Places of Worship
Religious Studies A: AQA GCSE Religions, topic 1.2.1
Worship
Worship can be at home or at a temple for Buddhists, as communal temple worship is not essential. Buddhists usually have a room as a shrine in their home with a statue or painting, candles, an incense burner or Buddha.
Temples
- The Pure Land of Buddha is represented by Temples, that are designed to promote inner and outer peace.
- They are designed to symbolise the five elements of Air, Earth, Fire, Water and Wisdom.
- Temples face the east towards the rising sun.
- The shrine room contains a image/statue of the Buddha and often the bodhisattvas.
- Learning is very important in Buddhism therefore temples also have a library.
Viharas
- Viharas are Buddhist monasteries.
- Since Buddhism has developed, the word has come to mean a building with living quarters for monks around a courtyard.
Other places of worship
- Stupas (shrines), are sealed cone-shaped buildings with relics, usually the remains of the Buddha (like the Shrine of the Tooth in Sri Lanka). People walk around them as ritual practice.
- Gompas ('remote places') are composite buildings in Tibet containing a vihara, a university and fortifications.
- Pagoda is a Chineses development of a stupa, intended to house relics and sacred writings.
- A 'Wat' is a sacred area for Buddhists with a vihara, a temple and large image of the Buddha, with three resident bhikkhus.
Test yourself on Places of Worship
What are temples designed to symbolise?
From which country has the Pagoda developed?
What is found in a Wat?