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How you should consider what do to depends on your situation. Have you converted to Buddhism? Do you believe in an all powerful God? If you haven't converted to Buddhism and still believe in a God and are just adopting Buddhist practices because you find that they give you wellbeing I wouldn't worry about it too much. But if you are trying to work out the ...
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This is a good question; if the monks can confess their "sins", why can't lay people?
On the one hand, monastic confession is a product of the rigidity of monastic practice, which requires some formal means of realignment. But on the other hand, reaffirming one's determination to keep precepts is a great practice for all Buddhists.
The standard practice ...
6
Chogyam Trungpa spoke about theistic vs. non-theistic perspective:
For most people, God is a dualistic concept. Meaning, for a typical person the unspoken assumption is: "I am here and God is over there". So when I think about God, when I speak to God -- I inevitably imagine some power outside of myself. It is in this power that I place hope for good life ...
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Once an offering is made to the Buddha, it becomes the property of the Buddha, the person who offers it no longer has the ownership. However, Buddha is no longer present to consume them, so the place must be cleaned before things become messy.
In Theravada, the common practice is according to the Dakkhinavibhanga sutta commentary. However, I wasn't able to ...
5
Buddhists usually cremate the bodies. But there's no Buddhist funeral law. You may or may not bath before, after or during the funeral if you see any health benefit to it.
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Yes. The "original tradition" i.e. of the time of the Buddha himself, did not have a lot of the rituals and customs that are practised today.
There was some recitation of the Dhamma and Vinaya, but it did not amount to liturgical chanting in the Buddha's time. Certainly, monks did not chant for blessing, in the Buddha's time. Recitation was just a form of ...
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The experience I have of confession within Buddhism is mostly within the context of a ritual. I practice with the Triratna Buddhist and in one of our more lengthy rituals we have a section on confession of faults part of which goes
The evil that I have heaped up
Through my ignorance and foolishness –
Evil in the world of everyday experience,
...
4
Sadhu, Nyom. What ever day, is a good day to show respect toward the ancestors, to give Alms to the Sangha to benefit them, to listen to the Dhamma by your self.
Don't forget, if it had not been done in the past by your ancestors you would not ever had met the Dhamma.
Of what one should not miss when giving: Sila, virtue, what ever dedicating, is just the ...
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Clinging to rites and rituals
It is mis-belief in something miracle and shortcut. It is mis-belief in worshipping the creator or god can bring the worshipper's liberation/salvation. It is something one is throwing away own efforts and nurturing own knowledge and wisdom. It is just mis-belief in some powerful beings (god) or some powerful things (fire [in ...
3
It is also often given as gifts to volunteers or lay members of the temple who can/will use it. It is a gesture of kindness/compassion, as well as giving a blessing to that persons body in the form of food, at least that is how it seems when my Sifu gives fruit to myself and others.
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I like to make the following points (from a Theravada standpoint.):
Sañcetanika Sutta and Loṇa,phala Sutta deals with how Karma can be eradicated or results can be limited.
If you have done a large amount of +ve Karma then a litter -ve Karma has limited effect
Your Karma ceases to exist when you experience the result. This is something you want to avoid if ...
answered Sep 15 '15 at 16:36
Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena
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3
My answer refers to Tibetan Buddhism, I am not sure whether the same applies to other traditions.
Eye opening ritual is the final stage of a statue filling ritual. A newly bought statue is hollow inside and its base can be opened with a tool. If one sells an already filled statue, it is a good practice to ask in what circumstances it has been filled.
...
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See pages 96-97 of Piya Tan's essay:
The Saṁyutta Commentary paraphrases the significance of the two verses, thus (as the Buddha’s
arrière pensée):
Though I have stood for such a long time waiting for alms, you would not give even a spoonful;
but now that I have revealed all the Buddha-qualities to you as though spreading out sesamum
...
2
In Thailand you can take to the Abbot in a temple. They will do a blessing and open the eye. I have one Buddha I took to the temple In Koh Phangan and the Abbot actually drew on the Buddhas eyes and also applied powder to the base. Other temples have simply blessed and made chants.
Most importantly is they way you feel about your Buddha and how you respect ...
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An archetypal Christian prayer is this one, from the Garden of Gethsemane:
And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.
You were asking about "wrong view".
My personal opinion is that there are not bad sentiments in this prayer:
"take away this cup from me" --...
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I do not know of a sutta where the Buddha suggested ritual. (There may be one; I just don't know of it.) But I do know of a sutta where the Buddha guided a follower to understand that ritual is ineffective. In SN 42.6, Paccha-bhumika Sutta: [Brahmans] of the Western Land the Buddha gave 4 examples of crowds trying to affect an outcome with rituals. Here are ...
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In a sense, this series of questions is probably too broad to be answered in this format. Given Buddhism's 2,558 year history, it's rich and varied traditions, and it's spread throughout Asia and much of the world outside of Asia, Buddhism's history is not homogeneous. It's been adopted by many different cultures and each of those cultures adds it's own ...
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Chanting and good thoughts of the monks (even any other being) generate positive vibes. The string is used as a better means of conducting the vibration than may be air. (If you attach a tin to the end of two string and you speak into one you can hear the voice in the other.) Generally the string is wrapped around a vessel of water which cases the water to ...
answered Jan 18 '15 at 7:32
Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena
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2
While the recital continues there will be found a pot of water placed
on a table before the monks. On this table there is also a sacred
thread (pirit nula). For an all night pirit ceremony the casket
containing a relic of the Buddha, and the Pirit Potha or The Book of
Protection written on ola leaves, are also brought into the pavilion.
The relic represents ...
2
Sīlabbata-parāmāsa: Attachment to rites and rituals
I struggle with this one but I think the key word here is attachment. Coffee, tea, cell phones: at what level is the attachment? Being aware of avoiding extreme approaches to these words would be wise in this context. Which means pursuing "no rituals" could become a ritual.
Be cautious, avoidance ...
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Siddhi - a paranormal power possessed by a siddha – is a true phenomenon. These are certain by-products of the practice itself. But just as gain, respect and fame can become obstacles to liberation, so, too, can such siddhi. Such phenomena are categorized under the Tenth Army of Mara. A battle faced by meditation masters, this last army is perhaps the most ...
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Siddhis only occur in people/minds with an underlying disposition for siddhis. For example, the famous arahant disciple & jhana master Sariputta did not have siddhis.
Enemies of the Buddha, such as Mara & Devadatta, had siddhis. Christians & Hindus have siddhis.
Siddhis are a supernormal yet mundane worldly phenomena, unrelated to Buddhist ...
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Generally, we invite Sangha for a meal.
After the meal, they chant some blessings.
In Sri Lanka, we have overnight Pirith chanting in the new house.
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Bath after funeral is proper, if bath make wholesome consciousness arise.
But bath after funeral is not proper, if bath make unwholesome consciousness arise.
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This article about Buddhism in Japan mentions visiting temples, having an altar, saying grace, and greetings.
Some traditional Japanese arts have Buddhist influences or applications: including flower arranging and gardens -- and calligraphy.
A zafu.
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Are there any rituals in Buddhism?
Culturally there is. E.g. Kandy Esala Perahera. Even morality or even service or even generosity sometimes maybe in the form f a rite or ritual. There can be some merit in doing something as a rite or ritual but the results are not the best you can reap. Dana Maha-p,phala Sutta discusses this in the context of generosity. (...
answered Jan 13 '16 at 7:38
Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena
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1
There is a sutta (can't find it now) documenting a case when someone asked Buddha about posthumous prayers helping a sinful person obtain better rebirth and his reply basically was that this was like throwing a heavy rock into a lake and chanting "swim good rock, swim" :))
So here is your Theravada answer :)
Now, Ulambana Sutra is a Mahayana sutra and as ...
1
The coarser or more general context:
It's about not being attached to symbolic rites and rituals or taking them to be literally true.
For e.g. from SN 7.21:
The Buddha said to Sangarava:
“Is it really true, brahmin, that you practice purification by water,
believing in purification by water; that you live committed to the
practice of immersing yourself in ...
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