Introduction

The main goal of Buddhism is to attain liberation from Samsara. The main and most ancient practice aimed to achieve it is Meditation. However, other more accessible practices, like worship of sacred monuments spread alongside the diffusion of Buddhism among lay people.

Main rites: meditation

From its beginning Buddhism included Meditation in its practices which is basically a borrowing of the pre-existent Yoga practices of the early Hinduism. In fact, early texts explain the Buddhist path to enlightenment  as founded on three pillars: Ethical conduct, Wisdom and Meditation (cfr. section 4). Along with its historical development and the geographical distribution, Buddhist diversified also meditative techniques. Nonetheless a very strong generalization is still possible: basically Meditation has two functions. On one hand, it aims to aims to purify the mind from all kind of passions and desires towards the external world, in order to obtain a serene and detached equanimity of mind. On the other hand, it aims to focus the mind to the real nature of reality, that is impermanent and illusory.

Main rites: earning and transferring of Merit

According to the Buddhist perspectives of karmic retribution, a certain action can entail good Karman  that positively influence this or the next existence, in terms of both mundane benefits (eg. health) or liberation (good Karman helps in the path towards enlightenment). This is also called Merit. Especially in Vajrayana and Mahayana Buddhism it is  also possible to use the Merit earned to benefit others, e.g. dead relatives. Typical meritorious action include: reciting a Sutra, make a donation to the monks community, creating  a sacred image, fasting, etc. Also veneration to images of Buddhas and prayer are meritorious actions.

Large communities often sponsor huge ceremonies involving a large number of monks reciting Sutras and performing various rituals to propagate good Karman.

Place of worship: the  Worship Hall

One of the the main places of Buddhist practice and worship is the Monastery, in particular the Worship Hall, the building dedicated to the veneration of a sacred image of a Buddha, usually a statue.

Place of worship: the Stupa

The Stupa is the most characteristic  Buddhist monument. It's generally conceived as a building treasuring the Historical Buddha's relics, but there exist also Stupas which merely symbolize important Buddhist teachings. In any case, Stupas are one of the main places of worship in Buddhism (especially in south-east Asia). The veneration and the circumambulation of the Stupa are said to produce good Karman. There are various type of Stupas, see Source Analysis and comment.

Source analysis and comment

Source 1° Meditation

The people meditating in the first image adopt a series of devices like the Mala ( a sort of Buddhist rosary) written support and chanting. Also the inside of the temple, with its colorful setting, suggest an active and highly ritualized, modality of Meditation, typical of Vajrayana Buddhism. On the contrary, the Meditation of the Zen monks in the second image is very essential, characterized by silence and stillness of body and mind. Also the inside of the Zen temple reflects such simplicity. For more information on Zen, see Buddhism Module II, sections 3 and 4.

Source 2 Transfer of Merit

First image is the The 'Great Stupa' at Sanchi is the oldest stone structure in India. Its nucleus is a simple hemispherical brick structure built over the relics of the Buddha. It is crowned by  a parasol-like structure symbolising high rank, which was intended to honour and shelter the relics. the second image is a Pagoda, whose origin  can be traced to the Stupa. Pagodas emerged as a distinctive style of Nepalese architecture and was readily adopted in Southeast and East Asia. The pagoda's original purpose was to house relics and sacred Buddhist writings but today the Pagoda's architecture can serve diverse purposes. Nonetheless Pagodas are present virtually in every Monastery in East Asia. Image n° 2 is a classical example of a five-story Buddhist Pagoda.

For further information about the Great Stupa of Sanchi:

http://personal.carthage.edu/jlochtefeld/buddhism/sanchi/intro.html

Intercultural and interdisciplinary information

In the common understanding of Buddhism in the West it is often said that Meditation has always been the core practice in Buddhism. However, historically it has been practiced mostly in Monasteries, not because it was generally restricted to the monks, but because of its difficulty. In fact, a devote farmer in medieval Sri Lanka, for example, could hardly afford to practice meditation and neglect his crops. The practices for earning Karmic Merit (see above), rather than Meditation, has been more common among lay people in traditional Buddhist countries. In modern time, however, Meditation became a widespread practice also among lay people, especially in the West. See also Buddhism Module II p. 6.

Link to other  Modules

Buddhism Module II Diffusion in the World sections 2, 3 and 6.