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BUDDHIST PRACTICES - Coggle Diagram
BUDDHIST PRACTICES
Puja
Puja is a devotional ritual - it does not involve worshipping a God but expressing committment to the ideas of Buddhism
Purpose of puja:
- to thank the Buddha and pay him respect
- work towards becoming a better Buddhist
- Make merits
Examples of Puja:
- bowing towards a Buddhist Rupa with hands together
- chanting
- reciting mantras
- making offerings
Chanting:
- Chanting the Buddha's teachings can help Buddhists learn them and express appreciation for them
- can focus the mind for meditation
- common chants include chanting the Three Refuges and Om Mani Padme Hum
Puja can be private/personal, in a home, temple or elsewhere
Reciting mantras:
- mantras are short groups of words or syllables
- they are repeated to aid concentration
- reciting mantras is meant to make Buddhists feel calm and spiritual
- Mantras can be found on prayer wheels and flags
Malas may be used during mantra recitation. They are chains of beads (usually 108) and Buddhists can use them to count how many mantras they have recited
Meditation
Meditation is the practice of mental concentration and calming. It is used in many religions and outside of religion to focus the mind. In Buddhism, it is an important step in reaching enlightenment, and they must rise through different levels of meditation
Aims of meditation:
- cultivate a positive mental state
- focus on Buddhist teachings
- better understanding about the truth of reality
- Focus on the Buddha or a Bodhisattva
Vipassana meditation:
- meditation to gain insight into the truth of reality
- concentrating on something such as a Buddhist teaching or personal life issue
- may switch attention between multiple teachings while remaining focused
Samantha meditation:
- calming meditation to achieve a tranquil state of mind and better concentration
- focus on simple objects or breathing techniques
- can be useful before other types of meditation such as Vipassana, to get into the mindset ready
Zazen meditation:
- must be practiced seated
- in a place of minimal distraction (eg infront of a wall)
- concentrating on the present moment rather than a teaching
- may be conducted over long periods with breaks
- practiced in Zen Buddhism, similar to Vipassana (is insightful)
Bodhisattva: someone who can reach enlightenment, but chooses to stay in the cycle of Samsara to help others reach enlightenment
Places of worship
A monastery is a place where monks live.
Purpose:
- shelter monks (especially in rainy season)
- young people may undergo education here
- Rooms where monks can eat, sleep, meditate and study
- Monks can live here without daily distractions to focus on achieving enlightenment
Temple: A place for buddhists to meet and worship
Purpose:
- allow Buddhists to meet each other and practice their religion
- may contain a shrine(s), hallf for meditation, study rooms, a stupa for buddhists to worship at, or a pagoda (a tierred tower)
Gompa: A hall for meditating in Tibetan Buddhism
Purpose:
- a place to meditate
- a place to learn about Buddhism/Buddha
- a place for libraries of scriptures for studying
Shrine: A focus of worship within places such as temples or Buddhist homes
Purpose:
- help Buddhists focus on meditation and devotion
- somewhere to give offerings (eg candles, incense, flowers), to give them good karma and make merits
- may contain a statue of the Buddha
- A lotus flower
- Buddhist scriptures
Buddhists can pay devotion to the Buddha / Bodhisattvas, work on improving themselves, their attitude and actions, and they can meditate and study
Death and mourning
In Buddhism, death is not the end because most people remain in the cycle of Samsara. Death is important because it shows impermanence
Tibet/Mahayana Buddhism:
- traditionally have a Sky Burial, where the dead body is fed to vultures
- Important people may be put in stupas
- ceremonies involving prayers/offerings may be hade every 7 days for 49 days after the death
Japan:
- the coffin is placed with the head facing west
- mourners chant the Amitabha's name
- after the cremation, relatives may gather around the ashes and pick out the bones using chopsticks
- remains may be kept for 49 days and prayers offered every 7th day
Theravada Buddhism:
- little money is spent on funerals, and the money may be donated to a worthy cause
- the family and friends transfer merits to the deceased to help them have a favourable rebirth
Festivals and retreats
Retreats are time away, often at monasteries, for Buddhists to focus on on Buddhism and enlightenment. These started with Vassa, the monk's retreat in the rainy season
Parinivana day:
- celebrated on 15th February
- Mahayana celebration of the Buddha's death and achievement of parinivana
- Buddhists reflect on death and their impermanence, usually at the temple
- More sombre than Wesak
Wesak:
- celebrated on a full moon in April, May or June
- most important festival: celebrates the Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death/birth
- celebrations include decorations, hanging lights to represent enlightenment, pouring water over a Rupa to symbolise purifying the mind, and giving to charity for good karma
- Buddhists may visit temples and listen to lectures from monks, or take up extra precepts