Buddhist Worship

Question 1

What is the name for buddhist worship.

Answer 1

Puja.

Question 2

What does buddharupa mean?

Answer 2

Perfect human.

Question 3

What offerings do buddhists make to the temple?

Answer 3

Candles, flowers and incense.

Question 4

What does each of the offerings represent?

Answer 4

Candles-Wisdom
Flowers-Impermanence
Incense-Purity

Question 5

What is the stupa?

Answer 5

The stupa is built with a mound at the bottom to represent Earth.

Question 6

What does the stupa contain?

Answer 6

Holy relics.

Question 7

What will a temple most likely feature?

Answer 7

A main hall, a meditation room, a stupa, and a study hall.

Question 8

What is the main hall for?

Answer 8

It has a shrine dedicated to the buddha or bodhisattva.

Question 9

What are the 3 types of meditation?

Answer 9

Samatha mediation, vipissana meditation and visualisation.

Question 10

What is samatha meditation?

Answer 10

It involves focusing on mindfulness of the body and the breath.

Question 11

What is the aim of samatha meditation?

Answer 11

To calm the mind.

Question 12

What is often used in the meditation to help focus?

Answer 12

Kanisas.

Question 13

What are some examples of kanisas?

Answer 13

Earth, water, fire the colours blue or red.

Question 14

What is vipissana meditation?

Answer 14

It occurs when the mind is calm and one develops a sense of the true nature of reality. The mind is focused entirely on the present.

Question 15

What is the aim of vipissana meditation?

Answer 15

The aim is to give full attention to what is on your mind at the time.

Question 16

What is visualisation?

Answer 16

In visualisation, you are simply imagining an object. You begin looking at an object or photo and then take it away. You then revisit the image in your mind, visualising all of the intricate details.

Question 17

What do Tibetan Buddhists often visualise?

Answer 17

A Bodhisattva.

Question 18

What sort of objects do Buddhists use for visualisation?

Answer 18

Mandalas and thankas etc.

Question 19

What is are thankas?

Answer 19

Paintings of the Buddha.

Question 20

What are mandalas and why are they significant?

Answer 20

They’re sacred diagrams which represent different aspects of dhamma. They are often made out of sand which is brushed away when finished. This reminds them of the impermanence of everything.

Question 21

What is a Buddhist retreat and where is it commonly celebrated?

Answer 21

Buddhist retreats are popular in the West but less common in the countries where Buddhism is part of everyday life. A Buddhist will retreat to a monastery for a few days in order to live with others who share the same faith, live a simple life, practise meditation and Buddhist rituals.

Question 22

What is the aim of a Buddhist retreat?

Answer 22

To deepen their understanding of Buddha’s teachings.

Question 23

What is vassa?

Answer 23

An annual retreat lasting for 3 months. It happens in the rainy season and monks only leave the temple when necessary, instead dedicating more time to meditation and study.

Question 24

What Buddhist community takes part in vassa?

Answer 24

Theravada monks.

Question 25

Why is Wesak celebrated?

Answer 25

It's believed that Buddha was born, achieved enlightenment and died when there was a full moon. Wesak is celebrated on a full moon.

Question 26

What is celebrated during Wesak?

Answer 26

Buddhas life.

Question 27

How do Buddhists generally celebrate Wesak?

Answer 27

They decorate their homes with candles and paper lanterns and give gifts of food, candles and floored to the monks in their local monasteries.

Question 28

How do monks celebrate Wesak?

Answer 28

Chanting scriptures or preaching sermons about Buddhas life.

Question 29

How do Buddhists in Singapore celebrate Wesak and how is it symbolic?

Answer 29

They release birds into the sky as a symbol of liberation and to signify the release of past troubles or wrongdoings.

Question 30

How do Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate Wesak and how is it symbolic?

Answer 30

Giant paper lanterns are lit to coat up in the sky. The light symbolises hope, enlightenment and the fact that the darkness of ignorance can be overcome.

Question 31

What type of Buddhists celebrate parinirvana day?

Answer 31

Mahayana Buddhists.

Question 32

What is celebrated on parinirvana day and when is it celebrated?

Answer 32

It's celebrated in February and it's to remember the Buddha passing into parinirvana. It's also to reflect on your own future death and to remember loved ones who have died.

Question 33

How is parinirvana day celebrated?

Answer 33

Passages from the Mahaparinirvana Sutra are read during the day. Buddhists might spend the day reading at home, meditating or they might go to the local temple.

Question 34

What is the Mahaparinirvana Sutra?

Answer 34

An important scripture that describes Buddhas last days.

Question 35

What normally happens in a Theravada funeral?

Answer 35

Very little money is spent on the funeral; mourners will instead give the money to charity or make a donation to the temple. A shrine will be set up displaying a picture of the diseased and Buddha too. They're mostly cremated with their ashes scattered, though burial is permitted.

Question 36

Why is money donated during a Theravada funeral?

Answer 36

It will bring good kamma which they believe can transfer to the deceased so that they will have a more favourable rebirth.

Question 37

What type of funeral do Tibetan Buddhist favour and why?

Answer 37

A 'sky burial' where the body is left in a high place as a gift for the vultures. It reminds you of impermanence and allows the physical bodies to return back to the universe like in dependant arising.

Question 38

What do Pure Land Buddhists do during funerals?

Answer 38

The coffin will be placed facing West while mourners walk around it chanting. After cremation, the family pick out the bones with chopsticks and the remains are kept for 49 days with prayers ever 7 days.

Question 39

What’s the difference between festivals and retreats?

Answer 39

Festivals are the religious outward face and are open to anyone whereas retreats focus the religion away from the public face

Question 40

What’s a laity?

Answer 40

A non-monk

Question 41

What do laity do on Wesak and why?

Answer 41

Follow 8 precepts rather than 5, including no singing/dancing/wearing garlands and perfumes, eating after midday and sleeping in soft beds. They also attend the temple, make offerings to the temple and the vulnerable in society and reinstate their commitments to giving virtue. They do this to give them a better understanding of what Buddhist monks do.

Question 42

Why do Buddhists make offerings to Buddha in the temple?

Answer 42

To express gratitude for his teachings and examples.

Question 43

What type of Buddhism is the meditation room called a gompa?

Answer 43

Tibetan Buddhists

Question 44

What do more recent stupas contain?

Answer 44

The remains of monks or nuns, or items associated with significant people.

Question 45

What does the stupa represent and how is it built?

Answer 45

Built with a mound at the bottom to represent earth ( where everything returns to)

Question 46

How is the tower built and what does it represent?

Answer 46

Tower built of different shapes to represent fire, earth air

Question 47

What’s a vihara?

Answer 47

A monastery

Question 48

Why is sangha important for worship?

Answer 48

Like-minded people

Question 49

Why is chanting helpful during worship?

Answer 49

It focuses the mind and helps with meditation.