buddhism

• Places of worship

  In Buddhism there is no single place of worship. Buddhists can worship in the home or in the temple. The temple is the heart of the Buddhist community.
• Different Buddhist places of worship

  • Temple
  • Vihara
  • Shrine
  • Stupa
  • Meditation hall
• Temple


  • A building that allows many people to come together to learn, meditate, celebrate and offer devotion. Contains a shrine and space for community activities.
• Vihara

  • A monastery for monks or nuns who have decided to devote themselves to the Buddhist path. The wider community supports the vihara and earns positive karma, and the vihara supports the community's spiritual growth.
• Shrine


  • The site of a statue or image of the Buddha, either within a temple or vihara, or alone.
• Stupa


  • A burial mound built to house relics of the Buddha or another important Buddhist teacher. People often walk around them while chanting to aid concentration.
• Meditation hall


  • A large space dedicated to calm and concentration, as meditation is essential for growing understanding and developing a calm, Buddha-like mind.
• Buddharupas


  Statues or images of the Buddha, showing him in various poses and states. Buddhists do not worship the Buddha as a god, but respect and honour him as a role model and teacher.
• Offerings Buddhists may give

  • Food offerings
  • Flowers
  • Lit candles
  • Incense
  • Dana (donation to Buddhist monks)
• Dana


  A donation made to Buddhist monks, given freely with no expectation of reward. Developing dana is one of the Six Perfections.
• Both Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism have a presence in the UK.
• Theravada Buddhism


  Primarily focused on the Arhat path to enlightenment, commonly found in Sri Lanka and South East Asia. Theravada temples and viharas in the UK reflect the cultural and linguistic traditions of those other countries.
• Mahayana Buddhism


  One of the major schools of Buddhism, including Tibetan and Zen Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhists often show devotion to Bodhisattvas as well as the Buddha.
• In Britain, it is more common to find Buddhist centres in buildings that resemble community halls than in temples and viharas with typical Buddhist features.
• There are some examples of more traditional Buddhist buildings in the UK, such as Conishead Priory in Ulverston.