Buddhist worship and festivals

Question 1

temples

Answer 1

centres for study and worship for the whole community. .can consist of many buildings grouped together on one site. It will most likely feature; main hall (with a shrine), meditation room, a pagoda or stupa and a study hall

Question 2

shrine

Answer 2

dedicated to the Buddha or a Bodhisattva. The focus is a statue (a buddharupa). here Buddhists make offerings to Buddha and express gratitude for his teachings. offerings symbolic; candle=wisdom, flowers=impermanence,incense=purity

Question 3

monasteries (viharas)

Answer 3

where nuns or monks live

Question 4

meditation room

Answer 4

gompa

Question 5

pagoda or stupa

Answer 5

often contain holy relics. originated in time following Buddha’s death. his body cremated, ashes divided up and sent to different places, and stupas built to house them. stupa built with mound at bottom represent earth, then tower of different shape representing water, fir, air and finally point or spire representing wisdom

Question 6

puja (worship)

Answer 6

allows Buddhists to express their gratitude to Buddha for his example and teaching. worship may be done by; making offerings, chanting, reciting a mantra

Question 7

chanting

Answer 7

chant from texts of teaching, may chant the the three refugees or the bodhisattva vows (eg ‘however innumerable sentient beings are,i vow to save them’) . chanting is educational but repetition also calms the mind.Mahayana Buddhists chanting may evoke the presence of the Bodhisattva of compassion Avalokiteshvara

Question 8

reciting a mantra

Answer 8

can be done aloud or in head, it’s a sequence of sacred syllables which represent a particular quality of the Buddha, or of a Bodhisattva. they may recite a mantra hundreds of times, often using a mala in order to count number of recitations

Question 9

what is a mala

Answer 9

a string of 108 beads

Question 10

what is meditation

Answer 10

a practice of calming and focusing the mind, and reflecting deeply on specific teachings to penetrate their true meaning

Question 11

define samatha meditation

Answer 11

calming meditation focus on mindfulness of body and breath; a type of meditation that involves calming the mind and developing deeper concentration. kasinas might be used for focus. aim to calm mind

Question 12

kasinas

Answer 12

10 kasinas including earth, water and fire, and colours like blue or red- so Buddhist might use a bowl of water, a candle flame or a red circle as the focus of concentration in samatha meditation

Question 13

define Vipassana meditation

Answer 13

insight meditation; a type of meditation that involves developing understanding of the nature of reality. aim is to give your full attention to whatever is going on in your mind at the time

Question 14

zazen meditation

Answer 14

type of meditation in zen Buddhism that requires awareness of the present moment.

Question 15

define visualisation meditation

Answer 15

imagining or seeing an object in ones mind

Question 16

visualisation in Tibetan Buddhists

Answer 16

often visualise a deity such as a Bodhisattva. they’ll imagine what it looks like and also qualities of its character. they might imagine themselves as the Buddha which might help consider who they want to be, which will stimulate their buddha-nature

Question 17

visualisation in pure land Buddhism

Answer 17

visualise Buddha Amitabha in hope that he’ll help them to be re-born in pure land and achieve enlightenment

Question 18

ceremonies and rituals associated with death and mourning in Theravada Buddhism

Answer 18

• very little money spent on funeral
• mourners instead give money to charity or temple, this brings good kamma which they believe is transferred to deceased so more favourable re-birth

Question 19

ceremonies and rituals associated with death and mourning in Mahayana Buddhism- Tibetan Buddhists

Answer 19

• favour ‘sky burials’
• body left in high place as gift to vultures
• reminder of impermanence and that physical body returns to universe
• revered teachers cremated and stupa built to house their remains
• ceremonies involving lighting of yak butter lamps made every 7 day for 49 days

Question 20

ceremonies and rituals associated with death and mourning in Pure Land Buddhism

Answer 20

• coffin placed facing west, while mourners walk around it chanting
• after cremation family pick out bones with chopsticks, and remains kept for 49 days with prayers every 7 days

Question 21

Buddhist retreat

Answer 21

• popular in west
• buddhist will ‘retreat’ to monastery, usually for weekend or few days, to live with others who share same faith, live a simple life, practice meditation and Buddhist rituals
• aim to deepen understanding of Buddha’s teachings

Question 22

Vassa

Answer 22

Theravada communities monks observe Vassa which is annual retreat lasting 3 months.

• during rainy season
• monks only leave temple when necessary

Question 23

Wesak

Answer 23

• celebrate Buddha’s life when moon is full
• decorate homes with candles and paper lanterns
• give gifts of; food, candles and flowers to monks and local monasteries
• monks chant from scriptures, or preach sermons about Buddha’s life and teachings

Question 24

Wesak in Singapore

Answer 24

birds released into sky as symbol of liberation, and to signify the release from past troubles or wrongdoings

Question 25

Wesak in Indonesia

Answer 25

giant paper lanterns lit to float up into night. light symbolises hope, enlightenment and fact that the darkness of ignorance can be overcome

Question 26

Parinirvana day

Answer 26

• Mahayana Buddhist festival
• celebrated during February to remember Buddha passing into Parinirvana
• more solemn festival than Wesak
• reflect on own death + remember loved ones who have died
• anicca central focus
• passages from Mahaparinirvana sutra read
• pilgrimage to kushinagar in India, where Buddha died