Buddhism: Places of Worship (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062))

Places of Worship

Where do Buddhists Worship?

• Lots of Buddhist worship consists of private and personal prayer, and Meditation

• There are also times and places for Buddhists to gather together to practice their faith

• The main places of Buddhist worship are: temples, shrines and monasteries

Buddhist Temples

• A temple is an important building that allows the Buddhist community to gather together to pray, study and meditate

• Temples come in many shapes and sizes, but there are common features that are often found:

  • A main hall where people practise; this will contain a Buddha rupa (and statues of Bodhisattvas in a Mahayana temple)

  • A shrine dedicated to the Buddha (in Mahayana temples, there may also be shrines dedicated to Bodhisattvas)

  • A meditation hall. This is a quiet space for Buddhists to concentrate on meditation. In Tibetan Buddhism this is called a gompa

  • A study hall for learning, meetings and lectures

  • A pagoda or A dome-shaped building or a tiered tower, sometimes containing holy Relics (holy items associated with the Buddha himself)

The Buddhist stupa is designed to symbolise the five elements: Earth, water, fire, air, space (or wisdom)

Buddhist Shrines

• A shrine is a focal point for Buddhists to meditate or practise

• Shrines are found in a temple, monastery, or in the home of a Buddhist

• A shrine will have a Buddha rupa, which is the main focus. Mahayana shrines may have a statue of a Bodhisattva

• Buddhists will make offerings at a shrine. There are two reasons for doing this:

  • To pay respect to the Buddha and show that they are grateful for his teachings

  • To remind them of what the Buddha taught, because their offerings symbolise different elements of the teachings

• Offerings Buddhists might make at a shrine include:

  • A candle to symbolise the light of wisdom driving away the darkness of ignorance

  • Flowers to symbolise Anicca, as they will wither

  • Incense symbolises the purity of a person’s thoughts, speech and actions

Buddhist Monasteries

• A monastery or vihara is a building where a community of monks or nuns live, eat, sleep and worship

• A vihara can be very large (with lots of monks or nuns) or very small

• Monks and nuns live a very simple and disciplined life in a vihara:

  • They are people who have decided to dedicate themselves completely to Buddhist spiritual practice

  • They spend their time studying, meditating and practising the Buddha’s teachings

• A vihara will also contain a stupa