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| About Buddhism Practices Buddhism Buddhism shows people the way to end suffering and attain supreme happiness.Buddhism help one develops good relation with their family members and friends. By practicing, one can acheive perfect wisdom and able to understand themselves and the world they live. Therefore Buddhism is as relevant to today world as in the past. The Triple Gem The Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha are the Triple Gem because they are excellent and precious like a gem. The Buddha The Buddha means Enlightened or Awakened One who has attained the state of perfect and supreme Enlightenment. One who has perfect wisdom and deepest concentration. He who has fully understand the Four Noble Truth and had practiced the Noble Eightfold Path has wiped out desire, ill will and ignorance and has overcame all unwholesome actions. Therefore has put an end to suffering and no longer in the cycle of birth and death. The Dhamma Dhamma means the teachings of the Buddha who taught out of compassion for all beings suffering in the cycle of birth and death. Teachings of Righteousness, Discourses, Law Of Cause and Effect, Mind and Matter, understanding oneself, human relationships, and impermanence of the nature of life. The Sangha Sangha means the order of the monks.The monks are the disciple of the Buddha who follow His teachings and practiced.They led exemplary lives and attained extra ordinary insight into the real nature of life and things. Monks are able teachers of Dhamma and can help the followers along the path. |
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| Taking Refuge ( To Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha ) The idea of taking refuge is like when you go to a country for tour where you never go before. You will surely need a tour guide to lead the way. You will also need a time-table to tell you your daily destination and time to assemble, so that you can have a path to follow. In this tour you will also like to have a travelling companions to be with you in this journey. Similary when you want to attain happiness and Enlightenment is like you go to a unknow country for tour. Therefore the Buddha will be your guide, the Dhamma will be your path and the Sangha will be your travelling companions. The Significance Of Bowing To Six Directions The six directions are North, South, East, West and above and below. Ti is good to observe this six directions in the morning to remind oneself responsibilities. This six directions respresents: Norht ------ Friends South ------ Teachers East -------- Parent West ------- Spouse Above ------ Religious Teacher Below ------ Employer and Employee The Significance Of Offering Buddhism not just practice the teachings and the life of the Buddha but also many observances. The shrine, Triple Gem, offerings, chanting, etc. have its real meanings and not just the homage only. Buddha Image When ones stands defore a shrine, the Buddha image help ones to recall the good qualities of the Buddha. So when ones see the Buddha image it inspires ones to work hard towards these qualities in oneself. Lights Offering of oil lamps, candles or electric lights is to light up the path of one's life. Light symbolizes Wisdom which destroy the darkness of ignorance. When offers lights to the Triple Gem it remind us the goal of Enlightenment. Incense When ones offers joss-sticks to Buddha, the frogrance from the joss-sticks fill the air is like purifying effect of whlesome conduct. When offers incense it remind us of the Good Conduct. Flowers The flowers that offered at the shrine signify the path of life. When it's fresh and beautiful it is nice to look at. But within a few days, it dires up, |
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withers and petals fall off and discoloured. Similarly as human life, when we are young we are healthy and strong. Soon we will become old, sick and die which everyone cannot escape. When offering folwers to the Buddha, it remind us of the impermanence of things and life. Observances Of The Buddhist Community Observation On Vesak Day Observance of Vesak commemorates the birth, Enlightenment, and Final Nirvana of the Lord Buddha. On Vesak Day Buddhists will assemble at the temple to observe the Eight Precepts and then go through the ceremony to take Threefold Refuge, observing Five Precepts, makes offerings and chanting. The statue of baby Prince Siddhartha is pour with perfumed water by the Buddhists, symbolises purification of one's unwholesome actions. Animals are release by the Buddhists to recall the compassion of the Buddha's teachings. Vegetarian meals are serves to remind Buddhists to refrain from killing. Observation On Upavasatha Day Upavasatha Day means New Moon and Full Moon Days which is on frist and fifteeth day of the lunar month. Buddhists on this day goes to the temple to meditate, make offerings, recite sermons and pray homage to the Triple Gem. Buddhists takes vegetarian meals and also observe the Eight Precepts. Observation On Ullambana Ullambana Day falls on the fifteeth day of the seventh lunar month. This day people makes offering to relieve the suffering of the departed and also other beings in the realm of misery. The Ullambana Day came from the story of Maudgalyayana and his mother. The story is Maudgayayana discovered that his mother reborn in the realms of suffering and misery through his meditation powers. He asked the Buddha for help and Buddha told him to make offering to the Order (monks). By doing this merit of offering it would help his mother to relieve the suffering and also other beings in the realms. Soon after Maudgayayana offerings to the Order, his mother was released from suffering. Therefore Ullambana Day is an expression day of the people's respect to their ancestors and also compassion for beings suffering in the realms of misery. Chanting Chanting and recitation have three major forms. Recite in praise of Triple Gem, recite the sermons of the Buddha and chant a mantra or a special quality of the Buddha. Therefore when one chanting and recitation it remind ones the qualities of the Triple Gem and also help to concentrate our mind to develop a peaceful state of calm mind. |
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