buddhism general

• 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

  • To abstain from taking life
  • To abstain from taking what is not given
  • To abstain from sexual misconduct
  • To abstain from wrong speech
  • To 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