Buddhist Practices

• Six perfections

  • Generosity, Morality, Patience, Energy, Meditation, Wisdom
  • allows Buddhists to follow Dhamma to reach enlightenment
  • guidelines on how to live a good, moral life
• Samatha Meditation

  • 'calming meditation'
  • focuses on an object to help calm the mind
  • developing concentration
  • achieving Nibbana
  • Breathing: become more mindful, focus attention, be more aware of your breathing
• Vipassana Meditation

  • 'insight meditation'
  • gain insight and realisation of the true nature of reality
  • reflecting on the 3 marks of existence
  • can change focus to different objects/emotions/experiences
  • develop greater wisdom and achieve enlightenment
• Karma

  • all actions have consequences
  • teaches that a persons actions in this life not only affects their happiness and suffering but will affect their future lives
  • 6 realms: Gods, angry Gods, humans, hungry ghosts, tormented beings, animals
  • live a skilful life = reborn into a good realm
• Death

  • central to the concept of samsara
  • samsara = cycle of rebirth
  • death HAS to happen for samsara so someone can achieve enlightenment
  • viewed as a transition rather than the end
• Funerals

  • important as they provide a reminder of the Buddha's teachings
  • Theravada: shrine with dead person's picture and an image of the Buddha(assist transition to rebirth), candles and flowers, cremate/bury dead person
  • Mahayana: cremation, funerals is a few days late to allow rebirth(up to 49 days), Tibetan - book of dead assists souls in moving between rebirths, chant guidance and wisdom, sky burial - body is a gift to vultures to prove they have no sins.
• Five Moral Precepts

  • they help Buddhists to avoid causing others to suffer
  • refrain from taking life(murder)
  • refrain from taking what isn't given(stealing)
  • refrain from misuse of sex
  • refrain from wrong speech(lying/swearing)
  • refrain from intoxicating self(drinking/drugs)
• Karuna(compassion)

  • concern for others - wanting to help them
  • all Buddhists should do this
  • consider if it was them suffering
  • one of the Four Sublime States - developing themselves
• Metta(loving-kindness)

  • positive perception of life
  • helping others before they need it - showing love
  • acting before being prompted to do so
  • kinder and more considerate
• Wesak

  • full moon in May/June
  • remembers Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death
  • honour him and remember his teachings
  • decorate temples and light lamps
  • offerings and special talks from monks
• Parivana

  • Mahayana festival in February
  • 'nibbana after death'
  • recall and celebrate that the Buddha went into Parivana
  • think about own death - consider how to reach nibbana
  • meditate and reflect in a temple - reflect on concept of Annica
• Puja

  • devotional ritual
  • thanks and respect to Buddha - vital for them to follow him
  • request blessings and ask for help - remove certain obstacles in life
  • Theravada: flowers and candles in front of an image of him
  • Mahayana: longer period of time
• Temples(worship)

  • allow Buddhists to meet with likeminded people - brings Buddhists together
  • built to represent the 5 elements of wisdom, water, fire, wind, earth
  • main room(Buddhists show devotion)- buddharupa(image of the Buddha)
  • gompa - space to meditate
• Shrines

  • founds in Buddhist temples
  • contain image of Buddha
  • help to focus devotion and meditation
  • Mahayana: contain image of a Boddhisattava
  • offerings(flowers/incense/candles) - special appreciation to the Buddha