Buddhist Practices 1️⃣✅ Flashcards
What is puja?
Any act that involves worship
What is reciting mantras?
Repeating a mantra (a short phrase) over and over again to show devotion to the Buddha and further their understanding of his teachings
What are mala beads?
A chain of beads used to count recitations
What are the 2 types of meditation?
- Samatha meditation
- Vipassina meditation
What is Samatha meditation?
Meditation that involves concentration and tranquility - foucusing on one thing & to clear your mind of everything else - commonly focusing on breathing. It is said that Samatha meditation is used as a ‘practise’ for vipassina
What is vipassina meditation?
Meditation that is said to be more advanced. It is commonly called insight meditation and involves developing the understanding of the nature of reality
What is the purpose of vipassina meditation?
To help Buddhists understand how all things are characterised by the three marks of existence and to develop greater wisdom and awareness of the natural world
What is the purpose of samatha meditation?
Many people believe that alongside foucsing on one thing to develop a calm mind, another purpose of samatha meditaion is preperation for vipassina meditaiton
What is the purpose of chanting?
To learn and remeber texts in order to pass them on to others
What is zazen meditation?
A type of meditation that requires awarness of the present moment
What is visualisation?
Imagining or ‘seeing’ something in ones mind.
What is deity visualisation?
Trying to invision a being e.g. heavenly/ celestial Bodhisatvas or Amitabha Buddha to acess their qualities
What 2 things can be used to help visualisation?
- Thangka - a detailed painting of the being you are trying to visualise
- Mandala - a pattern made from sand or drawn to symbolise impermanence
What is a Thangka?
a detailed painting of the being you are trying to visualise
What is a Mandala?
a pattern made from sand or drawn to symbolise impermanence
What are the 4 sublime states?
- love
- compassion
- sympathetic joy
- equanimity
What are the 6 perfections?
- Generosity
- Morality
- Patience
- Energy
- Meditation
- Wisdom
What is wesak?
Wesak is a very important Buddhist festival and celebrates the buddhas birth, death and elightenment
Give 3 ways in which wesak is celebrated?
- Visit a temple
- Make offerings to the Buddha
- Meditate
What do you do in Theravada Funerals?
- transfer merit to loved ones in chance of a better rebirth
- little money is spent/ if any its donated to charity
- Shrine of deceased and Buddha
- Burial or Cremation
What do you do in Tibetan Funerals?
- Sky burial - body is left for vultures to eat
- more common now to cremate the body
- Ceremonies involve prayers
What do you do in Pure Land Funerals?
- Coffin may be placed facing the pure land in hopes of rebirth there
- Chant Amitabha Buddhas name when carrying coffin
How long do Buddhists have to bury dead people?
49 days
What does karuna mean?
Compassion
What does metta mean?
Loving kindness
What are the 4 sublime states?
- Loving kindess
- Compassion
- Sympathetic joy
- Equanimity
What are 6 perfections?
- Generosity
- Morality
- Patience
- Energy
- Meditation
- Wisdom
What are all the 5 moral precepts?
- Abstian from taking life
- Abstain from tsking what is not freely given
- To abstain from sexual misconduct
- To abstain from wrong speech
- To abatain from intoxicants that cloud the mind
What is parinivarna day?
Parinivarna day is the celebration of the buddha entering parinivarna (death and nivarna) and is celebrated in febuary
What is the acient scripture that describes the buddhas last days?
Mahaparinivarna sutra
What is a rupa?
Statue/ image of the Buddha
What does sunyata mean?
emptiness
What would a buddhist do on a retreat?
Take time away from normal lives to focus on buddhism - they could meditate, read over buddhist teachings (all in monastery/ gompa)
What is a gompa?
tibetan momastery/ meditaion hall
How is depended arising represented in buddhism?
Across the 12 nivarnas on the wheel of life.
What are the 12 nirvanas?
Chain of caustation by which the cycle of birth, death and rebirth is created (samsara)
What is nirvana?
A transcendent state in which there is neither suffering, desire, nor sense of self, and the subject is released from the effects of karma and the cycle of death and rebirth. It represents the final goal of Buddhism (enlightenment)
What might a buddhist do to celebrate parinivarna?
Read/ study the mahaparinivarna sutra - a scripture describing the buddhas final days
What is a Buddhist charity that shows karuna? (and what do they do)
Rokpa - runs schools in Nepal and tibet, helps families out of poverty through edcation
What are the 3 segments of the 8 fold path?
Wisdom
(view, intention)
Morality
(speech, action, livelihood)
Meditation
(effort, mindfulness, concentration)
What are the sanscrit names for the 3 segments of the 8 fold path?
Wisdom - panna
Morality - sila
Meditation - samadhi
What can Buddhists do to celebrate parinivarna day?
Read/ recite mahaparinivarna sutra and go on a retreat to Kushinagar in India, where they run workshops to help buddhists feel more connected to Siddhartha and understand his parinivarna
What is the gompa that Buddhists could go to to celebrate Parinivarna day?
Kushinagar, in India
What is a vihara?
A Buddhist monastery/ temple
