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Buddhist Practices - Coggle Diagram
Buddhist Practices
Worship
There are three places of worship: Temples, Shrines and Viharas.
Temples have a gompa (meditation hall), a shrine of the Buddha and a stupa (a tiered tower which contain holy relics). It helps Buddhists remember the Three Refuges. The building as a whole resembles the four elements of the earth. They all reach upwards to a point to symbolise wisdom. There is a room for Buddhists to practice together.
Shrines focus on the statue of the Buddha. They provide a focus for meditation, and some may make offerings, e.g offering light shows wisdom.
Viharas are monasteries where monks and nuns live. They live a simple lifestyle and meditate regularly. The Viharas are simple and have well-maintained gardens to symbolise peace.
Puja means worship. To carry it out, Buddhists will meditate, make offerings, recite mantras etc.
Chanting is when texts are repeated and passed on so others will memorise them. They have a definite rhythm. An example includes chanting the five moral precepts. It reflects on commitment to the Dhamma.
Mantra recitation is a sequence of sacred syllables which are chanted over and over. This can focus the mind and often calls on the spiritual qualities of a Buddha or a Bodhisattva. The most common one is om mani padme hun. It represents compassion, which makes Buddhists feel more receptive to compassion.
The Buddha said that if you reflect on qualities for long enough, you will become them. So, if a Buddhist reflects on compassion, they will become compassionate which helps them achieve enlightenment.
Buddhist Ethics
The Four Sublime truths are loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity. These are important because they can help a person live a skilful life.
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Metta means loving-kindness. Cultivating it is important because it stops Buddhists acting out of greed, hatred etc. It benefits them as it makes them less angry- helping people to care about those they don't know.
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The consequences of people's actions are understood as it can lead to bad habits. Karma influences the quality of rebirth. Being born as a human is favourable as it is the best form to generate karma for enlightenment.
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An example of a charity that shows Karuna and Metta is Rokpa, as they work through running schools, supporting people in poverty etc.
Meditation
In Theravada meditation, there are two types of meditation: Samatha and Vipassana.
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In Samatha meditation, the person focuses on one object. It is used to develop calm for Vipassana. It focuses on breathing and Kasinas are used as a focus.
In Vipassana, everything is explored. It is more complex and is used to develop insight. Focus may be on the physical body and more than one thing may be considered.
In Mahayana meditation, prayers are sometimes sent to the Buddha and he is also visualised.
Visualisation is different to Kasinas because Kasinas are actual physical objects whereas visualisation involves imagining the object.
Some Bodhisattvas or Buddhas that are visualised include The Medicine Buddha (healing), Avalokitesvara (compassion) and Amitabah (Pure Land Buddhism).
Death and Mourning
Tradition teaches that when a Buddhist dies, their karmic energy leaves their body and is reborn in a new one. This means that death is not seen as the end.
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In Theravada Buddhism, funerals take place 3 days after death, water is poured onto the hand of the dead and the body is surrounded by candles. Good karma is generated by the relatives and is transferred to the dead by feeding monks etc.
In Mahayana Buddhism in Tibet, they do something called Sky Burial. In this, the body is cut up and left atop a mountain for the wildlife.
In Mahayana Buddhism in Japan, the body is covered and sent home for one final night for relatives to say goodbye. A ceremony, often at a temple, is held. Lights and flowers surround the coffin and there is a portrait.
In Pure Land Buddhism in Japan, the head of the coffin is placed facing west and people walk around it chanting. Often, after cremation, bones are picked from the ashes with chopsticks and are kept for 7 weeks.
The Five Moral Precepts
The first is to abstain from taking life, so many Buddhists are vegetarian.
The next is to abstain from taking what is not freely given. This means no stealing, manipulating etc.
The next is to abstain from misuse of the sense or sexual misconduct. This means no overindulging in sensual pleasures, no rape etc.
The next is to abstain from wrong speech. This means no gossip, lying etc.
The last is to abstain from intoxicants that cloud the mind. This means no taking drugs are alcohol.
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The Six Perfections
The first is generosity. Buddhists should give without expecting anything in return. There are three types of generosity. The first is give material goods which help in the short term, give protection to those vulnerable and give the dhamma to help people in the long term.
The second is morality. This is following the Five Precepts and, for Mahayana Buddhists, live additional ones.
The third is patience. This is being compassionate and showing tolerance to those who express anger.
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Buddhist Festivals
Festivals are usually about the Buddha's life and celebrate his teachings, and hold the opportunity for Buddhists to meet and practise together.
One festival includes Wesak. It commemorates the birth, enlightenment and passing into nirvana of the Buddha. Homes are decorated with lights, offerings are made to local monasteries etc. In Singapore, caged animals and birds are released as a symbol of liberation. In Indonesia, paper lanterns are released. The light symbolises enlightenment. It is a Theravada festival.
Another festival includes Parinirvana Day. It is a Mahayana festival and commemorates the death of the Buddha, so it is a sombre occasion. It is an opportunity to reflect on annica and to remember loved ones who have died. Passages are read about the death of the Buddha. Time is spent in quiet contemplation, so some Buddhists go on a retreat. Some make a pilgrimage to Kashinagar, where the Buddha died.