Living the buddhist life

• Meditation is a rigorous spiritual discipline and a key part of Buddhist practice
• Samatha is a way of mental training that concentrates the mind (Samadhi)
• Vipassana is a way of wisdom that develops insight or wisdom (prajna)
• Metta bhavana aids the practice of loving-kindness, including metta, karuna, mudita, upeksha
• Zazen meditation combines samatha and vipassana, emphasizing loving-kindness, compassion, and sympathetic joy
• Chanting is the rhythmic speaking or singing of words, sought and the relentless seeking itself
• Dhammapada 2: "Phenomena are preceded by the heart, ruled by the heart, made of the heart. If you speak or act with a calm, bright heart, then happiness follows you like a shadow"
• Chanting is used by Theravada Buddhists to chant the names of the three jewels, reminding them of the origins of their traditions and beliefs
• Puja involves making offerings, offering food, drumming, and meditation
• Buddharupas are statues of the Buddha used to aid concentration and meditations
• Different Buddharupa positions (hands) called mudras have symbolic meanings and reinforce community
• Dana is the act of giving food or other necessities to monks
• Buddhist places of worship include Vihara and Stupa, representing the path to enlightenment
• Mantras are collections of words or syllables that are repeated as a form of Buddhist practice
• Offerings to Buddha create good karmic energy and are given to the monks
• Malas (prayer beads) with 108 beads represent 108 worldly desires to overcome
• Mani wheels are devices for spreading spiritual blessings, with mantras wound around them
• Buddhists make offerings to Buddha to create good karmic energy
• Buddhists chant mantras like Om Mani Padme Hum and Namo Buddhay o for blessings and homage to Buddha
• Pure Land Buddhists chant the name of Bodhisattva Amitabha for meditation and reaching the Pure Land
• Mahayana Buddhists and Nichiren Buddhism chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, a Japanese name for the Lotus Sutra
• Buddhists chant mantras and make offerings to create good karmic energy
• In single-celled organisms, substances can easily enter the cell due to a short distance, while in multicellular organisms, the distance is larger because of a higher surface area to volume ratio
• Multicellular organisms require specialised exchange surfaces for efficient gas exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen due to their higher surface area to volume ratio
• Puja translates as devotion or worship in Buddhism
• Puja involves emotionally engaging with the Dhamma, indicating the rejection of ego and the acceptance of another
• Some Buddhists worship Buddha, showing respect and devotion, while most do not
• Origins of Puja in the Vihara:

  • All face the same way
  • Chanting in unison
  • Sat on the floor in prayer position
  • Monks in robes at the front
• In Puja, practitioners may set up a Buddharupa, make offerings, light candles, and recite mantras like "om mani padme hum"
• Mangala Sutta is a discourse of Buddha on blessings, containing 38 blessings
• Puja aims to engage with the Buddhist vision and can have various purposes such as meditation, healing, karma purification, and merit accumulation
• A traditional Buddhist ritual is the cake offering (Torma), which takes hours to prepare and includes ingredients like flour, milk, butter, sugar, honey, and molasses
• Bodhi tree is often found in Buddhist temples or shrines, symbolizing the tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment
• In Theravada Buddhism, funerals are seen as an opportunity to reflect and show respect for Buddhist principles
• In Tibetan Buddhism, sky burial involves feeding the body to vultures as a final act of generosity and detachment from one's body
• Wesak is a Buddhist festival usually celebrated in May or early June on the full moon to commemorate Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death
• Vassa, also known as the Rain Retreat, is a 3-month period where monks retreat to monasteries for serious meditation and pay special attention to following the precepts
• Sangha Kamma is a ceremony in Buddhism where monks nominate who receives cloth offerings, supporting their path to enlightenment
• Lama Tsongkhapa Day is a Tibetan festival celebrating the life and teachings of Lama Tsongkhapa
• Parinirvana is the celebration of the Buddha's final passing (death) in Buddhism, representing the hope of all Buddhists