Buddhism: Practices | OCR GCSE Religious Studies (J625)
Buddhism: Practices
- 78 questions
- 6 subtopics
- Group 1 papers
- Group 1 papers
Buddhism: Practices is examined in Component Group 1, the Buddhism beliefs and teachings & practices paper (J625/04), if Buddhism is one of the two religions studied.
It covers Buddhist worship: puja, chanting, mantras and offerings, Buddhist meditation: samatha, vipassana, zazen and visualisation, Buddhist temples, shrines, pilgrimage sites and retreats, the Buddhist Sangha: monastic and lay, Buddhist festivals: Wesak, Vassa, Uposatha and more and Buddhist death rites and mourning.
Sample questions from Buddhism: Practices
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Buddhist worship: puja, chanting, mantras and offerings
What is a mantra?
Show the answer
A mantra is a sacred sound or phrase repeated to focus the mind. Tibetan Buddhists chant Om mani padme hum, the mantra of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. -
Buddhist worship: puja, chanting, mantras and offerings
Why do Tibetan Buddhists offer bowls of water?
Show the answer
Tibetan Buddhists set out seven bowls of water as offerings to the Buddha. Water is freely available, so it can be given without greed or loss. -
Buddhist meditation: samatha, vipassana, zazen and visualisation
What is vipassana meditation?
Show the answer
Vipassana means insight. The meditator observes body and mind closely to see anicca, dukkha and anatta directly. -
Buddhist meditation: samatha, vipassana, zazen and visualisation
What is visualisation meditation?
Show the answer
Visualisation means building a detailed mental image of a Buddha or bodhisattva, such as Tara. Tibetan Buddhists aim to take on the qualities of the figure visualised. -
Buddhist temples, shrines, pilgrimage sites and retreats
Why is Bodh Gaya important to Buddhists?
Show the answer
Bodh Gaya is where Siddhattha gained Enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. Pilgrims visit the Mahabodhi Temple and meditate beneath a descendant of the original tree. -
Buddhist temples, shrines, pilgrimage sites and retreats
What are the meditation, teaching and fearlessness mudras?
Show the answer
The meditation mudra rests both hands in the lap. The teaching mudra forms a wheel with the fingers, and the fearlessness mudra raises an open palm. -
The Buddhist Sangha: monastic and lay
What is the alms round?
Show the answer
The alms round is the early-morning walk on which monks receive food from lay people. The exchange gives the monks their meal and gives the lay people merit. -
The Buddhist Sangha: monastic and lay
What is the position of women's ordination in Theravada Buddhism today?
Show the answer
The Theravada order of nuns died out in Sri Lanka around the 11th century. Full ordination of women was revived from 1996, but Thailand's Sangha still does not recognise it.
The 6 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Buddhist worship: puja, chanting, mantras and offerings | Bowing before Buddha images, chanting in Pure Land and Nichiren practice, malas, shrine offerings and Tibetan water bowls, worship in the temple and at home, and how devotion relates to ending dukkha. | 13 |
| Buddhist meditation: samatha, vipassana, zazen and visualisation | The aim of calm meditation, metta bhavana, how insight and calm work together, Rinzai koans, mindfulness, links to the Eightfold Path, differing emphases between groups, and Dhammapada 273–276. | 13 |
| Buddhist temples, shrines, pilgrimage sites and retreats | The vihara and the gompa, what a shrine contains, Bodh Gaya and Sarnath, the four main sites, why Buddhists go on pilgrimage, the mudras and features of Buddha images, and retreats. | 13 |
| The Buddhist Sangha: monastic and lay | The Sangha as a Jewel, monastic and lay roles, the alms round, the Ten Precepts and full ordination, the founding of the nuns' order, the garudhammas, women's ordination today, and Dhammapada 360–369. | 13 |
| Buddhist festivals: Wesak, Vassa, Uposatha and more | How Wesak is celebrated, Hanamatsuri and its story, the origin of Vassa and lay observance of it, the purpose of Uposatha days, Parinirvana Day, Lama Tsong Khapa Day, and local culture's influence. | 13 |
| Buddhist death rites and mourning | The six realms, Theravada funerals and the water-pouring ceremony, the Tibetan Book of the Dead and the bardo, Obon and the story behind it, local customs, impermanence, and Dhammapada 37 and 170–171. | 13 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
OCR GCSE Religious Studies Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,800 questions with their answers.