Buddhism Practices

Question 1

What features in a temple?

Answer 1

Main hall
-shrine dedicated to Buddha or Bodhisattva
-candle, flowers, insense
Meditation room
Pagoda or stupa
-containing holy relics
Study hall
-meetings and lectures

Question 2

Where do nuns and monks live?

Answer 2

Monastery (vihara)

Question 3

Where is the Temple located?

Answer 3

Heart of a Buddhist community

Question 4

What does worship allow Buddhists to do?

Answer 4

Express their gratitude to Buddha for his example and teaching or dhamma

Question 5

What do Buddhas do during worship?

Answer 5

-make offerings
-chant from the text of teachings or the 3 refuges
-recite mantras
- speak to the rupa ( statue of Buddha )

Question 6

What is meditation?

Answer 6

A spiritual exercise that teaches you to calm your mind and control your thoughts

Question 7

What’s the importance of meditation?

Answer 7

To gain a deep compassion for others and reduce suffering which will eventually lead to enlightenment
-it develops mindfulness and increases concentration, (3 stages of the Eightfold path)

Question 8

Before meditation what do Buddhists do?

Answer 8

Chant verses praising the 3 jewels
-Theravada Buddhists may chant the 5 moral precepts too

Question 9

What’s Samatha meditation?

Answer 9

Focusing on mindfulness of the body and breath
-aim is to calm the mind

Question 10

What’s vipassana meditation?

Answer 10

Mind is focused entirely on the present
-aim is to give your full attention to whatever is going on in your mind at the time

Question 11

What a Buddhist retreat?

Answer 11

Buddhists will retreat to a monastery for a weekend of few days to live with people to live a simple life and practice meditation and rituals
-aim to to gain a deeper understanding of Buddha’s teachings

Question 12

What happens to Theravada Buddhists at a retreat?

Answer 12

Monks observe Vassa which is an annual retreat lasting 3 months (rainy season)

Question 13

What’s Wesak and how is it celebrated?

Answer 13

Festival
-Buddhists decorate their homes with candles and paper lanterns
-in Singapore birds are released as a symbol of liberation

Question 14

What’s Parinirvana Day and how is it celebrated?

Answer 14

Mahayana Buddhist festival to celebrate the Buddha passing into parinirvana
-chance to reflect and remember loved ones who have died

Question 15

What’s karma?

Answer 15

Idea that Buddhists actions can lead to happiness or suffering
-skilful actions result in good karma
Unskillful actions result in bad karma and suffering

Question 16

What happenes when a person is reborn ?

Answer 16

Their new life will be affected by their karma from last lives

Question 17

What’s karuna?

Answer 17

Compassion
-one of the four sublime states that Buddha taught Buddhists should develop
-aim to recognise the suffering of others and do something to make their lives better

Question 18

What’s metta?

Answer 18

Loving-kindness
-another of the four sublime states
-means desiring other people to be happy

Question 19

What are the 5 moral precepts?

Answer 19

1. to abstain from taking life
2. to abstain from taking what is not given
3. to abstain from sexual misconduct
4. to abstain from wrong speech
5. to abstain from intoxicants

Question 20

What are the 6 perfections?

Answer 20

generosity, morality, patience, energy, meditation and wisdom