Year 10 - Religious education
Visualisation of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas
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 the aims, methods and significance of visualising Buddhas and Bodhisattvas through meditation.
Key Notes
- Visualisation is most commonly practiced in Mahayana schools of Buddhism.
- Visualisation in Buddhism involves a Buddhist seeing or imagining an object in their mind.
- Some Buddhists visualise a Buddha or a Bodhisattva to help develop a characteristic or quality such as compassion.
- A person's 'Buddha-nature' can be realised through the method of visualisation.
- Mandalas made of sand are a reminder of the impermanent nature of all things.
Vocabulary To Learn
- Bodhisattva: a being destined for enlightenment, who postpones their final escape from samsara in order to help living beings
- Buddha: an awakened or enlightened person
- Buddha-nature: refers to the fundamental nature of all beings, which means that all beings can become enlightened/reach Buddhahood
- mandala: an intricate circle shaped pattern
- visualisation: imagining an image of a Buddha or Bodhisattva, focusing on their qualities
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas visualised during meditation are merely imaginary or symbolic constructs rather than meaningful presences with deeper significance.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Visualisation is most commonly practiced in Mahayana schools of Buddhism. Visualisation in Buddhism involves a Buddhist seeing or imagining an object in their mind.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'Bodhisattva'
a being destined for enlightenment, who postpones their final escape from samsara in order to help living beings.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas visualised during meditation are merely imaginary or symbolic constructs rather than meaningful presences with deeper significance. Correction: In Mahayana schools of Buddhism, visualising Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is seen as a method for connecting with enlightened qualities, purifying the mind, and realising one's own buddha-nature.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Buddha rupa, artefacts and offerings Study Guide
- Celebrations: origins and significance of Wesak and Parinirvana Day Study Guide
- Ceremonies and rituals associated with death and mourning 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
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