Puja

• What does Puja refer to in Buddhism?

  Honour, worship, and devotion
• How is Puja seen in relation to enlightenment?


  As a way to prepare for the path
• In what ways can Puja be expressed?

  Through body, speech, and mind
• What does Puja exemplify for Buddhists?

  Inner devotion is more important than rituals
• What is the focus of Puja in Theravada Buddhism?

  Gaining merit and personal benefit
• How does Mahayana Buddhism differ in its focus during Puja?

  On the merit of others and teaching Buddhas
• What are the forms of Puja?

  • Blessing
  • Merit-making
  • Prostration
  • Offering
  • Recitation
  • Meditation
  • Pilgrimage
• What is the purpose of ceremonies in Puja?

  To provide blessings and seek repentance
• What is merit in the context of Puja?

  A gained form of energy through practices
• What does prostration express in Puja?

  Humility to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha
• How many times is prostration usually done?

  Three times
• What can offerings be made to in Puja?

  A Buddha image
• What do candles and lights represent in offerings?

  The end of ignorance
• How many offerings are practiced in Mahayana Buddhism?

  Seven offerings
• What are the two types of offerings for hospitality in Mahayana Buddhism?

  Two for hospitality and five for senses
• What traditional texts are often recited during Puja?

  The Three Refuges
• What is visualized during meditation in Puja?

  The Buddha Amitabha
• What is considered the pinnacle of devotion in Buddhism?

  Puja in the form of pilgrimage
• Where did the Buddha recommend a pilgrimage to?

  Bodh Gaya
• What is a mantra in Buddhism?

  A sacred sound with spiritual power
• What is the best-known mantra in Theravada tradition?

  'Namo Buddhaya'
• What is the purpose of mantras in Buddhism?

  To guard the spiritual life
• Which sutras have developed mantras in Mahayana tradition?

  'White Lotus Sutra' and 'Lankavatara Sutra'
• What is the mantra of the Vajraguru Gurur Padma Sambhava?

  'Om ah hum vajra guru padma siddhi hum'
• What are mala beads used for in Buddhism?

  To keep count while chanting mantras
• How many beads are mala beads usually made of?

  18, 27, 54, or 108 beads
• What do mala beads remind people of?

  Breaking the cycle of birth and death
• Which type of mala beads does Tibetan Buddhism use?

  108 beads
• What materials are mala beads typically made from?

  Bodhi tree wood or rattan seeds
• How are mala beads chosen based on the mantra?

  Different materials depending on the mantra
• What is the purpose of offerings in Buddhism?

  • Preparation for meditation
  • Symbolic offerings to the Three Jewels
  • Accumulating merit for better rebirth
  • Placed on phan trays in Thai culture