Buddhist Rituals & Practices
Burmese monks on their morning alms rounds.
Photo © Sara Heinrichs.
Devotion at a Buddhist temple in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo: elbisreverri.
Pilgrims prostrate themselves at Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, the holiest site of Tibetan Buddhism.
Photo: Hungry J.
Buddhism incorporates a variety of rituals and practices, which are intended to aid in the journey to enlightenment and bring blessings on oneself and others. The practice of meditation is central to nearly all forms of Buddhism, and it derives directly from the Buddha’s experiences and teachings. Meditation is is the central focus of Zen Buddhism and the only way to liberation in Theravada Buddhism.
In addition to meditation, the Mahayana schools of Buddhism have developed a variety of other ritual and devotional practices, many of which were inspired or influenced by the existing religious cultures of India, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and Tibet. The articles in this section provide an overview of some of the main Buddhist sacred rituals and practices.
- Meditation - Mental concentration and mindfulness
- Mantras - Sacred sounds
- Mudras - Symbolic hand gestures
- Prayer Wheels - Reciting mantras with the turn of a wheel
- Monasticism (coming soon)
- Pilgrimage - Visiting sacred sites (coming soon)
- Veneration of Buddhas and Deities (coming soon)
