There are many different types of rituals done by Buddhists and at Buddhist temples. Every temple or monastery has their own set of rituals that differ among the different Buddhist traditions, however, these are some of the most common rituals practiced among all traditions.
Bowing & Prostrating
When worshippers enter a room in which there is a Buddha statue, they put their palms together and bow, to show their highest respect for the Buddha and His teachings. The proper term for the bowing is prostration. The individual prostrates three times by facing the Buddha or Bodhisattva and kneeling to the ground. The three bows represent the Three Jewels: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.
Chanting
When Buddhists chant, their speech is pure and free of lies, curses, slander, and so on. Chanting is the uttering of the Buddha’s teachings, and thus it trains our thoughts, through repetition, to be visions of benevolence, perseverance, self-discipline, and charity.
Gongs/bells are used in Buddhist ceremonies as chanting instruments. They are used in the temples for three purposes: to announce the time for a meeting, to mark different phases of services or tempos of chanting, and to aid the congregation during their meditation. We listen as it resonates to soundlessness, which signals the beginning of the meditation session.
Lighting Incense
Lighting or burning incense is a gesture of paying one’s highest respects to the Buddha. The lit incense prompts us to follow the Buddha’s practices and teachings, and trains our minds to focus on one single object during meditation. The act of lighting incense reminds us to free ourselves from the Samsara of life and death, from mental afflictions, reincarnation, and attachment to material desires. This practice guides us on our journey of spiritual development. Incense is also a teaching and a reminder of impermanence – that even the delightful aroma of the incense will fade away. Likewise, our suffering and our lives will also fade away and end, so instead of hanging on to things and attaching to them, wishing they will last forever, we enjoy the happiness of the present moment without the worries of the past or future.
Altar Offerings
At the temple, one would often see tables laid with fresh fruits and flowers. Buddhists place these items upon the altars in appreciation for the Buddha’s teachings, and blessings bestowed by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. This is most apparent on Buddhist holidays when hundreds of people come to the temple with offerings, to thank the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for a safe and harmonious year.
Altar offerings at the temple are typically flowers and fresh fruit. Sometimes there may be small vegetarian dishes. All food offerings are vegetarian, as Buddhists advocate vegetarianism and do not kill animals for food.
Meditation
Meditation is about the mind and its purification. It is a technique for developing the right concentration which can only be acquired through direct experience, and not from reading alone. The purpose of meditation is to calm the wandering of our minds. To calm the mind is the first step, Samadhi. We focus on an object and direct our monkeying or false minds so that it is no longer engaged in egoistical thought. Vipassana or self-contemplation follows. This is when we put our minds under control and contemplate introspectively.
In detail, meditating is the adjustment of the body, breath, and mind. The first adjustment is the Body:
Sit upright, with legs crossed and hands on your knees. Gently close your eyes. Keep your back straight and your head upright. If you cannot cross your legs, you may sit on a chair.
The second adjustment is the Breath –
breathing is one of the most important steps in meditation:
Concentrate on the spot where air enters the nostrils.
The third adjustment is the Mind:
Be conscious of your breath as you inhale and exhale. When air comes in, touching the insides of your nose, count “one” in your mind. Do not count when the air exits the nostrils. Count to ten in this method and then repeat from “one”.
There are many more specific and advanced meditation techniques used to guide us in the pursuit of true spiritual understanding. The temple offers meditation classes and retreats for those wanting to learn or advance their meditation practice. Please visit our Events page.