and bend your front knee. Step your other foot back and keep it straight. Now, stretch your arms out. One forward in front of you [00:08:00] and one behind you. You look just like a brave warrior, prince or princess. Feel your legs strong and your chest proud. Take a deep breath in and out.

Now switch sides. Other foot forward bending it, other foot back, stretching it straight as we hold it. Think of courage and peace at the same time. A warrior who fights for what’s right, but with wisdom and calm. Alright, shake it out. Good job, heroes. Let’s settle back down for our next adventure.

Our journey brings us to an ancient battlefield in India, but don’t worry, we’re here to learn, not to fight. The Bhagavad Gita awaits. Often just called the Gita this text is one of the most important holy books in Hinduism. The name Bhagavad Gita [00:09:00] means “Song of the Lord”, and it’s essentially a long, poetic conversation. It is part of a much longer epic story called the Mahabharata, which is so epic it’s one of the longest poems in the world.

Let me set the scene. Two huge families are about to go to war. On one side is the brave Prince Arjuna a skilled archer, but it, his heart is heavy. He rides out in his chariot to the middle of the battlefield and sees that in the opposing army are many of his cousins teachers and friends. Arjuna suddenly isn’t sure if he can fight. He doesn’t want to hurt those he loves, even if they’re on the other side, he throws down his bow and says, “I won’t fight. It’s not right.”

That’s when his chariot driver, who is secretly Lord [00:10:00] Krishna in disguise, turns to him and gives him some very wise advice. This advice is the Bhagavad Gita itself. 700 verses of gentle guidance. Over the course of 18 chapters, Krishna teaches Arjuna about many things: dharma, the duty of doing what’s right, even when it’s hard, bhakti devotion and love for God, selfless action and seeing the divine presence in everyone.

The lessons of the Gita have been so influential that many people, not just Hindus read it for wisdom and inspiration. It’s like a conversation that speaks to the battle inside us. Like when you struggle to do your homework instead of playing, or when you know you should tell the truth, even though you’re scared. The Gita gently [00:11:00] coaches you to be brave do your duty and remember the divine goodness in your heart.

And guess what? The Gita is part of a tradition that also brought us yoga and meditation. Those warriors like Arjuna also practiced moments of stillness and focus. In fact, yoga in the Gita isn’t just about poses, it’s about the path you take, like the yoga of action or the yoga of devotion.

The word sutra in Sanskrit literally means “thread”. Think of them as threads of wisdom that together weave a tapestry of Buddhist teaching. Unlike the single volume books we’ve discussed, Buddhist sutras are numerous. In fact, there are thousands of them. Don’t worry, we won’t list them all, but let’s talk about what they are.

Buddhism began with [00:12:00] a man named Siddhartha Gautama, who became known as the Buddha about 2,500 years ago. He didn’t write his teachings down. Instead, his followers memorized them and passed them on orally or by reciting for centuries. Eventually these teachings were written down and translated into languages like Chinese, Tibetan, and more. So instead of one holy book, Buddhists have many. Each Sutra is usually a sermon or story involving the Buddha and his disciples meant to teach a lesson.

What’s inside the sutras? They teach things like kindness, mindfulness, patience and understanding. A famous line is “hatred does not cease by hatred, but by love.” That’s a powerful idea. You can’t stop a cycle of meanness by being mean back. You stop it by [00:13:00] love and forgiveness. That’s something any of us can remember. The next time someone is unkind. Responding with kindness is the best way to end the negativity. The sutras are full of such gems.

Now we’ve covered a lot of ground, or should I say a lot of pages, it might be a good moment to pause our travels and do something a little different. How about we take a quiet journey inside our imagination?

Let’s Imagine Together

Laura: Imagine with me 

Laura: You are walking in a vast desert at dusk. In the distance, you see an outline of rocky hills. You notice an opening in the side of a hill, a cave entrance. Something tells you to go inside. You duck a little and step in.

As you walk deeper, [00:14:00] you see clay jars lined up against the wall, covered in dust and cobwebs. One jar has a crack and through it you see something pale and rolled up. Your heart skips. Could that be an ancient scroll? Carefully you reach in and pull out the rolled up parchment.

With trembling fingers, you gently unroll the scroll. It’s longer than you expected and covered in writing you don’t recognize…

Suddenly as you unroll little more, something slips out of the scroll and into your lap. It’s a tiny gold leaf. You pick it up and see there’s a word on it. The word is wisdom. As you say it softly, the cave around you begins to shimmer. You find [00:15:00] yourself surrounded by a soft golden light. In that light, shadowy figures appear. Wise elders from long ago maybe, or the authors of this scroll.

They speak, but not in a way you hear with your ears- you feel it in your heart. You realize this scroll holds a message just for you. You look back at the parchment, and now you can magically read it. It says, “be curious, be kind and seek truth. All people are family under the stars.” You smile because now you feel a connection to all those people across time who have read and loved sacred words like these.

Carefully, you roll the scroll back up to keep it safe. You tuck that tiny gold leaf [00:16:00] into your pocket. When you’re ready, gently wiggle your fingers and toes and slowly open your eyes. Keep that little gold leaf of wisdom in your imagination. You can look at it whenever you want to remember our secret scroll in the cave.

Sacred books are kind of like that scroll- filled with hidden gems that speak to our hearts if we take time to read or listen.

 Let’s Cross our Friendship Bridge

Laura: let’s cross our friendship bridge.

Imagine each book is a colorful island in a big ocean. The Torah island, the Bible island, Koran Island, Gita Island, Sutra Island, and more. They each have their unique landscapes and languages, but if you look closely, there are bridges between them. Bridges made of shared ideas. Let’s [00:17:00] walk across a few of those bridges.

In the Bible, Jesus says, love your enemies, and told stories like the Good Samaritan about helping a stranger in need. The Qur’an teaches mercy and kindness to parents, orphans, and neighbors. The Torah says to love the stranger and care for the poor. The Bhagavad Gita speaks of seeing the divine in every being which leads to treating them with love. All of these are like different ways of saying be kind because others have feelings like you do.

Most sacred texts encourage telling the truth and doing their right thing. The Torah and the Bible have the commandment “Do not lie”. The Quran teaches that God loves those who are fair and honest. The Gita emphasizes doing one’s [00:18:00] duty, righteously, not cheating, or shirking responsibility. Buddhist teachings encourage right speech, which means speak truth and don’t use words to harm. So whether you’re in a synagogue, church, mosque, temple, or at home, honesty is always valued. It’s something we can all practice being truthful in our words and actions.

Think of it this way, humans have been asking the same big questions for ages. How should we live? How do we treat each other? What’s important in life? And these books are the collected answers from wise people through time. Sometimes the answers sound different, but they have the same meaning.

It’s Game Time! 

Laura: It’s game time.

Laura: Welcome to [00:19:00] match that teaching. Here’s how we play. I will say a clue, and you shout out which sacred tradition or book it matches.

This book begins with a story of God creating the world, “let there be light”, and it contains the 10 Commandments given to Moses. Which book is it?

Laura: If you said either Torah or the Bible, that’s correct.

Where might you read the line “hatred does not cease hatred, but by love” and learn about the life of Siddhartha Gautama?

Laura: Buddhist sutras. Excellent.

In which book would you find the story of Jesus’s Birth in Bethlehem and teachings like, “Love your neighbor as yourself”?

Laura: If you said [00:20:00] Bible, give yourself a high five.

This text is a conversation on a battlefield between Prince Arjuna and Lord Krishna. It teaches about doing one’s duty or dharma. What’s it called?

Laura: That is the Bhagavad Gita If you got that one, you’re really earning the title of Junior Scholar of World Religions.

This holy Book is divided into 114 sutras or chapters and is always read in its original Arabic. Muslims believe that it was revealed by God to Prophet Muhammad. Name that book.

Laura: The Quran, of course. Great job.

How did you do? The real goal is to remember the lessons behind these hope, courage, love, and treating others [00:21:00] well.

What Is In Our Belief Backpack?

Laura: What’s inside our belief backpack this week?

Laura: There are many sacred books in the world, Torah, Bible, Qur’an, Gita, sutras, and more. Each like a friend from a different culture. We learned to be curious about them, ask questions, and show respect. When we respect others’ beliefs, we build bridges of friendship.

Even though these books come from different times and places, they often teach similar goodness, like kindness, honesty, love, and peace. It’s like they’re all stars in the same sky, each shining their own light. We can find common ground with others by focusing on these shared values.

The stories and sayings in these texts carry wisdom for our lives today. Whether it’s David [00:22:00] finding courage against Goliath, Buddha’s compassion for a swan, or Krishna guiding Arjuna to do right- we can learn how to be brave, kind, and true in our own life. These books change the world by changing people’s hearts one story at a time.

Zip up that backpack. Those lessons are yours to keep and use whenever you need them.

Laura: Now it’s time for my favorite part of the podcast. It’s story time. I wonder what story we’re gonna hear today.

Laura: Long ago in a lush green kingdom, at the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains there lived a young prince named Siddhartha. Siddhartha was a kind and curious boy who loved animals and exploring the palace gardens. He had a cousin the same age named Devadatta, [00:23:00] who was bold and a bit mischievous.

One sunny day,  Siddhartha and  Devadatta were playing in the woods. Suddenly, whoosh, a beautiful white swan came flying overhead.  Devadatta being a skilled archer quickly took out his bow and arrow. Swish thunk. He shot the arrow into the sky and struck the swan. The poor bird spiraled down, down, down, and landed in the bushes injured.

Siddhartha gasped. He ran over to the bushes and gently lifted the swan into his arms. The arrow had wounded its wing. The swan, shivered in fear and pain.  Siddhartha spoke softly,

Siddartha: Shh. It’s okay. Little one. I’ve got you.

Laura: He carefully pulled out the arrow. From his sash, he took a little jar of healing salve [00:24:00] and applied it to the swan’s wound. The swan’s eyes blinked weakly, but it relaxed a little.

Devadatta came crashing through the bushes excited.

Devadatta: Where’s my swan? I shot it. It’s mine.

Laura: He declared. He saw the swan in  Siddhartha’s lap.

Devadatta: Hey, give it here, Siddhartha. I shot it so I get to keep it.

Laura: Siddhartha looked up, shielding the swan with his arms.

Siddartha: Keep it Devadatta. It’s hurt. We have to help it.

Laura: Siddhartha pleaded.  Devadatta stomped his foot.

Devadatta: It’s just a bird. I wanna make a prize of it. Hand it over.

Laura: But  Siddhartha refused. He said 

Siddartha: I won’t let you harm it. I found it and I’m caring for it. It should stay with me.

Laura: The two boys rarely argued. They decided to take the matter to the royal court for the wise men to decide who had the right to the swan.

[00:25:00] Young  Siddhartha walks into the grand hall carrying the swan wrapped in a soft cloth.  Devadatta marches in behind him arrow quiver still at his side. The king and his ministers look on as the cousins present their case.

Devadatta bows and says

Devadatta: I shot the swan while it was flying in the sky, so it’s my swan.

Laura: He stands proudly thinking it’s obvious.

 Siddhartha gently steps forward stroking the swan’s head.

Siddartha: Majesty, I healed the swan. I saved its life. I believe the swan belongs to no one. But if either of us should care for it, it should be the one who wants to help it live, not the one who tried to take its life.

Laura: The minister’s murmured in agreement. The wisest minister stood up and proclaimed

Wisest Minister: In our kingdom life is precious. A life belongs to those who protect it, not to those who [00:26:00] would destroy it. Therefore, the swan is Prince Siddartha’s because he showed it compassion.

Laura: Devadatta fumed silently, but he couldn’t object to the ruling of the wise.  Siddhartha bowed and carried the swan back to the palace. He tended to the bird day and night until its wing was fixed and it could flap strongly again.

Finally, one bright morning,  Siddhartha carried the swan outside. The swan gave a loud happy call as if to say thank you, and then took off into the sky, free and healed.

Siddhartha watched it disappear into the blue. His heart was happy.  Devadatta watched from a distance, and he learned a powerful lesson that day about kindness and respect for life.

And so the story of the [00:27:00] Prince and the Swan was told and retold teaching that kindness wins over cruelty. Many of the sacred texts encourage just that kind of empathy and protection for the weak.

Laura: As we close our treasure chest of sacred scrolls and books, I want to thank you all for coming on this journey with me. Today, we traveled across centuries and continents, all through the power of stories and open hearts. Give yourself a proud pat on the back for being such great explorers and listeners!

Remember, the adventure doesn’t end here. There are so many stories out there. Maybe tonight you can ask a grownup about a sacred story from your own family’s tradition, or share one you heard today that was new to you. Every story is a chance to learn something and feel connected.

[00:28:00] Thank you for listening my friends. This is Laura from Faithfully Explore, saying Stay curious, stay kind, and keep exploring the wonderful world around you.

Faithfully Explore! Outro: Faithfully Explore! is about you. Let’s grow kinder together it’s true!