Places of worship
Much of a Buddhist's worship consists of private and personal meditationThinking quietly as a spiritual or religious exercise. Connection of the mind and soul with the Divine using breathing and other techniques. In Buddhism, using one of a set of techniques or exercises for calming the mind, developing positive emotions and understanding the way things are.. However, there are opportunities for Buddhists to come together in a place of worship and take part in devotional rituals. Through puja, chanting and mantra recitation Buddhists can come together and show their devotion to the BuddhaThe founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama, after his enlightenment. It is a title which means the enlightened or awakened one. and his teachings. In this way, they can work towards becoming enlightenmentThe realisation of the truth about life. In Buddhism it releases a person from the cycle of rebirth., just like the Buddha gained enlightenment.
There are several Buddhist places of worship. All have different names and varying reasons for their importance. They are:
- Temples - These places allow communities of Buddhists to come together. By coming together, they can deepen their faith and feel a sense of belonging with others who are on a similar spiritual journey.
- Shrines - These remind Buddhists of the key teachings of Buddhism. Buddhists may offer flowers at a shrine. As the flowers wilt and die, they are a reminder of the impermanence of all things.
- Monasteries - These allow the laityOrdinary religious believers who are not religious office holders. to support the monks and nuns. Monasteries are focused on the principle of giving. By helping the monks and nuns, the laity gain good karma.
- Halls for meditation - Meditation is paramount for Buddhists. The Buddha taught that meditation can lead to nibbana (also spelled nirvana)The state when Buddhists have achieved understanding and have broken free from the cycle of samsara. Can be called Nirvana.. Buddhists therefore have a designated quiet space in order to practise their meditation.
- Halls for learning - Buddhists aim to understand what the Buddha achieved in his lifetime. In halls for learning, important stories are told and occasionally performed as methods to achieve learning in Buddhist Dhamma (Dharma)Dhamma is Buddhist doctrine about the nature of existence and includes the teachings of the Buddha..