Download ritual Buddhism

ddhism – Buddha’s Life Story
Ritual & Practices
Kamakura Buddha
Prayer Flags
ritual
Important moments in life are commemorated
through Buddhist ceremonies, according to
local beliefs and customs. Rituals and rites
may include repeating mantras, walking
around statues of the Buddha, or praying
before images of the Buddha.
Stupa
Chenrezig
Institute
Eudlo
Sunshine Coast
Tibetan Tradition
Tibetan Ritual Sounds
and Dance
Tibetan Ceremony
& Ritual in Nepal
Kalachakra Ritual
Dance
Chenrezig (Sanskrit: Avalokiteshvara)
Chenrezig is the Bodhisattva of Compassion. A bodhisattva is an
enlightened being who has decided to delay becoming a fully
enlightened Buddha and who lives in a compassionate spirit life for
the sake of all beings He has taken vows to save all beings. With a
mantra, Om mani padme hum! (Hail the jewel in the lotus), he
tirelessly attempts to deliver all beings from suffering. He appears in
many different forms to assist suffering beings.
Tibetans believe that Chenrezig, as a disciple of the
Buddha, made a vow of compassion to free the Tibetan
peoples from their violent ways: "May I be able to
establish in emancipation all living beings in the
barbaric Land of Snow; where the beings are so hard
to discipline and none of the buddhas of the three
times has stepped...May I be able to mature and
emancipate them, each according to his/her own way.
May that gloomy barbaric country become bright, like
an island of precious jewels." (Geshe Wangyal , Door of
Liberation, New York, Lotsawa, 1978, pp. 54-55). He is
the patron of Tibet. The Tibetan people claim descent
from Chenrezig, who in the form of a monkey sired the
original inhabitants of Tibet. Chenrezig, according to
Tibetan legends, has appeared in numerous forms to
defend Buddhist teachings. He has been identified with
the Tibetan emperor Songtsen Gampo (617-698 C.E.)
and the successive lineage of Dalai Lamas. The 14th
Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is the current incarnation
of Chenrezig. http://www.gomang.org/chenrezig.html
Prayer Flags
About Prayer Wheels
The Monastic Robes
Gompa Etiquette
Zen Buddhism
Japan
Enso
Symbol
Kinhin – Walking Meditation
Zen – Principles and Practices Video
Japanese Zen Garden Meditation
Offering food is one
of the oldest and
most common rituals
of Buddhism
Theravada Buddhism
The circle of birth, suffering, death and
rebirth is comprised of the twelve stages of
life, which are:
Ignorance,
intentional acts,
consciousness,
body and mind,
the senses,
sense impressions,
feelings,
cravings,
clinging,
becoming,
rebirth,
old age and death.
Some of the key rituals and rites
associated with Buddhism are
therefore centred around:
 birth,
 belonging,
 death.
Birth
Birth ceremonies vary depending on local beliefs
and customs. The birth though is understood as
rebirth, which ultimately delays a person achieving
their ultimate purpose. Offerings are therefore
made to local and traditional gods to ward off evil.
In Tibet, the sacred symbol (dhih) is painted on
the baby’s tongue in saffron powder or butter as a
symbol of the Buddha and the hope the child will
grow up to be wise.
In Thailand local monks chant the five moral
principles of Buddhism (Pancasila) at the naming
ceremony of a child.
Adolescence
A common ritual is many of the schools
of Buddhism is the joining of the
Sangha, or ‘assembly’. In some
traditions young boys spend months or
years within the Sangha learning the
teachings of the Buddha.
Various ceremonies mark the entry to
the Sangha. These can include dressing
elaborately as a reminder that the
Buddha gave up his life as prince to
become a holy man, and wearing the
saffron robe of a monk.
The boy’s head is then shaved to show that he has
given up the concerns of the world and has taken on
poverty and self-discipline. The student kneels before
the senior monk and requests permission to join the
Sangha. He promises to obey the rules and
concentrate the overcoming of dukka (suffering).
The daily routine then revolves around the life of the
bhikkus (monk) or bhikkunis (nun), in accordance
with the Ten Precepts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
lRHkivEzCfw
marriage
Family life is of great importance to
Buddhists. Monks do not marry and
in some traditions it is believed that
a monk’s vow of celibacy might
cause infertility for the couple.
There is no traditional Buddhist
marriage ceremony though, and
many couples do seek the blessing of
a monk before their wedding. In
Thailand a common practice is for a
monk to pour water over a ribbon
that connects the monk and the
couple.
death
For Buddhists life is a cycle of birth, death
and rebirth. This is known as samsara and
funerals therefore focus on facilitating the
journey of the deceased through the process
of death and rebirth.
In the Mahayana tradition, it is believed that
each time a person dies their spirit is reborn
into one of the six divisions of the Universe.
These are the realms of gods, titans, humans,
hungry ghosts, animals and hell.
In Buddhist traditions the body of the
deceased is washed by the family and
then placed in a wooden coffin. The
coffin is then carried in procession to
the shrine room of the local temple.
Cheerful music is played to generate
good karma.
In Theravada Buddhism rebirth is
believed to be immediate, whereas in
Mahayana Buddhism there is an
interval between death and rebirth
when offerings can be made to earn
good karma.
Further information
http://www.buddhist-temples.com/buddhism-facts/buddhism-ritual.html
http://www.buddhamind.info/leftside/lifestyl/rituals.htm
http://www.amaravati.org/abm/english/documents/RitualsObservances.
pdf
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhistworld/robe_pics.htm
http://www.gcsere.org.uk/
http://www.strath.ac.uk/redb/reartefacts/buddhist/
References
Goldburg, Peta. Investigating World Religions.
Cambridge University Press, New York, 2009.
Gwynne, Paul. World Religions in Practice: A
Comparative Introduction. Blackwell
Publishing, MA, 2009