Buddhist practices Flashcards
(31 cards)
1
Q
Give 4 features of a Buddhists temple and why they are important
A
- the stupa - symbolises 5 elements of the earth and the stages to enlightenment. The top represents wisdom. It also contains relics of the Buddha
- the shrine room/prayer hall - holds the shrine which reminds Buddhists of the dharma and where offerings are made. Meditation and mantras take place here
- statues of the Buddha/Bodhisattvas - reminder of their qualities
- study room - to study the dharma
2
Q
Give 3 similarities and 2 differences between a Mahayana temple and a Therevadan temple
A
- Both have a prayer hall/shrine room
- Both have study rooms
- Both have a stupa/pagoda - houses relics of the Buddha/Bodhisattvas
- Mahayana temples have a three Buddha hall and have statues of Bodhisattvas
- Therevada - have a Bo tree outside - reminder of enlightenment
3
Q
What is a pagoda and why is it important?
A
on top of the temple and have squared storeys with curved roofs
contains relics
4
Q
What is a stupa and why is it important?
A
- pointed tower
- can represent the elements earth, water, fire, air and wisdom
- it can also be seen to represent a human - bodily desires at the bottom, emotions in the middle and the head for enlightenment at the top
5
Q
Give 2 advantages and 2 disadvantages of having a converted town house as a Buddhist temple
A
Disadvantage - may not have stupa or pagoda on the outside so not clear it is a temple. New Buddhists to the area may not know where it is
Disadvantage - may not be big enough to house both a shrine room and study room. Might have to sacrifice elements of a typical temple lack of space
Advantage - not building a new temple using up land - supports second precept of not taking what is not given (from the earth)
Advantage - Buddhists can access it easily as it is in town so may not need to drive thus keeping the first precept (through pollution of driving)
6
Q
Give 6 features of a shrine and what they represent
A
- Candle - enlightenment
Incense - dharma spreading through the world - Bell - law of karma
- Water - respect for life (water is essential for life)
- Statue of a Buddha - reminder of his qualities
- Flowers - impermanence as they die yet eternity as the seeds will grow again
- Fruit - everything depends upon everything else to survive so pratitya
7
Q
What are 4 things offered at the shrine?
A
food, flowers, candles, incense
8
Q
Give 4 reasons why puja is important with examples
A
- reminder of the dharma - mantras chant the 5 precepts, metta bhavana meditation, objects of the shrine are a reminder of the dharma e.g bell = karma
- Reminder of the Buddha and what he did e.g he made offerings at a shrine and meditated to become enlightened. His statues have mudras
- Brings the Sangha together e.g meditate together and monks help lay people with their meditation. The sangha chant together and offerings at the shrine are given to the monks for their alms bowls
- Helps Buddhists to become enlightened - chanting mantas and meditation focuses and calms the mind, it also trains the mind - essential for enlightenment. Vipassana meditation helps to see the world as it really is . Offerings at the shrine - produce good karma - helps the Buddhist to become enlightened
9
Q
Give 6 facts about Samatha meditation
A
- calms the mind
- focuses the mind
- focuses on one object e.g breathing, walking
- use of Kasinas to focus on - red
- may focus on brahma viharas - metta, karuna, mudita (joy) and upekkha (peace)
- used before vipassana meditation
10
Q
Give 4 facts about metta bhavana meditation
A
- loving kindness meditation - to develop the brahama vihara of metta to help achieve enlightenment and be like the Buddha
- is said for yourself, someone you love, someone you don’t know, don’t like and finally all living beings
- May I be free of danger, may I be healthy, may I be happy, may I live with peace and loving kindness
11
Q
Give 5 facts about vipassana meditation
A
- insight meditation
- helps Buddhists to see the world as it really is
- happens after samatha meditation
- helps Buddhists to reflect on personal situations and apply the 3 lakshanas to them
- helps them develop the brahma viharas e.g karuna, metta, upekkha
12
Q
Give 2 analogies the Buddha used to show the importance of meditation
A
- a handkerchief with knots in it
- monkeys jumping from tree to tree
13
Q
Give 5 reasons why meditation is important for Buddhists with examples
A
- it reminds them of the dharma and essential part of the 8 Fold Path
- brings the sangha together - monks helps and guide lay people through meditation
- it is how the Buddha found enlightenment
- it helps them to be like the Buddha and develop the brahma viharas e.g metta bhavana meditation
- it calms and controls the mind - important for right morality on the 8 fold path and for following the 5 precepts
14
Q
Give 3 examples of mantras
A
- Om-mani-padme-hum-mantra for Bodhisattva of compassion (Avalokiteshvara) - focus on compassion
- 3 Jewels mantra - I seek refuge in the Buddha, I seek refuge in the Dharma, I seek refuge in the Sangha - where Buddhists can turn to overcome dukkha and find enlightenment
- Metta bhavana meditation - helps Buddhists to reflect on this important sublime state and the 1st precept, overcoming the 3 poisons
15
Q
Give 3 reasons why mantras are important
A
- reminder of the dharma
- reminder of where Buddhists can turn for help
- reminder of qualities Buddhists should be developing
16
Q
What is a mala?
A
- prayer beads Buddhists use for counting mantras
- 112 beads and 3 tassels on them to remind them of the 3 jewels
17
Q
Why is the mala important?
A
- helps Buddhists keep count of their mantras and each bead is a syllable of a mantra
- helps to remind Buddhists of the dharma - they cross the beads to remind them of getting rid of worldly attachments
- helps to remind them of where they can go for help to find enlightenment, 3 tassels are the 3 refuges
18
Q
What does Wesak celebrate?
A
- The Buddha’s birth, death and enlightenment
- It remembers his teachings for breaking out of Samsara
- It is the first full moon of May
19
Q
Give 6 ways Buddhists celebrate Wesak
A
- light lanterns to show enlightenment
- pour water over the statue of the Buddha to show purity
- walk around lit stupas
- give to the monks for good karma
- spend time with the monks learning the dharma
- some lay people take 5 extra precetps
20
Q
What does Vassa celebrate?
A
- celebrates the time the Buddha gave his first sermon to five holy men
- during the rainy season and is just after the first full moon in July or August
21
Q
Give 3 ways Vassa is celebrated
A
- monks and nuns stay in the viharas and study and teach the dharma
- they are joined by lay people
- young boy may take monastic vows at this time and stay with the monks and nuns in the vihara, learning the dharma from them
- they will parade to the vihara dressed as princes and then shave their heads and put on inexpensive clothes when they get there
22
Q
What is the Kathina ceremony?
A
- Kathina is at the end of Vassa
- remembers the time when 30 monks were making their way to the Buddha and they got caught in the rainy season and had to delay their arrival
- when they arrived the Buddha gave them cloth to make robes with
- Kathina refers to the sewing frame used to make the robes
23
Q
Give 6 ways in which Kathina is celebrated
A
- young boys who have stayed at the vihara during vassa are welcomed home
- lay people give the monks cloth
- the monks stay up at night making the cloth into robes
- lay people also give the monks other gifts to make good karma e.g razors, food
- the Monks devote their time to understanding the dharma
- lay people give up bad habits
24
Q
What is paranirvana day?
A
- it is a Mahayana festival
- it remembers when the Buddha died and passed into paranirvana
25
Give 3 ways paranirvana is celebrated
- some Buddhists go on retreat and meditate during this period
- it is a solemn occasion and Buddhists retell the sutra which details the Buddha's last days
- the Buddhist community comes together to do puja together and consider the teaching of sunyata
- pilgrimage to the death place of the Buddha. Kushinager
26
Give 7 features of a Therevadan funeral
- think that rebirth takes place immediately after death
- In Sri Lanka, at the funeral the family will give cloth for making new robes to the monks to transfer good karma to the deceased person
- they will set up a shrine to the deceased with their portrait with offerings to the Buddha of incense, candles and flowers
- the funeral ceremony includes chanting of verses about impermanence and there will be a procession behind the casket which family members will carry as a mark of respect
- cremation is more common
- a week after the person died, monks will come to the family home to deliver a sermon
- at 3 months and a year, there will be a special merit-making ceremony for the benefit of the deceased person
27
Give 6 features of a Mahayana funeral
- whisper the name of the Buddha into the ear of the dying person
- put flower wreaths and candles around the coffin to show enlightenment and impermanence
- rebirth does not happen immediately as there are different bardo states. After death, the person becomes conscious and ready for the next rebirth - up to 49 days after death
- in Tibet, there are readings from the book of the dead to help influence the rebirth
- in Tibet, there are sky burials as the person's body is left on the mountains for the vultures - a lesson in impermanence and good karma
- in Japan, relatives pick out the bones with chopsticks from the ashes which are kept for 49 days after the death
28
Key quotes
1. "Wisdom is borne of meditation. Without mediation, wisdom wanes"
2. "find your own path to salvation"
3. "the mind is everything, what you think, you become"
4. "One who seeks refuge in the Buddha, the dharma and the sangha, sees with perfect wisdom the four noble truths"
29
What are 5 examples of mudras?
1. Meditation mudra - open hands to receive the qualities of the Buddha - metta, karuna, upekha and mudita
2. Fearless mudra - hand held up, plam facing outwards. Reminder of when the Buddha stopped a drunk elephant stampeding
3. Earth touching mudra - hand facing own towards the earth - reminder of the 3 marks of existence - dukkha, anicca and anatta
4. Dharma mudra - thumb and index finger touching - reminder of the wheel of the dharma - 8 Fold path
5. Dana mudra - hand outstretched. Reminder of the 2nd Precept - give generously
30
Give 4 features of the role of Buddha's and Bodhisattvas in devotional worship
1. used in visualisation as a reminder of their qualities e.g visualise Siddhartha Gautama to remind them of metta, karuna, upekkha and mudita. Visualise Manjushri for wisdom - sword cuts through ignorane. Visualised medicine Buddha - as a reminder of wisdom and healing from suffering - following 8 Fold Path
2. Will visualise the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas with mudras e.g dana mudra for generosity
3. statues of the Buddha (T) and Bodhisattvas (M) in the temples to remind Buddhists to venerate them and make offerings
4. chant mantras which remind the Buddhists of them e.g Take refuge in the Buddha, om mane padme hom as well as "I dedicated my life to the Buddha of infinite light"
31
Give 3 examples of Buddha's or Bodhisattvas that Buddhists may visualise
1. Siddhartha Gotama - the Buddha. Often with the meditation mudra or earth touching mudra to show the 3 marks of existence or fearless mudra represents the sublime states - metta, karuna, mudita, upekha
2. Avalokiteshvara - Bodhisattva of compassion. Can be shown with 1000 outstretched hands for compassion. Female version is green - Tara often on a lotus flower to show wisdom
3. Amida Buddha - Buddha of infinite light - sits on a lotus flower for wisdom and often with the mediation mudra. Reminder of the Pure Land
4. Manjushri - Bodhisattva of wisdom - has a sword cutting through ignorance, the scriptures and a lotus flower, all to show his wisdom. Also often shown with the dharma mudra
