Event Category: Wesak

From the critically acclaimed BBC Two and iPlayer series Pilgrimage follows well known personalities of differing faiths and beliefs on a personal journey of discovery as they tackle some of the most famous walking routes across the UK and Europe. In this series the Pilgrims go to Wales in Pilgrimage The Road Through North Wales.

The Pilgrims talk about the Buddhist view of life after death with Lama Shenpen at a Buddhist hermitage. Christine, Sonali and Eshaan reflect on her words.

See the whole episode on on iPlayer here.

Transcript

Pilgrimage Moments: Buddhist Teachings

Narrator: Once back at the Hermitage, the pilgrims meet Lama Shenpen, its founder and spiritual leader at the stupa.

Lama Shenpen: So you could say that the stupa represents the center of the universe and the center of the universe could be anywhere or everywhere. So this is, if you like, a representation of it that actually contains the essence of it. So when we walk towards the stupa, we're walking to the center of the universe, which lies beyond all our thinking and opinions. It's considered to be radiating love and compassion, so it's considered to be very powerful. And the center of it is called a tree of life. Because really, in a way, Buddhism is about finding, well, what is the significance? What is life? What is birth? What is death? You could say, well, our life is a pilgrimage. We start with birth. You have this vision of a journey and the significance of your life. And then life ends. Your body dies. Yeah?

Spencer: Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you. I just have. I have a question. Yeah. I've always just felt that energy and people's energy. Because I believe you can feel the people's energy. Like it's a physical thing that you can feel. Why would the energy die with the body? So I've always assumed that, you know, when I take my last breath in this body that something will happen to my energy.

Lama Shenpen: Yeah. Other cultures would find it. Mad to think that actually, that's all that happened. It lasted one lifetime and then it disappeared. What are you talking about? You die, and then you just manifest again in another body, in another place, in another time.

Michaela Do you believe that you go from one body into another body, or is it just an energy that comes out and and circulates?

Lama Shenpen: I think one way you can think of it is it's more like the world we create collapses, and then we've got to start again with a another situation, which is our new life.

Eshaan: I sometimes feel like some of these ideas exist to give solace to the people that are left behind in a sense, like. But actually, we don't really know. Like, I don't know where my mum has gone. I have no idea. When I pray to her, I have no idea if she is in an afterlife. I'm just praying into the ether and hoping that she receives some of my energy or whatever it might be.

Lama Shenpen: It's beautiful, isn't it? There's an intuitive sense that there's a meaning to that. A lot of people do seem to find those ideas helpful.

Narrator: Lama Shenpen invites the pilgrims to take part in a ritual at the stupa.

Lama Shenpen: As we live our life, we actually are creating a story. That's our life. And then we're holding on to things that we think are us.

Narrator: The ritual helps nurture the path to spiritual awakening and enlightenment.

Lama Shenpen: In some ways. When we walk around the stupa, go on our pilgrimage around the stupa, we come back to where we started, but maybe with a different perspective.

Christine: As a mum. Of course. I don't ever want to leave this earth. I want to be around forever. To be with my children. Everything Lama explained made perfect sense. It was very much that. You know, your energy lives on. Okay your body might leave, but your soul and your energy is there. And that's amazing. That, for me is something that I want to believe in. That means we get to live on forever, doesn't it? I'm not scared of death anymore. I'm not scared of death.

Sonali: Lama Shenpen said that life is a pilgrimage and that no one has ever said to me. I've learnt that today and it's so right. I always say I'm of Jain origin. I'm not practicing. That term practicing kind of always, it's difficult for me because then I feel like I've got to prove I'm doing something concrete. And maybe today has just confirmed. Maybe I should just say I am Jain. And then whatever I do, my intention of living a good life with as much non-violence as possible is probably all right.

Eshaan: My mum felt like the centre of my universe, so I felt a real connection to this physical manifestation of centring of the universe. Every time I went round, I could feel my brain and my heart going. This is a new thing. So this was the first time where I got a sense that my stupa is missing, which is why I feel this way. I feel like I'm floating through the universe without anything to anchor me.

Lama Shenpen: Thank you.

All Pilgrims: Thank you so much.

Michaela: That was beautiful.

Pilgrimage Moments: Buddhist Teachings

Video length - 05.45

Published date - Jun 2025

Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

Climate change is a global pressing issue. It affects everyone, irrespective of their religious beliefs. But in this film we are focusing on the viewpoints on the climate crisis from the Buddhist community. How does Buddhism tackle climate change and what are some of the steps they are taking help alleviate the problems we are facing.

Transcript

Climate Change: Buddhism

Sean: A Zen Buddhist is a tradition of Buddhism where there's a focus predominantly on meditation. The word Zen actually comes from a Sanskrit word, dhyana, and a Chinese word, chan, and it means meditation. So it's practicing Buddhism through meditation. Zen Buddhism Buddhism in general is not particularly a belief system. So Buddhism itself is kind of some guiding principles that are about people discovering their true nature. And the end result of that is to try and end suffering. So Buddha taught that life. Life is suffering. It contains suffering, old age, illness and death, and that there is a path through practice, through meditation, through how we live, whereby we can bring an end to the suffering we might experience. That doesn't mean that we won't die, but it means that we don't need to actually suffer. There is no distinction between it being the suffering of humans, or the suffering of plants, or the suffering of animals. As a practitioner of Zen Buddhism, my aim, as grand as it might seem, is to end the suffering of all beings. So you can't practice that without being concerned about nature.

David: Basically, from a Buddhist point of view. Humans and nature are completely interdependent, but isn't very much about that. All things are interdependent with each other. So if we if we harm the natural world, we are harming ourselves. If we take care of the natural world, then we're taking care of ourselves. It's very simple. Of course, the Buddha, when he became enlightened, he was meditating underneath a tree. So he had great respect for trees. And actually, in a lot of Buddhist countries, there are Buddhist movements protecting trees and protecting rivers and things. It's always been very important in Buddhism. We follow Tibetan Buddhist traditions, Himalayan Buddhist tradition. It's a very, very fragile ecosystem there. So the people that are extremely environmentally conscious, and that's all part of, you know, the Buddhist practice.

Bell: What I was saying earlier in my meditation to myself is nothing is anyone's and everyone is each other's. And I think that's a pretty spiritual way of looking at nature, I guess the oneness of it. That's what I'm trying to say. That there's no distinction between nature and you and you and nature and me and you and. Yeah, we've made distinctions and it's not very helpful.

Sean: Buddhism and activism. There's been a lot written about it, so a term that resonates with me is Engaged Buddhism. So what can be a Buddhist and sit on a cushion and meditate and kind of hope that being a good person influences other people, and that will happen and it will ripple out. But then there is also a practice of saying, is that enough? Do you also need to get off the cushion and be visible and be a voice that stands up? So not taking life is one of the Buddhist precepts, but standing by while other life is taken isn't something that aligns with that either. So many Buddhists. Might struggle a bit. Finding the balance. There's a balance between doing something that is ultimately spiritual and something that's just very practical and worldly. But the two of them can't really be separated. My teacher's teacher describes Zen as a sword that cuts two into one. So this is about bringing the ordinary everyday world and the spiritual together and not seeing them as two separate things. So to be a good Zen Buddhist and a good Zen Buddhist teacher, which is what I try to be. You can't do that on your cushion alone. Do it on the cushion, and you do it out in the street and in the real world where people aren't, and certainly Extinction Rebellion Buddhists. It's a great family of people from all different Buddhist traditions who are aligned in that thinking that we must do more than just meditate at home.

Bell: The overlap between climate activists and Buddhists. Big Venn diagram, big overlap there. I actually didn't know about the Extinction Rebellion Buddhist group until yesterday, and I have morphed over to it. And I've really enjoyed it. I found it really powerful because I automatically feel a connection to other bidders, even if I don't know them. There's a mutual understanding I feel at home. And to add on top of that, that everyone's here because they care about the climate. A lot of Buddhist ethics are about not doing harm, acting with deeds of loving kindness, being generous, being kind, being acting with integrity and authenticity. All of these things are the kind of things that everyone here is displaying, not just the Buddhists. I think Buddhists can bring something to climate activism that is needed. And I think that's this really beautiful way that we can display how we're channeling rage and anger into a peaceful and calm way of doing it.

David: I think it's everybody's responsibility to look after the planet. We can't leave it to the government because the government is just a really projection of the mind of all the people. So if people are not being environmentally conscious, we're not going to get an environmentally conscious government. Um, we all depend on each other. We depend on the animals, we depend on the plants, we depend on the whole ecosystem. Um, and we can't there's nobody up there who's going to do it for us. So unless everybody takes responsibility, it's not going to happen.

Climate Change: Buddhism

Video length - 06.08

Published date - Apr 2024

Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

A young Buddhist called Hivin guides us through how he meditates at his local London Vihara.

Curriculum Mapping

Component 1: The study of religions: beliefs, teaching and practices: Buddhism - Different forms of Buddhist worship/meditation - Different forms of worship/meditation and their significance. - Meditation

Area of Study 1 – Buddhism- Section 1: Buddhist Beliefs - Section 3: Living the Buddhist Life- Meditation: the nature, purpose and significance of meditation in Buddhism

Component Group 1 - Buddhism-Belief sand teachings & Practice - Practices - Worship •The role and significance of different forms of worship including: •• Meditation •• Chanting •• Puja and devotional ritual •• Mantra •• Malas •• Offerings •• The significance of worship in the temple •• The significance of worship in the home •The purpose of devotional ritual

2.1 Unit 1 - Buddhism - Core beliefs, teachings and practices - Practices Meditation Practices  Significance and importance of meditation (Dhammapada 282)  Types of meditation – breathing (samatha)  Loving kindness (mettabhavana)  Insight meditation (vipassana)

2.3 Component 3 (Route A) - Option 1: Buddhism - Practices Meditation ➢ The significance of meditation; Dhammapada 282, Surangama Sutra ➢ Mindfulness of breathing (samatha meditation) ➢ Loving kindness (mettabhavana meditation) ➢ Insight meditation (vipassana meditation) ➢ The importance and role of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas; example of Gautama Buddha (enlightenment through meditation). Buddhas and bodhisattvas as the focus of devotion and meditation

Transcript

Holy Cribs: Meditation

Hivin: Buddhists like me call worship puja, and the most important kind of puja we do is meditation. Meditation is concentrating or thinking deeply about something, and it helps us to learn how our minds work so we can be more like the Buddha and see the world for what it is and live happier lives. It sounds simple and it sort of is... but it's really difficult to do it well.

There are two main kinds of Buddhist meditation. Samatha is about calming and stilling your thoughts getting into a peaceful and clear state of mind. Vipassana means insight, and this is the main aim of Buddhism. Being able to see things clearly, seeing them for what they are and then being able to let go, because they don't really matter. There are different ways to meditate, but this is how I do it.

You sit down cross-legged, put one hand above another, and then you breathe in and out. Breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth, and then you control your breathing. The meditation that we do in here is 'loving-kindness' meditation. You go through the five precepts, which is guidance given by the Buddha in order to live a noble and purposeful life. And then you give blessings to your family, to your friends, to your loved one, to your neighbours. Then we have five minutes of silence where you contemplate on your breathing and your thoughts and really try and clear your mind of any neighbouring thoughts.

Buddhism: Meditation

Video length - 02.20

Published date - May 2023

Keystage(s) - 2, 3 and 4

Downloadable resources

A young Buddhist called Hivin shows us how he uses chanting when he worships at his local London Vihara.

Curriculum Mapping

Component 1: The study of religions - beliefs, teaching and practices: Buddhism- Meditation, the different aims, significance and methods of meditation - Samatha (concentration and tranquillity) including mindfulness of breathing.

Area of Study 3 – Buddhism- Section 3: Living the Buddhist Life- Chanting: the nature, purpose and role of chanting in Buddhism as a devotional practice and to gain mental concentration including Dhammapada 1–2, confidence and joy; the divergent understandings of the importance of chanting in Buddhist life today, with reference to Theravada Buddhism, including Tiratana: Dhammapada 190, and Mahayana Buddhism, including Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Transcript

Holy Cribs: Chanting

Hivin: When Buddhists like me worship - what we call puja - we often use chanting instead of the songs or hymns you might get in other religions. The chants we use are short phrases called sutras, which come from our holy books, and they're in an ancient language called Pali, which was spoken when the Buddha was alive, over 2500 years ago. Chanting helps me to get into the right frame of mind to meditate.

(Chanting)

First, I'm concentrating on the words, but as I repeat them, the words become less important than the sounds. And then if I'm doing it right, I even forget about the sounds, and my mind is free from all other thoughts.

(Chanting)

Now my meditation can begin.

Buddhism: Chanting

Video length - 01.35

Published date - May 2023

Keystage(s) - 2, 3 and 4

Downloadable resources

Holy Cribs: The Vihara

A young Buddhist called Hivin welcomes TrueTube to his Vihara in West London. We’re given the full tour while learning about Buddhist beliefs and worship, and even get to see the monks who live there.

Curriculum Mapping

Component 1: The study of religions - beliefs, teaching and practices: Buddhism - The nature, use and importance of Buddhist places of worship - Temples, shrines, monasteries (viharas), halls for meditation or learning (gompas) and their key features including Buddha rupa, artefacts and offerings.

Area of Study 3 – Buddhism - Section 3: Living the Buddhist Life - Features of Buddhist places of worship: the divergent nature, history and design of Buddhist places of worship, including temples, gompas, viharas, shrines in Theravada, Mahayana and Triratna Buddhism; how and why the places of worship are used, including reference to the shrine room, shrine facing east, and the library, showing the importance learning, including reference to the Kimsila Sutta. Puja: The nature and purpose of puja in the vihara and the home, including reference to Mangala Sutta; examples of the different types; when each type might be used and why; the importance of having different types of worship and their use in different Buddhist contexts.

Component Group 1–Beliefs and teachings & Practices - Buddhism-Practices - Sacred and significant places and spaces for Buddhists •The importance ,features and functions of: •• Temples •• Gompas and viharas •• Shrines •• Sites of pilgrimage •• Artefacts and offerings •• Retreats •The events that take place in different significant places, including Bodh Gayaand the Deer Park at Sarnath •The meaning and significance of key artefacts and offerings made at different significant places,includingthedifferentimages of the Buddha and his hand positions( mudras) • The purpose and form of retreats • The importance of undertaking pilgrimages • Common and divergent emphases placed on significant places and spaces by different Buddhist groups, including the role and importance of retreats •Different interpretations and emphases given to sources of wisdom and authority by different Buddhist groups

2.1 Unit 1 PART A - Part A - Buddhism - Core beliefs, teachings and practices - Practices Places of 'Worship' and Puja  The importance of features and functions of a vihara/home shrine  Diversity of practices in Theravada and Mahayana puja (Buddha, buddhas, bodhisattvas, mudras, mantras, mandalas)  Dana (giving) – opportunity to make offerings of food to monks.  Examples of the work of sanghas in Wales (Swansea, Cardiff, Raglan)

2.3 Component 3 (Route A) - Option 1: Buddhism - Practices - Buddhist places of worship in Britain and elsewhere ➢ The importance of features and functions of temples and viharas; statues, shrines, stupa and meditation area. Mahayana and Theravada Buddhist temples in Britain compared to those in countries where Buddhism is widely practised. ➢ Offerings: food, light, flowers, incense, offerings of food to monks (dana)

Transcript

Holy Cribs: The Vihara

Hivin: Hello and welcome to the London Buddhist Vihara. My name is Hivin and I'm a Buddhist. My religion is called Buddhism and our holy building is often called a temple, but the proper name for it is a vihara. And I'm going to show you around. Come on in. The first thing we do is take off our shoes and leave them on this rack. We do this to keep the inside of the building as clean as possible, as a symbol of purity. A vihara is a Buddhist monastery, a place where Buddhist monks live and we do have monks living here. The proper name for a monk is a bhikkhu. Bhikkhus are people who have decided to devote themselves into a spiritual life of simplicity and meditation. Come with me. This is a shrine room. It's the most important part of a vihara or any Buddhist temple. We come here to do puja, which means worship, and to meditate in front of a shrine which contains a statue of the Buddha. The Buddha is not a god. He was a man named Siddhartha Gautama, a royal prince who lived in Nepal about 2500 years ago. The title Buddha means enlightened one or awakened one because we believe that he discovered the truth about the world, how to live a happier and better life. We follow the Buddhist teachings, what we call the dhamma, and we give offerings of flowers, candles, incense, fruit and rice to a statue to show our respect for him. During puja, everyone sits on the floor as a sign of humility and equality. There might be clean sheets spread out on the floor or mats or cushions for people to sit on, so we are comfortable and ready to begin. We often chant words or phrases called sutras, which come from our holy books. This helps us to get into the right frame of mind for meditation, which is a very important part of Buddhism.

Meditation is concentrating or thinking deeply, and there are lots of different ways to do it. Meditation helps us to learn how our minds work so we can be like the Buddha and see the world for what it is and how to be happier. I can't control what goes on out there, but I can learn to control what goes on in here. We use bells to start or end a meditation and they can come in lots of different shapes and sizes. Like this bowl shaped one here. These are used because if I hit it. The sound goes on for ages, getting quieter and quieter, and I love it. It really helps me calm down and concentrate on my meditation. Buddhism has a lot of symbols to help us remember the dhamma, the Buddhist teachings, and to help us meditate. The eight spoked wheel is probably the most important and the best known. It's called the Dhamma Wheel, and it represents the noble Eightfold Path; eight principles that the Buddha taught us to live by: Right Understanding; Right Thought; Right Speech; Right Action; Right Livelihood; Right Effort; Right Mindfulness; and Right Concentration. This is a stupa. Really big ones are put up in places that are special to Buddhists, like where the Buddha was born or died or visited. Sometimes there are holy books or holy objects inside. For instance, things that used to belong to the Buddha, like clippings of his hair. Little stupas like this may also have something inside, but the shape itself has lots of different meanings. The eight rings around the top are another reminder of the Eightfold Path, which points towards the sky to symbolise the journey towards enlightenment. Which is when you know the truth about the world like the Buddha did. Some

Buddhists use a prayer wheel. It has sutras, words from a holy books, written around the outside and you hold the handle and spin it around. As it turns, the words are spread out into the air to bless everyone around. You sometimes get big ones to touch the walls or even turned by windmills or water wheels. Sutras are also written or printed onto flags which are hung up outside so that the wind can carry the blessings away to everyone. And we also have the stripey flag. The colours all have a meaning. Blue stands for peace and compassion. Yellow for the dhamma. Red for blessing. White for purity. Orange for wisdom. And all five together stand for unity. Mandala means circle or centre. Some Buddhists use these patterns to help them meditate. They are full of symbols with lots of different meanings. You see lotus flowers a lot in Buddhist art. Lotus flowers symbolise purity because they grow out of the mud at the bottom of lakes and rivers and float above it all, looking beautiful. It reminds us to be pure in an impure world. Welcome to our library. We have lots of holy books and books about the holy books. The most important are called the Tripitaka because that's where we find the teachings of the Buddha. My favourite is called the Dhammapada. These books were originally written in Pali, which was a language that used to be spoken during Buddha's time. And traditionally they were written on palm leaves. So we get these old odd shaped books with long, thin pages. And this is our meeting hall. We have lots of events here, like festivals and fundraisers for charity. Everything we do in the vihara is to help the Sangha, the community, and to support the bhikkhus who teach us and help us to become better Buddhists. Thanks for coming. You're welcome anytime. Bye.

Holy Cribs: The Vihara

Video length - 06.38

Published date - May 2023

Keystage(s) - 2, 3 and 4

Downloadable resources

A Day in the Life of a Buddhist Monk – Say hello to Manapo. He’s a Buddhist Monk, and TrueTube followed him around with a camera to find out what he does all day.

A Day in the Life of a Buddhist Monk

Video length - 08.46

Published date - Sep 2017

Keystage(s) - 3

Downloadable resources

Charlie and Blue Learn about Enlightenment – Zippity-zip, let’s go on a trip! Charlie and her favourite soft toy (and best friend) Blue visit a Buddhist Centre to find out what it means to be enlightened, and how Buddhists try to live more peaceful lives.

Charlie and Blue Learn about Enlightenment

Video length - 5.50

Published date - May 2016

Keystage(s) - 1

Downloadable resources

Alien Abduction: Buddhism – Orbiting Earth at this very moment, the alien survey ship “Pantheon” is abducting people to collect data about their belief systems. Srivati is beamed into the interrogation chamber to answer questions about Buddhism.

Curriculum Mapping

TrueTube films are designed for use in a number of ways. Some ideas of where this film could link to your curriculum are below:

AQA Component 1 - The nature, use and importance of Buddhist places of worship - Temples, shrines, monasteries (viharas), halls for meditation or learning (gompas) and their key features including Buddha rupa, artefacts and offerings. Puja - The significance and role of puja/devotional ritual, including chanting, mantra recitation, use of malas. Meditation, the different aims, significance and methods of meditation - Samatha (concentration and tranquillity) including mindfulness of breathing. Festivals and retreats and their importance to Buddhists in Great Britain today, including the celebrat-ions, origins and significance of - Wesak Ethical teaching - Kamma (karma) and rebirth. Compassion (karuna), Loving kindness (metta).

Beliefs and teachings and practices -The relationship between beliefs and practices in Buddhism. Religious, philosophical and ethical studies in the modern world: Theme B - Religion and life - The origins and value of human life - Religious teachings, beliefs and attitudes about death and an afterlife.

Edexcel Living the Buddhist Life - Meditation: the nature, purpose and significance of meditation in Buddhism; the different types of meditation: samatha (concentration), metta bhavana (loving kindness) and vipassana (insight); meditative practices, including mindfulness breathing and zazen; divergent understanding of the nature and importance of visualisation of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas, including Amitāyus Meditation Sutra; how the different practices are used by Mahayana and Theravada Buddhists and the benefits from their use. Puja: The nature and purpose of puja in the vihara and the home, including reference to Mangala Sutta; examples of the different types; when each type might be used and why; the importance of having different types of worship and their use in different Buddhist contexts. Area of Study 1 – Buddhism - Section 1: Buddhist Beliefs - Buddhist ethical teachings: divergent Buddhist understandings of the nature, purpose and importance of kamma, including Dhammapada 181–187 and the Khuddakapatha, merit and rebirth, karuna (compassion), metta (loving kindness), pancha sila (the five precepts) and the paramitas (six perfections); the divergent applications of each of these ethical teachings in Buddhist life today.

OCR Buddhism-Beliefs and teachings & Practices (J625/04) - Buddha and Enlightenment • The life of Buddha •• The early life of Buddha •• The Four Sights •• Defeat of Mara •• Enlightenment •• Nibbana • Issues related to the life of Buddha, including the importance of Buddha for Buddhists in the modern world • Common and divergent emphases placed on the life of Buddha by different Buddhist groups •Different interpretations and emphases given to sources of wisdom and authority by different Buddhist groups

WJEC 2.1 Unit 1 PART A - Part A Christianity - Core beliefs, teachings and practices - Practices - Morality  Divine command/absolutist and situational/relativist approaches to ethical decision making  Teachings of Jesus (Matthew 7:13-14 Matthew 25:31-46)  Love / agapé (Luke 10:25-37; John 13:34-35)  Forgiveness (Matthew 6:5-13; Matthew 18:21-22; Luke 23:34 Matthew 5:43-44)  Treasures on earth / in Heaven (Matthew 6:19-21; Luke 16:19-31)

Eduqas Component 3: Study of a World Faith - Option 1:Buddhism - Beliefs and teachings - The Buddha ➢ Stories of his early life: pre-birth, birth, prophecy, palace ➢ The Four Sights: old age, sickness, death, the holy man ➢ His Enlightenment following renunciation and meditation The Dhamma/Dharma ➢ Dependent origination/conditionality (pratityasamutpada) ➢ Three Marks of Existence (lakshanas);Suffering/unsatisfactoriness (dukkha), impermanence (anicca); no fixed self, essence or soul (anatta): The Story of Nagasena and the Chariot (The Milindapanha) The Four Noble Truths ➢ Suffering (dukkha); types and causes of suffering; Three Poisons (ignorance, greed, hatred): Dhammapada 1, 5 Interpretations of nirvana, samsara and enlightenment; Practices - Buddhist places of worship in Britain and elsewhere ➢ The importance of features and functions of temples and viharas; statues, shrines, stupa and meditation area. Mahayana and Theravada Buddhist temples in Britain compared to those in countries where Buddhism is widely practised. ➢ Offerings: food, light, flowers, incense, offerings of food to monks (dana) Meditation ➢ The significance of meditation; Dhammapada 282, Surangama Sutra ➢ Mindfulness of breathing (samatha meditation) ➢ Loving kindness (mettabhavana meditation) ➢ Insight meditation (vipassana meditation) ➢ The importance and role of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas; example of Gautama Buddha (enlightenment through meditation). Buddhas and bodhisattvas as the focus of devotion and meditation Devotional practices ➢ The role and significance of chanting; chanting the Triratna (importance of Three Jewels): Dhammapada 190 ➢ Use of malas to count mantras or breaths in meditation (Japanese and Tibetan forms of Buddhism) ➢ Role of mantra recitation to evoke enlightenment ➢ Significance of puja – indevotional ritual in different Buddhist contexts; veneration rather than worship. Use of mudras to identify with buddhas and bodhisattvas Death and mourning ➢ The significance of ceremonies and rituals associated with death and mourning as practised in Theravada communities: transferring to rebirth. Cremation practices and almsgiving

Transcript

Alien Abduction: Buddhism

Robot Survey ship Pantheon orbiting planet: Earth. Dominant life form: Human. Belief system: Various. More information required. Scanning for samples. Welcome to survey ship Pantheon, our mission is to investigate the culture of your planet, and you have been selected to represent your belief system. Please state your name.

Srivati Srivati.

Robot Religion.

Srivati Buddhist.

Robot Holy book.

Srivati We've got many holy books. Um, a particularly large collection is known as the Pali Canon. I like the Dhammapada.

Robot Holy building.

Srivati They go by different names, often Buddhist temple, Buddhist Vihara. We call ours the Buddhist centre.

Robot Symbol.

Srivati The eight spoked wheel. That represents eight excellent teachings on how to lead a good Buddhist life.

Robot You will now be asked a series of questions from the categories on screen. You have 30 of your Earth seconds to provide a satisfactory answer to each one. Failure to comply will result in matter dispersal. Are you ready?

Srivati As I'll ever be.

Robot Stand by. Choose the first category.

Srivati Well, let's start with God.

Robot What do you believe about God?

Srivati Well, I've not been taught, we're not taught in Buddhism that there there is a god. Some people think that we see our Buddha as a god, but he was a human being. Just a very extra special one. Life after death.

Robot What do you believe will happen to humans after death?

Srivati I believe, along with most Buddhists, that when we die, our body is finished. We can cremate or bury it, but that our consciousness, that's like our thoughts and feelings, that can take rebirth in a new human body. And it makes a difference how we've behaved in this life, so if I'm full of anger and getting annoyed and being impatient, then I won't have such a good life in the sense that there'll be plenty of problems for me to deal with, but if I'm practising patience, being kind, it'll turn out better. Beginnings.

Robot How did your religion begin?

Srivati It began 2500 years ago in northeastern India, with a man called Siddhartha Gautama. He was a prince, and he was really concerned about why there was so much and is so much suffering in the world. So he tried all kinds of things, trying to get answers and understanding. In the end, he gained enlightenment, which is hard to describe, but people were aware that he was so different. He became known as the Buddha, the fully awakened one, because he understood how things are. Everyday life.

Robot How does your religion affect everyday life?

Srivati Well, ideally it would affect every moment of daily life. Everything from what I say, what I do, even what I'm thinking, and there are lots of Buddhist teachings to help with that, including the Noble Eightfold Path, but especially the practice of the Five Precepts. For example, the first precept is about non-harm or non-violence, which means I'm vegetarian. Also really important is the practice of meditation, because that gives you a direct way of working with your mind, developing your awareness, and becoming more kind as well.

Srivati Festivals.

Robot What is the most important festival in your religion?

Srivati I think our most important festival is Buddha Day. In other parts of the world, it's called Wesak or Vaisakha and it's a celebration of when the Buddha gained his enlightenment. We do lots of different things on a day like that, we might meditate together, listen to a talk, definitely do a puja which is like Buddhist devotion, and that can include chanting mantras, making special offerings, for example, of flowers, candles and incense. And definitely it's a chance to come together as a spiritual community, which we call Sangha.

Srivati Rites of passage.

Robot How did you receive your name?

Srivati I received my name at my ordination ceremony. Ordination is like a training, and it's in order to become a more fully committed member of a particular Buddhist group. And the name itself has a meaning, so Srivati, my name, means she who is full of beauty, radiance and loveliness, which has always felt like a tall order, especially because it's about how positive I am, the more positive, patient, kind I am, the more lovely I'll be.

Srivati Random.

Robot Why do Buddhists shave their heads?

Srivati Well, as you can see, not all of us do. The shaven heads go with the people who practice in a monastic tradition. That means people who are known as monks and nuns. The nuns are the women, and they shave their heads basically to keep life really simple. That's how they manage their hair. And it also helps them from not getting vain about their appearance. So really, Buddhists can look all kinds of different ways. They may have hair or not. They wear may wear robes or not, just ordinary clothes. You can't necessarily recognise a Buddhist when you see one on the street.

Robot Thank you. Your answers are satisfactory. Matter dispersal beams powering down. You will now be returned to Earth, human. Goodbye.

Srivati Goodbye.

Alien Abduction: Buddhism

Video length - 6.09

Published date - Jul 2013

Keystage(s) - 3

Downloadable resources

The Enlightenment of the Buddha

Why do we get old, get ill and die? How can we escape from suffering? The story of how Prince Siddhartha Gautama left a life of luxury to embark on a search for the answers, and how he eventually became the Buddha – the Enlightened One.

Animation by Ceiren Bell

Curriculum Mapping

TrueTube films are designed for use in a number of ways. Some ideas of where this film could link to your curriculum are below:

AQA

Component 1: The study of religions - beliefs, teaching and practices: Buddhism - The Buddha’s life and its significance - The birth of the Buddha and his life of luxury.

Edexcel

Area of Study 1 – Section 1: Buddhist Beliefs -Buddhism -The life of the Buddha: the nature and history of the events in the life of the Buddha and why they are important to Buddhists today; including ancestry, birth, princely life, marriage, the Four Sights, including Buddhavamsa XXVI, the enlightenment of the Buddha and founding of the Sangha.

OCR

Buddhism-Beliefs and teachings & Practices (J625/04) - Buddha and Enlightenment • The life of Buddha •• The early life of Buddha •• The Four Sights •• Defeat of Mara •• Enlightenment •• Nibbana • Issues related to the life of Buddha, including the importance of Buddha for Buddhists in the modern world • Common and divergent emphases placed on the life of Buddha by different Buddhist groups •Different interpretations and emphases given to sources of wisdom and authority by different Buddhist groups

WJEC

2.1 Unit 1 PART A - Part A - Core beliefs, teachings and practices Beliefs - The Buddha The Teachings of the Buddha  Types of suffering (dukkha); causes of suffering (tanha); enlightenment as the end of suffering (nirodha);  Following the Eightfold Path as a way to end suffering (magga) (Dhammapada 1, 5)  The three sections of the Eightfold Path – Wisdom (panna) right understanding, right intention  Morality (sila) right speech, right action, right livelihood  Meditation (samadhi) right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration  Challenges of living according to Buddhist teachings

Eduqas

Component 3 (Route A) - Option 1: Buddhism - The Buddha ➢ Stories of his early life: pre-birth, birth, prophecy, palace ➢ The Four Sights: old age, sickness, death, the holy man ➢ His Enlightenment following renunciation and meditation

Transcript

The Enlightenment of the Buddha

And so the wheel turns. There's no escape from the wheel of life. There's no escape from suffering. Listen to me, Siddhartha. I am Mara, Lord of hell. I know what I'm talking about. But I've got to admire your determination. You've been sitting there for weeks hoping that a solution to life's problems will drop into your lap like a ripe fig. Give up now and save yourself the effort. Wiser men than you have tried and failed to find an answer. And you will fail too, Siddhartha. And so the wheel turns.

And yet it all looked so promising at the start. Born on the full moon of May, Prince Siddhartha Gautama. Asita, the seer, prophesied that you would grow up to be a great leader, either a king or a holy man. Of course, your father wanted you to be a king and reign after his death, not become some wandering fortune teller. So he decreed that you should live in luxury and never see the world of pain outside the palace, and so never see the need for religion.

And so the wheel turns. Silk and honeysuckle, sarangis and spice. Every sense was sated, but you still weren't satisfied. All you could do is ask questions. What is life? Why are we here? Is this all there is? And then one day you asked, what lies beyond the palace walls?

For the first time, you went out into the city, riding in a gilded carriage. But you wanted to see the city by yourself, so you escaped into the maze of alleyways, and you were horrified by what you saw. An old woman wrinkled, toothless and crooked. A man eaten up by disease, coughing and sweating, and covered in boils. Then by the banks of a river, a funeral procession. The dead body was carried to the water's edge and laid gently on a pile of wood. The family trailed behind, crying and wailing in their grief. You stayed until the pyre was lit, and watched as oily black smoke billowed to the sky. It was the end of your innocence. There is no point to life. All that happens is that you get old, get ill and die.

But on the way back to the palace, a holy man was sitting serenely at the side of the road, begging for alms. He had nothing, but he seemed at peace. Here, you thought, must be the answer. And so the wheel turns.

You left the palace in the dead of night and rode to the far reaches of the kingdom. You exchanged your robes for rags, and in a forest you found a group of five holy men. They were naked and dirty, unkempt and scrawny. They said that by making their bodies suffer, their spirits could be free. So you joined them and starved yourself until you were nothing but skull and sinew. Yet still there were no answers. And so the wheel turns.

A young woman came to give an offering to the forest gods, and thought she'd found a tree spirit. You took her food, and ate your fill, you gave up a life of comfort, and you gave up a life of suffering, but neither pleasure nor pain will give you the answer. And so the wheel turns through birth, youth, and to this moment, it will turn on through old age, illness and death. It will turn on through all your lives beyond, over and over again, in a never ending and meaningless cycle. And you will learn nothing. Experience will not give you the answer.

So, how long are you going to sit here? It's been 49 days. It's full moon again and the morning star is rising once more. What's this? A new idea forming. What's this fleeting thought I cannot grasp? It's there, on the edge of your consciousness. But getting closer. Show me. A middle way. What's that? You say life can never satisfy us because we always want more. You say the only way to achieve peace is to stop wanting. You say the answer is to sit at the centre of a wheel detached from the world that revolves around you. Only then can a person achieve peace. Brave words Siddhartha, but they are wasted. There is no one here to behold your enlightenment. No, the Earth itself is his witness. She conspires with Siddhartha to reject me. He has awoken. He is enlightened. He is the Buddha.