Buddhist practices Flashcards
What is a temple?
A place where Buddhists come together to worship.
What is a shrine?
An area with a statue or image of a Buddha or Bodhisattva. It provides a focal point for meditation.
What is a monastery?
It is a place where a community of Buddhist monks or nuns live.
What does a temple consist of?
A main hall- where Buddhists practice together. It usually contains a statue of the Buddha (Buddha Rupa).
A meditation hall where they can meditate.
A study hall for meetings or lectures.
A shrine dedicated to the Buddha.
A stupa
What is a stupa?
A small building or tower in the monastery that contains relics.
What do Buddhists offer to shrines?
Light/candle- symbolise the Buddha, wisdom and enlightenment.
Flowers- as flowers decay they remind Buddhists of anicca.
Incense- symbolises purity, reminding Buddhists of practicing pure thoughts.
What are examples of ways Buddhists worship?
Reciting mantras. Making offerings. Meditation. Chanting sacred texts. Bowing. Rituals and ceremonies.
Why do Buddhists worship?
They worship to express their gratitude towards the Buddha.
Deepen their understanding of the Buddhas teachings.
Move closer to the Buddha and what he symbolises.
Why do Buddhists chant?
Chanting calms and focuses the mind.
It is a devotional practice that increases receptivity towards the Buddha and his teachings.
What are mantras?
It is a sequence of sacred syllables that is chanted out loud or in the mind over and over.
It helps to concentrate the mind and is a form of meditation.
What is Samatha meditation?
A type of meditation that involves calming the mind and leads to the development of the insight of nature.
How do Buddhists practice Samatha meditation?
In Samatha meditation the breath can be used to become more mindful. They focus on their breathing, helping to calm them and make them more present and aware.
Using Kasinas helps them to concentrate on an object.
What is Vipassana meditation?
‘Insight meditation’. A type of meditation that involves developing an understanding of the nature of reality.
What is the aim of Vipassana meditation?
To understand how all things are characterised by the 3 marks of existence.
Achieve enlightenment
Develop greater wisdom about the world.
Gain insight into the nature of reality.
What do Buddhists do during Vipassana meditation?
They change their focus between different objects, emotions and experiences. The aim of focusing on the object is to understand its true nature and how it is characterised by the 3 marks of existence.
What is visualisation?
The meditator imagines an object in their mind. They will try to imagine the object in great detail. They also focus on its spiritual qualities.
Explain some ways Buddhists practice visualisation?
Tibetan Buddhists visualise a deity (Buddha or Bodhisattva). They imagine themselves as that deity to absorb its spiritual qualities.
Some Buddhists may use a Thangka or Mandala to help them visualise a deity.
What is a thangka and mandala.
Thangka= a detailed painting of a Buddha or Bodhisattva. Mandala= an intricate, colourful circle that represents the Buddhist teachings or principles. In Tibetan monasteries they use sand to show anicca.
What are some examples of Buddhas or Bodhisattvas meditators might try to visualise?
The medicine Buddha: Visualising it may reduce suffering and promote healing powers.
Buddha Amitabha: Pure land Buddhists visualise the Buddha Amitabha in the hope it will help them be reborn in the pure land.
What are some ways Buddhists treat the dead?
Theravada Buddhists: little money is spent on the funeral. Family and friends donate to a worthy cause to transfer good karma to the dead person. A shrine may display the deceased picture. The person is cremated and the mourners contemplate anicca.
Tibetan Buddhists; Sky burial. Vultures eat the body.
Describe a Theravada festival? Not needed
Wesak: It commemorates the Buddhas life in 3 parts- birth, enlightenment and death.
People light up their homes with candles, attend worship in a local temple and make offerings to the Buddha.
Describe a Mahayana festival? Not needed
Parinirvana day: Celebrated to remember the Buddhas passing into parinirvana (the final state of nivarna). They remember the teaching of anicca.
They will meditate and worship at home or with others or go on a retreat and meditate.
What are the 6 realms?
Animals, angry gods, gods, humans, hungry ghosts and tormented beings.
What is Karuna?
Compassion: feeling concerned for the suffering of others. Karuna is one of the 4 sublime states. It is very important for Mahayana Buddhists to develop this quality to become a Bodhisattva.
