Have you ever wondered how people learned what mattered before schools, before teachers, before the internet?

In this episode of Faithfully Explore!, we journey across time and around the world to meet sacred books and scrolls that have guided millions of people for thousands of years. These ancient texts are filled with stories, teachings, and wisdom that are still shaping how people live, love, and treat one another today.

Together, we explore:

1. Torah – the teaching scroll of Judaism, lovingly handwritten and carefully read with a special pointer
2. Bible – a collection of books filled with stories, poetry, and teachings about love, faith, and courage
3. Qur’an – a beautifully recited book revealed in Arabic, centered on mercy, justice, and compassion
4. Bhagavad Gita – a poetic conversation about courage, duty, and doing what is right
5. Buddhist Sutras – threads of wisdom teaching kindness, mindfulness, and peace

Along the way, explorers will:

1. Try a warrior yoga pose inspired by the Bhagavad Gita
2. Take part in a calming guided imagination inside an ancient cave of scrolls
3. Play a “Match the Teaching” game
4. Cross the Friendship Bridge, discovering how different traditions share similar values
5. Pack meaningful ideas into their Belief Backpack, like curiosity, kindness, honesty, and respect
6. Hear a powerful Buddhist story about Prince Siddhartha and the Swan

This episode helps children see that while sacred books may come from different cultures and traditions, they often ask the same big questions:

1. How should we live?
2. How should we treat others?
3. What really matters?

Perfect for: families, classrooms, homeschoolers, interfaith learning, and curious kids ages 5–12.

As always, we invite listeners to stay curious, stay kind, and keep exploring—because every story is a bridge to understanding.

🎧 Listen now and open the pages of wisdom together.

Have you ever wondered how people learned what mattered before teachers,

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before schools, before the internet?

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Long ago, people shared

their most important ideas

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in special books and scrolls.

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Stories meant to be remembered,

protected, and passed on.

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Hi friends, I'm Laura, and today

on Faithfully Explore, we're

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discovering Sacred Scrolls,

Books That Changed the World.

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We'll meet books that helped people learn

how to live, how to treat others, and

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how to understand the world around them.

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These stories are ancient, but

their ideas are still alive today.

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Faithfully Explore! Intro:

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faithfully Explore!

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is the name.

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Learning together is our aim.

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Beliefs around the globe we'll track,

filling up our Belief Backpack.

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Laura: Our first stop is the Torah,

the holiest book of the Jewish people.

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The word Torah means "teaching" or

to "show the way" in Hebrew, and

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it's exactly that- a guide for life.

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It's so important that it's

lovingly handwritten on scrolls of

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parchment and kept in synagogues,

which are Jewish places of worship.

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The Torah includes five big

chapters or books, Genesis, Exodus,

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Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

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Jewish tradition says these were revealed

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The Torah starts with stories about the

creation of the world, and it tells the

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history and laws of the Jewish people.

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Guess what?

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Christians also consider

these five books sacred.

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They call them the Old Testament.

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But more on that soon.

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Let's peek inside the Torah.

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It's full of stories and teachings.

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One famous story is about a man named

Noah who builds a giant boat or an

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ark to save his family, and two of

every animal from a giant flood.

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Another story is about young David

who was brave and trusted in God so

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much he defeated a giant warrior named

Goliath with just a sling and a stone.

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The Torah also includes the 10

Commandments guidelines for living

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with honesty, kindness, and faith.

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Oh, and here's something really

cool because the Torah scroll

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is so sacred, no one touches

it directly with their fingers.

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The oils on our skin could

damage the delicate writing.

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Instead when reading it, Jewish

readers use a special pointer

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called a yad, which means hand.

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A yad is like a little stick,

often decorated and shiny with

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a tiny hand shape at the end.

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It helps follow the words

without ever smudging the ink.

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Next stop on our tour, the Bible.

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The Bible is actually a collection

of books, 66 books in many Christian

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traditions, all wrapped into one.

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In fact, the word Bible comes from a

Greek word, meaning "books or scrolls".

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It was written by dozens of

authors over many centuries.

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No wonder it's so rich with

stories, poems, letters, and wisdom.

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The Bible has two big parts, the

Old Testament and the New Testament.

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The Old Testament is largely the

same as the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh,

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so it includes the Torah we just

talked about and other writings

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and prophets cherished in Judaism.

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The New Testament is what makes

the Christian Bible distinct.

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It tells the story of Jesus

and the early Christians.

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For Christians, Jesus

is a teacher and savior.

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So the New Testament includes four books

called the Gospels which means "good news"

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that describe Jesus' birth teachings,

miracles, and the way he cared for people.

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Do you know the Christmas story?

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Jesus being born in a manger in Bethlehem

with shepherds and wise men visiting.

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That comes from the Gospels.

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There are also letters and other

writings guiding Christians on

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how to live with love and faith.

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One thing that makes the Bible so

influential is that it's everywhere.

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It's been translated into over

2,500 languages and printed

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more than any other book ever.

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That means people all around the world

can read it in their own language.

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Adhan: الله

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Laura: Did you hear that beautiful call?

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It's inviting us into the world of Islam.

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The holy book here is the Quran.

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The Quran means " recitation"

, because it's meant to be spoken

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or sung aloud in a melodic way.

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Muslims believe the Quran was revealed

to the prophet Muhammad over 23

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years through the Angel Gabriel.

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The Quran is written in Arabic, and

even today, Muslims learn it and recite

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it in the original Arabic language,

no matter what country they live in.

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It has 114 chapters, which in Arabic are

called Surahs, and each chapter is made

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of verses kind of like poetic lines.

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Every chapter of the Quran, well

except one, begins with the phrase

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Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim, which

means "in the name of the God,

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the most merciful, the most kind."

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It's a reminder that God is

compassionate and loving.

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Inside the Qur'an, you'll find stories

of earlier prophets and people.

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Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and others,

because Islam honors many of the same

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figures you find in the Torah and Bible.

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You'll also find guidance on how to

live: be honest, be kind to your parents,

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help the poor, treat others fairly.

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There are verses describing the wonders

of nature as signs of God and verses

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about having patience and faith.

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Here's a fun fact.

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Many Muslims, including kids your age,

work hard to memorize the entire Quran.

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Yes, all 600 plus pages of it!

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A person who memorizes it is

given this special title, Hafiz.

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It's a way to carry the sacred

words inside you, wherever you go.

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When Muslims read or recite the Quran,

they treat it with great respect,

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often keeping it on a high shelf

or with a special cover and washing

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their hands before touching it.

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During the Holy Month of Ramadan,

families try to read the entire

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Quran a bit each night, and if you

have ever heard it recited aloud, it

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might sound like singing the words

flow in a rhythmic, soothing chant.

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This next book will take us to

Ancient India and a battlefield.

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Uh oh.

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So let's get brave and

strong like a warrior.

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We're going to do a yoga

pose called warrior.

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Ready?

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Step one foot forward

and bend your front knee.

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Step your other foot back

and keep it straight.

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Now, stretch your arms out.

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One forward in front of

you and one behind you.

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You look just like a brave

warrior, prince or princess.

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Feel your legs strong

and your chest proud.

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Take a deep breath in and out.

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Now switch sides.

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Other foot forward bending it,

other foot back, stretching

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it straight as we hold it.

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Think of courage and

peace at the same time.

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A warrior who fights for what's

right, but with wisdom and calm.

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Alright, shake it out.

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Good job, heroes.

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Let's settle back down

for our next adventure.

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Our journey brings us to an ancient

battlefield in India, but don't worry,

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we're here to learn, not to fight.

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The Bhagavad Gita awaits.

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Often just called the Gita

this text is one of the most

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important holy books in Hinduism.

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The name Bhagavad Gita means "Song

of the Lord", and it's essentially

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a long, poetic conversation.

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It is part of a much longer epic

story called the Mahabharata,

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which is so epic it's one of

the longest poems in the world.

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Let me set the scene.

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Two huge families are about to go to war.

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On one side is the brave

Prince Arjuna a skilled archer,

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but it, his heart is heavy.

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He rides out in his chariot to the

middle of the battlefield and sees

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that in the opposing army are many

of his cousins teachers and friends.

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Arjuna suddenly isn't

sure if he can fight.

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He doesn't want to hurt those

he loves, even if they're on the

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other side, he throws down his

bow and says, "I won't fight.

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It's not right."

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That's when his chariot driver,

who is secretly Lord Krishna

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in disguise, turns to him and

gives him some very wise advice.

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This advice is the Bhagavad Gita itself.

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700 verses of gentle guidance.

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Over the course of 18 chapters, Krishna

teaches Arjuna about many things:

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dharma, the duty of doing what's right,

even when it's hard, bhakti devotion

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and love for God, selfless action and

seeing the divine presence in everyone.

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The lessons of the Gita have been so

influential that many people, not just

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Hindus read it for wisdom and inspiration.

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It's like a conversation that

speaks to the battle inside us.

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Like when you struggle to do your

homework instead of playing, or

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when you know you should tell the

truth, even though you're scared.

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The Gita gently coaches you to be

brave do your duty and remember

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the divine goodness in your heart.

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And guess what?

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The Gita is part of a tradition that

also brought us yoga and meditation.

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Those warriors like Arjuna also

practiced moments of stillness and focus.

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In fact, yoga in the Gita isn't

just about poses, it's about the

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path you take, like the yoga of

action or the yoga of devotion.

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The word sutra in Sanskrit

literally means "thread".

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Think of them as threads of

wisdom that together weave a

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tapestry of Buddhist teaching.

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Unlike the single volume books we've

discussed, Buddhist sutras are numerous.

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In fact, there are thousands of them.

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Don't worry, we won't list them all,

but let's talk about what they are.

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Buddhism began with a man named

Siddhartha Gautama, who became known

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as the Buddha about 2,500 years ago.

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He didn't write his teachings down.

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Instead, his followers memorized

them and passed them on orally

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or by reciting for centuries.

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Eventually these teachings were written

down and translated into languages

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like Chinese, Tibetan, and more.

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So instead of one holy

book, Buddhists have many.

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Each Sutra is usually a sermon or

story involving the Buddha and his

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disciples meant to teach a lesson.

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What's inside the sutras?

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They teach things like kindness,

mindfulness, patience and understanding.

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A famous line is "hatred does not

cease by hatred, but by love."

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That's a powerful idea.

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You can't stop a cycle of

meanness by being mean back.

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You stop it by love and forgiveness.

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That's something any of us can remember.

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The next time someone is unkind.

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Responding with kindness is the

best way to end the negativity.

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The sutras are full of such gems.

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Now we've covered a lot of ground, or

should I say a lot of pages, it might

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be a good moment to pause our travels

and do something a little different.

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How about we take a quiet

journey inside our imagination?

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Imagine with me

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You are walking in a vast desert at dusk.

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In the distance, you see

an outline of rocky hills.

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You notice an opening in the

side of a hill, a cave entrance.

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Something tells you to go inside.

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You duck a little and step in.

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As you walk deeper, you see clay

jars lined up against the wall,

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covered in dust and cobwebs.

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One jar has a crack and through it

you see something pale and rolled up.

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Your heart skips.

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Could that be an ancient scroll?

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Carefully you reach in and pull

out the rolled up parchment.

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With trembling fingers, you

gently unroll the scroll.

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It's longer than you expected and

covered in writing you don't recognize...

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Suddenly as you unroll little

more, something slips out of

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the scroll and into your lap.

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It's a tiny gold leaf.

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You pick it up and see

there's a word on it.

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The word is wisdom.

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As you say it softly, the cave

around you begins to shimmer.

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You find yourself surrounded

by a soft golden light.

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In that light, shadowy figures appear.

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Wise elders from long ago maybe,

or the authors of this scroll.

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They speak, but not in a way you hear

with your ears- you feel it in your heart.

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You realize this scroll

holds a message just for you.

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You look back at the parchment,

and now you can magically read it.

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It says, "be curious,

be kind and seek truth.

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All people are family under the stars."

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You smile because now you feel

a connection to all those people

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across time who have read and

loved sacred words like these.

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Carefully, you roll the scroll

back up to keep it safe.

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You tuck that tiny gold

leaf into your pocket.

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When you're ready, gently

wiggle your fingers and toes

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and slowly open your eyes.

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Keep that little gold leaf of

wisdom in your imagination.

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You can look at it whenever you want to

remember our secret scroll in the cave.

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Sacred books are kind of like that scroll-

filled with hidden gems that speak to our

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hearts if we take time to read or listen.

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let's cross our friendship bridge.

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Imagine each book is a

colorful island in a big ocean.

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The Torah island, the Bible

island, Koran Island, Gita

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Island, Sutra Island, and more.

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They each have their unique landscapes

and languages, but if you look closely,

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there are bridges between them.

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Bridges made of shared ideas.

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Let's walk across a few of those bridges.

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In the Bible, Jesus says, love

your enemies, and told stories

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like the Good Samaritan about

helping a stranger in need.

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The Qur'an teaches mercy and kindness

to parents, orphans, and neighbors.

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The Torah says to love the

stranger and care for the poor.

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The Bhagavad Gita speaks of seeing

the divine in every being which

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leads to treating them with love.

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All of these are like different

ways of saying be kind because

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others have feelings like you do.

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Most sacred texts encourage telling

the truth and doing their right thing.

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The Torah and the Bible have

the commandment "Do not lie".

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The Quran teaches that God loves

those who are fair and honest.

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The Gita emphasizes doing one's

duty, righteously, not cheating,

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or shirking responsibility.

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Buddhist teachings encourage

right speech, which means speak

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truth and don't use words to harm.

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So whether you're in a synagogue,

church, mosque, temple, or at

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home, honesty is always valued.

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It's something we can all practice

being truthful in our words and actions.

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Think of it this way, humans have been

asking the same big questions for ages.

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How should we live?

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How do we treat each other?

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What's important in life?

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And these books are the collected

answers from wise people through time.

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Sometimes the answers sound different,

but they have the same meaning.

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It's game time.

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Welcome to match that teaching.

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Here's how we play.

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I will say a clue, and you shout out

which sacred tradition or book it matches.

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This book begins with a story of

God creating the world, "let there

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be light", and it contains the

10 Commandments given to Moses.

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Which book is it?

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If you said either Torah or

the Bible, that's correct.

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Where might you read the line "hatred does

not cease hatred, but by love" and learn

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about the life of Siddhartha Gautama?

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Buddhist sutras.

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Excellent.

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In which book would you find the story of

Jesus's Birth in Bethlehem and teachings

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like, "Love your neighbor as yourself"?

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If you said Bible, give

yourself a high five.

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This text is a conversation on

a battlefield between Prince

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Arjuna and Lord Krishna.

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It teaches about doing

one's duty or dharma.

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What's it called?

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That is the Bhagavad Gita If you got

that one, you're really earning the title

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of Junior Scholar of World Religions.

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This holy Book is divided into 114

sutras or chapters and is always

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read in its original Arabic.

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Muslims believe that it was

revealed by God to Prophet Muhammad.

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Name that book.

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The Quran, of course.

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Great job.

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How did you do?

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The real goal is to remember the

lessons behind these hope, courage,

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love, and treating others well.

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What's inside our belief

backpack this week?

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There are many sacred books

in the world, Torah, Bible,

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Qur'an, Gita, sutras, and more.

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Each like a friend from

a different culture.

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We learned to be curious about them,

ask questions, and show respect.

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When we respect others' beliefs,

we build bridges of friendship.

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Even though these books come from

different times and places, they

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often teach similar goodness, like

kindness, honesty, love, and peace.

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It's like they're all stars in the

same sky, each shining their own light.

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We can find common ground with others

by focusing on these shared values.

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The stories and sayings in these texts

carry wisdom for our lives today.

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Whether it's David finding courage

against Goliath, Buddha's compassion

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for a swan, or Krishna guiding Arjuna

to do right- we can learn how to be

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brave, kind, and true in our own life.

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These books change the world by changing

people's hearts one story at a time.

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Zip up that backpack.

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Those lessons are yours to keep

and use whenever you need them.

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Now it's time for my

favorite part of the podcast.

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It's story time.

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I wonder what story

we're gonna hear today.

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Long ago in a lush green kingdom, at the

foothills of the Himalaya Mountains there

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lived a young prince named Siddhartha.

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Siddhartha was a kind and

curious boy who loved animals

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and exploring the palace gardens.

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He had a cousin the same

age named Devadatta, who was

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bold and a bit mischievous.

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One sunny day,  Siddhartha and

Devadatta were playing in the woods.

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Suddenly, whoosh, a beautiful

white swan came flying overhead.

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Devadatta being a skilled archer

quickly took out his bow and arrow.

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Swish thunk.

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He shot the arrow into the

sky and struck the swan.

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The poor bird spiraled down, down,

down, and landed in the bushes injured.

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Siddhartha gasped.

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He ran over to the bushes and gently

lifted the swan into his arms.

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The arrow had wounded its wing.

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The swan, shivered in fear and pain.

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Siddhartha spoke softly,

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Siddartha: Shh.

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It's okay.

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Little one.

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I've got you.

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Laura: He carefully pulled out the arrow.

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From his sash, he took a

little jar of healing salve and

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applied it to the swan's wound.

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The swan's eyes blinked weakly,

but it relaxed a little.

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Devadatta came crashing

through the bushes excited.

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Devadatta: Where's my swan?

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I shot it.

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It's mine.

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Laura: He declared.

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He saw the swan in  Siddhartha's lap.

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Devadatta: Hey, give it here, Siddhartha.

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I shot it so I get to keep it.

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Laura: Siddhartha looked up,

shielding the swan with his arms.

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Siddartha: Keep it Devadatta.

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It's hurt.

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We have to help it.

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Laura: Siddhartha pleaded.

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Devadatta stomped his foot.

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Devadatta: It's just a bird.

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I wanna make a prize of it.

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Hand it over.

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Laura: But  Siddhartha refused.

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He said

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Siddartha: I won't let you harm it.

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I found it and I'm caring for it.

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It should stay with me.

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Laura: The two boys rarely argued.

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They decided to take the matter to

the royal court for the wise men to

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decide who had the right to the swan.

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Young  Siddhartha walks into

the grand hall carrying the

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swan wrapped in a soft cloth.

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Devadatta marches in behind him

arrow quiver still at his side.

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The king and his ministers look on

as the cousins present their case.

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Devadatta bows and says

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Devadatta: I shot the swan while it

was flying in the sky, so it's my swan.

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Laura: He stands proudly

thinking it's obvious.

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Siddhartha gently steps forward

stroking the swan's head.

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Siddartha: Majesty, I healed the swan.

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I saved its life.

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I believe the swan belongs to no one.

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But if either of us should care

for it, it should be the one who

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wants to help it live, not the

one who tried to take its life.

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Laura: The minister's

murmured in agreement.

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The wisest minister

stood up and proclaimed

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Wisest Minister: In our

kingdom life is precious.

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A life belongs to those who protect

it, not to those who would destroy it.

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Therefore, the swan is Prince Siddartha's

because he showed it compassion.

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Laura: Devadatta fumed silently, but he

couldn't object to the ruling of the wise.

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Siddhartha bowed and carried

the swan back to the palace.

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He tended to the bird day and

night until its wing was fixed

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and it could flap strongly again.

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Finally, one bright morning,

Siddhartha carried the swan outside.

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The swan gave a loud happy call as

if to say thank you, and then took

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off into the sky, free and healed.

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Siddhartha watched it

disappear into the blue.

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His heart was happy.

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Devadatta watched from a distance, and

he learned a powerful lesson that day

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about kindness and respect for life.

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And so the story of the Prince and

the Swan was told and retold teaching

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that kindness wins over cruelty.

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Many of the sacred texts encourage

just that kind of empathy

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and protection for the weak.

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As we close our treasure chest of sacred

scrolls and books, I want to thank you

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all for coming on this journey with me.

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Today, we traveled across centuries

and continents, all through the

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power of stories and open hearts.

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Give yourself a proud pat on the back for

being such great explorers and listeners!

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Remember, the adventure doesn't end here.

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There are so many stories out there.

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Maybe tonight you can ask a grownup

about a sacred story from your own

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family's tradition, or share one

you heard today that was new to you.

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Every story is a chance to learn

something and feel connected.

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Thank you for listening my friends.

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This is Laura from Faithfully Explore,

saying Stay curious, stay kind, and keep

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exploring the wonderful world around you.

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Faithfully Explore! Outro:

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Faithfully Explore!

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is about you.

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Let's grow kinder together it's true!