Year 10 - Religious education
Ceremonies and rituals associated with death and mourning
Buddhism: Practices
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit pupils will examine practices in Buddhism such as puja and meditation. They will understand the considerable diversity of these practices among Buddhist adherents. Following that they wil look at the role of precepts and how these look different in Therevada and Mahayna Buddhism.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain Buddhist beliefs about death and how this belief is shown through different Buddhist death ceremonies and rituals.
Key Notes
- There are divergent death ceremonies and rituals across the Buddhist traditions and countries.
- The Buddhist ceremonies and rituals are a reminder of the impermenent nature of all things (anicca).
- Theravada Buddhists may practise good deeds to pass merit/positive kamma on to the deceased.
- Some Tibetan Buddhists read from the sacred text the 'Tibetan Book of the Dead' following the 49 days after death.
- In Japan, some Buddhists prastice the ceremony of 'bone picking'.
Vocabulary To Learn
- Bardo state: refers to a transitional period in which the deceased becomes aware of their death, rebirth is determined
- Kamma (karma): the belief in cause and effect
- rebirth: refers to the belief that when a being dies they are reborn
- samsara: the cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- The Buddhist belief in rebirth teaches that after death, a persons 'soul' is reborn in to another living being.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
There are divergent death ceremonies and rituals across the Buddhist traditions and countries. The Buddhist ceremonies and rituals are a reminder of the impermenent nature of all things (anicca).
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'Bardo state'
refers to a transitional period in which the deceased becomes aware of their death, rebirth is determined.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: The Buddhist belief in rebirth teaches that after death, a persons 'soul' is reborn in to another living being. Correction: The Buddha taught that nothing is permenent, everything changes (anicca) and there is no fixed self or soul (anatta). Rebirth may be described as a person's 'energy' being reborn, rather than a fixed soul.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Buddha rupa, artefacts and offerings Study Guide
- Celebrations: origins and significance of Wesak and Parinirvana Day Study Guide
- Compassion and loving-kindness Study Guide
- Kamma and rebirth Study Guide
- Samatha meditation Study Guide
- The five moral precepts: do not take life or what is not given Study Guide
- The five moral precepts: senses, falsehoods or intoxicants Study Guide
- The nature and importance of diverse places of worship for Buddhists Study Guide
- The role and significance of Puja for Buddhists Study Guide
- The six perfections in the Mahayana tradition: generosity and morality Study Guide
- The six perfections in the Mahayana tradition: meditation and wisom Study Guide
- The six perfections in the Mahayana tradition: patience and energy Study Guide
- Vipassana meditation Study Guide
- Visualisation of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas Study Guide
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