Buddhism: practices Flashcards
Temple
a place where Buddhists come together to study, meditate, and worship
Shrine
an area with a statue or image of a Buddha or Bodhisattva. It provides a focal point for meditation and devotion.
Symbolic offerings:
- Light (candles) - wisdom and enlightenment
- Flowers - impermanence
- Incense - purity
Stupa (pagoda)
a tiered tower or mound-like structure that sometimes contains remains or relics of an important Buddhist (e.g., Buddha’s ashes).
Monastery
a place where a community of Buddhist monks or nuns lives.
Death
when kammic energy leaves one body and is reborn in another; a transition from one life to the next.
Theravada funerals
inexpensive, simple ceremonies. Money is donated to worthy causes to transfer merit to the deceased. Shrines may show a portrait, monks may attend, and cremation is common.
Tibetan funerals
may involve a sky burial, where a body is left in a high place as a gift to the vultures (impermanence, non-attachment). However, cremation is more common nowadays. Ceremonies involve prayers and offering yak-butter lamps to symbolise wisdom and light of knowledge and the eradication of darkness or ignorance
Japanese Pure Land funerals
the coffin is processed while Amitabha’s name is chanted. The head is then place facing west, towards Sukhavati. Relatives may gather to pick out bones from the ashes with chopsticks to honour the deceased.
Festivals
traditional times that allow Buddhists to celebrate important events in the history of Buddhism
Wesak
a Theravada festival that celebrates the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and passing away.
Celebrations include:
- Lighting up of homes with candles, lamps or lanterns
- The making of offerings and giving of gifts at local monastery
- Worshipping and meditating at their local temple
Parinirvana day
a Mahayana festival that commemorates the Buddha’s passing away.
Buddhists may:
- Read and study the Mahaparinirvana Sutra, a scripture on the Buddha’s last days
- Meditate or study at home or at a temple
- Go on a retreat and meditate
- Go on a pilgrimage to places such as Kushinagar, where the Buddha is thought to have died
Types of Buddhist worship
- Rituals and ceremonies carried out in groups
- Private worship at home
- Making offerings
- Meditation
- Chanting sacred texts, such as the three refuges, reflecting that these used to be passed on orally
- Reciting mantras, such as “Om mani padme hum”, perhaps using a mala
Meditation
the spiritual practice of calming and focusing the mind, and reflecting deeply on specific teachings to develop an insight into the nature of reality
Samatha meditation
a type of meditation that involves the ‘mindful’ use of breath to focus the attention, helping buddhists calm their mind and develop deeper concentration. Kasinas may be used as an alternative focus of attention.
Vipassana meditation
a type of meditation that focuses on developing understanding of the nature of reality. It is called ‘insight meditation’. The meditator may change their focus between different objects, emotions and experiences.
Enlightenment
A state of spiritual wisdom which arises from understanding the nature of reality
Gompa
a hall or building where Tibetan Buddhists meditate
Kamma (karma)
the idea that skilful actions motivated by generosity, compassion and understanding result in happiness and unskilful actions motivated by craving, hatred and ignorance end in suffering
Karuna
compassion - feeling concerned for the suffering of other people and wanting to relieve their suffering. It is also one of the four sublime states
Mantra
a short sequence of sacred syllables
Mala
108 prayer beads used to count the number of recitations of a mantra
Metta
loving-kindness - showing a benevolent, kind, friendly attitude towards other people. It is one of the four sublime states taught by the Buddha and reduces the tendency to act out of negative emotions.
Puja
an act of worship
Retreat
A period of time spent away from everyday life in order to focus on meditation. For example, Vassa is an annual Theravada retreat taken during the wet season where monks dedicate more time to meditation and study.
