Worship often means praying to a god or gods. For Buddhists, the word 'worship' means to meditate, read from the holy books and honour the Buddha.
Buddhists can worship alone or in a group. They can worship at home, or they can come to a Buddhist temple.
This is the Buddhapadipa Temple in Wimbledon, south London. When people come to the temple, they usually worship in the shrine room. It's decorated with statues of the Buddha and paintings showing scenes from his life. These remind people of the Buddha's wisdom and teachings.
Before entering the shrine room, Buddhists remove their shoes as a way of showing respect. Inside there are no seats, so everyone sits on the floor. They put their hands together in greeting. The bows represent the Buddha, the dharma—that's the Buddha's teachings—and sangha: the Buddhist community.
Monks usually carry out the formal parts of the ceremonies. These women are repeating special words and chants.
A senior monk often gives a talk about the wisdom of the Buddha.
Monk:
"That is why the Buddha said that it is better to understand the nature of life."
Worshippers bring offerings of flowers and food to place in front of the Buddha. These are believed to be a way of gaining good kamma – adding to the good things you do in life – and each offering has a special meaning:
- Flowers are beautiful, but they wilt and die; a reminder that nothing lasts forever.
- Candles show how the light of the Buddha's teachings can shine through the darkness of ignorance.
- The sweet smell of incense reminds the worshipper of the beauty of the Buddha's teachings.
The Buddha taught that if people want to be happy, they must have a calm and relaxed mind. They must not have any feelings of anger or greed. To help them achieve this, the Buddha taught them to meditate.
For most Buddhists, meditation is the most important part of worship. They usually sit cross-legged on the floor, with eyes closed, and breathe calmly and slowly. Then they try to empty their minds of all thoughts.
The aim of mediation is to take your mind off the problems that are worrying you. But it's not always easy when your head is buzzing with lots of different things.
Some Buddhists concentrate on an object, such as a flower or a candle, to help them meditate. Others chant by repeating words and phrases over and over again out loud.
Buddhists believe the more they meditate, the better they are able to control their minds and improve their thinking.