3.3 Buddhist Key Practices: Worship & Festivals (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A): Flashcards
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What are the three main places of Buddhist worship?
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What are the three main places of Buddhist worship?
Temples, shrines and monasteries.
Define Buddha rupa.
A statue of the Buddha, the main focus of a shrine.
Define vihara.
A Buddhist monastery where monks or nuns live, study and worship.
What does a candle offered at a shrine symbolise?
The light of wisdom driving away the darkness of ignorance.
What do flowers offered at a shrine symbolise?
Anicca (impermanence) — because they wither.
What does incense offered at a shrine symbolise?
The purity of a person's thoughts, speech and actions.
Define stupa.
A dome-shaped structure, often a shrine, sometimes containing relics of the Buddha; it symbolises the five elements.
True or False?
Buddhists bow to a Buddha statue because they believe the Buddha is a god.
False.
The Buddha is not seen as a god; Buddhists bow out of gratitude and respect for his teachings.
In Tibetan Buddhism, the meditation hall of a temple is called a ______.
In Tibetan Buddhism, the meditation hall of a temple is called a gompa.
In which direction do Buddhists walk around a stupa?
Clockwise, often chanting mantras.
How do monks and nuns live in a vihara?
A simple and disciplined life, dedicated to studying, meditating and practising the Buddha's teachings.
Define puja.
Buddhist worship, carried out at home and in the temple.
What is the purpose of puja for Buddhists?
To express gratitude and respect for the Buddha and deepen understanding of the Dhamma.
Define mantra.
A sequence of sacred syllables chanted repeatedly to concentrate the mind.
Which mantra do Tibetan Buddhists chant to connect with Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion?
'Om mani padme hum'.
Define mala.
A string of prayer beads (usually 108) used to count recitations of a mantra.
Define Samatha meditation.
'Calming' meditation — calming the mind and developing concentration, often through mindfulness of breathing.
Define Vipassana meditation.
'Insight' meditation — developing a deeper insight into the true nature of reality.
What is the difference between samatha and vipassana meditation?
Samatha develops calm and concentration (focusing on one object); vipassana develops insight into the three marks of existence.
What is a kasina?
An object used as a focus in samatha meditation to help concentration.
Which type of meditation is practised in Zen (Mahayana) Buddhism?
Zazen ('seated') meditation.
True or False?
In visualisation meditation, the object being focused on is physically present.
False.
In visualisation, the object is imagined in the mind, unlike a kasina, which is physically there.
Which Buddha is visualised for healing and reducing suffering?
The Medicine Buddha.
A ______ is a detailed painting of a Buddha or Bodhisattva used to aid visualisation.
A thangka is a detailed painting of a Buddha or Bodhisattva used to aid visualisation.
Why do Tibetan monks brush away a completed sand mandala?
To symbolise Anicca (impermanence).
Buddhists use ______ (reciting sacred texts) to pass on the Buddha's teachings and calm the mind.
Buddhists use chanting (reciting sacred texts) to pass on the Buddha's teachings and calm the mind.
What do Buddhists believe happens when a person dies?
Their kammic energy leaves the body and is reborn in a new one; death is a transition, not an end.
Which Buddhist teaching do funerals remind people of?
Anicca (impermanence) — that nothing lasts.
What do mourners do at a Theravada funeral to help the deceased?
Donate to a worthy cause and transfer the merit to the deceased, for a favourable rebirth.
Which form of body disposal is traditional and most common in Buddhism?
Cremation.
Define sky burial.
A traditional Tibetan funeral practice where the body is left in a high place as a gift to the vultures.
Why did the Tibetan practice of sky burial develop?
For practical reasons — firewood was scarce and the ground often too frozen to dig graves.
What do Japanese Pure Land Buddhists chant while processing around the coffin?
The name of Amitabha Buddha.
True or False?
Buddhists see death as the final end of a person.
False.
Death is seen as a transition — the person's kammic energy is reborn in a new body.
In Tibetan and Japanese Buddhism, ceremonies with prayers are held every seven days for ______ days after a death.
In Tibetan and Japanese Buddhism, ceremonies with prayers are held every seven days for 49 days after a death.
What might a shrine at a Theravada funeral display?
A portrait of the deceased, with offerings of candles, incense and flowers and an image of the Buddha.
What happens to the remains of revered Tibetan teachers?
They are cremated and placed in a stupa to become a site of worship.
In Japanese Pure Land funerals, the coffin may be placed with the head pointing ______.
In Japanese Pure Land funerals, the coffin may be placed with the head pointing west.
Why do Buddhists suffer less at a funeral, according to the Buddha's teaching?
Because they accept impermanence — that nothing lasts.
What are the two key Buddhist festivals?
Wesak and Parinirvana Day.
Define Wesak.
Also called Vesak or Buddha Day — a Theravada festival (usually in May) celebrating the Buddha.
Which three events in the Buddha's life does Wesak commemorate?
His birth, his enlightenment and his death.
What does the light used in Wesak celebrations symbolise?
The light of enlightenment overcoming the darkness of ignorance.
In which tradition is Parinirvana Day celebrated?
Mahayana Buddhism.
What does Parinirvana Day commemorate?
The Buddha's death — his passing into parinirvana, the final state of Nibbana.
True or False?
Parinirvana Day is a joyful celebration just like Wesak.
False.
Parinirvana Day is a more solemn occasion, commemorating the Buddha's death.
Which scripture do Buddhists read on Parinirvana Day?
The Mahaparinirvana Sutra, which describes the Buddha's last days.
On Parinirvana Day, the Buddhist idea of ______ (impermanence) is a focus for the day.
On Parinirvana Day, the Buddhist idea of Anicca (impermanence) is a focus for the day.
Which city might Buddhists visit on pilgrimage for Parinirvana Day?
Kushinagar in India, where the Buddha is believed to have died.
Define retreat (Buddhist).
A time spent away from normal life to practise one's faith, e.g. around Parinirvana Day.
In Singapore, caged birds and animals are released at Wesak as a symbol of ______.
In Singapore, caged birds and animals are released at Wesak as a symbol of liberation.
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