Buddhist Worship (Puja) Flashcards
What does worship allow Buddhists to do?
- Express gratitude to the Buddha for his example and teachings (Dhamma).
- To deepen their understanding.
What three offerings do Buddhists make?
- Flowers
- Candles
- Incense
What are the candles symbolic of?
Wisdom (because light drives away the darkness of ignorance).
What are the flowers symbolic of?
Impermanence (Anicca)
What is the incense symbolic of?
Purity (in our thoughts and in our actions as written in the Eightfold Path)
What is an example of something Buddhists might chant.
The Three Refuges (‘I go to the Buddha for refuge, I go to the Dhamma for refuge, I go to the Sangha for refuge’
Buddhists might change the Bodhisattva vow. What is this vow?
‘However innumerable sentient beings are, I vow to save them.’
What are the two purposes of chanting?
- Educational tool.
- Repetition calms the mind.
What are the three ways Buddhists practice worship?
- offerings
- chanting
- reciting mantras
What is a mantra?
A sequence of sacred syllables which represents a particular quality of the Buddha.
What is an example of a mantra?
Om mani padme hum
What is ‘om mani padme hum’ the sound of!
Compassion
How might a Buddhist recite a mantra?
Hundreds of time often using a mala to count the number of recitations.
