Buddhist Practices

Question 1

What are Buddhist places of worship?

Answer 1

Temple, monastery and shrine

Question 2

What is a temple?

Answer 2

A place where Buddhist come together to practice

Often at the heart of a Buddhist community

Question 3

What is shrine?

Answer 3

An area with a statue of a Buddha or Bodhisattva, which provides Buddhists with a focal point for meditation and devotion

Question 4

What is a monastery (vihara)?

Answer 4

A place where Buddhist monks and nuns live

Question 5

What is the purpose of worship?

Answer 5

Allows Buddhists to express their gratitude and respect for the Buddha and his teachings
Engaging with the mind
Contemplating and reflecting

Question 6

How do Buddhists worship?

Answer 6

Chanting
Offerings
Meditation
Bowing
Sacred text

Question 7

Uses of the monastery (vihara)

Answer 7

A place where Buddhist monks and nuns can live
They have chosen to dedicate their lives to spiritual practice
Spend their days studying, practicing and meditating
They live a simple lifestyle
Their needs ; eat, study and sleep

Question 8

What is a stupa and why is it important?

Answer 8

A small building in a monastery that contains holy relics

When the Buddha died his body was cremated - stupas built to hold his ashes

Question 9

Different types of mediation

Answer 9

Samatha
Vipassana
Zazen
Visualisation

Question 10

What is meditation?

Answer 10

A practice of calming and focussing the mind, reflecting deeply on specific teachings to penetrate their true meanings

Question 11

What is samatha meditation?

Answer 11

“Calming meditation”
A type of meditation that involves calming the mind and developing deeper concentration
Focus on mindfulness of breathing

Question 12

Purpose of samatha meditation

Answer 12

Learning to focus on one object helps to develop a calm concentrated mind

Question 13

What is vipassana meditation?

Answer 13

“Insight meditation”

A type of meditation that involves developing understanding of the nature of reality

Question 14

What is zazen meditation?

Answer 14

A type of meditation in Zen Buddhism that requires awareness of the present moment

Question 15

What is visualisation (meditation)?

Answer 15

Imagining or “seeing” an object in one’s mind

Question 16

Theravada funerals

Answer 16

Little money is spent
Families/friends donate to a worthy cause instead
Rituals may be performed that transfer merit to the deceased
A shrine is set up
Offerings for the Buddha

Question 17

Ceremonies/rituals in Tibet and Japan

Answer 17

“Sky burial” - body left in high place as gift to vultures
Customary now to burn the body
In Japanese Pure Land may place head pointing west

Question 18

What is Wesak?

Answer 18

A Theravada festival that celebrates the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death

Question 19

How do Buddhists celebrate Wesak?

Answer 19

Light up homes with candles, lamps or lanterns and decorate
Make offerings to the Buddha
Give food, candles and flowers to monks
In Sri Lanka they release caged birds to represent liberation
In Indonesia lanterns are lit to float into night sky
Light used to overcome the darkness or ignorance as symbol of hope

Question 20

What is Parinirvana Day?

Answer 20

Mahayana festival that commemorates the Buddha’s passing into Paranirvana
Also can reflect on own death or death of a loved one

Question 21

How do Buddhists celebrate Paranirvana Day?

Answer 21

Celebrated to remember Buddha passing into Paranirvana
It’s a chance to reflect on the fact of their own future death and remember friends/relatives who have passed away
Buddhists spend time in temples and monasteries
Meditation is done to remind Buddhists nothing is permanent
Pilgrimage to Kushinger in India (where Buddha passed away)

Question 22

What is an example of a chant Buddhists do and what does it mean?

Answer 22

Om mani padme hum - hail to the jewel of the lotus

Believe it will bring great blessing to them