Buddhist practises

• Places of worship

  Temples where Buddhists gather to meditate together and perform puja
• Temple or vihara


  • Contains rupas (statues of Buddha), stupas (towered structures designed to symbolise Buddhist teaching), and shrines where offerings can be made
• Puja


  Buddhist worship ceremony that expresses gratitude and respect for Buddha and his teachings
• Puja

  1. Chanting sacred texts

  2. Reciting mantras
• Chanting


  A type of worship that involves reciting from Buddhist scriptures
• Mantra


  A short sequence of syllables recited during worship
• Samatha Meditation


  A form of meditation focused on calming the mind and mindfulness
• Vipassana Meditation


  A form of meditating on a teaching of Buddha to gain greater understanding
• Buddhists usually try to spend as little money as possible on funerals as they believe the cycle of samsara means their energy moves onto a new body
• Sky Burial


  • Tibetan Buddhists leave the body on a mountainside as an offering to the vultures
• A Theravada Buddhist festival which celebrates the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and passing away into nirvana


  Wesak
• A Mahayana festival that commemorates the death and passing into enlightenment of Buddha


  Parinirvana Day
• Five Moral Precepts

  • Abstain from taking life
  • Abstain from taking what is not given
  • Abstain from sexual misconduct
  • Abstain from wrong speech
  • Abstain from intoxicants
• Six Perfections

  • Generosity
  • Morality
  • Patience
  • Energy
  • Meditation
  • Wisdom
• Karma

  The ethical idea that a Buddhist's actions lead either to happiness or suffering
• Skilful actions

  Lead to good karma and happiness
• Unskilful actions

  Lead to bad karma and suffering
• Karuna

  Compassion, a feeling of concern for the suffering of others
• Metta

  Loving-kindness, desiring other people to be happy and an attitude of warmth and kindness
• • Temples - These places allow communities of Buddhists to come together. By coming together, they can deepen their faith and feel a sense of belonging with others who are on a similar spiritual journey
• Shrines - These remind Buddhists of the key teachings of Buddhism. Buddhists may offer flowers at a shrine. As the flowers wilt and die, they are a reminder of the impermanence of all things.
• Monasteries - These allow the laity to support the monks and nuns. Monasteries are focused on the principle of giving. By helping the monks and nuns, the laity gain good karma.
• Halls for meditation - Meditation is paramount for Buddhists. The Buddha taught that meditation can lead to nibbana. Buddhists therefore have a designated quiet space in order to practise their meditation
• Halls for learning - Buddhists aim to understand what the Buddha achieved in his lifetime. In halls for learning, important stories are told and occasionally performed as methods to achieve learning in Buddhist Dhamma (Dharma)
• puja- Ceremonies that involve meditation, prayer and offerings. Also known as devotional ritual.
• • Mala - Buddhists may use a string of beads to help them focus during worship.
• Samatha meditation - This is known as calming meditation and Buddhists believe that it leads to deeper concentration. 
• Vipassana meditation - This is known as insight meditation. When a Buddhist meditates, they believe that they can see things as they really are. This allows them to gain realisation and understand the impermanence of things and the nature of reality.
•  It is important as it allows Buddhists to let go of cravings and therefore achieve nibbana

  samatha