Buddhist Practices Flashcards
What is a temple
-A place where buddhists come together to practise .
What does a temple consist of >
-A main hall or builidngs - where uddhiss practise togetehr .
-has statue of Buddha (Mahayana may have Bodhisatttva satue too ) .
-Meditaion hall - buddhits can meditate - this is known in ibetan Buhdhism as a GOMPA .
-A tudy hall or builidng for meetings and lectures .
-A shirine or number of shrines dedicated buddhia or mahayana tmeple then bodhisava .
-a PAGODA OR STUPA WHICH IS A SMALL BUIDLING IN A MONASTERY that sometimes contains hol relics .
The significance of a Pagodas and Stupas .
They are generally designed to symbolsie the five Buddhist elements of Earth , water , fire air wisdom .
-Base of builidngs ymbolises Earth , as hebuiings extends uwards , it represens more leemens .
Significance of a temple ?
-Temples re important as centers of religious life , where Buddhists can study meditate and practise togtheer .
-Buddhiss may liste to talks given by mebers , and lay people may take offerings like food to support em .
What is a shrine
An area with a staute of bUDDDHA OR bODHISATVA , which provides Buddhists witha focal point for meditaiton and deotion .
-he focus is ususally A BUDDHA RUPA - which is a saute of the Buddha often sitting cross-legged ina meditation pose ..
-MAHAYANA (may have a bodhisttva statue rather than Buddha in this cas ) .
-Can be found in tmeple or HOOME .
One offering given to the shrine and its significance ?
OFFERING OF LIGHT (aka like candle )
-Symbolises WISDOM , because he ligh of the candle drives away the darkness of ignorance .
ANOTHER offering given to the shrine and its significance ?
Offering of FLOWERS (which wilt and decay )
-Reminding Buddhiss all thinks are impermannet (anicc _
The final offering given to the shrine and its significance ?
Offering of INCENSE , symbolises purity , remidning Buddhiss of the improtance of practicising pure thoughts , speech and counduct .
What is a monastery (vihara)
-A place where Buddhis monks and nuns live .
-These are Buddhists hwo have chosen to dedicate thier lives full tie to their spirtual practise spending their dyas studing and meditiation on buddhas eachings .
-Althugh monks n nuns have simple lifestyle , the monastery sill eeeds to provide all thier needs like eat sutdy sleep , some buddhist monastieres are like small vilages in hemseles .
-weheras some only one buidlings .
Siginficiance of a stupa
A stupa is particualry improtnst for a mosnatery .
-As when the buddha died , his body was cremated and ahsed were sent to differrnt places , the sutpas hodl Buddhas ashes
tody contains holyr elics and shes of some nuns or monks or items assoicated iwtht hte buddhist .
‘TIME AND EEFFORT TO KEEP SHIRNE CLEAN IS ACTUALLYC OSNIDERS A SKIL TO FOCUS ONES MIND IN SPRITUAL PRATICES ‘
Quuote by tibentan monk
What is Puja
An act of worship
-IT ALLWOS bUDDHISTS TO EXPRESS THEIR GRATITUDE TO THE BUDDHA AND REPSTCT TO HIS TEACHINGS .
-aLSO HELPS THEM ACKNWLEDGE THE IMPRTNCE THE bUDDHA IS IN THIER LIES , aLLOWIGN THEM TO FOCUS ON FAIH , (CONFIENCE IN THE PATH THE bUDDHA TAUGHT AND O DEEPEN HEIR UNDERSADNING OF THE bUDHAS TEACHING ) .
iMPROTANCE OF pUJA
whie doing puja , buddhist acknoledge qualitiies and commitment into following the Budddha .
-They remind themsleves of his teachings and nautre of the existnce and wya of life , leaidng to compassiona nd wisdom and thereofre ENLIGHTENEMNT .
What odes Pua include
-Rituals and cermeonies
-has the follwing ctivities
-Meditation , offerings chanting , reciting mantras , and bowing .
CHANTING
Back int he day , the only way to share Buddhiss tex as to memoriese them and to pass them on orally , so they chant the ex in order o remeer htem .
-sacred texts are sitll chanted today like FICE MROAL PRECEPTS , BODHSIATTA VOWS , THREE REFUGES ..
-CHANTING IS ALSO SID TO increase a Buddhiss recpetitivity toward sthe Buddha and his eachings . Can also be used ot help calm and ocnentrate the mind .
What is mantra recitation
-A manra is a sequence of sacred sylaables chaned ove and over .
-Some ay mantras have transformative powers , and they can be used in mediation to focus the mind .
-Mantras call on the spiritual wulities of the Buddha or Bodhisttva.
Most common Mantra
om mani padme
-represents osund oc compssion , and associated with Bodhiattva of compassion .
-they ay feel buddhists may feel that masntra helps them to become more recpetive to copssion helping them to better express quality in their lvies .
-hey use a malaa a stirngo rprayer belads ot hel count recitstions cuz they do it loads of times .
Wht is meditation ?
-A practise of clming and focusing the mind ,a nd reflectin deeply on specific teachings to penetrate thier true meaning . Also this helps devleop insight into the NAUTRE OF XISTENCE .
tHE PRACTICE OF MEDIITATION
-Before they begin meditation , a buddhist might recite verses praising the hree reufges , .
for theravada is customary then o recite five oral precepts .
-Meditiation involes settling mind and body , delvoeping calma nd stbailiy , if they notice hie rmind ha andered us bring i ack .
WAT THE BUDDHA SAY ABT MEDITATION
@YOU SHOULD TRAIN YOURSELF IWTH RPESECT LEARN TO CONTROLL YOURSELF ..
Differen types of meditation ?
Theravada Buddhiss often use samatha meditation o develop clam and posiive emotion .
-Vipassaa meditation to delveop udnersgtadnign and wisdom .
-mAY ALSO FOCUS ON OBJECTS TO COENRNETAE
What is the purpose of meditation ?
FIRST A to devleop a calm focused mind .
-SECOND , is to develo greater awareness and undersgtaning od the Buddhas eaching in order ot gaina deeper isnign ab nature of relaity , THIS RELAISAIION brings about MORE AKARUAN SO LESS SUFFERING LEADING TO ENLGIHRMEN .
-althoguht buddhism got nog od , u cn viualise / pray ot buddha or bodhsitava while meditatoin like visualise them .
What s Samatha meditation
-Calming meditation that invovles clming the mind and developing a deeper concenration .
-One of the two main types of mediation in THERVAADA buddhism . s
-Samtha mens calming .
-calm meditatonn enables deeper concentration .
-but there are many ways o do i many focus on techique called MIDUFLNESS OF BREATHING .
What is midnfulness of breathig ?
- meditation practice Fcouses on the expericne of brething
-In this you pay atentio to the sensation , and all the tiny movments in your body .
-Normally a persons attention is divided betwen manyt higns but when theymeditate ,gently return attention to breathing .
-IF YOU STURGGULE TO FOCUS u could a KASINA , focusing this could be a colur ,w ater , earth fire waret wind .
Purpose of samatha meditation ?
-Learning to focus gently on one obket helps to develop a clam conecntraed mind .
-PREPARATION FOR DELCOPIING WIDSOM AND UDNERSTANDING NAUTRE OF RELAITY - ALSO PREPER FOR VIAPSSANA MEDITTION .
-key nto to be discourage dby distactions , keep doign i and ou will amser it , a monkc hases eleoahnt finally gains contol represnritng mind , ibetainPAINTAING .
What is vipassana meditation ?
-‘Insight meditation’ , a tpe of meditation involing developing udnerstadning of the neature of rwliaty
-Ide of it is to try and peentrate the ture nature of rliayt .
-COULD CONSITS ON REFLECTIN HREE MARKS OF EXSITCE , IMPERNNECE , ANATTA ND AAHCEMENT LEADSING OT SUFFERING
Differenc between samatha and vipassana
-Differenc eis obectsbeing suties ,
-in samatha its and object or porcess .
-In vipassana everything can be exlopred objectively , you may foucs on somehting mroe personal , like somethin u find unatractie about yourself , you maya lso feel an emotion like nervousness or annoyance , so you might to o be meditte with midnfulness .
Another difference between vipassana and amaatha
-In samatha te ai is to focus solo n one object for a period of time .
-Vipassan a, you can switch your attention between lots of difffernet things one after the other .
-AIm is to give full ttetion to what youc aare about at onr particualr time .
Imporatnce of ciapssana meditaition
-Helps yout o udnerstad how everythng is characterised by the thre mearks of exticnece .
-AND TO DEVELOp greater wisdom and awarenss baout the world .
-making meditation an essential part of the ieght fold pth goal is compelete understand and achieve elgihrement .
What is Zaxen meditation ?
A type of meditation in Zen Buddhism , that requires awareness of the present moment .
-Lead to a deeper udnersting wit the nature of exsicne .