Buddhist+Worship+and+Rituals

Background of Buddhism
Buddhist worship has many one of a kind rituals. Buddhism is a religion based on the principles: all life is suffering and suffering is caused by attachments. These mean that life is suffering no matter what you do and attachments, or material possessions that we hold near to our hearts, are the reason for this suffering. Monks in Buddhism follow the Middle Path, a path through life with minimum attachments, they live off the charity of others and lead simple lives.

Temple Appearance
Buddhist temples vary in style and appearance. Tibetan temples are very highly decorated, they contain many holy pictures, statues, and shrines whereas Zen temples are simple and spacious and in the Western Buddhist tradition, the temples are simple shrines within a Biddhist center. The temples all have similar surroundings but all have the same mission.

Peace and Tranquility
An important aspect of the Buddhist temples is the peace and tranquility. When entering a Buddhist temple one must remove their shoes and bow to the statue of Buddha to give thanks and pay respect. In the temple there is an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. This is a ver important concept in Buddhism. It assures the time to worship, reflect, and give offerings.

Temple Shrines
In the Buddhist temple there are many symbolic items and features that require background knowledge. The shrines are very starightforward. The shrine will consist of a statue of Buddha with a candle or lamp representing his knowledge. There will also be flowers to remind worshippers of the Buddhist principle of Impermanence. The flowers will die and Buddhists are aware of this; their death will not be devastating with this knowledge prior. The shrine will also have incense, this represents good actions and good deeds that will spread throughout the temple and to the worshippers.

Prayer Wheels
Prayer wheels are another important feature of the Buddhist temple. Prayer wheels are literal wheels with prayers for happiness of all people written or inscribed millions of times on the one wheel. The wheels may be the appropriate size to be held in one's hand or they may be floor to ceiling. Prayer wheels are one of the features in the temple that require background knowledge. They are said to add power to prayer when they are spun. When an "outsider" visits a Buddhist temple or monastery, it will seem strange at first to see monks or worshippers spinning the large wheels but with the knowledge of their meaning and power one can understand the importance of them in a Buddhist setting.

Becoming Ordained
In order to become ordained in a Buddhist monastery, a monk must shave their head and wear the robe that symbolizes simplicity. When becoming ordained, some monks and nuns have the option to take vows for life or to have the ability to return to the "lay life" at any given point. In the Buddhist tradition there are few laws related to the marriage of monks and nuns. In the Theravada tradition, marriage is permitted although the monk or nun must leave the sangha. In the Zen and Tibetan tradition any monk or nun may be married and remain in the sangha. In the sangha, novices can be ordained after two years in the monastery and they must wear white.

Fossey, Kevin, and Denise Fossey. Buddhism. Laguna Hills, CA: QEB Publishing, 2006. Hewitt, Catherine. Buddhism. New York: Thomson Learning, 1995.